Windows 11 turns five, leaving some important lessons for Microsoft

On June 24, 2021, Microsoft announced Windows 11, unveiling a new and controversial operating system. Five years on, how has that worked out for you, Redmond?

Windows 11 has always been a problem child for Microsoft. It was announced in June 2021 and became generally available on October 5 that year, while much of its customer base was still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, The Register called it pointless rather than a point release of Microsoft's flagship operating system.

Why? Because Windows 10 was more than adequate. Microsoft's apology for the Windows 8.x era was… fine. It mostly worked without difficulty. It lacked the user-experience missteps of its predecessors and was an architectural step up from Windows 7. And, most importantly, the operating system didn't trip up a user's workflow.

There is an old adage: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," but Microsoft set to work fixing Windows 10 regardless, and the result was Windows 11. The user experience has irked users ever since. Did you like being able to move the taskbar around in Windows 10? Tough – in Windows 11, you'll have to learn to love where Microsoft stuck it. How about the Start Menu? Again, Microsoft knew best and redesigned it. READ MORE...

www.theregister.com

Reading for today: why pray?

 

Prayer is either a sheer illusion - or a personal contact between embryonic, incomplete persons (ourselves) and the utterly concrete Person. 

Prayer, in the sense of petition, asking for things, is a small part of it; 

confession and penitence are its threshold, 

adoration its sanctuary, the presence and vision and enjoyment of God its bread and wine. 

In it God shows Himself to us.

By: C.S. Lewis

From: The World's Last Night

Racing Honda Groms up huge hill climb

Just to get you in the World Motorcycle Day mood...

With 6,000ft of elevation over 18.5 miles, San Pedro Martir - a closed mountain road in rural Mexico - is apparently the longest hill climb in the world. Here, the RevZilla guys race Honda Groms along its 150 turns. Great entertainment!

www.youtube.com

World Motorcycle Day: 21st June

 

Motorcycles have a surprisingly long history, with the first one being created in 1860 by one Pierre Michaux in Paris. This early motorcycle was steam-powered and was one of a few varieties that would spring up in the ensuing decades. 1885 would see the invention of the first internal combustion powered motorcycle, and from there on out things would explode as this popular form of conveyance entered the public consciousness.

Today motorcycles are used for an increasing number of applications, including delivery driving, passenger conveyance, recreation, and even just daily commuting. This is due, in no small part, to the incredible gas mileage these vehicles get, and how compact and easy they are to store even if you live in an apartment. Whether you’re using your motorcycle to get around from day to day, or are an enthusiast or hobbyist who goes on long rides as part of your yearly vacation, World Motorcycle Day is for you.

The best way to celebrate World Motorcycle Day is to get out on the road and enjoy the freedom of riding on a motorcycle. There’s nothing quite like feeling the wind blow through your hair and wrap around you as you experience the complete freedom that is cruising beautiful roads from the back of a motorcycle. If you’ve been struggling with the costs of owning a car but have to have a way to get back and forth from work, then it’s time to look into becoming a motorcyclist.

The cost of a motorcycle along with the incredible fuel efficiency makes these vehicles perfect for the economically minded. On the other hand, if you just like the speed and power you can get out of one of these bad boys, then this holiday is your excuse to get out and tear up some pavement. Walruzoar

www.daysoftheyear.com

Bitcoin’s latest plunge revives the debate over owning it

 

Bitcoin has lost nearly half its value since reaching a record high above $123,000 in July 2025. After years of bitcoin rewarding those who held through periods of volatility, the selloff is just the latest test of investors’ mettle.

But bitcoin’s recent decline doesn’t appear to reflect a fundamental change in the investment, says Daniel Sotiroff, associate director of ETF and Passive Strategies Research at Morningstar. “I think a lot of this is crypto being crypto,” he says.

www.cnbc.com

Tests suggest Russian satellites can jam GPS on a continental scale

Russian satellites have been identified as the cause of mysterious, seconds-long bursts of GPS interference across Europe—a rare example of human-made GPS interference coming from space. But uncertainty still hangs over whether such interference is intentional and if it could be more powerfully weaponized as GPS jamming with continental reach in the future.

The discovery came from an investigation detailed in a June 2 preprint paper by Todd Humphreys and his student Zach Clements at The University of Texas at Austin, along with Argyris Kriezis at Stanford University in California. By sifting through public data from ground-based stations with global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers, they identified a pattern of high-powered interference lasting less than 10 seconds each time but simultaneously detectable by ground stations across Europe from Norway to Spain to Poland, and even reaching as far west as Greenland and Canada. READ MORE and/or WATCH THIS VIDEO.

www.arstechnica.com

Reading for today: Jesus is the gateway to salvation

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Read all of Matthew 7 at Bible Gateway