News

Windows 11 24H2 is causing Windows Firewall to throw up false positivesAn event gets logged every time a user restarts their deviceMicrosoft says the error message can be disregardedMicrosoft has reported a rather embarrassing issue with Windows Firewall after the June 2025 preview update of Windows 11 24H2, and the error remains a mystery for now.In the known issues section of Microsoft's update on Windows 11 24H2 KB5060829 (OS Build 26100.4484) Preview, the company noted that "security event logs might include an error event related to Windows Firewall with Advanced Security."Microsoft declared users can safely disregard the error, however details on why it's occurring are so far thin on the ground.Windows Firewall is having issues with Microsoft code in latest Windows 11 build"The event appears as 'Config Read Failed' with the message 'More data is available,'" Microsoft noted. "Although this event is logged in every time the device restarts, it does not indicate a problem with Windows Firewall and can be disregarded."Despite the Event Viewer log, Windows Firewall is expected to function normally, with no impact to system processes. Nevertheless, false positives in the Event Log can still be a nuisance, especially for system monitoring."This event is related to a feature that is currently under development and not fully implemented," the company confirmed, however no estimated fix date has been provided."We are working on releasing a resolution and will provide more information when it is available," Microsoft added.Compared to past problems seen with Windows 11 24H2, the issue is fairly benign – at least it's not causing system crashes – but it does raise concern about potential issues or unfinished code making it into public builds.Microsoft also noted that the same build has an issue with Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters in certain conditions – particularly when displayed at 96 DPI in Chromium-based browsers including its own not-so-popular browser, Edge. The company claims to be working with Google on a solution.You might also likeWe've listed the best firewallsWindows 10 users who don’t want to upgrade to Windows 11 get new lifeline from MicrosoftTime to upgrade to Windows 11? These are the best business laptops and best mobile workstations

Denmark has reintroduced the disputed child sexual abuse (CSAM) scanning bill on the first day of its EU PresidencyThe so-called Chat Control proposal could be adopted as early as October 14, 2025 The proposal has been failing to attract the needed majority since May 2022 Denmark kicked off its EU Presidency on July 1, 2025, and, among its first actions, lawmakers swiftly reintroduced the controversial child sexual abuse (CSAM) scanning bill to the top of the agenda.Having been deemed by critics as Chat Control, the bill aims to introduce new obligations for all messaging services operating in Europe to scan users' chats, even if they're encrypted.The proposal, however, has been failing to attract the needed majority since May 2022, with Poland's Presidency being the last to give up on such a plan.Denmark is a strong supporter of Chat Control. Now, the new rules could be adopted as early as October 14, 2025, if the Danish Presidency manages to find a middle ground among the countries' members.Chat Control is back – what we know so far(Image credit: Getty Images)The Danish Parliament has not yet disclosed the contents of the new compromises. At the time of writing, we know that another meeting is scheduled for later this week (July 11), with lawmakers expected to deliberate on the bill on October 14 (see page 31 of the agenda).We also know that among the objectives of the Danish EU Presidency, there's a commitment to "focus on strengthening the abilities to make use of the digital development for law enforcement when fighting serious crime, while also addressing the misuse of new technologies for criminal or harmful purposes," Denmark's program reads.So-called Chat Control aims to halt the spread of CSAM content online by scanning all communications, especially encrypted ones. Over the years, however, the proposal has seen some twists and turns as privacy advocates, technologists, and even politicians raised concerns.Experts worry that these new obligations will undermine encryption protections. Encryption is a technology that the likes of WhatsApp, Signal, ProtonMail, and even the best VPN apps use to scramble users' messages into an unreadable form, preventing unauthorized access and guaranteeing that chats remain private.As per its first version, all messaging software providers would be required to perform indiscriminate scanning of private messages to look for CSAM – so-called 'client-side scanning'. The proposal was met with a strong backlash, and the European Court of Human Rights ended up banning all legal efforts to weaken encryption of secure communications in Europe.In June 2024, Belgium then proposed a new text to target only shared photos, videos, and URLs, upon users' permission. This version didn't satisfy either the industry or voting EU members due to its coercive nature. As per the Belgian text, users must give consent to the shared material being scanned before being encrypted to keep using the functionality.🇬🇧🚨 Under Danish leadership, #ChatControl is to be adopted as early as October 14! https://t.co/dKVuSlrSJX (p. 31)The decisive factor is Germany: neither Conservatives nor Socialists have yet declared digital privacy of correspondence and secure encryption to be a red line.July 1, 2025Fast-forward to February 2025, Poland tried to find a better compromise by making the scanning of encrypted chats voluntary instead of mandatory and classified as "prevention." While experts found this version a "major progress," they still lamented the risk of mass surveillance, and, ultimately, lawmakers failed to attract the needed majority.We could then expect the Danish text to try finding a compromise that appeals to most of the country's members.According to the former MEP for the German Pirate Party, Patrick Breyer, Denmark crucially needs to manage to convince Germany of its proposed text. The new government has not yet taken a position at the time of writing.What's certain, however, is that the controversial CSAM scanning bill is far from being the only proposal threatening encryption in Europe.In the latest of these efforts, on June 24, 2025, the EU Commission published the first step in its ProtectEU strategy, which looked to enable law enforcement bodies to decrypt your private data by 2030.You might also likeTelegram pledges to exit the market rather than "undermine encryption with backdoors"Chat Control 2.0? Experts urge the EU not to undermine encryption with new ProtectEU planSecure encryption and online anonymity are now at risk in Switzerland

Prime Day 2025 is basically here, and the sales are abundant. There's deals on some of our favorite products, like the TP-Link Deco AXE5400 WI-Fi mesh router system and the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max. Now, another Amazon device is on sale: the Echo Spot.

Currently, you can get the Amazon Echo Spot for $45, down from $80. The 44 percent discount brings the smart alarm clock to a new all-time low. The deal is available on each of the color options, Black, Glacier White and Ocean Blue.

Amazon launched the new Echo Spot in 2024, five years after it canned an initial iteration. It's not too different than its predecessor, though its front is split between a screen and a speaker. Amazon also got rid of its camera, which made some people uncomfortable for a bedside table device. Of course, it offers Alexa integration so you can use the voice assistant for everything from getting the time to playing music. That includes controlling smart home devices as well, and you can even pick up the Echo Spot bundled with an Amazon Basics smart light bulb for an extra $5.

Elsewhere in the Amazon devices ecosystem, more smart speakers have received discounts. The Echo Pop is 45 percent off and down to $22 for Prime members, and the Echo Show 5 is 33 percent off and down to $60. Neither of those are record-low prices, but they are some of the best discounts we've seen in 2025 so far.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazons-echo-spot-is-on-sale-for-only-45-for-prime-day-133212749.html?src=rss

Amazon Prime Day is around the corner, but there are plenty of great deals to be found right now before the event kicks off in earnest on July 8. Right now you can pick up the Apple Watch Series 10 for $100 off its normal price. That’s the lowest price we’ve ever seen it, and trust us, 25 percent off on current-generation Apple products is not easy to come by.

It’s hard to believe that the Apple Watch is already ten years old. It seems like only yesterday that we got our hands on the first generation, and now the Apple Watch Series 10 is counting the days until the next generation is announced. Whether you’re looking to upgrade from an older Apple Watch or this is your first time buying an Apple smartwatch (though keep in mind an iPhone is required to use an Apple Watch), this sale is a great opportunity to pick one up at a fantastic value.

The tenth generation of the Apple Watch represents a powerhouse of computing on your wrist. In our hands-on review, we loved the comprehensive health and fitness tracking capabilities on the watch, which has been a strong niche for Apple. We were sad to see the blood oxygen app removed following a patent dispute, but features like fall detection and sleep apnea tracking are still intact. It’s also the thinnest Apple Watch yet, feeling more like a slim accessory than a bulky gadget. We gave the Apple Watch 10 a score of 90 out of 100, and it remains our top pick for best smartwatch.

If you're looking to send less, consider the Apple Watch SE. You can grab one for only $169 right now, or 32 percent off its usual price. It doesn't have all the bells, whistles and extra sensors that the Series 10 does, but you'll still get the core Apple Watch experience with excellent activity tracking, heart rate monitoring, smart alerts and more.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/prime-day-deal-get-100-off-the-apple-watch-series-10-152348246.html?src=rss