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19 Jul 2025

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NZ backs UK sanctions following discovery of Russian cyber attacks
The British Foreign Secretary says the UK have uncovered a sophisticated Russian digital espionage tool used to harvest login credentials from online Microsoft products.

Phishers have found a way to downgrade—not bypass—FIDO MFA
Contrary to recent reports, phishing sleight-of-hand doesn't defeat FIDO.

Microsoft stops selling movies and TV shows, but prior purchases remain
Microsoft said today that it’s shutting down its Movies & TV storefront on Windows and Xbox, though you’ll still be able to play the movies and TV shows you’ve previously purchased. Microsoft’s newly published support document (found by Windows Central) is significant in that Microsoft is no longer selling video content via the Microsoft Store. It follows Microsoft’s decision to stop selling music as part of its Groove Music services, which was shuttered in 2017. But Microsoft’s decision to stop providing movies and TV shows to rent or buy probably should be met with a shrug. Several streaming movie services already show movies just weeks after they’re released in the box office, with rumors that the recent Superman release might be opened to streaming services just 45 days after first appearing in movie theaters. Microsoft doesn’t offer a streaming service; instead, it provides direct sales and rentals to consumers. Plenty of services already do that. So what will happen to movies and TV shows that you’ve already purchased? For now, they’ll remain on Microsoft’s servers. Microsoft’s support document indicates that you’ll be able to continue playing them via the Movies & TV app on either Xbox or Windows PC, and they’ll play back in high resolution. Microsoft’s “Entertainment” page on the Microsoft Store is still technically active, although if you try to buy a movie you’ll see an error message. If you don’t feel like launching a dedicated app for all this, services like Movies Anywhere (which is like GOG Galaxy 2.0 but for movies) can aggregate all the titles you’ve purchased elsewhere. If you’re still suspicious, I can’t really blame you. Previously, Microsoft pushed consumers to Spotify and eventually shifted all of the licensed music purchased by consumers on to that streaming platform. Unfortunately, you can’t download the movies you’ve already purchased from Microsoft, so they’ll be left hanging for the time being.

This mini PC with 16GB of RAM is an absurdly cheap $157
Mini PCs are emerging as a wonderful, affordable balm to the skyrocketing costs of laptops, with an extra bonus that they’re far more upgradeable than most of them. Right now there’s a great deal on a mini PC with 16GB of RAM for just $156.87. And no, you don’t need to subscribe to Prime to snag the discount. The GMKtek G3 Plus, like most mini PCs, uses laptop parts to bring the price down and deliver a teeny-tiny footprint, just 4.5 x 4.2 inches (114 x 106mm, if you live in a civilized country). Inside is an Intel N150 quad-core processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage, which is a great start for a mini PC under $200. If you’re in the mood to upgrade, it can handle a maximum of 32GB of DDR4 laptop memory and 2TB of Gen 3 storage using the standard M.2 2280 form factor. Windows 11 comes installed. With that N150 processor this won’t be any kind of a speed demon, and you can expect pretty basic performance from any new 3D game. But even without an upgrade, this little guy is going to fly through most Windows tasks and handle plenty of browser tabs, and its built-in ports can handle dual 4K monitors, and it’ll connect to your Wi-Fi 6 network or Bluetooth 5.2 accessories without an issue. The only real disappointment is a lack of USB-C ports, though there are four USB-A ports (two on the front, two on the back) and an Ethernet port for fast hardwired networking. At a hair over $150, this thing really is a steal for a low-power workstation — the barebones model without RAM, storage, or Windows costs $120, for comparison. Grab it before it’s gone if you’re in the market for an affordable, upgradeable desktop. Get a Mini PC with 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD for $157View Deal