Best of Windows — July 2024

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   Article

   Hacker News·2y

   vslavik/diff-pdf: A simple tool for visually comparing two PDF files

   diff-pdf is a tool for visually comparing two PDF files. By default, it outputs a return code indicating whether the PDFs differ. With the `--output-diff` option, it generates a PDF highlighting the differences. Using the `--view` option, a simple GUI allows visual comparison. The tool can be installed on Windows using Chocolatey, on Mac with Homebrew or MacPorts, and on Unix systems using common package managers. Compilation from source requires dependencies like wxWidgets, Cairo, and Poppler.

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   Article

   Francesco's Squad·2y

   Finally home

   After enduring a 27-hour bus journey, the author is relieved to finally be home and eager to start working on their Windows machine.

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   Article

   It's Foss·2y

   How to Access WSL Files in Windows

   Learn how to seamlessly access and manage Linux files from Windows using WSL. This guide covers various methods including using Windows Explorer and the command line. It also explains how to open Linux files in Windows apps like Notepad, and how to transfer files between Windows and WSL using the `cp` command.

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   Article

   Hacker News·2y

   PowerToys Run utility for Windows

   PowerToys Run is a versatile utility for Windows that supports various actions including launching applications, executing system commands, converting units, calculating hashes, generating GUIDs, and performing web searches. The utility is highly customizable with options to adjust keyboard shortcuts, input smoothing, and result configurations. The plugin manager allows for enabling/disabling plugins and setting direct activation commands. Key plugins include a calculator, unit converter, history tracker, time and date formatter, and Windows settings search, among others.

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   Video

   TechLinked·2y

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   Article

   Jeff Geerling·2y

   Where is Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite Dev Kit?

   A developer recounts the frustrating experience of attempting to purchase Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite Dev Kit, touted as a 'Mac mini killer' for Windows. Despite receiving an email about the availability and being quick to act, stock issues and shipping date complications marred the process, leading to significant delays. The developer also notes ongoing efforts to test the device with Linux, where compatibility currently surpasses that of Windows on Arm.

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   Article

   Dark Reading·2y

   Goodbye? Attackers Can Bypass 'Windows Hello' Strong Authentication

   An Accenture researcher discovered a vulnerability in Windows Hello for Business (WHfB) that allows downgrade attacks, enabling threat actors to bypass even biometric protections. Using the Evilginx adversary-in-the-middle attack framework, attackers can intercept and alter authentication requests, downgrading WHfB to less secure methods like passwords or OTPs. Microsoft has since released a fix, introducing a new Conditional Access capability called 'authentication strength,' which forces employees to use only phishing-resistant methods for authentication.

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   Article

   Lobsters·2y

   A Developer's Review of a Snapdragon X Laptop (Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x)

   The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x, powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite Arm CPU, offers a solid mix of performance and battery life for a developer's use case. Its OLED display is vibrant, the build quality is premium, and it features modern specs like Wi-Fi 7 and multiple USB-C ports. While native software support is generally good, some compatibility issues arise with x86-based applications. Development tools like Rust work mostly fine, but Python and Node.js dependencies can be problematic. The laptop performs well in real-world development tasks but struggles with certain virtualisation needs on Windows Home. Future Linux compatibility is promising as Qualcomm continues to upstream support.

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