Computer Act!ve - UK (2022-05-25)

The top stories in the world of technology

News

6 25 May – 7 June 2022 • Issue 632

WHAT WE THINK

but not this...

A new Windows 11 update is causing

programs to crash (www.snipca.com/41982)

You’ll like this...

Cambridge scientists are using algae to

power a computer (www.snipca.com/41981)

Microsoft: don’t use leaked One Outlook app

M

icrosoft has advised people not

to use a leaked edition of its One

Outlook email client, which will

eventually replace all existing versions

across both Windows 10 and 11 and online.

It said this early release is

“unsupported” and is missing “some of

the features and enhancements that will

be available later for our customers in

the Beta Channel”.

The warning was published on its site

for IT admins, and subsequently posted

on Twitter by Finnish tech expert Tero

Alhonen (www.snipca.com/41979).

Microsoft says One Outlook will merge

Outlook, Calendar and your contacts

into a single app. Preview versions

(www.snipca.com/41980) show it

looking far simpler than the current

Outlook for Windows (see screenshot).

It said it expects to “provide more

news in the coming weeks”.

Broadband firms face huge

fines for leaving potholes

inspection unit to tackle

what he calls the “the plague

of potholes” on the country’s

roads.

He said: “I’m ensuring

companies who create them

and leave roads in a poor

state can be held to account

more easily – protecting

drivers from unfair repair

costs” (www.snipca.

com/41978).

The Department of

Transport said that engineers

fail to return roads to a

minimum standard on nearly

one in 10 occasions. It didn’t

name the worst companies,

and doesn’t plan to in future,

claiming it’s “commercially

sensitive information”.

In addition, companies and

local authorities will have to

state when work starts and

stops at weekends. This

information will update

sat-navs and other traffic apps

so motorists know where

roadworks are happening and

can avoid those areas.

The plans also aim to speed

Government hit its revised

target of providing gigabit

(1Gbps) broadband to at least

85 per cent of UK premises

by the end of 2025.

BT recently announced that

its Fibre-to-the-Premises

(FTTP) network grew by a

record 752,000 premises in

the first three months of 2022

to 7.2 million.

B

roadband providers and

other utility firms will

be fined hundreds of

thousands of pounds for

leaving potholes or poor

quality roads after carrying

out work such as laying fibre

cables.

Transport Secretary Grant

Shapps is setting up an

up broadband rollout by

exempting firms from

restrictions when laying

connections for new

customers.

One third of all road works

are carried out by telecoms

companies, the Government

said. The number of works

needed to increase the rollout

of full-fibre broadband is

estimated to triple over the

next few years.

Ministers hope the

measures will help the

Damaged suspension and

buckled wheels shouldn’t be

the price we pay for gigabit

broadband, so we’re pleased

the Government is taking on

companies that leave roads

pockmarked with potholes.

But we still fear that the rush

to roll out gigabit speeds by

2025 will force some firms

to cut corners. They may

calculate that the cost of a

fine is outweighed by the

extra revenue brought in by

thousands of new customers

paying £50 a month for

lightning-fast speeds.

Have broadband firms left

potholes near you after finishing

work? Let us know: letters@

computeractive.co.uk