Tech In General Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Chicago IT Support & Cyber Security

Microsoft Retires the Blue Screen of Death, Because Apparently Black Is More Soothing

June 27, 2025 by Edward Silha

After 40 years of glaring blue error messages and frowny faces, Microsoft is giving the infamous Blue Screen of Death a final sendoff. Starting later this summer, Windows 11 devices will crash in a new color. Say hello to the Black Screen of Death.

The change isn’t just about ditching the old aesthetic. Microsoft says the new screen will simplify crash messages and speed up recovery. Gone is the sad face emoticon. In its place is a stripped-down message with technical details like the stop code and system driver that triggered the failure. The goal is to help users recover faster and give IT teams what they need without dragging them into a full-blown forensic session. [Read more…]

When the Code Breaks, the AI Doesn’t Get the Call. I do

June 17, 2025 by Edward Silha

The buzz around AI-powered coding tools is hard to avoid, and I get asked about them a lot. Instead of continuing to repeat myself I figured it was time to write down exactly why I don’t use them, and why that decision isn’t about being for or against AI in some grand ideological sense. This is just a practical take based on how I work, what I value, and what actually helps me get things done.

The core issue is speed—or the lack of it. If AI tools helped me move faster, I’d consider them. But they don’t. The idea of having an AI assistant write code for me sounds nice. A little robot fixing bugs while I sip coffee? Sure. But it doesn’t work like that. Any code that goes into my projects has to meet a standard, and that means reviewing it line by line. I have to understand what it’s doing, why it’s doing it, and feel confident I can tweak it later. Otherwise, it’s a liability. [Read more…]

Gmail Mobile Is Auto-Summarizing Your Emails, No Permission Needed

May 30, 2025 by Edward Silha

Gmail users on Android and iOS are about to see a lot more AI, whether they ask for it or not. Google has started rolling out a new update that automatically generates summaries for emails in the mobile app. The summaries, powered by Gemini, will show up at the top of the message view—no tapping required.

Previously, users had to opt in by pressing a “Summarize this email” button. That’s gone. Now, Gmail will decide when a summary might be useful and insert it without prompting. Google hasn’t said exactly what criteria it uses to trigger a summary, but the company hints it’s targeting long messages or email threads with multiple replies. In practice, it’s likely going to be a low bar. Google’s been eager to boost user engagement with its AI tools across its entire product line. [Read more…]

Google’s New AI Mode Reshapes Search, Ready or Not

May 22, 2025 by Edward Silha

Google is moving full steam ahead with AI integration in Search, whether users are ready for it or not. After a rocky debut last year, its AI Overviews have returned with a new feature in tow: AI Mode. Live for U.S. users following the company’s 2025 I/O event, this new tab aims to radically alter how people interact with search results.

AI Mode introduces a more conversational interface that mimics tools like ChatGPT. It’s built to handle layered, complex queries, parsing out multiple topics and drawing on a wide range of sources to deliver synthesized answers. The system uses what Google calls a “query fan-out” approach—breaking a question into parts, running simultaneous searches, and stitching the findings together into one long-form reply. Answers include sources and are presented with summaries, sometimes even visual data. [Read more…]

Siri’s AI Smarts Are Stuck in Development Hell

May 19, 2025 by Edward Silha

Apple’s next-gen Siri isn’t arriving at WWDC 2025—and likely won’t be ready for quite a while. Despite splashy ads last year teasing a major AI overhaul, the promised upgrade remains stuck in development.

Internally, Apple’s AI efforts have been chaotic. Senior leadership, including Software Engineering head Craig Federighi, initially saw little value in chasing generative AI. That changed only after ChatGPT’s release in late 2022. Executives quickly shifted gears, hoping to pack iOS 18 with AI-driven tools. [Read more…]

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