Latest news with #AndrewCunningham
WIRED
31-07-2025
- WIRED
Still Using Windows 10? Here's How to Get Another Year of Updates for Free
Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica If you're not ready to upgrade, you can still get security updates until October 2026 by enrolling in Microsoft's ESU program. Photograph:Officially, Microsoft will stop providing new security updates for Windows 10 PCs after October 14, 2025, a little over a decade after its initial release. It's a stick that Microsoft is using to push upgrades to the newer Windows 11, whether you install it on a PC you already have or buy a brand-new PC to meet Windows 11's system requirements. But if you can't or don't want to upgrade to Windows 11, Microsoft has made it reasonably simple to get an extra year of Extended Security Updates (ESUs) for Windows 10, extending its official support window to October of 2026. But this won't happen automatically; users will need to enroll their PCs in the ESU program to get the updates, using an enrollment feature that Microsoft just released to Windows 10 PCs recently. For anyone looking to get that extra year of updates, here's how to enroll your PC, how to make sure your PC is enrolled, and how to avoid paying the $30 fee that Microsoft is nominally charging for these updates. Enrolling Your Windows 10 PC in the Esu Program To enroll your PC in the ESU program, you'll need to meet Microsoft's list of requirements and anti-requirements, which we'll summarize here for convenience: A PC running Windows 10 Home, Pro, Pro Education, or Workstation with all available update installed. An administrator account. A Microsoft account. Even if you usually sign in with a local account, you need a Microsoft account to acquire the ESU license. The PC can't be in kiosk mode, joined to an Active Directory domain, joined to Microsoft Entra, or enrolled in any kind of mobile device management (MDM), which will cover a lot of workplace PCs. Microsoft has separate ESU programs for businesses, schools, and other large organizations. If your PC meets those conditions, you'll enroll in the ESU program by opening the Settings app and clicking Windows Update. You should see a status message telling you that Windows 10 updates end in October of 2025, with an "enroll now" link you can click to enroll in the Extended Security Updates program. If you're not already signing in with a Microsoft account, you'll be asked to use one here. This can be temporary, if you want it to be—once you've enrolled a given PC, you can sign back out of the Microsoft account and still get the ESUs. But you'll need an account every time you enroll a new PC, or if you do a fresh install of Windows 10 on your PC and need to re-enroll. There are three ways to get an ESU license: You can pay a $30 one-time purchase, you can redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points, or you can back up settings with the Windows Backup app. Of these, the Backup app is the most painless; it backs up some saved credentials, some Windows settings, and some Windows apps to your account. It can also back up folders you specify, if your account has the space for them (the paltry 5GB you get for free won't be good for much, but it's there). I had already used the Windows Backup app with my Microsoft Account at some point in the past, so I was automatically offered free enrollment into the ESU program. Whichever option you choose, click the Enroll button, and your PC will be signed up for the extra year of updates. A status message in the Windows Update app will confirm that your PC has been enrolled. You'll get security updates for Windows itself through October of 2026, and Microsoft has separately committed to providing Microsoft Defender Antivirus definitions updates and security updates for supported Microsoft Office versions through at least 2028. What if I Don't Want To Store Anything With Microsoft? We know that some of you want absolutely nothing to do with a Microsoft account, despite the company's push to require one as a precondition of using any version of Windows 11. If this describes you, the good news is that you can enroll in the ESU program without needing to stay enrolled in Windows Backup or without staying signed in to a Microsoft account at all. To stop using Windows backup, navigate to Settings, Accounts, and click Windows backup, and turn off all the toggles to stop future backups from happening. You should be able to clear any previous backup settings by going to your Microsoft account settings in a web browser, navigating to the Devices tab, scrolling to the bottom, and clicking "Clear stored settings." Any files synced via OneDrive can be managed via its web interface. To sign out of a Microsoft account altogether, navigate to Settings, Accounts, and the Your Info tab. There, you should either be able to click a link labeled "sign in with a local account instead" or "stop signing in to all Microsoft apps automatically," depending on how you signed in in the first place. After swapping back to a local account, you can also navigate to Settings, Accounts, and the Email & Accounts tab and remove any Microsoft accounts you see here if you don't want to use them for Edge or other Windows apps on your PC. Even after removing all vestiges of all Microsoft accounts from your PC, you'll still see the "your PC is enrolled to get Extended Security Updates" status message on the Windows Update page. We'd prefer to be able to get the updates without the rigmarole, but for people who can't or don't want to install Windows 11, the extra year of security patches is worth 10 or 15 minutes of irritation. This story originally appeared on Ars Technica.
DW
05-06-2025
- Health
- DW
Health risks of synthetic drug use in Europe still unknown – DW – 06/05/2025
An EU drug report shows synthetic substances are on an upward trend. Drugs like cathinones are now made in Europe to keep up with demand. The health risks are largely unknown. What you need to know: Synthetic stimulants like cathinones continue to rise in Europe Researchers lack knowledge about the long-term health risks of synthetic drug use Cocaine remains Europe's illicit drug of choice, and it's moving from big cities to small towns Fentanyl and nitazene use are increasing, driven by a ban on opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan The European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) monitored 1,000 new psychoactive substances at the end of 2024 and found that local drug users were increasingly consuming new forms of synthetic drugs. This has been the dominant trend in Europe over the past 5-10 years. But what is new is that increasing amounts of these synthetic drugs are now being produced in Europe — previously, they were largely trafficked from India, China or the Middle East. "This is a result of the demand for taking synthetic [drugs]," said Andrew Cunningham, head of policy, crime and markets at the EUDA in Lisbon, Portugal. Cocaine, however, is still Europe's most popular illicit stimulant drug. Imported from Latin American countries like Ecuador and Colombia, about 4.6 million Europeans used cocaine in 2024. The report also shows more Europeans are taking multiple drugs at the same time. As in previous years, so-called polysubstance use is the leading cause of drug deaths in Europe. The findings were published in the European Drug Report 2025 , June 5. Why is synthetic drug use a problem? Synthetic drug use is a major public health concern. Many synthetic substances have very high potency, and because they are relatively new and ever-evolving, scientists have not been able to track the long-term effects. The report shows that Europeans are increasingly using cathinones, either in combination with, or instead of, amphetamines and MDMA. Cathinones, such as 3-MMC (mephedrone), are synthetic stimulants, which have "gained recreational popularity over the past 20 years in Europe," said Jan Ramaekers, a psychopharmacologist at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. Ramaekers said the long-term health effects of cathinones were not well known. Researchers needed to better understand consumption patterns among users: What is a "normal" dose? How does it range? What is lethal? "We need controlled studies with 3-MMC in these 'normal' dose ranges that focus on health risks, but also on potential health benefits," said Ramaekers. Most cathinones were imported from India and China, primarily through the Netherlands. But production has steadily moved to Central Asia and Europe, "influenced by the Ukraine war," said Cunningham. Legal highs: Addictive and dangerous To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Cocaine spreading from cities to smaller towns A significant amount of global cocaine product ends up in Europe. For the seventh year in a row, record quantities of cocaine were seized by EU countries, amounting to 419 tons in 2023, up from 323 tons in 2022. "It's a very significant amount considering global cocaine production is estimated at 2,600 tons per year," he said. But it's not just cocaine: Wastewater analysis in 128 European cities found overall increases in cocaine, but also MDMA and amphetamine use in 2024. The analysis suggests that urban patterns of drug use in big cities may be spreading to smaller towns. Cunningham, whose team tracks the effects of geopolitical situations on Europe's drug market, said most of Europe's cocaine (70%) comes from Colombia. "Global [cocaine] production is up every year since 2016 after the Colombian government made a [peace] deal with FARC," he said. FARC, also known as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, were a Marxist militant group, suspected of involvement in illicit drug trade. Large seizures in Europe's ports show drug traffickers continue to smuggle the drug in from the sea. In 2024, Spain reported its largest ever seizure of cocaine (13 tons), concealed in bananas originating in Ecuador. How Europe became addicted to cocaine To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Deadly synthetic opioids on the rise The EUDA report estimates there were 7,500 drug-induced deaths in Europe in 2023, the majority of which were due to opioid drugs. Fake medicines containing synthetic opiates called nitazenes increased in at least 12 European countries in 2024. Some nitazene compounds are even stronger than fentanyl, which itself is 50 times stronger than heroin and has an extremely high risk of overdose. Synthetic opioids have been a major issue in the US for years, but the report shows they are a growing problem on the European drug market, too. "We fear an increase in synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl and nitazenes, on the illegal drug market, particularly as a result of the ban on opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan," said Daniel Deimel, an addiction expert at Nuremberg Technical University, Germany. Fentanyl, America's silent killer To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In recent months, there has been an increase in overdose clusters in Europe, which, Deimel said, may be a result of people mixing synthetic opioids with heroin. "Tests in drug consumption rooms in Germany have shown evidence of fentanyl or nitazene in heroin. If these substances become more common, the number of overdoses and fatal overdoses is likely to increase," said Deimel. Drug seizures in Europe have found nitazenes in fake prescription drugs, mimicking oxycodone or benzodiazepines bought on the illegal drug market. These fake pills have much higher potency and carry a significant risk of drug poisoning and overdose, especially as people do not know the drugs they are taking contain nitazenes. The EUDA report shows authorities seized 10 kilograms of nitazenes powder in 2023 — potentially sufficient to make millions of pills containing enough nitazenes to cause an overdose. Many experts are calling for more drug checking services to detect which substances are circulating on the drug scene. This allows public warnings to be issued when dangerous compounds are found in substances. Edited by: Zulfikar Abbany Source: The EU Drug Report 2025, EUDA, June 5 2025
Times
22-05-2025
- Business
- Times
GeoPura: how its green hydrogen generators are taking on diesel
Andrew Cunningham has it in for diesel generators. 'No one really knows for sure, but it is estimated that there is a $300 billion installed estate of diesel generators [globally],' says the serial entrepreneur. Developed economies are just as hooked on them as developing ones are, he adds, before anyone says they provide affordable power in poor countries. 'It is pretty horrible,' he says. Fortunately, Cunningham, 61, has spent the last 17 years or so developing an alternative generators that are quiet, reliable, spew out water from their exhausts rather than toxic fumes and are made at the famous Parsons Works in Newcastle, the birthplace of the steam turbine. Fans already include the BBC's Natural History unit, as well as Netflix and Disney. One of
Daily Record
15-05-2025
- Daily Record
Survivor gets justice as Barlinnie TV documentary brute is jailed for campaign of 'violent' domestic abuse
Andrew Cunningham was told by a sheriff that for two years he'd made the woman's life a misery including threatening her with a knife. A Scots domestic abuse survivor who was forced to sell her home to escape her "controlling and violent" ex says she has finally got justice as he was jailed yesterday. Cocaine addict Andrew Cunningham was locked up for 17 months at Hamilton Sheriff Court for a two-year campaign of terror against his former partner. The 36-year-old joiner was told by a sheriff that for two years he'd made the woman's life a misery including threatening her with a knife. Cunningham admitted a course of abusive behaviour towards the female at an address in Glen Bervie, East Kilbride, and elsewhere between 2022 and last year. He also admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice by warning the woman not to give evidence against him. He was sentenced at Hamilton Sheriff Court where he was also handed a 15-year non-harassment order. Last month Cunningham infuriated Sheriff John Hamilton KC when background reports weren't ready as he'd missed an interview with a social worker at HMP Barlinnie where he was being held. Cunningham failed to attend the meeting because he was involved in the filming of a BBC documentary about the prison which left his victim feeling "completely disgusted". Commenting on the sentence today, she told Lanarkshire Live she was "pleased" he got a custodial sentence for the "seriousness" of the abuse she endured. After bravely facing her abuser in court she said: "It was a very stressful day but I was pleased with the outcome. I wasn't sure going in if he would be given a custodial but I am happy that Sheriff Hamilton recognised the seriousness of the abuse he put me through. "I was also extremely pleased with the 15-year non-harassment order which is an usually lengthy time period, again due to the seriousness of the abuse I endured." At this week's hearing defence lawyer Ruth Wallace said Cunningham would be "eternally ashamed" of his conduct towards his ex-partner. She told the court he had been a successful businessman but "lost everything" due to cocaine addiction and his offending behaviour. He had been "struggling significantly with his mental health" during the period when the domestic abuse happened. Ms Wallace said: "It was a couple of years when everything was drastically out of control. "He accepts responsibility and seems to be a changed man. There is true remorse." Blasting the excuses for his vile behaviour, Cunningham's victim said: "I do not believe there is genuine remorse at all. The fact that the social worker made reference to him paying 'lip service' and saying what he thought he should be saying as well as saying that he lacked insight into the effect his abuse had on me demonstrates he was putting on an act - something he is very good at doing. "Like many domestic abusers he can be very charming and I think he has tried to charm his way out of what he has done. Even when he was being taken down to the dock he stared at my family again. "I found it galling to have to sit and listen to his defence agent list all the ways Andrew's life has been affected by his behaviour and try to excuse his behaviour on his cocaine use and mental health. I believe that his cocaine use merely escalated his controlling, jealous and abusive tendencies as opposed to causing them." Passing sentence, Sheriff Hamilton told Cunningham, of Harrington Road, East Kilbride: "Your conduct was truly appalling. "It was an extremely serious, prolonged, two-year period of controlling, coercive, aggressive and violent behaviour towards your partner. "It involved violence, threatening her with a weapon, spitting and threats to her family. Clearly you made her life a misery and there are long-term consequences. "Despite your position that you were using cocaine, you must have known at the time the effect of your conduct on her." Cunningham's victim has met with East Kilbride MSP Collette Stevenson and wrote to Justice Minister Angela Constance to highlight the negative experiences she had through the justice system. She believes "huge changes" are needed for victims of violence against women and girls and called on victims or families of victims to apply for Clare's Law disclosures to keep women safe from men like Andrew Cunningham. "Now I am aware of the dangers of domestic abuse and the red flags, I can see how many of his behaviours were alarming from the start", she went on. "Many of my friends and family also noticed red flags early on and considered applying for Clare's Law. I would encourage anyone who is in a similar situation, either themselves or a friend of theirs, to ask for a Clare's Law disclosure as I believe it's a really useful tool in keeping women safe from men like Andrew. "The effect that his abuse has had on me has been significant. I have had to sell my home as I no longer felt safe and during the period of abuse I weighed only 39kg [six stone] at my lowest. "Although I am pleased with the fact that he pled guilty to what he did and has received a custodial sentence and I feel I have got justice, I do feel that there are many who are being failed. "He is a danger to women and will continue to be in the future."
Scottish Sun
14-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
Violent thug set to star in BBC documentary jailed over horror domestic abuse campaign
It was claimed that the trial was delayed as he missed a meeting with social workers due to taking part in the show 'COMPLETELY DISGUSTED' Violent thug set to star in BBC documentary jailed over horror domestic abuse campaign Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A THUG who is set to feature in a BBC documentary about life in Barlinnie prison has been jailed for 17 months. Andrew Cunningham, 36, subjected his ex-girlfriend to a vicious campaign of abuse at a property in East Kilbride, Lanarkshire. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 HMP Barlinnie is the subject of a BBC Documentary with inmates being filmed Credit: PA 3 Cunningham was sentenced to 17 months at Hamilton Sheriff Court Credit: Les Gallagher His offending stretched between March 2022 and February last year and also saw him threaten his victim about testifying against him. She had blasted him for taking part in the documentary that is understood to depict the reality of life behind the bars of Scotland's infamous prison which is dubbed 'The Big Hoose'. The woman had earlier hit out after it was claimed he had caused delays in previous court dates after he missed a meeting with social workers due to taking part in the show. She said: "When I heard about the documentary I was completely disgusted. "I think it's shocking a convicted domestic abuser who is on remand is being given a platform." Cunningham was today jailed at Hamilton Sheriff Court by Sheriff John Hamilton KC who also banned him from contacting his victim for 15 years. 3 The second series of the documentary at Barlinnie is currently being filmed Credit: Getty Ruth Wallace, defending, said Cunningham had taken part in the document but had not prioritised it over court commitments. She said: "While it was the case there was this documentary, he was working as a prison mentor and they requested that remanded prisoners be filmed rather than those serving a sentence. "He did not take part in the documentary rather than do the social work report, he made himself available and knows the importance of the social work report. "He accepts full responsibility for his behaviour and is truly appalled and the words he used to me were that it was truly disgusting behaviour and that there is not a day passes when he is not sorry." First convicts leave Barlinnie after Scottish Government release 360 prisoners early due to overcrowding Sheriff Hamilton said: "The conduct in this indictment is truly appalling. "It was a prolonged two year period of controlling, coercive and violent behaviour and involved threatening her with weapons, controlling someone with weapons, spitting, threats to her family and it's clear from her victim impact statement that you made her life a misery. "You must have known the effect of your conduct." The BBC previously said that they take their duty of care seriously, make a point to contact victims ahead of any broadcast and said filmed interviews do not always make the final edit. A spokesperson added: "The timing of the sentencing is a matter for the court. "The filming for this documentary had no impact on this and it is categorically untrue to suggest otherwise."
