Another sweltering Carolina week, another stack of spicy tech headlines: Windows 11’s big August security patch adds yet more AI sparkle, AMD keeps stoking the Zen-5 furnace, OpenAI’s GPT-5 looms like a torrential summer storm, and cyber-crooks target everything from SonicWall firewalls to SharePoint servers. Grab a glass of sweet tea—let’s turn the frenzy into fun.
News For The Week:
1) Windows 11’s August Security Update packs AI “Settings Helper” and a new Black Screen of Death
- https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/windows-11/8-new-features-arriving-with-the-august-2025-security-update-for-windows-11
Microsoft’s fresh cumulative update (rolling out this week to 24H2 and 23H2 PCs) brings an AI-driven assistant inside the Settings app, making “where-do-I-click” questions almost disappear. It also debuts Quick Machine Recovery for remote boot repairs and swaps the infamous Blue Screen for a sleek black variant—because goth is back in fashion. Windows Central
For small businesses, the update fixes over 50 CVEs—including two already exploited in the wild—so schedule those reboots. Home users should flip Settings → Windows Update → Get the latest updates to receive the preview sooner, then verify SSU KB5063666 installed correctly. Microsoft Support
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2) AMD is considering standalone NPUs for desktop rigs—goodbye expensive GPUs for light AI?
- https://www.techradar.com/computing/gpu/amd-mulls-dedicated-npus-for-desktop-pcs-like-graphics-cards-but-for-ai-tasks-and-this-could-be-excellent-news-for-pc-gamers
TechRadar reports AMD is prototyping plug-and-play Neural Processing Units that would slide into a PCIe slot like a graphics card, but gulp only a fraction of the watts. TechRadar If the concept ships, mom-and-pop shops could run voice transcription or document-search models locally without a $900 GPU.
Expect deep-learning accelerators with tiny fans and even tinier price tags next year. Until then, AMD recommends pairing Radeon cards with Ryzen AI for on-device Copilot features. TechRadar
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3) Four new Ryzen 9000 desktop CPUs—three of them “PRO”—hit the launch pad
- https://www.techpowerup.com/339407/amd-readies-four-new-ryzen-9000-desktop-cpus-including-three-pro-chips
AMD’s Zen-5 parade continues: the company confirmed 65 W Ryzen 9 9950, Ryzen 7 9750, and two 9000 PRO chips aimed at small-office workstations. TechPowerUp Benchmarks show ~20 % faster Excel crunching and Blender renders versus last-gen 7000 counterparts, all while sipping less juice—good news for power bills in muggy Charleston summers.
The PRO line adds on-chip Memory Guard encryption plus remote manageability features, making them a sweet fit for accountants, architects, and anyone juggling sensitive files. Early systems land later this month; Holy City Computer Services can custom-build and BIOS-tune ’em. TechPowerUp
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4) Copilot’s new “Smart Mode” hints at GPT-5 integration—no more model pick-lists
- https://www.theverge.com/notepad-microsoft-newsletter/715849/microsoft-copilot-smart-mode-testing-notepad
Microsoft has started A/B-testing a “smart mode” that quietly selects the best language model for each request, paving the runway for GPT-5’s rumored mid-August debut. The Verge Early testers report deeper reasoning for longform tasks and lightning-fast summaries for quick queries—without toggling any menus.
OpenAI’s own insiders say GPT-5 was feature-complete in July and is now undergoing last-minute “safety sweeps” before shipping to Microsoft 365 users first. The Verge Expect wilder brainstorming sessions—and heavier local-AI demand when folks compare cloud privacy to tiny-town peace-of-mind.
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5) Surge of Akira ransomware exploits SonicWall firewalls—patch or unplug
- https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/surge-of-akira-ransomware-attacks-hits-sonicwall-firewall-devices/
Arctic Wolf spotted a spike in Akira attacks weaponizing an undisclosed SonicWall flaw to sidestep VPN logins and encrypt file shares. BleepingComputer Victims range from dental offices to design studios.
Action plan: update to the latest SonicOS firmware, disable management interfaces on WAN, and enforce multi-factor authentication everywhere—yes, even Grandma’s laptop if it tunnels in. BleepingComputer
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6) SharePoint 0-days let Warlock ransomware in—CISA raises DEFCON eyebrows
- https://cybersecuritynews.com/sharepoint-0-day-ransomware-attack/
Two freshly-patched CVEs (2025-53770/53771) are being chained to drop Warlock payloads on self-hosted SharePoint servers. Cyber Security News Microsoft urges admins to install July’s security roll-up and search for suspicious *.ASPX webshells.
Small businesses still stuck on-prem should geofence SharePoint traffic and back up to immutable storage—Holy City Computer Services can migrate you to safer hybrid setups without the heartburn. Cyber Security News
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7) New Anubis ransomware hits Android and Windows, stealing logins on the way out
- https://cybersecuritynews.com/anubis-ransomware-attacking-android-and-windows-users/
Researchers uncovered Anubis, a cross-platform menace that encrypts documents and exfiltrates password vaults before demanding crypto. Cyber Security News Because it spreads via malicious APK sideloads and phishing attachments, remind staff (and the kids) to download apps only from trusted stores and keep EDR on mobile devices.
If infected, disconnect from Wi-Fi immediately, contact professionals, and resist paying—decryptors rarely work and encourage more crime. Holy City Computer Services offers incident-response retainers sized for mom-and-pop budgets. Cyber Security News
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8) Skip’s Instant Grant round closes Aug 1—$5 k for quick-pitch entrepreneurs
- https://www.uschamber.com/co/run/business-financing/small-business-grants-and-programs
Need a new laptop fleet or AI-powered point-of-sale system? Skip’s micro-grant livestream happens August 1 and hands out $5 k checks within days. U.S. Chamber of Commerce The application is a two-minute form plus a one-minute elevator pitch—perfect for night-owl founders.
Even if you miss this round, the US Chamber’s calendar lists rolling grants all month. Holy City Computer Services can help draft tech-focused proposals that wow reviewers. U.S. Chamber of Commerce
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9) Small-business optimism jumps after a surprisingly strong first half of 2025
- https://www.inc.com/bruce-crumley/better-than-expected-first-half-boosts-small-business-optimism-for-q3/91217765
A new Inc. survey found 62 % of entrepreneurs beat revenue forecasts in H1 2025, crediting AI-assisted marketing and cheaper cloud tools. Inc.com Many plan to reinvest in automation and cybersecurity, signalling tech budgets could bloom even in mom-and-pop shops.
Tip: funnel some of that optimism into cyber-insurance and password-manager subscriptions before splurging on neon signage. A little prevention keeps the good vibes rolling. Inc.com
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Windows Tips For The Week:
- Stuck Update Loop? Open PowerShell (Admin) and run
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth, thensfc /scannow, reboot, and retry Windows Update. This fixes most 0x800f errors. Microsoft Support - Enable Quick Machine Recovery (24H2 only) under Settings → System → Recovery to allow remote diagnostics if the PC refuses to boot. Windows Central
- Lock down SharePoint by disabling legacy authentication and limiting access to your static office IPs. If that’s Greek to you, we’ve got a wrench—and coffee. Cyber Security News
AI Prompt Ideas:
“Act as a budget-savvy tech matchmaker. I’ll describe a small business (industry, headcount, pain point). Recommend one hardware upgrade and one AI SaaS under $1 k each, then explain ROI in a single paragraph I can copy-paste into a grant application.”
Fire this into your favorite LLM to whip up quick, persuasive tech-grant language.
Keeping up with patches, processors, and pesky phishers can feel like herding hyperactive cats. Let Holy City Computer Services tame the tech for you—whether that’s rolling out Windows 11 updates, hardening SonicWall firewalls, or speccing a shiny Zen-5 workstation. Call 843-670-4153, email support@holycityit.com, or visit https://www.holycityit.com. We’ll wrangle the wires so you can focus on business—or, you know, the beach.