This week’s vibe: patch, prep, and power up. Windows 11 dropped a fresh preview update, Chrome leapt to a new early stable, GPT-5 kept evolving, Anthropic tweaked its privacy defaults, and Framework unveiled a very upgradable laptop. There’s also free money on the table for scrappy founders and some last-minute tax planning nuggets. Let’s turn headlines into handy, human-friendly takeaways for Charleston.

News For The Week:

Windows 11’s late-August preview update: small but useful fixes

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/august-26-2025-kb5064080-os-build-22621-5840-preview-7288cbfb-aa6a-4143-b9b8-47ef4b895f78
Microsoft released KB5064080 on August 26, a preview update with quality improvements (including servicing-stack reliability) for Windows 11 23H2/22H2 devices. If you like living on the cutting edge, grab it from Settings → Windows Update → Optional updates. Otherwise, you’ll get these fixes in next month’s cumulative. (Microsoft Support)

If you had August’s recovery/Reset hiccup on some PCs, Microsoft’s earlier out-of-band KB5066189 addressed that—install it first before running any resets. Note: Microsoft still lists an NDI streaming performance issue after the Aug 12 security update; use Microsoft’s workaround if you stream church services or events. (Microsoft Support)
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Chrome security updates (139) + an early Stable 140 build—relaunch to finish

https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2025/08/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_19.html
Chrome 139 picked up multiple security fixes this month; make sure you visit chrome://settings/help and hit Relaunch on every device. Google also pushed an early Stable 140 to a small percentage of Windows/Mac users on Aug 27—so don’t be surprised if some machines jump ahead. Edge users will see similar patches. (Chrome Releases)

Android users got 139.0.7258.158 this week; open Play Store → Manage apps & device → Update. Consistent browser patching is one of the simplest ways small businesses and families dodge drive-by malware. (Chrome Releases)
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OpenAI’s GPT-5 keeps rolling—new dev features + real-time upgrades

https://openai.com/gpt-5/
OpenAI’s GPT-5 is live in ChatGPT and continues to gain features. For everyday users, that means better reasoning, personalization options, and tighter integrations; for teams, it’s faster proposals and cleaner SOPs when you feed your own docs. (OpenAI)

Developers also got new controls (verbosity, reasoning-effort, custom tool calls) and a fresh Realtime API update on Aug 28—useful for live support and voice agents. Translation for entrepreneurs: smarter chatbots that actually follow your playbook. (OpenAI)
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Anthropic changes consumer data defaults—opt-in to let Claude train on your chats

https://www.anthropic.com/news/updates-to-our-consumer-terms
Anthropic updated its consumer terms (Aug 28): starting Sept 28, consumer users can opt in to allow chats/code sessions to improve Claude; commercial/government and API traffic are excluded. You can change the setting anytime. Make sure staff on personal plans understand the choice before they paste client data. (Anthropic)

Coverage this morning highlighted the retention period and UI prompt that asks users to decide. Bottom line: check privacy settings in every AI app your team uses, and keep business data on work accounts. (The Verge)
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Google boosts Gemini: better live help + upgraded image editing

https://blog.google/products/gemini/gemini-live-updates-august-2025/
Google announced upgrades to Gemini Live last week—more expressive voice and deeper hooks into Google apps—useful for hands-free notes and reminders on the go. (blog.google)

This week, Google also touted a new AI image model aimed at finer photo edits inside Gemini. Handy for shops and creators who need quick product shots or social graphics without buying more software. (TechCrunch)
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Fresh hardware: Framework Laptop 16 (2025) gets RTX 5070 & Ryzen AI 300

https://frame.work/blog/introducing-the-new-framework-laptop-16-with-nvidia
Framework unveiled a modular Laptop 16 refresh: AMD Ryzen AI 300 CPUs plus a swappable GeForce RTX 5070 GPU module and a beefy 240W USB-C charger. Preorders are open now, with first shipments planned for November. Great for studios that want to upgrade parts over time instead of replacing whole laptops. (Framework)

Early coverage notes 30–40% graphics gains vs the prior module and backward compatibility for existing owners—very DIY-friendly. If you run Blender, Resolve, or local AI models, this is a neat middle ground between ultrabook and full desktop. (Tom's Hardware)
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Privacy watch: Business Council of New York State breach—what you should do

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/business-council-of-new-york-state-discloses-data-breach-affecting-47-000-people/
A newly disclosed breach at the Business Council of New York State exposed sensitive data (from SSNs to bank details). Even if you’re not affected, treat this as a drill: freeze credit at all three bureaus, get an IRS IP PIN, turn on MFA everywhere, and monitor insurance Explanation-of-Benefits for odd activity. (BleepingComputer)

Local reporting confirms lawsuits have already begun, underscoring how long tail risks linger after breaches. SMB owners: review your own data-retention policies and vendor risk questionnaires—less stored data = less to lose. (Times Union)
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Founders’ corner: Skip Instant Grants close today + more rolling options

https://helloskip.com/instant-grants
Skip’s Instant Grants #135 deadline is today (Aug 29) with winners picked live on YouTube—perfect for a new secure NAS or a couple of AI-ready laptops. If you miss it, bookmark the page; rounds run frequently. (Skip)

For longer-lead funding, the U.S. Chamber’s CO site tracks national programs and notes frequent Friday/Tues deadlines. We can help you pitch tech upgrades with clear ROI. (U.S. Chamber of Commerce)
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Tax planning note: Section 179 & OBBBA FAQs just updated

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/faqs-for-modification-of-sections-25c-25d-25e-30c-30d-45l-45w-and-179d-under-public-law-119-21-139-stat-72-july-4-2025-commonly-known-as-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-act-obbb
The IRS posted fresh FAQs this week tied to the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act, with clarifications relevant to equipment purchases and clean-tech credits. Combined with Section 179 expansions for 2025, this is a great time to plan hardware buys (placed “in service” before year-end). Talk to your tax pro. (IRS)
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Windows Tips For The Week:

Preview without pain. On Windows 11, install KB5064080 only if you want early fixes; otherwise wait for next month’s cumulative. Always check Update history to confirm the Servicing Stack entry. (Microsoft Support)
Fix stubborn updates. Open PowerShell (Admin) → run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth, reboot → sfc /scannow → retry Windows Update. (Good practice after August’s OOB fix.) (Microsoft Support)
Browser hygiene. Visit chrome://settings/help (or edge://settings/help) and relaunch to apply the 139 security fixes; some devices may see an early 140. (Chrome Releases)
Windows 10 countdown. Windows 10 support ends October 14, 2025—start migrating machines so you’re not rushing in October. (Microsoft Support)

AI Prompt Ideas:

“GPT-5 Sales Assistant SOP Builder.”
You are my sales ops assistant. Using my product list, customer personas, and 5 recent emails I’ll paste, draft: (a) a 5-step outreach SOP, (b) 3 personalized email templates, (c) a light CRM field checklist, and (d) a 100-word privacy note explaining what data we collect and why. Keep it friendly and Charleston-local.

Whether you’re patching PCs, eyeing that upgradeable Framework laptop, or putting GPT-5 to work in your proposals, Holy City Computer Services is here to help Charleston’s small businesses, entrepreneurs, and home users. Call 843-670-4153, email support@holycityit.com, or visit https://www.holycityit.com. We’ll make the tech behave—so you can get back to business (or the beach).