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Realme 2 Pro users can now unlock their bootloaders, but there are caveats

Realme (OPPO's increasingly popular sub-brand) has decided to release a tool enabling owners of its 2 Pro device to unlock their bootloaders. However, it involves rather more steps than the average adb-command process for many And...

Deirdre O Donnell, 16 Jan 2019 15:04

The new Librem 15 is packing a 4K display. (Source: Purism)

Purism updates the Librem laptop line with gen 7 Intel ULV CPUs

The new Librem 13 / 15 models come equipped with the i7-7500U CPU coupled with up to 16 GB of DDR4-2133 RAM and up to 2 TB NVMe SSD + 4 TB SATA SSD storage combos. The security features from the previous versions are still there a...

Bogdan Solca, 15 Jan 2019 21:52

Fortnite is now used for online money laundering via V-Bucks

Fortnite is being used to launder cash

Although the game itself is free, Fortnite also features virtual coins that can be used to purchase various in-game items. Scammers use stolen credit cards to buy V-bucks and then sell them for good rates to legitimate players. Ju...

Codrut Nistor, 15 Jan 2019 16:09

Windows 7 has just one year of free support left, extended support ending January 14, 2020

Windows 7 users, ready up: You got just one year of free support left

Although mainstream support for Windows 7 SP1 ended on January 13, 2015, those still using this operating system have one year of free support and updates ahead. Unfortunately, once the extended support period will end, they have ...

Codrut Nistor, 14 Jan 2019 16:32

Huawei: Searches and arrests of counterintelligence in Poland

In Poland, the counterintelligence devision of the domestic intelligence service has searched Huawei's offices. A Huawei employee was arrested on suspicion of espionage. A Polish cyber security expert was arrested as well.

Cornelius Wolff, 12 Jan 2019 12:00

A phone with your number can be approximated through its distance from a cell tower. (Source: Trulioo)

Motherboard report implicates major US carriers in a geolocation data-selling scandal

An article posted to the online outlet Motherboard has alleged that the carriers T-Mobile, Sprint and AT&T have been selling their US customers' geolocation data to private companies, who then went on to sell it to other parties s...

Deirdre O Donnell, 11 Jan 2019 19:14

WhatsApp Beta for Android now shows a new option for fingerprint authentication. (Source: WhatsApp)

WhatsApp is working on fingerprint authentication for Android devices

The latest version of WhatsApp Beta adds an option to the Privacy menu for authentication via a saved fingerprint. Unfortunately, this function is not actually live yet; however, it clearly indicates that the messaging app's devel...

Deirdre O Donnell, 09 Jan 2019 16:18

The new Belkin USB-C to -A cable with DuraTek. (Source: Belkin)

CES 2019 | Belkin and its assorted brands are back

At one point, Belkin was the go-to brand for third-party Apple accessories, not to mention USB power banks and cables. However, it had gone quiet for a good while following its amalgamation with Foxconn. This year, Belkin and its ...

Deirdre O Donnell, 07 Jan 2019 14:40

Part of Apple's billboard overlooking CES this year. (Source: Twitter)

Apple's initial contribution to CES is a giant billboard highlighting the company's privacy-related advantages

Apple may not be at CES this year; however, that hasn’t stopped them poking fun at other companies who are likely to present at the show. A billboard that was almost certainly commissioned by the Cupertino giant had appeared on an...

Deirdre O Donnell, 06 Jan 2019 14:17

Dell Latitude 7400 2-in-1 can sense when you're up to 5 feet away (Source: Dell)

CES 2019 | Dell Latitude 7400 2-in-1 can sense when you're up to 5 feet away

Called Dell ExpressSign-in, the laptop will be the first to feature a proximity sensor that can automatically detect when a user is nearby and enable Windows Hello for a hands-free log-in experience.

Allen Ngo, 05 Jan 2019 06:29

Pixel 3 devices on Verizon may get access to Band 48 soon. (Source: Android Authority)

The Pixel 3 will get LTE band 48 support via a software update

The G013A - or international Pixel 3 - will get access to a new LTE band with an upcoming software upgrade. Support for this band (48) on the device was approved by the FCC recently, which means Pixel 3s on Verizon will be able to...

Deirdre O Donnell, 04 Jan 2019 15:30

Google needed more than three years to patch a flaw in Chrome for Android

Back in May 2015, a serious flaw in Chrome for Android that exposed various bits of sensitive information was discovered. This security issue was ignored by Google for more than three years, but now the tech giant is finally takin...

Codrut Nistor, 03 Jan 2019 11:50

At least 20 popular Android apps are still sending user data to Facebook without consent, study finds

A recent study by Privacy International found that at least 20 Android apps with install bases in excess of 10 million users automatically send user data to Facebook within one second of opening. This data is sent without user kno...

Sam Medley, 31 Dec 2018 17:56

Google's Android Messages app now offers baked in spam blocking. (Source: Slashgear)

Google rolls out new spam protection for Android Messages app

Google has updated its Messages app to help identify and block spam. The new feature is starting to find its way to users, although it isn’t clear how far and wide the rollout is at this stage.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 30 Dec 2018 01:37

Huawei and ZTE could be facing further commercial bans in the US. (Source: Pocket Now)

Potential executive order could ban US companies from using Huawei or ZTE hardware

Reuters has reported that President Donald Trump might issue an executive order that would effectively ban US companies from using telecommunications hardware from either Huawei or ZTE. Both Chinese companies have faced accusation...

Daniel R Deakin, 28 Dec 2018 01:49

The new version of the Echo Dot smart speaker was unveiled in September 2018. (Source: Express)

Alexa and Echo Dot help Amazon to record-breaking sales; tech giants enjoy stock price gains

Amazon has revealed in a press release that the company has had a record-breaking holiday season, with products such as the updated Echo Dot and the Fire TV Stick 4K helping drive sales. The press release also described how Alexa ...

Daniel R Deakin, 27 Dec 2018 00:58

Microsoft issues patch for Internet Explorer vulnerability found by Google

Microsoft has issued a patch to fix a day-zero security flaw in Internet Explorer that affected a myriad of versions and systems. The flaw, which affected IE's scripting engine and how it handles memory, could allow attackers to b...

Sam Medley, 20 Dec 2018 23:06

Bitcoin scammers are targeting Facebook users in comments now. (Source: Flickr)

Scammers are mimicking reputable brands on Facebook in order to steal cryptocurrency

Earlier in the year, reports of some party or parties purporting to be Elon Musk in order to bilk Twitter users out of Bitcoin surfaced online. Now, it seems that this tactic is back, in the form of Facebook comments this time. Th...

Deirdre O Donnell, 19 Dec 2018 18:57

Apparently, these models would not need much work to be able to unlock the Androids of their human counterparts. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

A 3D-printed head created for news report could fool Android's Face Unlock, but not Apple's Face ID

A Forbes reporter had a replica of his own head, made via 3D-printing, commissioned from a company that specializes in the same. He was able to use this object to unlock four Android phones (from different OEMs), but not an iPhone...

Deirdre O Donnell, 19 Dec 2018 18:21

Windows 10 19H1 will feature offer a native Sandbox. (Source: Microsoft)

Windows Sandbox will enable safe isolation and testing of suspicious programs in Windows 10 19H1

Microsoft will soon be introducing Windows Sandbox as an optional feature in upcoming builds of Windows 10 19H1. Windows Sandbox offers a secure, isolated, and disposable environment to test out suspicious programs and prevent the...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 19 Dec 2018 15:07

NASA server room, NASA servers compromised in October 2018 attack

NASA has been compromised in October, the magnitude of the breach is still unkown

Yesterday, NASA revealed that a possible compromise of its servers where personally identifiable information was stored has been under investigation since October 23. The servers have been secured since then, but NASA and its cybe...

Codrut Nistor, 19 Dec 2018 09:09

Tumblr guidelines change in-app notification December 17, 2018 no more porn

Looking for porn? You can scratch Tumblr from the list

More than a decade after its founding, Tumblr has finally reached a critical point and has decided to turn into "a better, more positive" version of itself by banning adult content, including nudity (with some exceptions). The new...

Codrut Nistor, 17 Dec 2018 11:35

This Settings option is a recent addition to Windows 10, and may be on by default. (Source: Windows)

Windows 10 may track your app-using history even if you've deactivated it

The most recent versions of Windows 10 has an option in settings that apparently prevent the OS sending your activity history to Microsoft. However, HowToGeek has reported that these options may be insufficient in the case of app-...

Deirdre O Donnell, 16 Dec 2018 14:57

After "password" the next worst whole-word password is "sunshine". (Source: BetaNews)

"123456" and "password" are officially 2018's worst passwords

A list of the 100 worst passwords of 2018 has been published online, and “123456” and “password” have taken the top two spots. These howlers are closely followed by the equally poor “123456789,” “12345678,” and “12345.” The annual...

Daniel R Deakin, 16 Dec 2018 01:43

Facebook has admitted to yet another form of data breach. (Source: Picryl)

Facebook discloses info on "bug" that allowed apps access to 6.8 million users' non-posted photos

Facebook has informed its developers of "a photo API bug" that allowed third-party apps to access photos uploaded to the social media's servers, regardless of whether the user then chose to share these images on their timelines or...

Deirdre O Donnell, 14 Dec 2018 19:11

The Starwood hackers used the same cloud hosting service that previous Chinese hackers had used. (Source: TechSpot)

Chinese hackers believed to be behind massive Marriott data breach

Sources involved in the investigation of the Marriott/Starwood data breach have revealed that Chinese hackers are believed to be behind the incident. Marriott International announced at the end of November that 500 million custome...

Daniel R Deakin, 12 Dec 2018 18:18

Google will kill Google+ sooner due to bug that exposed data of 52.5 million users

A recent software update to a Google+ API left some data of 52.5 million users exposed and available to app developers. The data included rudimentary user information, including names and birth dates. As a response, Google has mov...

Sam Medley, 12 Dec 2018 05:12

Meng's supporters have been protesting outside the British Columbia Supreme Court. (Source: bdnews24)

Huawei's Meng Wanzhou granted bail set at CA$10 million; Chinese officials detain Canadian ex-diplomat

Huawei’s Chief Financial Officer, Meng Wanzhou, has been granted bail at a hearing in a court in Canada on Tuesday (December 11). The executive’s bail has been set at CA$10 million (~US$7.5 million) and she has had to give up her ...

Daniel R Deakin, 12 Dec 2018 01:10

The Sony PlayStation Classic was launched on December 3, 2018. (Source: Digital Trends)

Hacked PlayStation Classic plays games from USB flash drive

It has been reported that the new Sony PlayStation Classic has already been hacked, even though the console has only just been released. Apparently, hackers have been able to run software on the device using a USB flash drive, aft...

Daniel R Deakin, 11 Dec 2018 23:12

The reported tiny Chinese spy chip in question was smaller than a pencil tip. (Source: Debuglies via Bloomberg)

No Chinese spy chips found in Supermicro internal investigation

Supermicro has published a letter to its customers to explicitly state that no evidence of tampering was discovered in its hardware during a recent thorough internal review. An article from Bloomberg claimed that Supermicro produc...

Daniel R Deakin, 11 Dec 2018 20:03

Microsoft's move to Chromium is the first time the company has abandoned attempts to design a totally first party web browser. (Source: The Hacker News)

Mozilla CEO warns against Google's increasing control over internet browsers after Microsoft adopts Chromium engine

Ever since Google's Chrome browser launched, a large part of internet users have used the browser over competitors such as Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Explorer, and Edge. With the death of Edge and Microsoft's move to a Chromium based...

Matthew Connatser, 09 Dec 2018 22:04

Meng Wanzhou could face a lengthy prison sentence in the US. (Source: Telecoms)

Huawei's CFO Meng Wanzhou faces extradition and fraud charges

Huawei’s Chief Financial Officer, Meng Wanzhou, has appeared in court in Canada today. The high-level executive was at the Supreme Court of British Columbia for her bail hearing where she listened to the reasons behind her recent ...

Daniel R Deakin, 07 Dec 2018 23:39

Ms. Meng has been working at Huawei since 1993. (Source: Huawei)

Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou arrested in Canada

A spokesperson for the Canadian Department of Justice has confirmed the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the current Chief Financial Officer and Deputy Chairwoman of Huawei Technologies. It’s believed Meng was detained by Canadian authorit...

Daniel R Deakin, 06 Dec 2018 01:46

SplitSpectre threatens both Intel and AMD processors (Source: ZDNet)

The phantom returns: Researchers discover a new Spectre CPU attack, name it SplitSpectre

Since the research team who discovered the SplitSpectre attack used SpiderMonkey 52.7.4 — the JavaScript engine in Firefox — to target both Intel and AMD chips nobody seems to be safe anymore. The attack has been successfully carr...

Codrut Nistor, 04 Dec 2018 17:22

The Bitcoin bubble may not have completely burst, but it's heading in that direction. (Source: NewsBTC)

Bitcoin stays below US$4,000, approaching "capitulation moment"

Bitcoin has closed at a price of US$3,964.89 today, keeping the well-known digital currency under the US$4,000 mark. Its value actually dropped to a low of US$3,505 on November 25 but has managed to gain a little over the last few...

Daniel R Deakin, 30 Nov 2018 21:53

Dell stated that no products or services were affected by the incident. (Source: V3)

Dell's network affected by attempted hack

Dell has published a press release that will be of some concern to customers that use its network. The company suffered from a recent cyber attack, and although the attempted hack was apparently “detected and disrupted” it is poss...

Daniel R Deakin, 29 Nov 2018 23:00

It has been reported that technology related to the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Flex has been sold. (Source: PocketNow)

Samsung tech secrets sold to Chinese competitor

Nine people and two companies in South Korea have been charged with selling Samsung technology to a Chinese rival. It is believed bendable OLED technology, which is expected to be incorporated in the South Korean company’s upcomin...

Daniel R Deakin, 29 Nov 2018 19:42

Eurocom "Tune Up" program will make your laptop feel like new again regardless of brand

Launching for users in North America only for now, the Eurocom service promises to update your laptop software, BIOS, anti-virus, operating system, and more for a small fee. A "deep cleaning" of the fans, hinges, and motherboard i...

Allen Ngo, 29 Nov 2018 09:00

DriveSavers can now recover data from locked smartphones for a mere $3,900

DriveSavers, one of the world's leading data recovery companies, now offers a service for unlocking smartphones and tablets that have a locked passcode, including iPhones and iPads. DriveSavers claims to be the only company that o...

Sam Medley, 29 Nov 2018 05:53

Two weeks ahead of release, a full copy of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has been leaked

A group known for Nintendo Switch piracy has obtained and distributed a full file dump of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, set to release in two weeks on December 7th. While early game leaks are not uncommon, a leak this far in advance...

Sam Medley, 27 Nov 2018 05:24

Mark Zuckerberg consented to facing the European Parliament in May 2018. (Source: CNBC/Gizmodo)

UK Parliament forces executive to hand over internal Facebook documents

The UK Parliament has seized important internal Facebook documents from an executive of the software start-up Six4Three. The unprecedented move is believed to be partly in response for Mark Zuckerberg’s failure to stand before Bri...

Daniel R Deakin, 25 Nov 2018 21:30

LinkedIn used 18 million non-user emails to buy targeted ads on Facebook

In a report published by the Irish Data Protection Commissioner (DPC), it was revealed that LinkedIn has been using 18 million non-user emails to generate targeted ads on Facebook. It was also shown that LinkedIn has been using th...

Sam Medley, 25 Nov 2018 08:03

It's not the first time Google Play has suffered from malware issues. (Source: Tech Viral)

Google Play security exposed by malware hidden in fake driving games

According to malware researcher Lukas Stefanko, Google Play users have installed a number of driving game apps that are actually malware. The 13 affected apps, which all come from the same developer, had been downloaded and instal...

Daniel R Deakin, 21 Nov 2018 21:24

The cryptocurrency market has been crashing lately. (Source: Daily Express)

Cryptocurrency crash: Leading cryptos suffer sizeable price falls

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and other leading cryptocurrencies have been experiencing sharp falls in their prices in the market recently. Bitcoin in particular has suffered a terrible week that will have owners feeling nervous ab...

Daniel R Deakin, 21 Nov 2018 00:03

Tumblr kicked out from the App Store due to child pornography

Tumblr's disappearance from Apple's App Store finally has an official reason: what was first simply described as "an issue" was, in fact, child pornography that slipped through the filters — enough of it to make the app vanish. Th...

Codrut Nistor, 20 Nov 2018 20:16

Mark Zuckerberg's opinion on Apple's price crash has not yet been reported. (Source: NASDAQ/Newsfeed/edit)

Apple stock decline slows down; Zuckerberg not an iOS fan

Apple’s stock price seems to have stabilized and even briefly bounced back after days of steep decline. The NASDAQ community has offered a “bullish” rating for the stock, implying there is still plenty of optimism in the company’s...

Daniel R Deakin, 15 Nov 2018 22:35

Image via "DeepMasterPrints: Generating MasterPrints for Dictionary Attacks via Latent Variable Evolution"

NYU researchers developed an AI that can imitate fingerprints to bypass biometric readers

In a paper presented at a biometric securities conference, a research team from NYU showed off a new algorithm for cracking fingerprint readers. The system, named "DeepMasterPrints," operates in similar fashion to a dictionary att...

Sam Medley, 15 Nov 2018 21:15

The engineers behind HTTP/3 assert that it will make data transfers faster and easier. (Source: winfuture.de)

HTTP-over-QUIC officially acknowledged as HTTP/3 by IETF

The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) has formally re-named HTTP-over-QUIC as HTTP/3. This means that it is the next generation in internet-traffic-enabling protocols. HTTP/3 essentially allows QUIC to supplant TCP, and may h...

Deirdre O Donnell, 13 Nov 2018 19:49

The Apple T2 chip has earned a lot of criticism from right-to-repair advocates. (Source: iFixit)

Apple's T2 chip could severely limit the possibilities of third-party Mac repair

Apple has confirmed to The Verge that its T2 chip will limit the ability to repair new Macs as it feels that the chip is crucial to enabling modern security features on Mac computers. However, critics are concerned that Apple's mo...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 13 Nov 2018 10:55