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Apple touts iPhone privacy as a key selling point on its website. (Source: Apple)

FBI pressure leaves iCloud, iPhone users vulnerable to unencrypted back door

Apple has found itself in another privacy related controversy, this time over a decision apparently made two years ago, but only coming to light now. According to Reuters, Apple abandoned plans to fully encrypt iPhone (and iPad) b...
Sanjiv Sathiah, Wed, 22 Jan 2020 03:20:00 +0100
Windows 7 will no longer be supported by Microsoft. (Image Source: ComputerWorld)

Still can't let go of Windows 7? Here's a hack to further extend your eligibility for security updates

Microsoft has ended official support for Windows 7 on January 14, but many home users and businesses still use it as their primary operating system. Enterprise customers can still avail the option of paying for extended support le...
Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, Thu, 16 Jan 2020 09:48:00 +0100
Disney+ was far and away the most downloaded app this quarter. (Image via Disney)

TikTok and Disney+ top download charts in Q4 2019

The Disney+ mobile app has been downloaded more than 31 million times since its release in mid-November, giving a hint as to the early success of Disney's streaming service. The controversial video-sharing app TikTok came in secon...
Sam Medley, Wed, 15 Jan 2020 16:26:00 +0100
The vulnerability could impact every Windows system released in the past 20 years (Image source: Microsoft)

The NSA reports "extraordinarily serious" Windows flaw to Microsoft: The US military's already received an update

Sources told Krebs on Security that Microsoft is working to patch an "extraordinarily serious" vulnerability, potentially affecting every Windows system released in the last 20 years.
Arjun Krishna Lal, Tue, 14 Jan 2020 18:47:00 +0100
Smart assistant activation can result in embarrassing situations. (Source: The Manifest)

Up to 64% of users have activated a smart assistant by accident

A new study of those who use voice-activated searches have found that 64% of this group set the assistant in question off by mistake during December 2019. An accidental press of a hardware button was found to be the culprit in 49%...
Deirdre O Donnell, Wed, 08 Jan 2020 21:46:00 +0100
The FBI was unable to crack a mass shooter's iPhones

FBI asks Apple to help unlock two iPhones that belonged to a mass shooter

The FBI has asked Apple for help unlocking a pair of iPhones that belong to a mass shooter. Even though the agency has both devices in its possession, it is unable to get past the lock screen. Apple says that it will help the FBI ...
Anil Satyanarayana, Wed, 08 Jan 2020 03:56:00 +0100
The Lenovo ThinkBook Plus. (Source: Lenovo)

CES 2020 | Lenovo's new ThinkBook Plus comes with an e-ink display on its lid

The Lenovo ThinkBook Plus joins a growing list of productivity-focused notebooks with dual or secondary screens. This version has a unique twist in that the added display is an e-ink panel found on the PC's cover. The OEM asserts ...
Deirdre O Donnell, Mon, 06 Jan 2020 20:30:00 +0100
The Lenovo Legion Y740S. (Source: Lenovo)

CES 2020 | Lenovo calls the Legion Y740S its "thinnest and lightest" gaming notebook yet

At just 0.58 inches (14.9mm) in depth, the Lenovo Legion Y740S is a strikingly skinny 15.6-inch laptop. However, the OEM asserts it is rated for up to 8 hours of battery life. It can be configured with up to 10th-gen core i9 proce...
Deirdre O Donnell, Sun, 05 Jan 2020 21:00:00 +0100
Smart hubs might pose greater privacy and security risks than anticipate (Image source: SiriusXM)

Update | Xiaomi Mijia connected to Nest Hub seemingly streams footage from random peoples' houses to other Nest users

A Redditor reported that, after connecting his Xiaomi Mijia security camera to Google Nest Hub, his security feed started showing random images from other peoples' houses. Google swiftly disabled Xiaomi Nest Hub integrations after...
Arjun Krishna Lal, Thu, 02 Jan 2020 20:40:00 +0100
With Trump's signature, TRACED is now US law (Image source: Wikipedia)

TRACED Robocall legislation signed by Trump

Donald Trump recently signed off on the TRACED Act. The Act, which received bipartisan support in the US Congress, imposes stiffer penalties on robocallers. It also seeks to tackle the issue of caller ID spoofing.
Arjun Krishna Lal, Thu, 02 Jan 2020 20:00:00 +0100
In-display fingerprint sensors really took off in 2019. (Source: Medium)

More mid-range phones could upgrade to under-display fingerprint scanners in 2020

In- or under-display fingerprint sensors are becoming more and more common among mobile devices. However, they are also mostly confined to AMOLED panels, which means getting this spec is likely to entail spending more on a new pho...
Deirdre O Donnell, Wed, 01 Jan 2020 19:13:00 +0100
Smart homes and the devices that make them are more and more popular. (Source: Verify Recruitment)

29% of US high-speed internet households now have a smart home device

The latest research on smart-home tech uptake has shown that 29% of all broadband-using households in the US polled owned at least 1 such device. This is a change of 20% compared to 2018. However, concerns about personal data rema...
Deirdre O Donnell, Tue, 31 Dec 2019 17:14:00 +0100
Mr. Smashy's hacking module (Image source: @THESMASHY)

Pi Zero-based WiFi hacking module created

A security developer on Twitter recently released a tutorial on how to create a WiFi hacking gadget using a Raspberry Pi Zero W. The module runs Raspbian Buster, under the hacker-friendly re4son kernel.
Arjun Krishna Lal, Mon, 30 Dec 2019 17:10:00 +0100
Ookla's Speedtest VPN is the latest free virtual private network. (Image via Ookla)

Ookla launches Speedtest VPN, a free virtual private network

Ookla, the organization behind speedtest.net, has launched a free VPN. Speedtest VPN is a free virtual private network service, currently only for users of the Speedtest Android and iOS apps. The VPN is currently in beta and caps ...
Sam Medley, Fri, 27 Dec 2019 04:25:00 +0100
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2019 Privacy Guard Review: Business laptop with ePrivacy filter is not perfect

90% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2019 Privacy Guard Review: Business laptop with ePrivacy filter is not perfect

The first attempt. Lenovo now offers some of its ThinkPad models with the optional Privacy Guard display. We checked the ePrivacy screen in combination with the current ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2019 and also compare Lenovo's first attempt with HP's SureView technology.
Intel Core i5-8265U | Intel UHD Graphics 620 | 14" | 1.2 kg
Andreas Osthoff, Wed, 25 Dec 2019 10:12:00 +0100
Nest Hello video doorbell data on a DISH-connected TV. (Source: DISH)

DISH integrates Google Nest's doorbell into its TV receiver platform

DISH, a source of paid TV that also integrates apps such as Netflix, has announced that some Google Nest products can now co-ordinate with its "Hopper" or "Wally" receivers. As a result, users of both products will gain the abilty...
Deirdre O Donnell, Mon, 23 Dec 2019 19:45:00 +0100
The Asus ZenFone 6/6z. (Source: GSMArena)

Asus' latest update for the ZenFone 6/6z has the November 2019 security patch

Asus has pushed a new software update to the ZenFone 6. It contains an updated security patch level - albeit only up to November 2019 - as well as some new UI tweaks and bug fixes. It is intended for the global and Indian (or 6z) ...
Deirdre O Donnell, Sat, 21 Dec 2019 17:23:00 +0100
Facebook continues to struggle with security vulnerabilities (Image source: Microsoft)

Data breach at Facebook left nearly 270 million usernames, phone records visible

Facebook’s security troubles continue. In a recent security incident, the personal information of nearly 270 million people was leaked to a public server. This comes in the context of ongoing security and privacy concerns pertaini...
Arjun Krishna Lal, Sat, 21 Dec 2019 09:30:00 +0100
OnePlus has opened its OneSRC. (Source: OnePlus)

OnePlus opens its own paid security-incident bounty program

The OnePlus Security Response Center (or OneSRC) is this OEM's first bug-bounty initiative. It offers cash incentives (in USD) to report deficiencies in its own software. They start from US$50, but go into 3 to 4 figures for the m...
Deirdre O Donnell, Fri, 20 Dec 2019 20:27:00 +0100
The illegal streaming websites iStreamItAll and Jetflicks have been shut down by the FBI and DoJ. (Image: iStreamItAll splash page)

FBI shuts down 2 illegal streaming sites, one of which is bigger than Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu combined

Two computer programmers were arrested by the FBI this month on charges of procuring and distributing pirated content. The two programmers ran subscription-based websites that illegally streamed copyrighted content without the kno...
Sam Medley, Mon, 16 Dec 2019 15:05:00 +0100
Image via Ring

Several Ring home cameras breached, recycled passwords likely to blame

Multiple families have reported their Ring cameras have been accessed by unknown third parties. The bad actors were able to access the video feeds and speakers of the cameras to frighten members of the affected households, includi...
Sam Medley, Mon, 16 Dec 2019 05:35:00 +0100
Google has imaged the places where 98% of earth's population lives. (Image via Google Earth)

Google has imaged 98% of the inhabited Earth

Google announced on Friday that it has imaged over 10 million miles of roads and paths in Street View. Additionally, Google Earth has now imaged over 36 million square miles of the earth's surface, which covers 98% of the inhabite...
Sam Medley, Mon, 16 Dec 2019 01:22:00 +0100
The Galaxy Note 10/10+. (Source: Three.ie)

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and 10+ see a stable Android 10 update roll-out (sort of)

The Galaxy Note 10 and 10+ have started to exhibit updates to One UI 2.0 based on Android 10. This may be good news for owners of these premium phablets, particularly as this upgrade had reportedly been scheduled for 2020. On the ...
Deirdre O Donnell, Sun, 15 Dec 2019 16:28:00 +0100
The Communication Limits feature in iOS 13.3 can easily be bypassed. (Image via Apple)

New bug in iOS 13.3 allows kids to circumvent Communication Limits parental controls

A bug in iOS 13.3 allows users to easily circumvent the Communication Limits feature. While Communication Limits is supposed to block users (specifically children) from communicating with or adding unknown or unapproved numbers, s...
Sam Medley, Sat, 14 Dec 2019 20:30:00 +0100
The new Gimdow smart lock. (Source: Gimdow)

The new Gimdow smart lock does not require a door teardown to install it

Gimdow claims that its new smart lock is one that doesn't require the user to replace the existing one (or even parts of it). This may be ideal for those who want this kind of Bluetooth-enabled security, but can't risk damage to f...
Deirdre O Donnell, Tue, 10 Dec 2019 18:51:00 +0100
The US President has a deep dislike of Amazon (Image source: Reuters)

"Obsessed" Trump reportedly cost Amazon $10 billion defence contract

According to a lawsuit filed by Amazon, Donald Trump's "personal vendetta" against the company and Jeff Bezos may have resulted in it losing out on a $10 billion US military contract. While Amazon faces an "uphill battle" to prove...
Arjun Krishna Lal, Tue, 10 Dec 2019 11:17:00 +0100
Even with location services turned off, your iPhone 11 still tracks where you are. (Image: own)

Apple openly admits to iPhone 11 location tracking, offers reason

Apple has finally admitted to secretly tracking the location data of iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max users. The company stated that the tracking was necessary for the Ultra Wideband (UWB) hardware in the 2019 iPhon...
Sam Medley, Fri, 06 Dec 2019 17:56:00 +0100
Want to add RAM on the MSI GE63? Be prepared to break a 'Factory Seal' sticker

Opinion | MSI should really remove the 'Factory Seal' sticker from some of its laptops

MSI G series laptops are generally easy to service and yet most of them have Factory Seal stickers on the bottom to discourage end-user upgrades. We think putting the sticker directly on parts of the motherboard instead would be a...
Allen Ngo, Fri, 06 Dec 2019 00:32:00 +0100
Want to add RAM on the MSI GE63? Be prepared to break a 'Factory Seal' sticker

MSI should really remove the 'Factory Seal' sticker from some of its laptops

MSI G series laptops are generally easy to service and yet most of them have Factory Seal stickers on the bottom to discourage end-user upgrades. We think putting the sticker directly on parts of the motherboard instead would be a...
Allen Ngo, Thu, 05 Dec 2019 07:18:00 +0100
The YI outdoor camera. (Source: YI)

YI partners with Home Depot for its Black Friday outdoor camera sale

YI is a home security brand with some Black Friday deals that have already been added to its own online store. However, it has announced that its weather-proof outdoor variant will be up to 40% through the chain Home Depot on the ...
Deirdre O Donnell, Wed, 27 Nov 2019 18:37:00 +0100
The data breach affected 1.2 billion people. (Image Source: Forbes)

Personal information of 1.2 billion people leaked in massive data breach

1.2 billion people have been affected by a data breach that was unveiled by the security research firm Dataviper. Sensitive information such as names, email addresses and phone numbers were reportedly stored on an unsecured server...
Anil Satyanarayana, Tue, 26 Nov 2019 20:25:00 +0100
The Reolink Argus 2. (Source: Reolink)

Deal | Get about 30% off Reolink's best-rated, PoE or wireless security cameras

Reolink has announced its Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale. It includes 31% off the Argus 2, which has been named the best 2019 home security camera (outdoor) by PCMag. There is also 25% off the 355-degree-panning E1 Pro Wi-Fi camer...
Deirdre O Donnell, Tue, 26 Nov 2019 18:39:00 +0100
Google Pay will tell you if your phone fails SafetyNet on its start-up soon. (Source: XDA)

Google Pay can now show SafetyNet status on its load page

The Google Pay app has been updated so as to display a message should a given phone be ineligible to conduct transactions using this method. This notification would apply to users who have rooted or otherwise modified their device...
Deirdre O Donnell, Sun, 24 Nov 2019 18:59:00 +0100
Report a verifiable Titan M hack, get up to $1 million. (Source: F3News)

Google now offers a US$1 million bounty for Titan M chipset vulnerabilities

Google's updated Android Security Rewards Program now offers up to six-figure rewards for reporting potential severe exploits that affect its Titan M security module. It applies to such discrepancies that can affect the Pixel 4, 3...
Deirdre O Donnell, Sat, 23 Nov 2019 20:47:00 +0100
OnePlus has admitted that a third party may have made off with its customer data. (Source: DigitalTrends)

OnePlus reports a data security breach that affects its customers

OnePlus has sent an email to "some of" its customers advising them of a lapse in data protection at the company. In this case, it appears passwords and payment details are safe; however, personal information associated with these ...
Deirdre O Donnell, Sat, 23 Nov 2019 19:24:00 +0100
The OnePlus 7 series. (Source: GizmoChina)

The latest OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro official betas have November 2019 security patches

OnePlus has released its Open Beta 6 software update for the 7 and 7 Pro. This version of OxygenOS confers the latest security patch levels on the 2 phones. It also introduces a setting to disable Zen Mode, as well as some fixes f...
Deirdre O Donnell, Fri, 22 Nov 2019 17:57:00 +0100
Lenovo busted for secretly paying cybersecurity "influencers" to promote ThinkShield

Lenovo busted for secretly paying cybersecurity "influencers" to promote ThinkShield

TechCrunch Security Editor Zack Whittaker blew the whistle on Lenovo on his Twitter account recently over Chinese PC manufacturer Lenovo's alleged attempts to pay Information Security "influencers" to say good things about ThinkSh...
Douglas Black, Thu, 21 Nov 2019 18:07:00 +0100
Google Camera could have been used for some extremely shady hacking activities. (Source: XDA)

The cameras on "hundreds of millions" of Android phones could have been hijacked

The security research group Checkmarx has claimed to have identified a vulnerability that could have allowed hackers to bypass Android permission restrictions to remotely open and control device cameras without their owners' knowl...
Deirdre O Donnell, Tue, 19 Nov 2019 22:44:00 +0100
Huawei may get slight reprieve in US markets with extension of trade waiver

Huawei may get slight reprieve in US markets with extension of trade waiver

Despite the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China, Huawei received a small reprieve in the way of a general license allowing U.S. firms to transact with the Chinese telecom giant. That license is set to expire on Monday, bu...
Sam Medley, Sun, 17 Nov 2019 01:01:00 +0100
Brave Browser finally exits beta; version 1.0 now available

Brave Browser finally exits beta; version 1.0 now available

Brave, a Chromium-based browser designed around user privacy and anonymity, has finally released version 1.0 after four years in development. The browser has a unique method for upending the traditional ad-revenue basis of website...
Sam Medley, Thu, 14 Nov 2019 21:19:00 +0100
Whose drone is that? DJI's Remote ID may help you find out soon. (Source: CNET)

DJI announces Remote ID: an app to find out about any drone overhead

DJI has introduced its Remote ID, which allows a drone to "beam" its identity and other prevalent information to any smartphone on the ground via Wi-Fi. The company has developed this modality, which can be used through an app, in...
Deirdre O Donnell, Thu, 14 Nov 2019 20:47:00 +0100
Google Pay will reportedly gain a new checking arm soon. (Source: Economic Times)

Google is reportedly coming for the Apple Card with new financial-institution partnerships

Google has reportedly set up partnerships, or at least talks for partnerships, with various US banks and credit unions to offer a new kind of checking account linked to the Pay service. This may help it battle Apple, not to mentio...
Deirdre O Donnell, Wed, 13 Nov 2019 22:15:00 +0100
The page on which a user can update to Windows 10 1909. (Source: Microsoft)

Microsoft rolls the November 2019 update out for Windows 10 devices

Microsoft has let it be known that checking for updates on Windows 10 PCs that run the stable-channel 1903 version may result in the ability to download its successor, 1909. This November 2019 replacement for that build can also n...
Deirdre O Donnell, Wed, 13 Nov 2019 20:44:00 +0100
GoToMeeting's security issues may have been prevented by timely reporting. (Source: GoToMeeting)

GoToMeeting is found to be potentially susceptible to hacking

The European "responsible vulnerability disclosure" specialists Swascan claim to have discovered that the popular virtual conference service GoToMeeting may be subject to various common weakness enumerations (or CWEs). They may af...
Deirdre O Donnell, Tue, 12 Nov 2019 15:16:00 +0100
5G connectivity promises a better future, but it might hide some health hazards as well (Source: H2S Media)

Health check: Is 5G really bad for you? Debunking some 5G-related myths and fake news

As 5G networks go live in more and more markets with each month, some questions regarding the health hazards that might come with this new technology remain unanswered. However, most 5G dangers that some websites have been warning...
Codrut Nistor, Tue, 12 Nov 2019 07:00:00 +0100
Image via YouTube

YouTube changes Terms of Service to emphasize it can delete channels that are not "commercially viable"

YouTube will update its terms of service to more clearly point out that the website can shut down channels that are deemed unprofitable. While this has sparked passionate debate among users and content creators, the law concerning...
Sam Medley, Mon, 11 Nov 2019 19:00:00 +0100
The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G. (Source: Twitter)

The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G adds 3D face-unlocking to its security options

Samsung has sneaked a 3D form of Face Unlock into the 5G version of the Galaxy S10 with its latest update. It works on this variant only as it has a time-of-flight (TOF) sensor in its front-facing punch-hole. Therefore, this phone...
Deirdre O Donnell, Sun, 10 Nov 2019 17:03:00 +0100
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6. (Source: Samsung)

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 gets the November 2019 security patch

The Galaxy Tab S6 is Samsung's latest premium slate. The OEM has just demonstrated it is committed to keeping it that way with a new software update containing the latest Android security patch level. This upgrade has also reached...
Deirdre O Donnell, Fri, 08 Nov 2019 19:00:00 +0100
OnePlus has new software updates for some of its phones. (Source: Business Insider)

OnePlus announces new stable and beta updates for the 7T and 7/7 Pro respectively

OnePlus is now rolling OxygenOS 10.0.5 out for 7T users on this OEM's 'stable' update channel. There is also an Open Beta analog for the same. Those who own the 7 or 7 Pro and participate in this program also have a new build to t...
Deirdre O Donnell, Thu, 07 Nov 2019 21:02:00 +0100
The Motorola One Power. (Source: Engadget)

Motorola rolls an Android 10 build out to beta users of the One Power

The Motorola One Power is now reportedly capable of running Android 10. However, before becoming eligible for this update, a user needs to sign in to the OEM's Feedback Network (or MFN) for that device. This may give them access t...
Deirdre O Donnell, Thu, 07 Nov 2019 00:14:00 +0100

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Redaktion, 2013-05- 8 (Update: 2013-09-27)