Google may soon warn users before they download a mediocre app. It's the first time the warnings will appear for matters of quality rather than security. The changes were spotted by Android Authority and are buried away in the code of the Play Store ... app. The code would make the app display one of three messages: This app is frequently uninstalled compared to similar apps on Play Play has limited user data about this app This app has few active users compared to others on Play Apps Not Blocked Based on the way the code is integrated, it doesn't appear this will be a high-profile warning such ... (view more)
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Posts by both Elon Musk and Republican-leaning accounts became considerably more prominent on X (formerly Twitter) after he endorsed Donald Trump for President according to a study. The paper says the change was significant enough to suggest the ... site may have intentionally changed its algorithm. Much of the controversy over the site in the past few years has involved its default "For You" feed, which is created by an algorithm. Rather simply showing all posts from accounts the user follows in chronological order, the feed shows what X implies are the most likely posts to interest and engage ... (view more)
Windows 11 users may soon be able to install updates without needing to reboot their computers. The "hotpatch" system will initially debut for business users. The idea of a Windows update without a reboot isn't new but has previously only been ... available for Windows Server and Datacenter versions, where even a brief period offline during a reboot can be problematic. (Source: techradar.com ) The new hotpatch system will initially be available for Enterprise users of Windows 11 (if already updated to the 24H2 version), covering both the outright purchase and 365 subscription models. Users will ... (view more)
A significant legal battle is unfolding between Google and the Department of Justice (DOJ), potentially reshaping the tech giant's structure. As part of its antitrust case against Google, the DOJ has proposed remedies ranging from business practice ... changes to divesting major assets like Google Chrome. But what might happen if Chrome is sold off? Who could buy it, and would these measures truly foster a competitive landscape? The DOJ's Push for Structural Remedies In its ongoing antitrust case, the DOJ accuses Google of monopolizing general search services and search advertising. After Judge ... (view more)
Gmail users will soon find it easier to avoid spam when signing up to new services. A new "Shielded Email" service will keep users' real email address secret. The idea is to overcome a common problem: many websites, mailing lists and other online ... services require a valid email address, but there's always a risk that providing it could lead to abuse such as unwanted spam or the address being passed on or leaked in a data breach. While Google does a reasonable (and sometimes overly aggressive) job of filtering spam, it's now working on a tool that will create a unique email address to put in ... (view more)
As Microsoft celebrates its 50th anniversary, the tech giant finds itself at a pivotal moment in history. For decades, Microsoft's Windows operating system was the backbone of personal computing, driving the company to become one of the most ... valuable entities in the world. But as technology has evolved, so too has the company's role. (Source: wired.com ) Enter Artificial Intelligence (AI), a field where Microsoft is making its most significant strides, with the potential to reshape how users interact with their PCs and redefine their relationship with the company. The Evolution of Microsoft: ... (view more)
Claims that typing "Are Bengal cats legal in Australia?" into Google could destroy your computer and empty your bank account are somewhat overblown. But beneath the hyperbole, there's an interesting tactic from hackers. Numerous media sources have ... written stories about the supposed dangers of a "six word phrase" that users must not type for fear of exposing their personal data. The implication is that there's some sort of magical booby trap, but the reality is a little duller. The problem was spotted by Sophos which noted that several of the top search results for the query about the cats ... (view more)
The Department of Justice says Google must sell off Chrome following a court ruling on anti-competitive behavior. But it will be months before the court decides whether to force the sell off. Unsurprisingly, Google has expressed outrage with the ... suggestion, calling it a "staggering proposal." Back in August, a court ruled that Google had broken competition law in the way it maintained its market share for online searches. This included the ways it promotes its search engine through its own tech services, in addition to paying to be the default search tool on other devices including Apple ... (view more)
Silicon Valley tech giants and financial technology companies that collectively process over 13 billion financial transactions annually will now face enhanced government oversight. On Thursday, the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ... finalized a new rule aimed at subjecting digital wallets and payment apps to the same scrutiny as traditional banks. This move is designed to safeguard consumer data, prevent fraud, and address unauthorized account closures. (Source: reuters.com ) Why the New Rule Matters Digital payment platforms like Apple Wallet, Google Pay, and Venmo have become ... (view more)
We recently reported on an AI model that could take control of a computer, for example to complete a form. Now a Google leak reveals its planning a similar technology. Anthropic recently released a beta update to its AI model Claude. It includes the ... ability to move a mouse cursor by taking a screenshot and calculating the number of pixels to figure out how far and in what direction to move. The company gave the example of the tool automatically copying data from a spreadsheet to fill out an online form. "Jarvis" Leaks Now Google has let slip it's about to release a similar tool. It ... (view more)
In a Manhattan sushi bar, a bold experiment unfolded as high-profile guests sampled foie gras crafted from quail cells grown in a bioreactor. (Source: wired.com ) Yes, that's right - biogenetically engineered meat used for human consumption. 'Sounds ... delicious,' you say? Keep reading. The event, hosted by Australian cultivated meat company Vow and curated by renowned chef Masa Takayama, marked the launch of a product pitched as a luxury alternative to traditional foie gras. But beneath the glamour and culinary innovation lies a deeper question: is cultivated meat a revolutionary solution--or a ... (view more)
What's one of the best one-stop video/image quality enhancement and editing software available for Windows? Answer: Digiarty's VideoProc Converter AI! From the makers of WinX DVD Ripper and WinX Video Converter comes VideoProc Converter: a ... multi-award winning software program that is a one-stop video/image processing program that allows you to restore and enhance video image quality in 1 click, convert video/audio, rip DVDs, edit video, download videos, video to GIF maker ... plus much more! The latest version of VideoProc Converter AI includes the ability to upscale old pictures and video ... (view more)
Windows 10 users who won't or can't upgrade to Windows 11 (due to hardware restrictions, such as TPM 2.0) will have to pay $30 to keep their computers officially patched by Microsoft after October 2025 and through 2026. It's the first time Microsoft ... has offered paid extended security updates for consumers. Windows 10 officially comes to its end of life point in October next year. After that Microsoft will no longer issue security updates to all users. Coming roughly 10 years after the system debuted, this is the normal schedule for Windows versions. However, the timetable feels different this ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Bill W. writes: " Dear Dennis, Thanks so much for your article on Facebook blackmail . I also read your article on Instagram blackmail . Unfortunately, I have a similar situation. A few weeks ago, I received a random chat request ... from a female with a WhatsApp business account asking if I was affiliated with her company. She claims to work in the shipping department. I responded back stating she had the wrong number, but that didn't stop her from continuing to message me. A few days into it and we exchanged some photos of each other (clothed). She asked where I worked, what ... (view more)
Google will soon let children use Android phones to make in-person purchases. It says there will be sufficient safeguards and controls for parents. The changes will be to Google Wallet. That's an app that lets users store card details and make ... payments in the real world without the card. The app also lets users store electronic versions of tickets and passes. The payments are contactless and use the NFC (near-field communication) chip in the phone. Users must authenticate the app through a security measure such as a PIN, passcode, fingerprint or facial recognition. Previously the app was only ... (view more)
Google has confirmed it currently owes $2.5 decillion dollars in an unpaid fine in Russia. It doesn't plan on paying any time soon. The fine stems from a judgment in 2020. The government run Russian news site RBC reported on the fine this week and ... Google has confirmed that the details are correct. The penalty was for restricting the YouTube channels of two Russian media outlets, with those companies successfully suing Google for civil penalties under Russian law. Further penalties were added for similar bans of Russian media sites in 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine. At that time Google ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Franco I. writes: " Dear Dennis, Please help - someone is threatening to share a video of me (in the buff) on Facebook! A few days ago, I met a girl on Omegle (a chat website). We had lots of shared interests and seemed to hit it ... off pretty good. After some back and forth, things escalated to the point where she started sharing pictures of herself scantily dressed. She asked for my phone number, then wanted to do a video call using Google Chat . As soon as I answered, she was already unclothed with toys in hand. She claimed her microphone was broken, so I never got to ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Shane J. writes: " Dear Dennis, Help - I'm being blackmailed on Google Chat ! Two days ago I received a friend request on Facebook from a woman who lives in my city. At first I didn't recognize her, but she says she went to my ... high school. Eventually we ended up chatting outside of Facebook using Google Chat (previously Google Hangouts), and that's when she sent me some revealing photos of herself. She asked me to reciprocate. As soon as I did, the video chat ended immediately. She texted me and said if I don't pay her money she would send the video to friends and family. ... (view more)
Running app Strava made it possible to track the locations of world leaders and high-profile political candidates according to a newspaper investigation. Security services say the vulnerability did not put people at risk but are reviewing their ... guidelines on using the app. Le Monde investigated the movements of bodyguards for politicians including Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Emannuel Macron and Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump plus partners Jill Biden and Melania Trump. (Source: lemonde.fr ) Secret Trip Revealed The newspaper was able to discover the names of the presidential bodyguards and find ... (view more)
The makers of an AI model claim it can take control of a computer and complete tasks such as completing forms. The latest version of "Claude" takes a screenshot and counts pixels to figure out how far to move the cursor. Anthropic, which made ... Claude, say this is the first time a publicly released AI model has the capability of "computer use". It defines this as "looking at a screen, moving a cursor, clicking buttons, and typing text. The goal is to allow the model to carry out tasks which go beyond simply generating text or images in line with a user's instructions. Instead, it could actually ... (view more)
Tests of a proposed "6G" cellular data service achieved speeds four thousand times faster than current 5G networks. It's not necessarily a fair comparison but it could mean neither speed nor capacity was a problem with cellular networks. The testing ... at University College London achieved transmission speeds of 938 Gbps. To put that into context, according to Statista, the fastest average 5G speed in the US as T-Mobile's 227 Mpbs. (Source: statista.com ) The researchers behind the technology were trying to solve the main constraint on 5G: it uses a limited frequency range that is now highly ... (view more)
American consumers and businesses should soon find it much easier to cancel subscriptions, "free trials" and other ongoing payments. The FTC has added what it's dubbed the "Click to Cancel" rule that means it must be as easy to cancel such ... arrangements as it is to start them. The regulation is formally known as the "Rule Concerning Recurring Subscriptions and Other Negative Option Programs." In this case "negative" means the provider will start or continue to take payments unless the user expressly cancels the arrangement. Free Trials Have Surprise Catch The FTC has been working on the ... (view more)
Google has announced a range of security and privacy boosts for Android 15. It's also rolling out a key feature called Theft Detection Lock to older handsets. The new version of Android is coming to Google's own Pixel handsets almost immediately and ... then will go out to other manufacturers. The release date and which handsets it works on depends on the manufacturer. Theft Detection Lock Explained Unlike some previous new versions of Android which have often seemed more focused on appearance and style, the focus this time is much more practical. The most high-profile change is Theft Detection ... (view more)
With less than a year to go, Microsoft is sticking to its vow to stop supporting Windows 10. Analysts remain unconvinced given it remains the most used version of Windows. Officially, October 14, 2025 will be the end of life date for the system. ... Although it will still work, Microsoft will no longer offer security updates for Windows as standard. Instead, users will have the option to pay for extended security support. (Source: microsoft.com ) 10 Year Life Cycle In principle, this is perfectly normal. Next year is 10 years after Windows 10 was first released, and that's the normal ... (view more)
Five gadgets are in the running for a $1.3 million prize for using tech to tackle dementia. They range from high-tech glasses to a device that looks like a landline telephone. The projects have all made the final of the global Longitude prize for ... dementia. It's part of a wider series of prizes based on an 18th century contest that rewarded scientists for finding a way for sailors to determine the longitude of their location. The five finalists will each get the equivalent of $392,000 to develop their products before competing for the overall prize. The money comes from the UK government and ... (view more)
The Department of Justice says it may ask a judge to forcibly break up Google's business over its alleged monopoly abuses. Google called it an overreach and says such a move could kill Android or Chrome. Google lost a court case in August for ... breaking antitrust laws in the way it built up and maintained a 90 percent market share in online searches. The DOJ must now put proposals before a court on how to remedy this breach. In a preliminary filing, the DOJ says it is considering the most serious option of "structural remedies". That could mean Google would no longer be able to maintain its ... (view more)
Google has suffered a major court defeat over its Play store. It will mean much greater access for third party app stores and apps, though could prompt a continuing argument about security. The ruling came in a case brought by Epic Games, makers of ... the popular game Fortnite. It's had similar battles with Apple and its possible this case will have an effect there too. Epic had argued that Google unfairly exploited a monopoly over access of app developers to the Android system by the way it controlled the official Play store. It said that monopoly existed despite the fact that Android users can ... (view more)
Harvard students have demonstrated that "smart glasses" can be used to look at somebody in public and reveal their identities and personal information. Meta, which made the glasses used in the demonstration, say they have adequate security ... safeguards in place. The Ray-Ban smart glasses, produced by Facebook owner Meta, connect wirelessly to a smartphone. They include a camera, speaker and microphone and allows a range of hands-free actions such as filming, taking photos and making calls. (Source: meta.com ) Facial Recognition Abused AnhPhu Nguyen and Caine Ardayfio of Harvard University ... (view more)
Facebook's parent company has been fined the equivalent of $100 million for storing user passwords in plain text. Failing to encrypt the passwords breached Europe's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Meta, which runs Facebook and Instagram, ... broke the rules despite there being no evidence that anyone accessed the passwords without authorization or that anyone was then able to access accounts. Delay In Coming Clean The company was found to have breached the GDPR on four counts. Two involved failing to adequately secure personal data, one involved not properly documenting these failures ... (view more)
Four months after the end of a subsidy program for home broadband, individual states are figuring out if and how they can expand access. Meanwhile the debate over the value and impact of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) continues to rage. ... The program launched in 2021 as part of a wider infrastructure package. It was available to households earning up to double the federal poverty level or with somebody in a government assistance program. Under the program, households would get a government-funded discount of up to $30 a month on broadband services and a one-off discount of $100 for a ... (view more)
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My name is Dennis Faas and I am a senior systems administrator and IT technical analyst specializing in cyber crimes (sextortion / blackmail / tech support scams) with over 30 years experience; I also run this website! If you need technical assistance , I can help. Click here to email me now; optionally, you can review my resume here. You can also read how I can fix your computer over the Internet (also includes user reviews).
My name is Dennis Faas and I am a senior systems administrator and IT technical analyst specializing in cyber crimes (sextortion / blackmail / tech support scams) with over 30 years experience; I also run this website! If you need technical assistance , I can help. Click here to email me now; optionally, you can review my resume here. You can also read how I can fix your computer over the Internet (also includes user reviews).
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