YouTube is trying to stop people who use ad blockers from watching its videos. It could spark a game of whack-a-mole, but it's still created a passionate debate. Although YouTube appears to have been testing the tighter policy since June, it seems ... to have significantly increased the number of users affected in recent weeks. Users report seeing a message that reads: Ad blockers violate YouTube's Terms of Service. It looks like you may be using an ad blocker. Video playback is blocked unless YouTube is allowlisted or the adblocker is disabled. Ads allow YouTube to be used by billions worldwide ... (view more)

A man has "trained" his Ring camera system to detect and deter badgers and foxes. It's an example of machine learning having a practical purpose. James Milward developed the comically-titled "Furbinator 3000" after being frustrated by the unwanted ... visitors damaging his garden. He also feared they could carry diseases that would be a risk to his two young children. He tried several traditional solutions without success, before deciding an ultrasonic repellent was the only solution. However, this had several limitations including that they were triggered during the day by humans, leading him to ... (view more)

Google has vowed to stock spare parts for its flagship Pixel 8 phones for at least seven years. It matches the companies software commitment to keep the phone operating systems updated for that period. The move is designed to overcome one of the ... main "gotchas" whenever Google boasted the long support period for the phone. Knowing the handset will have the necessary software for seven years isn't that meaningful if there's a risk the phone becomes useless or the battery almost inevitably dies. The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro were only officially announced this month but will be on sale almost ... (view more)

More than four in ten people are addicted to Internet use, according to a university study. The researchers put respondents into five categories on what they are calling an "Internet addition spectrum." Researchers at the University of Surrey in the ... United Kingdom asked 796 participants a range of questions about the way they use the Internet, including their emotions and motivations. They then looked for similarities between respondents to come up with the categories. (Source: tandfonline.com ) Growing Unease The first category, Casual Users, covered 14.86 percent of respondents. They mainly ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Jim H. writes: " Dear Dennis, My Thunderbird just updated to version 115.3.2 (dubbed 'Supernova') and the menu layout has changed. Specifically, the Menu Bar (which I previously enabled) is now no longer at the very top - it's ... below another menu. I prefer to have the Menu Bar at the very top of Thunderbird. Any idea how to fix this? " My response: I have also noticed this unwelcomed change and found a few articles describing the process that were overly complicated or missing information. I've decided to simplify it with my own instructions. How to Fix: Move Thunderbird ... (view more)

Did you get caught up in a romance scam? Are blackmailers threatening to expose your pictures and videos through Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, or LinkedIn? If so, you've come to the right place. Got questions? I've got answers! Contact me here to ... receive a complimentary phone consultation. Ask up to 3 questions, up to 15 minutes FREE . I've been studying this scam extensively since 2019, have completed over 1,000+ cases, and I'm happy to share my knowledge and experience with you. Too shy for a call? Keep reading - there's LOTS of good advice below, including insight into this crime you'll ... (view more)

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has issued guidelines for civilians who carry out hacking attacks to support one side of a military conflict. It warned that non-combatants need to respect humanitarian rules. The guidelines relate ... to hacktivism, where people disrupt online services or replace text on websites. The tactic has often been associated with people making a political point against businesses or governments. However, it's now also commonly used by those trying to aid countries or regions involved in wars and other military conflicts. The ICRC believes such tactics ... (view more)

Google has added a new "Chromebook Plus" category for its higher-end machines. It's meant to make choices easier for buyers, though there's a risk it defeats one of the key points of getting a Chromebook. Chromebooks are laptops that run Google's ... own Chrome Operating System. The devices mainly use web-based applications such as Gmail and Google Docs, meaning a large amount of the processing work is carried out on remote servers rather than the computer itself. While this limits how useful the devices are without an Internet connection, it means they can work with lower specification hardware ... (view more)

Apple has acknowledged widespread complaints regarding overheating issues with the newly launched iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. These problems stem from a variety of factors, with a key contributor being a software glitch found in iOS 17 and a few ... apps. iPhone 15 Pro Max Heats Up to 98F Shortly after the iPhone 15 series hit the market, reports began to surface from users who experienced excessive heat or overheating with their new devices. Some users even found it uncomfortable to hold their phones, and there were instances of infrared thermometers registering temperatures exceeding 80 degrees ... (view more)

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has filed an antitrust lawsuit accusing Amazon of "illegally maintaining monopoly power." Critics argue the lawsuit is too vague, while redacted sections make it hard to assess in full. The FTC has filed the ... complaint alongside 17 state attorneys. It says Amazon "violates the law not because it is big, but because it engages in a course of exclusionary conduct that prevents current competitors from growing and new competitors from emerging." It also alleges that Amazon acts illegally to "wield monopoly power to inflate prices, degrade quality, and stifle ... (view more)