Facebook is adding a Tributes section to memorialized accounts of deceased users
When a Facebook user dies, it is possible to transform their profile into a memorialized account. Facebook describes this as a "place for friends and family to gather and share memories after a person has passed away".
Now the social network is rolling out a new feature for memorialized profiles: Tributes. This is essentially a new section that appears on the page of deceased users where friends and family can post new content about their loved ones.
Alphabet startup Chronicle launches enterprise cybersecurity platform Backstory, and partners with Avast
It is a year since Google's parent company Alphabet launched the cybersecurity outfit Chronicle. Now the startup has launched its first product, a security platform called Backstory.
Backstory is an enterprise-level cybersecurity and analytics platform; Chronicle describes it as "the first global security telemetry platform designed for a world that thinks in petabytes". Coinciding with the launch, Chronicle has teamed up with security firms Avast and Proofpoint.
Google Project Zero reveals 'high severity' macOS vulnerability that Apple has failed to patch
Google's Project Zero has gone public about a "high severity" flaw in the macOS kernel after Apple failed to patch it 90 days after being told about the problem.
A security researcher discovered a problem in XNU that means it is possible to perform malicious activities. The security bug related to copy-on-write (COW) behavior, enabling an attacker to manipulate filesystem images without the operating system being notified. Apple was informed of the vulnerability back in November, but has failed to release a patch.
Sources: Huawei is on the verge of suing the US government
The US has made no secret of the fact it does not trust Huawei, and the company's hardware has been shunned by the government over fears about Chinese espionage. There have also been calls for Huawei hardware to be barred from the US power grid.
The smartphone manufacturer has previously indicated that it is not willing to go down without a fight, and this threat could be about to be put into action. Huawei is said to be preparing to sue the US government, challenging last year's addition to the US National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), according to sources talking to the New York Times.
If you've added your phone number to Facebook for 2FA security, it can be used to search for you
Facebook has been encouraging users to enable two-factor authentication to boost the security of their accounts, but it turns out that there's a slightly sinister side to this feature.
You may well have opted to maintain an element of privacy by omitting personal information such as your address and phone number from your profile. But if you've used your mobile number to secure your account with 2FA, even if it is not visible to others, it can still be used to search for you -- and there is no way to opt out of this.
Leak: OnePlus 7 could eliminate the notch with a pop-up camera
At MWC last month, OnePlus did not -- as many people had hoped -- show off the OnePlus 7, opting instead to give visitors a hands-off glimpse at a 5G prototype. But a new leak gives us an idea of what we might expect to see in the upcoming handset.
In a video, the OnePlus 7 is shown to have virtually no bezels, and a 6.5-inch screen is unencumbered by a notch or hole punch cut-out. This is thanks largely to the use of a camera that pops up out of the top of the handset.
Twitter is testing a new option to let you hide replies to tweets
There are many demands made of Twitter, but perhaps the most frequently requested feature is an edit option. There's a chance that this will appear in time, but until then there are other concerns for Twitter users.
Abuse and trolling on Twitter -- like other social networks -- is rife, and anyone posting a tweet has to deal with the replies that it may generate... and the responses to those replies. It is already possible to block or mute respondents, but Twitter is currently testing a new tool -- the ability to hide replies.
Microsoft welcomes new partners as it launches Microsoft Quantum Network
Quantum computing is not necessarily the future of computing, but it's certainly a future and an important part of technological advancement. All of the big players from the world of technology are understandably eager to be at the forefront of what's happening, and Microsoft is no different.
This week, the company formally launched the Microsoft Quantum Network, a coalition of partners with a shared vision. The goal is "sharing knowledge and collaborating with the best quantum innovators" with a view to helping the progression of quantum computing.
Microsoft announces it is killing off Microsoft Health Dashboard apps and services -- and giving refunds to Band owners
It is a while since Microsoft discontinued its Band fitness tracker, but for the last two years owners have still be able to synchronize data collected through the wearable. But now the company has announced that it plans to close down the Microsoft Band apps and Microsoft Health Dashboard website.
The shutdown date has been set for May 31. On this date, Android, iOS and Windows Phone apps will vanish from their respective stores, and the services will be terminated. Users have a limited time to export their data, and to soften the blow, some Band owners will be eligible for a refund of up to $175.
Monero miner Coinhive is closing down because of the cryptocurrency 'crash'
Coinhive -- the controversial Monero mining service -- has announced that it is closing down.
The decision to shut up shop has been partly blamed on the dramatic drop in the value of the cryptocurrency. A huge slump in Monero's value, coupled with an impending hard fork of the cryptocurrency and an update to the mining algorithm, means that the service is no longer economically viable.
How to enable the secret, hidden dark mode in Facebook Messenger [UPDATED]
The love of dark mode options in apps and operating systems shows no sign of waning. While a large number of big-names have added dark modes, there are still plenty that need to jump on the bandwagon. One app that has held out is Facebook Messenger, but there is secret dark mode option that you can enable.
Probes into the Facebook Messenger app had already revealed that Facebook was working on darker hues, and it even rolled out to small number of users in the latter part of last year -- but not everyone. Now you can use a little trick to access dark mode in the Android and iOS versions of Messenger for yourself.
Want to hack an iPhone? Cellebrite hacking tools are available on eBay
iPhones are renown for their security -- to the point that even law enforcement agencies have trouble accessing their contents. An Israeli firm, Cellebrite, became well-known when it transpired that hacking tools it made were used by the US government to crack locked iPhones… and now its hacking tools are available to buy on eBay.
For as little as $100-$1000, you can get your hands on a second-hand piece of Cellebrite equipment (a fraction of its usual selling price). For just a few Benjamins, you could get a Cellebrite UFED (Universal Forensic Extraction Device) and use it for whatever you might fancy.
Red Hat teams up with Microsoft, Google Cloud and AWS to launch OperatorHub.io, a registry for finding Kubernetes Operators
Red Hat, Microsoft, Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services have joined forces to launch OperatorHub.io, a centralized repository to help the Kubernetes community find and share Operators.
Introduced by CoreOS back in 2016, Operators provide a way of packaging, deploying and managing Kubernetes applications. Until now, it was often difficult to find Operators, and this is the problem OperatorHub.io aims to address. On top of being a registry, the repository makes it easy to home in on curated Operators that are of a high standard.
Amazon discontinues Dash buttons
If you were among those who thought that Amazon Dash buttons -- little single-function, buttoned devices that enable you to order frequently bought items with a press -- were stupid, it seems that Amazon has come around to your way of thinking.
The company has decided -- sensibly, many would argue -- to discontinue the devices. While this means that you will no longer be able to buy Amazon Dash buttons, if you already have one or more of them, orders that are placed through them will still be honoured.
YouTube disables comments on videos of minors because of child predator fears
Amid mounting fears about child predators and pedophile rings operating online, YouTube has announced that it is disabling comments on videos that feature minors.
For now, the efforts are focused on videos that feature young children, but in the coming months it will expand to include older minors that YouTube says "could be at risk of attracting predatory behavior". The site is also stepping up its use of algorithms to not only identify videos that contain children, but also to monitor and moderate comments.
Sofia Elizabella's Bio
Sofia Wyciślik-Wilson is a queer, transgender journalist based in Poland. She has been writing about technology for more than two decades, and after years working for magazines, her writing moved online. She is fueled by literature, music, nature, and vegetables. You can find her on Bluesky and Mastodon. If you like what you read, you can Buy her a Coffee!
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