Plex adds subtitle downloads, kills plugins, Watch Later and Cloud Sync
Plex continues to evolve, and the latest addition to the media player is the ability to download subtitles from within the software. This will come as great news for anyone who has battled with subtitle websites, and greatly simplifies the process of adding them to your media collection.
But as well as adding this option, Plex has also announced that it is sunsetting three features -- namely Watch Later, Cloud Sync and (perhaps surprisingly) support for plugins.
Mozilla teams up with Have I Been Pwned to create data breach notification tool, Firefox Monitor
Mozilla has partnered with Troy Hunt -- the brain behind data compromise checking service Have I Been Pwned -- to create its own data breach notification service. Called Firefox Monitor, the free service lets users check if any of their email accounts or personal data have been involved in data breaches.
More than this, Firefox Monitor can also keep an eye out for future data breaches and notify those who have signed up whether their data has been affected.
After complaints, Google is going to give users more privacy controls in Chrome 70
With the release of Chrome 70, Google is set to address two recent privacy concerns with its browser. Users have been unhappy with Chrome 69 forcibly signing them into the browser when they sign into a Google website, and there have also been concerns about the handling of cookies.
Due for release in the middle of October, the next version of the web browser will enable users to disable the controversial sign-in feature, as well as changing the way Chrome handles the clearing of auth cookies.
Twitter considers new Dehumanization Policy -- but wants your feedback first
Continuing to face criticism for failing to successfully tackle abuse on its platform, Twitter has announced a new approach. The company is planning to introduce new policies, but before they become part of official rules it will ask for feedback from users.
Starting off with a new Dehumanization Policy, Twitter will invite users to give their opinion and complete surveys about proposed policy changes. The first policy to be subject to this public scrutiny says: "You may not dehumanize anyone based on membership in an identifiable group, as this speech can lead to offline harm".
Qualcomm accuses Apple of stealing trade secrets and giving them to Intel
Chip-maker Qualcomm has today accused Apple of stealing trade secrets and sharing them with Intel. The company alleges that Apple wanted Intel to be able to improve its own chips so it could move away from using Qualcomm's.
Qualcomm and Apple are already engaged in a legal battle, and with its latest accusations, the chip-maker wants the court to amend its existing lawsuit against the company. Apple stands accused of engaging in a "multi-year campaign of sloppy, inappropriate and deceitful conduct".
Zoho taken offline by domain registrar for phishing violations
CRM service Zoho disappeared from the internet after its domain registrar suspended it for failing to deal with phishing appropriately.
TierraNet blacklisted Zoho.com after receiving complaints about phishing emails sent from Zoho-hosted accounts. This meant that many businesses were unable to access their documents, address books and emails, causing chaos for many. Zoho has said that in order to ensure such an occurrence is never repeated, it will become a domain registrar itself.
Instagram co-founders resign from Facebook-owned company to 'explore curiosity and creativity again'
Six years after their company was bought by Facebook, Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger have resigned. The pair say they are "planning on taking some time off to explore our curiosity and creativity again".
But while the departures have been presented as being amicable, sources suggest that the resignations came about because of Systrom and Krieger's unhappiness at the direction in which Facebook was taking the app.
Apple acquires Shazam and promises an ad-free app for all
Apple has today completed its purchase of music-identification app Shazam after lengthy investigation by the EU -- and there's good news for anyone who uses it.
The app's millions of global users will soon be able to enjoy an ad-free experience. Apple just says that this will be happening "soon", without giving any sense of timescale.
Microsoft launches Azure-based Windows Virtual Desktop for running Windows in the cloud
Microsoft has announced Windows Virtual Desktop, a way to run virtualized instances of Windows and Office in the cloud.
Running on Azure, Windows Virtual Desktop offers multi-user supports and enables several people to remotely log into the same Windows 10 virtual machine. Microsoft says that the service is also optimized for Office 365 ProPlus and notes that it includes free Windows 7 Extended Security Updates.
Microsoft is launching the Surface Hub 2S in 2019, and the Surface Hub 2X in 2020
Microsoft has announced that it is launching the Surface Hub 2S in the second quarter of 2019. The next version of the company's gigantic, business-focused touchscreen display is (slightly) smaller at a mere 50.5 inches, rather than the existing 55- and 84-inch options.
Following on from this in 2020 is the Surface Hub 2X which brings not only multiuser login, but also the ability to rotate and tilt the screen. Interestingly, an upgrade will be possible from the 2S to the 2X by means of a removable processor cartridge.
Browser Reaper: exploit causes Firefox to crash
A security researcher has developed an attack that exploits a Firefox bug, making it possible to crash the web browser.
Sabri Haddouche used his Browser Reaper website to share a live test version of the exploit -- the site is also home to exploits for Chrome and Safari. The Firefox attack uses JavaScript to crash or freeze the browser, with the effect of the exploit depending on whether the browser is running on Linux, Windows or macOS.
Users balk as Chrome 69 forcibly signs them into the browser
Chrome users have reacted angrily after the discovery of a new forced sign-in for the web browser. In short, the change means that when you sign into a Google service -- such as Gmail -- you are also automatically signed into this account within Chrome itself.
While a handful of people have welcomed the new sign-in activity, there is a very vocal number who are extremely unhappy. In addition to the perceived privacy concerns, what has particularly upset people is the fact that they are being signed into Chrome without being told about it.
PayPal bans Infowars for spreading hate speech
Alex Jones' Infowars has found itself cut off from yet another platform. Having been booted from social media sites including Twitter and Facebook, as well as YouTube and the App Store, PayPal has now given it the elbow.
The online payment service has taken exception to Infowars' promotion of "hate" and "discriminatory intolerance" and has hit Jones' cash cow where it hurts -- in the wallet. He has been given ten days to find a new payment processing service.
Android 9.0 Pie lands on OnePlus 6 in OxygenOS 9.0
After a series of betas, the OnePlus 6 now has Android 9.0 Pie. OnePlus has released the Pie-based OxygenOS 9.0 and it's rolling out to handsets now.
But while OnePlus 6 owners will be excited at the prospect of getting their hands on a stable version of Android Pie, there's some bad news. Unlike with previous OxygenOS updates, using a VPN to try to get hold of this one probably won’t work.
Microsoft is bringing Skype to Alexa devices
Microsoft has announced that Skype is coming to a range of Alexa devices.
At its hardware event yesterday, Amazon revealed the updated Echo Show with integrated Skype, but later this year voice-activated Skype calling will be landing on other Alexa devices. The feature will make it possible to place and receive Skype voice calls, video calls and SkypeOut calls.
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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