Apple releases the first public beta of iOS 12
If you're keen to try out the next version of iOS without risking the developer preview, you're in luck -- Apple has just released the first public beta of iOS 12, and it's freely available for anyone who fancies it to download.
Apple has already revealed quite a bit about the latest version of its mobile operating system, and at WWDC it focused on the performance enhancements on offer. But iOS 12 is about much more than this. There are also updates to Siri, key apps, ARKit 2, Animoji, Memoji and much more. Read on to find out how to get the beta version of iOS 12 on your iPhone or iPad.
Privacy group EFF announces STARTTLS Everywhere to secure emails with hop-to-hop -- but not end-to-end -- encryption
When it comes to messaging tools, people have started to show greater interest in whether encryption is used for security, and the same for websites -- but not so much with email. Thanks to the work of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, however, email security is being placed at the top of the agenda.
The privacy group today announces STARTTLS Everywhere, its new initiative to improve the security of the email eco-system. STARTTLS is an addition to SMTP, and while it does not add end-to-end encryption, it does provide hop-to-hop encryption, which is very much a step in the right direction.
Video views on YouTube et al will soon count towards singles' chart positions
Starting next month, the number of views song videos receive on YouTube and other sites will start to count towards their position in the UK singles chart.
It's a move that could completely shake up the charts, just like the counting of digital downloads and streams did previously. Starting on Friday, video views on YouTube, Apple, Tidal and Spotify will start to be counted by the Official Charts Company, and will be included in the first chart of July.
AT&T is buying digital ad platform AppNexus
AT&T has revealed plans to acquire the ad platform AppNexus which competes directly with the likes of Google and Facebook.
While the exact terms of the deal have not yet been shared, recent rumors suggested that AT&T was willing to part with $1.6 billion for the company. The acquisition is expected to close by Q3 of this year, and AT&T says that the two companies will operate as separate entities until then. After the acquisition, AppNexus will become a part of AT&T advertising and analytics.
Google adds DRM to Android APKs to verify the authenticity of apps from Google Play
DRM is something that's usually associated with streaming music and video, but there's no reason that it can't be put to other uses. Proving this, Google has started using a form of DRM to improve app security by verifying that APKs originate from the Play Store. It's a system that works much like signed drivers in Windows.
The aim is simple: to improve the security of Android users by ensuring that they are using genuine apps that have not been tampered with in any way. Google is not referring to the new system as DRM, saying instead that it is adding a "small amount of security metadata on top of APKs to verify that the APK was distributed by Google Play".
Don't panic! Hackers have not found a way to bypass the iPhone passcode limit
Enter the wrong passcode into an iPhone and you'll not only be denied access to it, but also run the risk of wiping its contents if you enter an incorrect code too many times. This is a problem faced by law enforcement agencies when they encounter iPhones in the cases they're working on -- as well as people trying to hack into phones for nefarious purposes -- so it's little wonder that hackers are constantly trying to find a way to earn unlimited guesses at passcodes.
One hacker thought he had cracked it. Security researcher Matthew Hickey proudly boasted at having discovered a delightfully simple method for brute-forcing entry into an iPhone -- he even posted a video of his hack in action. But there's no need to panic. Apple explains that "incorrect testing" renders Hickey's method worthless.
Microsoft has the patent for a thinner, re-designed USB-C connector
It is a slow process, but USB-C is gradually becoming more and more popular -- although it's a long way from ubiquity yet. Ready to rock the boat a little, it has emerged that Microsoft holds a patent for a redesigned USB-C connector.
The patent is not brand new, but Microsoft's May 2017 filing for an "Ultra-Thin USB-C Connector" has just come to light. Another patent filing from April 2017 describes a new "USB-C Plug Receptacle". While the redesign is hardly going to set the world on fire, it's the sort of thing we could well expect to see in a refresh Surface lineup.
Got a MacBook or MacBook Pro with sticky keys? Apple has a free service program for you
For some time, a number of MacBook or MacBook Pro users have complained about problems with their keyboards -- specifically that keys either stop working completely, fall off, or become "sticky", resulting in repeated characters.
Now, after two years of complaints and a lawsuit about the butterfly mechanism in its keyboards, Apple has finally acknowledged that there is a problem. The company has also launched a keyboard service program so those affected by the problem can get it addressed, free of charge.
Google Account revamped -- increased transparency and new security and privacy options
Google has unveiled a new look for users' accounts, making information clearer, improving transparency and adding new options.
To make it easy to find information, Google has added a search function and there's also a cleaner look to aid navigation. Building on the previous update to Security Checkup, your Google account now also highlights settings you can change to improve your security.
Intel CEO Brian Krzanich resigns over relationship with employee
Brian Krzanich, the CEO of Intel, has resigned after it came to light that he was in a relationship with an employee. Shares in the company dropped 1.3 percent at the news.
Although the relationship was entirely consensual, it was deemed to be a violation of Intel's non-fraternization policy which managers must abide by, and it has been brought to light in the context of the #MeToo movement. The current chief financial officer, Robert Swan, is to become interim CEO until a full-time replacement can be found.
Microsoft acquires machine learning and AI startup Bonsai
Seeking to strengthen its artificial intelligence arsenal, Microsoft has announced an agreement to acquire San Francisco-based AI startup Bonsai.
Bonsai already had Microsoft links, having been set up back in 2014 by two former Microsoft engineers, Mark Hammond and Keen Browne. The company specializes in "deep reinforcement learning" which can be used to teach autonomous systems within simulations, and the company sees this tying in with Azure.
Gamers waiting for virtual reality on Xbox are out of luck
Backtracking on what it said last year, Microsoft has announced that it has no plans to bring either virtual reality or mixed reality experiences to its Xbox console.
Back in March 2017, the company had said that it wanted to bring MR to Xbox users, but now it seems to have changed its mind. Microsoft has not really given any reason for the change of heart, but it has not given up completely on VR or MR.
Alexa for Hospitality brings Amazon's digital assistant to hotel rooms
Not content with infiltrating people's homes with its range of Echo devices, Amazon is now looking to elbow its way into hotels with Alexa for Hospitality. Amazon has struck a deal with Marriott International that will see the introduction of Echo devices into rooms.
Guests can use these to play music, contact reception and get information about the hotel -- and both Amazon and guests alike will be hoping there won't be a repeat of the recent privacy slip up that resulted in an Echo recording and sharing someone's conversations.
Satya Nadella speaks out against 'cruel and abusive' border policy and explains Microsoft's involvement with ICE
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has publicly shared an email he sent to employees, in which he speaks out against current US immigration policy.
Describing the separating of children from their families as "cruel and abusive", he stresses that while Microsoft does work with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the work amounts to support for "legacy" services and is in no way related to child separation. The president of Microsoft, Brad Smith, also used a blog post to set out the company position on the matter.
Google launches Podcasts app for Android
Google has never really shown much interest in podcasts -- despite their age and popularity -- but today this changes. The company has launched a new Android app called simply Google Podcasts complete with ubiquitous AI for personalized suggestions.
Available in 47 languages, the app currently provides access to a collection of around two million podcasts, but this number is likely to grow very quickly. Google boasts of integration with Google Assistant and Google Home, the main benefit of which is being able to start a podcast on one device and continue on another.
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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