Adblock Plus responds angrily to Facebook's plan to circumvent ad blockers
Facebook's plans to show adverts to everyone regardless of whether they are using an ad blocker was always going to prove controversial. The decision to bypass the privacy and security tools that many people have put in place has riled one company in particular -- Adblock Plus.
Describing the social network's latest move as being 'all anti-user', Adblock Plus's Ben Williams says that it is an 'unfortunate move' that 'takes a dark path against user choice'. He goes on to pooh-pooh the idea that Facebook made the decision based on what users want.
Facebook's ads will bypass ad blocking software
Advertising on Facebook has undergone many changes over the years, but the latest tweak is likely to prove particularly controversial. As well as announcing the rollout of new controls for users to set ad preferences, the social network today says that its ads will circumvent ad blocking software.
The idea of bypassing the likes of Adblock Plus will almost certainly rub many Facebook users the wrong way. In an attempt to sweeten the pill a little, the company says its new ad preferences controls will enable you to filter out irrelevant ads so you only see ads that might be of interest.
How to hide the Windows Defender icon in Windows 10 Anniversary Update
If you have just upgraded to Windows 10 Anniversary Update, you have possibly noticed the addition of a Windows Defender icon in the notification area. Then again, you may not -- a quick straw poll in the BetaNews newsroom reveals that not everyone is seeing it.
Assuming the icon has suddenly appeared for you, it's possible that you'd rather it vanished. Here's what you need to do if you would like to banish the Windows Defender icon and clean up your notification area.
Google can already protect most Android phones from the QuadRooter threat
The discovery of QuadRooter is one of the biggest security threats to Android users since Stagefright. Security firm Check Point Software has released a tool to help people determine if their phones are at risk, but Google says that it is already able to block apps with the QuadRooter exploit.
The Verify Apps feature of Google Play Services is able to detect and block any apps that feature QuadRooter. As the exploit has to be delivered via an app, this effectively protects the vast majority of handsets that are threatened.
Google Maps gets data-saving Wi-Fi-only mode and the option to save maps to SD cards
Google Maps is a great tool for helping you get from A to B -- until you find yourself in an area with no data reception, that is. To help combat the problem -- and fighting expensive data charges at the same time -- Google is introducing a new Wi-Fi only mode which forces Google Maps into offline mode.
As well as preventing the app from struggling to download data over a rubbishy or non-existent connection, the update means that Google Maps relies entirely on your saved maps -- something Google says could boost battery life. But there's more!
Adware and Pay-Per-Install software deals rake in big money
After a yearlong study into 'unwanted software' Google has published a report that shows that there is a good deal of money to be made out of bolting crapware onto software installers. The authors suggest that unwanted software is a problem that affects three times as many people as malware, making it an incredibly lucrative business.
The paper, entitled "Investigating Commercial Pay-Per-Install and the Distribution of Unwanted Software", is a joint venture between Google and New York University and it reveals the techniques used by developers to evade detection. It also found that Pay-Per-Install (PPI) methods are used to deliver not only harmless unwanted software, but also malware.
Hulu ends its ad-supported free streaming
The age of free Hulu is over. The ad-supported side of the streaming video service is being killed off, and anyone who is currently making use of the free option will be moved to a free trial of a full subscription.
Nine years after its launch, Hulu is ditching its ad-supported tariffs and will instead focus on pushing people towards paying a monthly subscription. The move comes after the streaming company expanded its deal with Yahoo so that shows from ABC, NBC and Fox will be available to stream eight days after broadcast.
Adding Linux Bash to Windows 10 Anniversary Update could be a huge security risk
The arrival of Linux in Windows 10 caused ripples of excitement in certain circles. But as well as making it possible to run GUI Linux apps on the desktop, there are also concerns that there are security risks associated with having the Bash feature from Linux available in Windows 10 Anniversary Update.
Speaking at the Black Hat USA security conference, Alex Ionescu from Crowdstrike said that he had reported some concerns to Microsoft during the testing period of Windows 10. While some of the issues he raised have been addressed, he says that the presence of Linux represents a "new potential attack surface" that users need to be aware of.
Check if your phone is at risk from QuadRooter vulnerability
The latest vulnerability for Android handsets is QuadRooter, and there are an estimated 900 million devices at risk. Just shy of a billion phones and tablets is undeniably a lot, but how can you know if you are affected?
While a list of devices that are definitely affected has been published, it is far from exhaustive. Thankfully the good folk at Check Point Software have put together a special app that will test your phone or tablet and let you know the risk.
Apple finally announces a bug bounty program of its own -- but it's not open to everyone
Bug bounty programs have become commonplace in recent years. Tech companies offer up rewards to coders, engineers and hackers who manage to unearth security vulnerabilities in software, and this means that problems are detected and patched faster than normal.
It is something that the likes of Google and Microsoft have offered for some time, and now Apple has decided it wants a piece of the action as well. Starting in September, the company will pay out up to $200,000 to anyone identifying vulnerabilities in its software and services.
Use Windows 10 Anniversary Update's Connect app to cast your Android phone to your PC
If you have installed Windows 10 Anniversary Update, you now have an incredibly easy way to cast your Android phone to your PC. There's a new app built into Windows called, appropriately, Connect -- and this is all you need.
Casting from phone to desktop or laptop is a great way to watch videos or share content without the need to transfer files from one device to another. Here's what you need to do to get started.
Google Compute Engine lets users create their own encryption keys
Until now, anyone using the Google cloud platform, Google Compute Engine, was forced to use encryption keys generated by Google. Clearly this spooked a lot of people, and there have long been calls for users to be granted greater control of security.
Now this is happening -- users are able to provide their own encryption keys. Customer-Supplied Encryption Key (CSEK) are used to provide a second layer of security, on top of the Google-generated keys that are used by default.
After KickassTorrents the latest torrent site to disappear is Torrentz
KickassTorrents was the most recent high profile torrent site to hit the headlines after it was seized by feds. The site reappeared in the form of mirrors, but ultimately the site lives on only as a community. Out of the blue, Torrentz.eu has also dropped off the face of the internet.
Running for more than 13 years, Torrentz.eu was one of the largest torrent sites in existence, but it differed to many of the other big names. It was considered a meta-search engine, and pulled in results from other sites including KickassTorrents and the Pirate Bay.
Facebook cuts the clickbait to make newsfeeds newsworthy
Clickbait causes anger, and it's everywhere. From the 'One weird trick' hooks through 'she opens the door, what happens next will blow your tiny little mind' all the way up to '10 cheese recipes, number 8 will drive you insane' -- you know it when you see it and it likely rubs you up the wrong way.
You've probably noticed that such headlines proliferate on Facebook, doing little to improve the quality of content in your newsfeed. You're not alone in noticing; Facebook is aware of the problems and is taking steps to clear out the crap and cut back on clickbait.
HTTP/2 has four huge security vulnerabilities
The HTTP/2 standard was approved some time ago, but it is yet to be widely adopted. Before the standard can become widespread, however, there are four serious vulnerabilities that need to be addressed.
The high-profile issues were revealed at Black Hat USA 2016 by Imperva researchers. They found that exploits similar to those that work on HTTP/1.x also work on the HTTP/2 protocol. The problems specifically affect server implementations from Apache, Microsoft, NGINX, Jetty, and nghttp2, but it is likely that other implementations are also at risk.
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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