Ads are eating your mobile data allowance
A new study has revealed that ads on smartphones account for between 18 and 79 percent of downloaded data. The astonishing statistic gives mobile users another reason to despise ads on top of the annoyance, security and privacy concerns they already bring about.
With most mobile users having to stick to a monthly allowance, the suggestion is that it's time for mobile pages to go on a diet. The research carried out by Ender Analysis also found that JavaScript accounted for between 6 and 68 percent of downloaded data.
Malvertising campaign targets Americans through major websites including BBC and New York Times
Top news websites including the BBC, the New York Times and MSN were hit over the weekend by a co-ordinated malware campaign. Delivered through the advertising networks used by the sites, the malvertising attack aimed to install ransomware on victims' computers.
On-site ads are far from loved, hence the prevalence of ad-blocking tools. But as well as being an annoyance, online ads can also pose a serious security risk -- something highlighted by this attack. The infected ads redirected people to servers hosting the Angler exploit kit and was engineered to target US-based web users.
Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC vulnerability could compromise IoT security
One of the greatest concerns surrounding the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) is its security, and it seems that some people's worst fears have just been realized. Security experts at Trend Micro have discovered a vulnerability in Qualcomm Snapdragon-produced SoC (system on a chip) devices.
In fact, it is the same vulnerability that cropped up earlier in the month, affecting Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 6P and Samsung Galaxy Note Edge Android handsets. This in itself is concerning as these are devices that are no longer in line for security updates, but more concerning is the fact that the same chips are used in IoT devices. The vulnerability makes it possible for an attacker to gain root access to the hardware, and this is worrying in a world of inter-connected devices.
Microsoft did a whoopsy -- previous announcement about dropping Bitcoin was a mistake
Earlier today we reported that Microsoft was no longer accepting Bitcoin as a form of payment. It turns out that this is not true. Microsoft made a mistake.
Despite making a very clear change to its support pages that said "Microsoft Store doesn't accept Bitcoin" the company will in fact continue to support the cryptocurrency. This is not a change of heart, it was nothing more than a slip up, but Microsoft has not offered much of an explanation as to how it came about.
DVR capabilities are on their way to Xbox One
Although the Xbox One is undoubtedly a games console at heart, Microsoft wants it to be so much more. It's part of the reason for the blurring of boundaries between Windows 10 on the desktop and the Xbox One's version of the operating system, and there are already a number of media center features to be found. But things are on the verge of improving. A lot.
It's one thing to be able to watch OTA TV broadcasts on your console, but we've all become used to the notion of time-shifted viewing. DVR functionality -- the ability to pause and record shows as they are broadcast -- has been promised for some time, and now it's undergoing internal testing at Microsoft, strongly suggesting that a public release is not too far away.
Cross-platform support means Xbox One gamers will be able to play PS4 opponents
Microsoft has announced that cross-network play is coming to Xbox One. This means that as well as being able to play against other Xbox One owners and those running Windows 10, gamers will also be able to play against people who are using a PlayStation 4.
This is the announcement that Xbox Live subscribers have been waiting for, and it's something that gamers have been begging for for years. It's not something that's going to happen overnight however. Microsoft may have got the ball rolling, but it's going to need support from Sony as well as game developers -- although it's hard to imagine that they won't give it.
Save up to $650 off a Surface Pro 4 as Microsoft launches new trade-in program
If the price of a Surface Pro 4 has been putting you off upgrading, Microsoft's new 'Trade in, trade up' could be just what you’ve been waiting for. Apple is famous for running trade-in programs to encourage people to upgrade to the latest devices, and Microsoft has also got in on the action more recently.
The latest deal means you can ditch your old MacBook, PC or Surface and receive up to $650 back to put towards your Surface Pro 4. There are conditions, and you might find that it makes more sense to sell your old device privately, but it's certainly well worth checking out to see if it could work in your favor.
Encrypt all the things! Facebook, Google and WhatsApp to increase privacy and encryption
Privacy and security has always been a hot topic, but never more so than in recent months. The Apple/FBI case has really brought things to a head, enlivening the debate between privacy and security advocates, and those who side with the government. As Apple fights to prevent the FBI from accessing the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone, Facebook, Google and others are looking to increase encryption and lockdown user data even further.
The Guardian has learned that a number of Silicon Valley companies are working on ultra-secure encrypted messaging systems. With President Obama having made a sideways reference to supporting the inclusion of backdoors for government, Facebook is planning to not only bring encryption to Whatsapp's voice messages, but also to bolster the security of Facebook Messenger.
Microsoft drops Bitcoin support for Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile purchases
Microsoft's love affair with Bitcoin has proved to be short-lived. The company has updated its support pages to indicate that it no longer supports the cryptocurrency for purchases made in the Microsoft Store.
No explanation has been given for the decision, but it's likely that Bitcoin's failure to hit the mainstream -- yet, at least -- is to blame. From now on, Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile purchases will have to be made using other payment methods, although Microsoft says current balances paid for with Bitcoin can still be used.
First Microsoft Edge extension appears in Windows Store
The feature that has been missing from Microsoft Edge for so long is just around the corner. We've known for a little while that extensions are due to make an appearance in an upcoming build of Windows 10, and ahead of this the first extension has made an appearance in the Windows Store.
Page Analyzer is an extension aimed at developers, so it's arrival in the Windows Store is a little odd. It's likely that extension support will be added in the next Windows 10 Redstone build, although there's no official timeline for this release at the moment.
Starship Technologies wants to deliver your groceries with robots
Six-wheeled robots could be delivering groceries to shoppers in the UK within the next six months. Starship Technologies, a company set up by two of the co-founders of Skype, is building up fleets of robots that can deliver goods within 30 minutes.
A pilot of the robotic delivery scheme is due to start in the UK, and a testing program will start in the US in April. The aim of the self-driving robots is not just to speed up deliveries, but also to keep costs to a minimum. The zero-emissions units also boast environmentally-friendly credentials.
Microsoft is desperately nagging enterprise users to upgrade to Windows 10 -- even if they can't
Microsoft's incredibly aggressive pushing of Windows 10 has been going on for some time now. In many regards it is something that home users have become accustomed to. While you might bemoan Microsoft constantly adverting Windows 10 to you if you've not yet upgraded, you must appreciate that it at last makes some sort of sense to the company -- it wants you to push that button and install the latest version of Windows.
But while this sort of nagging is nothing new, it seems that some of Microsoft's marketing efforts are wildly wide of the mark, particularly when it comes to enterprise users. Many have already been upset by the appearance of Windows 10 ads in an Internet Explorer patch but there's another level to this insipid pestering. Described by some as 'malware' the IE update tries to foist Windows 10 onto enterprise users, encouraging them to nag sysadmins to upgrade to the latest version of Windows.
Privacy and security killer: Obama supports backdoors to bypass encryption
The on-going battle between Apple and the FBI has brought encryption and security to the fore once again. After remaining silent on the subject for some time, President Obama -- speaking at SXSW -- said that he was opposed the idea of encryption mechanism that are so strong it prevents governmental access.
"If technologically it is possible to make an impenetrable device or system where the encryption is so strong that there is no key, there's no door at all, then how do we apprehend the child pornographer, how do we solve or disrupt a terrorist plot?" he wondered aloud, his almost rhetorical question playing neatly on two of America's biggest fears. He suggested that security keys should be made available to third parties, saying "you cannot take an absolutist view" when it comes to balancing security and privacy. But Obama has a solution: backdoors.
Fighting censorship: Edward Snowden, Amnesty International, AdBlock and Pussy Riot
Online advertising is incredibly divisive, and for World Day Against Cyber Censorship, AdBlock is opting to replace banner ads that would normally be blocked with links to Amnesty International. The human rights group is fronting an anti-cyber-censorship campaign, joined by Edward Snowden, Pussy Riot (famous for rubbing up Russia's President Putin the wrong way) and Ai Weiwei.
The aim of the campaign is to promote freedom of speech online but highlighting examples of free speech being censored -- not just in obvious places like China and North Korea, but also the United States and the United Kingdom. Government control of the internet is something that many think is restricted to limiting what journalists are able to publish online, but as the campaign highlights it's a problem that can affect anyone.
Justice Department accuses Apple of false rhetoric, pooh-poohs privacy concerns
Ahead of the hearing due to be held on 22 March, the Justice Department has lashed out at Apple in its latest response to the company's refusal to unlock the San Bernardino iPhone. Playing an emotional game, the DoJ says "Apple deliberately raised technological barriers that now stand between a lawful warrant and an iPhone containing evidence related to the terrorist mass murder of 14 Americans."
It says that only Apple is able to remove the barriers that are currently in the way, "and it can do so without undue burden". Apple has already made it abundantly clear that it will not help the FBI in creating what it describes as a backdoor into the iPhone at the center of the case.
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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