UK government asks Apple to give it backdoor access to encrypted user data
The UK government has used the Investigatory Powers Act (IPA) to issue Apple with a “technical capability notice” requiring the company to create a backdoor into its encrypted cloud services. The Home Office is specifically interested in bypassing the encryption that secures Apple’s Advanced Data Protection (ADP) service.
This cloud service includes a wealth of user data and, thanks to the use of end-to-end encryption, cannot be accessed by anyone other than the account holder. The UK government demand is part of legislation that forces companies to help law enforcement with investigations, but creating a backdoor would allow a level of access that even Apple does not currently have -- and there are concerns about the potential for abuse.
Meta may have torrented over 80 terabytes of pirated books to train its AI models
Just how AI models should be trained has been a subject of debate for some time now, with there being a lot of focus in whether publicly posted social media content is ripe for the picking or not. Now a new lawsuit suggests that Meta has been using pirated ebooks as a data source.
Emails that are serving as evidence in a copyright case against Meta appear to show that the Facebook owner has torrented scores of terabytes of data from a number of online resources. Among the places mentioned in newly released unredacted emails are Anna’s Archive, Z-Library and LibGen.
TikTok creators can easily share their content to YouTube thanks to new Repurpose.io partnership
YouTube has announced a partnership with Repurpose.io designed to make multi-platform publishing easier than ever. An automated system makes it possible to repost TikTok content, as well as Instagram Reels, as YouTube Shorts.
The uncertain future of TikTok in the US has shaken creators who have built up substantial and lucrative followings on the Chinese-owned social platform. YouTube is eager to make the most of this uncertainty, and is clearly hoping that the new Repurpose.io partnership will help it to steal TikTok users.
Microsoft makes massive MIDI improvements for musicians using Windows 11
The MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) standard is decades old, but still going strong. It continues to serve musicians, making it possible to reliably connect a range of instruments to computers. With the latest update to Windows 11, Microsoft ushers in some significant MIDI improvements.
The launch of Windows 11 build 27788 sees the arrival of Windows MIDI Services Public Preview. Microsoft describes this as “our complete rewrite of MIDI on Windows with a focus on a great experience for musicians and a strong foundation for future expansion and enhancement”. Importantly, there is now full support for MIDI 2.0.
Google is the latest tech firm to drop diversity hiring targets following Trump’s executive orders
President Trump has issued a slew of executive orders in the early days of his second stint in the White House. Among these are several designed to cut back on government and federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives that helped to boost job opportunities for underrepresented groups.
Following the executive orders and court rulings, numerous firms -- including tech companies such as Amazon and Meta -- announced that they were rolling back, revising, or killing off their DEI hiring targets. Now Google has followed suit.
Microsoft is getting serious about discouraging people from installing Windows 11 on unsupported hardware
The system requirements for Windows 11 have been a bone of contention ever since the operating system was first released, but it is something that has been brought back into sharp focus once again as Windows 10 nears the end of its life.
Microsoft is keen for everyone to move from Windows 10 to Windows 11, even if this means having to buy a new PC. And in recent days the company has taken steps to encourage just this, using strong-arm tactics to discourage bypassing TPM and CPU requirements.
Microsoft is bringing a powerful media transcoding feature to Advanced Paste in PowerToys v0.89
Fast-paced and innovative development is at the heart of PowerToys, and it’s something we see time and time again when new modules are added -- such as the new ZoomIt tool in the recently released PowerToys v0.88.0.
But it is not just the new PowerToys modules that are noteworthy, there are major updates frequently made to existing utilities. On the cards for PowerToys v0.89 is a significant addition to the Advanced Paste tool which will enable the transcoding of media files.
Microsoft proclaims “Deprecation isn't the end -- it’s an opportunity”
Microsoft is no stranger to announcing the deprecation of components of Windows, or even entire apps. But what does it mean exactly? The company has tried to make things a little clearer, but it’s up for debate whether it achieved this or not.
In a post on the Windows IT Pro Blog, Microsoft starts off by defining deprecation by describing what it is not -- “deprecation is not the end point of the lifecycle”. It is also not to be considered “the end” according to Microsoft. Eh?
Microsoft is dropping the privacy protection VPN feature from Microsoft Defender really soon -- unless you pay up
Microsoft has very quietly announced that the VPN feature of its Microsoft Defender security tool is going away for anyone unwilling to part with money.
In a support document entitled “End of support-Privacy protection (VPN) in Microsoft Defender for individuals”, the company gives very short notice for the dropping of the free tool. When the end of February rolls around, the VPN feature will only be available to users paying for a Microsoft 365 Personal or Family subscription. What does all of this mean?
Microsoft releases KB5050094 update to fix audio issues caused by earlier update
When Microsoft released the January security updates for Windows 10 and Windows 11 earlier this month, there were soon complaints from users about audio issues. Having only recently acknowledged a link between the update and the problems, Microsoft has now issued a fix.
The release of the KB5050094 update will give those who are willing to install preview versions of updates the chance to get their audio devices working again. The way in which this problem is being address is not ideal, and will raise questions from many people.
Microsoft releases PowerToys v0.88.0, killing off Video Conference Mute to make way for a new utility
With the v0.88 release cycle for PowerToys, Microsoft says that it will be focusing on “new features, stability, and improvements”. And the release of PowerToys v0.88.0 gets things off to a good start with the arrival of a new tool.
But this release also sees Microsoft giving with one hand and taking with the other. The arrival of the new ZoomIt module is balanced by the departure of Video Conference Mute which has been deprecated and removed from the suite of Windows utilities.
Google is making it easier to find a safe and reliable VPN
Take a browse through an app store and you will find that there is no shortage of VPN tools to choose from. But which can you trust?
One of the reasons for using a VPN in the first place is to help keep data safe -- but some tools leak information in ways that run completely counter to this. So how do you know which one you should be using? Google has come up with a new way to help guide users towards the safest options,
Netflix and Disney+ subscribers may have to pay a license fee to fund the BBC
The UK government is considering introducing an additional tax for subscribers of streaming services such as Disney+ and Netflix. The money raised in this way could be used to help fund the BBC, which has been struggling financially for some time.
Several ideas are being floated to try to top up the coffers of the public service broadcaster which is largely funded through the television license fee. With the license fee already somewhat controversial, the idea of charging users of non-BBC related streaming services is likely to provoke angry reactions.
Google Maps will honor President Trump’s renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and Denali to Mount McKinley
One of Donald Trump’s first pledges after being sworn in as the 47th president of the USA was to rename both the Gulf of Mexico and Denali. This was very quickly acted upon when he signed a slew of executive orders -- something the White House described as “honoring American greatness”.
Seen variously as controversial, symbolic, patriotic, confrontational and more, the changes of the names have sparked global debate. One question that has been raised a lot over the last week has been whether the likes of Apple Maps and Google Maps will implement the changes as well -- although not globally.
Microsoft reminds admins about the upcoming deprecation of WSUS driver synchronization
Having previously announced its intention to terminate the option to perform driver synchronization updates via Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), Microsoft has issued a reminder to users as the deadline draws closer.
There is still time to prepare for the demise of WSUS driver synchronization, but the clock is definitely ticking. With the end just weeks away, Microsoft has not only reminded admins that they need to take action but also suggested alternatives.
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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