Microsoft subdomains hijacked following DNS security blunder
Vulnerability researchers were able to hijack a series of subdomains belonging to Microsoft after the company was found to be employing poor DNS practices.
Subdomains including mybrowser.microsoft.com and identityhelp.microsoft.com were among ten hijacked by a team of security researchers from Vullnerability. In all, more than 670 Microsoft subdomains were found to be at risk of being taken over.
Facebook Messenger lands in the Mac App Store in some countries
There has been talk of a macOS version of Facebook Messenger for the best part of a year, and now it seems that the app is finally rolling out.
Facebook had said that it wanted Messenger for macOS to launch by the end of 2019, but it is only now that it has started to appear in the Mac App Store. For now, sadly, it is limited to a handful of markets, suggesting that this is a staged rollout targeting key countries first.
Apple now allows ads in push notifications on iPhone and iPad
Push notifications could be about to become rather more irritating for iPhone and iPad users. Apple has updated its App Store Review Guidelines, giving developers permission to use push notifications for advertising purposes.
There is something of a silver lining to this dark cloud, however. App-makers are not being given carte blanche to bombard people with an endless stream of ads; Apple says ads are only permitted when "customers have explicitly opted in to receive them". Nonetheless, it marks a major policy change for Apple.
Microsoft releases PowerShell 7 for Windows, macOS and Linux
Microsoft has announced that its cross-platform automation tool and configuration framework PowerShell 7 is now Generally Available.
Available for Windows, macOS and Linux, PowerShell 7 sees Microsoft moving from .NET Core 2.x to 3.1 which enables greater backwards compatibility with existing Windows PowerShell modules thanks to the resurrection of numerous .NET Framework APIs. The cross-platform nature of PowerShell 7 means that Ubuntu, openSUSE, Fedora, Debian and other Linux distro are embraced.
Install the latest PowerToys update for important bug fixes
Microsoft has pushed out two updates in quick succession to the preview version of PowerToys for Windows 10.
PowerToys 0.15 was released and included fixes for nearly 100 problems, as well as a making other key changes -- including notifications about the availability of updates. But mere hours later, PowerToys 0.15.1 was unleashed to fix a further bug.
The DOOGEE N100 is a highly affordable phone with a big bastard battery
When looking for a new phone, it's easy to just opt for the latest Android handset or iPhone -- people like the familiarity of sticking with the brands they know. But going down this route does not necessarily mean you get the most suitable phone, and it certainly doesn't mean that you'll get the cheapest.
The newly announced DOOGEE N100 may not be a familiar name, but if you're someone who doesn't like to be tethered to a charging cable, it's a handset that has a great deal to offer you. The phone boasts a colossal 10,000 mAh battery, giving up to 100 hours of talk time and 350 hours of standby, making it ideal for travelers -- but there's much more.
Let's Encrypt is revoking digital certificates after discovering CAA bug
Let's Encrypt has discovered a bug in its Certificate Authority Authorization (CAA) code and will have to revoke millions of certificates today unless customers force a renewal of their certificates.
Any site that fails to renew its certificate will display security warnings to visitors until the problem is rectified. While no specific sites have been mentioned, with up to three million certificates involved, there is a chance that some high-profile sites could be affected.
The search for alien life is over... for now
At the end of this month, SETI@home is closing down after two decades of alien hunting.
The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence was an early example of distributed computing, using spare processing cycles from computers around the world to analyze signals from the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico and the Green Bank telescope in West Virginia. Now the project has gathered enough data and is going into hibernation, rendering the famous screensaver useless.
Microsoft gives us a preview of a new Start menu concept for Windows 10
During a Windows Insider webcast, Microsoft shared a new design concept for the Start menu in Windows 10.
In the video stream, the Windows Insider team showed off a new look that is being explored. The team confirmed that Live Tiles are here to stay, but they are not visible in the new design. This is because the new look is only going to be available when Live Tiles are disabled.
You could be in line for a payout from Apple for slowing down your iPhone
Apple has agreed to settle legal action taken against it for deliberately slowing down older iPhones. Having already been fined €25 million by a French consumer watchdog the company has now agreed to settle in the US -- something which could cost it $500 million.
Apple previously admitted to the practice of slowing down phones, saying it was to increase the life of devices with aging batteries. The new agreement in the US could see Apple paying out $25 to those affected by updates to iOS that slowed down their iPhones.
Leaked: 146 million records relating to users of railway Wi-Fi exposed online
An unsecured database has been found online that contains 146 million records about people who have used free Wi-Fi at railway stations in the UK.
The database was discovered by a security researcher on Amazon web services storage. It was found to include personal details such as usernames, dates of birth, email addresses and details of travel arrangements. Network Rail and the service provider C3UK have confirmed the data leak.
How to play the secret surfing game in Microsoft Edge -- and unlock the hidden NinjaCat player
Everyone loves a good Easter Egg, and Microsoft Edge has an absolute belter -- a hidden surfing game that you can even play using your Xbox controller.
The game was originally used by Microsoft when it was revealing the new logo for Edge, and it is designed -- much like Chrome's dino game -- to give you something to do when you're offline. The surfing game itself is a great bit of fun; here's how to access it, and how to unlock the secret NinjaCat character.
Microsoft starts rolling out new icons to all Windows 10 users
It is a few months since Microsoft first unveiled the new look icons for Windows 10 and various applications.
Now, having started the roll out of the new icons to Windows Insiders, the company is giving everyone access to the new designs. At the moment, it seems to be people running Windows 10 version 1909 that are affected, and this means they can enjoy new icons for Mail, Calendar, Calculator, Photos and more apps.
Microsoft is making Cortana much less useful for most people in a business-focused pivot
Microsoft is planning a major re-focus for Cortana; one that will mean the digital assistant becomes far less useful for most people. When Windows 10 version 2004 (or Windows 10 20H1) arrives, users will lose many of Cortana's consumer and third-party skills as Microsoft gives the assistant more of a business focus.
In dropping feature, Microsoft says that Cortana will be "focused on your productivity with enhanced security and privacy". Other significant change is the impending removal of Cortana from the Android Launcher app and a closer relationship with Microsoft 365.
Updated Microsoft Edge will protect you from malware, crypto miners and more
With the switch to the Chromium engine, there's a lot more to like about Microsoft Edge these days. Microsoft is now pushing the browser hard, with the promise of serious speed improvements being used as a lure.
The latest update offers something extra -- protection against potentially unwanted applications (PUA). Microsoft Edge will now step in and block adware, cryptocurrency miners and other unwanted nonsense, particularly when downloading free software. The Microsoft Edge Team explains how to get the most from the protection.
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. She is currently training to be an LGBTQ+ affirmative psychotherapist. You can find her on Bluesky and Mastodon. If you like what you read, you can Buy her a Coffee!
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