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Most US consumers believe in the effectiveness of contact tracing apps to curb the spread of COVID-19, but a new report shows almost half would refuse to download them over data privacy concerns.

A study sponsored by SecureAge Technology has surveyed more than 580 consumers and over 300 IT professionals to find out their perceptions on the use of contact tracing apps.

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Since adopting the Chromium engine for Edge, Microsoft has been eager for people to move away from the legacy version of its web browser.

To help ensure compliance with its wishes, the company has released the KB4576754 update which forces the installation of the new Microsoft Edge and removes the old version. With the update being mandatory, anyone wanting to avoid Edge will have to take action.

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The Android smartphone market has long been rather stale, with many companies simply bumping up specifications rather than trying to innovate. Yeah, things like faster processors, better cameras, and 5G radios are great, but consumers are becoming indifferent to new phone launches due to a lack of innovation. It feels like evolution rather than revolution.

Thankfully, LG has retained its weird side, creating devices like the V60 ThinQ 5G, which pre-dates Microsoft's much-maligned Surface Duo. LG is willing to take risks, which is keeping Android fun and fresh. Today, the company unveils its latest innovative product -- the Wing 5G. This smartphone is like nothing you have ever seen. The main display flips out to unveil a second hidden display underneath. This creates a "letter T" form-factor, which should be great for multitasking.

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Microsoft Office is one of the most popular pieces of software in the world, and the fact that it is so widely used means that it is often targeted for malicious reasons. Just as viruses tend to target Windows rather than macOS or Linux simply because of the sheer number of people using the operating systems, so Office's popularity means that it can often be attacked by malicious files as well.

But Microsoft has a way to offer protection. In addition to the Windows Defender anti-malware tool that is built into Windows, the company has now just released a public preview of Microsoft Defender Application Guard for Office.

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Good security practices are more important than ever in the current climate, with people working from home using their own devices.

Password management specialist Dashlane is launching a new reporting tool that gives company administrators in-depth visibility into employee password security along with the ability to track improvements over time.

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A new threat report from Aqua Security reveals a growing, organized and increasingly sophisticated pattern of attacks on cloud native infrastructure.

While most attacks uncovered by Team Nautilus, Aqua's cybersecurity research team, were aimed at abusing public cloud compute resources for cryptocurrency mining, the methods used also open the door for higher-value targets that look to exploit security gaps in container software supply chains and runtime environments.

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In a brief statement issued late last night, Microsoft revealed that it was out of the running to buy TikTok’s US operations.

US President Donald Trump claims that TikTok (and other Chinese apps) pose a threat to national security and his administration has set a September 15 deadline for ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese owner, to either sell US operations or shut them down.

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Where did you come from? It’s a question many people never consider, but some are curious and the best answer to that, aside from lots of time in archives, historical societies, libraries and cemeteries, is a DNA test.

You have multiple options, but the leader is Ancestry.com and it is always updating the science behind its tests so you receive the latest information.

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Manjaro is one of the most popular Linux-based operating systems these days, and it isn't hard to see why. It is based on the rock-solid Arch, but unlike that distro, Manjaro is very easy to install and use. In other words, it has all the benefits of Arch, but without the hassles and headaches. This makes it a great choice for both Linux experts and beginners.

Manjaro 20 "Lysia" was released back in April, and it was very well received by the Linux community. Today, the first point update, Manjaro 20.1 "Mikah," becomes available for download with a trio of desktop environment options -- Xfce (4.14), GNOME (3.36), and KDE Plasma (5.19). All three DEs are excellent, but Xfce is what the developers consider the "flagship." The Xfce variant comes with an all-new theme called "Matcha." All versions of Manjaro 20.1 come with Linux kernel 5.8, Pamac 9.5.9, and ZFS installation support.

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After suddenly hitting the big time during the coronavirus pandemic, video conferencing tool found itself the center of attention for both good and bad reasons. While people welcome the app facilitating remote working, Zoom's security and privacy credentials were called in to questions in a series of incidents.

The company subsequently promised to take action to improve things in these areas, and over the summer there have been ongoing updates to Zoom. Now two-factor authentication (2FA) has been made available to all users.

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Back in April, we told you about the deepin 20 Beta. That Linux distribution is very special because of just how beautiful it is. No, the operating system is not only about appearance (it is excellent overall), but it shows that Linux can be just as pretty as macOS and Windows 10. Hell, it is arguably more attractive than Microsoft's and Apple's desktop operating systems.

And now, the stable version of deepin 20 is finally here! This version of the operating system is based on Debian 10.5 and is loaded with new features and bug fixes. For instance, it has enhanced biometric support, allowing you to use your fingerprint -- a fairly rare thing in the Linux world. The new installer should be easier than ever, and if you have an NVIDIA GPU, you can opt to install closed-source drivers. Best of all, the app manager is simplified further, improving the discovery and installation of apps.

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Whether you are working remotely from home or working in an office, a time will probably come where video chat will need to happen. This is particularly true during the pandemic, but even before COVID-19, businesses were increasingly having employees work remotely or from satellite locations. While many businesses and employees have functional webcams built into their smartphones and laptops, the integrated microphones are usually subpar. Quite frankly, when it comes to meetings, clear audio is far more important than webcam video quality.

Today, Jabra launches its latest full duplex portable speakerphone, and it looks like a winner. Called "Speak 750," it can connect via a USB or Bluetooth. Don't have Bluetooth in your PC? Don't worry -- Jabra includes a USB dongle in the box. The Speak 750 should provide far superior call experience than any integrated laptop or smartphone microphone. There are two models from which to choose -- a Microsoft Teams Certified variant and a UC model.

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Headsets are an essential part of the online multiplayer gaming experience these days. They allow you to communicate with teammates -- or opponents -- depending on the game. Hell, even for offline single player games, a quality headset can usually provide superior audio compared to many chintzy computer speakers. They can also be used for music and movies, of course.

Today, ADATA unveils its newest gaming headset under its "XPG" gaming brand. Called "PRECOG ANALOG," it is designed to be a less expensive version of the company's regular PRECOG. This new version seems to forgo the USB control box and associated virtual 7.1 surround. Otherwise ,they seem almost identical, including the handy removable microphone.

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As WFH continues and bad actors and cyberthreats thrive, it is more critical than ever before for organizations to have a robust cybersecurity strategy in place. The best way to get started? Leverage Zero Trust.

The chief concern security teams have is keeping threats and attacks out of their organizations. This is why CISOs make significant investments in security controls that protect important vectors like the network, data center, cloud, email and endpoint. This defense-in-depth approach is essential to detect and block threats, but they need to be bolstered with Zero Trust capabilities. Why? Simply put, because attacks and breaches continue to occur. In fact, we know that 64 percent of CISOs believe their organization is more likely to experience a data breach due to COVID-19, and an additional 30 percent of CISOs have seen more attacks on their IT systems as a direct result of COVID-19.

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Dev Channel Insiders are in for a treat this week. Windows 10 Build 20211 introduces a number of new features, including adding Search to the Default Apps pages in Settings.

There’s a big new change for users of Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL 2) too -- you can now attach and mount a physical disk inside of a WSL 2 distro.

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