Google to automatically delete more audio recorded by Assistant and introduce new privacy protections
Digital assistants have been in the spotlight recently after various stories about contractors listening to recordings. Following a backlash from users and privacy advocates, Google has announced a number of changes to how it stores and processes audio data.
The company also takes the time to explain a little bit more about how it processes audio recordings and to reveal the new privacy protections it will use in the recording transcription process.
Microsoft promises to provide security updates for federally certified voting Windows 7 systems
Windows 7 is certainly rather long in the tooth now, but it is still very widely used. As such, despite the general end of support coming in January, Microsoft has committed to keep Windows 7-based voted machine secure.
The company say that it will "provide free security updates for federally certified voting systems running Windows 7 through the 2020 elections, even after Microsoft ends Windows 7 support". Given the problematic nature of recent Windows 10 updates, this may come as little comfort as the Trump 2020 campaign continues.
Apple tariff exemptions approved by US trade regulators
Donald Trump has been using the threat of tariffs as a way to force companies to produce goods within the US rather than manufacturing them abroad cheaply and importing them.
Now US trade regulators have now approved exemptions for the Mac Pro, with the possibility of wider implications. Apple had requested a total of 15 exemptions, and according to a public docket published by the US Trade Representative and a Federal Register notice, 10 of these have been approved.
YouTube changes its verification process after a huge backlash against planned update
Almost immediately after having announced planned changes to the way channel verification works, YouTube has bowed to pressure from unhappy users and says it will rethink its approach.
Late last week, YouTube announced verification changes that meant many channels would lose their coveted check mark. Following a backlash, the company now says that no one will lose their verified status, so there is no need to appeal against it.
YouTube account verification changes draw ire from creators
On all branches of social media, account verification is what users yearn for. A little checkmark next to a username can lead to a massive increase in followers, and for creators this can in turn lead to a significant increase in earnings.
This is why there is a so much anger at YouTube's decision to introduce sweeping new changes that will see may users who have earned verification losing their verified status. As well as annoyance, there is a widespread feeling of confusion about what is happening, and why.
ADATA launches SC680 USB-C SSD
If you need external storage, you should always try to get a solid state drive -- if you can afford your needed capacity, of course. Not only is an SSD much faster than a mechanical hard disk drive, it can be more reliable too. You see, since an SSD doesn't have moving parts, it is less likely to become damaged from jostling. An HDD, by comparison, can become corrupted by bouncing around in your bag or luggage.
Another benefit of an external solid state drive over a hard disk drive is its physical size -- an SSD can be much smaller, which is superior for traveling. Today, ADATA launches a new USB-C SSD that is tiny and adorable. Called "SC680," it is thin, light, and pretty fast.
Microsoft releases Windows 10 20H1 Build 18985 with Bluetooth pairing improvements
Work continues apace on the next major feature update for Windows 10, due out next May.
Today sees the release of Build 18985 (20H1) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring, and it introduces Bluetooth improvements and changes to how optional updates are displayed.
Huawei unveils Mate 30 Series of Android 10 smartphones -- no Google needed
Earlier today, Huawei unveiled five new phones as a part of the Mate 30 series -- the Mate 30, Mate 30 5G, Mate 30 Pro, Mate 30 Pro 5G, and the Porsche Design Mate 30 RS. They are absolutely gorgeous smartphones with high-end specifications. They are even running the latest and greatest Android 10 operating system. Quite frankly, the beautiful design shows how Apple should have laid out its rear cameras on the iPhone Pro. In fact, while the Mate 30 has a triple camera system like the iPhone 11 Pro, the Mate 30 Pro has four cameras! I guess we can really see which phone deserves its "Pro" moniker!
All models of Mate 30 have a notched display, with the notch being a bit bigger on the Pro and RS models. The Pro and RS models have a 6.53-inch screen (OLED FHD+ 2400 x 1176), while the regular Mate 30 is a bit bigger at 6.62-inch (OLED FHD+ 2340 x 1080). All are powered by the same octa-core processor (2 x Cortex-A76 Based 2.86 GHz + 2 x Cortex-A76 Based 2.36 GHz + 4 x Cortex-A55 1.95 GHz), 16-Core Mali-G76 GPU, and 8GB of RAM -- with the exception of the RS, which has 12GB of RAM. The Mate 30 comes with 128GB of storage, while the Mate 30 Pro has 256GB. The high-end RS gets an insane 512GB. And yes, they all feature an in-screen fingerprint reader!
Roku Ultra and Express get big upgrades
Earlier this month, Apple had a big product unveiling, where it showed off a new iPad, Apple Watch, and three new iPhone 11 models. You know what it didn't reveal? A new Apple TV. This was very surprising, as the company is planning to really push its upcoming Apple TV+ streaming service. You would think an upgraded device for Apple TV+ would make sense, but no, the company laid an egg in that regard.
Thankfully, Roku is happy to keep pushing the envelope and releasing new hardware. Following the previous announcement of the innovative Roku Soundbar, today, the company unveils upgrades to two of its most popular devices -- Roku Ultra and Roku Express. The Ultra is its top of the line device, while the Express is a budget offering for the masses.
Mainframes are a critical element for new technologies like AI and blockchain
The death of the mainframe is something that's been widely predicted since the 1990s, but these big guns of the computing world stubbornly refuse to succumb.
New research carried out by Forrester for hybrid services provider Ensono and IT consultancy Wipro shows that 50 percent of organizations will continue with and increase mainframe use in the next two years versus just five percent planning to decrease or remove mainframe activity.
Exchange 2010 end of support: How IT pros can leverage Microsoft’s impending deadline into new business
For businesses that still rely on Microsoft Exchange 2010, the time to upgrade is now.
That’s because on Oct. 13, 2020, Microsoft will discontinue support for Exchange 2010. This end-of-support deadline raises a host of potentially disastrous implications for organizations still using this software. There will be no more technical assistance from Microsoft regarding documentation, phone support or general troubleshooting. There will be no more updates for bug fixes or security patches to protect users and data within Exchange 2010, increasing the risk of ransomware and malicious cyberattacks. Finally, running outdated or unsupported software poses risk for being out of compliance, which can present legal issues for certain businesses depending on their industry’s regulation standards.
Ubuntu-maker Canonical shares top 5 snaps per Linux distribution
All Linux users are the same, right? Oh, hell no! Linux users are a diverse bunch, with differing opinions, tastes, and personalities. In fact, that is probably a contributing factor to the fragmentation of the Linux community. Linux users have lots of options between distributions, desktop environments, and more -- they are not stuck in a box like Windows 10 users.
To highlight how different Linux users can be, Canonical has released some data about the installation of snaps, categorized by distro. It chose six of the most popular Linux-based operating systems for its analysis -- Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, CentOS, Arch Linux, and Manjaro. It then shared the top five most popular snaps for each distribution.
Disclosing vulnerabilities improves security for everyone
According to a new study 90 percent of IT professionals believe disclosing vulnerabilities serves a broader purpose of improving how software is developed, used and fixed.
The survey from application security testing specialist Veracode finds more than a third of companies received an unsolicited vulnerability disclosure report in the past 12 months, representing an opportunity to work together with the reporting party to fix the vulnerability and then disclose it, improving overall security.
The Swiss 5G debacle is giving me a headache
This is why we can’t have nice things! Just as Switzerland is on the cusp of becoming a leader in 5G adoption, out pop the crazies to rain on the tiny nation’s wireless parade.
The land of Chalets and Saint Bernards has been aggressively pursuing 5G adoption, with major carriers promising coverage for 90 percent of the population by the end of the year. This includes nearly every city and town, as well as remote locations, like ski slopes and mountaintop resorts. Just this past July, operators finished installing or converting over 300 antenna stations for 5G transmission -- no mean feat given the rugged terrain of the Swiss Alps.
Automated attacks on eCommerce get more sophisticated
The sophistication level of bots attacking eCommerce sites is on the rise according to a new report from cybersecurity company Imperva.
Traffic to eCommerce sites is made up of 17.7 percent bad bots, 13.1 percent good bots and 69.2 percent humans, the findings show, and the bad bots are getting better -- but not in a good way.
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