Google tests fingerprinting block to boost Chrome Incognito Mode privacy
Every web browser has a browsing mode designed to be more private; in Chrome, it is Incognito Mode. But while switching to this mode can help with improving privacy at a local level, it is not flawless when it comes to blocking external privacy invasions.
Tackling the problem of websites using invisible images to track visitors who have cookies disabled, Google is currently testing a new method of making Incognito Mode more secure and private.
Mastodon to roll out post quoting with powerful protection options
Mastodon is to roll out the ability to quote other people’s posts in your own posts on the decentralized social platform. This is something that has been a very long time coming, with Mastodon having talked about it for months.
The reason it has taken so long for post quoting to become a reality is because of the protections that have been built-in. Specifically, users have controls over who is able to quote their posts in order to avoid “dunking” – the phenomenon that sees mass quoting used for negative purposes.
Microsoft unbundles Teams from Office 365 to avoid EU fine
Microsoft has managed to avoid a hefty fine or other sanctions after the European Commission accepted the company’s proposal for unbundling Teams from Office 365 and Microsoft 365.
A complaint from Slack a few years ago started the European legal wheels turning as Microsoft was accused of anti-competitive behavior once again. The European Commission agreed that the company had “granti[ed] Teams an undue competitive advantage in terms of distribution”, but now accepts Microsoft’s unbundling proposal.
Microsoft helps out app developers by wiping out Store fees
Microsoft has announced that it is going to allow app developers to publish to the Microsoft Store without having to pay.
The company says that by removing a friction point of requiring a credit card, it is “creating a more inclusive and accessible platform”. More than just taking away registration fees, Microsoft is also offering free hosting, free signing and automatic updates for MSIX packages.
How ‘confidential computing’ can add trust to AI [Q&A]
Artificial intelligence is finding its way into more and more areas of our lives. But while there are concerns around the use of the technology itself, there are much greater ones over how we secure it.
We spoke to Anand Kashyap, CEO and founder of Fortanix, to discuss confidential computing, a technology backed by Microsoft, Intel, Arm, AMD and Nvidia, which encrypts data while it's being processed, even by AI systems.
Forget Tiny11, Nano11 takes Windows 11 debloating to the next level
Fans of debloating Windows now have another tool to experiment with. NTDEV, the developer behind the well known Tiny11 project, has created Nano11 Builder, a PowerShell script that hacks Microsoft’s operating system down even further.
While Tiny11 already produced a lighter and more flexible alternative to the full-fat Windows 11 install, Nano11 takes things to the extreme by automating the creation of an installer image that is a fraction of the original size.
There are at least two problems with the Apple AirPods Pro 3
Apple’s newly announced, soon to launch, AirPods Pro 3 have been greeted enthusiastically by a crowd prone to enthusiastically greeting Apple products. Even before they are available to buy, praise has been heaped upon the latest incarnation of the iPhone maker’s wireless earbuds – but it is not all good news.
While the proclaimed audio quality is laudable, while the new features sound impressive, there are definitely issues with the AirPods Pro 3. And, no, we’re not talking about the price.
Shadow AI? No, nothing to see here…
Workers are increasingly using shadow AI to draft emails, analyze data, or summarize meetings, but are pretending they haven’t.
New data from marketing agency OutreachX finds 52 percent of US workers are worried about how AI will be used in their workplace in the future and that 48 percent of desk workers say they would be uncomfortable telling a manager they used AI for common tasks.
Dashboard dependency leads to burnout among IT staff
A new study from Liquid Web shows IT professionals spend an average of 77 minutes per day checking dashboards, which equals about 468 hours per year or nearly 20 full workdays.
This is leading to stress and a risk of burnout as one in three say they can’t relax unless they check their server dashboard at least once an hour. 51 percent say they check dashboards during the night, at weekends, or on vacations, blurring the line between work and personal time.
Brands are increasingly testing AI influencers, but trust in them is low
Global influencer marketing spend is forecast to reach $32.5 billion in 2025, with much of the new growth coming from AI influencers, according to a new case study by UNmiss.
From polished AI Instagram avatars to TikTok personalities who never sleep, brands are increasingly testing whether audiences care if creators are real or virtual.
Children as young as seven linked to school cyber breaches, with over half of education attacks carried out by pupils
The Information Commissioner's Office, the UK’s independent regulator for data protection and information rights, says more than half of cyber attacks and data breaches in schools and colleges in the past three years were carried out by pupils.
Of the 215 hacks and breaches in educational establishments investigated by the ICO in that period, 57 percent of them were perpetrated by students.
64 percent back Online Safety Act but censorship worries persist
A new survey of 2,000 UK consumers shows that 64 percent agree the Online Safety Act protects children, with support higher among parents of young children and lower among ‘empty nest’ parents.
However, the data from verification and anti-fraud platform Sumsub also shows 48 percent concerned it will lead to censorship.
Spotify now offers lossless audio
There are many reasons to love Spotify, and just as many to dislike it. One of its many failings has been the fact that audio quality has been – to be diplomatic – less than perfect.
Now, thanks to the long-awaited arrival of lossless audio, this is finally changing. The ability to hear tracks at the best possible quality is something that will be celebrated by Spotify users... but not everyone.
Microsoft releases Windows 11 25H2 ISOs
The rollout of Windows 11 25H2 is now underway – at least to anyone signed up for the Windows Insider Release Preview channel. When the rollout started, there was disappointment when Microsoft did not have the ISOs for the build ready, saying that they would be coming soon.
But now the company has released the Windows 11 25H2 ISOs which is great news for anyone who likes to keep an offline. It is also extremely useful for people looking to install Windows 11 25H2 on multiple machines – ISOs just make things easier.
New study shows why the places you feel safest online might actually be the most dangerous
F-Secure has released new research that suggests a troubling divide between how safe people believe they are online and the dangers they actually face.
The Digital Perception-Reality Gap Report, based on a survey of 9,000 consumers worldwide, suggests that misplaced confidence is leaving large numbers of internet users exposed to cyber crime.
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