Baidu apps with 6 million US downloads found to be leaking sensitive user data
Security researchers from Palo Alto Networks have discovered that apps produced by Chinese firm Baidu have been leaking sensitive data about users.
Baidu Search Box and Baidu Maps -- which have been downloaded more than six millions times in the US alone -- were found to be sending details such as MAC addresses, phone models, IMSI and IMEI to a server in China. The researchers warned Google about the activity of the Android apps which were then removed from the Play Store.
Linus Torvalds wants Linux running on Apple's new M1 Macs
When Apple launched its new MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and Mac Mini systems, there was much excitement about the performance boost the M1 chips are bringing to the table.
People who have been running Windows and Windows apps on Macs, however, are less happy due to the lack of support for Boot Camp, and the lack of M1-ready virtualization software from the likes of Parallels. But what about the prospect of Linux on M1 Macs?
More than 5,000 Black Friday-related scam sites registered in November
While the holiday season is a peak time for retailers, it also represents an opportunity for cybercriminals. This is particularly true of 2020 when more people than ever are likely to be shopping online.
Research from Comparitech analyzed around 30 million websites registered this month to identify efforts by cybercriminals to trick consumers looking for holiday shopping deals.
TCL MOVEAUDIO S150 Bluetooth earbuds cost much less than Apple AirPods
TCL is on a come-up in a big way. The company's televisions are wildly popular thanks to their low prices and excellent features, and its smartphones are disrupting the industry. For instance, the wonderful TCL 10 5G UW can be had for a song -- a mere $120 when you sign up for a Verizon Unlimited plan. That's definitely the best early Black Friday deal I have seen.
TCL is not only about smartphones and televisions, however. For instance, the company makes tablets too. Today, it launches new wireless earbuds that rival Apple AirPods at a fraction of the price. Called "MOVEAUDIO S150," these Bluetooth 5.0 earbuds are chock-full of cool features -- they are waterproof, have touch controls, and the charging case uses USB-C.
Want to get verified on Twitter? It could happen in 2021
The blue tick of verification is something a huge number of Twitter users crave. Sadly for those who are desperate for validation, the company placed a paused of verifying accounts quite some time ago. But this is about to change.
2020 has been a terrible year for many people for numerous reasons, but for those seeking Twitter verification, things could be about to improve. The company has announced that its verification program is about to start up again. So... how do you get verified on Twitter?
Skills shortages blamed for problems with SAP cloud migration
SAP remains one of the most commonly used enterprise resource planning tools and many businesses are looking to migrate their SAP to the cloud from on-premise systems. But this is being held back by a shortage of skills.
New research from Ensono shows just four percent of UK IT leaders say they have completed their SAP to public cloud migration strategy. 80 percent of those who haven't completed projects say they have postponed or canceled their migration of SAP applications to the public cloud due to the SAP skills shortage and 74 percent have taken a similar decision due to a lack of public cloud skills.
Ubuntu Linux maker Canonical publishes curated container images to help secure software supply chains
A good deal of software development now relies on open source images, but it can be hard for businesses to know if they're introducing security flaws by using them.
Canonical -- the company behind Ubuntu Linux -- is addressing this by publishing the LTS (Long Term Support) Docker Image Portfolio, a curated set of secure container application images, on Docker Hub.
Human-centered approach is key to better security
Individual behavior is an important factor in security, but according to the Information Security Forum there's a growing recognition that security awareness in isolation rarely leads to sustained behavior change.
The ISF argues that organizations need to proactively develop a robust human-centred security program to reduce the number of security incidents associated with poor security behavior and is releasing a new digest to help.
Privacy and security still major concerns for consumers
Although 59 percent of consumers have accessed more online services than usual this year, they still have worries about the security and privacy of their data.
A new report from identity verification and authentication provider Onfido shows the top concerns are that data will be passed on to third parties (53 percent), the security of the information (50 percent), and asking for too much information (37 percent).
Giveaway: Win one of three Linux-friendly LABISTS Raspberry Pi 4 8GB RAM Starter Kits worth $129.99!
We here at BetaNews are huge fans of the Raspberry Pi line of computers. These little devices have many uses, such as tinkering, education, and more. Heck, you can even turn them into excellent media boxes or video game emulation systems.
With Raspberry Pi 4, however, the tiny computer became a viable desktop computer -- particularly the model with 8GB of RAM. You can install Ubuntu, for instance, and have a full desktop experience. Best of all, the 8GB variant can be had for just $75.
Vectra improves cloud services to protect complex hybrid networks
With more people working remotely, plus high numbers of IoT devices accessing corporate and cloud networks, traditional network security solutions struggle to cope and are blind to activity and data in cloud applications.
Network threat detection and response company Vectra has launched a new range of cloud services with broader and deeper cloud capabilities to track and link accounts and data in hybrid environments.
New Kodi 19 'Matrix' release is the build you've been waiting for
The next major version of Kodi, has been in development for two years now, promising a number of big changes from its predecessor, Kodi 18 Leia.
The Kodi Foundation has been hard at work finishing the next iteration of its hugely popular home theater software, releasing alpha builds of Kodi 19 at the rate of one a month for the past three months. Today the developers take the biggest step yet towards what they're calling the 'Great Unveiling'.
Happy 25th Birthday, GIMP -- you make Linux a viable Windows 10 alternative
I'm a big fan of Linux-based operating systems, and I try to convert people whenever I can. No, Linux isn't right for everyone, and Windows 10 isn't a bad operating system, but many computer users are better served by a Linux distro such as Ubuntu. After all, many people live in the web browser these days, so they don't need the bloat of Windows. Not to mention, Linux is arguably more secure.
Of course, there are always people that fight me on the benefits of Linux, and two pieces of software often enter the conversation -- Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop. Thankfully, I have some great ammunition in those arguments -- LibreOffice and GNU Image Manipulation Program (aka GIMP). True, both of those programs are also available on Windows and not Linux-only, but still, they make Linux a viable Windows alternative for many.
Google rewards stupid behavior by extending Windows 7 Chrome support
Windows 10 was not a surprise, nor was the fact that support was ending for Windows 7. Both home and Enterprise users were well informed of Windows 7's impending doom and given ample time to upgrade or buy new machines. Guess what happened? Smart people left Windows 7 before support ended while stupid people did not.
Look, I hate name-calling, but anyone still on Windows 7 is, in fact, stupid. OK, I suppose they could instead be lazy or indifferent, but ultimately, it is stupid behavior to run an unsupported operating system -- especially for a business. And that's why it is very disappointing to learn Google is extending Chrome support for Windows 7.
How a hybrid integration platform can drive innovation
Digital transformation and the transition to the cloud can deliver agility, profitability, new revenue streams and lead to exponential growth. However, there are a number of challenges that can stop an enterprise from moving to a complete cloud solution. These include the need to adhere to data laws (where regulations and policies prevent companies from moving all their data into the cloud), the necessity of taking a phased approach to shifting existing systems in order to mitigate any negative impact on the business, and other requirements such as security and performance.
Moreover, the increasing complexity of integrating on-premises systems with cloud offerings -- which include software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications, vast amounts of data, and an explosion of APIs -- can overwhelm integration architects and developers. In this environment, connecting and standardizing an organization's data and business processes, across its entire application landscape, places a significant strain on traditional technologies, methods, and abilities.
Most Commented Stories
© 1998-2025 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. About Us - Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy - Sitemap.