Two thirds of consumers don't think government encryption backdoors will protect them from terrorists
A new survey by machine identity protection company Venafi shows consumers don't trust major cyber security policies pushed by their governments.
Government officials in nearly every country believe the security risks inherent in government-mandated encryption backdoors are less important than giving law enforcement broad access to encrypted personal data. However, US and European consumers overwhelmingly disagree. When asked if laws allowing governments to access encrypted personal and private data would make them safer from terrorists 64 percent don’t agree.
Google Chrome update to blame for unbootable Macs
Earlier in the week, Variety reported about a mysterious problem with Macs in Hollywood. As the issues -- which prevented systems from rebooting -- affected television and film editors in LA, it was initially thought that the Avid Media Composer software was at fault.
But in fact, it was Google that was to blame. A buggy update for the company's Chrome browser caused issues for a number of Mac users whose systems met certain conditions. Google has published details of a workaround for those hit by the problem which saw the Chrome update damaging the macOS file system.
Amazon's new eero mesh Wi-Fi system collects your data and you shouldn't buy it
Earlier today, Amazon unveiled a bunch of new Echo devices. As a hardcore Alexa user, I am sort of excited about this new hardware, but at the same time, my house already has enough of them -- I am not at all in the market for more.
In addition to Alexa-focused hardware, Amazon today also launches a new eero mesh Wi-Fi system. In case you forgot, yes, Amazon owns eero now. While this new mesh Wi-Fi system looks fine enough for the average consumer, it is quite underwhelming. Its speeds are hardly top of the line, and there is no WiFi 6 (802.11ax) to be found. For the most part, these 802.11ac access points are fairly basic, but I do like that each has two gigabit Ethernet ports. The cute devices are powered by USB-C as well, which I also appreciate.
Amazon announces eight new Echo devices -- and lends Samuel L. Jackson's voice to Alexa
At a special hardware event held today, September 25, Amazon took the wraps off an all-new line up of Echo devices, as well as additional Alexa features, like celebrity voices (Samuel L. Jackson will be the first of these).
The new products include an improved Echo, with an updated fabric design (in Twilight Blue, Charcoal, Heather Grey, and Sandstone colors) and superior sound, but the same $99.99 price tag; and a new $59.99 Echo Dot with a built in clock that can show the outdoor temperature and alarms, as well as the time.
Apple shows off iPadOS 13.1 in new video
With iPadOS 13.1 available to iPad owners around the world, there's a lot to discover in the latest update.
To help tablet owners learn about the new features and options, Apple has shared a new video showcasing what's on offer. From swipe typing to full page screenshotting, Apple is continuing to push the iPad as a serious alternative to a laptop.
How the new sharing economy has changed consumer behavior
We currently live in a Digital Age, which, unlike a couple of decades ago, gives us the ability to leverage one another, like never before, as resources for support in just a few clicks or taps. Nowadays, we congregate online to do so many important things, none more important than sharing our precious resources. Whether we're setting up a ride on Lyft or booking a room on Airbnb, we, as consumers, are putting our trust in the fact that we will get great service and a fair deal, even when we are dealing with people we do not know. It's a fascinating time when what used to quaintly be called "stranger danger" has rapidly given way to consumers learning to trust complete strangers to provide everything from reliable transportation, to comfortable lodging, to transparency into how donations are being used.
The aforementioned companies are now, probably much to our parents’ disdain, household names. And with this kind of brand familiarity comes an implicit sense of trust. We know that if our Lyft driver fails to show, there is a company we can contact to complain about it. We also know that if our Airbnb host doesn’t provide clean accommodations upon arrival, we can go complain on Yelp. Every day, each of the crowdfunding, crowdsharing, and crowdsourcing companies that we're becoming increasingly reliant upon, in turn, relies on one important thing to make sure their business is running as well as it ought to be: consumer feedback.
BullGuard launches new internet security range
BullGuard is launching its range of 2020 security products which include a new Secure Browser and machine learning capabilities.
The 2020 product suite also now enables direct integration with BullGuard VPN to ensure users' privacy when connecting to public Wi-Fi.
Cloudflare's Warp VPN now available to all
Cloudflare introduced a privacy-focused DNS service last year, and rolled out a mobile app for it as well. The 1.1.1.1 app for Android and iOS aims to speed up and protect your mobile browsing by routing your DNS queries through its own resolver.
Earlier in the year the company announced a VPN service to go along with this called Warp, and invited users to sign up to a waiting list. It was a very long list though -- I was number 1,932,244! The good news today though is the wait is now over and anyone can start using Warp.
How to use Windows 10's Cloud Download recovery feature
The Windows 10 20H1 update (or Windows 10 May 2020 Update) is due for release in the first half of next year, and one of the biggest new features being touted by Microsoft is the Cloud Download recovery option.
This new recovery method is an alternative to the relatively slow "imageless" recovery in which a new copy of Windows is created from the existing installation. The Cloud Download option can not only be significantly faster, but it is more reliable as there is no chance of it being impeded by a corrupt Windows installation.
Insurance companies face online fraud threats
Increasing numbers of people are using digital platforms when engaging with their insurers and this opens up the industry to a range of new fraud challenges.
A new report from TransUnion and iovation identifies 9.14 percent of online insurance transactions as risky, compared to just over five percent across all industries.
.NET Core 3.0 is a huge leap forward
Microsoft has made lots of changes to .NET Core over the years, bringing tons of features over from its more mature and feature-rich sibling, .NET Framework. Still, the feature gap remained quite large for certain scenarios, leaving many developers waiting and wanting for more to be swayed away.
With .NET Core 3.0, which officially arrived this week, Microsoft may just win their hearts and minds once and for all.
Apple iOS 13 and iPadOS bugs grant third-party keyboards 'full access'
If you're using a third-party keyboard on your iPhone or iPad, Apple has a warning for you. A bug in the recently released mobile operating system means that such keyboards could be granted "full access" permissions.
The bug means that third-party keyboards could capture any and all keystrokes entered by a user, including sensitive data such as usernames and passwords.
Microsoft bans CCleaner from its support forums
Microsoft has blacklisted the CCleaner utility and links to the software can no longer be posted in its support forums.
An email sent out to community moderators reveals a total of 11 domains which Microsoft censors with its blacklist filter. If an ordinary user attempts to post a link to a banned site, that post will be removed.
Replacing the screen of a Samsung Galaxy Fold might not be as expensive as you feared
Beset by a seemingly endless list of problems and delays, the Samsung Galaxy Fold will surely go down in technological history as one of the most troublesome launches ever.
For anyone who stuck things out and was willing to part with the best part of two grand, there is some good news. Despite the unique technology used in the handset, Samsung has revealed that for early purchasers it has a special, low price for replacing a broken screen... the first time it happens, at least.
Official Kodi site vanishes, taking the software with it [Updated]
Kodi has weathered a lot of storms in recent years. Although the software is perfectly legal, its name -- somewhat unfairly -- has become synonymous with piracy due to its support for plug-ins that allow streaming of illegal content.
If you were hoping to download a copy of Kodi today then you’re out of luck. The official website has been taken offline.
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