Google provides FREE YouTube Premium to T-Mobile customers in self-isolation
The COVID-19 Coronavirus is undoubtedly a bad thing. However, there are some good things to come from the tragedy. Companies are stepping up to accommodate the needs of customers. For instance, some insurance companies are temporarily not canceling policies for non-payment, while some restaurants are offering free food delivery. From an entertainment perspective, Disney+ released Frozen 2 early, while some streaming services such as Sling TV, are offering some totally free content.
Today, Google and T-Mobile announce a really nice promotion to help some folks bored at home in self-isolation due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Starting tomorrow, T-Mobile customers can score two free months of YouTube Premium. This is a part of the carrier's famed "T-Mobile Tuesdays" where it provides weekly perks to its customers. YouTube Premium not only includes an ad-free YouTube experience, but access to the YouTube Music streaming service too. Yes, while you are stuck indoors due to the COVID-19 virus, you can enjoy truly unlimited music!
hide.me quintuples its data limit for users of its free VPN tier
There are a lot of VPN services to choose from these days, and a lot of reasons for wanting to use one. But there is the matter of money to consider. Whether you're strapped for cash, or just want to give a VPN a serious test drive before committing to it, the more generous the free data allowance the better.
hide.me is one of many VPNs that offers a free package, and it has just announced that the data allowance for people on this tier has increased fivefold. The increase to 10GB per month is generous, but the way the free tier works means that you actually get an unlimited amount of VPN traffic for free.
Microsoft says new versions of Edge are on hold for the time-being
The effects of the coronavirus pandemic are widespread and varied across the tech world. Streaming video services have been reducing quality to ease the strain on the internet, support for old versions of Windows has been extended, and many brand-new cinema releases have been pirated earlier than normal.
In addition to delaying the end of support for Windows 10 version 1709, Microsoft also says that the COVID-19 crisis will impact on the development of its Edge browser. This means that Edge 80 is the last stable build we're going to see for a while.
TinyWall 3.0 comes of age -- relaunches as standalone firewall
Károly Pados has released TinyWall 3.0 for 64-bit versions of Windows 7 or later. The big change is that TinyWall is now its own independent, standalone firewall. Previously it was a companion app for controlling the main Windows Firewall.
The switch to a separate app is accompanied by numerous improvements -- previous annoyances have been resolved, plus the app is able to increase user security with new features like boot-time filtering.
Watch Bill Gates' 2015 warning about a future major virus outbreak
COVID-19 continues to spread around the world, with ever greater numbers of cases and deaths being reported on a daily basis. It’s having a huge impact not just on people’s health, but on our way of life and on the global economy.
While at the start of the year no one expected us to be where we are now, the threat of a fast-spreading virus has been anticipated for quite some time. Indeed, back in 2015, Bill Gates gave a TED Talk on this very subject.
Security warning: Microsoft has broken Windows Defender with an update for Windows 10
Microsoft's run of problematic updates for Windows 10 continues. This time an update is causing an issue that could have serious security implications for users -- it has broken Windows Defender.
While the Windows Defender security tool is included in Windows 7 and 8 the problem only affects Windows 10. Many people are finding that when they perform a virus scan, an error message is displayed that reads: "Items skipped during scan. The Windows Defender Antivirus scan skipped an item due to an exclusion or network scanning settings". For others, scans simply fail after a few moments.
ProGrade Digital unveils Thunderbolt 3 CFexpress+XQD reader and USB-C Dual-Slot CFexpress+SDXC reader
For most home consumers, when you need to read a card from your camera, you just insert it into the reader on your laptop. This is typically an SD card reader, although many newer computers are doing away with them. Instead, you must purchase a USB reader -- they are plentiful on sites like Amazon, and very inexpensive too. But what if you are a professional photographer? Well, then -- you might not be using SD card at all. Instead, you could be using CFexpress or XQD.
The company ProGrade Digital has a new card reader that is sure to excite professional photographers. The "PG04," as it is called reads both CFexpress and XQD cards using the super-fast Thunderbolt 3 connection. For those not yet using TB3, the company also releases the PG05.5 -- a USB-C reader for both CFexpress and SDXC.
Kodi is knocked off Google following DMCA takedown request
If you've been searching for Kodi using Google, you will have noticed that the media playing software has vanished from search results.
The banishment comes after a DMCA takedown request from the Turkish pay-TV service Digiturk. Owned by the beIN Media Group, the DMCA takedown request related not only to the content of a pirated stream, but to the use of a copyrighted logo on suc ha sstream.
Apple internally acknowledges Personal Hotspot problems in iOS 13 and iPadOS 13
If you've been having trouble using your iPhone or iPad as a hotspot for other devices, you are not alone. Many people have experienced problems using the Personal Hotspot feature, either failing to connect at all, or suffering frequent disconnections.
Although Apple is yet to publicly acknowledge that there are issues, leaked internal documents show that the company is aware of the problem and has warned Authorized Service Providers that there may be an influx of queries from customers.
PowerArchiver 2021 Preview is available now to test
ConeXware has issued a pre-release version of its trialware archiving tool with PowerArchiver 2021 Preview out now for PCs running Windows 7 or later. It includes news that the final release will be accompanied by a Mac version.
Aside from appearing on the Mac for the first time, PowerArchiver 2021 adds an internal editor and viewer for direct access to files inside archives. It also confirms that the program will skip a 2020 release, jumping directly from the 2019 version on its final release.
Google launches COVID-19 site to provide information about coronavirus
In times of crisis, information is important -- and this is certainly true of the current coronavirus pandemic. Google is well-placed to judge how much interest there is in the topic, and the company says that searches released to COVID-19 are the most popular right now.
Responding to this, Google has announced not only changes to the way it search engine works when people look for coronavirus information, but also that is it launching a dedicated COVID-19 website to provide easy access to information, help and resources.
Pirates rush to download Onward, The Invisible Man and The Hunt as coronavirus shuts cinemas
In addition to death, illness and panic, there have been plenty of other effects of the spread of coronavirus -- some expected, others not. With people self-isolating and seeking entertainment, streaming video services like Netflix and YouTube have seen an uptick in usage, despite a reduction in quality.
The COVID-19 pandemic means that many businesses are shut, including cinemas. To ensure that movie-lovers are still able to see the latest releases, some movie studios have decided to make newly released titles available for rental streaming much earlier than normal -- and this has in turn led to an increase in piracy, with major movie being available to all far earlier than normal. Titles such as The Hunt, Onward, The Invisible Man and Emma, as well as Pixar's Onward, are all available to download from torrent sites.
IObit is giving away PRO licenses because of the coronavirus -- grab Advanced SystemCare Ultimate, Malware Fighter, and more for free
IObit Software makes a number of great PC applications, including Advanced SystemCare, Driver Booster, Malware Fighter, and IObit Uninstaller. The publisher offers free versions and paid for editions with additional features.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, and because a lot of people are self-isolating and/or working from home these days, IObit has decided to giveaway PRO licenses for its software.
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard [Review]
We're constantly reminded of the importance of backing up data. "Do it now, or you'll regret it later", and phrases of that ilk, are frequently bandied around, but many of us are guilty of ignoring the advice and flying by the seat of our pants. Which is all well and good until something goes wrong. A hard drive fails, documents get corrupted, someone else deletes things from your computer: that's when you may -- after you've finished crying -- turn to data recovery software.
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is an example of such a tool, and it's available in free and paid-for versions. Depending on how much data you have to retrieve, you may well find that the free version is all that you need, but there is a Pro version available if your requirements are greater.
Why security professionals need to engage with developers [Q&A]
Building security into an application can often be an afterthought for developers, yet building those steps in at an early stage can save companies time and money.
We spoke with Matt Glenn, vice president of product management at Illumio, who shared his insights on why security professionals should be engaging with developers, and why segmentation is becoming a go-to tool for developers to easily implement security into their processes.
Most Commented Stories
BetaNews, your source for breaking tech news, reviews, and in-depth reporting since 1998.
Regional iGaming Content
© 1998-2025 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. About Us - Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy - Sitemap.