Now you can get help from Google on Twitter
Google has announced that it will now be offering customer support via Twitter.
Anyone with a problem with their smartphone is invited to tweet using the hashtag #AndroidHelp, and the company will do its best to help. The official Android Twitter account will be used to respond, and the team says it will be able to help with a range of issues.
Today you can speak with Microsoft about the future of Windows and Office
It's not very often you get to communicate directly with large technology companies to gives feedback about their products, but later today you will be able to speak with Microsoft engineers to share your thoughts about Windows and Office.
For 90 minutes today, Microsoft is conducting an online research event providing one-on-one sessions, giving people the chance to help guide future development. It is an expansion of the Windows Insider and Office Insider programs, and Microsoft says it's keen to hear users' thoughts.
Hacker demonstrates Remote Code Execution exploit for Windows Remote Desktop Gateway
A self-described "reverser/pwner [and] Windows kernel hacker" has demoed a working exploit for two recently discovered vulnerabilities in Windows Remote Desktop Gateway (RD Gateway).
The exploit takes advantage of the CVE-2020-0609 and CVE-2020-0610 vulnerabilities which have already been shown to make a denial of service attack possible. Now Luca Marcelli has shown how the same vulnerabilities can be exploited in a Remote Code Execution attack.
Avast free antivirus sends browser history to marketers
When you install an antivirus program -- even a free one -- you have a reasonable assumption that it's going to help keep your data safe.
But a joint investigation by Motherboard and PCMag has discovered that Avast's free antivirus is harvesting user data. Although this is supposedly 'de-identified' it is being sold to marketers in a way that can be linked back to an individual.
Businesses gain from strong data privacy practices
Data privacy is very much in people's minds at the moment with the introduction of CCPA and other legislation around the world.
Businesses can sometimes see privacy regulations as a necessary evil that they have to comply with, but new data from Cisco reveals growing, tangible benefits for businesses that adopt strong privacy practices.
Breakthrough technology allows voice biometrics to be used at the edge
The use of voice for authentication has been limited in IoT applications and devices because of storage and processing limitations.
But new technology from ID R&D looks set to change that, offering voice biometric optimization with an AI-based SDK of under 1MB, enabling voice biometrics to be implemented at the edge.
Solus 4.1 Fortitude Linux distro now available for download with Budgie, GNOME, KDE Plasma, and MATE
There are too many Linux distributions these days, but as long as many of them are of high quality, I suppose that isn't such a bad problem to have. Many people in the Linux community know of the common ones, such as Ubuntu, Fedora, Mint, and Manjaro, but there are some lesser-known distros that are actually worth consideration, like Deepin and Solus.
Speaking of the latter, there is a new version of that operating system available for download. While technically just a point release, Solus 4.1 Fortitude is chock full of updates, fixes, and more. You get Linux kernel 5.4.12 and Mesa 19.3.2. The operating sytem comes with many quality apps pre-installed too, such as Firefox 72.0.2, LibreOffice 6.3.4.2, and Thunderbird 68.4.1 -- three essential productivity tools. Once again, there are four desktop environments to choose -- Budgie, GNOME, KDE Plasma, and MATE. All four are great, but Budgie is considered the default for this operating system.
Not dead yet! What Bob Cringely has been up to…
A few days ago I tweeted something and a reader reacted, saying about Cringely, "I thought he was dead!" Not dead yet, but I should probably explain my disappearance a few months ago from life in print. I’ve just been too busy working for a living. How does a 67-year-old hack with three minor children recover from going blind, losing his home and business in a horrible fire (like 2,000 others, we are still fighting with insurance companies), while appeasing an angry crowd of Kickstarter supporters armed with pitchforks and shovels? In my case, I went looking for venture money to recapitalize MineServer and I simultaneously started a satellite launch company to fund my eventual retirement.
I am not making this up.
Microsoft's suggested workaround for Internet Explorer vulnerability breaks printing
We're still waiting for Microsoft to release a patch for the actively exploited security vulnerability in Internet Explorer -- at least for those who will receive it. In the meantime, the company suggested a workaround which involved restricting access to JScript.dll, acknowledging that this might lead to certain problems.
But it seems that the company underestimated the negative impact the workaround could have. In addition to problems with services that rely on JScript.dll or PAC scripts, users are also experiencing problems with printing.
Microsoft says it will release black desktop bug fix to all Windows 7 users for free
Some Windows 7 users who installed the KB4534310 update found that their desktops turned black. With the operating system having now reached end of life, the company said that it would only make a fix available to organizations paying for Windows 7 Extended Security Updates (ESU).
But Microsoft has changed its mind. It now says that it will make a patch available for all Windows 7 users, addressing the bug introduced by the last ever freely available Windows 7 update.
Arlo Video Doorbell [Review]
As a technology enthusiast, I have many smart home devices in my house, such as a Nest thermostat, Google Home, Wi-Fi cameras, smart sprinklers, smart outlets and more. What my home has been lacking, however, is a smart doorbell. I have long wanted one of these camera doorbells, so I can monitor my porch and communicate with people that knock or ring the bell.
Over time, I was scared away from the Ring models, after reading many negative reports in the media about poor security and deals with law enforcement. No, I am not up to anything nefarious, but I'd rather not have my doorbell be used by "Big Brother." And so, I patiently waited for one to hit the market that piqued my interest.
Discover a free tool to enable the hidden features of Windows 10
Windows 10 has been with us for a number of years now, so you might think that you know about all of its features by now -- but there could well still be things for you to discover.
As you're probably well-aware, there's a lot that can be achieved by editing the registry; it's a common way to change inaccessible settings, for instance. We've discovered an exciting free tool that save you from having to delve into the registry, but gives you the opportunity to access hidden options, features and settings. We present the freeware tool Hidden Windows 10 Features – it's like a modern day TweakUI for Windows 10.
Your Windows 7 desktop has turned black? Microsoft has a fix on the way... and workarounds in the meantime [Updated]
Windows 7 is dead: you know this. There are no more Windows 7 updates for most people: you know this. And some believe Windows 7 should be made open source: yeah, right
Whatever the status of Windows 7, the fact of the matter is that there are plenty of people still using it, and the last update (KB4534310) caused a strange problem for some users, turning their desktops black. Microsoft has now acknowledged the issue, but says that it will only fix the bug for those who are willing to pay.
Microsoft Translator gets Gaelic so we can communicate with more of the Irish
With St. Patrick's Day fast approaching (March 17), many of us will soon be eating traditional Irish cuisine, such as corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, and soda bread. There are sure to be many people wearing the color green as well. On this day, we celebrate all things Irish.
But what if you want to hold a conversation with an authentic Irish person on that holiday (or any other day for that matter)? If the person prefers to speak Gaelic, rather than English, this can be a big problem. Thankfully, Microsoft has come up with a solution. Using its popular Translator service, you can now communicate with those that speak Gaelic -- just use your smartphone to convert words and hold a conversation!
Buy the limited-edition white GHOST Logitech G PRO wireless gaming mouse before it's gone!
Last month, Logitech did something very cool. The company released a limited-edition pink variant of its G PRO wireless gaming mouse. It dubbed this model "PIXEL" and vowed to donate the profits from its sales to charities. This proved to be extremely popular, as the PIXEL sold out the same day it was released. This was a big success, as not only did some Logitech fans score a rare collectible, but charities received money as a result.
Today, the Logitech is doing it again, this time with a mouse called "GHOST." Once again, it is a limited-edition G PRO wireless gaming mouse, but this time, the rare color is white rather than pink. I expect GHOST to sell out much faster than PIXEL, as the pink color had a more limited appeal. A white mouse may entice more shoppers, such as Mac users that want to match with their Apple keyboard, for instance. And yes, there are gamers that use macOS.
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