Microsoft is dropping the privacy protection VPN feature from Microsoft Defender really soon -- unless you pay up
Microsoft has very quietly announced that the VPN feature of its Microsoft Defender security tool is going away for anyone unwilling to part with money.
In a support document entitled “End of support-Privacy protection (VPN) in Microsoft Defender for individuals”, the company gives very short notice for the dropping of the free tool. When the end of February rolls around, the VPN feature will only be available to users paying for a Microsoft 365 Personal or Family subscription. What does all of this mean?
DeepSeek -- the Chinese AI that sparked a stock market panic
Today has seen millions of dollars wiped off US market tech stocks by the launch of DeepSeek, the latest Chinese AI that threatens US dominance in the sector.
This is partly because DeepSeek can run on much less powerful hardware than rivals such as OpenAI's o1. DeepSeek also says that its v3 model, released in December, cost less than $6 million to train, less than a tenth of what Meta spent on its most recent system.
Google launches Identity Check, a new location-based security feature, and completes roll-out of AI-powered theft detection
Theft of mobile devices is a crime that is not going away any time soon. Phones are now completely central to so many aspects of life, and the theft (or loss) is about much more than the monetary value of the device itself. There is great potential for a thief to gain access to a wealth of information via a stolen phone.
This is why the security of mobile devices is so important, and it is why Google is taking steps to limit the impact of theft. A new feature that is starting to roll out is Identity Check, which requires the use of biometric authentication whenever your device is in an unknown or untrusted location. The company is also harnessing the power of artificial intelligence for good, using AI-powered tools to detect thefts.
Play Windows PC games on your Android phone for free using the brand new Winlator 9
If you've ever wished you could play AAA PC games on your Android phone or tablet, so you can enjoy them on the go, there's some good news. Winlator is a free Android app that lets you do exactly that, and it's incredibly easy to get started with it.
The program has just been updated to version 9 and it gains a number of important fixes and new features, ensuring an even smoother and more enjoyable gaming experience.
Netflix expands Moments feature from iOS to Android, so you can share your favorite clips from shows
There are so many classic scenes from shows and movies and, just like music fans like to share amazing drum solos, guitar riffs and lyrics with friends, there is something joyous about connecting over a shared video clip.
YouTube has long made it possible to share snippets of a videos, and earlier this year, Netflix introduced a feature called Moments to iOS. This provides a way to share a meaningful, impactful, funny or beautiful scene from a Netflix show or movie, and now the same feature is available globally on Android.
Linux predictions for 2025
As we close out 2024, we Linux enthusiasts are once again looking ahead to what the future holds. While Linux has long been the unsung hero of technology, powering servers, supercomputers, and the cloud, it’s also a dominant force in the consumer space, even if many don’t realize it. With Android leading the way as the most widely used Linux-based operating system, 2025 is shaping up to be another landmark year for the open source world.
First and foremost, Linux will continue to dominate the enterprise sector. Businesses have realized the cost and flexibility benefits of moving away from proprietary systems. Linux already powers most cloud infrastructure, and as organizations look to tighten budgets, more companies will opt for open source solutions to run their operations. With major providers like AWS and Google Cloud leaning heavily on Linux, its role in the corporate world is only growing stronger.
Google is making your inbox more useful with vastly improved summary cards in Gmail
The “summary cards” feature of Gmail is not new; it is Google’s way of helping to make your emails easier to manage, consolidating information about, for instance, purchases you’ve made. Now things are being updated with live updates and “action buttons”.
Across four categories -- purchases, events, bills and travel -- summary cards provide at-a-glance information at the top of your emails. The new actions buttons make it possible to quickly add entries to Google Calendar or Google Tasks so you don’t forget important events, but there is much more to the update, including a Happening Soon section.
Free calendar app offers quantum-safe encryption
Quantum computing presents a substantial problem for securing systems because of its potential to crack existing encryption protocols.
However, the industry is beginning to gear up to face the threat. Tuta, the email provider with the world's first quantum-safe encryption for email, is now launching its new stand-alone encrypted calendar app.
Winlator 8 lets you play Windows PC games on your Android phone for free -- download it now!
Running Android games on a PC is straightforward with emulators like Bluestacks or NoxPlayer. If you want to play popular AAA Windows PC games on an Android device, things get a bit trickier.
This is where Winlator comes in. Winlator is a free Android app that allows users to run Windows (x86_64) games using Wine 9.2 (custom) and Box64 (0.3.0), and it has just received an update to version 8.0 which includes a lot of new features and improvements.
Enterprises suffer surge in mobile phishing attacks
Cybercriminals are increasingly adopting a 'mobile-first' attack strategy to infiltrate enterprise systems by targeting weak, unsecured, and unmanaged mobile endpoints, recognizing mobile as a major entry point to corporate networks and sensitive data.
A new report from Zimperium zLabs shows a significant rise in mobile phishing -- or 'mishing' -- a technique that employs various tactics specifically designed to exploit vulnerabilities in mobile devices.
Google expands passkey support to desktop with Google Password Manager
Google has made a move toward a passwordless future by expanding its passkey support to desktop devices. Until now, passkeys could only be saved to Google Password Manager on Android devices, requiring users to scan a QR code from an Android phone to access them on other platforms. However, thanks to a new update, passkeys can now be saved and managed directly on desktop systems running Windows, macOS, and Linux. ChromeOS is also available for testing in the Beta channel.
Passkeys are designed to offer a more secure and user-friendly way of signing in to websites and apps by using biometric methods like fingerprints, facial recognition, or a screen lock instead of traditional passwords. This makes logging in as simple as unlocking your device.
Enterprise mobile devices see increased attacks
A new report on the mobile threat landscape from Lookout reveals a 40.4 percent jump in mobile phishing attempts and malicious web attacks targeting enterprise organizations.
More than 80,000 malicious apps were detected on enterprise mobile devices. These threats can vary widely, from invasive permissions and riskware that pose significant compliance risks to sophisticated spyware capable of tracking devices, stealing data, eavesdropping on conversations and accessing the user' camera and microphone.
OpenMandriva ROME 24.07 Release Candidate is here: Download the Linux distribution now
OpenMandriva has released a new candidate version for its rolling release model, ROME 24.07. This update brings Plasma 6 as the default desktop environment, incorporating various new features and improvements.
This version ensures compatibility between Plasma 5 and Plasma 6 packages, allowing users to choose their preferred environment. It's important to note that ROME 24.07 and the upcoming OMLx Rock 5.1 will be the final versions to include the Plasma 5 desktop, indicating a future shift towards exclusive updates for Plasma 6.
Tor Browser 13.5 revamps Android connection experience, introduces 'Betterboxing' feature
The Tor Project has announced the release of Tor Browser 13.5 for Windows (both 32-bit and 64-bit), Mac, Linux, and Android. The browser gives users the ability to browse the internet through the open Tor network to increase personal privacy.
Tor Browser 13.5 focusses on some changes to the Android browser’s connection experience ahead of a planned implementation of 'Connection Assist'. It also aims to make its letterboxing feature -- a means of resizing the browser window without being fingerprinted -- more user-friendly.
Winlator 7 lets you play your favorite Windows PC games on an Android phone
It's easy enough to play Android games on your PC as you can use third-party emulators such as Bluestacks or NoxPlayer to accomplish the task.
Winlator, which has just been updated to version 7, lets you do the opposite and play your favorite Windows games on an Android phone. The latest release is a big update and introduces a lot of new features, as well as fixing issues and improving performance.
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