Microsoft is dropping the privacy protection VPN feature from Microsoft Defender really soon -- unless you pay up
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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
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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.
Truecaller brings Android-level spam blocking and caller ID features to iPhone
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Truecaller, the popular app known for tackling spam and scam calls, just made a huge announcement for iPhone users. With its latest update, Truecaller is finally bringing the same spam-blocking and caller ID features that Android users have enjoyed for years to Apple’s platform. If you’ve ever felt like you were missing out on some of Truecaller’s best tools, that ends now.
This update is powered by Apple’s new Live Caller ID Lookup framework, a tool specifically built for apps like Truecaller to handle caller ID securely. Using advanced encryption, this framework ensures that privacy is a priority while still allowing real-time caller identification. This a pretty big win for users tired of unknown calls.
Apple decides to disable its broken AI-powered news summaries
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While Apple was excited to roll out news summaries powered by artificial intelligence, the reception has been somewhat muted because of some serious issues. The Apple Intelligence notification summaries were found to be sharing misleading or incorrect news headlines.
The BBC and other news outlets complained that their names were being used to spread misinformation, and Apple responded by promising an update to the service. For now, though, the company seems have to changed its mind, opting instead to simply disable notification summaries.
Apple to issue iOS update to avoid AI-generated fake headline confusion
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In what could be seen as a perfect demonstration of AI simply not being suitable for many of the things it is being used for, Apple upset the BBC recently after AI-generated headlines pushed fake news to iOS users.
Back in mid-December, the BBC complained to Apple about a headline from the iPhone-maker which stated that the murderer of healthcare insurance CEO Brian Thompson had completed suicide. While Apple said nothing in response at the time, the company has now revealed plans to change how AI-generated headlines are flagged to make the use of AI more apparent.
Netflix expands Moments feature from iOS to Android, so you can share your favorite clips from shows
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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.
Google is making your inbox more useful with vastly improved summary cards in Gmail
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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.
Enterprises suffer surge in mobile phishing attacks
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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.
Enterprise mobile devices see increased attacks
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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.
Apple unveils iOS 18: Enhanced customization, redesigned Photos app, and new Apple Intelligence
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At WWDC today, Apple took the wraps off iOS 18, a major update to the iPhone operating system that offers a wealth of new customization options, a comprehensive redesign of the Photos app, improved communication tools, and the introduction of Apple Intelligence, the company's "personal intelligence" system.
With iOS 18, users gain greater control over their Home Screen, Lock Screen, and Control Center. Apps and widgets can be arranged in any open space on the Home Screen and users can customize buttons at the bottom of the Lock Screen. The redesigned Control Center offers quick access to frequently used controls, such as media playback, Home controls, and connectivity options. Users can also add controls from supported third-party apps.
Threats to mobile devices triple over the last year
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Almost three times as many phishing, malicious, deny-listed, and offensive links have been delivered to mobile devices than a year ago, according to a new report from Lookout.
The Lookout Mobile Threat Landscape Report is based on data derived from the Lookout Security Cloud that analyzes data from more than 220 million devices, 325 million apps and billions of web items.
Europe now has a better version of iOS than the rest of the world
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Apple has released iOS 17.4, with the company pointing to the arrival of podcast transcripts as the highlight. There are also new emoji, improvements to CarPlay, and a number of bug fixes, but things are rather more interesting for users in the European Union.
With the EU's Digital Market Act coming into force today, March 6, Apple has delivered different versions of iOS 17.4 to this market compared to the rest of the world. And by different, we mean better.
Google finally brings glanceable directions to Google Maps a year after announcing the feature
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This time last year, Google announced a series of new features for Google Maps which it said would be rolling out in the months that followed. While most saw the light of day, others started to feel like vaporware -- notably, the intriguing "glanceable directions".
A full 12 months on, the glanceable directions feature is finally being made available to iOS and Android users. It shows directions on the lock screen of a handset, so there's no need to constantly unlock the device for updates.
Authy desktop apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux reach end-of-life: Here's what you need to know
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There is some shocking and sad news that will impact Authy users globally. You see, Twilio has announced the end-of-life for its desktop applications on Windows, macOS, and Linux platforms, slated for March 19, 2024. This move highlights a change in the company's strategy, emphasizing the transition towards mobile-centric security solutions.
Authy has been a staple for users seeking an extra layer of security beyond traditional passwords. The desktop applications have provided a convenient way for users to manage their authentication tokens directly from their computers. However, with the upcoming discontinuation, Authy is urging its user base to migrate to its mobile applications.
SwiftKey: After Bing Chat AI comes Copilot
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Less than a year after adding Bing Chat AI to SwiftKey, Microsoft is now in the process of replacing the implementation with Copilot. SwiftKey is a popular virtual keyboard solution for Android and iOS.
Microsoft acquired SwiftKey more than eight years ago. The third-party keyboard solution had over 300 million users on Android and iOS at the time.
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