Search Results for: apple

Bad news: ‘Unblockable’ web trackers emerge. Good news: Firefox with uBlock Origin can stop it. Chrome, not so much

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Developers working on open-source ad-blocker uBlock Origin have uncovered a mechanism for tracking web browsers around the internet that defies today’s blocking techniques. A method to block this so-called unblockable tracker has been developed by the team, though it only works in Firefox, leaving Chrome and possibly other browsers susceptible. This fix is now available Read more about Bad news: ‘Unblockable’ web trackers emerge. Good news: Firefox with uBlock Origin can stop it. Chrome, not so much[…]

Thousands of hacked Disney+ accounts are already for sale on hacking forums, technical problems, people driven to bittorrenting again.

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Hackers didn’t waste any time and have started hijacking Disney+ user accounts hours after the service launched. Many of these accounts are now being offered for free on hacking forums, or available for sale for prices varying from $3 to $11, a ZDNet investigation has discovered. A stream of user complaints The Disney+ video streaming Read more about Thousands of hacked Disney+ accounts are already for sale on hacking forums, technical problems, people driven to bittorrenting again.[…]

All the tech companies are into finance now – so Google is going into banking. They want to know what you spend your money on.

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Google will soon offer checking accounts to consumers, becoming the latest Silicon Valley heavyweight to push into finance. The Wall Street Journal: The project, code-named Cache, is expected to launch next year with accounts run by Citigroup and a credit union at Stanford University, a tiny lender in Google’s backyard. Big tech companies see financial Read more about All the tech companies are into finance now – so Google is going into banking. They want to know what you spend your money on.[…]

Facebook bug shows camera activated in background during app use – the bug being that you could see the camera being activated

Posted on by Robin Edgar

When you’re scrolling through Facebook’s app, the social network could be watching you back, concerned users have found. Multiple people have found and reported that their iPhone cameras were turned on in the background while they were looking at their feed. The issue came to light through several posts on Twitter. Users noted that their Read more about Facebook bug shows camera activated in background during app use – the bug being that you could see the camera being activated[…]

Use a laser to command voice assistants such as lexa, google assistant, siri

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Light Commands is a vulnerability of MEMS microphones that allows attackers to remotely inject inaudible and invisible commands into voice assistants, such as Google assistant, Amazon Alexa, Facebook Portal, and Apple Siri using light. In our paper we demonstrate this effect, successfully using light to inject malicious commands into several voice controlled devices such as Read more about Use a laser to command voice assistants such as lexa, google assistant, siri[…]

Best Buy’s Insignia ‘smart’ home gear will become very dumb this Wednesday – showing you why ‘cloud’ products are not a great plan

Posted on by Robin Edgar

US mega-retailer Best Buy will switch off the “smart” portion of its Insignia-branded smart home gadgets this coming Wednesday, rendering them just plain old dumb gear. Folks who’ve bought these soon-to-be-internet-less Internet-of-Things gizmos can apply for some money back in the form of a gift card, though a full refund is off the cards, literally. Read more about Best Buy’s Insignia ‘smart’ home gear will become very dumb this Wednesday – showing you why ‘cloud’ products are not a great plan[…]

Facebook Under Investigation by 47 Attorneys General

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Forty-seven state attorneys general have now joined a sweeping investigation into Facebook’s business practices aimed at determining whether the company has engaged in anti-competitive behavior, ignored privacy laws, or violated any other laws, according to the New York Attorney General’s office. In a statement on Tuesday, Letitia James, the Democratic attorney general of New York, Read more about Facebook Under Investigation by 47 Attorneys General[…]

DoNotPay app waits on hold for you, cancels subscriptions, helps you out of parking tickets

Posted on by Robin Edgar

DoNotPay helps you get out of parking tickets and cancel forgotten subscriptions, and now it can call you when it’s your turn in a customer service phone queue. The app today is launching “Skip Waiting On Hold.” Just type in the company you need to talk to, and DoNotPay calls for you using tricks to Read more about DoNotPay app waits on hold for you, cancels subscriptions, helps you out of parking tickets[…]

Human Employees Are Viewing Clips from Amazon’s Home Surveillance Service

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Citing sources familiar with the program, Bloomberg reported Thursday that “dozens” of workers for the e-commerce giant who are based in Romania and India are tasked with reviewing footage collected by Cloud Cams—Amazon’s app-controlled, Alexa-compatible indoor security devices—to help improve AI functionality and better determine potential threats. Bloomberg reported that at one point, these human Read more about Human Employees Are Viewing Clips from Amazon’s Home Surveillance Service[…]

Spotify wants to know where you are and will be checking in

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Spotify knows a lot about its users — their musical tastes, their most listened-to artists and their summer anthems. Spotify will also want to know where you live or to obtain your location data. It’s part of an effort to detect fraud and abuse of its Premium Family program. Premium Family is a $15-a-month plan Read more about Spotify wants to know where you are and will be checking in[…]

Facebook: Remember how we promised we weren’t tracking your location? Psych! Can’t believe you fell for that

Posted on by Robin Edgar

For years the antisocial media giant has claimed it doesn’t track your location, insisting to suspicious reporters and privacy advocates that its addicts “have full control over their data,” and that it does not gather or sell that data unless those users agree to it. No one believed it. So, when it (and Google) were Read more about Facebook: Remember how we promised we weren’t tracking your location? Psych! Can’t believe you fell for that[…]

More Than Half the Nation’s State Attorneys General Could Sign on to Antitrust Inquiry Against Google

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that “more than half of the nation’s state attorneys general” have signed on to and are preparing an antitrust investigation against digital titan Google, with the paper writing the inquiry is “scheduled to be announced next week, marking a major escalation in U.S. regulators’ efforts to probe Silicon Valley’s Read more about More Than Half the Nation’s State Attorneys General Could Sign on to Antitrust Inquiry Against Google[…]

Don’t fly with your Explody MacBook!

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Following an Apple notice that a “limited number” of 15-inch MacBook Pros may have faulty batteries that could potentially create a fire safety risk, multiple airlines have barred transporting Apple laptops in their checked luggage—in some cases, regardless of whether they fall under the recall. Bloomberg reported Wednesday that Qantas Airways and Virgin Australia had Read more about Don’t fly with your Explody MacBook![…]

Google Play Publisher account gets terminated – but Google won’t tell you why

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Developer Patrick Godeau has claimed his business is under threat after his Google Play Publisher account was terminated without a specific reason given. Godeau, from France, provides apps for iOS and Android via his company Tokata. It is a small business but Godeau said in his complaint that he has achieved “millions of downloads”, most Read more about Google Play Publisher account gets terminated – but Google won’t tell you why[…]

States to launch antitrust investigation into big tech companies, reports say

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The state attorneys in more than a dozen states are preparing to begin an antitrust investigation of the tech giants, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times reported Monday, putting the spotlight on an industry that is already facing federal scrutiny. The bipartisan group of attorneys from as many as 20 states is expected Read more about States to launch antitrust investigation into big tech companies, reports say[…]

Also Facebook Admits Yes, It Was Listening To Your Private Conversations via Messenger

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Facebook outsourced contractors to listen in on your audio messenger chats and transcribe them, a new report reveals. Bloomberg reports that the contractors were not told why they were listening in or why they were transcribing them. Facebook confirmed the reports but said they are no longer transcribing audio. “Much like Apple and Google, we Read more about Also Facebook Admits Yes, It Was Listening To Your Private Conversations via Messenger[…]

Skype, Cortana also have humans listening to you. The fine print says it listens to your audio recordings to improve its AI, but it means humans are listening.

Posted on by Robin Edgar

If you use Skype’s AI-powered real-time translator, brief recordings of your calls may be passed to human contractors, who are expected to listen in and correct the software’s translations to improve it. That means 10-second or so snippets of your sweet nothings, mundane details of life, personal information, family arguments, and other stuff discussed on Read more about Skype, Cortana also have humans listening to you. The fine print says it listens to your audio recordings to improve its AI, but it means humans are listening.[…]

Big Tech faces broad U.S. Justice Department antitrust probe

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday it was opening a broad investigation of major digital technology firms into whether they engage in anticompetitive practices, the strongest sign the Trump administration is stepping up its scrutiny of Big Tech. The review will look into “whether and how market-leading online platforms have achieved market power and Read more about Big Tech faces broad U.S. Justice Department antitrust probe[…]

Tinder Bypasses Google Play, Revolt Against App Store “Fee” (30% monopolistic arm wrench)

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Tinder joined a growing backlash against app store taxes by bypassing Google Play in a move that could shake up the billion-dollar industry dominated by Google and Apple Inc. The online dating site launched a new default payment process that skips Google Play and forces users to enter their credit card details straight into Tinder’s Read more about Tinder Bypasses Google Play, Revolt Against App Store “Fee” (30% monopolistic arm wrench)[…]

The next generation of GaN wall chargers is getting smaller and better

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The tech world is probably sitting on the edge of a charger revolution, and most of us just haven’t realized it yet. No, I’m not talking about USB-C (sadly); I’m talking about GaN (gallium nitride) chargers, a material that’s started to replace silicon in chargers. I’ve had the chance to try out two of the Read more about The next generation of GaN wall chargers is getting smaller and better[…]

Hong Kong Protests Show Dangers of a Cashless Society

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Allowing cash to die would be a grave mistake. A cashless society is a surveillance society. The recent round of protests in Hong Kong highlights exactly what we have to lose. The current unrest concerns a proposed change to Hong Kong’s extradition laws that would allow island fugitives to be transferred to Taiwan, Macau, and mainland Read more about Hong Kong Protests Show Dangers of a Cashless Society[…]

Chrome is the biggest snoop of all on your computer or cell phone – so switch browser before there is no alternative any more

Posted on by Robin Edgar

You open your browser to look at the Web. Do you know who is looking back at you? Over a recent week of Web surfing, I peered under the hood of Google Chrome and found it brought along a few thousand friends. Shopping, news and even government sites quietly tagged my browser to let ad Read more about Chrome is the biggest snoop of all on your computer or cell phone – so switch browser before there is no alternative any more[…]

Anyone else find it weird that the bloke tasked with probing tech giants for antitrust abuses used to, um, work for the same tech giants?

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The man heading up any potentially US government antitrust probes into tech giants like Apple and Google used to work for… Apple and Google. In the revolving-door world that is Washington DC, that conflict may not seem like much but one person isn’t having it: Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) this week sent Makan Delrahim a Read more about Anyone else find it weird that the bloke tasked with probing tech giants for antitrust abuses used to, um, work for the same tech giants?[…]

Facing Antitrust Pressure, Google Starts Spinning Its Own Too Big to Fail Argument

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In an interview this week with CNN, Google CEO Sundar Pichai attempted to turn antitrust questions around by pointing to what they say is the silver lining of size: Big beats China. In the face of an intensifying push for antitrust action, the argument has been called tech’s version of “too big to fail.” “Scale Read more about Facing Antitrust Pressure, Google Starts Spinning Its Own Too Big to Fail Argument[…]