Microsoft releases KB4522355 update for Windows 10, fixing Start menu problems and more
Microsoft has released a series of problematic updates in recent months. The company seems to be playing catch-up, pushing out patches for bugs caused by the last update, in turn introducing new problems.
With the newly released KB4522355 update, Microsoft says that it has fixed a number of issues -- including problems with the Start menu, the Cortana Search bar, Tray icons and Microsoft Edge -- that were caused by other recent updates.
BBC launches censorship-dodging news site on the dark web, accessible through Tor
In an attempt to avoid censorship around the world, the BBC has launched a dark web version of its news portal.
Available on the anonymous Tor network, the BBC's new .onion site aims to sidestep government surveillance and censorship in countries such as China, Iran and Vietnam. It is the international version of BBC News that is being mirrored on the dark web, as well as foreign language services such as BBC Arabic, BBC Persian and BBC Russian.
Samsung pushes out patch for Galaxy S10 and Note10 fingerprint scanner vulnerability
Following reports that the fingerprint scanners of Galaxy S10 and Note10 handsets can be unlocked with any finger, Samsung is now rolling out a fix.
The security issue was caused by third-party screen protectors interfering with the fingerprint scanners, making it possible for anyone to unlock a phone with an unregistered fingerprint. While the patch is now rolling out, it remains to be seen whether the vulnerability has been addressed fully.
The Pixel 4's 90Hz Smooth Display slows down when screen brightness is lowered
When Google launched the Pixel 4, one of the key features it pointed out was the Smooth Display feature, refreshing the screen at 90Hz. But all is not as it seems.
We already knew that the high refresh rate is not supported by all apps and all scenarios, so Google drops from 90Hz to 60Hz on occasion. But a new condition has been unearthed. It seems that the use of a 90Hz refresh rate is dependent on screen brightness levels... until Google issues a fix, that is.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 teardown reveals that it is partly held together with magnets
Microsoft recently unveiled the Surface Laptop 3 and, true to form, iFixit has taken one into the labs and ripped it to pieces.
The teardown shows that Microsoft has learned a lot, and the laptop is significantly easier to repair than the previous generation. While still a long way from perfect, the Surface Laptop 3 earns itself a huge jump in its repairability -- not least because it is held together in places with magnets.
Revolut is expanding its extraordinary multi-currency banking services to the US in partnership with Mastercard
Revolut is coming to the US. The innovative fintech firm has teamed up with Mastercard, and plans to bring its extraordinarily useful multi-currency card to America.
The digital banking service has already enjoyed huge success in Europe through its existing partnerships with Mastercard and Visa. Revolut's particular strength lies in the ease with which money can be converted between currencies with not only no or very low fees but also at incredible exchange rates -- all accessible through a mobile app.
Microsoft buys cloud migration tool Mover to simplify switching to OneDrive
With a seemingly endless array of cloud storage services to choose from, you may well find that you want to switch allegiances at some point. Jumping from one service to another can be a pain, but with its purchase of Mover, Microsoft has just made it much easier to make the move to OneDrive.
Details of the deal have not been revealed, but Microsoft is keen for people to use the service to migrate from one several supported cloud providers to either OneDrive or SharePoint.
Microsoft teams up with chipmakers to create Secured-core PCs with unhackable firmware
Microsoft is partnering with PC manufacturers and chip-makers on a new initiative designed to make systems with firmware that cannot be hacked.
Called Secured-core PCs, the systems apply the security best practices of isolation and minimal trust to the firmware layer. This helps to protect systems from low-level interference by malicious code.
Apple warns users to upgrade their old iPhones and iPads or face GPS and time issues
Apple has issued a warning to owners of some iPhones and iPads, advising them to update their operating system within the next two weeks. The company warns that devices that do not upgrade iOS will experience problems with GPS and incorrect date and times -- which in turn could cause problems with iCloud, email and other services.
The cut-off date is 12:00 a.m. UTC on November 3, 2019 and Apple is eager for users to upgrade as soon as possible as when the date rolls around it may not be possible for affected devices to receive OTA updates.
Avast says CCleaner was targeted by hackers... again
Security firm Avast has revealed that it detected and intercepted suspicious activity on its network. The malicious attack is believed to have been instigated by hackers seeking to target the CCleaner software.
This is not the first time Avast and CCleaner have been targeted, and the company has revealed that an attacker had been trying to gain access to its network through its VPN as long ago as mid-May. The attacks -- dubbed "Abiss" -- continued until the beginning of this month.
Google is ready to fix a bug that gives iPhone users free full-quality photo backups
With the launch of the Pixel 4, many people were surprised to find that Google was not offering full-quality photos backups as it had done in the past. For iPhone users, however, the use of the super-efficient HEIC format means it is a different story.
iPhone users have been happy to discover that their original photos are being backed up for free because the compression used by HEIC is more efficient than Google's JPEG compression. Google refers to this as a "bug" and says it is working to address it.
Samsung is killing off Linux on DeX with Android 10 update
Less than a year after it launched, Samsung has decided to close down Linux on DeX.
DeX is Samsung's feature that transforms a phone into a (nearly) fully fledged computer when connected to a monitor, and Linux on DeX made it possible to run a Linux distro in this environment. Now the company has decided to knock the project on the head and is killing it off in Android 10.
Good: Kik Messenger will live on. Bad: ads
Things have been very much up in the air for users of Kik Messenger after its owner Kik announced plans to close down the messaging tool and focus on its Kin cryptocurrency. But now things have changed.
Kik has announced that Kik Messenger has been acquired by holding company MediaLab. While details of the acquisition and any deal between the two companies are sparse, one thing is clear: Kik Messenger will live on -- albeit with ads.
How to download your Yahoo Groups data
Just a few days ago, Yahoo suddenly announced that Yahoo groups is to close down. More than this, all data that has been uploaded by users is to be deleted.
In just a week's time, it will no longer be possible to upload new content, and then in mid-December Yahoo will start to delete files, messages and more. If you want to preserve what you have uploaded, here's what you need to do.
Download Android 10 for OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T
True to its word, OnePlus has brought Android 10 to its OnePlus 6 and 6T handsets. Coming a matter of weeks after the launch of Android 10, OnePlus has released its own build as a beta.
As well as seeing OxygenOS upgraded to Android 10, there are a number of other OnePlus-specific tweaks and additions including full screen gestures.
Sofia Elizabella's Bio
Sofia Wyciślik-Wilson is a queer, transgender journalist based in Poland. She has been writing about technology for more than two decades, and after years working for magazines, her writing moved online. She is fueled by literature, music, nature, and vegetables. You can find her on Bluesky and Mastodon. If you like what you read, you can Buy her a Coffee!
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