Issa Rae is the latest celebrity Google Assistant voice
Google is bringing the vocal talent of actress and comedian Issa Rae to Google Assistant.
As with the John Legend voicing, Rae is only making a cameo as an Assistant Voice, and will only speak up in response to certain commands and queries. She can be found piping up on iOS and Android handsets, as well other devices that support Google Assistant such as Next Hub and Google Home smartspeakers.
Leaked email shows Microsoft-owned GitHub renewing controversial ICE contract
GitHub will continue to sell software to ICE (the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency), a leaked memo shows.
Despite both Microsoft and the GitHub team having voiced concerns about some of the Trump administrations policies -- and disagreeing with them quite publicly -- the decision has been taken to renew a contract to supply ICE with a GitHub Enterprise Server license.
Google makes it much easier to shift streaming music and video between devices
With more than one Nest device or Google Home speaker in the house, it can be a pain to manually switch music streaming from one speaker to another as you move from room to room.
But now Google has introduced a new feature that makes the process much, much easier. The "stream transfer" option can be accessed with your voice via Google Assistant, or using apps.
Twitter reveals 2FA security data has 'inadvertently been used for advertising purposes'
Twitter has announced that email addresses and phone numbers provided by users for use with two-factor authentication (2FA) have been "inadvertently" used to deliver tailored ads.
The company says it does not know how many people are affected by the incident, but apologizes for letting private data be used in this way. The timing of the announcement is a little strange. Twitter says that the matter was under control as of September 17, and it is not quite clear why it took three weeks to go public about it -- even though it says "in an effort to be transparent, we wanted to make everyone aware".
Microsoft warns Windows 10 users to upgrade as version 1803 nears end of support
Updates for Windows 10 might have been endlessly problematic of late, but Microsoft is still eager for users to update to the latest version of its operating system.
The company has now started to warn users of Windows 10 version 1803 that their software will soon no longer be supported, and will therefore no longer receive any security updates.
PlayStation 5 -- Sony reveals enticing details of its next console, coming for the 2020 holiday season
Sony has revealed that the next version of its gaming console will stick to the existing pattern and be called PlayStation 5. But the company has revealed much more than the name of the device.
Sony has also announced that the PS5 will launch for the 2020 holiday season, and that it will come complete with a new controller that features haptic technology and adaptive triggers.
US sanctions force Adobe to close down user accounts in Venezuela with no refunds
Adobe is in the process of closing down services in Venezuela in line with US sanctions. Back in August, president Trump barred pretty much all trade with the country (Executive Order 13884).
Adobe's compliance with the sanctions means that Venezuelans will soon lose access to products such as Photoshop and -- more importantly -- have only until October 28 to save their files before they are deleted and accounts are closed.
Apple releases macOS 10.15 Catalina -- and it's breaking some apps
After a period of beta testing, Apple has released macOS 10.15 Catalina for everyone. There's quite a lot to the latest version of the operating system, including the break-up of iTunes, an update to Sidecar that lets you use your iPad as a second screen for your Mac, and numerous security updates.
However, the dropping of support for 32-bit apps (Catalina is fully 64-bit), means some people installing the free update are finding that the apps they rely on no longer work. More than this, Apple has even gone as far as warning people who are reliant on XML files -- such as DJs -- to hold off installing the update for the time being
Kindle Kids Edition -- Amazon launches ebook reader for younger bookworms
Amazon has launched a child-friendly version of its Kindle ereader -- the Kindle Kids Edition.
At $110, this special edition device is slightly more expensive than the cheapest Kindle, but it has one massive advantage that will appeal to parents, kids and others: it is free from ads. But there are lots of other features to cater for young readers, including access to more than 1,000 books, and achievements to encourage reading.
Teardown of 'alarmingly fragile' Samsung Galaxy Fold suggests 'screen replacements seem inevitable'
Back in April, teardown site iFixit took an in-depth look at the Samsung Galaxy Fold. Following complaints and intervention from Samsung, however, the teardown was removed from the site.
Now iFixit has taken a look at the redesigned Galaxy Fold and, while it found that things have improved since the first version, there is still cause for concern. As well as pointing out that there are plenty of points of entry for dirt, dust and other debris, iFixit also says: "You wouldn't even have to drop this thing to break it, meaning screen replacements seem inevitable, and that's a scary thought".
Developer of HildaCrypt ransomware releases decryption keys for free
Ransomware is a pervasive problem, and for victims it can be difficult to know whether paying up will help them to regain access to their maliciously encrypted files. So when ransomware decryption keys are released free of charge, it's always good news -- and this is exactly what has happened for HildaCrypt.
The developer of this particular strain of ransomware has released the decryption keys after a security researcher shared detailed of what was initially thought to be a new type of ransomware.
KB4517211 update is breaking search and VMWare Workstation in Windows 10
Microsoft has had an appalling run of problematic Windows 10 updates recently, and the spate of dodgy patches shows no signs of letting up.
With the recently released KB4517211 update, users are now reporting problems using Windows 10's search function, as well as finding that the update is preventing VMWare Workstation from launching.
Apple acknowledges that some iPhone 6s and 6s Plus handsets do not turn on, and launches free repair program
If you have an iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus that won't start up, you are not alone. Apple has acknowledged a problem with a batch of handsets that means some iPhone purchased in the last year cannot be turned on.
Apple says that handsets bought between October 2018 to August 2019 are affected, and the problems stems from the failure of an unnamed component. The company has launched a free repair program for anyone experiencing the issue.
Printer-fixing KB4524147 update is breaking the Start menu in Windows 10
Another update for Windows, and another set of unwanted side effects. Continuing Microsoft's recent run of problematic updates, users are reporting that KB4524147 is killing the Windows 10 Start menu.
KB4524147 was supposed to fix -- among other things -- a printing problem that was introduced by the KB4522016 cumulative update. But rather than helping, this latest update seems to be making things worse, resulting in people seeing the error message "Your Start menu isn't working. We’ll try to fix it next time you sign in".
OnePlus 8 leaks months ahead of launch
OnePlus fans may still be waiting for their OnePlus 7T to arrive, but a new leak gives us a glimpse further into the future, revealing what the OnePlus 8 (probably) looks like.
A series of renders show off the unreleased handset, showing it to have a curved screen, a hole punch camera on the front, and a triple camera arrangement on the rear.
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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