Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson

A developer has pointed out what many people have been complaining about for some time: Linux is terrible when memory runs low.

Writing in a message to the Linux kernel mailing list, developer Artem S Tashkinov says that the problem has been "bugging people for many years" and is still present in version 5.2.6 of the Linux kernel. He says that non-technically minded users could be prompted to ditch Linux-based OSes if they encounter the issue which he points out is "is reproducible in less than a few minutes under the latest and greatest kernel".

Continue reading →

It has been revealed that Microsoft silently pushed out a patch to Windows users to fix a vulnerability that affected Intel CPUs produced since 2012 -- which means everything post Ivy Bridge chips.

The SWAPGS vulnerability is similar to the now-famous Spectre and Meltdown chip flaws, and was discovered by security firm Bitdefender a year ago; the fact that it has now been patched was only revealed at the BlackHat security conference. Red Hat says that an update to the Linux kernel is needed to protect against the flaw which it says affects both Intel and AMD chips, although Bitdefender has not been able to find any issues with AMD's processors.

Continue reading →

Apple Card is due to launch later this month and there are a few restrictions associated with Apple's predictably-named credit card.

The Apple Card Customer Agreement document drawn up by backing creditor Goldman Sachs shows that it cannot be used to buy cryptocurrencies. Additionally, the iPhone-based digital version of the credit card cannot be used on jailbroken devices.

Continue reading →

Cloudflare has announced that it is terminating its services with controversial site 8chan. The move comes after the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio.

There have been numerous calls for 8chan to be taken offline in the past, and Cloudflare has previously considered removing its protective services from the site. What has now tipped the company's decision is the fact that the shooter at El Paso "appears to have been inspired" by 8chan, and even posted a racist manifesto on the site.

Continue reading →

Being such globally recognized names, you would think that a rebranding of WhatsApp and Instagram would be a crazy exercise... but that's precisely what Facebook is doing.

In a move that is more than a little surprising -- and, many would argue, somewhat pointless -- the social networking giant is to rename the two products Instagram from Facebook and WhatsApp from Facebook. The renaming will make it clear that the company people love to hate is behind the chat and social networking tools.

Continue reading →

There have been privacy concerns about digital assistants for just about as long as there have been digital assistants, and the recent confirmation that Google and Apple were listening to Assistant and Siri conversations has done nothing to allay fears.

The 'were' in that last sentence is important, as both companies have agreed -- at least temporarily -- to cease the practice. Not wanting to miss out on an opportunity for good PR, Amazon is getting in on the action, giving Alexa users the chance to opt out of having their conversations with its digital assistant listened to -- or "manually reviewed", as Amazon would prefer. Here's how to do just that.

Continue reading →

Microsoft continues with the development of Edge, and a new leak gives Mac users a chance to see what the company is doing with the web browser for their preferred operating system.

Renowned leaker WalkingCat has provided a download link to an unreleased beta version of the Mac build of Microsoft Edge. As it's a beta that hasn't been released to official channels, there are possible stability issues, but it serves as a chance to try out the latest Chromium-base version of Edge for Mac.

Continue reading →

The much-maligned Dash button from Amazon is being killed off for good. Having previously announced that they were being discontinued, Amazon has announced that as of the end of this month, it will no longer be possible to place orders via a physical Dash button.

This does not mean that the Dash ordering service is ceasing completely -- it will continue to exist in the form of virtual Dash button that can be accessed from a range of devices.

Continue reading →

Windows 10 S mode is proving problematic for some people, with a number of users complaining that they are unable to get their computers out of the limited mode.

A number of laptops -- including the Surface Go and Surface Laptop -- come pre-configured to run in Windows 10 S mode, preventing users from changing their search engine in Edge, or from installing software from outside of the Microsoft Store. It is supposed to be possible to exit S mode, but the option has been broken for a number of days.

Continue reading →

Following the revelations that Apple contractors are listening to recordings of things people say to Siri, and Google workers are manually transcribing Assistant recordings, both companies have said they will cease the practice -- at least temporarily.

Both Apple and Google were "listening in" on recordings with a view to improving their respective digital assistants, but privacy concerns have forced them to take action. But while Apple is suspending its "grading" program worldwide, Google is only changing the way it operates in Europe.

Continue reading →

In response to a $5 billion fine for antitrust violations in Europe, Google has announced that it will introduce a new "search engine choice" option next year. It's an idea that is similar to the Browser Choice screen Microsoft introduced following anti-competition complaints about Internet Explorer.

Google will "introduce a new way for Android users to select a search provider to power a search box on their home screen and as the default in Chrome (if installed)" in Europe starting in 2020. The search engines that appear in the list will be determined by auctions. Google rivals will have to bid to be featured in the list, meaning the company will -- controversially -- make money from giving users choice.

Continue reading →

Cisco has agreed to pay $8.6 million to settle a claim that it sold video surveillance software to the American government even though it was aware it contained security vulnerabilities.

A total of fifteen US states filed a case under the False Claims Act after Homeland Security, the Secret Service, the Army, the Navy, the Marines, the Air Force and the Federal Emergency Management Agency all purchased flawed software from Cisco. Rather than improving security as desired, the complainants said that Cisco's software actually made systems less secure.

Continue reading →

NordVPN has announced an important new option for users of the Linux version of its eponymous VPN tool. The company is introducing a new technology called NordLynx which is based on the WireGuard protocol.

The company says that it successfully combines the highspeed connection offered by WireGuard with NordVPN's own privacy-protecting double NAT system.

Continue reading →

Google has released Chrome 76 for Windows, macOS and Linux. As expected from the preview releases, this version of the browser brings a couple of important changes: Flash is now blocked by default, and Incognito mode detection is also blocked.

The blocking of Flash will be welcomed by many, and -- once word spreads about what the implications are (namely that it makes it far easier to get around paywalls) -- the same is likely to be true of the changes to the detection of Incognito mode. The changes have been welcomed by privacy and security advocates.

Continue reading →

As Microsoft continue to push Teams, the company has announced that Skype for Business Online will be retired in 2021.

While this is far from surprising, this is the first time a date has been mentioned so users can prepare to transition away. With the retirement date set at July 31, 2021, users have two years to get ready for a move to Teams.

Continue reading →