Apple Card: The Apple credit card is coming in August
You might well be waiting for news of the new iPhone line-up, and we'll know more about that soon. In the meantime, however, Apple has a new product for its loyal fanbase. A credit card.
The Apple Card has been talked about for some time, and now Tim Cook has revealed that it will be launching in August. The news came from the Apple CEO during an earnings call yesterday, and he said that the company's employees have been beta testing the Apple Card, which comes in both digital and physical forms.
EU says that websites with Facebook Like buttons are liable for private data sharing
The fingers of Facebook have spread like a cancer across the internet. Even people who have made the conscious decision to boycott the network find it near-impossible to completely avoid its reach thanks to the prevalence of Like buttons.
Now the Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled that websites with embedded Like buttons can be held responsible for the transmission of data to Facebook. This is a particularly important ruling due to the fact that Like buttons can be used to share information about site visitors without the need for the button to be clicked.
Personal details of 106 million Americans and Canadians stolen in huge Capital One data breach
A hacker has been arrested following a massive data breach at Capital One. The attacker -- Paige A Thompson, also known as "erratic" -- was able to access the credit applications of 100 million Americans and 6 million Canadians after exploiting a "configuration vulnerability".
In most cases, personal details such as name, date of birth, address and phone number were exposed by Thompson, but for tens of thousands of individuals, she also gained access to credit scores, Social Security numbers and account balances.
Windows 10's WSL 2 now lets you add a custom Linux kernel and enjoy localhost access
For Windows 10 users looking to install a Linux-based operating system within Windows, WSL -- Windows Subsystem for Linux -- was a blessing from Redmond. And things are just getting better and better.
The latest Insider build of Windows 10, Windows 10 20H1 build 18945 includes Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL 2) with a couple of key enhancements. Not only are you now able to gain localhost access to network resources, you can also make use of your preferred Linux kernel.
Hate the new-look Twitter? Here's how to get the old version back
People are often resistant to change, particularly when it feels like change for the sake of change -- and this is certainly the feeling that abounds with the recent redesign of Twitter.
While some Twitter users have been working with the new look for some time, it only rolled out globally a couple of weeks ago. Predictably, the reaction has been mixed, but the redesign has certainly not been met with universal praise. If you're one of the many who hate the way things are now, you'll be frustrated to learn that Twitter does not give you a way to revert back to the old look. But where there's a will, there's a way...
Privacy: Apple workers may well hear all of your sordid secrets via Siri
It's only a couple of weeks since we learned, for certain, that Google is listening to what people say to Google Assistant. Now -- and perhaps surprising no one -- it transpires that Siri is just as much of a privacy invasion.
Just as with Amazon and Google with Alexa and Google Assistant, Apple shares some of the recordings made via Siri with contractors with a view to improving the service. But while it may mean that Siri gets better at responding to queries, it also means that the contractors charged with "grading" Siri's performance "regularly hear confidential details" -- everything from people having sex, to people making drug deals.
Microsoft's web-based Outlook 365 is leaking users' IP addresses in emails
Anyone using Office 365's webmail component to send emails is unwittingly sharing their IP address with the people they communicate with.
The web-based Outlook 365 inserts the sender's IP address into the header of an email, which makes it stand apart from other webmail services such as Gmail -- and even Microsoft's own Outlook.com. While the injected IP address serves something of a purpose, it's also a privacy and security risk that many users may not be aware of.
Alleged critical VLC flaw is nothing to worry about -- and is nothing to do with VLC
There has been a degree of confusion over the last few days after news spread of a supposed vulnerability in the media player VLC. Despite being labelled by security experts as "critical", VLC's developers, VideoLAN, denied there was a problem at all.
And they were right. While there is a vulnerability, it was in a third-party library, not VLC itself. On top of this, it is nowhere near as severe as first suggested. Oh -- and it was fixed over a year ago. An older version of Ubuntu Linux was to blame for the confusion.
Department of Justice's Antitrust Division launches big tech investigation
Without naming any names, the Department of Justice has announced today that its Antitrust Division is to launch an investigation into the practices of "market-leading online platforms".
The probe comes amid concerns that the big names in technology are "engaging in practices that have reduced competition, stifled innovation, or otherwise harmed consumers". While the DoJ has not officially named any of the companies it is planning to look into as part of its investigation, the likes of Facebook, Google (or Alphabet) and Amazon are likely to feature prominently.
'Critical' vulnerability discovered in VLC on Linux and Windows -- but VideoLAN says it is not reproducible
Reports have emerged of a security bug in the Windows and Linux versions of VLC, making it vulnerable to remote-code execution via malicious videos. But although German and American security experts have branded the flaw as "critical", VLC-maker VideoLAN is downplaying things.
In fact, more than downplaying the vulnerability, VideoLAN is flat-out denying that it exists, with the software developer dismissing it as "fake news". [UPDATE: the vulnerability has now been pretty much debunked]
Privacy concerns raised that SmartScreen in Edge shares browsing history with Microsoft
A security researcher has revealed that the SmartScreen feature of Microsoft Edge is sharing full URLs of pages visited with the Windows-maker. Also shared are users' account IDs, raising concerns about privacy-invading tracking of browsing history.
SmartScreen is a security feature that Microsoft uses to identify phishing and malware websites, but the lack of obfuscation or anonymization of URLs shared with the company opens ups the potential for invasions of privacy and the revealing of sensitive information.
Apple may buy Intel's modem business for $1 billion as early as next week
Apple is said to be in advanced talks with Intel with a view to buying the company's 5G modem business for a figure upwards of $1 billion.
Following legal wrangles and fallings out with Qualcomm, Apple eventually came to an agreement with the firm, but now it seems that the iPhone-maker is turning its attention to Intel. The deal is said to include a portfolio of patents and staff.
Microsoft to pay $26 million to settle claims of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
Microsoft has come to an agreement with the US Justice Department and the SEC because of employee misconduct in Hungary. The company was to face a probe over violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
In agreeing to pay this money, Microsoft is neither really admitting guilt nor denying the claims made against it, and company President and Chief Legal Officer Brad Smith has written to all employees saying: "There is no room for compromise when it comes to ethical business practices".
Microsoft plows $1 billion into OpenAI partnership
Microsoft is investing $1 billion in a multi-year partnership with OpenAI-- a company co-founded by Elon Musk three years ago.
The partnership will see Microsoft and OpenAI working together to build new Azure AI supercomputing technologies. Microsoft says that it will focus on building a platform to create new AI technologies and deliver on the promise of artificial general intelligence (AGI).
European Commission rules that UK dwelling EU citizens can still hold .eu domains after Brexit
What Brexit really means for the UK -- whenever it may end up happening -- still remains to be seen. But a new ruling by the European Commission means that even after leaving Europe, UK citizens will still be able to hold .eu top-level domains after leaving the European Union.
The ruling is a reversal of a decision taken earlier in the year that EU citizens living in the UK post-Brexit would not be able to own such domains. It comes as the Commission becomes increasingly concerned about the "uncertainties surrounding the ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement", and what the implications of this could be.
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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