Google is bringing RCS messaging to users directly instead of waiting for carriers
There has been much talk about SMS successor RCS (Rich Communication Service) over the last year or so, but there has been little in the way of action. But this is about to change.
Seemingly tired of carriers and handset makers dawdling, Google is bringing RCS messaging to Android users in the UK and France. With Google taking control of RCS, the service could become the company's version of iMessage before long, and it means users will be able to experience it sooner than they might have expected.
BitDefender releases free decryption tool for GandCrab ransomware
Security firm BitDefender has teamed up with the FBI, Europol and other agencies and created decryption software that enables ransomware victims to get their data back for free.
The tool can be used to retrieve files encrypted by the GandCrab family of ransomware which is thought to have originated in Russia. GandCrab has been active for around a year and a half, and hundreds of thousands of people have fallen victim to it.
Netflix discovers SACK Panic and other Linux security flaws
A number of Linux and FreeBSD servers and systems are vulnerable to a denial of service vulnerability dubbed SACK Panic, as well as other forms of attack.
A total of three security flaws were discovered by Jonathan Looney of Netflix Information Security. A series of malicious packets sent to vulnerable system is all it takes to crash or slow them down -- a remotely-triggered kernel panic. Patches and workaround have been released to help plug the holes.
Microsoft advises Azure customers to update Exim to avoid a Linux worm
Microsoft has issued a warning to Azure customers using Linux Exim email servers running Exim version 4.87 to 4.91.
The company explains that these versions of Exim are vulnerable to a critical Remote Code Execution (RCE) security flaw and need to be updated to prevent the spread of a worm.
Genius.com uses clever entrapment technique and accuses Google of stealing song lyrics from its site
Ask Google what the lyrics to a particular song are and the chances are that the search results will display them in an info pane as well as links to lyrics sites. But where does Google get these lyrics from? Have Googlers sat and manually transcribed the words to songs ready or when people search for them?
No. Actually, there's a high chance that Google has simply scraped the lyrics from other sites, and one lyrics website says it caught the company red-handed. Genius.com used "Morse code" to catch the company lifting content directly from its lyric database.
The Twitter app is returning to macOS
For more than a year, macOS users have been without an official desktop Twitter client -- more on that shortly. But now, thanks to Project Catalyst for macOS 10.15 Catalina, a Twitter app is making its way back to Mac.
Twitter says that Apple's Project Catalyst means that it has been easy to use the code from the iOS version of the client to create a native macOS app. The company has also revealed just why it was the Mac Twitter client disappeared in the first place.
Microsoft Edge could come to Linux
Not so long ago, the idea of Microsoft releasing an internet browser for Linux would seem to be out of the question. But in recent years, Microsoft's love of Linux has grown exponentially.
Now, having not only started to embrace the Chromium engine for Microsoft Edge, the company is also not ruling out releasing Edge for Linux. It could be argued that Edge on Linux is something that no one -- or at least very few people -- yearn for, but the Microsoft Edge development team has revealed that releasing a Linux-friendly version is something that it would "like to do".
Google Photos will soon stop syncing to Google Drive
If you have come to rely on Google Drive to automatically backup the images you have in Google Photos, you may have to find another option very soon. Google has announced that as of July, the way Google Drive and Google Photos integrate with each other is changing.
In short, Google Photos will no longer be automatically synchronize with Google Drive. The change is coming because Google says it has, "feedback that the connection between these services is confusing".
Security software is causing Firefox users to lose saved passwords
Firefox users are reporting that their saved passwords have been lost, with the problem seemingly caused by antivirus software rather than being an issue with Firefox itself.
Antivirus software such as Avast and AVG appears to be corrupting the file in which Firefox stores passwords, rendering it unreadable. Thankfully, passwords can be recovered, but -- for the time being --- they will be corrupted again when you restart your computer.
Hacker hits Symantec and accesses passwords
Security firm Symantec was attacked by a hacker back in February, but the company did not reveal details of the incident.
The attack has been brought to light by Guardian Australia which has seen some of the data extracted by hackers. This comprises not only passwords, but what is thought to be a list of Symantec clients -- including government agencies. But Symantec is downplaying the data breach, dismissing it as a "minor incident".
Chrome 76 makes it easier to get around paywalls
Google is busy working away on Chrome 76, and the beta version of the browser includes a change that will please anyone looking to bypass paywalls and view articles for free.
Many people switch to Incognito Mode, aware that this makes it possible to access paywalled articles on sites such as the New York Times. Many sites offer a number of free articles to non-paying visitors, and using this mode makes it impossible to determine whether you have reached your free article limit or not. As such, some sites blocked access to anyone using Incognito Mode -- but Chrome 76 has a trick up its sleeve.
CERN is moving away from expensive Microsoft software and embracing open source
CERN -- the European Organization for Nuclear Research best known for its particle smashing Large Hadron Collider -- has decided to eschew Microsoft in favor of open source software.
For many years, CERN benefited from hefty discounts on Microsoft products, but this is coming to an end. Rather than paying hugely increased licensing fees, the organization is instead implementing its own Microsoft Alternatives project, known as MAlt. CERN says it is "taking back control using open software".
Rowhammer-based RAMBleed exploit lets hackers steal data from memory
Security researchers have revealed an exploit that can be used by hackers to steal data from DRAM, even if ECC protection is in place. RAMBleed is a Rowhammer-based attack that can also be used to alter data and increase privilege levels.
Taking advantage of the design of modern memory chips, a Rowhamer attack works by "hammering" the physical rows of data in quick succession causing bit-flipping in neighboring rows. RAMBleed takes this in a different direction, using a similar technique to access data stored in physical memory.
Facebook will pay you to gather information from you
That Facebook gathers personal information from its users should come as no surprise -- it could be argued that it is the social network's raison d' être. Following numerous privacy scandals, and the controversial (and since-closed) Research and Onavo programs, Facebook is now ready to be open about its data collection, and is even willing to pay people for this.
The new "Study from Facebook" app gives Facebook users the chance to volunteer to share information about their app usage -- and get paid for divulging this information. Sound good to you?
Firefox unveils new-look logo and introduces new parent brand
Firefox has revealed its redesigned branding, including a new icon for its web browser, as well an introducing the logo for the new Firefox parent brand, some 18 months in the pipeline.
As well as a new look, the icon features an updated color palette which is not just about aesthetics, but also accessibility. There's also a new, modern typeface, as well as what's being described as a "new shape system".
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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