Oath is killing off Yahoo Messenger on July 17
Yahoo Messenger is to be discontinued in just over a month. Yahoo owner Oath has announced that it is killing off its famous Messenger service on July 17.
After this date, chatting will no longer be available, and users have just six months to download their chat histories. At the moment, there is no direct replacement for Yahoo Messenger, but users are being advised that they can request an invite for the beta version of the invite-only group messaging app Yahoo Squirrel.
Google says it will continue to work with the military on AI, but won't get involved in weapons or spying
Google has published new guidelines describing its principles for the development of artificial intelligence.
The document -- entitled "Artificial Intelligence at Google: Our Principles" -- the company sets out its objectives for the future of AI. As well as saying it will incorporate its privacy principles into AI, Google says that it will continue to work with the military, but commits to avoid helping with the development of weapons or other technologies that could injury or kill.
Ticketfly says hack exposed private data of 27 million accounts
Last week event ticketing company Ticketfly suffered a cyberattack which saw the site taken offline for a number of days. The site is now back up and running, and Ticketfly has revealed the extent and impact of the hack.
The company says that data from 27 million Ticketfly accounts was accessed, including names, addresses, email addresses and phone numbers. Customers are assured that passwords and credit card details remain safe.
Facebook bug makes millions of users' private posts public
Facebook is in the process of contacting 14 million users after it emerged that a bug led to private posts being made public. A problem with the company's "audience selector" tool between May 18 and 27 meant that millions of posts meant for a limited audience were actually made available for everyone and anyone to see.
The social network has apologized for the incident and says that it will notify everyone who was affected by the bug. The SNAFU comes at a bad time for Facebook, as the company tries to rebuild a reputation tattered by the Cambridge Analytica scandal, and the news that the social network had data-sharing agreements with Chinese firms.
ZTE agrees to pay $1 billion fine to stop US Denial Order
ZTE has been persona non grata in the US for some time now, with the Trump administration having slapped a Denial Order on the company preventing it from operating in North America. The president expressed a desire to get the Chinese firm "back into business" and today that is a step closer to happening.
Today the US Department of Commerce has come to an agreement with the company, which will pay a $1 billion fine for violating sanctions. In addition, ZTE will make changes to management, and put a further $400 million in escrow to cover possible future fines.
Keep track of the World Cup with Google
With just days until the 2018 FIFA World Cup kicks off in Russia, Google is rolling out a series of tools to help football fans keep track of what's going on.
A range of Google services -- Search, News, Assistant, Trends and more -- have been updated with World Cup-specific bits and pieces to help enhance your enjoyment of the tournament. From match streams and detailed reports to behind-the-scenes footage and tips about where you can watch games, there's something for every fan here.
Amazon wins rights to show some Premier League matches
Starting next year, Amazon Prime subscribers in the UK will be able to stream some Premier League matches. The company has won the right to show 20 games per season between 2019 and 2022.
The online retailer managed to muscle in on territory dominated by BT and Sky to secure the right to show all 10 Boxing Day matches, as well as the first round of mid-week fixtures.
VPNFilter malware infection is much worse than first thought -- is your router affected?
It's just a couple of weeks since we first heard about the VPNFilter malware. Linked to Russia, the malware hit 500,000 routers around the world, but now Cisco's Talos security researchers are warning that the problem is much worse than anyone thought.
Initially thought to only affect SOHO routers and storage devices from Linksys, MikroTik, Netgear, TP-Link, and QNAP , the at-risk list has been extended to include consumer-grade routers from Linksys, MikroTik, Netgear and TP-Link. Researchers have also discovered that the malware is more powerful than initial assessments suggested -- it is now known to be able to bypass SSL encryption and perform man-in-the-middle attacks.
Microsoft is going to rename GVFS and wants your suggestions
Microsoft GVFS (Git Virtual File System) has attracted attention because it's a name that's already in use elsewhere -- and the company had refused to rename it.
Now, however, it seems that Microsoft may be bowing to pressure. The company says it has received a lot of feedback because of the existence of the GNOME GVfs project (Gnome Virtual File System) which has been around for much longer than its GVFS Git extension, and it is looking for suggestions for a new name.
GitLab makes premium plans free for educational establishments and open source projects
Microsoft's acquisition of GitHub has paid off for rival GitLab. Many GitHub users were unhappy at the Windows-maker's involvement and promptly jumped ship -- there were over 100,000 repositories imported in the 24 hours following the acquisition, and #movingtogitlab was trending on Twitter.
Looking to make itself even more attractive than just not being owned by Microsoft, GitLab has now made its premium Gold and Ultimate packages free to some users, specifically educational establishments and open source projects.
New ASUS ZenBook Pro 15 has a touchscreen ScreenPad instead of a trackpad
At Computex, ASUS has revealed its new ZenBook Pro 15 laptop. This is a high-performance machine, but this is a laptop that's about more than just raw power.
In addition to the 8th Generation Intel Core i9 hexa-core processor and 16GB of 2400Hz DDR4 RAM, the new ZenBook Pro has an innovative trackpad. As well as controlling the mouse cursor, the traditional trackpad has been replaced with a ScreenPad -- a touch-sensitive screen that can display apps, shortcuts and other information.
Facebook confirms data-sharing agreement with Chinese companies including Huawei
Facebook has confirmed that it has data-sharing agreements in place with at least four Chinese companies. Among these companies is Huawei, a firm that has attracted the attention of intelligence agencies in the US because of national security concerns.
The news comes not only in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, but also reports this week that Facebook shared data with device manufacturers. The social network said that in addition to Huawei, it has data-sharing contracts with Oppo, Lenovo and TCL -- despite the fact that Facebook is banned in China.
92 million user accounts at risk after genealogy and DNA-testing site MyHeritage is hacked
MyHeritage -- a website that helps people research their family tree and also offers a DNA testing service -- has suffered a "cybersecurity incident". A file containing the usernames and hashed passwords of more than 92 million users was discovered on an external server by a security researcher.
The file was found to be genuine and MyHeritage is now undertaking an investigation to determine what happened. The security breach affects all users who signed up to the site up to October 26, 2017. The company says that it is taking steps to inform the relevant authorities in line with GDPR.
Microsoft unveils IoT-ready Windows Collaborative Displays
In a keynote address at Computex 2018, Microsoft introduced a completely new hardware platform: Windows Collaboration Displays. Designed for use in offices and meeting rooms, the displays are touch-sensitive and can connect to Microsoft Azure Internet of Things spatial recognition via built-in sensors.
While clearly related to the Surface Hub, Windows Collaborative Displays have a key difference: you have to supply your own computer hardware. Hook up a computer, and you have digital whiteboard and presentation tool at a fraction of the cost -- although pricing is yet to be confirmed.
Apple reveals watchOS 5, complete with new Walkie-Talkie app
Apple Watch owners have a new operating system upgrade to look forward to -- watchOS 5. Revealed today at WWDC alongside iOS 12, watchOS 5 introduces a number of new features including a Walkie-Talkie app and a range of new workout-related options.
The update brings interactive notifications, improvements to Siri, and the ability to use an Apple Watch in place of a student ID card. Apple also revealed a new Pride Watch face which users can activate for free, and a Pride Edition Woven Nylon band which can be bought for $49.
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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