File Manager for Windows 10 is now available as Microsoft open sources winfile code
Cast your mind back several years and you'll remember Windows 3.0 and earlier. This was when Microsoft started to bring home computing to the masses, and for anyone raised on modern Windows, the lack of Start menu, taskbar and other components makes the operating system seem antiquated and unusable.
But use it we did! Back then, there was no File Explorer, but File Manager instead -- and it's something that people sometimes feel nostalgic about. A couple of days ago, Microsoft open sourced the File Manager code, and a Windows 10 version has been released.
Facebook suspends pro-Brexit firm AggregateIQ for allegedly obtaining user data improperly
It's not all that long since Facebook suspended data firm Cambridge Analytica for harvesting personal information from millions of users. Now the social network has suspended AggregateIQ -- another data firm, this time linked to the pro-Brexit Vote Leave campaign -- because of possible connections to Cambridge Analytica's parent company.
AggregateIQ is thought to be linked to Strategic Communication Laboratories (SCL), and there are concerns that the firm may therefore have improperly obtained data from Facebook users.
Facebook will give everyone the option to unsend messages, just like Mark Zuckerberg
When it came to light that messages sent by Mark Zuckerberg and other Facebook executives via Facebook Messenger had been deleted, there was widespread concern about not only the social network's use of a feature unavailable to anyone else, but also the lack of transparency about it.
Still reeling from the Cambridge Analytica debacle and other privacy scandals, Facebook has now announced that the feature will in fact be rolling out to everyone -- although not necessarily any time soon. The company insists that this is something that has been under consideration for some time, and also promises that no more of Zuckerberg's message will be retracted in the meantime.
Facebook secretly deleted messages Mark Zuckerberg sent on Messenger
As if trust in Facebook could not drop any further, it has come to light that the social network deleted messages sent by Mark Zuckerberg from the recipients' Messenger inboxes. The deletions only applied to Zuckerberg's messages, leaving the other side of the conversation intact -- a feature not available to the average Messenger user.
Facebook did not operate transparently in deleting the messages, as it made no announcement either publicly, or to those involved in the conversations. When confronted about the matter, Facebook said that the deletions were carried out because of "corporate security".
Discover the best apps and games with Google's Android Excellence April 2018 update
It's less than a year since Google launched the Android Excellence program through which the company highlights the very best Android apps and games. The list is refreshed every three months, and Google has now published details of the winners of the accolade for April 2018.
The latest installment includes titles such as Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC, SoloLearn: Learn to Code for Free, and MARVEL Contest of Champions.
Intel Remote Keyboard app nixed after discovery of critical remote control vulnerability
Intel has issued a security advisory about its remote keyboard app after discovering a bug that made it possible for a remote user to mimic keyboard and mouse input with elevated privileges.
Intel Remote Keyboard was available for both iOS and Android, but the critical vulnerability -- and two other bugs with a High rating -- means that it has now been pulled from Google Play and the App Store. Intel is also recommending that anyone using the app uninstalls it as soon as possible.
Apple says the redesigned Mac Pro is coming in 2019
If you've been hoping for a new Mac Pro in the near future, you're going to be disappointed. Apple has said that a new model is not due to go on sale until 2019.
There is good news, however. The Mac Pro is undergoing a complete redesign, but it will remain a modular, customizable machine. The release date of 2019 also means that you'll have more time to save up -- and you'll probably need it.
Hacker exploits Verge bug to generate cryptocurrency coins worth $780,000 in 3 hours
Verge may not be the biggest cryptocurrency out there, but it does have quite a following and has generated enough interest to attract hackers. The cryptocurrency came under attack for three hours yesterday, enabling a hacker to net 15.6 million Verge coins worth around $780,000.
There was initially speculation that Verge had fallen victim to a ">51% attack" -- in which an attacker is able to forge transactions by taking control of more than half of the network -- but this has been denied by developers. A hard fork is being prepared to patch the bug that allowed the attack to take place.
Intel: some processors will never receive Meltdown and Spectre patches
With little fanfare, Intel has revealed that some processors will simply never receive microcode updates that will patch against the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities.
In a document entitled Microcode Revision Guidelines, the chip-maker says that a wide range of processor families -- equating to over 200 CPUs -- will not receive any more updates. While the majority of the affected chips were on sale between 2007 and 2011, it's safe to assume that a large proportion of them are still in use, meaning that a lot of systems will remain unprotected.
Privacy: Facebook will roll out GDPR controls to the whole world, not just Europe
Mark Zuckerberg has laid out Facebook's plans for the future in a conference call with reporters. In it, he said that the social network now planned to bring GDPR-style privacy controls to all of its users, not just those in Europe for whom there will soon be a legal obligation to do so. The new legislation grants people more rights to access the data companies store about them, and demand it be deleted.
The Facebook chief had previously said that non-European users would only be getting access to new options that were "in [the] spirit" of GDPR, but the backlash the social network has faced recently with privacy controversies seems to have forced Zuckerberg's hand.
Facebook users in Europe will soon have better privacy protection than those in the US
In a few weeks, privacy is set to improve for Facebook users -- at least this is the case for people in Europe. May 25 sees the implementation of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and it means that European users will have the right to not only request details of the information stored about them, but also the right to demand its deletion.
While this will be a legal obligation within Europe, it would have been the perfect opportunity for Facebook to extend the same rights to its users around the world. But it's not going to. Mark Zuckerberg has confirmed that GDPR-style privacy protection is not going to be extended to the US and other parts of the world.
Shooter at YouTube headquarters was angry at demonetization of her videos
Nasim Aghdam walked into the YouTube headquarters in North California yesterday, shot and wounded three people, and then killed herself. While the precise motive behind the shooting is still under investigation, Aghdam's father has said that she was furious with YouTube for demonetizing her videos.
This is in line with posts made by her on her own website where she complained about YouTube only allowing certain channels to grow, alleging that her own videos were being filtered. In the wake of the shooting, technology executives including Twitter's Jack Dorsey renewed calls for gun control.
Huawei statement dismisses US concerns about security
Huawei is being shunned by the US because of the perception that its hardware could be compromised and used by the Chinese government for espionage. The FCC has blocked US mobile carriers from using federal money to purchase products or services from the company on security grounds, and Huawei is understandably unhappy about this.
The smartphone maker has dismissed security claims as "simply not true" and says that it is "no security threat in any country". The Chinese company says that it is disappointed with the FCC's proposal, pointing out that it would give rural operators -- and, in turn, customers -- fewer options to choose from.
Facebook launches bulk app removal tool in response to privacy concerns
Facebook has long been embroiled in controversies about privacy, but things have been particularly bad in recent weeks. The Cambridge Analytica scandal has put the spotlight firmly on privacy on the social network and -- having already made its privacy tools more accessible -- Facebook has now created a tool to quickly remove apps from profiles in bulk.
It's a very simple idea, but one that will be warmly welcomed by those who have been concerned about the Facebook apps they have installed, but have felt put off by the idea of doing anything about it because of the arduous nature of tinkering with them one by one.
How to upgrade to Windows 10 Spring Creators Update right now
It's only a week since Microsoft released Windows 10 Spring Creators Update Build 17133 first to the Fast ring and then the Slow ring, and it's clear that it's not going to be long until the latest big update is pushed out to everyone via Windows Update.
But what about if you want to upgrade right now? There's no need to be a Windows Insider as the RTM version of Windows 10 Spring Creators Update is already available to download directly from Microsoft's servers. So, if you're interested in keeping one step ahead of the game, here's what you need to do.
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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