StartPage.com launches 'the world's best private image search' and Instant Answers
Privacy-focused search engine StartPage has launched an upgraded private image search feature. With extreme concern mounting about plans for ISPs to be granted permission to sell customers' browsing histories without express permission, interest in untrackable browsing is on the increase.
Based in the Netherlands, StartPage is outside the reach of US law enforcement agencies, and it uses a secure connection so there is no way to tell what users have been searching for, and also secures click-throughs using a proxy. In addition to the private image search enhancement, StartPage has also launched Instant Answers to provide searchers with easy access to key information.
Google Wifi and Home to launch in the UK -- with a few hidden British treats
After launching in the US late last year, Google Home is making its way to the UK. Google's voice-activated rival to the Amazon Echo is powered by Google Assistant, and can be used to play music, control smart devices, and perform online searches.
Also making its way to the UK is Google Wifi, the company's mesh Wi-Fi service that helps to ensure there are no wireless blackspots in the home. As well as giving uninterrupted internet access throughout the house, Google Wifi also features parental control options that can be used to stop kids from overindulging on their phones and tablets.
Beat the rush: upgrade to Windows 10 Creators Update RTM right now!
A week ago saw the release of Build 15063 of Windows 10 and just a few days later we learned that this is in fact the RTM build of Windows 10 Creators Update that will start to roll out in April. While the roll out starts next month, it is expected to take some time to reach everyone, but there's no need to wait!
There are a couple of ways you can upgrade to Windows 10 Creators Update right now -- you can either download the ISOs that Microsoft has made available, or you can use the Update Assistant tool to grab the update in a more automated fashion.
Facebook Messenger now lets you share your location for an hour at a time
Facebook is introducing a new feature to its Messenger app for iOS and Android that makes it possible to share your current location with contacts. It is also possible to share other static locations to enable you to point out places on a map.
With Facebook and location-sharing mentioned in the same sentence, there will be obvious concerns about privacy. To try to allay these fears, the current location is only shared for a maximum of an hour, and can be manually stopped at any time before the countdown reaches zero.
Microsoft hit with lawsuit alleging Windows 10 upgrades 'destroyed people's data and damaged PCs'
Windows 10 has certainly not been short of controversy. Between forced upgrades, telemetry and privacy concerns, and the introduction of increasing numbers of ads, Microsoft has been on the receiving end of a good deal of criticism for the latest version of its operating system. And the trouble is not over.
With the launch of Windows 10 Creators Update just around the corner, Microsoft faces a lawsuit from three people from Illinois who claim that the upgrade not only resulted in data loss, but also damaged their computers. The lawsuit makes reference to the difficulty many users found in declining the offer of upgrading to Windows 10.
Microsoft's Docs.com search feature leaks sensitive files
Users of Microsoft's Docs.com website took to Twitter to complain after files marked as private were made public by the sites' search function.
In response, Microsoft pulled the search feature from the site, but it is now back up and running. Even during the time it was not possible to search the site directly, Google and Bing searches could still be conducted to reveal social security numbers, job applications, contact details, and other private information.
Encrypted messaging service WhatsApp criticized as 'a secret place to hide' for terrorists
WhatsApp has been criticized for failing to help police following the revelation that Khalid Masood used the encrypted messaging service shortly before running down numerous people and stabbing a policeman to death in London last week.
The UK home secretary Amber Rudd spoke out over the weekend, saying that police and other agencies should be granted access to encrypted messages with a view to countering future terrorist attacks. Later this week, Rudd is due to meet with technology leaders to talk about how the government should be able to access messages protected by end-to-end encryption -- something already dropped from the controversial snooper's charter.
Google introduces 'Free App of the Week' to Play Store
The best price tag to find on anything is one that reads "Free", and Google has introduced a new section to the Play Store with this in mind. The new "Free App of the Week" section does very much what you would expect -- slashes the price of a paid-for app to zero. Great news for Android users!
It's an idea that Apple has experienced great success with, and it's a quick and easy way for Google to increase engagement in its app store. The first free app is Cartoon Network's Card Wars --Adventure Time which normally retails for $2.99.
T-Mobile to roll out network-level scam call protection features: Scam ID and Scam Block
Spam in your inbox and via SMS is one thing, but fairly easy to ignore. Spam phone calls, on the other hand, are not only annoying, but are frequently used to try to scam people out of money. T-Mobile is about to roll out a solution.
As part of an upgrade to its network, the carrier is introducing Scam ID and Scam Block which will be used to alert customer to potential scam calls, and to block known malicious callers. As these features are being rolled out on a network level, it should be available to all T-Mobile customers starting next month.
Samsung is finally ready to remotely kill the Galaxy Note7
Samsung would almost certainly prefer people to be concentrating on the upcoming Galaxy S8 and virtual assistant Bixby, but the disastrous Galaxy Note7 is still etched in memories. After the phones kept catching fire due to a battery problem, the Korean company started to push out OTA updates to cripple them slightly.
But this and even a ban on taking the handsets on flights, was not enough to discourage everyone from using their Note7. Now, in a bid to complete kill of the troublesome phone, Samsung is pushing out another update that completely disables charging.
Privacy warning: US ISPs could sell and share your browsing history without consent
In a major blow for privacy advocates and individual rights, the US Senate has voted to permit ISPs to sell or share customers' data -- including their browsing histories -- without consent.
The vote overturns a Federal Communications Commission rule that banned such activity. While there are still legislative hoops to jump through before the result of the vote is ratified, ISPs will be rubbing their hands in glee at what the Senate has done.
Instagram ups security with two-factor authentication
Just about every app and online service offer two-factor authentication (2FA) as a security measure these days, and Instagram is the latest to join the party.
After numerous instances of hacking for other services, it's little surprise that Instagram wants to offer its users an extra level of protection. Once enabled, users are required to enter a six-digit code that is sent to their mobile via SMS, greatly eliminating the risk of unauthorized access.
Apple says it has already fixed CIA's Mac and iPhone hacks revealed by WikiLeaks
Yesterday WikiLeaks published the second batch of its Vault 7 documents, Dark Matter, revealing information about Apple-related hacks used by the CIA. This time around, the documents focus on hacks for MacBooks and iPhones, and comes two weeks after the initial batch of documents came to light.
Apple previously said that it had addressed "many of the issues" from the first Vault 7 leaks, and now the company has said much the same regarding the second batch. Despite promises from Julian Assange, it seems that WikiLeaks has not been in contact with Apple to provide further details about the exposed vulnerabilities.
Windows 10 Creators Update RTM is Build 15063 confirms leaked Update Assistant
It is only three days since Windows 10 Creators Update Build 15063 arrived on the Fast ring. The same build has already made its way to Insiders on the Slow ring as well, fueling understandable speculation that this could well be the final build.
This does in fact appear to be the case. We already know that Microsoft is due to release Windows 10 Creators Update in April, and a leaked Update Assistant tool shows that Build 15063 is indeed the RTM build number.
WikiLeaks' Dark Matter documents reveal CIA hacks for Macs and iPhones
It's only a couple of weeks since WikiLeaks unleashed the first batch of its Vault 7 CIA documents, revealing the agency's spying and hacking capabilities. Now the organization has released a second cache of files dubbed Dark Matter, and they show that the CIA has developed tools for hacking Apple products.
Bold and exciting names like Sonic Screwdriver, DerStarke, Triton and DarkSeaSkies are the monikers given to attack the firmware of MacBooks and iPhones. What's particularly interesting about the documents is that they appear to show that the CIA had the ability to exploit Apple hardware and software a full decade ago.
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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