Newly announced LG DualUp Monitor is amazing and weird
LG has announced details of some of its 2022 range of monitors, due to be properly unveiled at CES in January. By far the most interesting is the LG DualUp Monitor with the rather extraordinary aspect ratio of 16:18.
As you may have calculated, this is essentially two 16:9 monitors merged into one, eliminating the border that would ordinarily appear between two seperate screens. With a resolution of 2560 x 2880, the DualUp monitor is great for multi-taskers, and while the specs are not mind-blowing, it's a screen that's interesting enough to warrant a second look.
DuckDuckGo is bringing its privacy-focused web browser to the desktop in 2022
DuckDuckGo is a name associated with privacy, and it is best known for its tracking-free search engine. But the company has other strings to its bow, including a privacy-focused web browser for mobile devices.
Now there are plans to bring things to the desktop. With DuckDuckGo for desktop, the company is looking to give users a fast, simple and private alternative to the likes of Chrome. Interestingly, DuckDuckGo says that the desktop browser will not be based on Chromium, but that it will be built "around the OS-provided rendering engines".
YouTube TV slashes subscription price as dispute leads to the loss of numerous Disney channels
Subscribers to YouTube TV have lost access to a number of Disney-owned channels including ABC News, FX, ESPN, the Disney Channel and National Geographic. The channels have been dropped after contract negotiations between YouTube and Disney broke down.
But while subscribers will no doubt be mourning the loss of nearly 20 channels, there is a silver lining to the bad news. YouTube has cut the price of a YouTube TV subscription until such a time as the Disney channels are available once again.
Anti-5G 'Quantum Pendant' found to be radioactive
As with many misunderstood aspects of science and technology, lots of myths and skepticism have built up around 5G technology. In addition to the idea that 5G is somehow inherently dangerous, conspiracy theories linking the technology to coronavirus vaccines and infection -- and wider COVID-19 conspiracy theories -- abound.
So it is perhaps little wonder that there something of an industry has built up around anti-5G products and accessories. One such product is the "negative ion" Quantum pendant. This has been found to be not only ineffective at offering "protection" against 5G (indeed, entirely unnecessary), but also dangerous. The Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (ANVS) in the Netherlands has warned that the Quantum Pendant and numerous other negative ion products are radioactive, and people should stop using them immediately.
Now you can embed your Instagram profile on websites
Instagram has been busy adding new options and features recently, with no fewer than three rolling out this week. Head of the visual social network, Adam Mosseri, shares details about Instagram Playback, Reels Visual Replies, and Profile Embed.
Instagram Playback is a perfect end-of-year feature, giving users the ability to share their favorite Stories from the year in a new post. The company has also made it possible to reply to commends with Reels, and -- assuming you live in the right part of the world -- to embed a miniature version of your Instagram profile in websites.
Ditch Twitch? Download TikTok LIVE Studio to test out the new desktop streaming software for Windows
TikTok is currently testing a new desktop tool that will enable users to stream their own live footage to the platform. TikTok LIVE Studio is currently only available to download for Windows, and it would seem to be TikTok's answer to Twitch.
If you have a TikTok account, the beta software can be used to stream content from various sources. This could be games, as happens with Twitch, or it could be from an app or webcam capture -- or, as the introductory blurb puts it, "stream and share experiences directly to TikTok".
Microsoft has blocked all default browser workarounds in Windows 10 and Windows 11
When Patch Tuesday rolls around, we can usually expect a series of Windows problems to be fixed (and perhaps to see some new ones introduced), as well as new features added. But Microsoft also uses such updates to take things away -- and this is precisely what has happened with the latest updates for Windows 10 and 11.
Microsoft, quite understandably, would like everyone to use its Edge browser, and has taken endless steps to ensure that it stays the default browser on as many computers as possible. With the latest operating system updates -- specifically the KB5008212 and KB5008215 updates -- the company has implemented a block on workarounds used by the likes of EdgeDeflector and Firefox to force links to open in a browser other than Edge.
Microsoft continues to deliver death by a thousand cuts to the Control Panel in Windows 11
Microsoft has hardly made a secret of the fact that the beloved Control Panel is on its way out. Slowly but surely the company has been moving various options from the Control Panel into the Settings app.
There is, however, a strange sense of limbo to be drawn from the fact that both the Control Panel and Settings exist alongside each other, some options are duplicated in both places. On top of this, -- and despite Microsoft really want people to use Settings -- there are numerous occasions on which the Settings app will dump users unceremoniously back into the Control Panel. But with the latest build of Windows 11, Microsoft's assault on the Control Panel continues, with the death knell sounding ever louder.
One-to-one Microsoft Teams calls finally have the security of end-to-end encryption
Microsoft is improving the security of one-on-one Teams chats by adding end-to-end encryption. After a couple of months of testing the feature as part of a public preview the company says that the optional security boost is now generally available.
In order for calls to be protected, both parties need to have end-to-end encryption enabled. And if you're wondering why you might want to have E2EE disabled in Microsoft Teams, it's because having the security feature enabled means that some other call features do not work.
Microsoft releases KB5008215 update for Windows 11 to fix SSD performance, installer problems and VPN issues
In what is the last scheduled update for Windows 11 this year, Microsoft released the KB5008215 update. The update takes the operating system up to build 22000.376 and includes numerous security fixes.
Among the changes introduced in this update are new emoji, as well as a fix for an issue that prevented the appearance of File Explorer and desktop shortcut menus. The fixes for SSD performance problems addressed by the previously released KB5007262 are also included.
Microsoft is making Windows Terminal the default command line in Windows 11
Microsoft has announced that Windows Terminal is set to become the "default command line experience" for Windows 11 users next year.
The company had already hinted at this possibility a couple of months ago with the release of a preview build of Terminal. In Windows Terminal Preview 1.12, the option was introduced to set the tool as the default terminal emulator, but now plans have extended so that all Windows 11 users will have Windows Terminal by default.
Apple releases macOS Monterey 12.1 with SharePlay and charging fix
Apple has released an update for macOS Monterey, taking the operating system up to version 12.1. This is the first major update for Monterey since its release earlier this year, and in addition to various bug fixes, it also sees the arrival of SharePlay.
For anyone who has experienced issues with charging their MacBook Pro, there is a fix for an issue that was preventing charging when the lid is shut. There are also updates for the TV and Photos apps, new security features and more, but it is SharePlay that is the real highlight here. Sadly, this release does not add Universal Control support.
Security firm releases a free fix for serious Log4Shell vulnerability in Apache Log4j
If you are running a version of Apache Log4j between 2.0-beta9 to 2.14.1 (inclusive) the Log4Shell vulnerability is something you need to be aware off. Tracked as CVE-2021-44228, this is a serious and easily exploited RCE flaw in the open-source Java-based logging utility.
An attacker can exploit the security flaw to execute a remote attack by simply using a particular string as the browser user agent. Although the Apache Software Foundation has released a patched version of Log4j 2.15.0, not everyone is able to update straight away, and this is something that attackers are taking advantage of. Thankfully, security firm Cybereason has released a "vaccine" called Logout4Shell that protects against Log4Shell.
Update Microsoft Teams to fix 911 call-block problem
A few days ago we reported about a rather worrying issue that meant some Android users were unable to place emergency 911 calls.
The problem was blamed on an "unintended interaction between the Microsoft Teams app and the underlying Android operating system". Microsoft was quick to suggest that the root cause of the issue is more Google's fault than its own but, nonetheless, the company is in the process of rolling out an update to Teams that addresses the problem.
New GitHub Code Search technology preview is great for developers
GitHub has launched a technology preview of its new Code Search tool which is described as "a power user's dream".
Built from scratch using a custom search engine based on Rust, GitHub Code Search makes it easy to search and navigate not only your own code, but also the billions of lines of public code that's available in millions of repositories. For developers, it represents an easy way to jump to sections of code, check usage across languages and much more.
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!
© 1998-2026 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy.