Friday, June 24, 2022

Latest Tech News

Microsoft has just released previews of three new updates, which seemingly fix multiple connectivity issues plaguing some Windows versions after the last cumulative update.

As reported by BleepingComputer, the company published three cumulative updates for the month, one for Windows 11 (KB5014668), one for Windows Server 2022 (KB5014665), and one for Windows 10, 1809 (KB5014669).

Among the usual bug fixes and performance tweaks, these updates also address the issues reported earlier this week regarding Wi-Fi hotspots. Last week, Microsoft explained how an earlier patch broke the feature.

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"When attempting to use the hotspot feature, the host device might lose the connection to the internet after a client device connects," Microsoft said.

The fix is great news for those affected by the flaw, but for the time being, only these three versions of the OS resolve the issue. Meanwhile, people using Windows 10 other than 1809, Windows 8.1, or Windows 7 SP1 will have to wait a bit longer (probably until the next Patch Tuesday).

VPN issues fixed too?

On June 14, Microsoft released KB5014697, a cumulative update that addresses a number of known Windows issues. However, the patch also introduced new flaws, namely issues with the sign-in process for Azure Active Directory, as well as Microsoft 365 on Arm devices (besides the Wi-Fi hotspot issue).

According to the Bleeping Computer, Microsoft still hasn’t acknowledged VPN and RDP connection issues that are plaguing RRAS servers following the June Windows Server updates. What’s more, people have also started reporting issues with LLTP/SSTP VPN clients, as well as RDP failing to connect.

Among the more troubling problems is servers simply freezing for minutes, after a client connects to the RRAS server with SSTP. Microsoft’s solution to the problem, as the company told the publication, is to temporarily disable the NAT feature on RRAS servers.

However, some admins are reporting that the latest raft of preview updates solve these VPN-related problems too, which suggests a widespread fix for all Windows operating systems could be imminent.

Via BleepingComputer



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Latest Gadgets News

The US technology industry is fearing the possibility of having to hand over pregnancy-related data to law enforcement, in the wake of the US Supreme Court's decision on the Roe vs Wade precedent.

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What You Need to Know Before Getting a Vasectomy - CNET

A vasectomy is a safe and effective form of family planning, but is it right for you?

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Latest Tech News

It's no secret that the anticipated AirPods Pro 2 Bluetooth earbuds will look almost exactly like the current version, but, according to a new leak, the same might not be said for the charging case.

Not only will it get relatively subtle design updates, but some impressive new audio features.

According to 52Audio, which appears to be outlining a multitude of details from what might be Apple's own internal, leaked documents, the AirPods Pro 2 will offer all the features of the current model, but add, as expected, more health-related chops, including heart rate and temperature sensors. The report doesn't offer any fresh detail about how these features might work, though it refers to what may be an updated H1 chip to support these and myriad other capabilities.

The more interesting rumors revolve around audio enhancement to the case. That's right, according to 52Audio, the AirPods Pro case gets some microphones in the base - on either side of the Lightning (or USB-C) port. The microphones might be designed to collect ambient sound and deliver it directly to the AirPods Pro 2 earbuds for an enhanced hearing aid experience.

There are other interesting, though less ear...um...earth-shattering potential changes to the case like a new speaker hole that works with Apple's Find My to make a sound when you're trying to locate the case. AirPods can already do this.

There's also a new cutout on the side of the case that looks like it's designed to support the introduction of an AirPods Pro case lanyard.

Most of these design changes align with previous leaks, though the latest rumors offer a bit more context for how the AirPods pro 2 might use these features.

Hear me, maybe

Obviously, these are all just rumors. Apple has yet to confirm the existence of the AirPods Pro 2, though it's highly likely Apple will introduce an upgrade for this hugely popular audio product.

The addition of hearing-aid capabilities not only in the AirPods Pros themselves but the case makes perfect sense. For Apple, wearables are natural health devices. Most of the big Apple Watch updates have revolved around health and fitness monitoring and motivations.

We'll be shocked if the AirPods Pro 2 do not include heartrate tracking, as the current model is already protected against sweat and is meant to be a walking and workout companion.

Are we upset that we won't get a fresh new look? Not really, especially not if the next generation can make such a potentially big difference in how we hear the world around us.

While you wait for whatever Apple brings next, check out this comparison of the best spatial audio devices.



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Latest Gadgets News

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the card-on-file (CoF) tokenisation deadline by three months, changing it from June 30 to September 30. This date has been pushed due to requests received from industry bodies. Card-on-file, or CoF, refers to card information stored by payment gateway and merchants to process future transactions.

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Latest Tech News

A new dongle has been developed to prevent cybercriminals from using HDMI ports as means of compromising target endpoints.

The so-called HDMI Firewall blocks all communication going in and out of the HDMI port that is not directly related to audio or video. Each HDMI port requires a new dongle, but one can easily be repurposed to fit different ports.

The dongle was designed by one “kingkevin”, who uploaded the project to source code repository CuVoodoo git.

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Switching dongles around

Admittedly, actually deploying the dongle would be no simple feat for someone without a fair amount of expertise.

To use the dongle, someone would first need to program it to fit the port it’s being applied to. That means copying the Extended Display Identification Data (EDID) information, including data like resolutions supported. Users can read this data with an I2C-based Display Data Channel (DDC) interface from the endpoint.

The next step is to write the EDID data into the EEPROM of the HDMI Firewall, which comes with a physically detachable protection tab that locks the connector’s EEPROM from future writes.

To move the dongle onto a new device, users need to disable write protection once again, by putting a solder blob across two pads on the device, rewrite it with the new port’s EDID data, and re-enable protection by removing the solder that connects the two pads. 

As explained by Tom’s Hardware, an HDMI connector allows for the passthrough of more than just audio and video data. A couple of parallel protocols are moving extra data through, including High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection, or HDCP. This protocol makes sure the data passing through the port isn’t copied in transit,

Other notable mentions include the Hot-Plug Detection (HPD), and Consumer Electronics Control (CEC). The latter is relatively popular, as it allows remote controls and other gadgets to control the devices. 

Via Tom's Hardware



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Thursday, June 23, 2022

Latest Gadgets News

Google has announced five new features for Chrome web browser on iPhone and iPad. The new features include enhanced Google Safe Browsing, AutoFill passwords on any application, and more. Google also said that more features to Chrome on iOS will come in the coming weeks.

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Mercury Shows Off in Spectacular New Spacecraft View - CNET

BepiColombo took a flyby of the closest planet to the sun.

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Latest Tech News

Password manager firm Keeper Security has announced a new feature it says will allow users to securely share records with anyone on a time-limited basis.

The new solution, dubbed Keeper One-Time Share, will be useful for those of us who want to share confidential information with a friend, family member or co-worker without exposing it over email, text message, or online messaging.

The news comes as concerns abound about employee approaches to sharing sensitive information. A multinational survey by Western Digital found 68% of data managers believe employee behaviour is a bigger threat to the security of their highly sensitive data than external hackers and various malicious actors.

How does it work?

Keeper Security assures us that One-Time Share links are restricted to the recipient’s device only and automatically expire at a time of the user’s choosing.

One-Time Share records can only be used on one device, and even if the user forgets to un-share the record, it will expire automatically, and the recipient’s access will be revoked.  The solution can also be used to share data with recipients who do not have a Keeper account.

In addition, One-Time Share can also be delivered using QR Codes, Airdrop, email, SMS, or other out-of-band channels.

As an additional layer of security, One-Time Shares are apparently also device-locked, which means that only the original recipient can access and decrypt the data.

If the link is later opened by a third party or the user’s email account is compromised, the data cannot be decrypted, except on the original recipient’s device even someone did manage to lay their hands on the relevant security keys.

Keeper Security isn't the only firm rolling out new features for its business password manager offering, however.

1Password recently released a new solution it claims will help firms improve their overall security posture.

Insights from 1Password contains tools to help firms monitor data breaches, password vulnerabilities, and team usage within shared vaults, while also providing suggested next steps and allowing businesses to notify employees of data breaches.

Keeper One-Time Share is currently available for all customers (both paid and free) as well as for commercial customers (including Business, Enterprise, and MSP plans).



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Latest Gadgets News

The government is not happy with the social media platforms who have failed to adequately redress the issues raised by the people, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Thursday. The Minister of State for Electronics and IT held an open house discussion with stakeholders on a draft notification to amend the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Dig...

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Latest Tech News

Following the launch of iOS 16 later this fall, you will no longer be able to use an iPad as a smart home hub to control HomeKit devices.

The news comes by way of iOS developer and MacRumors writer Steve Moser who dug through the code of iOS 16 Beta 2. He posted his findings on a long Twitter thread that goes through some of the other changes coming to Apple devices.  

iOS 16 changes

MacRumors reports that, upon updating an iPad to iOS 16, a new message will appear in the Home app that reads "A home hub is required to take advantage of features like receiving accessory notification and allowing other people to control your homes. You will not be able to view shared homes until those homes are also upgraded to the latest HomeKit. iPad will no longer be supported as a home hub here."

If you go over to the iOS 16 preview page and scroll all the way down to the finer print, Apple further confirms this by stating only Apple TVs and HomePod devices can be used as home hubs. We reached out to the tech giant and asked if they could explain their motive for removing the iPad support, but didn’t get a response. MacRumors suggests the change may have to do with the new Matter support.

Matter is an upcoming smart home standard being developed by multiple tech companies including Apple, Google, and Amazon. It’s meant to be a universal protocol aimed at saving the smart home industry. The standard is slated for release sometime during Fall 2022, which just so happens to be the same launch window as iOS 16. 

New features and changes

Apart from the iPad drop, the majority of changes are relatively minor. Moser states a lot of text will be tweaked. For example, Apple Car Key will now say “Passive entry may be available when your iPhone needs to be charged.” Certain apps, like Health, will have slightly different icons. It’s mainly tertiary stuff, but there are a few noteworthy additions. 

For starters, Apple Maps will be getting new optimized routes for e-bikes. There will also be a “Game Mode”, but not much is known beyond that. iOS 16 does natively support Nintendo Switch Pro controllers, so this mode may be connected to Apple’s newfound gaming support. Moser also found Apple is working on a 3:2 aspect ratio for the iPhone Camera app that hasn’t been enabled. He claims it could be an addition coming to a future iPhone.

Remember this is just a beta. It’s unknown if and when any of these will be coming out. Except for iPads losing home hub support; that appears to be set in stone. You can actually try out the new iOS 16 beta for iPhones and iPads by downloading it from Apple’s developer website. However, unless you are an app developer, we wouldn't recommend it. These early betas are buggy and not intended for the device you depend on for communication, work, entertainment, and more. The good news is that public (read "more stable") betas are probably just weeks away.

If you want to learn about how to establish a smart home, TechRadar has a guide on the best devices for 2022 to help you get started.



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Wednesday, June 22, 2022

What Are the Odds of a Recession and How Much Will It Hurt? Your Questions Answered - CNET

Recessions often follow a period of high inflation and low unemployment.

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What Novavax, the Newest COVID Vaccine, Could Mean for Future COVID Protection - CNET

The FDA is expected to authorize a fourth COVID-19 vaccine, but how it'll be used remains unclear.

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Here's the Best Way for Businesses to Save Big on Prime Day - CNET

The Amazon Business Prime American Express Card nets you the best rewards and financing options on Amazon.

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Best Prime Day AirPods Deals: Save $74 on AirPods Pro, $119 on AirPods Max and More - CNET

Ahead of Prime Day, Amazon is offering some great discounts on many AirPods models right now.

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Heat Domes and Surging Grid Demand Threaten US Power Grids with Blackouts

A new report shows a sharp increase in peak electricity demand, leading to blackout concerns in multiple states. Here's how experts say ...