Microsoft launched a new build to the Windows 11 Insider Dev channel on Friday and with it comes a Game Pass ad in Settings.
>Microsoft's announcement: "We are introducing a new Game Pass recommendation card on the Settings homepage. The Game Pass recommendation card on Settings Homepage will be shown to you if you actively play games on your PC. As a reminder – the Settings homepage will be shown only on the Home and Pro editions of Windows 11 and if you’re signed into Windows with your Microsoft account."
Unbundling Teams from Office has apparently failed to impress EU regulators.
>Brussels is set to issue new antitrust charges against Microsoft over concerns that the software giant is undermining rivals to its videoconferencing app Teams.
>According to three people with knowledge of the move, the European Commission is pressing ahead with a formal charge sheet against the world’s most valuable listed tech company over concerns it is restricting competition in the sector.
>Rivals are concerned that Microsoft will make Teams run more compatibly than rival apps with its own software. Another concern is the lack of data portability, which makes it difficult for existing Teams users to switch to alternatives.
>The tech company has also faced complaints from European cloud computing providers that are concerned that Microsoft is abusing its dominant position in the sector to force users to buy its products and squashing competition from smaller start-ups in Europe.
The new open ecosystem of extensions on Firefox for Android launched in December with just over 400 extensions. Less than five months later we’ve surpassed 1,000 Firefox for Android extensions. ...
>The new open ecosystem of extensions on Firefox for Android launched in December with just over 400 extensions. Less than five months later we’ve surpassed 1,000 Firefox for Android extensions. That’s an impressive achievement by this developer community! It’s exciting to see so many developers embrace the opportunity to explore new creative possibilities for mobile browser customization.
>What are some of your favorite new Firefox for Android extensions?
Speaking during the company's latest earnings briefing, EA CEO Andrew Wilson said in-game advertising could become a "meaningful driver of growth" for the firm.
>EA has tried this before, with predictable results. In 2020, EA Sports UFC 4 included full-screen ads for the Amazon Prime series The Boys that would appear during 'Replay' moments. These were absent from the game when it launched, with EA introducing the ads about a month later, thereby preventing them from being highlighted in reviews. It wasn't long before the backlash led to EA disabling the ads.
Official releases of GrapheneOS, a security and privacy focused mobile OS with Android app compatibility.
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Mullvad VPN's blog post: DNS traffic can leak outside the VPN tunnel on Android >Identified scenarios where the Android OS can leak DNS traffic: >- If a VPN is active without any DNS server configured. >- For a short period of time while a VPN app is re-configuring the tunnel or is being force stopped/crashes. > >The leaks seem to be limited to direct calls to the C function getaddrinfo. > >The above applies regardless of whether Always-on VPN and Block connections without VPN is enabled or not, which is not expected OS behavior and should therefore be fixed upstream in the OS. > >We’ve been able to confirm that these leaks occur in multiple versions of Android, including the latest version (Android 14). > >We have reported the issues and suggested improvements to Google and hope that they will address this quickly.
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GrapheneOS 2024050900 release changelog announcement: >prevent app-based VPN implementations from leaking DNS requests when the VPN is down/connecting (this is a preliminary defense against this issue and more research is required, along with apps preventing the leaks on their end or they'll still have leaks outside of GrapheneOS)
Report claims new tracking starts May 13 with unclear consequences.
>After reversing its position on remote work, Dell is reportedly implementing new tracking techniques on May 13 to ensure its workers are following the company's return-to-office (RTO) policy, The Register reported today, citing anonymous sources.
>Dell will track employees' badge swipes and VPN connections to confirm that workers are in the office for a significant amount of time.
>Dell's methods for tracking hybrid workers will also reportedly include a color-coding system. From "consistent" to "limited" presence, the colors are blue, green, yellow, and red.
>The Register reported today that approximately 50 percent of Dell's US workers are remote, compared to 66 percent of international workers.
>An examination of 457 companies on the S&P 500 list released in February concluded that RTO mandates don't drive company value but instead negatively affect worker morale. Analysis of survey data from more than 18,000 working Americans released in March found that flexible workplace policies, including the ability to work remotely completely or part-time and flexible schedules, can help employees' mental health.
Non paywall link: https://archive.is/f28Lv
The inclusion of 'Elon Musk's' in the headline was not done manually; it was automatically generated when the post was created. I have not edited the generated headline. You can verify this by attempting to create a post with the same link.
Hopeful candidates will have to be open to crawling and squatting for up to 12 hours a day
Prosecutors are combing subpoenaed materials for evidence Tesla knowingly misled.
Even if you have encrypted your traffic with a VPN (or the Tor Network), advanced traffic analysis is a growing threat against your privacy. Therefore, we now introduce DAITA.
>Even if you have encrypted your traffic with a VPN (or the Tor Network), advanced traffic analysis is a growing threat against your privacy. Therefore, we now introduce DAITA.
>Through constant packet sizes, random background traffic and data pattern distortion we are taking the first step in our battle against sophisticated traffic analysis.
Even if you have encrypted your traffic with a VPN (or the Tor Network), advanced traffic analysis is a growing threat against your privacy. Therefore, we now introduce DAITA.
>Even if you have encrypted your traffic with a VPN (or the Tor Network), advanced traffic analysis is a growing threat against your privacy. Therefore, we now introduce DAITA.
>Through constant packet sizes, random background traffic and data pattern distortion we are taking the first step in our battle against sophisticated traffic analysis.
HouseFresh’s search traffic has fallen by 91 percent.
>In February, HouseFresh managing editor Gisele Navarro called out publishers like BuzzFeed and Rolling Stone as some of the culprits that publish content about air purifiers despite a lack of expertise — but Google rewards these sites with high rankings all the same. The result is a search results page filled with SEO-first content, designed to do not much more than rank highly on Google.
>In a piece published today, she says HouseFresh has “virtually disappeared” from search results: search traffic has decreased 91 percent in recent months, from around 4,000 visitors a day in October 2023 to 200 a day today.
>“We lost rankings we held for months (and sometimes years) for articles that are constantly being updated and improved based on findings from our first-hand and in-depth testing, our long-term experience with the products, and feedback from our readers,” Navarro writes. “Our article [previously ranked at #2] is now buried deep beneath sponsored posts, Quora advice from 2016, best-of lists from big media sites, and no less than 64 Google Shopping product listings. Sixty. Four.”
>SEO-first affiliate content is being deployed ruthlessly at countless sites.
>There is no obvious editorial necessity for Forbes to write articles like “Top 20 Largest Dog Breeds” or “What Fruits Can Dogs Eat?” — until you take a look at the sidebar of these stories, which are filled with dozens of affiliate links for pet insurance that Forbes gets a kickback from every time someone signs up.
>Last year, when CNET was discovered to be using artificial intelligence tools to produce dozens of stories, it was SEO-heavy “evergreen” articles it focused on first. In the cases of Sports Illustrated and USA Today’s AI content debacles, it also was product reviews that were being churned out using automation tools.
>The aggressive targeting of top Google search spots — with or without AI — by big media outlets affects small sites like HouseFresh the most. A significant loss of traffic for independent publishers is often enough to shutter an outlet entirely.
Disappointing streaming changes are happening so fast that it's hard to keep up.
>Below is a look at the most exasperating news from streaming services from this week. The scale of this article demonstrates how fast and frequently disappointing streaming news arises. Coincidentally, as we wrote this article, another price hike was announced.
>We'll also examine each streaming platform's financial status to get an idea of what these companies are thinking (spoiler: They're thinking about money).
>Netflix starts killing its cheapest ad-free plan in June
>Sony bumps Crunchyroll prices weeks after shuttering Funimation
>Peacock is raising prices
>Fubo cuts 19 channels
>In a seemingly desperate push, many streaming services prioritize revenue and profits ahead of building the best streaming service for customers.
>We could go on about how this might force people to reconsider their subscriptions, but we should publish before another service makes yet another policy change.
Storing 2FA codes is just the beginning. Bitwarden aims to add defense in depth to authentication.
>Bitwarden Authenticator is a standalone app that is available for everyone, even non-Bitwarden customers.
>In its current release, Bitwarden Authenticator generates time-based one-time passwords (TOTP) for users who want to add an extra layer of 2FA security to their logins.
>There is a comprehensive roadmap planned with additional functionality.
>Available for iOS and Android
Storing 2FA codes is just the beginning. Bitwarden aims to add defense in depth to authentication.
>Bitwarden Authenticator is a standalone app that is available for everyone, even non-Bitwarden customers.
>In its current release, Bitwarden Authenticator generates time-based one-time passwords (TOTP) for users who want to add an extra layer of 2FA security to their logins.
>There is a comprehensive roadmap planned with additional functionality.
>Available for iOS and Android
“Deceptive advertising and misinformation posed a risk to public health."
>“[Razer] falsely claimed, in the midst of a global pandemic, that their face mask was the equivalent of an N95 certified respirator,” Samuel Levine, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement.
>Razer never got the Zephyr tested by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health or the US Food and Drug Administration and the Zephyr never received N95 certification.
>The FTC's complaint against Razer, which is best known for high-priced, RGB-riddled PC gaming peripherals, claimed that Razer continued promoting the Zephyr despite consultants highlighting the mask's lack of certification and protection.
>Razer reportedly refunded fewer than 6 percent of Zephyr purchases in the US.
>However, the proposed settlement against Razer includes a $100,000 civil penalty, plus $1,071,254.33, which the FTC said is equal to the amount of revenue Razer made from the Zephyr and will go toward refunding "defrauded consumers."
Tesla is also getting rid of its public policy team, despite robotaxi ambitions.
The Federal Communications Commission on Monday fined the largest U.S. wireless carriers nearly $200 million for illegally sharing access to customers’ location information.
>The carriers sold "real-time location information to data aggregators, allowing this highly sensitive data to wind up in the hands of bail-bond companies, bounty hunters, and other shady actors," FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement.
>"Smartphones are always with us, and as a result these devices know where we are at any given moment," Rosenworcel said. Citing the sensitivity of geolocation data, she added, "In the wrong hands, it can provide those who wish to do us harm the ability to locate us with pinpoint accuracy."
About Neuters: >This is an alternative frontend to Reuters. It is intented to be lightweight, fast and was heavily inspired by Nitter. >- No JavaScript or ads >- No tracking >- No cookies >- Lightweight (usually <10KiB vs 50MiB from Reuters) >- Dynamic Theming (respects system theme) >- You can install libredirect or this browser extension to automatically forwards all reuters links to this site.
Google says pause ads on YouTube are getting a very positive reaction from advertisers. The company could roll them out widely soon.
>YouTube first spoke about pause ads last year when it started trialing them in select regions. At the time, the company said that when you pause a video, it will shrink, and an ad will appear next to it.
Example: !
>“In Q1, we saw strong traction from the introduction of a pause ads pilot on connected TVs, a new non-interruptive ad format that appears when users pause their organic content,” Schindler noted. He went on to share that YouTube’s pause ads are “driving strong brand lift results” and “are commanding premium pricing from advertisers.”
>Schindler didn’t share any timelines for when pause ads will start appearing on YouTube, but we know they’ll first roll out on smart TVs. The nature of these ads, including their duration, skippability, and more is still unclear. We also don’t know if Google plans to introduce these ads on YouTube’s mobile apps.
The "AI mouse" is just the start.
>Earlier this year, Microsoft added a new key to Windows keyboards for the first time since 1994. Before the news dropped, your mind might’ve raced with the possibilities and potential usefulness of a new addition. However, the button ended up being a Copilot launcher button that doesn’t even work in an innovative way.
>Logitech announced a new mouse last week. I was disappointed to learn that the most distinct feature of the Logitech Signature AI Edition M750 is a button located south of the scroll wheel. This button is preprogrammed to launch the ChatGPT prompt builder, which Logitech recently added to its peripherals configuration app Options+.
>Similarly to Logitech, Nothing is trying to give its customers access to ChatGPT quickly. In this case, access occurs by pinching the device. This month, Nothing announced that it "integrated Nothing earbuds and Nothing OS with ChatGPT to offer users instant access to knowledge directly from the devices they use most, earbuds and smartphones."
>In the gaming world, for example, MSI announced this year a monitor with a built-in NPU and the ability to quickly show League of Legends players when an enemy from outside of their field of view is arriving.
>Another example is AI Shark's vague claims. This year, it announced technology that brands could license in order to make an "AI keyboard," "AI mouse," "AI game controller" or "AI headphones." The products claim to use some unspecified AI tech to learn gaming patterns and adjust accordingly.
>Despite my pessimism about the droves of AI marketing hype, if not AI washing, likely to barrage the next couple of years of tech announcements, I have hope that consumer interest and common sense will yield skepticism that stops some of the worst so-called AI gadgets from getting popular or misleading people.
Broadband lobby groups prepare lawsuit, calling rules a "net fatality."
>The Federal Communications Commission voted 3–2 to impose net neutrality rules today, restoring the common-carrier regulatory framework enforced during the Obama era and then abandoned while Trump was president.
>The rules prohibit Internet service providers from blocking and throttling lawful content and ban paid prioritization.
>"Consumers have made clear to us they do not want their broadband provider cutting sweetheart deals, with fast lanes for some services and slow lanes for others," FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said at today's meeting.
the purpose of this post is not to endorse the use of Reddit (
), but rather to inform users of a privacy-friendly approach in case they need to utilize the platform.
Note: If the link isn't working for you or if you can't find the app, update the default F-Droid repository in your F-Droid client.
Note: If the link isn’t working for you or if you can’t find the app, update the default F-Droid repository in your F-Droid client.
Note: If the link isn't working for you or if you can't find the app, update the default F-Droid repository in your F-Droid client.
i deleted the crossposts of this post from /c/[email protected] and /c/[email protected] (because protonmail is a faux-opensource snakeoil privacy product) and flagged the posts in other communities as spam.
I find your response discouraging, and your actions appear excessive. While Proton may not be flawless, it does offer superior privacy protection when compared to commonly used options like Google and Microsoft.
I volunteered my time and effort to craft the post, including citations, offering more background information, and incorporating reliable links to official resources. However, you made claims without substantiation, deleted the crossposts of my post from /c/[email protected] and /c/[email protected], and flagged the posts in other communities as spam. Your decision seems to be unsupported by members of the four communities I had shared my post to.
It's disheartening to see such actions taken without proper consideration, thereby causing harm to the privacy community at large. Avoiding hasty decisions that may stifle valuable contributions within the privacy community should be paramount. Consequently, I respectfully ask you to reconsider your initial reaction, abstaining from premature removals rooted in personal opinions devoid of solid backing.
By embracing a balanced stance that values both freedom of expression and responsible fact-checking, we contribute positively towards nurturing healthy debates and maintaining transparent communication channels. In light of this, I hope you will take the necessary steps to reinstate the removed posts, allowing for continued conversation on their merits.
Edit: You have now banned me from both of those communities.
Edit: You have deleted another post of mine from c/[email protected] that was titled "Chat Control May Finally Be Dead: European Court Rules That Weakening Encryption Is Illegal", with your reason being that it is "snakeoil spam" even though the community members do not think so (the post has more than 750 upvotes)
The nonprofit software house argues that users, without coercion, manipulation, or deception, should be able to: download and install any alternative, legitimate browser; set that browser as their default; and use their chosen browser on an ongoing basis.
The report defines various manipulative interface patterns like "Confirmshaming", "Forced Action", "Visual Interference", and "Disguised Ads."
The nonprofit software house argues that users, without coercion, manipulation, or deception, should be able to: download and install any alternative, legitimate browser; set that browser as their default; and use their chosen browser on an ongoing basis.
The report defines various manipulative interface patterns like "Confirmshaming", "Forced Action", "Visual Interference", and "Disguised Ads."
I'm glad to hear that.
Even small, simple steps can go a long way towards safeguarding your data, so keep up the good work!
Apps are typically removed from the IzzyOnDroid repository if they are later added to the main F-Droid repository. While that makes sense (since the goal of that particular repository is to host apps before they’re accepted into the main F-Droid repository), it can leave you with installed apps which no longer receive updates.
Apps are typically removed from the IzzyOnDroid repository if they are later added to the main F-Droid repository. While that makes sense (since the goal of that particular repository is to host apps before they're accepted into the main F-Droid repository), it can leave you with installed apps which no longer receive updates.
The developer could introduce Pixel tracking, or Google AdMob, but i scan all installs with App Manager, and RethinkDNS is set to block those anyway.
This is not something most users practice. Many users did not even know that SMT was acquired. When SMT was acquired, the F-Droid team disabled auto-updates to safeguard users and mentioned it in their weekly news. Whereas on the Google Play Store, trackers and new permissions were added to the apps, and I wonder how many users noticed that.
Therefore, I try to recommend safer and simpler methods.
Ultimately, it is up to each user to consider all sides of the discussion and make an informed decision.
QKSMS hasn’t received updates in a few years
Incorrect. It was updated on 2023-01-19.
As for QUIK, I prefer my apps to be available on F-Droid due to their higher privacy and security standards when compared to GitHub releases.
Android's Messages, Dialer apps quietly sent text, call info to Google
Google's Messages and Dialer apps for Android devices have been collecting and sending data to Google without specific notice and consent, and without offering the opportunity to opt-out, potentially in violation of Europe's data protection law.
According to a research paper, "What Data Do The Google Dialer and Messages Apps On Android Send to Google?" [PDF], by Trinity College Dublin computer science professor Douglas Leith, Google Messages (for text messaging) and Google Dialer (for phone calls) have been sending data about user communications to the Google Play Services Clearcut logger service and to Google's Firebase Analytics service.
"The data sent by Google Messages includes a hash of the message text, allowing linking of sender and receiver in a message exchange," the paper says. "The data sent by Google Dialer includes the call time and duration, again allowing linking of the two handsets engaged in a phone call. Phone numbers are also sent to Google."
The timing and duration of other user interactions with these apps has also been transmitted to Google. And Google offers no way to opt-out of this data collection.
One option is QKSMS
Another is Connect You
Fossify Messages (fork of Simple SMS Messenger) should be released on F-Droid sometime soon.
IzzyOnDroid releases do not follow the same privacy and security standards as F-Droid does, so I wouldn't be recommending them.
It hasn't been released on F-Droid.
- In my opinion, the article provides valuable information that can help users avoid potential risks.
- Since different communities have distinct user bases, crossposts may not necessarily appear repeatedly for individual users.
- The article contains useful information applicable to users across all three communities.
- I'm not affiliated with the sources of the posts I share, nor do I profit from sharing them. My goal is to promote healthy privacy and security practices by voluntarily posting helpful content.
- After reviewing the rules, I don't believe I'm violating any regulations.
That said, I'm genuinely curious to know what your concerns are, and look forward to hearing your thoughts.
I think the last paragraph OP posted really highlights the niche risk it poses.
Indeed, it does.
The GrapheneOS part of things feels a little baity.
I am not affiliated with GrapheneOS in any way. I have mentioned GrapheneOS because it is the only Android-based, open source, privacy and security-focused mobile operating system I'm aware of which offers the functionality to disable sensors for each app while also happening to be recommended by PrivacyGuides as the best choice when it comes to privacy and security. If you happen to know of better alternatives, please provide your reasoning and I will gladly list them too.