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Archived Technology Notes
Published in 2020
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Professor Says Edge Is the Worst for Privacy. Microsoft Isn't Happy
by chris matyszczyk
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Could it be that Google was right to accuse Microsoft Edge of being insecure? New research suggested it's the least private browser you can have. So I asked Redmond what it thought.
There they were, fighting like little children.
The emergence of Microsoft's new Edge browser appeared to have Google in a tantrum-filled tizzy.
Google accused Edge of being insecure. Which, coming from Google, bordered on entertaining. In turn, Microsoft sniffed that apps from the Google Chrome Web store would mess up Edge's slick functioning.
Then along came an apparently impartial referee to offer a truly grim assessment.
Professor Douglas Leith, from the School of Computer Science and Statistics at Trinity College, Dublin, decided to examine web browser privacy in some detail. Detail is what academics do.
His conclusions made for bracing reading.
Leith studied how all the main browsers communicate with backend servers. He described his results like this: "We find that the browsers split into three distinct groups from this privacy perspective. In the first (most private) group lies Brave, in the second Chrome, Firefox and Safari, and in the third (least private) group lie Edge and Yandex."
Read full story at ZDNet…
first published week of: 03/30/2020
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'Super Mario Maker 2' Update Lets You Create Overworld Maps
by Mariella Moon
Nintendo will soon start rolling out the final major update for Super Mario Maker 2, and it comes with a feature that gives you the power to make a whole new Mario game. The update will give you access to the “World Maker” mode, which lets you tie together multiple courses in a Super Mario World-like map.
If you’re up for it, you can combine as many as eight worlds encompassing up to 40 courses from starting point to the end castle — and, yes, you can share your game with friends.
The update also lets you add Koopalings to courses, as well as power-ups and course parts from Super Mario Bros. 2.
Read full story at engadget…
first published week of: 04/27/2020
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10 Facebook Privacy and Security Settings You Need to Change Right Now
by James Gelinas
Facebook has touched nearly every aspect of our lives in the past decade, and it looks like it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. The social media titan boasts 2.45 billion monthly active users, with 1.62 billion users visiting the platform on a daily basis.
And now Facebook is working itself into our professional lives through its new video chatting service that directly competes with Zoom.
If you’re relying on Facebook more to stay in touch, it’s the perfect time to adjust your privacy and security settings. Here’s how.
Read full story at Komando.com…
first published week of: 05/11/2020
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10 Quick Ways to Clear Space on an Overstuffed Android Device
Zap cached app files in a single tap, clear the Downloads folder, delete unneeded offline maps, take charge of music downloads, and more.
Few things in life are as annoying as finding that your Android handset refuses to install any more app updates because it’s run out of storage. Unlike many of life’s little annoyances, though, this one’s easy to fix. You can't do anything about your system files, but you can quickly clear out precious gigs by sweeping up stale downloads, rooting out offline maps and documents, clearing caches, and wiping unneeded music and video files. And if these tips don’t do the trick, check out our picks for the best Android phones for every need and budget.
Read full story at PCWorld…
first published week of: 06/29/2020
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11 Bold Predictions for the Next Decade in Tech
by Lance Ulanoff
Goodbye awkward teens, hello 2020s: The next decade in tech
As a rule, I never look forward without looking back. I truly believe that, as the saying goes, the past is prologue. In the days and weeks leading up to this now almost exhausted decade, we had high hopes and predictions for:
- A rapidly growing Internet
- Vast and unprecedented miniaturization
- Nano technology
- The end of physical computers
- On-retina displays
- Conversations with virtual assistants
- An artificial brain
Read full story at Lifewire…
first published week of: 01/06/2020
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15 Power User Tips for Microsoft Teams
by John Brandon and Howard Wen
Take collaboration to the next level with these Teams tips and tricks.
A latecomer to the group chat scene, Microsoft Teams has become a powerful corporate collaboration application. Because it’s included with most Office 365 business subscriptions, many companies already own it and are turning to it as they get up to speed with a fully remote workforce in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.
Like other chat tools, Teams lets you set up multiple channels (discussion areas) for your team, share and store files, and conduct live voice and video meetings. As part of Office 365, Teams integrates well with other Microsoft apps and services like Word, OneNote, Planner, and SharePoint. Indeed, Microsoft is in the process of replacing Skype for Business with Teams as the primary communications client in Office 365.
If you need help getting started with Teams, see our Microsoft Teams cheat sheet. Once you’ve mastered the basics, try the following tips to get more out of this powerful collaboration tool.
Read full story at Computerworld…
first published week of: 05/11/2020
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17 Online Ways to Keep Kids Educated and Entertained
by
These are strange times we’re living through—times when many of us are spending more time at home, and that includes the kids. If you’ve got younger children stuck indoors for longer than would normally be the case, we’ve picked out a bunch of online resources for you to point them towards. All you need is a web browser.
This first one’s a bit of a gimme. Amazon just made some of its Prime Video material for younger ages free to view, no subscription required. It includes a lot of age-appropriate stuff that’s a little more curated than what you might find blindly searching YouTube. Like the Amazon Original Pete the Cat and the more classic Arthur.
first published week of: 04/20/2020
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20 Ingenious inventions for 2020 that will soon be sold out
by Mike Johnson
We have kept an eye on sales of new inventions in the last decade, and the following 20 products will sell like hotcakes in the first months of 2020 (each with an average user rating of 4.5 stars). Grab one of these for yourself or as a gift while the offers are still available! There is only one catch with these ingenious inventions... they are only available ONLINE. You won't find them in retail. For the inventors it is expensive to sell in retail, so the most innovative inventions at the moment are only available online. And as a thank you to our readers we have negotiated with the manufacturers to get exclusive special offers for first time buyers! Most of our finds are available for less than $60. They are perfectly suitable as a gift or if you simply want to treat yourself to something. Check back regularly, we will update the list constantly!
Read full story at Tech Gadgets Tends…
first published week of: 01/06/2020
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25 Best macOS Big Sur Tips and Tricks
by Dilum Senevirathne
Check out these awesome tips and tricks to get the most out of macOS Big Sur update on your MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, or iMac.
With macOS Big Sur, Apple re-engineered the entire macOS UI to be more in line with that of the iPhone and iPad. The strikingly unMac-like Dock icons may’ve thrown you off guard at first, but the spacious-looking native apps with full-height sidebars and the translucent menu bar are undoubtedly examples of great design. That aside, macOS Big Sur comes with a host of exciting new features — you can check out a list of the best here. There’s also a fair share of tips and tricks that you can readily make use of on your MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, or iMac. Now that macOS Big Sur Let’s go through them below.
macOS Big Sur is a big update that brings plenty of new features and usability changes. Do make your time in getting used to the OS as at first glance, the changes might seem a bit overwhelming. You can also go through our compilation of macOS Big Sur tips and tricks below to know how you can use the OS better.
Read full story at iPhone Hacks…
first published week of: 11/16/2020
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3 Charged in Massive Twitter Hack, Bitcoin Scam
by AP
A British man, a Florida man and a Florida teen hacked the Twitter accounts of prominent politicians, celebrities and technology moguls to scam people around globe out of more than $100,000 in Bitcoin, authorities said Friday.
Graham Ivan Clark, 17, was arrested Friday in Tampa, where the Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office will prosecute him as adult. He faces 30 felony charges, according to a news release. Mason Sheppard, 19, of Bognor Regis, U.K., and Nima Fazeli, 22, of Orlando, were charged in California federal court.
Today’s charging announcement demonstrates that the elation of nefarious hacking into a secure environment for fun or profit will be short-lived. U.S. Attorney David L. Anderson for the Northern District of California
In one of the most high-profile security breaches in recent years, hackers sent out bogus tweets on July 15 from the accounts of Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Mike Bloomberg and a number of tech billionaires including Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Celebrities Kanye West and his wife, Kim Kardashian West, were also hacked.
The tweets offered to send $2,000 for every $1,000 sent to an anonymous Bitcoin address.
“There is a false belief within the criminal hacker community that attacks like the Twitter hack can be perpetrated anonymously and without consequence,” U.S. Attorney David L. Anderson for the Northern District of California said in a news release. “Today’s charging announcement demonstrates that the elation of nefarious hacking into a secure environment for fun or profit will be short-lived.”
Read full story at AP…
first published week of: 08/03/2020