"Paint" is one step closer to being a thing of the past. In May of this year, Microsoft caught a surprising amount of flak when they announced that the venerable app, which had been included with the OS in every release since 1985, would be going away and replaced by a newer, sleeker version called Paint 3D. The company had not expected any backlash on the matter and was sent scrambling when tens of thousands of people complained loudly in forums all over the internet. The company … Read more
Chrome OS To Get App Multitasking Soon
Chromebooks have brought Android apps to a much wider market, making them accessible to virtually everyone, but the Chrome OS has always lagged behind other platforms developmentally. One of its most serious limitations where running apps was concerned centered on its inability to multitask. Basically, if the app you're using is not "in focus" or in the window you're currently viewing, all activity in the app ceases. There are a few exceptions such as the Spotify app, but most apps that … Read more
Major Security Flaw Discovered In Intel Processors
There's some bad news if you own a computer driven by an Intel processor. Recently, a dangerous, catastrophic security flaw has been discovered in Intel's X86-64 architecture that allows hackers to access the kernel, which sits at the heart of your OS. By accessing the kernel, a hacker can gain access to virtually everything on the targeted machine. This is accomplished by way of a little-known feature called "speculative execution" which allows the processor to perform operations before … Read more
Older iPhones Are Being Purposefully Throttled, According To Apple
Not long ago, observant Reddit users noted and began discussing a curious phenomenon. It appeared that older iPhones were unexpectedly slowing down, and no one could name the reason why. It caught the attention of a number of security researchers who delved more deeply into the issue, including a man named John Poole, who confirmed the Reddit claims. His tests confirmed that on iPhone 6s and 7s, Apple made tweaks to iOS versions 10.2.1 through 11.2.0. These changes are designed to throttle … Read more
Corporate Attacks On The Rise Through Vulnerable Printers
Few things are more ubiquitous in an office environment than printers. Of course, these days, most printers are much more than simply that. They can also scan, copy and even send emails. As such, they've become an increasingly attractive option to hack, according to the latest data released by Barracuda Networks. The reason is simple. Most printers aren't as well protected as PCs and other devices on your network. They're the weak point in your company's defensive armor. The upsurge in … Read more
Apple Might Be Working On Universal Apps Across Mac, iOS
Apple has been quietly working on something called "Project Marzipan" for a couple of years now, and it appears that they're getting closer to unveiling it. The company seeks to bring its MacOS and iOS platforms closer together by developing universal apps that will work in either environment. This mirrors Microsoft's Universal Windows app strategy, where apps can detect the environment they're running on and adjust their display and navigation accordingly. Project Marzipan presents some … Read more
DirecTV Genie DVR May Have A Major Vulnerability
If you have a Genie DVR system, you should be aware of a major security flaw in the firmware that could allow a hacker to take complete control over the device. At issue is the equipment offered by AT&T as part of their free DireTV WVB Kit. Researchers of the ZDI initiative and Trend Micro discovered a zero-day vulnerability in one of the core components of the system, Linksys WVBR0-25, which is a Linux-powered wireless video bridge. It is this bridge that allows customers to connect up … Read more
Always Connected Laptops Could Be The Next Generation Of Hardware
What's the next big thing for the PC world? If the industry's major players have anything to say about it, it will be the "always-on" PC. Forget about plugging into your company's network. Forget about free WiFi Hotspots. With an always-on PC, you won't have to worry about either. If they're not available, your PC can connect via the same cellular data network your smartphone uses, which means you'll always be just a few mouse clicks away from your data. It sounds fantastic, but there is, … Read more
Large Number Of HP Models May Have Keyloggers
HP is in the news again. If you missed the initial story, earlier in the year, it was reported that an audio driver that came pre-installed on a number of HP laptops contained keylogging code that stored every keystroke made by the person using the machine to a human-readable file. Once discovered, HP issued a patch that removed the keylogging function and deleted the data file. Now, an independent security researcher going by the name "ZwClose" has discovered more built-in keyloggers in 460 … Read more
Some Websites Can Force Your Computer To Mine Cryptocurrency
Researchers at Malwarebytes have discovered a new exploit that allows malicious website owners to use your PC to mine various forms of cryptocurrency, even if you exit the browser window the malicious site was displayed on. The exploit relies on a smart pop-under trick. A code on the website determines your monitor's resolution and places a ghost browser session sitting behind the clock on the MS Windows task bar, where it continues to mine cryptocurrency, utilizing a portion of your CPU's … Read more
