Google Shopping gets a price tracker and a new ‘Buy on Google’ guarantee
Google Shopping is getting a slew of new features to make the retail site a little more robust, including price tracking and a "Buy on Google" guarantee. The latter is an icon you'll see next to certain products, and it means you'll get 24/7 access to customer service, easy checkout, and free returns up to 90 days.
The web gets more secure as Cloudflare, Firefox, and Chrome adopt HTTP/3
Websites could soon become more responsive and more secure as they adopt a new version of HTTP. As announced by Cloudflare, preliminary support for HTTP/3 is rolling out this week. The Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox browsers will be joining Cloudflare in supporting HTTP/3 soon.
Doordash data breach affects 4.9 million people, divulges physical addresses
Doordash has disclosed a data breach that occurred earlier this year and affected a massive 4.9 million people. Compromised information included names, email addresses, and even physical addresses. The data breach occurred in May, and does not affect users who signed up for the service after April 5, 2018.
YouTube removes verification from channels, faces backlash, reverifies everyone
YouTube is facing a backlash from its content creators once again, this time for taking away and then re-instating the verification of a large number of channels. On Thursday, many YouTube channels were unverified. After significant complaints from content creators, the company re-verified the accounts.
You should update the LastPass password manager browser extension immediately
LastPass has patched a loophole that exposed your last used password. Originally reported by a Google security researcher last month, the security flaw allowed malicious websites to trick the browser extension into giving away credentials you entered on a previous site. Here's how to make sure LastPass is updated.
Google will promote original reporting in its search rankings
Google has announced it will elevate original reporting in search and news results, promoting in-depth news coverage which includes elements of investigation. It hopes that this will draw attention to quality news stories and credit individuals or publications which break news stories.
AirPods, iPhones, and Apple Watches could jump in price due to the trade war
Apple's iPhones, Macs, AirPods and more are about to get hit with an increase tariffs on Chinese-made goods starting in September and again in December. President Donald Trump announced the tariffs as part of the United States' ongoing trade war with China
YouTube is testing an Add to Queue feature. Here’s how to try it
YouTube is testing a new Add to Queue option for its website. The feature allows you to append videos and edit the current playback queue. Since it's in public beta, you can try it out right now.
Brits love click-and-collect shopping, but many fail to pick up their items
Click-and-collect services let online shoppers place an order which they can then pick up at a time of their choosing. The option is becoming increasingly popular, but in the U.K. the results of a recent survey reveal that many Brits are failing to collect their orders. So what's going on?
FogCam, the world’s longest-running webcam, is about to be switched off
For the last 25 years, FogCam has been showing San Francisco’s famous fog — or not depending on the weather. It has become the longest-running webcam in the world, but its creators have decided to call it a day and plan to switch off FogCam at the end of August 2019. Fans of fog will surely miss it.
Apple Arcade will reportedly cost $5 a month when it launches this fall
When Apple releases Apple Arcade to the public, it will likely come with a $5-a-month price tag. According to a promotional message found in that code, Apple Arcade will be $4.99 per month, after a customer completes a one-month free trial. A solid launch date has yet to be announced.
Ebay plays a card from Amazon’s deck with third-party end-to-end fulfillment
Busy eBay merchants have a new way to fulfill orders. Sellers won't have to schlep to the post office to score Priority Mail-branded shipping materials. Sellers can also get out of packing and lugging sold goods to the post office. eBay's Managed Delivery service is now available to high-volume eBay sellers.
About a third of U.S. households lack broadband internet. 5G may change that
A new report from The NPD Group says that almost a third of U.S. households do not have access to broadband internet, and that many of these households are in rural communities. Broadband is considered to be a minimum of 25Mbps or greater. However, 5G could help bring broadband to underserved communities.
Does Twitter’s new design make you grumpy? Use this extension to turn back time
Hating on Twitter's new app-like desktop platform with larger controls and a completely new layout? A new Firefox extension will take users back to the old design -- plus there's a built-in workaround for any browser, if you're patient enough. Here's how to go back to the old Twitter.com design.
Equifax agrees to pay $700 million settlement for its 2017 data breach
Consumer credit reporting agency Equifax will pay a $700 million settlement for its 2017 data breach. The settlement includes payments and fines to be paid to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the states and up to $425 million in restitution for consumers affected by the data breach.
Pegasus spyware can break into users’ cloud accounts and steal data
An Israeli software company which creates spyware has developed a tool with the ability to break into users' cloud-based accounts. The Pegasus software developed by the NSO Group has been advertised as being able to copy authentication keys and access cloud services like Google Drive or iCloud.
Today’s Google Doodle celebrates the 50th anniversary of the moon landing
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11’s lunar landing, Google has created an interactive Google Doodle that takes users to the moon. The Google Doodle, made in partnership with NASA, features a short illustrated video narrated by Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins.
Chrome browser to add audio and video controls to address bar
Google's Chrome browser will soon be getting a nifty feature: Media controls which let you interact with currently playing videos in your browser from the address bar. You can preview the feature in the Chrome nightly developer build, Canary version 77, where Google rolls out new experimental features.
Firefox’s ad-free premium browser will cost $4.99 a month
Last month, Mozilla revealed that it would offer a paid version of its popular Firefox browser, and now a page on Mozilla's website has more information. It will be charging $4.99 per month for ad-free access to some as yet unnamed journalism websites.
Gmail tracks everything you purchase and you STILL can’t delete it or opt out
In May, it was revealed that Google was tracking the purchase history of its users, through a little-known Purchases page which pulls information from Gmail emails like order confirmations. This was bad enough, but it gets worse. Even when emails are deleted, the information remains on the Purchases page.
Security vulnerabilities found in three quarters of mobile apps
Three quarters of Android and iOS apps have security vulnerabilities related to insecure data storage, according to a new report. The insecure storage of data from apps could lead to information like passwords, financial details, personal data, and communications being accessible by hackers.
Another vulnerability found in Dell’s security bloatware, users must update ASAP
It's been a rough week for security issues at Dell. A serious security vulnerability in the company's SupportAssist software was disclosed by cybersecurity firm SafeBreach. Dell swiftly released a patch, so if you have a Dell machine, you should update it straight away.
Maker Media, the company behind MAKE magazine and Maker Faire events, shuts down
Sad news for DIY enthusiasts: Maker Media, the company which runs the Maker Faire events and which produces the magazine MAKE, is shutting down. The company has laid off all its staff and is ceasing operations. MAKE inspired and reported on thousands of makers in its lifetime.
NSA warns about Windows exploit, ignores its own role in creation of malware
In a rare occurrence, the National Security Agency (NSA) has published a statement urging people to update their older Windows systems to protect against the BlueKeep vulnerability. The NSA does not typically comment on cybersecurity vulnerabilities in commercial products.
Wikipedia angry at North Face after retailer gamed its site for free ads
An offbeat ad campaign by The North Face has landed it in hot water with Wikipedia. The outdoor apparel company gamed the online encyclopedia to score some free advertising via Google Search, and said it had permission from the nonprofit organization to do so. But Wikipedia said otherwise.
Google Cloud outage hits YouTube, G Suite, Nest, and more
A Google Cloud outage on Sunday hit millions of users around the world, impacting online services such as YouTube, Gmail, and Nest. Users on the East Coast and in California appear to be the most affected. The problems come a couple of months after Facebook suffered the worst disruption in its history.
Tech companies and security experts pan U.K.’s encryption backdoor proposal
Tech companies, civil rights groups, and security experts have released an open letter condemning the U.K. security agency GCHQ's proposal to circumvent encryption on private messages. The proposal suggested that encrypted messages should be copied and sent to law enforcement agencies.
Ransomware tool causing chaos in Baltimore was developed by the NSA
A recent spate of ransomware attacks in Baltimore and other U.S. cities has been executed using a tool developed by the National Security Agency (NSA). Thousands of people in Baltimore have been locked out of their computers in the past three weeks, causing disruption across the city.
Hey Google, let’s order out: Food delivery comes to Search, Maps, and Assistant
It's easier than ever to get your favorite grub delivered to your door or order it for pickup as Google integrates online food ordering into Google Search and Google Maps. You can even ask Google Assistant to order your favorite dish without having to pick up your phone or touch your computer.
Creators of WhatsApp attack software face lawsuit from Amnesty International
This week an attack was launched on WhatsApp that could install spyware with just a missed call. Now the Israeli firm linked to that attack is facing a lawsuit from human rights NGO Amnesty International, alleging their software has been used to surveil Amnesty staff and other human rights defenders.
Gmail logs your purchase history, undermining Google’s commitment to privacy
Google has tried to portray itself as privacy-focused, including an op-ed from CEO Sundar Pichai in the New York Times saying privacy should not be a luxury good. But Google tracks many of your online purchases, even if they are bought from a non-Google affiliated store like Amazon.
Amazon sellers had funds stolen by hackers in extensive six-month fraud
Around 100 Amazon sellers were targeted by hackers in a fraud that saw sales revenue and loans stolen from their accounts. Reports suggest that the fraudulent activity continued for six months before it was discovered. The crime occurred in 2018 but has only recently come to light.
Russians don’t like the new internet censorship law, but it’s happening anyway
A new piece of internet legislation in Russia could make it possible for the government to cut off access to international web sites and services. Although the Kremlin claims that it's for defensive purposes only, detractors are concerned it could lead to new levels of censorship in the country.
Massdrop rebrands itself as Drop, launches slate of new products
Massdrop wants to have a slightly more memorable name, and has rebranded itself to simply "Drop." Not only that, but the company also launched a series of new products, including new headphones, and a new mechanical keyboard, which offers RGB lighting and a sleek design.