Wednesday Newsbytes: Amazon Now Offers Passcodes; Chrome’s Massive Security Update; What is ClipChamp?; Microsoft Edge Poll asks Why You Don’t Want It … and more!
Every day we scan the tech world for interesting news in the world of technology and sometimes from outside the world of technology. Every Wednesday, we feature news articles that grabbed our attention over the past week. We hope you find this week’s ‘Wednesday Newsbytes’ informative and interesting!
Amazon Rolls Out Passkeys as Big Tech Bids Farewell to Passwords
Biometric data is quickly becoming your key to unlock the internet.
You can now use passkeys to sign into your Amazon account, the company announced on Monday. Amazon is following suit from other big tech players who are moving away from passwords and towards biometrics, such as your fingerprint or face, as well as pins to secure your digital identity.
“While passwords will still be around in the foreseeable future, this is an exciting step in the right direction,” said Amazon’s Senior VP of Ecommerce Dave Treadwell. “We are thrilled to be an early adopter of this new authentication method, helping to realize our vision for a more secure, passwordless internet.”
Passkeys are more secure than traditional passwords because they require a user’s actual device, not just your password, to break in. They’re highly effective at reducing phishing scams, and Amazon’s research says users prefer them to lengthy passwords.
Amazon’s passkeys will be just like the ones you use to unlock your device. For now, you have to manually set up passkeys in the app’s Login & Security settings, and passwords are still the default…
Google Chrome may get a massive privacy boost — here’s what’s new
Your IP address could be hidden
Chrome is the most popular browser right now, but people are starting to prefer privacy-focused browsers that don’t track their every move and serve personalized ads on a silver platter. It seems as though Google is in the process of rolling out an IP Protection feature in Chrome that could boost your in-browser privacy substantially.
This IP Protection tool, formerly known as Gnatcatcher on GitHub, was spotted by Bleeping Computer (via TechRadar). The tool would work by routing your web traffic through a Google-owned proxy server, essentially hiding your IP address from those wanting to track you. Eventually, Google might add another proxy server to this setup, so your IP address is further hidden, and neither server has access to your IP and destination URL.
Considering the fact that Google makes a lot of its money by tracking its users, selling data, and delivering personalized ads, this is an interesting move. Traffic will be routed through a Google-owned server, so Google will still have access to your original IP address and data, and they’ll most likely keep logs and use your data that way. Still, it’s a move in the right direction, but it won’t be available to everyone just yet.
How can you get Chrome’s new privacy feature?
Although Google will probably still collect, sell, and use your data for its own benefit, this IP protection tool can prevent other companies from targeting you and tracking your activity, as well as hide your IP address from malicious users.
The IP Protection tool will first be available to users who opt in, similar to Google Labs features like creating generative AI images through Search…
What is Clipchamp, and how do you use Microsoft’s video editor?
Learn how to take your videos to the next level with Clipchamp Microsoft video editor.
Microsoft recently purchased Clipchamp, a user-friendly video editing software that enables easy video creation for all, regardless of your editing experience. Here is everything you need to know about this Microsoft video editor and how you can use it to craft your first video content.
What is the Clipchamp video editor?
Clipchamp is a web-based video editing platform acquired by Microsoft in 2021. It allows you to combine your images, videos, and audio files, add effects and text, and then save the finished video to your device or share directly to TikTok and YouTube. Clipchamp brings significantly improved video editing capabilities to Windows 11. Its user-friendly design offers a streamlined editing experience for novice and more experienced video editors.
What is Clipchamp Microsoft video editor used for?
You can use Clipchamp Microsoft video editor to…
Google Chrome users: Microsoft Edge wants to know why you don’t want it
Microsoft Edge has a new poll begging for answers.
Edge has been on a campaign to dissuade web surfers from using Google Chrome. From banners that inform users that it runs on the same engine as Chrome (i.e., Chromium) to making it challenging for Windows users to make Chrome their default browser, Microsoft isn’t making it easy for users to ditch Edge.
However, as Neowin spotted, it looks like Edge is taking it one step further with a poll.
Microsoft asks Google Chrome users why they don’t want Edge
If you download Chrome (after ignoring several prompts that try to discourage you from doing so), a poll will appear on the side saying the following…
Report: These 8 Scams Are Costing Seniors Millions
Senior citizens continue to be prime targets of scammers and criminals.
In a new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report, Protecting Older Consumers 2022-2023, it says that while younger people reported being victimized by fraud more frequently than older Americans, seniors reported much higher losses. They lost $1.6 billion to scams last year!
In this article, I’ll outline the methods criminals are using to defraud older people. I’ll also share tips from money expert Clark Howard and Team Clark on ways to prevent fraud.
These Scams Are Tricking Seniors Out of Their Money
1. Investment Scams: $404 Million in Losses
Seniors looking to grow their savings are especially susceptible to investment scams.
“Spend some time checking out the person touting the investment before you invest — even if you already know the person socially,” says the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Guide for Seniors.
How to prevent it: Take the initiative to look up an investment firm’s or individual’s disciplinary history using the “Check Out Your Investment Professional” search tool at Investor.gov.
2. Business Impostor Scams: $271 Million in Losses
With a 78% increase in government impostor scams, this type of fraud comes in #2 on the list. With a business imposter scam, the perpetrator typically pretends to be a business executive or payroll employee asking for sensitive information such as a copy of a W-2.
The criminal can then use that information to file a bogus tax return, according to this warning from the Internal Revenue Service.
Government imposter scams ($186 million in senior losses) as well as family and friend impostor scams ($32 million) also ranked in the top 10, according to the report.
How to prevent it: Never give your personal information to anyone you don’t know over the phone or via email or text.
This scam is popular around tax time but could pop up any time of the year.
3. Romance Scams: $240 Million in Losses
Clark’s Consumer Action Center (CAC) receives calls, from time to time, from people who have fallen for romance scams…
No, Windows 12 will be a free upgrade and won’t require a subscription
No, Microsoft is not working on a subscription-based version of Windows 12 and won’t charge you anything.
While going through the internet today, we encountered some irate users going off in the Hacker News forums. People are still going on about Windows 12 being subscription-based, a rumour based on code strings found in Windows 11 preview builds.
Some people are still wondering how Microsoft plans to make their next version of Windows as a subscription model. As it turns out, the rumours discussed by some outlets are based on the “IoT Enterprise Subscription” of Windows 11, not Windows vNext. For those unaware, Windows 24H2 or Windows vNext is what Windows 12 is being called publicly…
… Microsoft has never made any client versions of Windows subscription-based, and we don’t think they ever will. What might happen is that Windows 365 might be getting a consumer edition, as we previously reported.
With Windows 11 still in active development, Microsoft has not confirmed the existence of Windows 12. We have bits and pieces and several random rumours doing rounds, but the next version of Windows is coming in 2024.
Windows 12, what we know
From what we know, the next version of Windows will be heavily integrated with AI and cloud capabilities. It will probably compete with Google’s Chrome OS and will be web-based. Our sources also claim that Microsoft is working on a new variant of Windows 12 that would be very lightweight, web and cloud-based…
Read the rest at Windows Latest.
Thanks for reading this week’s Wednesday Newbytes. We hope these articles were informative, interesting, fun, and helpful. Darcy & TC
