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  • Google May Add Telemetry to the Go Programming Language

    Google May Add Telemetry to the Go Programming Language

    Google is once again in the midst of a privacy controversy, with a proposal to add telemetry to the Go programming language.

    Go is a programming language developed at Google. While similar to the C language, it adds a number of important, modern additions. Russ Cox is the Google engineer that is currently taking the lead with Go development, and he has put forth a controversial proposal, one that would involve turning on telemetry in Go by default.

    Cox revealed the proposal on GitHub and, predictably, it met with quite a bit of push back from other developers. The response is not surprising, since most open source developers and users are notoriously opposed to most forms of telemetry.

    “Should be off by default,” wrote user Stolas. “There is no reason for a development chain to have any kind of telemetry on by default. Or, as I do understand the need for it to be on by default, it should check what the user wants on first start.”

    “I think that lowering the barrier to opt-in and share data is a better solution than increasing the barrier to opt out,” added user w3bb. “People who would decline telemetry at a prompt are people who don’t want telemetry, making the life of those people harder is really bad whether it’s intentional or not.”

    In addition to the open source community’s natural aversion to telemetry, the fact that it is Google behind this proposal adds to the angst. Google, unfortunately, has a long history of not respecting user privacy. Even though the telemetry being discussed is largely performance metrics about the programming language itself, many users were not comfortable with Google have yet more information about them or the tools they use.

    “Personally, I don’t like the idea of automatic collection of telemetry pushed on me,” wrote Szymon Ulewicz. “Isn’t Google tracking enough information about me already?”

    Some users also pointed out Google’s long history of running rough-shod over other interests in the pursuit of its own.

    “Google has a history of unilateral decisions that have unintended consequences,” writes khm. “Consider this document: https://support.google.com/maps/answer/1725632?hl=en Google’s position is simple. If you don’t want us to geolocate your wifi host, reconfigure your network name to ‘_nomap.’ The desires of the network owner, local regulations, and corporate compliance are irrelevant to Google; change your SSID or we will gather your data.”

    Google’s past behavior of forcing their will on other people and leaving it to them to adapt left some developers feeling that they have little say in the matter, despite the fact that Cox was asking for feedback.

    “I don’t want to read into intent too much, but I am getting the distinct impression that the decision to ship telemetry has already been made, and that we are being asked to rubber stamp it,” wrote Louis Thibault. “I sincerely hope that is not the case.”

  • Poor iPhone Battery Life? You’re Not Alone & iOS 16 Is to Blame

    Poor iPhone Battery Life? You’re Not Alone & iOS 16 Is to Blame

    There appears to be an issue with the latest versions of iOS 16, with users reporting significantly less iPhone battery life.

    Battery life is universally one of the biggest selling points for manufacturers when releasing new models. The iPhone 13 Pro Max was one of Apple’s best phones, in terms of battery life, but even that model doesn’t appear to be able to overcome iOS 16.

    Writing for Digital Trends, Prakhar Khanna outlines the trouble he had upgrading from his iPhone 13 Pro Max to the iPhone 14. When the battery life didn’t compete, he went back to his old phone, only to find the upgrade to iOS 16 had destroyed its battery life as well.

    Khanna described his findings:

    I realized later that the problem was not the 14 Pro’s battery size, but it was iOS 16’s poor battery optimization. I only realized this when I noticed that the latest OS updates had compromised my iPhone 13 Pro’s battery life as well.

    Khanna says there doesn’t appear to be any method or madness to the battery drain:

    In my experience, there is no consistent battery life behavior to be pointed out. Sometimes, Spotify drains the battery, while other times, it is Twitter (two of my most used apps). But the battery drain on any app using location services is the worst on iOS 16. These apps include Maps, commuting services, dating apps, and the Camera app (if you have the location tag feature enabled).

    Unfortunately, Khanna’s experience is not an isolated one, with Reddit posts and discussions on Apple’s own support forums confirming the issue. Some users have had success downgrading to iOS 15 but, until Apple provides a fix for iOS 16, there doesn’t appear to be a viable, long-term fix in sight.

  • WhatsApp Will Soon Be Able to Transcribe Voice Messages

    WhatsApp Will Soon Be Able to Transcribe Voice Messages

    WhatsApp is gaining a major new feature, adding the ability to transcribe voice messages to text.

    First spotted by WABetaInfo, WhatsApp has submitted a new test build via Apple’s TestFlight beta program. The version reveals that WhatsApp is working on the ability to transcribe voice messages.

    Interestingly, WABetaInfo first reported that WhatsApp was working on the feature in September 2021, but something seems to have derailed work on it until recently. It appears the feature will be strictly on-device, for privacy reasons.

    We discovered that WhatsApp is developing an introduction screen to explain when the transcription is not available: transcripts are unavailable when no words are recognized in the voice note or are set to a different language. These transcriptions are always performed locally on the device by downloading relevant language packs and are never shared with WhatsApp or Apple so you’re still the only that can listen to the content of your voice notes. However, the feature may only work on recent versions of iOS.

  • Mozilla Prepping a Non-Webkit Version of Firefox for iOS

    Mozilla Prepping a Non-Webkit Version of Firefox for iOS

    Google isn’t the only company prepping a non-Webkit version of its browser, with Mozilla taking similar action.

    News broke last week that Google was working on an iOS version of Chrome that used its own Blink rendering engine instead of Apple’s Webkit. App Store rules currently require all iOS web browsers to use Webkit, meaning that front-end features are the only thing that differentiate the options.

    According to The Register, Mozilla is also working on a version of its browser that runs on its own Gecko rendering engine instead of Webkit.

    Interestingly, while Mozilla and Google are not officially confirming it, it appears both companies may anticipate a future where regulation forces Apple to allow third-party browser engines on iOS. If such an eventuality occurs, both companies will be able to hit the ground running.

  • Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Has Become the Definition of ‘Bloatware’

    Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Has Become the Definition of ‘Bloatware’

    Samsung’s Galaxy S23 has become the definition of mobile bloatware, with a base install taking roughly 60GB.

    Operating systems growing in size is an inevitable trade-off of new features, improved support, and the addition of new technologies. Unfortunately for S23 users, Samsung seems to be taking OS growth to all new heights.

    Mishaal Rahman, Senior Technical Editor for Esper, asked his Twitter followers how much of their phone’s space their system installs were taking:

    Some users reported the S23’s Android install taking almost 60GB:

    Shockingly, one user even reported a 75GB install:

    With the S23 topping out at 256MB, and the S23+ topping out at 512, it’s hard to imagine how or why Samsung can justify taking up 60-75GB of space just for the OS.

  • Samsung Galaxy Phones Are Getting the February 2023 Update

    Samsung Galaxy Phones Are Getting the February 2023 Update

    Samsung’s Galaxy phones are finally getting the latest Android update, with the February 2023 update rolling out.

    First noticed by SamMobile, Samsung is rolling out the February 2023 update to the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. The update, with firmware version N98xBXXS5GWB1, is currently available to customers in Switzerland.     

    Samsung has not released details of what is included in the update, but it probably includes all the usual security fixes and improvements.

    SamMobile believes the update will start rolling out in other European countries within the next few days, especially now that Samsung has the Galaxy S23 launch event behind it.

  • Proposed Patch Would Disable Linux CPU Security Mitigations at Compilation

    Proposed Patch Would Disable Linux CPU Security Mitigations at Compilation

    Debian developer Breno Leitao has proposed a Linux kernel patch that would allow developers to disable CPU security mitigations at compilation.

    CPU mitigations are an important cybersecurity measure, protecting users against Spectre, Meltdown, and other vulnerabilities. These protections come at a cost, however, and some users disable them to achieve maximum performance from their machines. Unfortunately, those users have no easy way to disable the mitigations at compile time, and have to rely on kernel parameters instead.

    Leitao, who also serves as a kernel engineer at Meta, proposed the change on the kernel mailing list:

    Right now it is not possible to disable CPU vulnerabilities mitigations at build time. Mitigation needs to be disabled passing kernel parameters, such as ‘mitigations=off’.

    This patch creates an easy way to disable mitigation during compilation time (CONFIG_DEFAULT_CPU_MITIGATIONS_OFF), so, insecure kernel users don’t need to deal with kernel parameters when booting insecure kernels.

    As Phoronix highlights, most users would do well to leave the CPU security mitigations in place. However, there may be cases where it is relatively safe to disable them, such as when a computer has no internet access.

  • Google Is Prepping an iOS Browser That Uses Chrome’s Engine

    Google Is Prepping an iOS Browser That Uses Chrome’s Engine

    Google’s engineers are reportedly working on an iOS version of Chrome that will use Chrome’s Blink rendering engine instead of iOS WebKit.

    Apple’s current App Store rules dictate that all web browsers must use the same WebKit rendering engine that Safari uses. This means there is very little true choice among iOS web browsers, with the only real difference being the front-end features.

    According to The Register, Google’s engineers are working on a version of Chrome for iOS that uses Blink, not WebKit.

    Despite how it looks, Google insists that it’s not trying to flaunt Apple’s rules and that the new browser is for internal use only.

    “This is an experimental prototype that we are developing as part of an open source project with the goal to understand certain aspects of performance on iOS,” a spokesperson told The Register. “It will not be available to users and we’ll continue to abide by Apple’s policies.”

    Despite Google’s response, it’s also possible the company is preparing for a future where Apple is forced to allow third-party browsing engines. The Open Web Advocacy group is trying to pressure Apple to open up iOS browser options, and regulators have taken note of Apple’s stance as a possible antitrust issue.

    If Apple is ever forced to ease its restrictions, Google will already have a head start on releasing a full-fledged Chrome browser for iOS.

  • Sergey Brin Is Coding at Google Again in ‘Code Red’ AI Effort

    Sergey Brin Is Coding at Google Again in ‘Code Red’ AI Effort

    After years of absence, Sergey Brin is once again back at Google and has just submitted his first code request.

    Google is scrambling to come up with an answer to ChatGPT and other conversational AI tech, which many see as an existential threat to the company’s search business. CEO Sundar Pichai issued a “code red,” reorganizing labor in an effort to come up with an answer. The company also called back Larry Page and Sergey Brin to help brainstorm and come up with solutions.

    According to Forbes, it appears Brin may be getting comfortable in his old digs and has submitted his first code request since being back. The request was just a two line change to have his username added to a configuration file.

    It appears employees are eager to work with Brin, with Forbes’ source saying several dozen engineers approved the request, including some from outside the team.

  • Google Is Raising Its Bug Bounty Payouts

    Google Is Raising Its Bug Bounty Payouts

    Google is raising its bug bounty program for fuzz testing, with the maximum payout now $30,000.

    Fuzzing is an automated code-testing process that inserts random data into an application to see how it responds and surface any bugs that may exist. Until now, Google’s maximum payout for fuzz testing bugs was $20,000, but the company is significantly increasing it.

    We’ve operated this successfully for the past 5 years, and to date, the OSS-Fuzz Reward Program has awarded over $600,000 to over 65 different contributors for their help integrating new projects into OSS-Fuzz.

    These changes boost the total rewards possible per project integration from a maximum of 20,000 to 30,000 (depending on the criticality of the project). In addition, we’ve also established two new reward categories that reward wider improvements across all OSS-Fuzz projects, with up to $11,337 available per category.

    The increase is good news for security researchers and bug testers, many of whom rely on bug bounties for their income.

  • Twitter Is Killing Its Free API, Will Charge Devs February 9

    Twitter Is Killing Its Free API, Will Charge Devs February 9

    Twitter’s controversial decisions under owner Elon Musk just keep on coming, with the platform killing off its free developer API.

    Twitter’s API is used for a number of things, including engaging bots and research. The company has decided it will no longer provide free access, with plans to start charging developers February 9.

    Starting February 9, we will no longer support free access to the Twitter API, both v2 and v1.1. A paid basic tier will be available instead

    Twitter Dev (@TwitterDev), February 2, 2023

    Needless to say, the news is not going over well, with many calling out Twitter for harming the very devs that help add value to the platform.

    Developer Tom Coates was one such voice:

    *”Short version: (1) Developers add value to Twitter by helping people create content. They add value to the core service; (2) Having said that, it is not unreasonable to want to find a way to charge those developers who extract more value than they contribute; (3) However, one week’s notice and no indication of pricing shows Twitter is chaotic and unreliable. No one’s going to build a business on that; (4) So you’re basically just shutting down the API and causing massive damage to Twitter in the most labour intensive way possible.”*

    Coates concluded by saying: “This is dumb.”

    Twitter may be hurting financially, but it’s hard to fathom how this is the right move. Mastodon has already gained a significant user base from Twitter’s previous decisions. Making it difficult for people to engage with the platform will only driver Twitter’s users elsewhere.

  • Cincinnati Policeman Fired for Using an AirTag to Stalk Ex

    Cincinnati Policeman Fired for Using an AirTag to Stalk Ex

    Cincinnati policeman Darryl Tyus has been fired for using an AirTag to stalk his ex, believed to be a sheriff’s deputy.

    AirTags have “become the weapon of choice of stalkers and abusers,” resulting in a class-action lawsuit against Apple. The company has tried to address concerns, although it’s unclear how effective the attempts have been.

    According to AppleInsider, the latest AirTag controversy comes courtesy of Darrly Tyus. Tyus had served on the Cincinnati Police Department for 15 years before using an AirTag to stalk his ex, who is believed to be a Hamilton County Sheriff’s deputy. It’s unclear which came first, the breakup or the stalking.

    “What Darryl Tyus did by knowingly stalking a women, causing her to feel threatened and fear for her life, is the exact behavior our officers are sworn to prevent,” said Police Chief Teresa Theetge. “For the Cincinnati Police Department, the community’s trust is the foundation of what gives us the authority to perform our daily duties.”

    “Tyus not only broke that trust, but he broke the law that he took an honorable oath to enforce,” she continued.

    Apple clearly has a problem with its AirTags and only time will tell if the company is able to effectively combat stalkers. In the meantime, Google evidently thinks copying Apple is a good idea, with plans to launch its own AirTag rival.

  • Biden Administration Takes Aim Apple and Google’s App Stores

    Biden Administration Takes Aim Apple and Google’s App Stores

    The Biden administration is taking aim at Apple and Google’s mobile app stores, representing perhaps one of the biggest challenge they have yet faced.

    Apple and Google control the two largest mobile app ecosystems and have increasingly come under legal and regulatory pressure for their duopoly. Some countries have even begun to pass legislation requiring the two companies to allow third-party apps and stores.

    In what could be one of the biggest challenges to that duopoly, the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is calling for changes to make the mobile app landscape more competitive.

    Mobile apps have become an essential tool for participation in much of daily life. Two companies – Apple and Google – act as gatekeepers over the apps that people and businesses rely on, NTIA found in its “Competition in the Mobile Application Ecosystem” report.

    The companies’ policies have the potential to harm consumers by inflating prices and reducing innovation.

    NTIA’s report and recommendations are part of the Biden administration’s push to promote innovation and competition, and to level the economic playing field. NTIA is the president’s principal advisor on telecommunications and Internet policy.

    “From finding directions to chatting with loved ones, apps are a critical tool for consumers and an essential part of doing business online,” said Alan Davidson, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator. “It is more important than ever that the market for mobile apps remains competitive. NTIA’s recommendations will make the app ecosystem more fair and innovative for everyone.”

    “This report identifies important ways we can promote competition and innovation in the app market, which will benefit consumers, startups, and small businesses,” said Bharat Ramamurti, Deputy Director of the National Economic Council.

    Despite talk of reigning in Big Tech and fostering more competition, the US has made little real progress. The NTIA’s report could be the first step toward major change in the mobile market.

  • Meta’s Dual-Camera Smartwatch May Not Be Dead After All

    Meta’s Dual-Camera Smartwatch May Not Be Dead After All

    Rumors of the demise of Meta’s dual-camera smartwatch may be greatly exaggerated, with a new leak suggesting the project is very much alive.

    Reports surfaced that Meta (then Facebook) had been working on their own version of a smartwatch for roughly two years. The watch had two cameras, with one of them being pressed against the wrist, which could be used once the watch was taken off. In mid-2022, however, new reports indicated that Meta had abandoned the project.

    Leaker Kuba Wojciechowski says the project is very much alive, and has been contacted by an anonymous source that provided details and pictures.

    While many will no doubt love the idea of a smartwatch and camera that’s tightly integrated with their Facebook and Instagram accounts, many others will see this as a nightmare scenario. Given Meta’s long history of privacy abuses, it’s hard to image the potential for even more abuses with a device like this.

  • Upcoming Versions of Chrome May Translate Text in Images

    Upcoming Versions of Chrome May Translate Text in Images

    Google is working on a major new Chrome feature, one that would translate text directly within pictures and images.

    Chrome already has robust translations abilities, but that only works with standard text. The translation doesn’t work when the text is part of an image, unless you perform a Google image search. According to Chrome researcher Leopeva64, Google is working to overcome that hurdle.

    If Google is successful, the feature would be big step forward for translation services.

  • Fairphone 4 Slated to Receive Android 12 on February 1

    Fairphone 4 Slated to Receive Android 12 on February 1

    Fairphone 4 owners are finally getting a major update, with Android 12 coming to the device on February 1.

    The Fairphone is a different kind of smartphone, one manufactured with sustainability in mind. When the Fairphone 4 was launched in 2021, the device came pre-loaded with Android 11, but is now on the verge of receiving an update to Android 12.

    The company revealed the news in a blog post:

    We are preparing for a staggered rollout, starting with most regions on Wednesday, February 1st.

    The eagle-eyed among you noticed I wrote “most regions”. The current performance in some regions (Switzerland and France) does not meet our quality standards, so the Android 12 upgrade will be delayed for some Operators there. We hope to release it to everyone in the near future.

    The company assures users staying on Android 11 that they won’t be left without security updates:

    In order to keep Andrdoid 11 users up-to-date with security, we have prepared a maintenance release with a new security patch. Users won’t be left behind or without security. This will be pushed out shortly.

  • Latest Pixel Buds A-Series Firmware Kills Multi-Device Pairing

    Latest Pixel Buds A-Series Firmware Kills Multi-Device Pairing

    The latest Pixel Buds A-Series firmware has an unexpected side effect, killing multi-device pairing.

    The Pixel Buds A-Series can be paired with multiple devices, even if they cannot simultaneously connect to multiple devices. Even so, it’s relatively easy to switch to another paired device and takes much less time than going through the pairing process all over again.

    Unfortunately, according to a Reddit thread, it appears the latest firmware update breaks that multi-device pairing, leaving the earbuds able to connect only to the last device. For example, when a user goes to connect to a second, previously paired device, the earbuds will no longer connect. Instead, the user has to re-pair the earbuds with the second device, and then go through the process all over again when trying to connect to the first paired device.

    User TenderFlipper was the first to describe the issue:

    This update seems to have broken the ability to pair with multiple devices. I realize that the A series can only connect with one device at a time, but in the past it’s been perfectly happy being paired with both my phone and notebook.

    After the update, it’s only able to be used by the last device which was paired. In other words, if I pair my notebook then my phone loses the ability to connect. If I then follow up by re-pairing my phone, then the notebook can no longer. Repeat ad nauseam (I’ve tried quite a few times at this point).

    So far there has been no acknowledgement of the issue from Google, so one can only hope it’s a bug that will be addressed soon. Given that the Pro version of the earbuds has the ability to connect to multiple devices simultaneously, hopefully the latest firmware’s behavior is not an intentional attempt to further differentiate the two models.

  • Apple Analyst: I’m Positive About Foldable iPad in 2024

    Apple Analyst: I’m Positive About Foldable iPad in 2024

    Apple may be preparing to turn the tablet market on its head again with plans to introduce a foldable iPad in 2024.

    The iPad is the most popular tablet — by a wide margin — but has failed to dethrone the personal computer like many originally predicted. Much of this failure has been attributed to the software running on the iPad, software that never truly takes advantage of the device’s hardware. Nonetheless, according to well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is poised to make a radical change to the iPad’s design that could help make it more competitive.

    Thus, I’m taking a cautious approach to iPad shipments for 2023, predicting a YoY decline of 10-15%. Nevertheless, I’m positive about the foldable iPad in 2024 and expect this new model will boost shipments and improve the product mix.

    Ming-Chi Kuo (@mingchikuo), January 30, 2023

    A foldable iPad could be a game-changer for Apple and open the door for the company to address criticisms aimed at the device. With a foldable form factor, Apple may be more inclined to bring more powerful computer-like software to the iPad.

    Interestingly, there are already rumors that Apple is prepping a slimmed-down version of macOS for the iPad. If true, Apple will likely make the foldable iPad a requirement.

  • Microsoft Is Reworking File Explorer to Better Match Windows 11

    Microsoft Is Reworking File Explorer to Better Match Windows 11

    Microsoft is reportedly reworking File Explorer to make it better match the rest of the Windows 11 aesthetic and features.

    Microsoft has been working to improve File Explorer, adding tabs and remote work improvements in April 2022. The company was rumored to be revamping the app to make it better fit in with Windows 11, but Windows Central has confirmed the company’s plans.

    According to the outlet, the overhaul will also help the app better integrate with Microsoft 365 and OneDrive. Everything from button placement to the left sidebar navigation is being improved. The app will also make it easier to see Microsoft 365 comments and email threads about files by looking at the details pane.

    File Explorer’s photo handling is also getting a major upgrade, with users able to mouse over photos to see larger previews. Microsoft may even add tagging to make it easier to sort and find files.

    The improvements look to be some of the biggest changes File Explorer has undergone in some time and bring welcome upgrades to users.

  • Android 14 Will Block Outdated Apps to Reduce Malware

    Android 14 Will Block Outdated Apps to Reduce Malware

    Google is updating its policies regarding Android APIs, with plans to block outdated apps in Android 14.

    Outdated and abandoned apps are a big problem for both Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store. In fact, recent research shows that some 32% of Android apps are abandoned. Unfortunately, outdated software poses a significant security risk, opening up an attack vector for bad actors to abuse.

    Google is looking to address the problem with changes to how Android 14 handles apps. According to 9to5Google, Android 14 will not install apps that use outdated APIs, or are designed for older versions of Android. An exception will be made for apps a user previously downloaded and have not yet been updated to use the latest APIs.

    Google emphasized the need for these changes in an update to its Android developer guidelines:

    Every new Android version introduces changes that bring security and performance improvements and enhance the Android user experience. Some of these changes only apply to apps that explicitly declare support through their targetSdkVersion manifest attribute (also known as the target API level).

    Configuring your app to target a recent API level ensures that users can benefit from these improvements, while your app can still run on older Android versions. Targeting a recent API level also allows your app to take advantage of the platform’s latest features to delight your users.

  • Google Calendar Gets Major Upgrade to Avoid Scheduling Conflicts

    Google Calendar Gets Major Upgrade to Avoid Scheduling Conflicts

    Google has rolled out a major update to Calendar, one that will make it easier for users to avoid scheduling conflicts.

    The company unveiled the news in a blog post:

    The appointment scheduling tool is a feature that allows people to share their availability via a booking page that can be used by colleagues, external stakeholders, clients, and partners to schedule a meeting. With the current appointment scheduling experience, you are unable to review multiple calendars for conflicts when exposing appointment times to others.

    As a result, we’re introducing the ability to check and see a visual preview of multiple calendars when setting up your appointment schedules. Your booking page will show you as unavailable when you’re busy based on the calendars you choose.