June 2018
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What’s new in the Windows 10 April 2018 Update
Timeline makes it even easier to find what you’re looking for. To get started with using Timeline, click the new Task view icon in the taskbar to see all your activities on a specific day, grouped by hour, and easily search for something you’d like to go back to (you can also open Task view by pressing Windows logo key + Tab).
With your cursor in any text field either in Windows 10 or in an app, simply press Win + H and start talking. The improved Dictation feature in Windows 10 will capture your thoughts quickly and accurately. Using your personal Microsoft account, or the account given to you by your work or school, you will now be able to sign into Office 365 and use that same account across a full range of Microsoft apps and services. And, it works both ways – by signing in to Windows you sign in to Office.
Nearby Sharing lets you instantly share your videos, photos, documents, and websites with people and devices near you over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.
Windows Server 2019 will be released “later this year”. Pricing for Windows Server Client Access Licensing (CAL) will go up. New features are mostly focused around integration with Azure (cloud services) and security.
Microsoft Office 2019 is also scheduled for release “later this year”
OneNote will no longer be a standard program in Office 2019. Instead, OneNote for Windows 10 will replace this (locally installed) Office 2016 OneNote version and only permit syncing via OneDrive. It will support only Click to Run install (internet download). They are pushing hard to move everyone to an Office 365 subscription.
Google today announced that the new version of Gmail will launch into general availability and become available to all G Suite users in July.
Apple announces iOS 12, MacOS Mojave
The 101 Most Useful Websites on the Internet
VPNFilter is malware designed to infect routers. As of 24 May 2018, it is estimated to infect approximately 500,000 to 1,000,000 routers worldwide. It can steal data and also contains a “kill switch” designed to destroy the infected router on command. The FBI believes that it was created by the Russian Fancy Bear group. The following routers (at least) can be infected:
Linksys E1200; Linksys E2500; Linksys WRVS4400N; Mikrotik RouterOS for Cloud Core Routers: Versions 1016, 1036, and 1072; Netgear DGN2200; Netgear R6400; Netgear R7000; Netgear R8000; Netgear WNR1000; Netgear WNR2000; QNAP TS251; QNAP TS439 Pro; Other QNAP NAS devices running QTS software; TP-Link R600VPN
Regardless of the router model you have – these are best practices:
Make sure you don’t have remote management enabled
Change the default administrative password
Keep the firmware/software on the device current
Sharp to buy Toshiba PC business
How Russian Cyberpower Invaded the U.S. Good summary of how Russian election interference happened.
SECURITY
Every week there are new data breaches. I include them in the hope that you will see the need to use unique, complex passwords for online services, and store them securely. One or more of your online accounts was or will be hacked.
Facebook gave Apple, Samsung broad access to user data
Data breach disrupts concert ticketing service Ticketfly
TeenSafe, the popular phone monitoring app used by parents to spy on their children, has suffered a massive data breach – revealing the parents’ email addresses along with their child’s email address. It also contained the unique identifier of the child’s device, and the unencrypted, plain text passwords for the child’s Apple ID
Researcher Finds Credentials for 92 Million Users of DNA Testing
Twitter just asked all 300+ million users to reset their passwords, passwords were stored in plain text — without protecting them with any sort of encryption.
Tracking Firm LocationSmart Leaked Location Data for Customers of All Major U.S. Mobile Carriers Without Consent in Real Time Via Its Web Site
Chili’s restaurant chain suffers data breach
Comcast exposed sensitive information on customers – the home address where the company’s wireless router is located, as well as the router’s Wi-Fi name and password.
T-Mobile bug let anyone see any customer’s account details.
A software startup that provides independent insurance brokers with customer management software has exposed highly sensitive information on thousands of insurance policy holders.
By Tim Torian