Daily Archives: September 12, 2022
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Patch and Release day for Apple
iOS16 is out and includes bug fixes
📱 iOS 16 – 11 bugs fixed
📱 iOS and iPadOS 15.7 – 11 bugs fixed
💻 macOS Big Sur 11.7 – 10 bugs fixed
💻 macOS Monterey 12.6 – 8 bugs fixed
📺 tvOS 16 – no details yet
⌚ watchOS 9 – no details yetSafari 16 – also patched with security fixes
1 zero-day in macOS Monterey 12.6
2 zero-days in macOS Big Sur 11.7
1 zero-day in iOS and iPadOS 15.7Mind you iOS16 is a big release – similar to Windows feature releases so you need to ensure that your devices are backed up.
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How to use Vivaldi for your email and calendar
ISSUE 19.37 • 2022-09-12 SOFTWARE
By Lance Whitney
Beyond its role as an alternative browser, Vivaldi will help you access your email, contacts, and calendar — all in the same place.
Those of you in search of a simple but effective desktop email and calendar program probably tend to look at dedicated programs, such as Microsoft Outlook, Thunderbird, and even Windows Mail. But instead of turning to separate programs for these features, you may want to consider one that integrates directly with your Web browser. And for that, Vivaldi is worth checking out.
Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.37.0, 2022-09-12).
This story also appears in our public Newsletter. -
Twitter accounts are 80% bots, expert says
PUBLIC DEFENDER
By Brian Livingston
More than 80% of the accounts on Twitter are likely to be nothing more than automated bots, according to a study by the head of intelligence at F5, an international network-security firm with offices in 43 countries.
Even worse, bots represent as much as 99% of the login traffic at some highly visible websites — perhaps even one of your favorites.
These are the conclusions of a study by Dan Woods, who was a cyberoperations officer with the CIA prior to taking his current role at F5 six years ago.
Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.37.0, 2022-09-12).
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The surprising truth about ultra-cheap Microsoft Office
MICROSOFT 365
By Peter Deegan
Ever wondered about those ultra-cheap deals for Microsoft Office? Are they safe to buy, or a scam? Is the license legal and recognized by Microsoft?
The answers might surprise you as much as they surprised me.
It’s part of the modern world that’s widely advertised but not much talked about. My research includes feedback (generally positive) from many readers, plus my own purchases from a well-known site. I’ll focus on Office 2021, but the same info and warnings apply to cheap offers for Windows or other software.
Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.37.0, 2022-09-12).
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Vivaldi as a Web browser
SOFTWARE
By Will Fastie
If you’ve never heard of Vivaldi before, I’m not surprised.
Although its use is growing, its share of the Web browser market lags behind those of the “brand name” browsers — Chrome, Edge, and Firefox.
Lance Whitney’s excellent explanation of the features of Vivaldi, in the lead article in this issue, focuses on how the software can be used as an inexpensive replacement for Outlook. This brief article is about using Vivaldi for its native function, Web browsing.
Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.37.0, 2022-09-12).
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Do you need to encrypt your data?
ON SECURITY
By Susan Bradley
Encryption can protect your data, but sometimes it can block you from it.
Let’s get some facts. Encryption, when done right, protects your data at rest. If an attacker breaks into my house but does not know the username and password of the laptop I keep there, access attempts will fail.
But if that computer is running, it’s a different story. If I’m doing any sort of data transmission, such as interacting with a website or handling email, data is vulnerable unless I’ve taken separate steps to encrypt those processes.
Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.36.0, 2022-09-05).