John Lister

Google says it will no longer place ads on pages that make false claims about climate change. The move is as much about keeping advertisers happy as it is a political statement. The policy doesn't affect whether pages appear in Google search results ... or how highly they are ranked. Instead, its all about the ads which Google places when acting as a middleman between advertisers and websites. It also affects ads shown before, during or beside YouTube videos. The move "demonetizes" the content in two ways. Sites affected by the move will no longer be allowed to carry Google advertising, nor be ... (view more)

Google is giving free USB security keys to around 10,000 users whose accounts are at particular risk. They include politicians and human rights activists. The move follows a targeted campaign linked to Russian hackers to try to trick such users into ... revealing their passwords. The attackers could then not only look for sensitive information in email archives but also use the hijacked accounts to spread misinformation. The USB keys use the two-factor authentication approach , adding an extra level of protection, meaning that simply getting somebody's password wasn't necessarily enough to get ... (view more)

Google is switching on two-factor authentication by default for 150 million users. It's also making it mandatory for two million people who upload videos to YouTube. The system means no longer relying on passwords as the only way to control access ... to account. Instead it adds a second method such as getting a security code on a particular phone. Two-Factor versus "Two-Step" Verification Google calls the concept two-step verification, though that doesn't really describe it properly. The more commonly used "two factor" term refers to the idea of combining different types of ... (view more)

Scammers have developed a new tactic to spread malware. It's a piece of evil genius with the emphasis strictly on the evil. The scam involves a piece of malware that targets Android phones. It's dubbed FluBot, though that appears to be more a ... reference to the way it's designed to quickly spread rather than having any connection to human illnesses. FluBot first appeared earlier this year in a fairly conventional form. It starts with unsolicited text messages claiming to be from a courier company that was unable to make a delivery. The culprits appear to have been taking advantage of people ... (view more)

Google is testing two key changes to it search tools. The idea is to make both searching and Search History tools more useful. The first change is to searches themselves. At the moment, users see a search results page and choose one to click on and ... visit the page in question. If they don't find the page useful, they'll click the back button and look for another possibility in the results list. That can be a little fiddly, particularly on some mobile devices where the back option isn't always easy to use. It also makes it even more annoying when a website (against all good design practices) ... (view more)

Microsoft has announced a range of updates to Skype. It's something of a surprise given the tool has taken a major backseat in recent years. With remote working on the increase since the start of the pandemic and more people making video calls to ... friends and family they couldn't see in person, other services have come to the forefront. In particular Microsoft has put more emphasis on its business videoconference tool Teams, while many home users have switched to Zoom. Some had even speculated Microsoft would ditch Skype altogether. Instead its promising changes both in user functions and ... (view more)

Google says it has successfully used beams of light in the air to carry an Internet signal. It says the technology won't work everywhere but could be a useful solution in specific places. Project Taara works on a broadly similar principle to fiber ... optic cables, with pulses of light carrying a signal that translates into the 0s and 1s of computer code. The "Free Speech Optical Communications" system uses a narrow beam of light invisible to the human. It's a similar technology to that which Google used in a previous project to connect balloons in the sky. The new system instead connects ... (view more)

New laws in Europe could mean all phones have to use the same charger plug. It's uncertain if they will take effect but they could force manufacturers to make changes worldwide. The proposal would mean most portable electronic devices sold in ... European Union countries would have to have a USB-C charging port. If manufacturers supplied a charger with a power plug, the connection to the phone could be USB-C or USB-A. The rules would apply to phones, tablets, cameras, portable speakers, headphones and portable game consoles. Specific exemptions would include ear buds, fitness trackers and smart ... (view more)

Users who upgrade "incompatible" machines to Windows 11 may have to agree to a lengthy disclaimer. Microsoft warns PCs could suffer damage, which suggests it may be trying to head off lawsuits. The disclaimer is further indication that users who ... don't meet the minimum system requirements for Windows 11 may still be able to install it. This would be through downloading and creating installation media such as a DVD or USB stick, rather than using Windows Update. (Source: neowin.net ) Verge's Sean Hollister was able to install a beta edition of Windows 11 despite his PC not meeting the system ... (view more)

Microsoft has released its Windows 11 eligibility checker tool. It now gives more detail on why a computer might not be ready to run the new system. The app in question is officially titled "PC Health Check" though that's a little misleading as it ... doesn't relate to whether the computer is currently working OK or has any serious problems. Instead it checks whether the computer is eligible to run Windows 11. It's available using this link: https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/windows-11#pchealthcheck The original version a few months ago didn't give much detail other than whether the PC " ... (view more)