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Five gadgets are in the running for a $1.3 million prize for using tech to tackle dementia. They range from high-tech glasses to a device that looks like a landline telephone. The projects have all made the final of the global Longitude prize for dementia. It's part of a wider series of prizes based on an 18th century contest that rewarded scientists for finding a way for sailors to determine the longitude of their location. The five finalists will each get the equivalent of $392,000 to develop their products before competing for the overall prize. The money comes from the UK government and ...view more

Chrome is getting more proactive on browser safety. The changes are coming to both desktops and Android devices. It's part of the browser's "Safety Check" feature which already warns users if a password has been compromised or if a website appears unsafe. The feature is expanding to cover permissions and notifications. The former involves the way Chrome controls whether or not a specific website has access to computer resources and data such as a microphone, webcam or precise location. Chrome will now start automatically revoking permissions from websites the user rarely visits. Google has ...view more

Scammers are using a creative way to trick people into handing over their Google account passwords. The tactic works by annoying the victim until they stop thinking rationally. Most scams to get hold of account passwords, particularly sensitive ones like a Google account, work in one of two ways. Some scammers will try to intercept the password, for example by using keylogging software that records everything a user types. Others prefer phishing, where the user is tricked into typing in details into a bogus, lookalike website. The new scam, using malware named StealC, is much simpler. It ...view more

Google Maps is changing the way it stores Location History. It's arguably a boost for privacy but may be a surprise for some users who appreciate the feature. The change is to the timeline feature that's included in both the desktop and mobile app versions of Google Maps. It lets users see a complete record of all places they've visited while using a mobile device with location tracking switched on. The feature will also add detail and context, for example including any picture from a visit that are saved in Google Photos, or figuring out when a user went on a trip or vacation. It can be ...view more

Samsung's flagship phone is getting special protection against a particularly nasty form of mobile malware. It combats zero-click attacks, which can steal data or compromise a handset without needing any action by the user. The hacking technique hasn't been widely seen in real-world attacks on Android phones, though Samsung claims it has worked on Apple devices. Samsung clearly believes it's just a matter of time before attackers find a vulnerability that would make such an attack almost irresistible. The company explains that a zero-click attack would exploit such a vulnerability by sending ...view more

Microsoft has abandoned plans to recommended websites in the Windows 11 Start menu. It hasn't said exactly why but suggests user feedback played a role. An idea to suggest searching on Microsoft Edge when copying text has also been ditched. It was the latest attempt to promote the browser to Windows users. The two ideas were both rolled out last November to users of the Dev channel in the Windows Insider test program. That's the first time potential new features are available to anyone outside of Microsoft. People who choose to use the Dev channel are particularly eager to see new ideas, ...view more

Windows 11 may soon show whether or not users are connected to a VPN. It's a simple feature, but it's significant since the technology is getting such mainstream acknowledgement. VPN stands for virtual private network, a feature that has three main benefits. The first is that it creates an "encrypted tunnel" for data going back and forth between the user and the Internet. One analogy is that ordinary Internet traffic works like a glass tube, while a VPN is more like a totally enclosed road tunnel. In simplistic terms, it means nobody else can see what is happening as data is sent and received ...view more

Fujitsu has proposed an "endorsement layer" on top of the Internet to tackle bogus information. It's an idea that would certainly face both technological and societal challenges. The idea comes in a white paper (a report designed to provoke discussion) written alongside Keio University in Japan. It explores the idea of a "trustable Internet in which people can use information securely." (Source: kaeio.ac.jp ) The concept is simple, if abstract. The writers propose a system that "overlays a layer on the Internet, which has a mechanism to confirm the credibility of the ...view more

An iPhone safety feature has backfired in embarrassing fashion. 911 dispatchers say they've had multiple false alerts of car crashes involving people who were actually on a rollercoaster. The iPhone 14, the latest model, has a crash detection feature. It's triggered by the built-in accelerometer and other sensors that are normally used for features such as automatically rotating the display when a user turns the phone to landscape mode. When triggered, the phone will eventually call 911 and play an automatically generated message saying "The owner of this iPhone was in a severe car crash ...view more

"Privacy-focused" web browser Brave will block cookie consent banners that annoy some users. Its makers say the move will still protect users from unwanted tracking. Cookie consent banners appear on many sites affected by a series of privacy laws, most notable Europe's General Data Protection Regulation. The laws require explicit, active consent from users to handle personal data, including through creating cookies that can track online activity. To comply with such laws, sites will often put up a banner or pop-up window whenever somebody first visits a site, asking them to give or ...view more