Articles

The infamous Windows "blue screen of death" is to turn black. Microsoft has also downgraded efforts to help users identify and solve a problem. The screen, which dates back to the very first editions of Windows, is formally known as a critical error ... message. It appears only when Windows has experienced a problem that means it's no longer safe to operate, meaning it can't simply display a warning message overlaid on the various open windows and desktop. Error Code Confusion Depending on the version of Windows and the problem, the user seeing the blue screen of death would have to either ... (view more)

Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, has settled a significant legal challenge in the United Kingdom regarding its ad tracking practices. It's also considering expanding a paid subscription option to use Facebook and Instagram without ... advertisements. The company agreed to stop using the personal data of a specific UK user, Tanya O'Carroll, for targeted advertising after she invoked her "right to object" under UK data protection law. (Source: techcrunch.com ) The legal case involved Ms. O'Carroll, a "tech accountability advisor" who formerly worked for ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Tyler M. writes: " Dear Dennis, I just came across your article on Facebook Dating sextortion article - thanks for that. I have a somewhat different issue, though similar. While on vacation in Thailand, I met a beautiful local ... woman at a bar in Bangkok. She offered to be my personal guide (plus benefits!) and promised to show me around for the duration of my visit. I was skeptical at first, but knew that this type of ' transactional relationship ' was common in Thailand. After a few drinks I gave in - we exchanged numbers and added each other on Instagram. Everything seemed ... (view more)

Google has confirmed users who are completely locked out of their Gmail accounts after an attack can still recover their access. However, they have just seven days to act after the breach. The issue involves cases when an attacker not only gains ... access to an account, but then changes security and recovery settings. These can include an alternative email address or a phone number. In both cases the idea is that if a user knows their account is breached, they can issue a password reset request. They will then be able to choose a new password and regain access. This will at the least limit the ... (view more)

Alexa devices will send all recordings of user voice commands to Amazon from March 28, 2025. The company is removing (and overriding) a user setting that stopped this happening. The change affects devices such as the voice controlled Amazon Echo. ... Until now, these devices had the capacity to recognize and understand what a user was saying using only local processing. That allowed the devices to have an optional setting to stop the recordings being sent outside of their home. Amazon says the change is a byproduct of what it's calling an improvement. Alexa is being replaced by Alexa+, a system ... (view more)

A Scottish grandmother received an obscene and insulting message thanks to a complete fail by Apple's voice transcription. It completely misunderstood a voicemail left by a local car dealership. The call was made to Louise Littlejohn by a worker at ... the garage who intended to invite her to a promotional event for a new car. The call went to voicemail so he left a message. Apple then "transcribed" the call with an AI-powered system and delivered a text message, something that's meant to save users time rather than have to listen to the message. According to the BBC, which listened to the audio ... (view more)

Intentional Internet shutdowns by governments reached new heights in 2024, according to a digital rights campaign group. Access Now recorded 296 shutdowns across 54 countries. The figures don't include shutdowns caused by natural disasters, ... technical errors, or other unintentional reasons. Instead, they specifically account for cases where a government or related authority deliberately blocked access. The statistics are likely most reliable as a measure of year-on-year change, showing a rise from 283 shutdowns in the previous year. More notably, the number of countries experiencing shutdowns ... (view more)