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"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)

LG has made a monitor that automatically moves to the most comfortable viewing position for the user. The UltraFine Display Ergo AI can also move throughout the day to reduce the risk of users sitting in the same position for extended periods. The ... monitor has different modes attempting to mitigate different health and safety risks for users. One is the problem of not sitting at a suitable distance or comfortable angle, which can lead to eye and neck strain. Another is the problem of sitting in the same position throughout the day. If this position involves either slouching or excessive ... (view more)

Facebook is to ditch some tools which tracked a user's location. It seems to be more about the tools being little used than a sudden interest in boosting privacy. The tools all involved tracking a user's location in real time and using the ... information to provide some sort of service. Perhaps the best known was "Nearby Friends" which lived up to its name, telling users if anyone they knew on Facebook (or at least anyone who also had the feature switched on) was in the area, allowing for semi-spontaneous meet-ups. The tools also included localized weather alerts. In both cases, many users ... (view more)

Microsoft Edge is getting what looks suspiciously like a virtual private network (VPN). It comes with a catch and requires some serious trust in Microsoft. The "Secure Network" feature is now mentioned in a support document and has also shown up in ... Edge for some users who've signed up for early access to in-development features. It appears to be a variant of a VPN, which involves routing internet connection through a VPN provider. The data traveling back and forth between the provider and the user is encrypted in a setup likened to a "tunnel" that stops it being accessible ... (view more)

Microsoft is releasing a major security update to Windows 11 that could theoretically block malicious applications completely. It's such a fundamental change in the operating system that it will require a reset and clean installation of Windows. At ... the moment, most of the built-in security on Windows uses two main approaches. One is to scan any files or links the user wants to open or download, then alerts the user if they match any know threats. This is referred to as file and link scanning. The other is to scan files on the hard drive to look for anything suspicious. This is usually done in ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader 'ltb223' writes: " Dear Dennis, I have a Windows 7 Pro computer which I haven't used for a long time. Now I want to use it, but I cannot remember my password. It has only one user account, so I believe I need to reset the admin ... password. Is there anyway to recover the lost password or am I stuck with reinstalling Windows and losing all previous data and programs? " My response: It's possible to reset the admin password, or any user password using a special password reset 'trick', known as the 'utilman' and 'sticky keys' exploit. This exploit ... (view more)

Microsoft will forcibly upgrade some Windows 10 computers, even where automatic updates are switched off. The upgrade is between Windows 10 editions rather than to Windows 11. The move is designed to reduce the number of machines running unsupported ... editions of Windows 10 , something that could increase security risks as well as mean more people experiencing performance problems. In simple terms, Windows 10 gets two major updates each year and Microsoft usually supports the three most recent. Put another way, the longest users can go at a time without getting the latest update but still ... (view more)

Google has rethought its plans to overhaul the way targeted advertising works online . It's the latest attempt to balance user privacy and accurate targeting. At the moment a large proportion of online ads are powered by third-party cookies. That's ... where an advertiser or ad network operator uses cookies to track a user's online activity and try to figure out their tastes and interests. This data then powers the ads they see on many websites, which are shown specifically for them. It's good news for advertisers as they can theoretically do a better job of reaching suitable customers, but bad ... (view more)

A new website lets users try out the new Windows 11 user interface. The unofficial site doesn't require any software installation or special hardware. The demo is available at win11.blueedge.me and is an open source project involving several ... contributors. (Source: techspot.com ) Unlike Microsoft's various test editions (and the less official leaked copies), the demo doesn't actually run any standalone software. Instead it's a web page that simulates the look and feel of the Windows 11 desktop, along with some of the key features and functions. This includes working copies of apps including ... (view more)

Google Maps could have ads displayed in locations on the map itself. A newly-awarded patent explains how Google could adjust the costs to advertisers based on factors such as the user's location. The photographs in the patent application suggest the ... feature would most likely be added to the standard diagram view in Google Maps, rather than either the aerial image view or the Street View photographs. The system would designate specific areas on the map such as a building and treat them as spaces where an ad could appear. How many ads would appear on the screen would depend on how closely the ... (view more)