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The usual tax-season barrage of cybercriminal activity is already underway with a phishing campaign impersonating the popular accounting and tax-filing software.
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Posts tagged "users"
Google could give free G Suite users a way out of paying for Workspace
G Suite users upset at Google's recent move to make them pay for their office software could be in luck thanks to a potential loophole.
The company recently announced that all G Suite legacy free edition users would been shifted over to a paid version of Google Workspace in order to keep access to tools such as Gmail, Meet and Docs.
This had upset users who may have recently signed up for the software, particularly non-business users facing having to pay for the first time – but help could be at hand.
Free G Suite
Google had said the G Suite legacy free edition itself will no longer be available from July 1, 2022, with any users found not to have started paying after 60 days being locked out.
But a loophole spotted by Ars Technica writer Ron Amadeo means that non-business users could potentially get around the change. The site spotted that a section on the FAQ for the transition included a section for users that “use G Suite legacy free edition for personal use and don’t want to upgrade to a Google Workspace subscription.”
This includes users who may have signed up to use the initial build of Workspace, known as Google Apps, when it was launched in 2006, but with a non-gmail.com email address. It may also include users who provided family or friends with Google accounts that have certain services still linked, but not the entire Workspace suite of tools.
“We understand some customers may not use their G Suite legacy free edition for business and may be interested in other options,” the company noted.
Such non-business users with 10 or fewer users in their group are instructed to log into their administrator account to provide more information, meaning they may be able to continue with their current situation at least a little while longer.
Read more
Google had planned to automatically upgrade free users from May 1 to “an upgraded Google Workspace paid subscription” based on its analysis of the customer's usage and the features it thinks you'll need.
Google Workplace plans start at $ 6/user/month for its Business Starter option, with Business Standard ($ 12/user/month) and Business Plus ($ 18 /user/month) also on offer, providing an increasing level of services with the amount paid.
Google is offering a discount for twelve months, and won't start charging subscription fees until July 1, 2022. The company is also offering businesses who don't want to pay or upgrade the chance to export their data at no extra cost.
Google rebranded G Suite as Workspace back in October 2020 in a bid to bring more structure to its myriad of apps and services.
Initially described as “the future of work”, the new platform looked to improve the interoperability of its various productivity services, blurring the lines between each product for a more fluid feel.
- Here’s our list of the best productivity tools on the market
Via 9to5Google
Squarespace users are getting some super useful new video tools
Top website hosting service Squarespace has announced a range of new video tools that it thinks will greatly please creators.
Although embedding video, such as from YouTube, has always been possible on Squarespace, the new additions are focused on hosting and monetizing that video content, such as its relatively new Member Areas service.
Broadly, the new tools let website owners sell access to video content, host video content directly, and upload up to 30 minutes of high-res content. There are also new tagging and merchandising tools.
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Squarespace video hosting
The company has also rebuilt its video player from scratch to accommodate the new features, which includes playback, speed, and resolution controls alongside deep integration with the Squarespace platform.
“We launched Member Areas in 2020 to provide creators with a new way to sell content through memberships,” said Squarespace. “Since then, we’ve seen an increase in video content being utilised, and to help customers better leverage this medium, our latest releases offer a seamless way to monetise video content such as classes.”
Hosting video, and offering extensive tools to manage it, puts Squarespace more directly in competition with the likes of Patreon and YouTube, both of which offer options to monetise content. OnlyFans is also now a direct rival, although it remains unclear what Squarespace's content moderation policy says about adult content.
In recent days, Substack, the newsletter platform, has also added the ability to host video for creators in beta, a feature that will be well-received by those with many subscribers already paying for their services.
- These are the best small business website builder tools around
Via Engadget
Fix for critical Safari bug out now: iPhone, iPad and Mac users should update immediately
Apple has rolled out new versions of its iOS, iPadOS and macOS operating system, patching up a major security flaw in Safari across all of its devices.
This bug leaked users' Google data and browsing history that's stored within the browser, so if you're an Apple user, we recommend you update the operating system on your devices immediately.
The updates include iOS 15.3, iPadOS 15.3 and macOS Monterey 12.2, and while they don't add any new features other than “bug fixes and security updates”, they're still “recommended for all users”.
Apple has also released updates for Big Sur and Catalina (v11.6.3 and Catalina Security Update 2022-001 respectively) for anyone still on the older versions of macOS.
All patched up
Those aren't the only software updates released by Apple – watchOS 8.4, tvOS 15.3, and HomePod Software 15.3 have also been rolled out publicly.
The updated watchOS also fixes some bugs, particularly the issue that prevented some Apple Watch 7 users from properly charging their devices when using specific chargers.
Meanwhile, the latest HomePod update adds “performance and stability improvements” and Siri voice recognition for up to six users. It's worth noting that this particular update is region specific and applies to users speaking in English in India and in Italian.
As for the newly updated tvOS, Apple hasn't shared any details on what the latest version brings, but we can assume it's another round of performance improvements.
Dropbox and Microsoft warn macOS users of issues for future versions of cloud apps
While Dropbox is finishing up an update to its cloud service app for macOS that brings native Apple Silicon support, it's sent an email to users, warning them about potential issues if they don't update once a future version of macOS Monterey arrives.
But it turns out that it's not an isolated issue, with Microsoft also stating on a support page that not updating OneDrive on the Mac may bring problems in future macOS Monterey versions. As long as users download the rewritten Files-On-Demand app, there'll be no issue.
You've most likely used both apps before, whether that's at College or as a way to quickly download files from someone in a hurry. But this looks as though there's been a background change to macOS by Apple that both cloud apps use.
We've reached out to Apple to confirm what this change is, and why both Dropbox and Microsoft are recommending you about potential issues for future macOS versions.
Analysis: What's changed so drastically?
It's telling that another potential issue from Apple involves the cloud, after developers' ongoing frustrations with the 503 iCloud errors, that's causing failures in syncing content across devices.
In an email to users, Dropbox explained, “Some applications on your Mac may have problems opening Dropbox files while they are online only. You will still be able to open Dropbox files by double-clicking them in Finder”.
While you can download the beta version of Dropbox for Apple Silicon, this still means that you may encounter issues when macOS 12.3 arrives.
macOS 12.2 is currently available for developers and users who are signed up to the beta program, so there may be a forthcoming change in 12.3 that Apple has told both Microsoft and Dropbox, so that the cloud apps can work on another update to make sure that there are no further issues.
For now, we recommend backing up your files if you use one or both of these apps, and to make sure that you have the latest updates to both for when macOS 12.3 does arrive to your Mac.
Via 9To5Mac
- Our pick of the best cloud storage services in 2022
Windows 11 frame rate stuttering reported by some users with AMD CPUs
Some Windows 11 users are running into trouble with sporadic stuttering issues (accompanied with audio glitches), which according to reports are related to AMD processors and the necessary TPM security required by Microsoft’s newest operating system.
Specifically, on AMD PCs, there’s an implementation of TPM which is fTPM – meaning it’s integrated in firmware, rather than on a separate TPM module – and this is what folks who are affected believe is causing the issue, finding that when it’s turned off in the BIOS, the stuttering disappears.
Unfortunately, some people don’t have the option to turn off fTPM – that switch simply isn’t present in the BIOS – so they’re out of luck on that score. The other alternative solution appears to be installing a discrete TPM module, rather than relying on the firmware integrated functionality, and this also works to fix the issue – at least according to reports. Assuming you have the ability to install a separate TPM module in your PC.
As various reports detail, on Reddit, the Linus Tech Tips discussion boards and Lenovo’s forum to point out a few which Windows Latest flagged up (not to mention Microsoft’s feedback hub), the stuttering frame rates hit at random times and last for a few seconds in some cases – longer in others – and audio is garbled at the same time.
If that should occur, say, during a crucial moment of an online game you’re about to win, that’s going to be pretty frustrating (and doubtless it’ll be a serious annoyance as part of your everyday computing life, too).
Analysis: Losing TPM on Windows 11 is possible, but is it wise?
Note that this problem also occurs on Windows 10 PCs, the difference there being that enabling TPM isn’t part of the system requirements. So, while it’s fine to turn off fTPM on Windows 10 – assuming your BIOS allows for this as noted above – on Windows 11, that comes with its own potential problems.
Now, while it is possible to install Windows 11 and then turn off fTPM, that could cause issues with things like BitLocker drive encryption, or have other side-effects, like not being able to play some games (as Windows Latest observes, Valorant is one such game – and there will likely be more in the future). The biggie, of course, is that it could also interfere with receiving Windows updates, or so Microsoft says – though updates still appear to be delivered up to now.
Essentially, turning off fTPM is something of a minefield of possible collateral damage on Windows 11, and that’s why some of those who want to get around this stuttering glitch are downgrading to Windows 10.
This issue is hopefully something both Microsoft and AMD are putting their heads together to attempt to fix, so we can keep our fingers crossed that a proper resolution is delivered in the near future. If the glitches aren’t disrupting your computing experience too much, likely your best bet is to sit tight and hope for the timely delivery of a patch.
By the way, for all manner of troubleshooting help with Windows 11, you should check out our full guide to common problems with the OS.
- Find out where to buy Windows 10
Google Play Games beta arrives for some Windows 11 users – here’s how to access it
Back in December, it was revealed that Google had plans to bring Android games to Windows 11 and Windows 10 systems in 2022. The company is ready to show more of its hand, with a small beta release of the Google Play Games service.
This means that eager gamers in Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan have the chance to sign up and play their favorite Android games on Windows.
It's a move that sees Google competing directly with the Windows ecosystem for the Android component of Windows 11 that, in conjunction with the Amazon Appstore, gives users of the latest version of Windows the opportunity to install Android apps and games.
Google has developed a unique app that can be used to access a growing catalog of games, which includes Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Summoners War, State of Survival: The Joker Collaboration, and Three Kingdoms Tactics. Although the app has not officially launched just yet, there is a beta program underway that can be used to get early access to it.
Cross platform gaming on Windows
With the app installed on a Windows PC, gamers will be able to play the cream of the gaming crop across mobile, tablet, Chromebook, and Windows PC devices – complete with the benefit of playing with a mouse and keyboard.
While sign-ups for Google Play Games beta are now open, they are only open to people in Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, so if you have accounts based in these countries, you're in luck. Otherwise, you may have to wait.
There's more information available here – otherwise, you'll just have to wait until Google launches Google Play Games to PC users worldwide.
As the company has confirmed that more countries having access will be announced soon, we suspect a bigger announcement of the service will come at this year's Google I/O, where Android 13 will most likely be announced.
Google has shared a video, showcasing what you can expect from Google Play Games:
While Google does promise that it “will have more to share on future beta releases and regional availability soon”, it's an intriguing stance from the company in avoiding the Microsoft Store completely, and it may lead to more categories from the Google Play Store, arriving on Windows 11 soon after.
- Our picks of the best cheap laptop deals for January 2022
Widespread, Easily Exploitable Windows RDP Bug Opens Users to Data Theft
Most Windows versions are at risk of remote, unprivileged attackers abusing RDP from the inside to hijack smart cards and get unauthorized file system access.
Microsoft Teams update will level the playing field for all users
Microsoft will soon roll out updates for Teams that will benefit users running the collaboration software in a virtual machine (VM).
As per three new entries to the company’s product roadmap, Microsoft Teams will soon allow users of Azure, Citrix and VMware virtual desktop services to utilize give and take controls during video meetings.
Give controls allow Teams users to recruit fellow attendees to help them present, make changes to a file and perform other actions. With take controls, meanwhile, people can request they be given these kinds of administrative privileges.
Virtualization and Microsoft Teams
As many organizations migrate to a hybrid working model, whereby workers split their time between the home and office, video meetings and virtual presentations will continue to play a major role in professional life.
It’s also common for companies to use virtual desktop infrastructure to enable secure remote work. But so far, people running Microsoft Teams in a virtual machine have not had access to the full breadth of functionality, including give and take controls.
The effect of this upcoming round of updates will be to create greater consistency across Microsoft Teams environments, and open up access to core presentation functionality to those required to use virtual desktop services by their IT teams.
Support for Azure Window Desktop and Citrix services is due to arrive in March, with support for VMware’s hypervisor set to follow one month later.
TechRadar Pro has asked Microsoft whether users of other popular virtualization services (Amazon WorkSpaces, Nutanix XI Frame etc.) can expect to benefit from similar updates in future.
- Also check out our list of the best remote desktop services
New and improved Windows Media Player is rolling out to Windows 11 users
After being shown off in the Insider channels since November, Microsoft’s rebooted Windows Media Player is slowly being made available on the new Microsoft Store in Windows 11.
While it was first shown off by accident during a live podcast stream, an update in the Dev Channel in November revealed the existence of this new and improved media player.
It’s replacing Groove Music, the app that’s been Microsoft’s default media player for a while now, but the company seemingly wants to make a sequel to the iconic Windows Media Player from the early-noughties, when it was one of the most popular apps of its time.
But is there a place in 2022 for a new media app in Windows 11?
How to download Media Player in Windows 11
The new app requires you to update your device to Windows 11 build 22000.346 or later, where you can then head over to the Microsoft Store, and download the new media player for your device.
If you have Groove Music, Microsoft’s previous media app that’s been available since 2012, the new Windows Media Player will replace it. In our testing, we spotted that the new media player was available on some, but not all, of our Windows 11 devices.
But you can still download the original version of Windows Media Player, which has been available since 2012 if you want a nostalgic kick for your PC. But you won’t be able to take advantage of what the new media player brings.
Alongside HDR support when playing videos, the app has seen a redesign to match the Fluent design language of Windows 11 and Office 2021. The color scheme will also match whichever theme you have set for your PC, so Media Player won’t look out of place.
Analysis: Is there room for Windows Media Player in 2022?
The world is a different place since we were using MSN Messenger and Windows Media Player 9 back in 2002. It was before a time where Netflix existed, and ‘streaming’ was what rivers did, rather than being a way of watching media.
But now we’re spoilt for choice with the apps we can use to play our videos. While you can play videos on your Mac through QuickTime Player, or through third-party means such as IINA, Windows 11 has a wide variety to choose from.
From VLC Player to iTunes, it may require an extra push from Microsoft to make users aware of what was around during Windows 98, and why Windows Media Player is still worth using in 2022.
With Xbox, Surface, and other devices from the company, we may see variants of this new Windows Media Player start to appear on these products. But time will tell if users want to use a brand-new media player when there’s already a great catalog of media apps to choose from.
- Our picks of the best laptops you can buy in 2022
Via Windows Latest