From Apple to Google, check details of all updates launched in October

by Hansraj Agrawal | Nov 3, 2022 | Technology

Several software updates were released in October by technology giants like Google, Apple, Microsoft, and more. The updates introduce new features and bug fixes in the software, making them more efficient.

Here are the details about all the important software updates issued in October

Apple iOS 16.1 and iPadOS 16

October saw the release of two iOS 16 updates. The iOS 16.0.3 update fixes the bug that results in delayed or not delivered incoming calls and app notifications. It addresses the issue of low microphone volume during CarPlay phone calls and mail crashes on receiving malformed email.

The iOS 16.1 comes with new features including a new iCloud Shared Photo Library, Live Activities, Clean Energy charging, and more. The operating system update fixes 20 vulnerabilities and security fixes. The iPadOS 16 update brings several new features, including the Stage Manager, Shared Tab Groups, Freeform and fixes several bugs.

Google Chrome

Google in October rolled out Passkey support to both Android and Chrome for better safety. With the update, google fixes six vulnerabilities ranked as high-severity. Google also released Chrome OS 107 update, which includes a “Save Desk for Later” feature in an effort to improve user experience.

Cisco

Cisco has asked companies to fix two flaws in its AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows after it was confirmed the vulnerabilities are being used in attacks. The tracked flaws are CVE-2020-3433 and CVE-2020-3153, through which an attacker can download malicious files to arbitrary locations with system privileges. The US Cyber security and Infrastructure Security Agency has added the Cisco flaws to its already exploited vulnerabilities catalogue. Both the Cisco flaws require the attacker to be authenticated, it’s still important to update now.

Zoom

Video conferencing service Zoom fixed several issues in October, including CVE-2022-28763 flaw in its Zoom client for meetings, which is susceptible to a URL-parsing vulnerability.

“If a malicious Zoom meeting URL is opened, the link may direct the user to connect to an arbitrary network address, leading to additional attacks including session takeovers,” said Zoom in a security bulletin.

Oracle

Software giant Oracle has released its quarterly security update, the Critical Patch Update. The update in total fixes 370 vulnerabilities, 50 of which were rated critical. The update contains 37 new security fixes for Oracle MySQL, 11 of which may be remotely exploitable without authentication. It also includes security fixes for Oracle Financial Services applications.

Google Android

In the Android Security Bulletin for October, Google fixes 15 flaws in the framework and system. Tracked as CVE-2022-20419, it is a vulnerability in the framework component that could lead to local escalation of privilege.

None of the vulnerabilities is exploited in attacks, but it still makes sense to check your device and update it. Google has issued the update to its Pixel devices, Samsung Galaxy S21 and S22 series smartphones and Galaxy S21 FE.

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iPhone users in India can start using 5G services starting next week

by Hansraj Agrawal | Nov 2, 2022 | Technology

In a major relief, 5G-enabled Apple iPhone users will be able to try out the services, wherever available publicly in the country, from next week, both on standalone (Reliance Jio) and non-standalone networks (Bharti Airtel).

Airtel and Jio customers who download the iOS 16 Beta software update can try out the service and send feedback to the company as part of its “Apple Beta Software Program”. The final updated software will be available sometime in December.

The Apple Beta Software Program lets users try out pre-release software and experience the latest features before the software becomes publicly available. Users can also provide feedback to Apple on quality and usability, which helps Apple identify issues, fix them, and make Apple software even better.

Apple Inc made the commitment at a meeting of key mobile device makers called by the DoT on Wednesday to discuss the progress of the 5G rollout in the country.

All the other mobile device makers have also committed that their respective 5G phones would be enabled to receive 5G by the middle of November (which includes some with beta software) both on stand-alone and non-stand-alone networks.

This is much earlier than their initial plan to enable all phones by December. Over 160 models of 5G handsets are available in the country, and more than 70-80 million 5G handset users.

The device makers also raised concerns that the operators are rolling out the network very slowly, which could lead to numerous complaints from customers using the service.

Apple shared details of its beta software program. Users with 5G-enabled iPhones can become part of the Apple Beta Software Program by enrolling their devices on the Apple website and accessing the latest beta release and subsequent updates. This includes the software update, which will be available to Airtel and Jio customers from next week.

In an official statement in October, Apple Inc shared a timeline and said, “We are working with our carrier partners in India to bring the best 5G experience to iPhone users as soon as network validation and testing for quality and performance is completed. 5G will be enabled via a software update and will start rolling out to iPhone users in December.”

Handset makers, however, remain concerned about the slow pace of the 5G rollout. The minister of communications, Ashwini Vaishnaw, had tried to address this issue in October when he urged telcos to increase the pace of the 5G rollout in the country. He said that telcos need to raise the number of 5G towers installed weekly to at least 10,000 per week, up from the current 2,500 per week.

However, operators and vendors have a different story to tell. “With very stiff safety measures and also a lot of specialised labour going home during the festivities, the movement has been slow. Also, 5G radios whose orders have been made recently will take time to be imported, so there is going to be an initial challenge,” said one of the vendors involved in the process.

Operators say that it is unfair to push them to a number as they would be rolling out according to their plan, and they have agreed to rollout commitments of 5G in any case.

“One will see a push from January, which will become even faster by June-July and by October, one can see a substantial amount of 5G coverage in the country,” said a senior executive at a telco.

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Paid Twitter blue ticks? A look at the origin of social media verification

by Hansraj Agrawal | Nov 2, 2022 | Technology

Much has been written about the verification process on Twitter which allots “blue ticks” to certain users. With the takeover of Twitter by Elon Musk, the process of assigning these ticks is set to change. These blue ticks offer credibility to the users, mitigating trolling, fake news, disinformation and spam while also becoming a social media status symbol.

Musk on Tuesday announced that users would have to buy these blue ticks for $8 per month. The new rule is expected to be rolled out by November 7. Currently, the accounts are verified based on the application and authenticity of the applicant.

According to Twitter’s official explanation, “Verification is currently used to establish authenticity of identities on Twitter. The verified badge helps users discover high-quality sources of information and trust that a legitimate source is authoring the account’s Tweets.”

However, besides reliability, Twitter blue ticks offer few tangible benefits.

Where did the blue ticks come from?

The origin of Twitter verification can be dated back to 2009. Twitter management reportedly started to receive several complaints from celebrities and other influential people about fake profiles being created in their names.

It decided to launch a beta version of Twitter verification in the same year.

“We do recognise an opportunity to improve Twitter user experience and clear up confusion beyond simply removing impersonation accounts once alerted. We’ll be experimenting with a beta preview of what we’re calling Verified Accounts this summer,” it said in an official statement.

“Verified Accounts will feature a special seal. The experiment will begin with public officials, public agencies, famous artists, athletes, and other well-known individuals at risk of impersonation. We hope to verify more accounts in the future but due to the resources required, verification will begin only with a small set,” it said in another statement, explaining the verification feature.

Since then, the process has evolved highly but has remained free. With the new changes, the blue ticks will only be given if the user pays for them. It will be taken away from the users who do not pay the monthly fees.

Verification on other social media platforms

After Twitter, almost all the other social media platforms introduced different ways of verification. Google+ introduced verification for “public figures, celebrities, and people who have been added to a large number of circles” in 2011.

Facebook started verifying accounts in 2012. But unlike Twitter, the process was not voluntary. The platform prompted the users it selected for verification to submit a government identification. It also gave the option to enter an “alternate name” to facilitate more visibility.

In 2018, Mark Zuckerberg said that the purchases of political ads would be required to verify their profiles. Also, the managers of pages on the platform would be required to get themselves verified.

In 2014, Instagram started the verification process after pop star Rihanna deactivated her account due to a fake profile.

“Today, we’re excited to announce verified badges for celebrities, athletes and brands, making it easier for you to connect with the authentic accounts you’re looking for. These badges will start rolling out over the coming days,” it announced.

In 2017, WhatsApp introduced a verification process for its business accounts. The verification is done based on the user’s phone number. It assigns a green tick to the phone numbers.

In 2021, Koo launched a yellow tick verification badge. The users could apply for verification by mailing their request to the technical team on a fixed email. In 2022, it launched a self-verification service where the users could verify themselves using a government ID.

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Google shuts down Hangouts, upgrades it to Google Chat: Details here

by Hansraj Agrawal | Nov 2, 2022 | Technology

Google has ended Google Hangouts, a text, video and voice chat app built into Gmail, and upgraded it to “Google Chat”.

On Tuesday, the Google Hangouts web app provided its last offering to the users. After that time, users were redirected to ‘Chat on the web’, according to an official report.

Also, the Google Hangouts app is no longer available on Android or iOS.

Google Chat comes with a modern, feature-rich experience that will allow users to react to messages with emojis that feature skin-tone selections, respond with smart replies, format text with rich-text editing, tag specific people withA@mentions, and search for and share GIFs.

For users, it will be easy for them to pick up their conversations from where they have left off as the conversations will migrate automatically from Hangouts to Chat.

Also, for better collaboration, it will offer to edit Docs, Slides, or Sheets with side-by-side editing to make it easier to collaborate while you continue a conversation, the report added.

It also includes “Spaces”, a dedicated place for topic-based collaboration. With this, users from one place, teams and groups can share ideas, work on documents, and manage files and tasks.

Meanwhile, back in June, Google previously said that Chat is a better way for users to connect with others.

“As we take this final step to bring remaining Hangouts users to Chat, we hope users will appreciate our continued investment in making Chat a powerful place to create and collaborate,” Ravi Kanneganti, Product Manager, Google Chat, said in a blogpost.

–IANS

shs/ksk/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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YouTube rolls out ‘Primetime Channels’ to stream movies, TV shows, sports

by Hansraj Agrawal | Nov 2, 2022 | Technology

YouTube has rolled out a new feature, ‘Primetime Channels’, that allow users to watch their favorite TV shows, movies and sports from the streaming services directly on the application.

The early version of ‘Primetime Channels’ has been rolled out in the US, the company said in a blogpost.

There are over 30 channels that the users can buy.

“Primetime Channels adds even more content that you just can’t miss to our collection of thousands of movies and shows available for rent or purchase, or for free,” the company said.

After signing up, the YouTube experience will include content from the ‘Primetime Channels’.

For more exploration, the feature’s homepages will display shows and movies with curated trailers, behind-the-scenes footage and cast interviews.

Additionally, YouTube recommendations will now include feature shows from ‘Primetime Channels’, providing the users with a customised selection of content that matches all of their interests.

“We’ll continue working with our partners to bring even more content options to Primetime Channels, build new unique features that only YouTube can deliver and expand to our international users,” the company said.

Recently, the company had announced to roll out new design elements and product features, including options to zoom in and out for videos, to enhance user experience on the platform.

–IANS

aj/ksk/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Google unveils 20 finalists for annual ‘Doodle For Google’ competition

by Hansraj Agrawal | Nov 2, 2022 | Technology

Google on Wednesday unveiled the 20 finalists of its annual “Doodle For Google” competition and invited the public to vote online for their favourite doodle in each of the five class-wise categories.

In the contest, approximately 1,00,000 students from 1,450 schools in more than 100 cities across the nation submitted entries under the theme, “In the next 25 years, my India will…”, according to an official report.

“Spanning crayon, oil and water colour, each artwork is a glimpse into the future through the eyes of young children, demonstrating their insight into India’s national ambitions and a profound awareness of their role in making these a lived reality,” Sapna Chadha, Vice President of Marketing, Google India and Southeast Asia, said in the statement,

“We are delighted by the participation in this year’s contest, and thank all participants for their creativity and enthusiasm,” she added.

The contest winner’s doodle will be displayed on the Google India homepage for 24 hours on November 14.

The winner will also receive a Rs 5,00,000 college scholarship; a Rs 2,00,000 technology package for their school or non-profit organisation with a Certificate or Trophy of achievement; Google hardware devices or allied products (subject to availability); and fun Google collectables, the report added.

The public can participate in the contest’s online voting up until 10 a.m. on November 7.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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