If you own a Wyze security camera, you may already have access to the company's own Person Detection, the replacement for the version previously powered by Xnor.ai. The company announced in late November 2019 that it would be removing its Person Detection feature because, in what was described as a surprising movie, Xnor.ai suddenly cut its contract with Wyze.
This week Google is "previewing" policy changes to Android and Google Play that'll impact the ways in which developers of apps are able to access location data on smartphones and tablets. This affects background data collection with respect to systems like GPS location tracking, and it all starts in Android 11 / Android R. This is a major move - or it would appear to be a major move - in the smartphone user control realm in reaction to concern about how and when location data is used by apps - both known and unknown and/or malicious.
Today Microsoft Defender ATP for Linux was made available for public preview, and a version for iOS (for iPhone and iPad) and Android were announced. The Android and iOS versions of Microsoft Defender ATP will be released later this year. Today's preview of the Linux version was first shown at Ignite 2019 running on Ubuntu.
The Arlo Pro 3 security camera system has received support for Apple's HomeKit platform, the company has announced. The system includes the Arlo Pro 3 2K security camera, as well as the VMB4540 version SmartHubs (which now have HomeKit support). Arlo says that it will bring the HomeKit support to other base stations and SmartHubs in the future, expanding the usefulness for customers who own iPhones.
Firefox Private Network, the company's subscription VPN service that is still stuck in private beta, has been updated with support for its own Android app. This expands the software support from Windows 10 and ChromeOS, though apps still aren't available for macOS, iOS, or Linux. The service isn't free, but it is quite inexpensive...assuming you can get an invite to sign up for the service, that is.
Ring has found itself at the center of some controversy lately, and today, it's rolling out some new security features in response. There are two areas of focus with today's updates, as they bolster account security by making two-factor authentication mandatory and give more control over how user data is shared with third-party companies.
I started to write an article about the latest update for Telegram, when I realized I might only be speaking to a select few in-the-know users. Far fewer than I think should be interested, anyway. Telegram is a private chat system with end-to-end encryption support and cross-platform functionality. It's privately funded by a guy named Pavel Durov, whose only goal seems to be "fast and secure messaging that is also 100% free."
Facebook has announced the removal of three different campaigns of 'coordinated inauthentic behavior,' which is a fancy way to say that some governments were using accounts and Pages to spread propaganda and otherwise meddle in foreign affairs. Two of these campaigns targeted international subjects; the third targeted users in the US, particularly those of the pro-Trump and religious persuasions.
![Next Nest update requires 2-factor authentication [UPDATE: for non-Google accounts]](https://scdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/nest-cam-iq-1-1280x720.jpg)
Starting this spring, Nest accounts will require 2-factor authentication, courtesy of Google. According to Google Nest, as they're called, all Nest users will be required to enroll in two-factor authentication, rather than just being given the option. Nest asserted that this feature will be required for all users, whether or not they've migrated their account to a Google account.
Elections are one of the oldest sociopolitical activities of humanity and, given its rather sensitive nature, has been slow to change over the centuries. Attempts to modernize elections and the systems around them have always been met with suspicion and scrutiny due to fears of data and security breaches. In Israel, those fears materialized in what may be the worst case the country has faced, and it isn't even due to the election system itself and only a third-party app for managing voters.
Google has been waging a war on insecure web pages and while it has had some positive impact, the benefits of secure pages are thrown out the window when content from those pages is downloaded insecurely. Google calls these non-HTTPS downloads from HTTPS pages as "mixed content downloads" and, starting today, Chrome will warn users about such downloads but, starting June this year, it will also block files little by little in an attempt to get website developers to fix things before they break.
The latest beta version of iOS 13.4 was released this week with reference to code for a system called CarKey. Apple Watch and iPhone users that are capable of working with this software will be able to use NFC to unlock certain cars - just so long as they're authorized. This system also suggests that users will eventually be able to use Apple Watch and/or iPhone devices to start cars without need for a separate key.