Software

The browser wars may not be truly over yet but it has taken on a slightly different turn. Internet Explorer has been laughed out of the arena, practically leaving Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox at the top with a large chasm between them. Now Firefox has suddenly found itself dethroned from its already precarious position by the upstart Microsoft Edge. Ironically, that is mostly thanks to Google Chrome, to be more specific its open source Chromium base.

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Video chats and video conferencing are the hot things in today's locked down world. Services old and new have risen to the challenge of connecting people even when they can't meet face to face physically. Not all of those products, however, can be considered foolproof and trustworthy, no matter how popular they are. In fact, one that has become the most popular is now also the most notorious as the direct and indirect results of Zoom's lax security continue to pile up.

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Barely two weeks ago, Microsoft pledged to put optional updates to Windows 10 on hold. The reason, it explains, is to ensure that users will be left with stable and functional computers during this time of increased dependence on such devices and on the Internet. Unfortunately, it has strangely decided to do so starting only next month. Even worse, one such optional update is already causing chaos by rendering Windows 10 computers practically useless.

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While some work that has been taken home can often be done solo, employees in more collaborative offices often need more than just email or text messages to communicate. Sometimes even real-time team chats aren't enough, especially for those used to looking for visual cues on their teammates' faces. Video conference services are, of course, a dime a dozen but some claim to be easier to use than others. There is probably nothing easier, though, than just sending a link and nothing more which is exactly what Skype's new feature promises.

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The Internet has taken on a critical role in the past weeks thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, too, is the software that connects us to the Internet and to each other. During these days, it would be difficult to have such technologies break down left and right if it can be helped. That's why Google has been making a few changes to its policies, including rolling back the privacy-related changes it has been enforcing through its SameSite Cookie policy, even if it means leaving users open to such abuses just for a while.

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Apple quietly added a new privacy feature to the latest iPad Pro, borrowing a MacBook security feature to help prevent eavesdropping on its 2020 tablets. With the launch of the 2018 MacBook range and the introduction of the Apple T2 security chip, closing the lid of the notebooks automatically disconnects the hardware microphones.

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Developer Preview build 2.1 for Android 11 was released this afternoon by Google for the masses. This new update was officially released on April 2nd, 2020, and is build RPP2.200227.014, with Google Play Services 20.06.15 and x86 (32/64-bit) emulator support. This is a relatively minor update to the otherwise most-recent release for developers, that being Android 11 Developer Preview 2, released March 18, 2020.

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Plex has just pushed out a number of improvements and new features to its Live TV offering, which enables users to access and manage over-the-air television channels. In addition to some bug fixes that are described as 'quality of life improvements,' the company has also added some key features like a guide preview, the updated video player, and more.

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Zoom may have seen explosive growth during the coronavirus pandemic, but the video conferencing service has also run into its fair share of controversy, as "Zoombombing" hijacks and questionable security and privacy decisions surface amid millions of new users. Now, Zoom founder and CEO Eric S. Yuan has responded to the criticism, setting out just what the unexpected hit app plans to do to fix it.

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You're probably tired of hearing it by now but there has been a considerable rise in the use of the Internet these past weeks. Not all of them are for entertainment, of course, as people are forced to come to grips with telecommuting and working from home. Naturally, this has become an opportunity for online collaboration apps and services to shine and a chance for Slack to reclaim its market share from its rivals. And it's doing so, ironically, by lettings its users jump on Microsoft Team Calls easily.

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The latest update to iPhone and iPad devices seems to have broken a crucial component of the video chat system FaceTime. Reports have shown the update to iOS 13.4 for iPhone and iPad caused an issue with FaceTime audio and video calls. The bit that doesn't work seems to be the connection between these newly-updated devices and those still running iOS 9.3.5 or iOS 9.3.6 - the newest software some older devices can get.

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Wzye, the connected home company best known for its inexpensive home security cameras, has released a new free firmware that enables users to transform those security cameras into webcams. The reason for this is obvious: many people have found themselves suddenly having to work from home and, as a result, many stores are sold out of high-quality webcams. This firmware update offers the next best option.

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