Laura Tucker, Author at Make Tech Easier

Internal Roblox Documents Hacked and Posted Online

Laura Tucker — Mon, 18 Jul 2022 10:25:00 +0000

It seems like if you’re a company with a popular online presence that you
should expect to be hacked at some point. The latest to be hacked is the gaming platform Roblox. A cybercriminal connected with the right person in Roblox and posted internal employee documents online in what appears to be an extortion attempt.

Roblox Employee Documents Stolen

The hacked documents appear to be stolen from a Roblox employee. These documents have information that appears to be related to Roblox games and their creators. There is also information about several people, assumably employees, included.

Roblox said in a statement, “These stolen documents were illegally obtained as part of an extortion scheme that we refused to cooperate with. We acted quickly upon learning of the incident, engaged independent experts to complement our information security team, and have... Read more

ECOVACS Deebot N8 Pro+ Robot Vacuum & Mop Cleaner Review

Laura Tucker — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 10:25:00 +0000

After reviewing so many robot vacuums that I’ve lost count, the process amounts to an elusive search for a vacuum with all the newest features that performs well to boot. This review takes a look at the ECOVACS Deebot N8 Pro+ Robot Vacuum and Mop Cleaner to see if it checks all the boxes. With “Pro” and “+” in the title, there is much hope.

This is a sponsored article and was made possible by ECOVACS. The actual contents and opinions are the sole views of the author who maintains editorial independence, even when a post is sponsored.

Setting Up the Deebot N8 Pro+

Much of the process of unpacking and setting up the Deebot N8 Pro+ Robot Vacuum is as you would expect. There are no extra side brushes and filters, but that seems to be the new normal. I’ll also add that all the instructions were complete and correct, which is not the norm and a great surprise.

Inside the box,... Read more

Apple to Add Body Temperature Sensor to Apple Watch 8

Laura Tucker — Mon, 04 Jul 2022 10:25:00 +0000

Apple really didn’t give us any hints at WWDC 2022 on what we may see from new hardware this fall. We heard about watchOS 9, but we don’t know what to expect from the new Apple Watch. One report has stated that the Apple Watch 8 will have a body temperature sensor that allows you to keep tabs on potential fevers.

Apple Watch 8’s Body Temperature Sensor

The Apple Watch 8 will reportedly have a new body temperature sensor. Also expected to have the feature will be a new “rugged edition” of the Apple Watch. Not expected to have it is the new Apple Watch SE2.

The new feature “won’t give you a specific reading – like with a forehead or wrist thermometer – but it should be able to tell if it believes you have a fever. It... Read more

iOS 16 CarPlay to Allow Paying for Gas from Dashboard

Laura Tucker — Fri, 01 Jul 2022 10:25:00 +0000

Sometimes new features escape all the hoopla of a new OS release. Maybe they’re just not as newsworthy as other changes. The iOS 16 changes will add a feature to CarPlay that will allow users to remain in their cars and pay for their gas fill-up. We didn’t hear about that at WWDC 2022, though.

Pay for Gas through iOS 16 CarPlay

Perhaps this new iOS 16 CarPlay feature wasn’t mentioned at WWDC 2022 because no one wants to be reminded of current gas prices. Just the mention of paying for gas seems to make people’s blood boil.

Image source: Unsplash

The new feature was most certainly in development long before fuel prices jumped so much at the pump. However, that... Read more

FCC Urges Apple and Google to Ban TikTok as Security Threat

Laura Tucker — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 10:25:00 +0000

While it’s much beloved by its users, TikTok has been much maligned by U.S. government officials since it picked up popularity during the pandemic. The latest hit is from the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC commissioner sent a letter to Apple and Google, asking them to ban TikTok, believing the social app is a “national security threat.”

The FCC TikTok Complaint

TikTok originates from a Chinese company, ByteDance. The Beijing company has admitted to keeping information that belongs to users in the U.S.

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr posted a letter to Twitter that he had sent to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Carr complained in the letter about “an alarming new report [that] sheds fresh light on the serious national security threats posed by TikTok.”

Carr... Read more

Valorant Players: Riot Games Will Be Listening to Your Chats

Laura Tucker — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 10:25:00 +0000

Does the chat room in your gaming sessions get to be a free-for-all? One gaming company wants to put an end to that. Riot Games announced that starting in July, it will be listening in on the voice chats between Valorant players.

Riot Games’ Announcement

Riot Games has a plan in place to stop abusive comments in the online chats during Valorant gameplay. It’s something it laid the groundwork for more than a year ago.

The game-maker made a change to its Privacy Policy and Terms of Service in April 2021. It allows Riot Games to “record and evaluate in-game voice communications when a report for that type of behavior is submitted.”

Image source: Read more

SKG V7 Smartwatch Review

Laura Tucker — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 17:25:00 +0000

Smartwatches can be helpful yet also really expensive. If you think you don’t have the funds to put out for a smartwatch, there are some budget models that may do all the necessary functions. This review covers the SKG V7 Smartwatch to see if it covers both of those metrics: budget and necessary functions.

This is a sponsored article and was made possible by SKG. The actual contents and opinions are the sole views of the author who maintains editorial independence, even when a post is sponsored.

Setting Up the SKG V7 Smartwatch

To prove that the SKG V7 Smartwatch includes what’s necessary, it ships with only three items:

Smartwatch
Charging cord
Quick start guide

Before setting up the smartwatch, you need to charge it to 100%. The charging cord fits into a standard USB-A charging brick and magnetically attaches to the back of the... Read more

Samsung to Pay $14M for Galaxy Water Resistant Claims

Laura Tucker — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 10:25:00 +0000

We use our smartphones for so many things, whether they are water resistant matters a great deal, which is likely why Samsung showed its phones being used in the pool, at the beach, in a spill, etc. As it turns out, older Samsung Galaxy phones aren’t as water resistant as ads claimed. The company settled an Australian lawsuit over its claims the devices were water resistant and agreed to pay $14 million as a result.

Samsung’s Water Resistant Claims

The Australia Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) initially launched a lawsuit against Samsung in 2019 over the water-resistant claims of Galaxy phones. The seven models in question are the S7, S7 Edge, A5, A7, S8, S8 Plus, and Note 8.

The suit claims consumers were deceived with Samsung’s water resistance claims in more than 300 advertisements since February... Read more

Amazon to Add Creepy Alexa Feature to Mimic Any Voice

Laura Tucker — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 10:25:00 +0000

In the eight years since we’ve had Amazon Alexa, it’s become a household word/name. You may not use it because you find the virtual assistant who listens to you a little creepy – but it’s about to get a little more creepy. Amazon is working on a way to allow customers to have Alexa mimic any voice.

Alexa to Mimic Any Voice

Even if you don’t use Alexa, you probably have a few devices sitting around that work with Alexa. The voice assistant can do many things. Along with giving you helpful information about the weather, sports scores, trivia, the news, etc., it also works with “skills” and smart devices.

One of the skills Alexa does is read stories to you. If you’re struggling to fall asleep, Alexa can tell you a bedtime story – yes, even for adults. But... Read more

Amazon Chooses 1st Location for Drone Delivery Service

Laura Tucker — Wed, 22 Jun 2022 10:25:00 +0000

Drone deliveries have long been promised, and with the advances in tech, it’s a bit surprising that we haven’t seen the service unfold yet. But Amazon promised we’ll see drone delivery – “Prime Air” – by the end of the year, having picked a location for its limited launch.

Amazon Prime Air

“The promise of drone delivery has often felt like science fiction. We’ve been working for almost a decade to make it a reality,” said Amazon in a blog post announcing that it would launch Prime Air drone delivery service by the end of the year in Lockeford, California.

Lockeford was a pointed choice as the first Amazon drone delivery location. It has historical links in aviation, as Weldon B. Cooke, who built and flew aircraft in the early 1990s, hailed from Lockeford.

Snapchat Plus Is Paid Subscription to Cover Revenue Loss

Laura Tucker — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 12:25:00 +0000

While you may have decided you will never pay for social media, it’s becoming harder and harder to avoid. Snapchat will be the next to offer a paid subscription with a plan called Snapchat Plus. Will you agree to pay for it? Or will you decide to do without?

Snapchat Plus

Snap spokesperson Liz Markman announced that the company is in the testing phase of Snapchat Plus. “We’re doing early internal testing of Snapchat Plus, a new subscription service for Snapchatters. We’re excited about the potential to share exclusive, experimental, and pre-release features with our subscribers and learn more about how we can best serve our community,” she said.

App researcher Alessandro Paluzzi tweeted a couple of screenshots of one of the benefits of Snapchat Plus: a badge that will appear in your profile.

Microsoft Office Update Remedies Chinese Hack Vulnerability

Laura Tucker — Thu, 16 Jun 2022 10:25:00 +0000

Microsoft Office users are encouraged to update the software as soon as possible to protect their systems from a Chinese hack vulnerability. While Microsoft has known about the threat since late last month, it only initially offered workarounds.

Microsoft Office Threat

Details of the Microsoft Office hack vulnerability were initially shared on Twitter. The TA413 cybercriminal group inserted the vulnerability into Word documents, then made them appear to originate from the Tibetan government in exile in India. TA413 is assumed to be linked to the Chinese government.

Known to be an “advanced persistent threat,” they’ve targeted the exiled community before. A 2019 Citizen Lab report showed Tibetan politicians as the subjects of spyware attacks through browsers and WhatsApp. A Firefox extension was used to spy on the Tibetan political figures in at least one instance.

Microsoft Teams to Add Fun to Meetings with Casual Games

Laura Tucker — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 10:25:00 +0000

Now that much of our business is conducted through videoconferencing, we could use a few ways to spice it up. Thankfully, Microsoft understands that, as it continues its plans to make video conferencing less boring and more useful. Sources say the next change will be integrating Casual Games into Microsoft Teams. After all, Solitaire could improve anything.

Games in Teams Meetings

Videoconferencing has been a big part of conducting business for quite some time. But the pandemic caused us all to use Microsoft Teams, Skype, Zoom, etc., in ways we hadn’t imagined. These are now tools we use for work, at home, and even at school.

The increased competition between the video conferencing platforms is causing them to make changes to be more enticing. Let’s face it: it can be boring to sit through meeting after meeting,... Read more

Google Engineer on Leave for Concern About Sentient Chatbot

Laura Tucker — Tue, 14 Jun 2022 10:25:00 +0000

There are many questions left to be answered after Google placed an engineer on paid leave for speaking up about a chatbot that he believes is sentient. He’s worried about religious discrimination and went as far as to take his concerns to a U.S. senator.

Google Engineer’s Concerns

Senior software engineer in Responsible A.I. at Google, Blake Lemoine, spoke up to say the tech giant placed him on paid leave. He turned over documents to a senator, with claims that the Google chatbot in development is sentient.

In addition, Lemoine published a post on Medium that complained he “may be fired soon for doing A.I. ethics work.”

Image source: Unsplash

On Saturday, the engineer published his interview with the chatbot Google has named “LaMDA (Language Model... Read more

Microsoft Bug Allows Unsupported PCs to Upgrade to Windows 11

Laura Tucker — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 10:25:00 +0000

Windows 11 leaves those with older systems in the dust. This is what made it confusing this week when these machines were suddenly offered the newest build. Microsoft was quick to jump in and explain that it was just a bug that allowed unsupported PCs to upgrade to Windows 11. Owners of these systems are not simply lucking out, however.

Early Reports of Unsupported PCs Getting Upgrade

The Windows 11 22H2 update was offered earlier this week to Windows 11 Insiders in the Release Preview channel. However, not everyone in that channel has a supported PC. These folks were quite surprised to get the update offer. Further, if unsupported PCs tried to upgrade to Windows 11, it went through.

EU USB-C Requirement Could Put iPhone Plans on Hyperdrive

Laura Tucker — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 10:25:00 +0000

You know that drawer you have in your home that holds all your old chargers and cords, with some most likely far outlasting the actual devices? I can’t be the only one. The European Union wants to help us with that. An agreement was reached that will require smartphones and other devices to charge via USB-C, limiting that mess. Does this mean Apple will finally have to ditch the Lightning port on the iPhone and replace it with USB-C?

EU USB-C Proposal

In September 2021, the European Commission proposed a mandate that would require USB-C charging for many devices.

Image source: Unsplash

Apple was voicing its concerns... Read more

WWDC 2022 Brings New iPhone Lock Screen and M2 Chip

Laura Tucker — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 10:25:00 +0000

The first day of WWDC is like Christmas morning for those deeply embedded in the Apple ecosystem. This year provided many changes those same Apple fans have been requesting for years, such as a new iPhone lock screen and multiple windows on iPads. It also provided a few things that were expected, such as the new M2 chip. In other words, there were no surprises but still some excitement.

iOS 16/iPadOS 16

Proving that Apple is putting a bigger emphasis on mobile, iOS 16 kicked off WWDC 2022, and iPad OS 16 closed it.

The iPhone lock screen has been much the same since the launch of the first iPhone, but now it’s receiving radical changes. You’ll be able to move photos around, change the color and typeface, and... Read more

DocHipo Review: Create Beautiful Documents

Laura Tucker — Mon, 06 Jun 2022 17:25:00 +0000

While there are many design apps for every operating system, DocHipo is a web app that specializes in designing documents to showcase your business or events in your personal life. This review takes a look at DocHipo to see if it will be suitable for your design needs.

This is a sponsored article and was made possible by DocHipo. The actual contents and opinions are the sole views of the author who maintains editorial independence, even when a post is sponsored.

Starting with DocHipo

I’ll preface this review by stating that I spent 20 years as a graphic designer, so I can be a little picky. Because DocHipo allows for collaboration, I asked Phil South to collaborate with me, as he, too, spent some of his career in graphic design.

To get started, you only need to visit the DocHipo website and sign up for an account.

You can add your company and multiple users. You can also add multiple companies. I create graphics... Read more

Hackers May Make Switch from Ransomware to BEC

Laura Tucker — Mon, 06 Jun 2022 10:25:00 +0000

We often report here on new malware attacks and mention that it’s a constant back-and-forth action, with hackers and law enforcement changing their methods to combat the other better. With the law pushing back more on ransomware, hackers may turn more toward business email compromise (BEC).

What Is BEC?

Before we can compare business email compromise and ransomware, we need to learn what BEC is. In this hacking method, cybercriminals break through corporate email accounts to issue fake invoices or contracts. The goal is for these emails to look legitimate enough to trick businesses into sending money, thinking it’s just another bill they’re required to pay.

Image source: Unsplash

Many BEC attacks originate in Nigeria, West Africa. The methods are based more on the effort of trickery... Read more

Axon Wants to Use Armed Drones to Stop School Shootings

Laura Tucker — Fri, 03 Jun 2022 10:25:00 +0000

The news of yet another school shooting shook much of the U.S. and confused the rest of the world. Ideas to remedy the situation range from arming teachers to limiting access to guns. The CEO of Axon, the company behind Taser stun guns, has another idea. He wants to stop the shootings with armed drones.

The Bold Idea of Using Armed Drones

This isn’t a new idea for Axon CEO Rick Smith. He has been considering armed drones for years, even publishing a novel about the idea. He’s now done with watching the senseless violence unfold.

Smith announced in a statement that Axon plans to develop “a remotely operated, non-lethal drone system that we believe will be a more effective, immediate, human, and ethical option to protect innocent people.”

Image... Read more