Google announces enhanced protection from phishing and malware in the Chrome browser. Australian computer scientist Craig Wright is not the creator of Bitcoin as he has claimed for the past 8 years. Most subscription software doesn’t make money and the opposing argument for banning TikTok.
All this and more on the “open your mind” edition of Hashtag Trending. I’m your host, Jim Love, CIO of IT World Canada and TechNewsDay in the US
Google is upgrading the Safe Browsing feature in Chrome, introducing enhanced protection against phishing and malware this month. Initially launched in 2005, Safe Browsing is used for preventing access to dangerous domains and thwarting social engineering attacks.
A Google spokesperson noted that “Over 5 billion devices globally are safeguarded by Safe Browsing, which combats phishing, malware, unwanted software, and more. Remarkably, Safe Browsing evaluates over 10 billion URLs and files daily, issuing upwards of 3 million warnings to users about potential dangers.”
Previously, Safe Browsing would match websites, downloads, and extensions against a local database of known malicious URLs, which was refreshed every 30 to 60 minutes from Google’s servers. The latest update transitions this process to instantaneous server-side checks, effectively countering the rapid emergence and disappearance of malicious sites.
With the introduction of real-time site verification, the update is anticipated to prevent 25% more phishing attempts. It also expands coverage to Android devices, incorporating encryption and techniques to enhance privacy, ensuring that neither Google nor anyone else can track the websites user’s access.
Moreover, a novel API incorporating Fastly Oblivious HTTP (OHTTP) relays enhances privacy by concealing site URLs and masking IP addresses, thereby preventing Google and Fastly from associating browsing activities with specific user identities.
In addition to this, an optional Enhanced Protection mode now offers AI-driven, proactive defense by conducting deeper scans of downloads. When I tried to enable it on our corporate account, it gave me a message that it was not available but my personal Gmail enabled it, so there may be something the Google admin has to do or maybe it’s baked in to the corporate Gmail. I went over to my wife’s computer immediately and had her enable it as well using this link in the show notes.
I can’t see why anyone wouldn’t authorize this as an added layer of defence for private use.
Will it help? I’m guessing it will and if not, it’s like chicken soup. Can’t hoit.
Sources include: Bleeping Computer.
Britain’s high court has ruled that Australian computer scientist Craig Wright is not the creator of Bitcoin, as he has claimed for eight years. Wright asserted he was “Satoshi Nakamoto,” the pseudonym used by the person(s) who developed Bitcoin. The case was brought to court by the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (Copa), a group of technology and cryptocurrency firms, which disputed Wright’s claim.
Justice James Mellor concluded that Wright did not invent Bitcoin, was not behind the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, nor the author of the initial Bitcoin software. Mellor stated, “Having considered all the evidence and submissions presented to me in this trial, I’ve reached the conclusion that the evidence is overwhelming.”
Copa accused Wright of creating an “elaborate false narrative” and forging documents to support his claim as Satoshi, and of “terrorizing” those who doubted him. A spokesperson for Copa celebrated the verdict as a “win for developers, for the entire open source community, and for the truth,” highlighting the relief it brings to the Bitcoin community.
The ruling not only addresses Wright’s claim but also impacts the control of intellectual property rights associated with Bitcoin. Wright’s assertion had led him to file litigation aimed at deterring developers from further developing the open-source technology. The court’s decision is expected to influence three pending lawsuits filed by Wright based on his claim to Bitcoin’s intellectual property rights.
Bitcoin traces back to 2008, during the financial crisis, with a paper authored by someone under the Nakamoto pseudonym. Despite speculation and several candidates emerging over the years, the true identity of Bitcoin’s creator remains a mystery. Bitcoin, the most high-profile digital currency, allows for anonymous transactions and is not tied to any bank or government, raising both trust and skepticism globally.
Sources include: AP News
A recent analysis titled “State of Subscription Apps” by RevenueCat, a leading mobile subscription toolkit provider, reveals that most mobile apps with subscription models do not generate significant revenue.
Despite nearly 30,000 apps using RevenueCat’s platform for monetization management, the study, which examined data from over 29,000 apps and 18,000 developers responsible for more than $6.7 billion in revenue and over 290 million subscribers, found that the median monthly revenue for apps after one year is less than $50.
Only 17.2% of apps surpass the $1,000 monthly revenue threshold, a critical milestone for financial growth.
Health and fitness apps outperform other categories, generating at least twice the revenue.
In contrast, travel and productivity apps struggle the most, with top performers in these categories barely making over $1,000 per month after a year.
Despite these challenges, the subscription app market continues to expand, with the average price for monthly subscriptions rising by 14% from $7.05 to $8.01. However, the report also highlights a 14% drop in subscriber retention over 12 months, indicating shifting consumer behavior.
Something interesting to consider before you build a dependency on a particular subscription app either personally, or corporately.
Sources include: Macrumors
I had a chat with a US cybersecurity professional the other day. She’s highly knowledgeable and said that she was in favour of the TikTok ban as she regarded TikTok as a security threat.
I had to agree with her and I noted that no country would ever allow a foreign adversary to have a controlling ownership of its television, radio or print media. But, I pointed out, that as far as trust goes, I’m not sure I trust Mark Zuckerberg or Elon Musk with my data or to protect us from foreign influencers and misinformation.
But I think it’s really important, especially when we feel we are totally certain of a position, and more especially when everyone agrees with us – it is really important to listen to dissenters with an open mind. There are just too many times when the thing that everyone supports has turned out to be not well thought out.
And especially since being opposed to a TikTok ban would find us supporting a position now also supported by Donald Trump, it is more difficult to listen, but we should. We can still be in favour of a ban, but if it’s a good decision, it will stand up to alternate points of view.
Rep. Jim Himes, D-4th District, a senior member on the House Intelligence Committee, opposes the bill aimed at potentially forcing ByteDance to sell TikTok.
Despite the bill’s focus on preventing Chinese authorities from accessing TikTok user data or influencing opinions on sensitive issues, Himes voted against it, emphasizing the importance of freedom. He stated, “The United States government would be shutting down a hugely robust venue for protected expression,” expressing his concern over government interference in freedom of expression.
Despite recognizing TikTok as a “possible threat,” Himes underscored the lack of concrete evidence from intelligence briefings that the Chinese government has misused the platform as feared.
He also considered the impact on young voters, stating, “This is where young people live and young people are easily disenchanted from the political process…I tread carefully with young people,” acknowledging the importance of engaging young people in the political process without alienating them.
They say democracy dies in darkness. Good decisions die when we stop listening to dissenting opinions. It’s taken me more years than I want to admit, but now, when I’m totally convinced I’m right, and when everyone else agrees, I especially go looking for someone to give me the other side of the argument.
That’s our show for today. Hashtag Trending goes to air five days a week with a daily news show and on the weekends we have an interview show we creatively named the Weekend Edition.
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Thanks for listening and have a Fabulous Friday.