Articles by John P. Mello Jr.

Zoom gave its users a big security upgrade Monday when it rolled out end-to-end encryption for its online meetings network E2EE puts control of the keys for scrambling data in the hands of meeting organizers. Before the E2EE rollout, encryption was done on Zoom's servers, where someone with access to those servers could intercept the data....

When it comes to an appetite for data, social media outfits are the most voracious, according to a recent study released this month by cybersecurity company Clario Tech The analysis of nearly 50 of the world's biggest brands found that Facebook collects more than 70 percent of all the data it can collect legally about someone using its service....

Google found itself in the crosshairs of government regulators Tuesday as the U.S. Justice Department filed a civil lawsuit against the tech giant for unlawfully maintaining a monopoly in online search services and in search advertising "This is a monumental case for the Department of Justice and, more importantly, for the American consumer," U.S.

A warning by Facebook and Google that they may have to curb service to Australia if a controversial law takes effect this year has the Aussies reviewing their options, including setting up a publicly-funded social network The idea of setting of a publicly-funded social network run by the ABC -- the Australian Broadcasting Company, the country's st...

Apple refreshed its iPhone product line Tuesday, introducing four new models, as well as a downsized version of its HomePod smart speaker All of the new iPhones are built around Apple's blazing fast A14 Bionic chip, support all flavors of 5G wireless connectivity, and are protected by a Ceramic Shield that protects the phone from damage after a fal...

An outlaw online network that's been used to infect millions of computers with ransomware has been disrupted by Microsoft The company announced Monday that, together with telecommunications providers around the world, it was able to cut off the infrastructure used by the Trickbot botnet so it could no longer be used to initiate new infections or ac...

Seven scamware apps found in Google Play and Apple's App Store corralled more than half a million dollars for their developers, a digital security company reported Tuesday Avast discovered the malicious apps after a 12-year-old girl flagged a suspicious app promoted on a TikTok profile through its "Be Safe Online" project in the Czech Republic, whe...

According to gaming experts, 2021 is shaping up to be a big year for cloud gaming "We are expecting a big jump in revenue from 2020 to 2021," observed George Jijiashvili, a senior analyst with Omdia and author of a report on cloud gaming released last week....

Apple pulled the wraps off two new Apple Watches, two iPads, and several service bundles at an event Tuesday held online The new watches include the Series 6, which boasts performance improvements over the previous generation of the product and will sell for US$399, and the SE, an economy watch model, which will sell for $279. Apple will also conti...

A proposal to avoid the banning of the popular social media app TikTok was submitted to the U.S. Treasury Department over the weekend The plan submitted by ByteDance, which owns TikTok, calls for the company to enlist Oracle as a "trusted technology provider" in order to address national security concerns raised about the video-sharing software by ...

Google on Tuesday took a step toward controlling spam voice calls on Android devices with a new addition to its phone app The "Verified Calls" feature will display a caller's name, logo, reason for calling and a verification symbol indicating a business has been verified by Google....

Amazon has cleared a key government hurdle in its flight path to deliver packages by airborne drones The company revealed Monday that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration granted the online retail giant a Part 135 certificate, which allows Amazon Prime Air to operate as an air carrier. The move lets Amazon make commercial deliveries under a tri...

Online bandits are decreasing their schemes against businesses but increasing COVID-19 scams aimed at consumers, according to a report released Tuesday by TransUnion Suspected fraudulent digital transactions against businesses worldwide dropped nine percent from the lockdown phase of the pandemic (March 11 to May 18) to the reopening phase (May 19-...

After crashing in 2019, Dark Web markets for stolen credentials rebounded during the first half of 2020, largely due to major shifts in consumer behavior caused by the global pandemic According to the latest analysis of Dark Web trade by Top10VPN.com, populations locked down during the pandemic were forced to change their behavior patterns. That ha...

Amazon is huddling with the largest mall owner in the United States to turn anchor stores into fulfillment centers The deal with Simons Property Group would give Amazon access to space formerly occupied by Sears and J.C. Penney, both of which have filed for bankruptcy, the Wall Street Journal has reported....

Earthquake alerts are being incorporated into Android, Google's mobile operating system, the company announced Tuesday The feature will be included in a refresh of Google Mobile Services, so a full operating system upgrade won't be necessary. That means the new addition will be available to most Android users -- except those in China, which doesn'...

Apple's "Walled Garden" was built to protect consumers from malicious applications, but it can also protect the company from competition, as Microsoft and Facebook discovered recently Late last week, Apple refused to allow Microsoft to offer its xCloud streaming gaming app for iOS and iPadOS at the Apple App Store. At the same time, it approved a s...

Amazon has cleared a major regulatory hurdle in its quest to deliver Internet service to unserved and underserved areas of the earth The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has approved, with some conditions, Amazon's Kuiper Project, a US$10 billion low-orbit constellation made up of more than 3,000 satellites....

Google's Nest line of smart home products will be combined with ADT's security services in a partnership announced Monday by the two companies As part of the deal, Google will invest US$450 million into ADT to acquire a 6.6 percent interest in the security and smart home solutions provider....

Amazon's Alexa mobile app has a new look The company on Monday introduced an updated version of the app that aims to give users a more personalized experience and moves all third-party "skill" suggestions off the main screen....