Technology - Google News

It's raining new deals on Google Home smart speakers and connected home bundles - PhoneArena

Posted: 15 Aug 2019 07:33 AM PDT

Google has one of the most extensive, diverse, and affordable smart speaker lineups on the market right now, which explains why the search giant looks like the only company in the world capable of challenging Amazon's global domination in a rapidly expanding industry. But those thriving sales numbers occasionally need a little boost, and that's precisely what the latest Google Store deals aim to provide.

While not exactly unprecedented or unbeatable, these fresh discounts are at least comprehensive, covering the entire Google Home family, as well as the rebranded Nest Hub. But perhaps the most compelling special offer sees the popular Nest Hello video doorbell bundled with a so-called "Smart Light Starter Kit" at a $229 price. Normally, that's how much the Nest Hello costs by itself, so the combo deal essentially hooks you up with a free Google Home Mini and GE C-Life smart bulb.

Separately, the Smart Light Starter Kit would set you back $55, although this extensive new Google Store sale brings that price point down to $35 as well. If you're merely interested in snapping up a dirt-cheap smart speaker, fret not, as the pint-sized Google Home Mini is also available for $29 instead of $49 when purchased alone. Meanwhile, the "regular" Google Home is on sale at $69 (once again) after a cool $30 markdown, which helps the bad boy undercut Amazon's second-gen Echo... at least for the time being.

Audiophiles might be more excited about the prospect of buying a premium Google Home Max at $30 off list, even if that still means you need to cough up a whopping $269, and last but certainly not least, the Google Nest Hub smart display fetches $99 instead of a $129 list price. All discounts are apparently good until September 2, but we wouldn't be surprised to see third-party retailers like Best Buy or Walmart one-up at least some of these interesting promotions.

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Install Windows 10's August 2019 updates now to protect your PC from a nasty worm - PCWorld

Posted: 15 Aug 2019 06:39 AM PDT

Microsoft's monthly Patch Tuesday updates rolled out earlier this week, and you should update Windows pronto. The updates include patches for four severe "wormable" security exploits that can let attackers spread malware without any user action, similar to WannaCry and the BlueKeep vulnerability that coerced Microsoft into releasing a rare post-death patch for Windows XP.

"This vulnerability is pre-authentication and requires no user interaction," reads Microsoft's description of the four vulnerabilities (CVE-2019-1181, CVE-2019-1182, CVE-2019-1222, and CVE-2019-122). "An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on the target system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights."

That sounds terrifying, but don't panic: The Remote Desktop Services protocol is disabled by default, so most home users shouldn't be vulnerable. Unlike Bluekeep, however, this latest RDS exploit affects Windows 10.

Simply applying the new updates closes the security hole. Your PC might have already done so automatically, but you should double-check. To do that, click on the Start button, then head to Options > Update & Security > Windows Update and click the Check for Updates button.

While you're busy fiddling with settings, also consider confirming that Remote Desktop is off. Microsoft has had to issue updates to harden the feature against exploits several times in 2019, so there's no reason to expose your PC to the potential risk if you don't actively use it. Search for "remote access" and select the "Allow remote access to your computer" option that appears. In the system properties pop-up that follows, ensure that "Allow remote assistance connections to this computer" is unchecked, then click OK.

Finally, while Windows 10 indeed provides stronger protection than past versions of Windows, the default security often isn't enough in today's hyper-connected world. Check out PCWorld's guide to the best Windows antivirus software to see our picks for the most effective solutions. A solid AV program can't block gaping security holes like this one, but it can detect and block the more commonplace malware you might encounter during day-to-day life.

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