Technology - Google News

Solar Ash Review - IGN
Windows 11 is getting some much-needed taskbar and Start menu improvements - The Verge
WhatsApp, iMessage give the most info to the FBI, new document shows - Android Authority

Posted: 01 Dec 2021 09:00 AM PST

Windows 11 is getting some much-needed taskbar and Start menu improvements - The Verge

Posted: 01 Dec 2021 10:33 AM PST

Windows 11's taskbar is a giant step back in usability compared to Windows 10, and now Microsoft is starting to make improvements. A new update that's currently being tested by Windows Insiders brings the clock and date back to the taskbar on secondary or multiple monitors. It's a change that multiple monitor users will appreciate, as many have had to install third-party apps like ElevenClock just to get this basic functionality in Windows 11.

I've not been shy about criticizing the changes made to the taskbar in Windows 11. I hate the new taskbar, so I'm happy to see Microsoft make this initial change. There's still much more to be improved, and hopefully we see the return of being able to drag and drop files onto taskbar apps and the general customization options.

Elsewhere, Microsoft is also making some improvements to the Start menu in Windows 11. The latest 22509 Insider build includes the ability to configure the Start menu to show more pins or more recommendations instead. That makes the Start menu a little more customizable, although many Windows 11 users are also opting for third-party apps here, too.

This latest Windows 11 build also includes more improvements to the Settings app as part of Microsoft's ongoing effort to include more Control Panel settings in the main Settings app. "We have moved the advanced sharing settings (such as Network discovery, File and printer sharing, and public folder sharing) to a new page in Settings app under Advanced Network Settings," explains Amanda Langowski, head of Microsoft's Windows Insider program.

There are also improvements to the pages in the Printers & Scanners section, and some parts of the Control Panel will now redirect Windows 11 users to the main Settings app instead. It feels like Microsoft is moving ever closer to finally removing the Control Panel in favor of its modern Settings app.

All of these features won't be available for some months yet, though. These are part of the Dev Channel round of updates to Windows 11, and some may debut as cumulative updates in the monthly changes Microsoft makes to the OS. Others may be included in the larger annual update that Microsoft is planning for Windows 11.

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WhatsApp, iMessage give the most info to the FBI, new document shows - Android Authority

Posted: 01 Dec 2021 12:51 AM PST

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

TL;DR

An internal FBI document has revealed how much data it can legally obtain from messaging apps.
It turns out that iMessage and WhatsApp were the most permissive in this regard.
Signal and Telegram are two high-profile apps that don't give out much data.

There are loads of messaging apps on the market today, and many of these services make a big deal about their security and privacy policies. Now, a newly leaked document has revealed just how much data the FBI can legally obtain from these services.

Rolling Stone and Property of the People obtained an FBI document (seen below) that details exactly what kind of information the bureau can obtain from various messaging apps with a warrant or subpoena. And it turns out that WhatsApp and iMessage provide the most information.

WhatsApp, iMessage, and Line all provide "limited" message content in response to a legal request from the FBI. Signal, Telegram, Threema, Viber, WeChat, and Wickr don't disclose any message content though.

But the amount of data shared by WhatsApp and iMessage doesn't stop there, and it turns out that "limited" message content isn't as innocuous as it sounds.

The biggest snitches uncovered

Rolling Stone/Property of the People

The Facebook-owned messaging platform will only give up "basic subscriber records" with a subpoena, but a search warrant allows the FBI to grab address book contacts and WhatsApp users who have the target as a contact. A surveillance request (called a pen register here) will also allow WhatsApp to send the source and destination of messages to the FBI every 15 minutes, but not the message content itself.

Using an iPhone and got your WhatsApp messages backed up to iCloud? Then the FBI can grab actual message content too, as Apple is required to hand over the iCloud encryption key with a search warrant.

More reading: The best alternatives to WhatsApp right now

Meanwhile, iMessage only serves up "basic" subscriber information with a subpoena, but dishes out 25 days of iMessage search queries with a court order. Authorities armed with a search warrant can also make backups of a target's device and see actual messages if the targeted person is using iCloud backups for iMessage. Apple's service doesn't offer a surveillance/pen register capability like WhatsApp though.

Telegram and Signal are two services with more significant limitations on what can legally be handed over to the FBI. Telegram doesn't offer message content at all, nor does it typically provide contact information. The FBI document adds however that Telegram "may" disclose IP addresses and phone numbers to authorities for "confirmed" terrorist investigations.

Signal doesn't provide message content either, but does offer the date and time a user registered on the service and the last date it connected to the platform.

Most of this information isn't new, but the document does give users a better idea of how these platforms compare to each other. And this is particularly important for journalists, leakers, and their sources. Will this news make you switch messaging apps though? Let us know via the poll below.