Year: 2019

Microsoft pulls latest Office update

CompuScoop Staff January 9, 2019 0

Software performance tweaks have opposite effect

Microsoft has taken down its latest update for Office 2010 following reports the tweak was causing some versions of Excel to crash.…

Redmond said the KB4032217, KB4461627, KB4032225, and KB4461616 updates, each released on January 2 for PCs running Office 2010, were no longer available.

Redmond notes that those who have installed the non-security patches "may experience difficulties in Microsoft Excel or other applications," and should uninstall the update to return things to normal.

Other versions of Office were not affected by the issues.

While Microsoft did not say what exactly the "difficulties" were that led it to yoink the updates offline, it seems a compatibility error, mostly present on Japanese machines, was causing Excel to freeze and/or crash shortly after startup or be unable to start at all.

Multiple reports from Japanese users say that, after installing one of the four Office 2010 updates, users found Excel would hang or freeze.

Given how essential Excel is to many enterprise operations, it is no wonder that Microsoft would be quick to pull the plug on any patch, particularly a non-security update, that would disrupt normal operations.

Microsoft has not said when a replacement for the patch could be released.

Word of the takedown comes just one day before Microsoft is slated to release its first monthly security update of 2019. The January edition of Patch Tuesday is likely to bring fixes for security holes in Windows, Office, and IE/Edge.

In recent months, Microsoft has been joined in Patch Tuesday by the likes of Adobe and SAP, who have used the second Tuesday of the month to kick out their own scheduled security updates. ®

Via: The Register

AT&T Caught lying to customers about its 5GE on devices and is under file by other carriers

CompuScoop Staff January 9, 2019 0

AT&T has been criticized by rival carriers Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile for attempting to mislead customers by marketing some smartphones as using "5G Evolution" technology and displaying a "5G E" connectivity logo on the screen, despite the devices involved being incapable of connecting to a 5G network.

AT&T has come under fire on social media and in statements following the revelation the carrier has started to update some of the devices it sells with a new connectivity icon. Owners of some Samsung and LG smartphones are starting to see a connectivity icon reading as "5G E," indicating the device is connected to AT&T's "5G Evolution" network.

To read the rest of the AppleInsider article, click here.

Survey: Americans warming up to facial recognition technology

CompuScoop Staff January 9, 2019 0

“A growing number of Americans are OK with the facial recognition technology, especially if it increases public safety, according to a national survey released Monda,” Frank Konkel writes for Nextgov. “Conducted on a national poll of 3,151 U.S. adults in December, the survey found only one in four Americans believe the federal government should strictly limit the use of facial biometrics technology.”

“The survey also indicates Americans are more likely to support any apparent tradeoff to their own privacy caused by facial recognition technology if it benefits law enforcement, reduces shoplifting or speeds up airport security lines,” Konkel writes. “Only 18 percent of those polled said they agreed with strict limitations on facial recognition tech if it comes at the expense of public safety, compared to 55 percent who disagreed with such limitations.”

“The findings indicate a potential shift in public thinking. A September 2018 study by the Brookings Institution found half of Americans favored limitations of the use of facial recognition by law enforcement, while 42 percent felt it invaded personal privacy rights,” Konkel writes. “Meanwhile, the federal government’s use of facial recognition technologies has itself increased in recent months. In August, the Washington Dulles International Airport became the first U.S. airport to catch an alleged imposter with its new biometric cameras. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has since apprehended 26 alleged imposters at airports as of November and points of entry using the technology.”

Read more in the full article here

CES: Sony announces availability of Airplay 2 & HomeKit in upcoming TVs

CompuScoop Staff January 8, 2019 0

Following word that Samsung plans to integrate iTunes and AirPlay 2 into select smart TV models, Sony on Monday said its TVs, too, will add support for Apple streaming and remote control protocols TVs later this year.

Via: Appleinsider.com