iOS 13.7 opts-in COVID Notifications

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iPhone users can now opt-in to COVID notifications on their phone.

Tuesday, Apple pushed out the iOS 13.7 update, including additional assistance in the new COVID-19 tracking system. What’s wonderful about this feature is there’s no app download needed to access the information.

According to the software update, “System availability depends on support from your local public health authority.” Several iPhone users have shared concerns about the company stealing data or other personal information.

However, Apple states, “Your iPhone is not collecting or sharing exposure notification data with anyone. If you turn on Exposure Notifications, information related to your exposures can only be shared with your permission.”

Source: Apple

Simply go to Settings, scroll down and you’ll find Exposure Notifications. From there, you have the option of turning it on, along with receiving Availability Alerts. In order to use Availability Alerts, you will have to have Location Services turned on.

You can go to Apple’s COVID tracking website to learn more information.

For help with any Apple issues, call us at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you from our staff at the Denver Computer Repair Service. If you need computer repair in Denver, CO please call or text the local office at (720) 441-6460.

Firefox Update Fixes Crashes

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Mozilla’s developer team has been hard at work updating Firefox after multiple reports of crashes.

Named 80.0.1, this update contains the correction of the browser crashing due to a GPU reset. And although these issues first began a few days ago, sources have stated that the GPU issues have occurred several months ago.

According to Mozilla’s release note, additional fixes included:
  • Fixed a performance regression when encountering new intermediate CA certificates (bug 1661543)
  • Fixed crashes possibly related to GPU resets (bug 1627616)
  • Fixed rendering on some sites using WebGL (bug 1659225)
  • Fixed the zoom-in keyboard shortcut on Japanese language builds (bug 1661895)
  • Fixed download issues related to extensions and cookies (bug 1655190)

Once the browser update is complete on your PC, it’s recommended you restart Firefox to finalize the changes in it’s entirety.

If you don’t have Firefox, you can simply download the newest version of Firefox on their website.

For help troubleshooting PC issues, call us at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you from our staff at the Mesa Computer Repair Service. If you need computer repair in Mesa, AZ please call the local office at (480) 240-2950.

Use Offload on iPhone to Increase Storage

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Depending on how much GB you have on your iPhone, storage can be a nuisance. You can spend all day figuring out which apps you don’t use regularly, delete the ones that don’t matter, or you can enable Offload.

Offload is a key feature on the iPhone, allowing any unused apps to be removed once storage is low.

To enable this great feature, follow the steps below:
  1. Go to Settings
  2. Click on General
  3. Scroll to iPhone Storage
  4. Click on Enable Offload Unused Apps

You can also find it in the iTunes & App Stores from the Settings list. Just enable the Offload Unused Apps by moving the toggle to the right.

It states that your data, along with any information will be saved with the enabling process. This will allow you to download with the app again without the data being reset.

9to5 Mac shares, “While it seems that the feature is off by default, we’ve heard from some users that they found it turned on without them manually doing so. With this feature, apps are deleted, but not removed from your Home screen. It simply shows a cloud icon next to the name, indicating that it has been removed.”

If you are needing help with Apple issues, please give us a call at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities.  This blog post is brought to you from our staff at the Plano Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Plano, TX please call the local office at (469) 299-9005.

Internet Explorer Support Ending in 2021

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Microsoft announced last week that Internet Explorer and its online service support will be ending on August 17th, 2021. This also comes with support ending for Legacy Edge on March 9th, 2021.

This will give enough time for businesses to transition to a new browser, such as the new version of Edge.

Apparently, ending support for Internet Explorer has been in the work over the years. The Verge, a tech news outlet, says, “The company first unveiled its new Edge browser back in 2015, codenamed at the time Project Spartan. It was the beginning of the end for the Internet Explorer brand. Microsoft has since labeled Internet Explorer a “compatibility solution” rather than a browser and encouraged businesses to stop using the aging browser.”

Legacy Edge

After the support date arrives, no security updates will be available for either Internet Explorer or Legacy Edge.

For any computer inquiries, call us at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you from our staff at the Arvada Computer Repair Service, if you need better SEO or computer repair in Arvada, CO please call or text the local office at (720) 441-6460.

Firefox Browser got Quite the Update for Android

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Available today in Europe, and available in the U.S. on the 27th, Mozilla announced an upgraded Firefox Android browser. Called the Firefox Daylight, because it begins a fresh new start for Android users, Mozilla wanted to deliver a better experience within the browser.

According to CNet, few parts of the Firefox browser improvements include:

  • “Daylight opens web pages about 10% faster than the previous version. It’s also more responsive when you’re scrolling or tapping.
  • It has new privacy muscle in the form of Mozilla’s Enhanced Tracking Protection, designed to block advertisers and publishers from logging your online behavior.
  • The new version features Tab collections that lets you organize sets of tabs into a named group that you can open in bulk later.
  • Daylight adds Mozilla’s list of recommended extensions, which are add-ons that let you customize the browser, making it easier to find ones that are safe and useful.”

Other features include a light and dark theme option, so users can use what works best for them.

Blink

Google’s mobile engine is named Blink, while Mozilla’s engine is called GeckoView. This gives Mozilla an advantage, should there be any security problems with Blink. Thankfully, Firefox Daylight will not be affected in the least.

This whole update was a huge effort to increase user numbers. In 2017, Mozilla released Firefox Quantum. However, their numbers decreased from 250 million to 208 million since, losing users to Google Chrome. Here’s to hoping this new mobile browser helps.

For inquiries about mobile browsers, call us at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you from our staff at the Denver Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Denver, CO please call or text the local office at (720) 441-6460.

Hackers Believe to Steal Ad Revenue on iOS

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It’s no known secret that hackers are finding any way possible to insert malicious code to invade privacy and steal important information from potential victims. Synk, a software security business, shared a Chinese mobile ad vulnerability in iOS, implicating they were committing fraud through ads. They stated the following:

“We have identified that mintegral iOS SDK versions 5.5.1 and above contain malicious functionality which leads to information leakage. In simple terms the SDK is spying on user link clicking, and network activity within the affected apps. The spying occurs even if the SDK was not enabled by the developer or the ad mediation platform.”

Source: Synk Press Kit

The statements show that SDK makes iOS think that a different ad is being clicked on, therefore the ad revenue is being sent elsewhere instead of the actual business of the ad. The Chinese mobile ad, called Mintegral has stated it has been cooperating with Apple, while maintaining their innocence in the attack to steal information and ad revenue.

This vicious intended code seems to only have been seen on iOS and not on Android just yet. The first code was seen over a year ago, in July 2019.

For inquiries about vulnerabilities, call us at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you from our staff at the Goodyear Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Goodyear, Arizona please call or text the local office at (623) 295-2645.

Microsoft Edge May Slow Computer Down

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If you’re noticing your computer slowing down, the possible reason behind it may be the Microsoft Edge browser.

A Microsoft Community user shared an issue, stating, “I updated my windows 10 pro using KB:4559309. Since then my computer performance has absolutely tanked. my startup time is probably triple, loading any window has a few second delay. I attempted to uninstall the update however windows tells me that it is required and cannot be removed.”

Its said that the Edge browser team already knows about this issue and is currently fixing it. They also are requesting feedback on issues such as this by going to the Feedback Hub in the Start Menu. An advisor on the thread encourages users to uninstall the KB 4559309 update to alleviate the issue.

For computer-related inquiries, call us at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you from our staff at the Aurora Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Aurora, Colorado, please call or text the local office at (720) 441-6460.

Windows 10 1709 Service Extension

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First stated back in January that service on version 1709 of Windows 10 was to end in April of 2020, the release has now been extended. And with the pandemic still around, this helps many Microsoft users.

Microsoft Docs, which share important information on servicing their updates, lengthened their end of service for 1709 from April to October. According to their records, they say:

“Windows 10, version 1709 will reach the end of servicing on October 13, 2020 April 14, 2020. This applies to the following editions* of Windows 10 released in October of 2018:

  • Windows 10 Education, version 1709
  • Windows 10 Enterprise, version 1709
  • Windows 10 IoT Enterprise, version 1709

These editions will no longer receive security updates after October 13, 2020 April 14, 2020. Please go here for the latest information. Customers who contact Microsoft Support after this date will be directed to update their device to the latest version of Windows 10 to remain supported.”

This particular date also includes, “SharePoint Server 2010, SharePoint Foundation 2010, and Project Server 2010.” Version 1809’s end of service date was May 12th of 2020. However, the final update has been extended to November 10th.

For help troubleshooting PC issues, call us at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you from our staff at the Aurora Computer Repair Service. If you need computer repair in Aurora, CO, please call the local office at (720) 441-6460.

New Tool Removes Unwanted Apps

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When Windows 10 installs on PCs, it includes multiple pre-installed apps. These apps cannot be uninstalled – that is until now.

A third-party app called Bloatbox gives users the option of removing those unwanted apps. At first, this app started off as a small addition to the app Spydish. Then it became its own separate app.

According to the Bloatbox repository, the developer Belim states, “Since I didn’t want to bloat Spydish unnecessarily (those who know me know that I am a friend of small apps and lean code), I have now made this available as a standalone app. With the upcoming Spydish release it can be started from within Spydish.”

Some of the apps on Windows 10 that are normally pre-installed are the Your Phone app, Maps, and Photos. These apps don’t take up too much space on the hard drive, so uninstalling them won’t make much of a difference. However, if desired, use Bloatbox.

With all that said, there is a possibility that removing apps that cannot be uninstalled could lead to computer troubles. Be sure to research all options beforehand.

For inquiries with Microsoft installations, call us at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you from our staff at the Frisco Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Frisco, TX please call or text the local office at (469) 299-9005.

Emotet Malware is Back

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The infamous Emotet malware has caused trouble again, according to researcher sources.

Back in 2014, Emotet was founded as a banking trojan, deciding on third party malware after using their own. This produced a handful of malicious spamming and stealing personal information.

Tech Radar states on their blog, “In May of last year, Proofpoint researchers observed Emotet delivering third-party payloads including Qbot, The Trick, IcedID and Gootkit. The malware also now loads modules for spamming, credential stealing, email harvesting and spreading via local networks.”

Last week, researchers found an astounding 250,000 e-mails sent out by Emotet after 5 months of inactivity. These e-mails include links with Microsoft Word and will download and install malware to the computer. In turn, hackers can receive any and all data they want.

Companies are the biggest target for Emotet, and come with a hefty problem if not combated with anti-virus software. It’s always best to remember not to open e-mails or attachments that are unknown to the user.

*Update 7/21 – A new scam for a Google Chrome update is circulating around the world, zoning in on multiple organizations. These e-mail scams will download malware if the links are clicked on. Keep an eye out.

For help with computer issues, call us at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you from our staff at the Mesa Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Mesa, AZ please call the local office at (480) 240-2950.