Friday Tech News Roundup #23

Below are 10 tech news that I found interesting and are related to topics I care about.

Apple revamps web design for App Store – Apple has updated the look of its web-based App Store, 9to5Mac first reported. It definitely has the feel of the iOS 11 App Store, which Apple completely redesigned and launched last September. But, unlike iOS 11, there’s no focus on app discovery. Techcrunch

A bug is messing up the keyboard for some Messenger users on iPhones (Update: Now fixed) – If you’re having issues with Facebook Messenger on your iPhone right now, you’re not alone. Techcrunch

Tim Cook: next iOS update will let users disable iPhone battery performance throttling – With its admission that it throttles performance on older iPhones, Apple is facing one of its biggest controversies in years. The feature may be for the benefit of the owner, but Apple’s failure to disclose what it’s been doing has been met with anger. Now, Tim Cook says a future update will allow the performance throttling to be switched off, if a user wishes. Techspot

World’s most powerful mobile spyware can read WhatsApp messages, take photos, more – Security firm Kaspersky has uncovered a new Android spyware tool that’s being described as one of the most powerful and advanced forms of mobile malware ever. Named after one of the domains where it was first identified, Skygofree can perform a number of malicious activities, including recording audio and reading WhatsApp messages. Techspot

Apple and Samsung are both under investigation by the Italian government over planned obsolescence – Italy’s antitrust organization has launched two separate investigations against Apple and Samsung over accusations of planned obsolescence. The Verge

Netflix encourages employees to interview at other companies — here’s why – Netflix’s approach to people management can come off as logical but harsh. Business Insider

Microsoft Office for Mac gets a major update – Microsoft has released a new version of Office 2016 for Mac, introducing new online features that bring it closer in line with the cloud-first Office 365. Techradar

Apple forgot the greatest lesson of the MacBook Air – Ten years ago, Steve Jobs hopped on stage at Macworld 2008 and did another one of his seemingly impossible magic tricks: He undid the string on a manila envelope, pulled out the MacBook Air, and forever changed laptops forever. Mashable

This simple text message can paralyze your iPhone — but a fix is coming – A newly discovered iOS bug lets an attacker construct a simple text message which, when sent to an iPhone, immediately freezes and possibly restarts it. Mashable

Facebook became your news diet. Now, it’s going to serve you junk. – Forget about media outlets and Facebook — worry about readers. Mashable

10 Tech News Roundup #10

Here are 10 tech news that I found interesting.

Southeast Asia’s Sea, formerly Garena, to raise upwards of $884M in US IPO – Sea, the Singapore-based digital entertainment firm formerly known as Garena, is set to raise upwards of $884 million when it lists on the New York Stock Exchange Friday under ‘SE’. Techcrunch

Atlassian is on one heck of a run – When Atlassian went public at the end of 2015, it was a bit of an anomaly: a tech IPO whose numbers looked quite good with some profitability.

Microsoft quietly added an anti-cheat game feature to Windows 10 – Microsoft started rolling out the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update to PCs earlier this week, complete with features like Windows Mixed Reality and people integration for the taskbar. While most of the new additions are obvious, Microsoft quietly added an anti-cheat feature for games. The Verge

Tim Cook promises a new Mac mini will come some day – You thought that just because Apple hasn’t updated it in over three years, the Mac mini is dead? We don’t blame you, but according to Apple CEO Tim Cook, there’s still hope for Apple’s tiny desktop computer. Mashable

Google could update Chrome to address pesky in-browser cryptocurrency miners – In-browser cryptocurrency mining is becoming a serious issue. While some sites like The Pirate Bay are open about the behavior, others (knowingly or otherwise) attempt to use your CPU cycles without your permission. Techspot

Watchdog warns of dangerous security vulnerabilities in children’s smartwatches – Safety concerns over children’s connected toys are nothing new. Wi-Fi enabled dolls such as My Friend Cayla and Barbie were found to be vulnerable to hackers, while smart Fisher-Price toys and HereO watches also featured dangerous security holes, all of which have since been patched. Now, a watchdog has warned that more smartwatches aimed at kids could be easily compromised. Techspot

Apple is slipping after reports of iPhone 8 production cuts – Shares of Apple are down 1.65% to $157.12 in early trading on Thursday on reports that the company has cut orders linked to its new iPhone 8. Business Insider

Malaysian authorities probing report that personal data of millions of consumers up for sale – PUTRAJAYA: Police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said on Friday (Oct 20) they are investigating claims that the private data of millions of Malaysians are being advertised for sale online. Channel NewsAsia

Where Security Meets High Performance Computing – As its power increases and its cost declines, High Performance Computing (HPC) is making an impact on the security field. The ability to use parallel processing to run at speeds of a teraflop or higher is now contributing to improved security in airports, online and elsewhere. At the same time, HPC itself creates a number of new security risks for organizations that employ it. This article looks at HPC’s impact on security. It also explores HPC’s own vulnerabilities and discusses how new solutions from Dell EMC and Intel help address them. HPCWire

Netflix: the content war – Netflix will spend US$7 billion to US$8 billion on content in 2018 as the streaming wars escalate, it said this week. That cash goes toward a mix of licensed and original programming. “Our future largely lies in exclusive original content,” said Netflix in its latest earnings report. Stranger Things is among the recent hits for Netflix’s studio. Tech in Asia

10 Tech News Roundup #6

Here are 10 tech news that I found interesting.

Google Cloud adds support for more powerful Nvidia GPUs – Google Cloud Platform announced support for some powerful Nvidia GPUs on Google Compute Engine today. Techcrunch

Why video games cost so much to make – Video game publishers are notoriously secretive about the budgets behind their games, but when a number does slip out, it can be shocking. Techspot

Apple Watch Series 3 reviews are in, see what the experts think – Apple’s smartwatch took a big step forward last week with the introduction of LTE connectivity on the new Apple Watch Series 3. Techspot

Apple will bring back iPhone’s 3D Touch multitasking gesture in future iOS 11 update – Apple executive Craig Federighi has apparently confirmed that a popular 3D Touch gesture for the iPhone that was removed in iOS 11.0 will be returning in an upcoming software update. The Verge

Netflix adds HDR support for iPhone X and iPad Pro – Netflix already streams HDR video on the new Apple TV 4K, so it only makes sense for the company to add support for Apple’s HDR-ready iOS devices as well. The Verge

Intel shows off 10-nm Cannon Lake wafer and talks process tech – Intel does fine work as a silicon designer, but its manufacturing technology is probably what truly sets the company apart from its competitors. TechReport

Google acquires part of HTC’s smartphone business for $1.1 billion – Google and HTC have officialized a deal under which a portion of HTC employees, many of whom were already working with Google developing Pixel phones, will join Google. Techspot

13 hidden features in iOS 11 – You don’t need to buy an iPhone 8 (or an iPhone X for that matter) to get that shiny, new-iPhone feeling.Mashable

Apple’s iOS 11 gives the iPad the boost it desperately needed – Every new version of iOS in the last decade has always put the iPhone first. Mashable

The Ionic is a smartwatch only diehard Fitbit fans would love – If the Ionic smartwatch is the best Fitbit can do, the company might be doomed, and the Apple Watch has nothing to worry about. Mashable