7-Zip plugged a serious vulnerability last month, but the program doesn't have an auto-update feature, meaning users must manually install the latest version. https://www.pcmag.com/news/free-archive-program-7-zip-can-be-hacked-with-a-malicious-file
Remote
PCMag
@PCMag@mastodon.social
mastodon 4.8.0-nightly.2026-10-06For 40 years, your independent guide to technology with expert reviews, advice, news, and video. Full site at PCMag.com
7325 Followers
76 Following
50 Posts
Joined May 04, 2022
PCMag:
pcmag.com
The FCC declines to automatically grant Verizon's plan to discontinue old school copper-based landlines when consumers, groups and even a lawmaker have been raising concerns about remote communities losing their phone service.https://www.pcmag.com/news/fcc-hits-pause-on-verizons-copper-landline-retirement-plan-for-now
The satellite-to-phone provider AST SpaceMobile is facing a class action lawsuit from an investor, who claims the company overstated its ability to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink Mobile. https://www.pcmag.com/news/ast-spacemobile-faces-lawsuit-over-its-competitiveness-with-starlink-mobile
Boosted by @gvenema@fairmove.net
A hacker used AI to send over 1 million highly personalized phishing emails in less than three days, targeting payroll and accounts payable departments at companies worldwide with fake ServiceNow invoices and demanding payment for overdue bills. https://www.pcmag.com/news/how-did-ai-send-1m-scams-in-3-days-7-brutal-security-stories-making-headlines
US satellite internet provider Hughesnet has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after running low on cash and losing subscribers to Starlink. https://www.pcmag.com/news/with-subscriber-counts-decimated-by-starlink-hughesnet-files-for-bankruptcy
Meta has been hit with a lawsuit from 26 employees who claim the company used AI to target them for layoffs: https://www.pcmag.com/news/lawsuit-says-metas-ai-targeted-workers-with-medical-conditions-for-layoffs
Despite a flood of objections, the US's FCC has approved Reflect Orbital's plan to launch a controversial space mirror satellite to reflect sunlight to Earth after dark: https://www.pcmag.com/news/fcc-approves-reflect-orbitals-giant-mirror-satellite-that-astronomers-hate
A charity game bundle for laid-off gaming workers reaches $100,000 in three days: https://www.pcmag.com/news/charity-bundle-for-laid-off-gaming-workers-tops-100000-goal-in-3-days
Age verification laws are moving from adult websites straight to your operating system—and putting your anonymity at risk. We take a look at how: https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/your-computer-is-about-to-demand-your-age-before-you-can-use-it-heres-why
Windows can link your PC to your activity, AI agents are sending crypto to scammers, and a router backdoor has no fix. Here's what you need to know this week about cybersecurity: https://www.pcmag.com/news/windows-is-tracking-you-what-you-missed-in-cybersecurity-this-week
Amazon Web Services' clients got a shock this week when their billing dashboards displayed totals exceeding $1 trillion. https://www.pcmag.com/news/got-a-spare-trillion-amazon-aws-billing-glitch-leaves-consumers-in-tears
2027 will be the "worst year in history’ for memory supply, says SK Hynix CEO: https://www.pcmag.com/news/2027-will-be-the-worst-year-in-history-for-memory-supply-says-sk-hynix
Maryland is the first state to ban grocery stores and delivery apps from changing prices based on shoppers' personal data. Several other states are looking to do the same. https://www.pcmag.com/news/maryland-bans-dynamic-pricing-adjusts-grocery-costs-based-on-your-data
$300 to $400: OpenAI is developing a doughnut-shaped speaker that functions like ChatGPT's voice mode: https://www.pcmag.com/news/openais-rumored-ai-smart-speaker-could-cost-up-to-400
We tested a Windows 11 PC with only 8GB of RAM. Seriously, do not buy one: https://www.pcmag.com/opinions/i-tested-a-windows-11-pc-with-8gb-of-ram-seriously-do-not-buy-one
Xbox's new CEO has confirmed Copilot doesn’t ‘align with where’ the gaming brand is heading. Thus, it's being axed from Xbox console: https://www.pcmag.com/news/your-xbox-wont-get-microsoft-copilot-ai-features-after-all
A hacker’s arrest exposed a little-known way Microsoft can track users on a Windows PC, but VPN provider Windscribe says it developed a process to shut it down. https://www.pcmag.com/news/vpn-provider-fights-microsofts-hidden-windows-device-tracking-gdid
Xbox CTO Scott Van Vliet blames the console outage on the failure of a licensing service that triggered sign-in scenarios to fail and took down multiple services across the platform. https://www.pcmag.com/news/xbox-day-long-outage-now-resolved-you-can-sign-in-launch-games-again
Microsoft is going to roll out a "kill switch" for the controversial Copilot key that's been appearing on new laptops: https://www.pcmag.com/news/hate-the-copilot-key-heres-how-to-finally-turn-it-off
The developer of an ultra-secure version of Android, Graphene OS, is defending its approach after an activist used the operating system’s data-wiping feature to erase his phone and block federal agents from searching the device. https://www.pcmag.com/news/grapheneos-defends-data-wiping-function-that-blocked-us-border-search
Apple's polarizing Liquid Glas design isn't going anywhere, but the iOS 27 public beta gives you more control. Here's how to make Liquid Glass less transparent. https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/still-struggling-with-liquid-glass-on-ios-tone-it-down-with-these-5-settings
Americans Only Want to Pay $800 for a New Laptop. Too Bad Many Cost $1,600: https://www.pcmag.com/news/laptop-tech-buying-survey-2026
Boston Dynamics envisions its four-legged 'Spot' robot helping human delivery workers, noting the company is already 'in talks with major logistics companies.' https://www.pcmag.com/news/boston-dynamics-wants-its-robot-dog-to-deliver-your-packages
Under the current FCC order, foreign-made Wi-Fi routers can only receive software updates until March 1, 2027. The Consumer Technology Association wants that deadline extended. https://www.pcmag.com/news/tech-group-urges-fcc-to-scrap-wi-fi-router-bans-software-update-cutoff
Two Japanese companies are trying to keep Blu-ray discs alive: https://www.pcmag.com/news/two-japanese-companies-are-trying-to-keep-blu-ray-technology-alive
Daisy-chaining two of Dell's Nvidia GB10 DGX Spark systems didn't just pump up a home AI lab—it fundamentally changed how one of our writers thinks about tinkering with local AI. https://www.pcmag.com/news/nvidia-dgx-spark-ai-cluster-hands-on-dell-pro-max-gb10
Chrome will automatically download a 4GB model to support on-device AI features, and the large file may stay on your computer unless the features are turned off. https://www.pcmag.com/news/chrome-may-quietly-use-4gb-for-ai-features-heres-how-you-can-stop-it
Windows will now allow you to pause updates almost indefinitely, restart without mandatory updates, and will try to condense non-essential updates into one monthly restart. https://www.pcmag.com/news/microsoft-finally-tackles-frustrating-windows-updates
Amazon is preparing to pull support for several older Kindle models and Kindle Fire tablets that were originally released before 2013. https://www.pcmag.com/news/got-a-kindle-from-before-2013-amazon-is-pulling-support
After years of reviewing cameras and taking countless photos, these are the top techniques one of writers relies on for consistently good shots. https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/ive-tested-hundreds-of-cameras-these-tips-will-instantly-improve-your-photos
A lawsuit claims Apple illegally accessed millions of YouTube clips for AI training and profited massively from the results. https://www.pcmag.com/news/youtubers-sue-apple-for-scraping-their-videos-to-train-ai
To win over AI skeptics, OpenAI is pushing some big ideas to ensure the technology benefits society, which includes a four-day workweek. But the announcement arrives amid allegations that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is a habitual liar. https://www.pcmag.com/news/openai-touts-4-day-work-week-wealth-fund-to-sell-public-on-next-gen-ai
We’ve heard of 1Hz laptop screens to save on battery life. But Chinese display manufacturer TCL is going 100x further with a 0.01Hz laptop panel. https://www.pcmag.com/news/tcls-001hz-screen-aims-to-squeeze-more-battery-life-out-of-your-laptop
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has updated its rules for the upcoming year, prohibiting AI-generated performances or screenplays from winning awards. https://www.pcmag.com/news/you-need-to-be-human-to-win-an-oscar-says-academy
Microsoft trims the number of Windows Insider channels and makes it easier to switch between beta and stable versions of Windows. https://www.pcmag.com/news/attention-early-adopters-microsoft-just-simplified-the-windows-insider
T-Mobile's Mint Mobile prepaid brand has a new discount: 5G broadband for a home and a phone for $45 a month as long as you pay for a year of it up-front: https://www.pcmag.com/news/mint-mobile-launches-45-bundle-of-home-and-mobile-5g-broadband
The UK and Microsoft warn that Russia's "Fancy Bear" hackers are targeting outdated consumer routers, many of which are 'end-of-life' TP-Link devices that no longer receive software patches. https://www.pcmag.com/news/are-you-using-these-tp-link-routers-russian-hackers-are-targeting-them
Two class-action lawsuits have been filed against LinkedIn over the social network's alleged covert surveillance of users via browser extensions scanning. However, LinkedIn says the dispute is overblown and mischaracterizes practices already disclosed in its privacy policy. https://www.pcmag.com/news/linkedin-hit-with-class-action-lawsuits-over-browser-extension-scanning
AT&T logged over 10,000 cases of copper theft last year, mostly in California, where the company is still required to provide old-school landline services. https://www.pcmag.com/news/att-faced-huge-surge-in-copper-wiring-thefts-last-year
Google has launched a new AI dictation app that provides polished speech-to-text transcriptions for free. https://www.pcmag.com/news/looking-for-a-free-speech-to-text-tool-googles-new-ai-app-could-be-the
Qualcomm predicts a fast rollout for 6G, leading to a commercial debut in 2029. But there are a few major challenges to overcome first, not least of which is the lack of any only-on-6G selling points. https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/time-to-talk-about-6g-what-you-need-to-know
Home security provider ADT has experienced a data breach that seems to be linked to notorious hacking gang ShinyHunters, which is now trying to extort the company. https://www.pcmag.com/news/adt-data-breach-shinyhunters-hackers-say-they-stole-10-million-records
Only $400: The Vizio Mini LED Quantum 4K QLED TV delivers impressively bright, colorful picture quality at a rock-bottom price. Here's our review: https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/vizio-65-inch-mini-led-quantum-tv-vqm65c-1004
Microsoft quietly extended free security updates for Windows 10 through 2027, giving millions of aging PCs another lease on life—and possibly setting the stage for an even longer reprieve. https://www.pcmag.com/news/microsoft-wont-let-windows-10-die-just-yet
In a public letter, Satya Nadella and Jensen Huang escalate the debate over open versus closed AI models and take a few digs at the closed AI models from top providers. https://www.pcmag.com/news/in-face-of-us-crackdown-microsoft-nvidia-ceos-back-open-weight-ai-models
The PlayStation Store axes more shovelware games, including Jesus Simulator: https://www.pcmag.com/news/playstation-store-axes-more-shovelware-games-including-jesus-simulator
Should owning a smartphone be required for modern life? LA Dodgers deny printed tickets for one loyal fan, who doesn't own a smartphone: https://www.pcmag.com/news/no-smartphone-no-ticket-la-dodgers-digital-only-policy-blocks-loyal-fan
The FBI and NSA say Iranian-connected hackers appear to be focusing on vulnerable programmable logic controllers used in industrial processes. https://www.pcmag.com/news/us-warns-that-iranian-hackers-are-targeting-water-energy-sectors
We check out Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme chip. Is it the new 18-Core laptop performance leader? https://www.pcmag.com/news/snapdragon-x2-elite-extreme-benchmarked-a-new-18-core-laptop-performance
A judge is moving to dismiss a lawsuit that alleged WhatsApp can secretly bypass end-to-end encryption to view users' messages due to a lack of evidence. But the judge is leaving the door open for the complaint if it can provide more evidence: https://www.pcmag.com/news/judge-moves-to-dismiss-suit-alleging-whatsapps-e2e-encryption-is-scam
