Windows 11 KB5048685 Update is breaking Wi-Fi and the Start Menu
Windows 11 users have been facing some issues after installing the KB5048685 Update. A couple of reports from users indicate that the Patch Tuesday update has broken Wi-Fi functionality on computers, and need to be reconfigured to get connectivity back online. Some users say that the update would not install on their PC, and they are encountering a 0x80070002 error message.
But a more serious problem that users are facing is the Start Menu freezing up or not working. This issue seems to be a bit more widespread than the Wi-Fi bug. Citrix software, which makes virtualization apps, has outlined the problem and suggested editing a Windows Registry key to resolve the bug. This may be due to a faulty Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Package that contained an outdated DLL file.
Microsoft is yet to acknowledge these problems, let alone fix them. For now, you may want to head over to the Settings app > System > Recovery > and click on the option labeled “Fix problems using Windows Update”, to see if it fixes the issues.
Google proposes remedies in the antitrust trial
A couple of months ago, a U.S. federal judge found Google to be guilty in the antitrust trial filed by U.S. Department of Justice. The world’s number one search engine was accused to have created an illegal monopoly in the market, by making exclusive agreements with Apple and other OEMs. The DoJ had proposed various changes, which included a forced break-up of Google. This could potentially lead to selling Chrome to a third party, and even splitting Android away from the Alphabet-owned company.
Google has filed a remedies proposal in a bid to reduce the damages. The company says other browser makers should be allowed to make deals with OEMs however they want. It also want to allow browsers and devices to change the default search engine once a year. Google requested that Android device manufacturers should be allowed to pre-install multiple search engines and apps from Google regardless of whether the Search app or Chrome is preloaded. These proposals have been filed ahead of a hearing that will take place in April 2025.
Apple wants to create doorbells that have FaceID
Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman says that Apple is working on another smart home device, a doorbell that will use FaceID to unlock the door by recognizing a user’s face. FaceID has been widely praised for its robust security. Unlike regular cameras which just scan a user’s face, Apple’s facial recognition technology uses a combination of TrueDepth camera to generate an infrared image of a user’s face, along with advanced biometric data such as depth information, and sophisticated neural networks, to authenticate a user’s identity. It is available on iPhones and iPads.
Apple’s upcoming doorbell will support third-party smart locks via HomeKit Secure Video system. The device is said to be equipped with a Secure Enclave chip that will process and store the biometric data. The camera on the device reportedly has a Proxima chip that supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and uses end-to-end encryption to securely record videos and uploads them to iCloud.
Security experts believe AI could be misused by malware
Artificial Intelligence has surged in popularity over the past couple of years, but the use of such tools has also raised questions about the privacy of users. And now, there are concerns about security. A report by security experts at Palo Alto Networks highlights the problems that AI-powered tools could pose in disguising malware.
Threat actors could use services like ChatGPT to rewrite and modify code to prevent malware from being detected by security solutions, aka antivirus or anti-malware apps. It’s not a far-fetched theory, malicious AI-powered tools already exist, and are being used to generate phishing emails and different kinds of malware.
OpenAI had recently revealed that it had blocked 20 malicious networks that were targeting its platforms. Researches at Palo Alto Networks were successful in creating over 10,000 JavaScript-based malware using generative AI tools. But the scope of the problem is deeper, as machine learning algorithms that are designed to identify malware can be fooled by disguised code, which would allow them to be marked as harmless. The result could be chaos, but there is good news too. Such AI-powered techniques could be used to improve the detection models significantly.
Reports accuse PayPal’s Honey extension for unethical practices
Using Honey to save money? Well, apparently the extension for browsers is reportedly harmful for users, and people that have been promoting it. A YouTuber who investigated the add-on claims that the service saves affiliate cookies on browsers in an unethical fashion, i.e. when a user tries to apply a coupon, Honey overwrites the cookies that were saved by other websites. This prevented affiliate marketers like YouTubers or other content creators, and other websites from earning a commission when a user makes a purchase. Instead of the people who recommended the product, Honey gets paid for the purchase.
Honey, which is owned by PayPal, is also being accused of failing to show the best discounts to users, and instead prefers to prioritize offers from its partners. This in turn affects users, who end up paying more money than they would have if the alternative coupons had worked.
Microsoft 365 to be renamed Microsoft 365 Copilot
Microsoft has big plans for Microsoft 365 Copilot. The app will be rebranded as Microsoft 365 Copilot in mid-January 2025, to highlight the importance of its AI tools. But that is not all, the app’s interface will undergo some massive changes.
The company has announced that the contents of the top header will be moved to the lower left toolbar. This toolbar will contain options to access the profile, settings, comments, etc. A search box will be placed on the home page to allow users to find what they want quickly. The Back button is being removed from the app, and users will need to use the app bar on the left to switch pages.
Microsoft has confirmed that it will be removing two features from the app, the My Day feature which is used to access the calendar and to-do tasks, and the Help Me Create feature that helps users create documents.
The post December 28 tech news roundup: Google proposes alternative remedies in antitrust trial, Windows Update breaks Wi-Fi and Start Menu, AI could impact malware detection appeared first on FileHippo News.