Here’s How to Try Microsoft Edge’s “Super Duper Secure Mode”

August 05, 2021 1 comment

Edge Logo on faded blue and green background hero

Microsoft wants you to use Edge. In an attempt to lure the more security-conscious users, the company is testing a new “Super Duper Secure Mode.” No, that’s not a name we made up; it’s what Microsoft is calling this new browser mode in Edge, at least for now.

What Is the “Super Duper Secure Mode?”

Microsoft’s “Super Duper Secure Mode” is in testing with the Edge Vulnerability Research team, as first spotted by BleepingComputer. The overall idea of the browsing mode is to bring security enhancements without significant performance impairments. Ideally, the company would be able to create a locked-down browsing experience without creating any slowdowns or bottlenecks.

The new browser mode removes the Just-In-Time Compilation (JIT) from the V8 processing pipeline, which is designed to reduce the attack surface threat actors can use to hack into Edge.

To put that even more simply, the browser mode removes a method that hackers could use to hijack a browsing session.

At the moment we are disabling JIT and enabling CET in the renderer process. ACG enablement is next after we do some testing. We also have plans for Android and Mac as well. Android being the most interesting since mobile is such a key target 6/?

— Johnathan Norman (@spoofyroot) August 4, 2021

Johnathan Norman, Microsoft Edge Vulnerability Research Lead, broke down the browsing mode on GitHub. “This reduction of attack surface has potential to significantly improve user security; it would remove roughly half of the V8 bugs that must be fixed.”

The reason JIT exists is to speed things up by compiling code during program execution, but Microsoft says that disabling it doesn’t always have negative impacts on performance.

Not only does the mode disable JIT, but it also enables Control-flow Enforcement Technology (CET), which is an Intel hardware-based exploit mitigation that helps further lock down the browsing experience.

Down the road, Microsoft is planning to add Arbitrary Code Guard (ACG) to the mode, which is another mitigation tool that prevents loading malicious code into memory.

Sadly, the name won’t stick around if Microsoft decides to implement the mode into Edge permanently. “Also, our tongue-in-cheek name will likely need to change to something more professional when we launch as a feature. For now, we are going to continue having fun with it,” Norman concluded.

How to Try “Super Duper Secure” Mode Yourself

If you feel like being Super Duper Secure interests you, trying the mode is relatively straightforward. First, you’ll need to make sure you’re running one of Microsoft Edge preview releases (that’s either Beta, Dev, or Canary).

As long as you have one of those installed, simply type the following in your Edge address bar and toggle the new browser mode:

edge://flags/#edge-enable-super-duper-secure-mode

While you shouldn’t see any noticeable performance drops (according to Microsoft), this is still an experimental mode, and there are bound to be some issues that pop up, so try it for yourself and see what happens.

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Your ASUS Motherboard May Get a TPM Update for Windows 11

August 05, 2021 No comments

The inside of a gaming PC showing a motherboard with watercooling. — Kreabobek/Shutterstock.com

Windows 11 will be here before we know it. So ASUS is getting ready for the latest version of Microsoft’s operating system by updating the BIOS of many of its motherboards with automatic TPM support.

Why Automatic TPM Support Matters

Microsoft has decided to make TPM support a requirement for Windows 11. This caused a lot of confusion, as many people realized their computers didn’t have the option enabled in the BIOS. If the option was there, it was often labeled something like PTT or PSP fTPM, further adding to the confusion.

Thankfully, many motherboard manufacturers are getting ready for Windows 11 by either adding an option to turn TPM on manually or, in the case of ASUS, turning it on automatically. Many users aren’t comfortable messing with settings in the BIOS, so turning it on by default should create a far better user experience for most people who want to upgrade to Windows 11 and have everything work as expected.

ASUS posted a list of motherboards that’ll receive the update, and it’s extensive. Many boards have the update ready to go, but others are still listed as “Under Testing” as ASUS works to get them ready in time for the Windows 11 launch. The page also has a link to download the latest BIOS version if it’s ready for your particular motherboard.

(By the way, modern motherboards that support TPM actually use UEFI instead of a traditional BIOS, but many people still call the UEFI the “BIOS” anyway.)

If you’re unsure what all this means, we have a full breakdown of all things motherboard that’ll help you understand.

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New AirPods Pro Conversation Boost feature available in beta

August 05, 2021 1 comment

The latest beta version of Apple's wireless headphone software offers long-awaited news.

In order to reduce the number of bugs, Apple recently made it possible for registered developers to test pre-release versions of the software for AirPods, AirPods Pro and AirPods Max. Read: You can now beta-test new AirPods software.

Now MacRumors draws attention to the fact that there are several long-awaited new features in the latest beta version for AirPods Pro, including the ability to increase the volume only for conversations, a feature known as Conversation Boost.

The beta already offered support for spatial sound in FaceTime and improved noise reduction. For these features to work, iOS 15 is required.

Unfortunately it is difficult to install the preview versions at present. It should also be noted that it is not possible to downgrade to an earlier version if necessary. In addition, there is a risk that the headphones will stop working completely, so if you are curious about becoming a beta tester, you should be aware of the risks.

The software will be installed automatically. If you want to check which version is installed, go to Settings > General > About > AirPods on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

This article originally appeared on Macworld Sweden. Translation by Karen Haslam.

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Apple Introducing New Child Safety Features, Including Scanning Users' Photo Libraries for Known Sexual Abuse Material

August 05, 2021 No comments

First, the Messages app on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac will be getting a new Communication Safety feature to warn children and their parents when receiving or sending sexually explicit photos. Apple said the Messages app will use on-device machine learning to analyze image attachments, and if a photo is determined to be sexually explicit, the photo will be automatically blurred and the child will be warned.

When a child attempts to view a photo flagged as sensitive in the Messages app, they will be alerted that the photo may contain private body parts, and that the photo may be hurtful. Depending on the age of the child, there will also be an option for parents to receive a notification if their child proceeds to view the sensitive photo or if they choose to send a sexually explicit photo to another contact after being warned.

Apple said the new Communication Safety feature will be coming in updates to iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and macOS Monterey later this year for accounts set up as families in iCloud. Apple ensured that iMessage conversations will remain protected with end-to-end encryption, making private communications unreadable by Apple.

Scanning Photos for Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM)

Second, starting this year with iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, Apple will be able to detect known Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) images stored in iCloud Photos, enabling Apple to report these instances to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), a non-profit organization that works in collaboration with U.S. law enforcement agencies.

Apple said its method of detecting known CSAM is designed with user privacy in mind. Instead of scanning images in the cloud, Apple said the system will perform on-device matching against a database of known CSAM image hashes provided by the NCMEC and other child safety organizations. Apple said it will further transform this database into an unreadable set of hashes that is securely stored on users' devices.

The hashing technology, called NeuralHash, analyzes an image and converts it to a unique number specific to that image, according to Apple.

"The main purpose of the hash is to ensure that identical and visually similar images result in the same hash, while images that are different from one another result in different hashes," said Apple in a new "Expanded Protections for Children" white paper. "For example, an image that has been slightly cropped, resized or converted from color to black and white is treated identical to its original, and has the same hash."

Before an image is stored in iCloud Photos, Apple said an on-device matching process is performed for that image against the unreadable set of known CSAM hashes. If there is a match, the device creates a cryptographic safety voucher. This voucher is uploaded to iCloud Photos along with the image, and once an undisclosed threshold of matches is exceeded, Apple is able to interpret the contents of the vouchers for CSAM matches. Apple then manually reviews each report to confirm there is a match, disables the user's iCloud account, and sends a report to NCMEC. Apple is not sharing what its exact threshold is, but ensures an "extremely high level of accuracy" that accounts are not incorrectly flagged.

Apple said its method of detecting known CSAM provides "significant privacy benefits" over existing techniques:

• This system is an effective way to identify known CSAM stored in iCloud Photos accounts while protecting user privacy.
• As part of the process, users also can't learn anything about the set of known CSAM images that is used for matching. This protects the contents of the database from malicious use.
• The system is very accurate, with an extremely low error rate of less than one in one trillion account per year.
• The system is significantly more privacy-preserving than cloud-based scanning, as it only reports users who have a collection of known CSAM stored in iCloud Photos.

The underlying technology behind Apple's method of detecting known CSAM matches is quite complex and Apple is publishing a technical summary with more details. Apple is also launching a new Child Safety landing page on its website.

"Apple's expanded protection for children is a game changer. With so many people using Apple products, these new safety measures have lifesaving potential for children who are being enticed online and whose horrific images are being circulated in child sexual abuse material," said John Clark, the President and CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. "At the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children we know this crime can only be combated if we are steadfast in our dedication to protecting children. We can only do this because technology partners, like Apple, step up and make their dedication known. The reality is that privacy and child protection can co-exist. We applaud Apple and look forward to working together to make this world a safer place for children."

Expanded CSAM Guidance in Siri and Search

Third, Apple said it will be expanding guidance in Siri and Spotlight Search across devices by providing additional resources to help children and parents stay safe online and get help with unsafe situations. For example, users who ask Siri how they can report CSAM or child exploitation will be pointed to resources for where and how to file a report.

The updates to Siri and Search are coming later this year in an update to iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8, and macOS Monterey, according to Apple.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

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Apple Music Artists Can Now Share Milestones With Fans

August 05, 2021 1 comment

Apple today announced a new Apple Music for Artists feature called Shareable Milestones, which is designed to allow ‌Apple Music‌ artists to share key milestones and successes with their fans on social media.

apple music milestones
The ‌Apple Music‌ for Artists feature generates automatic milestones for artists of all sizes, which artists can highlight on social media networks. Milestones include new highs and all-time bests across Plays and Shazams, and inclusion in ‌Apple Music‌'s curated playlists.

Artists will see images celebrating their milestones on their iOS overview page for ‌Apple Music‌ for Artists, and can tap the share icon to open up the share sheet. Users will also see relevant milestones on the song and country detail pages. Milestones can be shared to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook and Instagram stories.

Sharing milestones is a feature that's limited to artists at the current time and the images can only be accessed through the ‌Apple Music‌ for Artists iOS app.

Though limited to ‌Apple Music‌ for Artists at the current time, this is perhaps a feature that Apple could roll out to all ‌Apple Music‌ users in the future, allowing them to share metrics that are normally only available through the year-end Apple Music Replay and Recap features.

Apple Music for Artists is available to all artists who use ‌Apple Music‌. It provides artists and their teams with sales and streaming data for songs, albums, playlists, and more.

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iTunes Match Users Frustratingly Report Widespread Issues

August 05, 2021 1 comment

Over the last few weeks, an ever-increasing number of Apple users have been frustratingly sharing issues they're experiencing with iTunes Match, Apple's service that allows users to upload songs to iCloud from other sources, such as CDs.

itunes match 2015
iTunes Match is officially part of an Apple Music subscription and is there known as ‌iCloud‌ Music Library. iTunes Match allows users to upload songs and make them available across all of their devices. iTunes Match only uploads songs to users' cloud if it's unavailable to find that same song within the iTunes library. iTunes Match is available outside of ‌Apple Music‌ for $24.99 a year.

Over the last few weeks, an increasing number of users have taken to Twitter, the Apple Support Forums, and Reddit to note that the service has essentially stopped working. Users reports that iTunes Match is stuck in a constant loop of uploading songs or "Matching your music with songs in the iTunes Store." The issue has become so widespread across Twitter that users have created an "iTunesMatchBroken" hashtag.

A large reason for users' frustration is the silence from Apple on the issue. The Apple Support account on Twitter has only responded to some user reports with vague responses and prompts to send the support team a message. In private conversation, some users were told by Apple Support that there is no ongoing issue with the service and that it's instead an issue with their device, despite the widespread nature of issues.

A few of the reports point to the recent macOS Big Sur 11.5 update as the trigger for the issue; however, users across macOS versions are also sharing their unpleasant experiences.

For the last week, Apple has refused to respond to comment on the situation, including whether the service is in the process of being shut down. If we do hear back from Apple, we'll be sure to let MacRumors readers know.

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Working AirPower Prototype Shown in Video Clip

August 05, 2021 1 comment

A video of a seemingly functional AirPower prototype has been shared on Twitter by Apple device collector Giulio Zompetti, in what appears to be a first-of-its-kind look at the elusive charger in action.

The video shows a unique on-screen iOS animation when the iPhone is placed on the ‌AirPower‌ charging mat, which has only previously been seen in Apple's early marketing materials, making it the first time this animation has been seen in the wild. An ‌iPhone‌ on the ‌AirPower‌ charger would have shown the charge of all of the devices that were placed on the pad.

‌AirPower‌ was an Apple-designed charging mat designed to charge Qi-based iPhones, the Apple Watch, and ‌AirPods‌ that Apple announced in September 2017 alongside the ‌iPhone‌ X. It was designed so that users could place an ‌‌iPhone‌‌, ‌‌AirPods‌‌, and Apple Watch on any portion of the mat to have the device charge, which meant that multiple overlapping charging coils had to be included.

apple airpower
‌AirPower‌ missed its 2018 launch date, and after a large number of issues with its development, Apple canceled the AirPower project in March 2019.

Photos allegedly depicting the ‌AirPower‌ surfaced on social networks in August 2020, showing a multi-coil design and the device's internal circuirty, but this is the first video footage of a rare and seemingly functional prototype that presumably leaked out of Apple's development supply chain.

According to reliable Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, Apple is still looking into AirPower-like charging solutions for the future.

Zompetti is an avid collector of Apple prototype devices and has previously shared images of an Apple Watch Series 3 prototype with additional connectors, an original iPad with two 30-pin ports, an iPhone 12 Pro prototype, a third-generation iPod touch with a rear camera, and rare original Apple Watch prototypes.

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Here’s How to Try Microsoft Edge’s “Super Duper Secure Mode”

What Is the “Super Duper Secure Mode?”

How to Try “Super Duper Secure” Mode Yourself

Your ASUS Motherboard May Get a TPM Update for Windows 11

Why Automatic TPM Support Matters

New AirPods Pro Conversation Boost feature available in beta

Apple Introducing New Child Safety Features, Including Scanning Users' Photo Libraries for Known Sexual Abuse Material

Expanded CSAM Guidance in Siri and Search

Apple Music Artists Can Now Share Milestones With Fans

iTunes Match Users Frustratingly Report Widespread Issues

Working AirPower Prototype Shown in Video Clip

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