Tag Archives: Google

Is Google Shutting Down Gmail For Good?!

Is Google shutting down Gmail for good by August 2024?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Google Is Shutting Down Gmail For Good!

A post has gone viral on X (formerly Twitter), allegedly posted by the SVP of Product at Google, who claimed that he accidentally fired the entire Gmail team, and ordered it shut down after misreading a message from CEO Sundar Pichai!

Chris Bakke : I’m the SVP of Product at Google ($28.8M TC).

Last night, Sundar asked me to “fire the entire Gemini team.”

I misread his message (insanely bad service at my 7br 11bath cabin in Park City) and I accidentally fired the entire Gmail team.

Gmail…Gemini.

Look at that quickly without your glasses when you’re 7 margaritas deep at the fire pit on a Wednesday and you’d make the same error.

I mean you get how that’s confusing right?

Anyway, I’m rolling with the decision.

Gmail’s gone.

A screenshot of a Google notice about sunsetting Gmail was attached to the post, and it suggested that Gmail accounts would become inaccessible after 1 August 2024.

Google is sunsetting Gmail

Dear Gmail User,

We are reaching out to share an important update about Gmail. After years of connecting millions worldwide, enabling seamless communication, and fostering countless connections, the journey of Gmail is coming to a close. As of August 1, 2024, Gmail will officially be sunsetted, marking the end of its service. This means that as of this date, Gmail will no longer support sending, receiving, or storing emails.

Why Gmail is Sunsetting

The decision to sunset Gmail has been made with careful consideration of the evolving digital landscape and our commitment to providing high-quality, innovative solutions that meet the needs of our users. In the spirit of progress and adaptation, we are focusing our resources on developing new technologies and platforms that will continue to revolutionize the way we communicate and interact online.

What This Means for You

Email Access: Up until August 1, 2024, you will be able to access and download all your emails. After this date, Gmail accounts will become inaccessible.

Recommended : Is WhatsApp Going To Charge Backup Storage Fee?!

 

Claim : Google Is Not Shutting Down Gmail At All!

This is yet another example of fake news circulating on X (formerly Twitter), and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Google Is Not Shutting Down Gmail

Let me start by pointing out that Google is not shutting down Gmail. For one thing – no one received the “Google is sunsetting Gmail” email. There is also no announcement on the Google blog.

There is also an absence of legitimate news and tech media reporting on such a shocking announcement. In fact, all you will find are fact check articles like this, telling you that this is just another example of fake news on X.

There is also the fact that the official Gmail account on X (formerly Twitter) posted a terse response:

Gmail is here to stay

To be clear – Google is not shutting down Gmail. This is just satire / shitposting on X.

Google is itself highly-reliant on Gmail services, and would be in deep shit if Gmail goes down for even an hour, never mind shut down forever.

Recommended : WhatsApp : No More Free Unlimited Backup On Android!

Fact #2 : Chris Bakke Isn’t Google Product SVP

I should also point out that Chris Bakke is not the Senior Vice President of Product at Google in charge of Gmail. In fact, he’s currently working at X, not Google!

Chris Bakke was the founder and CEO of Laskie, a tech recruitment company that X (formerly Twitter) purchased in May 2023. He is currently the Product Lead for X, and is known to be a notorious “shitposter” or “trash poster” on the social media platform.

When Austen Allred, another tech founder, tweeted about the acquisition when it was revealed, Elon Musk said he thought it was a good sign:

Austen Allred : Only fitting that Twitter’s first acquisition in the Elon era is a company run by a notorious shitposter.

Elon Musk : I regard that as a good sign 🙂

Elon is probably going to give Chris a bonus for the millions of views and engagement his new “shitpost” has generated on X. Throw some our way, Chris, will ya!

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | InternetTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

How To Disable Android TV Lock Screen Requirement!

If you own an Android TV, or Android TV box, you might need to disable the Lock Screen requirement. Find out how to do that!

 

Why Do You Need To Disable Android TV Lock Screen?

Android TV, whether it’s already integrated into your television set, or in a separate box, requires a Google account to download and install apps through the Google Play Store.

If you have been using your Google Workspace account, or the Free Legacy G Suite account, you will likely encounter this error message:

To access your work account on this device, you’ll need to set a lock screen. This is your organization’s mobile device policy.

A lock screen? Android TV has a TV lock option, but by default, that’s disabled and rightly so – TVs traditionally do not require a password when you turn them on!

You can ignore it, and continue to use your Android TV or Android TV box, but you cannot log into Google Play Store to download and install any apps.

 

How To Bypass Android TV Lock Screen Requirement!

This Android TV Lock Screen error message appears because Google, by default, sets company accounts to require a Lock Screen on all mobile devices.

The easiest way to bypass this Android TV Lock Screen requirement is to simply use a personal Google Account. Or better still, create a new personal Google Account just for your Android TV.

Once you switch to a personal Google account, you won’t have to face this Lock Screen requirement, and can freely download and install apps from the Google Play Store. However, this method only works for people who only intend to download and use free apps.

If you intend to download and install a paid app, like Minecraft for example, then this method won’t work because that paid app is tied to your Google Workspace / Free Legacy G Suite account.

 

How To Disable Android TV Lock Screen Requirement!

If you need to use your Google Workspace / Free Legacy G Suite account (which is tied to a company) with your Android TV, then you need to disable the Lock Screen policy. In this video tutorial, we will show you just how to do that.

Just in case you prefer a step-by-step guide, here are the steps with screenshots.

Step 1 : Log into Google Admin (https://admin.google.com/) for your Google Account.

Step 2 : Type “Universal Settings” in the search box at the top, and a list of relevant options will appear.

Step 3 : Click on Universal Settings. Alternatively, you can navigate manually using the menu on the left : Devices > Mobile and endpoints > Universal settings

Step 4 : In the Universal Settings page, click on General : Turn on device management and password controls to reveal the available general settings.

Step 5 : In the General section, you will see two options – Mobile management and Password requirements.

Either option will let you disable the Lock Screen requirement in Android devices. So you will need to select one of them.

I will share the two available methods as Option A and Option B below. Choose one.

Option A : Disable Mobile Management

By default, your account is set to Basic (Agentless) mobile management, which applies basic password controls (including requiring the Lock Screen).

Step 6A : Select Turn off mobile management (Unmanaged).

Step 7A : Click on Save to save the changes. The change generally happens instantaneously but can take a few minutes to propagate.

As turning off basic mobile management will deprive you of the ability to wipe work accounts, and remove compromised device protection, I would recommend you try Option B as the first resort, and keep Option A as a back up alternative.

Option B : Disable Password Requirements Recommended!

By default, your account is set to Require users to set a password, which has a basic requirement of “Any screenlock“.

Step 6B : Untick the Require users to set a password checkbox.

Step 7B : Click on Save to save the changes. The change generally happens instantaneously but can take a few minutes to propagate.

I personally recommend using this option, as it would leave you the ability to perform some basic mobile management of your devices.

Step 8 : While the change happens within seconds to minutes, you must remove your Google Account from your Android TV / Android TV box.

Step 9 : Log into Google Play Store using your Google Account again. It should now work properly, without asking you to register a Lock Screen.

I hope you found this guide useful. Please SHARE this guide out, and SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Home Tech | SoftwareTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

How To Link Multiple Phones On WhatsApp!

You can now use the same WhatsApp account on different phones at the same time!

Find out what this means, and how you can link multiple phones on WhatsApp!

 

You Can Now Use WhatsApp On Multiple Phones!

On Tuesday, April 25, 2023, WhatsApp announced that you can now use the same WhatsApp account on multiple phones! This is a further evolution of the multi-device capability that WhatsApp introduced last year.

The earlier WhatsApp multi-device capability allows us to use WhatsApp on four other non-phone devices (like a computer or a tablet), without using our smartphone. While that was really useful, it still limited users to using the same WhatsApp account on a single phone.

That changes with the introduction of the ability to use the same WhatsApp account on multiple phones.

Going forward, you will have the same ability to link your WhatsApp account on your primary phone, as well as four other devices. However, they do not need to be non-phone devices – you can now link other phones to the same WhatsApp account.

Previously : You can link one phone + four non-phone devices to one WhatsApp account

Now : You can link one phone + four other phones / other devices to one WhatsApp account

Please note that this new feature is being rolled out globally in the next update, which will be available in the coming weeks. It may not be readily available for your WhatsApp account.

Recommended : Must You Disable Facebook Auto-Fill To Block Scams?!

 

How Does WhatsApp On Multiple Phones Work?

Once you link other phones to the same WhatsApp account, you will be able to switch between different phones without signing out, and continue messaging where you left off your other devices.

This unified messaging system will also be useful to businesses – multiple employees can now respond to customers directly from their phones using the same WhatsApp Business account.

Each linked phone will connect to WhatsApp independently, and will ensure that your messages, media and calls are end-to-end encrypted.

Your primary phone does not need to stay connected to the Internet to use WhatsApp on your linked devices. However, your linked companion devices will be automatically logged out:

  • if your primary phone is inactive for 14 days, or
  • if the linked device is inactive for more than 30 days.

To remain connected, you need to log into your primary phone at least once every 14 days, and your companion devices must be active at least once every 30 days.

You should also know that these features are NOT currently supported on linked companion devices:

  • Viewing live location.
  • Creating and viewing broadcast lists.
  • Adding and deleting status on linked devices.

Recommended : Can WhatsApp Approve New Participant block hackers?!

 

How To Link Multiple Phones On WhatsApp?

WhatsApp will be introducing a new and easier way to link multiple phones. In coming weeks, you ill be able to enter your phone number into WhatsApp Web to receive a one-time code, which you can use on your other phones to enable device linking.

But until that rolls out, here are the steps to link multiple phones on WhatsApp:

Android Smartphone

Step 1 : Download and install WhatsApp on your Android companion phone that you wish to link.

Step 2 : Open WhatsApp and tap AGREE AND CONTINUE.

Step 3 : Tap More Options, and select Link to existing account. WhatsApp will display a QR code.

Step 4 : Open WhatsApp on your primary phone to scan the QR code:

  • Android : Tap More options > Linked devices > Link a device.
  • iPhone : Go to WhatsApp Settings > Linked devices > Link a device

Step 5 : Scan the WhatsApp QR code on the Android companion phone with your primary phone.

That’s it! The WhatsApp account on your primary phone will now link with the WhatsApp on your Android companion phone. It should now show “This is a linked device. Learn more” in Settings.

Apple iPhone

Step 1 : Download and install WhatsApp on your Android companion phone that you wish to link.

Step 2 : Open WhatsApp and tap AGREE AND CONTINUE.

Step 3 : Tap Link this device to an existing account. WhatsApp will display a QR code.

Step 4 : Open WhatsApp on your primary phone to scan the QR code:

  • Android : Tap More options > Linked devices > Link a device.
  • iPhone : Go to WhatsApp Settings > Linked devices > Link a device

Step 5 : Scan the WhatsApp QR code on the iPhone companion phone with your primary phone.

That’s it! The WhatsApp account on your primary phone will now link with the WhatsApp on your iPhone companion phone. It should now show “This is a linked device. Learn more” in Settings.

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Mobile | SoftwareTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Pinduoduo App Contains Persistent Spy Malware!

One of China’s most popular apps – Pinduoduo apparently contains a malware that monitors user activities and is difficult to remove!

Take a look at what CNN and multiple cybersecurity researchers have discovered about Pinduoduo!

 

Pinduoduo : What Is It?

Pinduoduo is actually a Chinese online retailer. Think of it as China’s Amazon. While Amazon started as an online bookstore, Pinduoduo started as an online agricultural retailer.

Since then, Pinduoduo has become one of China’s most popular online shopping platform, with its app offering its 750 million users access to cheap products in China, by offering steep discounts on group buying orders.

Despite its meteoric rise, Pinduoduo has not been without its controversies. In 2018, the company was criticised for hosting inferior and imitation products, to which it responded by taking down more than 4 million listing and shutting down 1,128 stores.

In 2019, Pinduoduo was hit by hackers who stole discount coupons worth tens of millions of Yuan. And just last month, Google suspended the Pinduoduo app after discovering that versions offered outside its Play Store contained malware.

The Off-Play versions of the e-commerce app that have been found to contain malware have been enforced on via Google Play Protect.

Read more : How To Block Facebook Ads + Pay Scammers!

 

Pinduoduo App Contains Persistent Spy Malware!

Western interest may have been initiated by Google suspending the Pinduoduo app, but cybersecurity experts had already started looking into the app, and what they discovered was very troubling.

Alert First Raised By Chinese Cybersecurity Company

I think we should start by noting that it was a Chinese cybersecurity company called Dark Navy that first raised concerns about malware in the Pinduoduo app in February 2023.

Although Dark Navy did not name Pinduoduo in its report, cybersecurity researchers knew who it was referring to and soon followed up with their own investigations and reports, confirming Dark Navy’s report.

Sophisticated Malware

Half a dozen cybersecurity teams from Asia, Europe and the United States identified sophisticated malware in the Pinduoduo app that were designed to exploit vulnerabilities in the Android operating system used by many smartphones.

The malware allows the Pinduoduo app to bypass Android security features to monitor activities in other apps, check notifications, read private messages, and even change settings. It is also difficult to remove once installed.

Mikko Hyppönen, chief research officer at WithSecure, a Finnish cybersecurity firm, said that:

We haven’t seen a mainstream app like this trying to escalate their privileges to gain access to things that they’re not supposed to gain access to. This is highly unusual, and it is pretty damning for Pinduoduo.

Read more : Can SIM Swap empty bank accounts without warning?!

Dedicated Hacking Team To Look For Vulnerabilities

Even more damning, CNN reported that a current employee revealed that Pinduoduo set up a team of about 100 engineers and product managers to look for vulnerabilities in Android smartphones, and find ways to exploit them for profit.

To avoid exposure, the source said that the company targeted users in rural areas and smaller towns, and avoided users in megacities like Beijing and Shanghai.

By collecting expansive data on those users, Pinduoduo was able to create a comprehensive portrait of their habits, interests, and preferences; while improving its machine learning models to personalise push notifications and ads.

Pinduoduo App Gained More Access Than Allowed

Three cybersecurity companies – WithSecure, Check Point Research, and Oversecured conducted independent analysis of version 6.49.0 of the Pinduoduo app that was released in late February 2023, and found code designed to achieve “privilege escalation” – a type of cyberattack that exploits vulnerabilities in the operating system to gain a higher level of access to data that it’s supposed to have.

Our team has reverse engineered that code and we can confirm that it tries to escalate rights, tries to gain access to things normal apps wouldn’t be able to do on Android phones.

The Pinduoduo app was able to continue running in the background, and prevent itself from being uninstalled. This was apparently done to boost the platform’s statistic for monthly active users.

Pinduoduo App Has Access To User Data Without Consent

Delware-based app security start-up, Oversecured, found that the Pinduoduo app had access to user data like locations, contacts, calendars, notifications, and photo albums, without their consent.

The app was also able to change system settings, and access user social media accounts and chats.

Recommended : Beware Of Telegram Screenshot Hack + Scam!

Pinduoduo App Also Snooped On Other Apps

The Pinduoduo app also had the ability to snoop on competing shopping apps, by tracking activity on other shopping apps, and gathering information from them.

Pinduoduo App Able To Secretly Receive Updates

Check Point Research found that Pinduoduo was able to push updates to the app, without first going through an app store review process to detect malicious code.

Pinduoduo App Programmers Attempted To Obscure Malicious Code

Check Point Research also found that some plug-ins used by the Pinduoduo app tried to obscure potentially malicious code by hiding them under legitimate file names, such as Google’s.

Such a technique is widely used by malware developers that inject malicious code into applications that have legitimate functionality.

Pinduoduo Targeted Android Devices

According to Sergey Toshin, founder of Oversecured, Pinduoduo’s malware specifically targeted Android operating systems used by Samsung, HUAWEI, Xiaomi and OPPO.

He also described the app as “the most dangerous malware” ever found in mainstream apps, exploiting about 50 Android system vulnerabilities. Most of these exploits targeted customised OEM code used by smartphone brands to customise their smartphone software.

I’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s like, super expansive.

Recommended : Chinese Netizens Explode Over WPS Office Censorship!

Pinduoduo Removed Exploit + Canned Hacking Team

After cybersecurity researchers started reporting about the app, Pinduoduo released version 6.50.0 on March 5, which removed the exploits they found. Two days later, Pinduoduo disbanded its Android hacking team, according to the same employee.

The hacking team members found themselves locked out of Pinduoduo’s workspace communication app, called Knock, and lost access to files on the company’s internal network, with their privileges revoked.

Most of the team was later transferred to work at Pinduoduo’s sister app, Temu. A core group of about 20 cybersecurity engineers however remain at Pinduoduo.

In addition, Sergey Toshin of Oversecured noted that while the exploits were removed in the new version of Pinduoduo, the underlying code remained and could be reactivated to carry out attacks.

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Cybersecurity | MobileTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Will Your Phone Get Hacked While You Vote In GE15?!

Will your phone get hacked while you are voting in GE15?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Your Phone Will Get Hacked While You Vote In GE15!

This warning has gone viral on WhatsApp and social media, claiming that your phone will get hacked while you are voting in GE15!

The post is long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

For first time voters, it might be tempting to bring your phone along with you to document and record your experience voting for the first time.

However, the Election Commission (EC) has announced that the use of mobile phones inside polling stations will not be allowed.

As such, you may use your phone to kill time while standing in line, but you’d have to surrender your phone once you collect your ballot paper.

Read more : New SPR Rules On Bringing + Using Phone On GE15!

 

Truth : Your Phone Won’t Get Hacked While You Vote In GE15!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp and social media, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Phones Are Left On KTM Table In Individual Boxes

First, let us establish some basic facts about how phones are “surrendered” before voting in GE15:

  1. Each polling station (Saluran) will have two voting booths, allowing two voters to mark their ballots at the same time.
  2. The KTM (Ketua Tempat Mengundi – Head of Polling Station) will have two cardboard boxes – one for each phone.
  3. On the way to the voting booth, each voter will place his/her phone into one of the two cardboard boxes on the KTM’s table.
  4. After casting the ballots, the voter will retrieve his/her phone from the cardboard box.

The polling clerks and the head of the polling station (KTM) will NOT touch any phone. Voters must place and retrieve their phones by themselves.

Fact #2 : There Are Many Witnesses In Each Polling Station

Each polling station has at least one police officer, three polling clerks and a KTM (Head of the Polling Station), as well as two or more observers.

That’s seven or more people arranged along three sides of the room, which means the phones placed on the KTM’s table are visible to all of them. Any attempt by anyone but the voters to handle the phones would be instantly noticed.

Read more : New SPR Rules On Bringing + Using Phone On GE15!

Fact #3 : KTM Is Usually A Teacher Working In That School

In Malaysian elections, schools are generally used as voting centres, with classrooms converted into polling stations.

Usually, the Malaysia Election Commission (SPR) appoints teachers of the same school as the KTM – head of each polling station.

While this does not mean some of these teachers are not secretly awesome hackers in their spare time, it means that your phones are generally being watched by teachers.

If you can trust school teachers with your kids, you can certainly trust them to WATCH OVER your precious phone.

Fact #4 : Marking Your Ballots Take Less Than A Minute

The only time your phone is out of your view is when you are marking your ballots in the voting booth.

How long do you reckon it takes to mark X on one or two ballots, and fold them? Maybe 10 seconds? 20 seconds if you are slow. No matter what – your mobile phone will only be out of sight for less than a minute.

Do you actually believe any hacker would have the time to hook up your phone to any cable, never mind hack it, in less than one minute?

Fact #5 : Juice Jacking Requires Cable To Be Plugged Into Phone

What this “ethical hacker” is referring to is called juice jacking. Juice jacking requires a cable to be plugged into your phone. It cannot happen wirelessly, because it relies on USB vulnerabilities.

As noted in Fact #1, you will place your phone into a large cardboard box. You will be able to see that there are no cables present.

While you are marking your vote, the box containing your phone will be fully visible to at least six other people in the room, if you discount the “nefarious KTM who is secretly an evil hacker”.

Even a “nefarious KTM who is secretly an evil hacker” will have trouble taking your phone out of the box, without any of the other people in the room noticing, never mind actually plugging in a cable.

That’s why the real risk of juice jacking isn’t that 20-30 seconds you spend voting in GE15, but when you plug your phone into a free USB power socket.

If you are paranoid, just cover your phone’s USB or Lightning port with tape, before you place it in the designated box.

Fact #6 : Juice Jacking Vulnerabilities Have Been Mitigated

As ethical hackers reveal security risks like juice jacking, Google and Apple have taken measures to mitigate the risks.

Both Android and iOS, for example, no longer allow the phone to be mounted as a drive when plugged in over USB. You will get a prompt asking you to confirm the step, which is not possible for the hacker to do without first unlocking the phone.

There have also been many Android and iOS security updates that patch vulnerabilities that could potentially lead to juice jacking attacks. That’s why it’s so important to keep your phone operating system updated.

Please WATCH OUT about such FAKE NEWS on WhatsApp and social media.

Remember – democracy does not guarantee us a good government. Democracy only guarantees us the right to vote out a bad government!

Happy voting on 19 November 2022!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Cybersecurity | Mobile | Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Why Google Stadia Is Shutting Down For Good!

It’s official – Google is shutting down Stadia for good, just three years after it launched the “future of gaming” to great fanfare!

 

Google Stadia Is Shutting Down For Good!

On Thursday, September 29, 2022, Google announced that it was shutting down Stadia for good, just three years after it launched the “future of gaming” to great fanfare!

In his blog post, Phil Harrison, the Vice President and General Manager of Stadia, announced that they will begin winding down their streaming service.

Gamers will be able to continue playing until January 18, 2023, and most will receive their refunds by middle of January 2023.

A few years ago, we also launched a consumer gaming service, Stadia. And while Stadia’s approach to streaming games for consumers was built on a strong technology foundation, it hasn’t gained the traction with users that we expected so we’ve made the difficult decision to begin winding down our Stadia streaming service.

We’re grateful to the dedicated Stadia players that have been with us from the start. We will be refunding all Stadia hardware purchases made through the Google Store, and all game and add-on content purchases made through the Stadia store.

Players will continue to have access to their games library and play through January 18, 2023 so they can complete final play sessions. We expect to have the majority of refunds completed by mid-January, 2023.

 

Why Google Stadia Is Shutting Down For Good!

Stadia’s problem isn’t streaming, it was a complete lack of original games. Despite branding it as the “future of gaming”, Google failed to release any original titles.

Instead Stadia relied on third-party games, which it reportedly had to pay tens of millions of dollars to port over.

With no headlining game to drive gamers to the platform, it was rumoured as early as July that Stadia was headed for the chopping board, when Killed by Google (now suspended) claimed that it would be dead by the end of summer.

At that time, the streaming service retorted that “Stadia is not shutting down” and that there would be “more great games” to come. But two months later, Stadia truly got axed.

Stadia’s demise goes to show that, yet again, content is king. Whether it applies to movies or games, it is content that matters more than the platform.

Netflix realised that, but apparently Stadia didn’t get the memo, and is now paying the ultimate price.

 

Google Stadia May Live On… Differently

While Stadia is going to shut down on January 19, 2023, that does not mean it won’t live on… in other ways.

Stadia VP and GM Phil Harrison said that its technologies can be applied to other parts of Google, like YouTube, Google Play and its augmented reality (AR) projects.

He also pointed out that its streaming technologies can be made available to their partners, hinting to past overtures to Peloton and Bungle.

The underlying technology platform that powers Stadia has been proven at scale and transcends gaming. We see clear opportunities to apply this technology across other parts of Google like YouTube, Google Play, and our Augmented Reality (AR) efforts — as well as make it available to our industry partners, which aligns with where we see the future of gaming headed.

We remain deeply committed to gaming, and we will continue to invest in new tools, technologies and platforms that power the success of developers, industry partners, cloud customers and creators.

That effort may help assure current Stadia team members that their jobs may not be axed even when the streaming service shuts down. Harrison said that many Stadia team members will continue their work in other parts of Google:

Many of the Stadia team members will be carrying this work forward in other parts of the company.

We’re so grateful for the groundbreaking work of the team and we look forward to continuing to have an impact across gaming and other industries using the foundational Stadia streaming technology.

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Gaming | BusinessTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Google Pixelbook Is Dead, But Chromebook Lives On!

Google just cancelled their next Pixelbook, and dissolved the team behind it, but don’t worry – the Chromebook lives on!

 

Google Kills Pixelbook + Dissolves Team

Google just cancelled the next-generation Pixelbook laptop that was supposed to debut next year. They also dissolved the team developing it, and transferred its members to other teams.

This sudden decision came after Google said in May 2022 that it planned to continue its Pixelbook laptop business.

Then in July, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said that he wanted to slow down hiring and cut some projects :

In some cases, that means consolidating where investments overlap and streamlining processes. In other cases, that means pausing development and re-deploying resources to higher priority areas.

It looks like Google decided that their next Pixelbook would be a waste of resources, and killed it to shift their resources elsewhere.

 

Google Pixelbook Is Dead, But Chromebook Lives On!

While there will no longer be a new Pixelbook laptop in 2023, that does not mean Google has given up on ChromeOS or Chromebook laptops.

In fact, Google likely canned their Pixelbook project because their OEM partners are doing a great job of producing a plethora of good or even great Chromebook laptops.

As Google hardware chief Rick Osterloh pointed out at Google I/O 2022 in May, the Chromebook market had matured and would last a long time.

Google have always developed hardware as a way to push the envelope, and to show its partners what can be achieved. It doesn’t benefit Google to directly compete with its partners.

Now that OEM partners like Acer, Lenovo and HP are offering Chromebook laptops in a wide range of price points and configurations, it just doesn’t make sense for Google to muddle the market with a new Pixelbook.

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Business | Computer | Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

How Wikipedia Was Used To “Kill” Conor McGregor!

Find out how a prankster used Wikipedia to fool Google into “killing” Conor McGregor!

 

Google Fooled Into “Killing” Conor McGregor!

On August 5, 2022, Google was fooled into “killing” Irish mixed martial artist, Conor McGregor.

Many people started posting screenshots of Google Search showing that Conor McGregor died on August 4, 2022.

But the truth was – Conor McGregor is very much still alive. In fact, he posted photos he took with Arnold Schwarzenegger a day after he purportedly died…

And a day later – a photo of himself relaxing in Ralph Lauren tights by the sea on August 6, 2022.

Despite those social media posts, people were still confused, asking why is Google showing that Conor McGregor died on August 4, 2022.

why does it say conor mcgregor is dead if you google it?

Wtf is this? Searched Conor dead and this is what came up? @TheNotoriousMMA
you good champ? Google saying you’re dead

Are we not gonna talk about this how he is allegedly dead 🤷🏼‍♀️@TheNotoriousMMA

 

How Wikipedia Was Used To “Kill” Conor McGregor!

This Google search debacle was traced to a prankster who edited the Spanish Wikipedia article about Conor McGregor, to include a date of death.

Due to the importance Google Search gives information on Wikipedia, and how Knowledge Graph pulls from Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects, the false date of death was given undue prominence.

Even after the fake date of death was removed from Wikipedia, it remained cached in the Google search results, prolonging the confusion.

This was what a spokesperson for Wikimedia Foundation explained :

It looks like the Spanish Wikipedia article about Conor McGregor was vandalized yesterday to include a date of death and has since been resolved.

Given the way Knowledge Graph results pull from Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects, this can (in rare instances) result in some vandalism being cached in search results, sometimes even after it’s already been addressed on Wikipedia.

It appears that the issue has also been addressed in search results.

This death hoax highlights the dangers of open databases like Wikipedia, and the importance Google Search gives its information.

This makes us wonder – what other Wikipedia entries have been faked / vandalised without admins realising it, that are reflected in Google Search results.

Perhaps Google needs to tune down its reliance on Wikipedia entries…

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | Celebrity | Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Indonesia Bans Steam, PayPal, Epic Games + More!

Indonesia just banned a number of major websites including Steam, Epic Games, PayPal and Battle.net!

Here is what you need to know!

 

Indonesia Banned Steam, PayPal, Epic Games + More!

On 30 July 2022, Indonesians woke up to the shocking discovery that a number of gaming platforms like Steam, Epic Games, Origin, Ubisoft and Battle.net are now banned!

Not only were gaming platforms banned, Indonesia also banned major websites and digital services like PayPal and Waze.

Indonesian netizens have started sharing tips on how to bypass this sudden ban – by using VPN, or changing their DNS servers, to bypass what appears to be an IP block.

 

Why Indonesia Banned Steam, PayPal, Epic Games, Etc!

There was no official announcement by the Indonesian government, but it is likely that Indonesia banned Steam, PayPal, Epic Games and a bunch of other websites and digital platforms because they failed to register as an Electronics System Provider / Penyelenggara Sistem Elektronik (PSE).

On November 24, 2020, the Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Kominfo) imposed a new regulation calling for all local and international digital services to register with them for cybersecurity and user protection purposes.

Failure to comply with that regulation would subject the digital service to being banned / blocked in Indonesia.

Here is a partial list of major websites, platforms and digital services registered with the Indonesian government, and those that have not been registered, or are known to be blocked.

Those on the unregistered list are likely to be blocked, if not already blocked. Interestingly, Telegram is listed as registered, but is currently inaccessible (blocked) in Indonesia.

Registered Unregistered Blocked
LINE
WhatsApp
TikTok
Google
Google Classroom
Google Drive
Gmail
Google Cloud
YouTube
Amazon AWS
Facebook
Telegram
Twitter
Instagram
Discord
Zoom
Gojek
Spotify
Shopee
Lazada
Traveloka
Netflix
Disney+ Hotstar
Zenius
Mobile Legends
LinkedIn
Roblox
Vidio
FB Messenger
Wikipedia
Deezer
Waze
Brainly
Notion
Pinterest
SoundCloud
PayPal
EA
Nintendo
Ubisoft
Mangaku
MediaFire
GitHub
GitLab
Bitbucket
CloudFlare
MS Azure
Amazon
Reddit
DuckDuckGo
Twitch
IMDb
MS Office
Yahoo
IMDb
Patreon

Epic Games
Steam
Uplay
Battle.net
Origin

On July 15 – just 2 weeks earlier – Kominfo warned that digital service providers will be banned in Indonesia on July 21, 2022 if they refused to register.

The deadline for all PSE registration – both domestic and foreign – was set at July 20, 2022. After that, Kominfo would start banning unregistered apps and services.

At that time, Kominfo reported that many major brands and companies have yet to register with them, like Google (which owns YouTube, Google Drive, Gmail, etc.), Meta (which owns WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook), Twitter, Netflix, PUBG Mobile and Mobile Legends.

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Gaming | BusinessTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Chinese Netizens Explode Over WPS Office Censorship!

Chinese netizens are incensed over evidence that WPS Office was monitoring and deleting their files!

Find out what’s going on, and what it means for the digital privacy of WPS Office users!

 

Chinese Netizens : WPS Office Is Monitoring + Blocking Our Documents!

Chinese company, Kingsoft, is under fire for claims that its productivity suite WPS Office is actively monitoring and deleting user documents that might displease Beijing!

At the heart of this issue is the WPS Cloud platform that works like Microsoft 365, allowing users to store their documents in the cloud, or locally.

Chinese netizens are alleging that WPS Office was actively monitoring their documents, and even deleting those that were detected to contain content that might displease the Chinese authorities.

One novelist who goes by the pseudonym Mitu, claimed that she was unable to access her unpublished 1.3 million character document. Not only was it blocked in her cloud storage, she couldn’t access the local copy using the desktop WPS client.

She was told that “the file may contain sensitive content and access has been disabled“.

Mitu shared her experience on Lkong – an online Chinese literature forum, and the social media platform Xiaohongshu, in late June 2022; and it only began trending in Weibo in early July after an influencer reposted her complaint.

A Weibo post on her complaint appears to have been deleted, but fortunately a screenshot was captured. This was the post in Chinese, machine translated into English :

Simply put, WPS seems to have some kind of sensitive word harmony function, Then after being detected, not only the ones stored on the cloud disk will be harmonized

According to the victim’s complaint, it is not only on the cloud, but also on local files. It’s hard to escape a harmony.

At present, according to some netizens, it may be checked after being saved.Sensitive words are detected and then determined to be files that may contain sensitive information,

Directly blocked, or it may be directly locked after being remotely detected by the background server local files There is no other way but to appeal (and it will be fixed in time) but this Is it remote from the server?

Now there is a lot of panic in the online literature circle, for fear that hundreds of thousands of words of manuscripts will be blocked overnight. Asking both online and offline harmony, many people re-use ms and writing pads write file

Mitu said she reported the problem to Kingsoft, which eventually apologised and restored access to the file within two days. The company admitted that “the file was not problematic”.

However, her story spurred other Chinese netizens to come forward with their own stories. A writer in Guangzhou who goes by the pseudonym Liu Hai also said that his WPS Office document of nearly 10,000 words was similarly blocked on July 1, 2022.

These incidents have sparked concerns about privacy in China. While the Chinese government routinely monitors and censors social media content, monitoring and blocking of personal documents would represent a new level of censorship in China.

 

WPS Office Admits Blocking File Access

After the online furore over claims that WPS Office deleted user files, the software developer issued a terse public statement on July 11, 2022.

It said that WPS Office does not delete the “user’s local files”, and that it was a misunderstanding. They only deleted the “online document link”, and blocked “others from access the link according to the law”.

Here is the Weibo post in Chinese, machine translated into English :

Statement on the exposure of online transmission #WPS will delete the user’s local files

A recent online document link shared by a user is suspected of violating the law, and we have prohibited others from accessing the link according to law. This has been misrepresented as #WPS delete user local files.

To this end, we specifically declare: WPS, as an office software developed for more than 30 years, has always put user experience and user privacy protection first.

WPS Office cleverly claims that it never “censors, locks or delete users’ local files”, which is technically correct but as Mitu and Liu Hai described, WPS Office blocks access to their users’ local files.

It was discovered that the files can still be opened by other software, like Microsoft Word or Tencent Docs. But the blocked files cannot be opened by WPS Office, even if they are stored locally (in the user’s computer).

It should be noted that Mitu never shared her file online. So WPS Office’s claim that they only blocked “others” from accessing the file is misleading.

 

WPS Office Not The Only Cloud Provider Monitoring Content

To be fair to WPS Office and Kingsoft, they are not the only ones monitoring content uploaded to the cloud. They just took things one step further by blocking access to local files.

By default, traffic to and from cloud-based productivity services like Google Docs, Microsoft 365 and WPS Office are not end-to-end encrypted.

That means they can and most likely are reading / monitoring EVERYTHING you type or upload. This includes files uploaded and stored in cloud-based storage services like Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive.

That is the right of cloud service providers, because you are using their servers to store your content.

Google, for example, lists content that can be automatically removed and could even lead to a ban :

  • Account hijacking
  • Account inactivity
  • Child sexual abuse and exploitation
  • Circumvention
  • Dangerous and illegal activities
  • Harassment, bullying, and threats
  • Hate speech
  • Impersonation and misrepresentation
  • Malware and similar malicious content
  • Misleading content
  • Non-consensual explicit imagery
  • Personal and confidential information
  • Phishing
  • Regulated goods and services
  • Sexually explicit material
  • Spam
  • System interference and abuse
  • Unauthorized images of minors
  • Violence and gore
  • Violent organizations and movements

People need to be aware of this, and stop assuming that they have privacy on such cloud services, even if they paid to use them.

So it is not surprising that WPS Office monitors everything its users do. If they stopped at blocking access to the online files that contravened local laws, no one would bat an eye.

What is unusual though is that it also blocked access to the users’ local files! That means that their desktop and mobile apps were specifically designed to enforce a list of blocked files issued by WPS Office / Kingsoft.

If WPS Office / Kingsoft goes to that extent, does it mean that they would also alert the Chinese authorities about users producing content that displease them?

That is something everyone should think about, not just Chinese netizens who are justifiably concerned about WPS Office.

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | Science | Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

FCC Commissioner Asks Apple + Google To Remove TikTok!

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr just publicly asked Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores!

Here is what you need to know about the renewed heat on TikTok!

 

FCC Commissioner Asks Apple + Google To Remove TikTok!

On June 29, 2022, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr publicly called on Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores.

This move came after leaked TikTok audio recordings obtained by Buzzfeed News revealed that ByteDance staff in China (and possibly the Chinese government) retained extensive access to data on US citizens.

Read more : TikTok Leak Showed China Repeatedly Accessed Private User Data!

In his public letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, the FCC Commissioner asked that TikTok be removed for “its pattern of surreptitious data practices”.

It is clear that TikTok poses an unacceptable national security risk due to its extensive data harvesting being combined with Beijing’s apparently unchecked access to that sensitive data.

But it is also clear that TikTok’s pattern of conduct and misrepresentations regarding the unfettered access that persons in Beijing have to sensitive U.S. user data – just some of which is detailed below – puts it out of compliance  with the policies that both of your companies require every app to adhere to as a condition of remaining available on your app stores.

Therefore, I am requesting that you apply the plain text of your app store policies to TikTok and remove it from your app stores for failure to abide by those terms.

FCC Commissioner Carr also labelled TikTok as a “sophisticated surveillance tool” that is designed to harvest “personal and sensitive data“.

At its core, TikTok functions as a sophisticated surveillance tool that harvests extensive amounts of personal and sensitive data.

Indeed, TikTok collects everything from search and browsing histories to keystroke patterns and biometric identifiers, including faceprints – which researchers have said might be used in unrelated facial recognition technology – and voiceprints.

It collects location data as well as draft messages and metadata, plus it has collected the text, images, and videos that are stored on a device’s clipboard. The list of personal and sensitive data it collects goes on from there.

This should come as no surprise, however. Within its own borders, the PRC has developed some of the most invasive and omnipresent surveillance capabilities in the world to maintain authoritarian control.

Carr ended his letter with an “ultimatum” of sorts – if Apple and Google do not remove TikTok from their app stores, they need to provide “separate responses” to him by July 8, 2022, explaining why TikTok does not contravene their App Store policies.

As of June 30, 2022, TikTok is still available to download in the US app stores of both Apple and Google.

If Apple and Google acts on the FCC Commissioner’s request, TikTok will only be removed from their US app stores. It won’t affect downloads in other countries.

Neither would it prevent users in the US from continuing to use TikTok. They just won’t be able to download it any longer, or update to newer versions.

 

FCC Commissioner Lists History Of TikTok Data Practices!

While the leaked TikTok audio recordings may have precipitated this open letter to Apple and Google, FCC Commissioner Carr pointed to a list of questionable data practices by TikTok in the past.

The list makes for really interesting reading, especially for those who are not up to date on TikTok’s privacy and data security issues :

  • In August 2020, TikTok circumvented a privacy safeguard in Google’s Android operating system to obtain data that allowed it to track users online.
  • In March 2020, researchers discovered that TikTok, through its app in the Apple App Store, was accessing users’ most sensitive data, including passwords, cryptocurrency wallet addresses, and personal messages.
  • In 2021, TikTok agreed to pay $92 million to settle lawsuits alleging that the app “clandestinely vacuumed up and transferred to servers in China (and to other servers accessible from within China) vast quantities of private and personally identifiable user data and content that could be employed to identify, profile, and track the physical and digital location and activities of United States users now and in the future.”
  • In March 2022, a report included current and former TikTok employees stating in interviews that TikTok delegates key decisions to ByteDance officials in Beijing and that an employee was asked to enter sensitive information into a.cn domain, which is the top-level domain operated by the Chinese government’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
  • Earlier, in 2019, TikTok paid $5.7 million to settle Federal Trade Commission allegations that its predecessor app illegally collected personal data on children under the age of 13.
  • India- the world’s largest democracy–has already banned TikTok on national security grounds for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting user data in an unauthorized manner.
  • Multiple U.S. military branches have also banned TikTok from government-issued devices due to national security risks, including the Navy, Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps.
  • U.S. government officials have also urged troops and their dependents to erase the app from their personal phones.
  • U.S. national security agencies have similarly banned TikTok from official devices citing national security risks, including the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and the TSA.
  • The RNC and DNC have warned campaigns about using TikTok based on security concerns and the threat of officials in Beijing accessing sensitive data.
  • Citing data security concerns, private U.S. business operations have also banned TikTok from company devices, including Wells Fargo.
  • Once accessed by personnel in Beijing, there is no check on the CCP using the extensive, private, and sensitive data about U.S. users for espionage activities because compliance with the PC’s 2017 National Intelligence law is mandatory in China.

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > BusinessCybersecurityTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Google : You Can Use Gmail For FREE With Custom Domain!

Google just changed its mind and will allow you to continue using Gmail for FREE with your own domain!

Here is what you need to know!

 

Earlier : You Must Migrate Free Gmail To Google Workspace Subscription!

Google officially got rid of G Suite, rebranding it as Google Workspace and introducing a cloud-based solution that is more integrated and offers real-time collaboration.

At that time, they still allowed people with free Gmail accounts to continue using them, with custom domains. Like adrian@mywebsite.com, for example.

That changed in January 2022, when Google announced that it “will now transition all remaining users to an upgraded Google Workspace paid subscription based on your usage“.

In other words – you must pay Google if you want to continue using Gmail with a custom domain.

Google gave everyone until May to migrate their emails out of Gmail, or pay to continue using it. Then they delayed it to 1 June to give people more time to decide.

But they met with a lot of anger, and resistance. It was not just a matter of migrating emails from Gmail to a cheaper or even free email service like Zoho.

Many people also use the same Gmail account with a custom domain, to sign in for various services including Google services and Android smartphones. They would have LOST the ability to retrieve or change their password, or even login in certain instances.

 

Now : You Can Use Gmail For FREE With Custom Domain!

Fortunately, Google appeared to have realised that trying to blackmail loyal Gmail users (albeit free users) into boosting their profit margins was not only bad press, it was counterproductive.

For example, how will Google manage purchases people made in the Google Play Store? Will losing data from so many people be worth it?

In the end, Google folded and quietly allowed people to continue using Gmail for free, and with their custom domain to boot!

From now until 27 June 2022, you will have the option of signing up to continue using Gmail for free, with your custom domain.

Just head to your account’s Google Admin Console, and you should see this option pop-up. Just click Confirm for personal use, and you are done!

Not only will you get to continue using Gmail for free, and retain your custom domain, you will also :

  • retain access to free Google Workspace services like Google Drive, Google Meet, Google Search, Google Maps and YouTube
  • keep your purchases in Google Play, and data stored on Google Workspace

However, Google “may” remove business functionality, and will not provide support.

If you had earlier agreed to pay for Google Workspace after getting the migration prompt, but wish to switch to this “non-commercial personal use” option, you need to contact Google Support.

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Software | BusinessTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

MySJ Trace Won’t Work With Bluetooth On? Here’s The Fix!

Did MySJ Trace stop working, even with Bluetooth enabled?

Find out what’s going on, and the solution to this problem!

 

MySJ Trace Won’t Work, Even With Bluetooth On!

Recently, you may have noticed that MySJ Trace stopped working, even with Bluetooth enabled!

You will be asked to setup MySJ Trace again, but clicking on the Allow button does nothing, and Bluetooth is listed as turned off, even when it is actually enabled.

 

Why MySJ Trace Won’t Work With Bluetooth On

Some people assumed / claimed that it was a bug in the new MySejahtera version that allowed 5-11 year-old children to be registered for COVID-19 vaccination.

That’s not really the case. It is really because you recently updated your smartphone to Android 12. For example, many Samsung users recently received the upgrade to One UI 4, which is based on Android 12.

Google has been introducing new privacy features in every iteration of Android, limiting the amount of data apps have access to.

In earlier versions of Android, the ability to scan for nearby Bluetooth or Wi-Fi devices was tied to the Location permission. That’s why the Android version of MySejahtera requires Location permission, while the iOS version does not.

This led to (false) accusations that contact tracing apps like MySejahtera were tracking people’s movements.

Read more : Why The Government Can’t Use MySJ Trace To Track You!

To fix that problem for good, Google added two new Bluetooth permissions to Android 12 – BLUETOOTH_SCAN and BLUETOOTH_CONNECT, that are separate from the Location permission.

These two new Bluetooth permissions allow your smartphone to detect Nearby devices without the need to enable Location.

Unfortunately, this Nearby devices permission is disabled by default, so when you upgrade to Android 12, MySejahtera automatically loses the ability to check for nearby devices.

 

How To Get MySJ Trace Working Again In Android 12

Here is what you need to do to get MySJ Trace working again with Android 12 devices:

Step 1 : Go to Settings > Apps > MySejahtera > Permissions.

Step 2 : Tap on the Nearby devices option under the list of Not allowed permissions.

Step 3 : Tap on the Allow option.

If you have already setup MySJ Trace earlier, it will now work without further action.

If you have not setup MySJ Trace, then you can read our guide on how to do that.

If you are worried about the government tracking you (fake news really), you can now disable the Location permission for MySejahtera.

Read more : How To Enable + Disable MySJ Trace In MySejahtera

I hope you found this guide useful. Please SHARE it with your family and friends!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Mobile | SoftwareTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Google Site Kit : How To Fix JSON Data Error?

If you just installed the Google Site Kit, only to find it reporting Data error in Analytics with an invalid JSON response, we have the solution for you!

 

Google Site Kit : What Is JSON Data Error?

The Google Site Kit for WordPress is supposed to make it seamless to integrate Google services like Analytics and AdSense into your website.

But you may get this error message, even after you successfully set up Google Site Kit for your WordPress website.

Data error in Analytics

The response is not a valid JSON response.

This is how it looks like after we integrated Google Site Kit into Tech ARP.

As you can see, it’s kind of pointless if Google Site Kit cannot display your Analytics data directly in your WordPress admin page.

 

Google Site Kit : How To Fix JSON Data Error?

At first, we thought it might be a Google Site Kit configuration error, but that was not the case.

We tried disabling and re-enabling it, reinstalling it, reconfiguring and logging in again, but none of that worked.

iThemes Security Was The Problem

The problem, we finally discovered, was the popular iThemes Security plugin.

But removing it was not the solution either – it is a critical tool in mitigating the DDOS attacks that keep hitting Tech ARP.

Here Is The Solution

Finally, we stumbled upon the solution, and it’s ridiculously simple!

  1. Log into your WordPress admin page.
  2. Go to the iThemes configuration page (Security > Settings).
  3. Click on the System Tweaks option.
  4. Look for the Long URL Strings option.
  5. Uncheck the Filter Long URL Strings option.
  6. Click on Save Settings.

That’s it! After you refresh the Site Kit dashboard, you should now see the full stats displayed!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Software | Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

If you like our work, you can help support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!


2021 Acer Chromebook Laptops : What You Need To Know!

Acer introduced SIX new Chromebook models in 2021, offering a wide selection of affordable laptops with long battery life.

Here is what YOU need to know about the six new Acer Chromebook laptops!

 

2021 Acer Chromebook Laptops : What You Need To Know!

Acer introduced SIX new Chromebook models in 2021, in a variety of sizes and form factors with long battery life.

  • 14-inch Acer Chromebook 314
  • 17.3-inch Acer Chromebook 317
  • 14-inch Acer Chromebook 514
  • 14-inch Acer Chromebook Enterprise 514
  • 13.5-inch Acer Chromebook Spin 713
  • 13.5-inch Acer Chromebook Enterprise Spin 713

In this article, we are going to take a look at the six 2021 Acer Chromebook laptops, to see what they offer, and how they compare with each other!

2021 Acer Chromebook 314

Weighing only 1.5 kg, the 2021 Acer Chromebook 314 (CB314-2H/CB314-2HT) is an ultra-portable laptop designed for students.

Its 14-inch IPS display has a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, and optional touch controls. It supports 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, and comes with a 720p HDR webcam.

Powered by the MediaTek MT8183 octa-core processor, it can provide up to 15 hours of battery life.

2021 Acer Chromebook 317

The 2021 Acer Chromebook 317 (CB317-1H) is targeted at users who want a large display for multitasking and streaming content.

It has a large 17.3-inch display with a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, and anti-glare coating. It also comes with a large keyboard (with optional backlighting) with a numeric keypad and a large touchpad.

There is also space for two full-sized upward-facing speakers to give you a more immersive audio experience.

The 2021 Chromebook 317 is built around the latest Intel Celeron processors with Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, and up to 10 hours of battery life.

2021 Acer Chromebook 514

The 2021 Acer Chromebook 514 (CB514-1W/CB514-1WT) is built around the 11th Gen Intel core processors, with up to 10 hours of battery life.

Thanks to its metal top cover and reinforced design, it is MIL-STD810H rated for military-grade durability. On top of that, its touchpad is protected against scratches and corrosion with a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass.

It supports the latest Intel Wi-Fi 6 wireless connectivity, and comes with two full-function USB Type C ports with Thunderbolt 4, and a backlight keyboard with an optional embedded fingerprint reader.

2021 Acer Chromebook Enterprise 514

The 2021 Acer Chromebook 514 (CB514-1W/CB514-1WT) is built around the 11th Gen Intel core processors, and MIL-STD810H rated for military-grade durability. On top of that, its touchpad is protected against scratches and corrosion with a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass.

It supports the latest Intel Wi-Fi 6 wireless connectivity, and comes with two full-function USB Type C ports with Thunderbolt 4, a HDMI port and a backlight keyboard with an optional embedded fingerprint reader.

It also features a Full HD MIPI webcam, and speakers powered by a Smart Amplifier, with support for DTS Audio.

Its Chrome Enterprise operating system features integrated manageability features to help your company cut costs, streamline operations and reduce security risks by letting you deploy, update and manage all your devices remotely.

2021 Acer Chromebook Spin 713

The 2021 Acer Chromebook Spin 713 (CP713-3W) is the world’s first Intel Evo platform-verified Chromebook.

It features a premium aluminium chassis that is MIL-STD 810H rated for military-grade durability, in a convertible form factor. Its 13.5-inch VertiView display has a resolution of 2256 x 1504, giving you 18% more vertical screen space.

Built around the 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, it only weighs 1.37 kg and is less than 17 mm thick. Its fast-chargeable battery lasts up to 10 hours, and can get 4 hours of battery life with a quick 30 minute charge!

 

2021 Acer Chromebook Enterprise Spin 713

The 2021 Acer Chromebook Enterprise Spin 713 (CP713-3W) is the world’s first Intel Evo platform-verified Chromebook with Chrome Enterprise manageability built-in.

It features a premium aluminium chassis that is MIL-STD 810H rated for military-grade durability, in a convertible form factor. Its 13.5-inch VertiView display has a resolution of 2256 x 1504, giving you 18% more vertical screen space.

Built around the 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, it only weighs 1.37 kg and is less than 17 mm thick. Its fast-chargeable battery lasts up to 10 hours, and can get 4 hours of battery life with a quick 30 minute charge!

 

2021 Acer Chromebook Laptops : Specs + Price Comparison

Here is a quick specifications + price overview of the 2021 Acer Chromebook laptops :

Specifications Chromebook 314 Chromebook 317 Chromebook 514
Enterprise 514
Chromebook Spin 713
Enterprise Spin 713
Type Laptop Convertible Laptop
Size 14-inch 17.3-inch 14-inch 13.5-inch
Display Resolution 1920 x 1080 2256 x 1504
Processor MediaTek MT8183 Intel Celeron 11th Gen Intel Core
Connectivity Wi-Fi 5 Wi-Fi 6
Battery Life 15 hours 10 hours
Weight 1.5 kg 2.4 kg 1.5 kg 1.37 kg
Starting Price USD 269.99
EUR 329
USD 379.99
EUR 399
USD 599.99
EUR 549
USD 699.99
EUR 769

 

2021 Acer Chromebook Laptops : Where To Buy?

Here are some online purchase options for the 2021 Acer Chromebook laptops (prices accurate as of 9 Nov 2021) :

United States

United Kingdom

Australia

Malaysia

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Computer | Business | Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Malaysia Admits Losing Undersea Cable Due To Cabotage!

Malaysia finally admits losing the Apricot undersea cable due to its cabotage policy, in a stunning reply from the Communications and Multimedia Minister.

 

Malaysia Admits Losing Undersea Cable Due To Cabotage!

Malaysia Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong has stridently rejected claims that Malaysia was excluded from the Apricot undersea cable project due to the cabotage policy.

On 30 September 2021, he denied that his decision to revoke the exemption of cabotage on undersea cable repairs was the reason Malaysia was excluded from the Apricot undersea cable project.

However, Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim revealed that he received a Parliamentary reply from the Communications and Multimedia Minister that basically admits that the loss was due to the cabotage policy.

Here is the Bahasa Malaysia quote from the Communications and Multimedia Minister, followed by our English translation :

Pemilihan negara bagi menyertai rancangan pemasangan kabel Internet Apricot dasar laut (subsea cables) adalah keputusan syarikat Facebook dan Google. Malaysia tidak tersenarai (bypass) sebagai salah satu negara yang terlibat dalam pendaratan stesen kabel dasar laut tersebut memandangkan isu pengecualian Dasar Kabotaj yang masih belum selesai.”

The choice of country to participate in the Apricot undersea Internet cable (subsea cable) installation plan is decided by Facebook and Google. Malaysia was not listed (bypassed) as one of the countries involved in the landing of the submarine cable station due to the unresolved Cabotage Policy exemption issue.”

This reply by the Communications and Multimedia Minister directly contradicts the Transport Minister’s strident denials, and confirms what most people already know – Malaysia was bypassed in the Apricot undersea cable project because this government refused to exempt undersea cable repairs from the cabotage policy.

 

What Does Loss Of Apricot Undersea Cable Mean For Malaysia?

Backed by Google and Facebook, the Apricot undersea optic cable will connect South East Asia and North Asia and the US, with a whopping bandwidth of 190 terabits per second (Tbps) and very low latency.

Being bypassed means Malaysia has lost investments and high-speed connectivity worth US$300-400 billion (RM1.26 to RM1.68 billion), according to MIDF Research.

And to add salt to the wound, it comes after Malaysia already lost two earlier undersea cable investments by Google and Facebook called Bifrost and Echo.

This continued loss of subsea cable landings runs contrary to Malaysia’s MyDIGITAL Initiative, which aims to achieve the HIGHEST number of subsea cable landings in South East Asia by 2025.

Malaysia currently only has 23 subsea cables, including those under construction. This leaves it behind Indonesia and Singapore, which have 55 and 31 cables respectively. Even the Philippines is catching up with 19 cables so far.

Is the continued refusal to exempt subsea cable repairs from the cabotage policy worth the loss of billions of dollars of investments?

This government seems to think so, but many would strongly disagree with them.

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Business | InternetTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

How Much Can You Make From Google AdSense?

Find out how much money a website can make from Google AdSense, and learn what you can do to MAXIMISE your earning potential!

 

How Much Can A Website Make From Google AdSense?

Many people have asked me for advice on how to start up their own websites.

Some want to make some side income during the pandemic. Some asked us to take them on as full-time staff.

Others want to start a new business they can do at home – a big plus during this pandemic.

The reality is that – AdSense does NOT pay well at all. But when I tell them that, they think I’m trying to bullshit them.

I procrastinated over this article for many weeks, because it is very uncomfortable for me to acknowledge the facts as well. But we must face the facts… so let’s take a look…

First, take a look at how many page views we get here at Tech ARP.

From December 2020 until April 2021, we published around 402 articles which drew 1.13 million page views.

That averages out to about 282,500 page views a month, or 2,800 views per article. Not a lot of traffic, but it’s not too shabby.

How much do you think we should get with this kind of traffic? Keep that figure in your head, and then take a look at our estimated Google AdSense earnings.

Do note that these are estimated earnings that may change somewhat – Google deducts a certain amount for “invalidated clicks and impressions”.

Assuming that there are no further deductions – Tech ARP earned only US$553.26 or about RM2,268 over four months – an average of US$138 or RM567 per month.

For context – the minimum wage in Malaysia is US$300 or RM1,200 per month. So whatever Tech ARP earns every month is LESS THAN HALF the minimum wage.

And that’s just our revenue. We have not even deducted the costs of maintaining and upgrading our server and other equipment – testbeds, work computers, etc.

Obviously, the money we make from AdSense does NOT even cover our costs, never mind make a decent living for any ONE person.

 

Google AdSense Reality Check : Why So Little???

It was not always like this. Google AdSense used to pay much better… back when there was serious competition from other advertising networks.

So why do websites get paid so little these days?

Ad Blockers Everywhere!

Everyone loves free information, and everyone hates advertisements. Not many people understand that advertisements drive the free Internet model.

So many people install ad blockers to get rid of those pesky advertisements. How many? Let’s calculate…

Tech ARP served 1.13 million page views, of which only 308,000 page views displayed any ads!

That means 72.7% of our readers are using ad blockers, which prevent any advertisements from being shown at all.

We receive ZERO revenue from these readers, even if they like what we write and want to support us.

Shift To CPC Advertisements

The industry’s shift from CPM ads to CPC ads is also partly to blame.

CPM (Cost per Thousand Impressions) ads generate revenue per view, so you get paid every time an advertisement appears to your reader.

CPC (Cost per Click) ads only generate revenue when your readers actually CLICK on the link, and get sent to the advertiser’s website.

With the shift to CPC ads, you don’t get paid a cent for the millions of advertisements that are shown to your readers. You only get paid when someone clicks on them.

Let’s calculate how often people actually click on these CPC advertisements.

Out of 493,132 advertisements that Google AdSense showed our readers, there were only 2,191 clicks.

That’s a click-through rate of just 0.444%.

In other words, only 1 out of every 225 readers who did not use an ad blocker clicked on a single advertisement.

Even more sobering – only 1 out of ever 516 pages people read generated a single ad click.

You would think that people would click on an advertisement as a show of support. In reality, it doesn’t work that way.

 

Don’t Rely On AdSense! This Is What You Should Do…

You still want to create your own website, despite our reality check? I applaud you!

Passion and drive are CRITICAL to creating, maintaining and developing your own website, and I do truly wish you all the best.

The desire to share my knowledge with the world is what keeps me going since I started Tech ARP in 1998 – 23 years ago!

But we must still acknowledge reality, especially as we grow older and have fiscal responsibilities, and a family to support.

I hope these suggestions will help you in your endeavour.

Use AdSense To Cover Costs

Forget about relying on AdSense to generate enough revenue to make a living.

For every US$1000 of income, you probably need 2 million page views. It’s not impossible, but it will take A LOT of work to get there.

I recommend that you only rely on AdSense to cover your costs. Please do NOT quit your day job, if you have one.

In some months, you may get a sudden surge in income. But this is fleeting, so don’t count on it.

Protect Your PR + DA

Build up and protect your Page Rank (PR) and Domain Authority (DA). They are key to ensuring you get high traffic from search engines.

Do NOT sacrifice your PR and DA by committing these mistakes :

  1. Selling dofollow links : this kills your PR and DA by siphoning them to your “sponsor” for a pittance!
  2. Publishing guest posts : free content isn’t really free if they include dofollow links which sap your PR and DA like vampires
  3. Posting press releases : your website will get penalised for “scraped content” if you post lots of press releases, because they are all duplicates of the original content
  4. Adding a PR Newswire widget : you are basically helping them make money off your website, while siphoning your PR and DA for nothing in return.

Page Rank and Domain Authority take years to build up. Trading them even for money is foolish, but sacrificing them for a smile or a thank you is idiotic.

Photo Credit : Kevin Carden Photography

Foster Relationships

Once you start establishing yourself, PR and marketing agencies are going to start sending you press releases and invitations to their events.

These can be great opportunities to get in touch with brands, and develop relationships that could lead to collaborations and other business opportunities.

Brands that understand and value the work you do will line up to support you. Work with them for a win-win relationship.

Don’t Be A Useful Idiot

Some brands and PR / marketing agencies are notorious for making use of the media, and tossing them aside once they cease to be of any use.

Avoid them at all costs. Don’t fall into the trap of becoming their useful idiot.

The truth is – they don’t appreciate your work, and you are nothing more than their KPI farm – a useful idiot to help them achieve their PR or marketing KPI for the quarter.

Just tell them, “No, thank you” and move on. Have some respect for yourself. You are not their free marketing department.

Remember – branded swag and thank you will not feed you or your family. They are ALL getting paid money for their work, and so should you.

Facebook and Instagram swag. Photo credit : @Programmai on Twitter

Ask Your Readers To Support Your Work

This is something that I have recently decided to tried out for myself – asking my readers to support my work.

Whether it’s through Patreon or directly to you, you need to swallow your pride if you want to actually make a decent living writing online.

Ask them to contribute to your work, by making a cash contribution to you, the writer.

This is also the only way to reach the 73% of our readers who use ad blockers. Who knows – it may remind them that ad blocking hurts writers like us?

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Business | InternetTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

If you like our work, please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Thank you!

Why You Should NOT Reject The Vaccine You’re Offered!

Many people are sharing the fact that you can reject the COVID-19 vaccine you are offered.

Find out why people are demanding the right to reject the vaccine they’re offered, and why you should NOT do that!

 

Why Are People Demanding To Reject The Vaccine Offered?

Since public vaccinations began, people have been asking – can they reject the COVID-19 vaccine at the vaccination centre, if they discover it’s not the vaccine they want?

Why? Because suddenly they are all medical and geopolitical experts, able to debate the nuances of COVID-19 vaccine efficacy, and the impact of these vaccines on East-West supremacy.

Here are some reasons why people are demanding the right to reject the vaccine offered at COVID-19 vaccination centres :

  • I only want the American / Chinese vaccine.
  • The Pfizer / Sinovac / AstraZeneca vaccine killed people.
  • The Pfizer / Sinovac / AstraZeneca vaccine is the best!
  • You can’t trust the Chinese / Americans.
  • I want to support China / America.
  • I hate China / America.
  • Chinese vaccines are made with slave labour.
  • American vaccines are made from aborted foetuses.

 

You Can Reject The Vaccine You’re Offered

Healthcare professionals can tell you that you can reject anything you want. That includes the right to refuse medical treatment, even if it’s to save your life.

And there are many “helpful netizens” who want to help you fight for your right to do any damn thing you want.

Do u know that u cannot choose the vaccine that will be given to u on appointment day but u hv the right to ask what type of vaccine that is given on that day n u can REJECT (our right) to take the vaccine if its not the one u wanted.

On 19/4/21 I took my auntie for co.19 vac. after taking Q#, registration, screening plus other sops n @the last station b4 signing the indemnity form, I asked the person on duty to confirm the vaccine available that day. It was Pzifer. I asked her whether can reject… YES.

Please spread the news to everyone u know b4 its too late. I think 90% of d population did not know or too scared to exercise their right. Just re-register wait in the Q again for the china vac. I hv spread spread to relatives n friends but not in our group. Remember once injected can’t take out.

These are the folks egging on those standing at the ledge, “Go on! You have the right to jump! Damn those who say no to you! It’s your right! FREEDOM!

But will they take responsibility if you get killed or injured listening to their advice?

Of course, not! It was your right, YOUR RESPONSIBILITY, your freedom to do what you please!

 

Why You Should NOT Reject The Vaccine You’re Offered!

There are no words to describe the disdain I have for those who actively encourage other people to reject the COVID-19 vaccine they are offered.

Let me explain to you why you should not listen to those IDIOTS, who are putting YOUR LIVES at risk with their uninformed opinions.

Fact #1 : The best vaccine you can get is the first vaccine you can complete!

The COVID-19 vaccine is not a cure. Think of it as a training boot camp for your immune system.

The vaccine teaches your immune system how to identify the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and gives it the opportunity to create antibodies against the real virus.

All this takes time – several weeks at least – for your immune system to learn how to do all that from the vaccine.

That is why it is important to take the FIRST VACCINE you are offered, and COMPLETE IT.

Fact #2 : Vaccines prevent the disease, they cannot cure it

Waiting for the vaccine you prefer puts you at risk of contracting COVID-19 before you get vaccinated.

If you reject the vaccine you are offered at the vaccination centre, you get pushed to the back of the queue, and rightly so.

But in the meantime, you are at risk of contracting COVID-19, and potentially dying from it. Even worse, you are risking your family’s lives too!

If you get COVID-19 before you are vaccinated, the vaccine cannot help you. As I explained above, your immune system needs several weeks to learn how to fight off COVID-19 after you are vaccinated.

So do NOT wait. Do NOT push yourself to the back of the queue. Get the FIRST VACCINE you are offered, and COMPLETE IT!

Fact #3 : Google doctors do NOT understand vaccine efficacy

The clever Google doctors who write all those pithy advice on WhatsApp and Facebook do NOT even understand vaccine efficacy.

The real doctors and scientists who do, can only facepalm when they read online “debates” on vaccine efficacy.

Look at the difference between public perception and reality (find out how we calculate here) :

Vaccine
Efficacy
Breakthrough Rate
Perception Reality
95% 5% 0.05%
90% 10% 0.10%
85% 15% 0.15%
80% 20% 0.20%
75% 25% 0.25%

Fact #4 : All approved vaccines protect you against SEVERE disease + DEATH!

What Google doctors also do not understand is that vaccine efficacy isn’t really that important.

I prepared this table to show you how misleading efficacy rates are.

COVID-19 Vaccines Protection Against
Symptomatic
Infection
Severe
Disease
Death
Pfizer Comirnaty 95.0% 100% 100%
Moderna mRNA-1273 94.1% 100% 100%
Gamaleya Sputnik V 91.6% 100% 100%
AstraZeneca AZD1222 76% ~ 85% 100% 100%
Novavax Covovax 60 ~ 89% 100% 100%
CanSino Convidecia 65.7% 90.98% 100%
Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV 79% ~ 86% 90% 100%
J&J Janssen COVID-19 66.0% 85% 100%
Sinovac CoronaVac 50.65% 83.7% 100%

The truth is all approved vaccines will protect you against severe disease, and prevent you from dying from COVID-19.

Sure, it would be really nice if you get a vaccine that protects you against even mild COVID-19, but not getting killed by it sounds pretty awesome to me!

Recommended : Why COVID-19 Vaccine Efficacy Does NOT Matter!

Fact #5 : Vaccines are in limited supply worldwide

COVID-19 vaccines are in very limited supply, and there does not appear to be enough to vaccinate most countries until well into 2022.

This is a pandemic – a global health crisis. The lives of trillions of people around the world come before your “right to choose”.

Fact #6 : Refusing the vaccine can waste it

Some vaccines – in particular, mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna – require advanced preparation due to their storage requirements.

If you choose to reject your vaccine at the vaccination centre, that dose could end up being discarded!

Are you so entitled that you believe you should have the right to waste a dose of a vaccine that is in limited supply?

You are lucky to be amongst the first offered a COVID-19 vaccine. TAKE THE VACCINE!

 

Help Support My Work!

If you would like to support my work, you can do so via bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card.

Name : Adrian Wong

Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)

Thank you in advanced! ❤️

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Health | Fact ChecksHome

 

Support Tech ARP!

If you like our work, you can help support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!

US Tax : How Much YouTube Income Will You Lose?

YouTube will soon withhold up to 30% of income from non-US creators as tax for the United States!

Find out whether you will be double-taxed, and how much income non-US YouTube creators will lose!

 

YouTube To Tax Non-US Creator Income By Up To 30%!

On 10 March 2021, YouTube creators started getting this email :

We’re reaching out because Google will be required to deduct U.S. taxes from payments to creators outside of the U.S. later this year (as early as June 2021). Over the next few weeks, we’ll be asking you to submit your tax info in AdSense to determine the correct amount of taxes to deduct, if any apply. If your tax info isn’t provided by May 31, 2021, Google may be required to deduct up to 24% of your total earnings worldwide.

Yes, the alert says that up to 24% of your total worldwide earnings may be deducted, but the actual deduction could be as high as 30%.

It all depends on which bracket you fall into :

Those Who Submit US Tax Info

  • Foreign creators : 24% to 30% withholding tax, unless your country has a tax treaty with the US.
  • US creators : 0% withholding tax, because they have to pay taxes on their total income

Those Who Do NOT Submit US Tax Info

  • Business account (Foreign) : 30% withholding tax of US earnings
  • Business account (US Resident) : 24% of total worldwide earnings
  • Individual account (Foreign + US) : 24% of total worldwide earnings

This change only impacts the earnings of non-US YouTube creators, since US creators are already paying taxes on their income.

 

Why Are Non-US Residents Getting Taxed On US Income?

You may not be a US citizen or resident, but the US government requires income generated in the US to be taxed.

Since they cannot tax your income like they would an actual US resident, they require companies to withhold a portion of your US income as tax.

The general idea is that as long as you make money in the US, or from US residents, you must pay tax on that income.

 

Does This Mean Non-US Residents Will Be Double-Taxed?

Check the latest IRS list of countries with income tax treaties with the United States.

Unless your country has a Double Taxation Agreement (DTA) with the United States, yes, you will end up getting double taxed – by the US government and your own government.

Since YouTube will withhold part of your income, the double taxation impact is somewhat lessened because you will only pay your country’s income tax on what’s left over.

That is scant consolation because you are still getting double-taxed, and will end up with considerably less income.

 

How Much Tax Will Non-US YouTube Creators Have To Pay?

How much income non-US YouTube creators will lose depend on four factors :

  • whether they file their US tax info,
  • whether their country has a double tax treaty with the US,
  • whether they are an individual or a company, and
  • how much income they get from US viewers

YouTube shared a hypothetical example, but it is overly optimistic – assuming only 10% US traffic.

So we came up with our own scenarios of 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% US traffic. For simplicity, we eliminated ”discounts” eligible to countries with US tax treaties.

This table we created shows the maximum US withholding tax you have to pay, with a monthly YouTube income of US$1,000.

Tax Deducted From
$1000 Income
% of US Traffic
25% 50% 75% 100%
Did not submit tax info
(24% worldwide)
$240 $240 $240 $240
Individual with Tax Info
(24% US income)
$60 $120 $180 $240
Business with Tax Info
(30% US income)
$75 $150 $225 $300

And this table shows how much income you will receive, after deducting the US tax, from a YouTube income of US$1,000.

Income Per $1,000
After Tax Deduction
% of US Traffic
25% 50% 75% 100%
Did not submit tax info
(24% worldwide)
$760 $760 $760 $760
Individual with Tax Info
(24% US income)
$940 $880 $820 $760
Business with Tax Info
(30% US income)
$925 $850 $775 $700

There is no doubt that this is a massive tax that is going to cut deeply into the income of every non-US YouTube channel, because it is a non-progressive flat tax, with no deductions.

 

What Can You Do About This US Tax By YouTube?

This withholding tax is going to irk a lot of YouTubers who have never stepped foot in the US, or received any benefit from the US government.

More so for non-US creators in countries without a double tax treaty with the US, because they would get double-taxed.

YouTube creators may be incentivised to target non-US viewers by producing more localised content, but ultimately, US traffic still pays the best. So we don’t see shifting focus away from US viewers as a good strategy.

Unfortunately, there is nothing anyone can do but bite down and bear the pain, on top of what has already been a terrible 2020 and 2021.

But if you are ever in the US and get some shit about being a foreigner, I suppose you can send them this smackdown, “I have every right to be here! I pay taxes too!“.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Business | Photo + VideoHome

 

Support Tech ARP!

If you like our work, you can help support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!


Google Play Music Is Dead : How To Download Your Music?

Google Play Music is officially dead across the world, and you have until December 2020 to migrate your music library and playlists to YouTube Music.

Find out how to download your music library and playlists from Google Play Music before they are deleted forever!

 

Google Play Music Is Dead : Whaaaaat???

On 4 April 2020, Google dropped the bombshell – they announced that they were replacing Google Play Music play with YouTube Music by December 2020.

They would kill off Google Play Music starting September 2020 in New Zealand and South Africa, and October 2020 for the rest of the world.

Users will no longer be allowed to stream from, or use the Google Play Music app from that point onwards. They will only be allowed to transfer their music libraries to YouTube Music.

Even that migration offer is limited to December 2020, after which the Google Play Music libraries will be deleted and will no longer be available to download or transfer to YouTube Music.

 

Google Play Music Is Dead : Download Your Music Now!

Google offers the option to migrate your Google Play Music libraries and playlists to YouTube Music, but you may not want to do that for these reasons :

  • 128 kbps quality limit for free subscriptions
  • you can’t upload your own music through the app, only using an Internet browser
  • offline playback of your own music requires you to upload and then download the same music

Before deciding what to do next, the first thing you should do is download your music library.

You have until the end of December 2020 to download your music, so do it now!

  1. Open Google Play Music.
  2. Tap on Manage Your Data.
  3. Tap on Download your music library.

  1. Leave Google Play Music checked.
  2. Select to export once.
  3. Select the more common .zip file format, or the .tgz alternative
  4. Select the maximum file size you prefer – 1 GB, 2 GB, 4 GB, 10 GB or 50 GB.
    Google will split your files into multiple compressed files based on the maximum size you selected.
    Newer operating systems (Windows 10, macOS) can support files larger than 4 GB.

  1. Tap Create export and let Google archive and compress your music library.
  2. You will receive an email with a download link when it’s done.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > SoftwareMobile Devices | Home

 

Support Tech ARP!

If you like our work, you can help support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!

Google Cloud Confidential VM With 2nd Gen AMD EPYC!

Google recently introduced Confidential Computing, with Confidential VM as the first product, and it’s powered by 2nd Gen AMD EPYC!

Here’s an overview of Confidential Computing and Confidential VM, and how they leverage the 2nd Gen AMD EPYC processor!

 

Google Cloud Confidential Computing : What Is It?

Google Cloud encrypts customer data while it’s “at-rest” and “in-transit“. But that data must be decrypted because it can be processed.

Confidential Computing addresses that problem by encrypting data in-use – while it’s being processed. This ensures that data is kept encrypted while in memory and outside the CPU.

 

Google Cloud Confidential VM, Powered By 2nd Gen AMD EPYC

The first product that Google is unveiling under its Confidential Computing portfolio is Confidential VM, now in beta.

Confidential VM basically adds memory encryption to the existing suite of isolation and sandboxing techniques Google Cloud uses to keep their virtual machines secure and isolated.

This will help customers, especially those in regulated industries, to better protect sensitive data by further isolating their workloads in the cloud.

Google Cloud Confidential VM : Key Features

Powered By 2nd Gen AMD EPYC

Google Cloud Confidential VM runs on N2D series virtual machines powered by the 2nd Gen AMD EPYC processors.

It leverages the Secure Encrypted Virtualisation (SEV) feature in 2nd Gen AMD EPYC processors to keep VM memory encrypted with a dedicated per-VM instance key.

These keys are generated and managed by the AMD Secure Processor inside the EPYC processor, during VM creation and reside only inside the VM – making them inaccessible to Google, or any other virtual machines running on the host.

Your data will stay encrypted while it’s being used, indexed, queried, or trained on. Encryption keys are generated in hardware, per virtual machine and are not exportable.

Confidential VM Performance

Google Cloud worked together with the AMD Cloud Solution team to minimise the performance impact of memory encryption on workloads.

They added support for new OSS drivers (name and gvnic) to handle storage traffic and network traffic with higher throughput than older protocols, thus ensuring that Confidential VM will perform almost as fast as non-confidential VM.

Easy Transition

According to Google, transitioning to Confidential VM is easy – all Google Cloud Platform (GCP) workloads can readily run as a Confidential VM whenever you want to.

Available OS Images

In addition to the hardware-based inline memory encryption, Google built Confidential VM on top of Shielded VM, to harden your OS image and verify the integrity of your firmware, kernel binaries and drivers.

Google currently offers images of Ubuntu v18.094, Ubuntu 20.04, Container Optimized OS (COS v81), and RHEL 8.2.

They are currently working with CentOS, Debian and other distributors to offer additional OS images for Confidential VM.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Computer | BusinessHome

 

Support Tech ARP!

If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!


TikTok Caught Spying What We Type In Other Apps!

TikTok was caught spying on what we type in other apps, not once, but TWICE… so far.

Find out what’s going on, and what you should do about it!

 

TikTok : What Is It?

TikTok is a Chinese social networking service built around short video clips. Developed and owned by ByteDance which is based in Beijing, it is very popular amongst young people and even children.

This has led to numerous controversies as TikTok proved slow or reluctant to remove dangerous or racist videos :

 

TikTok Caught Spying What We Type In Other Apps… TWICE!

Beyond their obvious desire to grow their service at the expense of the danger to real people, there have been cybersecurity and privacy concerns about TikTok.

In a space of just four months, TikTok has been caught spying on what we type in OTHER APPS… not once, but TWICE. Take a look at this video expose…

TikTok Caught Spying On What We Type : First Time

Let’s start in March 2020, when Talal Has Bakry and Tommy Mysk exposed how they found that TikTok was spying on what we typed in other apps through the pasteboard / clipboard.

In the video above, you can see how TikTok immediately asked to read all text stored in the pasteboard, whenever it is launched.

The pasteboard contains everything you copied earlier – messages from other people, quotes from an article, or far more sensitive stuff like your password or account number.

And because of Apple’s universal clipboard feature, this means everything you copy on your Mac or iPad will be available on your iPhone, and therefore TikTok.

To be clear, TikTok was just one of the many apps that they found to be spying on what we type. Here were the apps they confirmed were spying on the pasteboard / clipboard.

News Games Social Other
ABC News
Al Jazeera English
CBS News
CNBC
Fox News
News Break
New York Times
NPR
itv Nachrichten
Reuters
Russia Today
Stern Nachrichten
The Economist
The Huffington Post
The Wall Street Journal
VICE News
8 Ball Pool
AMAZE!!!
Bejeweled
Block Puzzle
Classic Bejeweled
Classic Bejeweled HD
Flip The Gun
Fruit Ninja
Golfmasters
Letter Soup
Love Nikki
My Emma
Plants vs. Zombies Heroes
Pooking – Billiards City
PUBG Mobile
Tomb of the Mask
Tomb of the Mask: Color
Total Party Kill
Watermarbling
TikTok
ToTalk
Tok
Truecaller
Viber
Weibo
Zoosk
10% Happier: Meditation
5-0 Radio Police Scanner
Accuweather
AliExpress Shopping
Bed Bath & Beyond
Dazn
Hotels.com
Hotel Tonight
Overstock
Pigment – Adult Coloring Book
Recolor Coloring Book to Color
Sky Ticket
The Weather Network

At that time, TikTok told Zak Doffman that it was Google Ads that was snooping into the pasteboard / clipboard.

The clipboard access issues showed up due to third-party SDKs, in our case an older version Google Ads SDK. We are in the processes of updating so that the third-party SDK will no longer have access.

They claimed it was because TikTok was using an older Google Ads SDK, which they have since replaced with a newer version.

TikTok Caught Spying On What We Type : Second Time

BFast forward to June, and the release of iOS 14 beta. The new clipboard warning feature in iOS 14 appears to have caught TikTok spying on the pasteboard / clipboard once again.

In the dramatic video shared by Jeremy Burge – the 1:35 point in our video above – he shows TikTok grabbing the contents of his iPhone’s clipboard every 1-3 keystrokes, as he typed in Instagram!

Okay so TikTok is grabbing the contents of my clipboard every 1-3 keystrokes. iOS 14 is snitching on it with the new paste notification
— Jeremy Burge (@jeremyburge) June 24, 2020

This is even more egregious than the first time they spied on the pasteboard / clipboard! Instead of just looking at what you copied into the clipboard earlier, TikTok is literally reading what you are typing in a different app!

TikTok claimed that this issue was “triggered by a feature designed to identify repetitive, spammy behaviour“, and that they have already submitted an updated app without this “anti-spam feature“.

 

TikTok Caught Spying : What Should YOU Do?

If you are not a frequent TikTok user, the answer is simple – UNINSTALL TikTok.

If you really like TikTok, you should immediately update to the latest version, which ByteDance claims will no longer read your clipboard because it has both an updated Google Ads SDK, as well as their anti-spam feature removed.

Either way, if you are concerned about privacy issues with TikTok, you should write to privacy@tiktok.com and express your deep concerns about not letting them read what you are typing, whether it is in their app or other apps.

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Business | Cybersecurity Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Android Wallpaper Malware Explained + Solved!

Ice Universe shared a really interesting problem earlier today – a wallpaper that would set certain Android smartphones into a boot loop. Literally wallpaper malware!

Find out what this wallpaper malware is all about, and how to prevent it from bricking your Android smartphone!

 

Android Wallpaper Malware Explained + Solved Video

For a quick run-down, we prepared this video that explains what the wallpaper does, and how to solve the problem.

 

Android Wallpaper Malware : What Is It?

The wallpaper was first shared by Ice Universe whose friend was affected by it. As you can see, there is really nothing remarkable about it.

If you set it as a wallpaper on a vulnerable Android smartphone, it will force the device to go into a boot loop.

Once that happens, there is nothing more you can do, except to factory reset your smartphonedestroying all of its data.

 

Android Wallpaper Malware : The Cause

Ice Universe paved the way to discovering the cause when he noted that the wallpaper’s colour seemed to changed when he uploaded it to Weibo.

So we looked into the metadata of the wallpaper, and discovered that it has a specific ICC colour profile for Google Skia – E3CADAB7BD3DE5E3436874D2A9DEE126

That ICC colour profile appears to trip the Google Skia graphics engine for certain Android devices, causing them to reboot.

Technically, com.android.systemui.glwallpaper.ImageProcessHelper crashes from an ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException while trying to load the wallpaper with the embedded colour profile.

And because the wallpaper loads when Android UI loads, it triggers another reboot. Your smartphone is now stuck in a boot loop – it will keep rebooting on loading the wallpaper.

 

Android Wallpaper Malware : The Solution

The solution is surprisingly simple – remove the ICC colour profile. You can do that by using a photo editor (like Photoshop) and simply saving the wallpaper without embedding the colour profile.

Alternatively, you can use an EXIF remover app or software to strip the wallpaper’s metadata. That should strip its colour profile as well. Just make sure you check before you load it into your phone!

The only problem is that stripping the colour profile makes the wallpaper look less vivid.

But the best thing to do is really just avoid the wallpaper altogether. Don’t even download it.

Google really needs to look into how such a bad colour profile in a picture can trip Google Skia and force the phone into a boot loop.

We should consider this a shot across the bow. Not only should we question whether we really “need” that nice wallpaper, we should be more proactive and :

  • offload our data from our smartphones on a regular basis
  • keep constant backups of our smartphone data
  • consider recording our photos and videos to a microSD card

This way, even if another wallpaper or picture malware comes along and bricks your phone, you won’t lose all of your data.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Mobile Devices | CybersecurityHome

 

Support Tech ARP!

If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!


TNB During MCO : No Electricity Bill? Here’s How To Pay!

TNB employees will no longer read the meter or issue any electricity bill during the COVID-19 MCO, but you still need to pay your electricity bill!

Find out how much you need to pay TNB for your electricity usage during the COVID-19 MCO!

 

TNB Meter Reading + Bill Rendering : Stopped During MCO!

After the Movement Control Order (MCO) started, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) announced that they would stop these operations from 20 March 2020 until further notice :

  • on-premise meter reading, and
  • on-premise rendering of electricity bill

They also announced that :

  • you will be issued an estimated bill, based on your previous month’s consumption.
  • your bill will be adjusted only when they resume meter reading, after the MCO period ends.
  • during the MCO, TNB will not deliver any printed electricity bill to your premise.

You still need to pay your TNB electricity bill during the MCO / CMCO. Just because you don’t get your bill, doesn’t mean you get to stop paying.

 

Won’t TNB Resume Meter Reading + Bill Rendering During CMCO?

On 13 May 2020, TNB announced that they are resuming meter reading and bill rendering on a staggered basis, and only in green zone states :

  • Perlis
  • Penang
  • Kedah
  • Perak (except Sri Manjung)
  • Kelantan

That basically means they still won’t perform meter reading for most of the country during the Conditional MCO period.

 

How To Pay Your TNB Bill During MCO / CMCO?

There are three ways to handle your TNB electricity bill during the MCO / CMCO.

Option 1 : Pay The Estimated Bill

TNB mentioned that you will be issued an estimated bill, based on your last bill. If your last bill was RM 100, then your estimated bill during the MCO will be RM 100.

All you have to do is continue paying based on your last bill every month, as long as the Movement Control Order is in effect.

Just pay online through JomPAY using your online banking account.

Option 2 : Use TNB Express Payment

The easiest way to check your current bill and make payment is through myTNB.

Just key in your 12-digit TNB account number, and you will receive the current amount due.

You can pay up to RM 250 using a credit or debit card through Express Payment by clicking Next.

If you wish to pay more than RM 250 though, you will need to first register and log into myTNB.

Alternatively, you can pay through JomPAY using your online banking account.

Option 3 : Use myTNB App

The third option is to install and use the myTNB app, which is available as a free download on both Google Play Store and App Store :

    

Follow these steps to register and check your current TNB bill on the myTNB app :

 

COVID-19 : How To Keep Safe!

Here are a few simple steps to stay safe from COVID-19 :

Recommended : Soap vs Sanitiser : Which Works Better Against COVID-19?
Recommended : Surgical Mask : How To CORRECTLY Wear + Remove!
Recommended : COVID-19 Food Safety : Fruits, Vegetables, Takeouts

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Home Technology | BusinessHome

 

Support Tech ARP!

If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!

AnTuTu : Why They Got Banned From Google Play Store!

If you are wondering why you can no longer find AnTuTu apps on the Google Play Store, that’s because they have been banned and removed!

And guess what got AnTuTu apps banned? Cheetah Mobile…

 

Cheetah Mobile : An Insidious Developer According To Google

On 20 February 2020, Google posted that they removed nearly 600 apps from the Google Play Store, banning many of their developers for “disruptive ads” and “ad fraud”.

One of those developers – notorious Chinese app developer, Cheetah Mobile, with a history of buying over popular apps to load them with spyware and malicious advertisements.

 

AnTuTu : Banned From Google Play Store!

And now, it appears that AnTuTu have also been affected by the Google ban hammer, with these apps removed :

  • AnTuTu Benchmark
  • AnTuTu 3DBench
  • AITuTu

Why? It appears those AnTuTu apps were banned, because AnTuTu found to be associated with Cheetah Mobile :

  • Cheetah Mobile CEO Fu Sheng is listed as the Chairman of Beijing AnTuTu Technology Co. Ltd
  • The AnTuTu privacy policy link used the Cheetah Mobile (cmcm.com) domain.

 

AnTuTu Shares Their Point Of View

AnTuTu clarified the issue in their statement to Android Police that :

  • Cheetah Mobile was merely an investor and shareholder, but they remain independent.
  • They purchased and used the legal services from Cheetah Mobile, so the privacy policy link used their domain.
  • They are now working to change their “legal supplier”.
  • Listing Fu Sheng as the Chairman of Beijing AnTuTu Technology Co. Ltd was a requirement of “the investors”.
  • They have already asked Cheetah Mobile to solve these problems.

AnTuTu apps are still available as APK downloads on their website, but installing them outside of Google Play is not without risks, so caveat emptor!

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Software | Mobile  | BusinessHome

 

Support Tech ARP!

If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!

WizardOpium Exploit : Update Google Chrome ASAP!

Kaspersky recently discovered a Google Chrome zero day exploit that was being used in Operation WizardOpium.

Here are the full details, but the TLDR message is – make sure you update Google Chrome ASAP!

 

The WizardOpium Exploit : What Is It?

Kaspersky’s automated Exploit Prevention subsystem detected the exploit, which they dubbed WizardOpium. It used a zero day vulnerability that had hitherto not known to developers.

 

The WizardOpium Exploit : How Does It Work?

The attacks, which Kaspersky called Operation OpiumWizard, began with an infiltration at a Korean news website, where attackers managed to inject malicious code.

It loads a script from a third-party site that first checks if the system is suitable for infection – they were interested only in Chrome for Windows, not older than version 65.

If the operating system and browser requirements are met, the script downloads the WizardOpium exploit piece by piece, reassembles and decrypts it.

The script then runs another check on the version of Google Chrome, working exclusively with Chrome 76 or 77.

After verifying that it has the right Chrome version, the script then leverages the use-after-free vulnerability CVE-2019-13720, based on the improper use of system memory.

By manipulating the system memory, the exploit gains permission to read and write data, which it immediately uses to download, decrypt and run the malware package.

 

The WizardOpium Exploit : Solution

Kaspersky cybersecurity products will detect the exploit, and identify it as Exploit.Win32.Generic.

On discovering it, they reported it to Google with the identifier CVE-2019-13720.

Google fixed the bug in Chrome 78.0.3904.87 for Windows, macOS and Linux. Just make sure you update to that version, or newer… ASAP!

To make sure you have the update, follow these steps :

  1. Click on the 3 vertical dots at the upper right corner of Chrome (Customise and control Google Chrome)
  2. Select Help > About Google Chrome.
  3. In the About Chrome page, it should say that you have Version 78.0.3904.87 or higher
  4. If not, Chrome will automatically start looking for, and installing the latest update
  5. Click Relaunch to restart Chrome.

 

Suggested Reading

Go Back To > Cybersecurity | SoftwareHome

 

Support Tech ARP!

If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!

HUAWEI Phone Clone : Foolproof Way To Bypass Trump Ban?

A new video has emerged, showing how HUAWEI Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro users can use HUAWEI Phone Clone to get access to apps without Google Play.

Let’s check it out and find out if HUAWEI Phone Clone is a foolproof way to bypass the Trump ban!

Updated @ 2019-10-14 : Added our analysis on the effectiveness of HUAWEI Phone Clone in bypassing the Trump ban.

Originally posted @ 2019-10-09

 

HUAWEI Phone Clone : Foolproof Way To Bypass Trump Ban?

The HUAWEI Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro will go on sale very soon. But people are wondering – what can you install on the HUAWEI Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro smartphones?

This video that was shared with us shows how HUAWEI Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro users can bypass the Trump ban by simply using the HUAWEI Phone Clone app that is pre-installed in HUAWEI smartphones.

Here is a summary of what the video (which is in Mandarin, with English subtitles) reveals :

  • The HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro does not come with any Google apps pre-installed.
  • HUAWEI Phone Clone is then used to clone all data, including apps, from your old Android smartphone to the new Mate 30.
  • The process is simple, using a QR code to link and sync the two smartphones.
  • After the cloning process is complete, the HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro will have all of the data and apps from your old smartphone… including Google apps.
  • According to the host, Mr. Gadget, this is possible because apps that are not based on Google Mobile Services (GMS) are not affected by the Trump ban.
  • That means important apps like WhatsApp, Waze, Facebook, Instagram and PUBG Mobile (okay, okay… it’s a game, not an “important app”… LOL!) are not affected by the Trump ban.
  • The YouTube app cannot be installed or migrated since it runs on Google Mobile Services. However, you can still stream YouTube videos through any browser.
  • Similarly, the Gmail app cannot be installed or migrated. However, you can use the HUAWEI Mail app to access emails from any Gmail account.
  • Mr. Gadget also recommends installing apps through the Aptoide App Store, as an alternative to Google Play Store (which is not available)

Recommended : The HUAWEI 7680 FPS + ISO 25600 Video Showcase!

 

Effectiveness Of The HUAWEI Phone Clone Method

Now, the HUAWEI Phone Clone method is not foolproof.

It allows you to “bypass” the Trump ban by essentially porting over apps that do NOT rely on Google Mobile Services (GMS) to your Mate 30Mate 30 Pro smartphone.

But if the app requires GMS (like Gmail or YouTube), you will need to use an alternative app or use the web browser instead. For example :

  • switch from the Gmail app to the HUAWEI Mail app
  • use a web browser to view YouTube videos, instead of the YouTube app

This Phone Clone method is also a one-time deal. It lets you migrate the apps (and your data) over from an existing Android smartphone.

But if you ever need to reinstall the app, you will need to do it through the Aptoide App Store, or some other third-party App Store… because Google Play Store is not available.

Similarly, you will need to use the Aptoide app to update your apps, but this works the same way as Google Play Store.

The HUAWEI Phone Clone method is a good option for those with an existing smartphone to migrate most of their apps to the Mate 30Mate 30 Pro.

But it doesn’t solve the problem of not being able to access Google Play Store, or apps that use GMS. The good news though is that Trump may soon come to a trade agreement with China, and we could see Google services restored to the Mate 30Mate 30 Pro.

Recommended : HUAWEI Mate 30 + Mate 30 Pro Colour Comparison!

 

What Apps Can HUAWEI Phone Clone Migrate?

Mr. Gadget provided a list of apps that HUAWEI Phone Clone will successfully migrate over to the HUAWEI Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro, which we have summarised in this table :

Categories Apps
Social Media Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Telegram, Tinder, Snapchat
Chat WeChat, WhatsApp
Navigation Waze, Google Maps
Banking Maybank, CIMB Clicks, Hong Leong, Public Bank, AmOnline, OCBC Bank, HSBC
Entertainment Spotify, iflix, dimsum, JOOX, Viu
Photo Editing VSCO, Snapseed, Lightroom, Photo360, Unfold, VUE, Meitu, BeautyCam
Shopping Zalora, Lazada, Taobao, Amazon, eBay, AliExpress, Shopee, Reebonz
Travel Agoda, Trivago, Kayak, Expedia, Klook, Booking.com
Games PUBG Mobile, Mobile Legends
E-Wallet Touch ‘n Go, GrabPay, Boost
Food Fave, HappyFresh, HonestBee, Starbucks, McDonald’s, KFC, Tealive, Pizza Hut, eating, FoodPanda

 

Where Can I Find HUAWEI Phone Clone?

HUAWEI Phone Clone is pre-installed in HUAWEI smartphones. You can also download and install it for non-HUAWEI smartphones, as well as Apple iPhones, at these locations :

 

The HUAWEI Mate 30 + Mate 30 Pro

Everyone knows that the HUAWEI Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro are the first smartphones to be “blocked” by the Trump ban. This is a real shame because they offer truly great features at great price points.

HUAWEI Mate 30 Key Features

  • HUAWEI Kirin 990 mobile platform with Big-Core + Tiny-Core NPU
  • EMUI 10 operating system
  • Leica SuperSensing Triple Camera System that consists of :
    – 40 MP SuperSensing Camera
    – 16 MP Ultra Wide-Angle Camera
    – 8 MP Telephoto Camera with 3X optical zoom
  • 4,200 mAh battery with 40W wired charging and 27W wireless charging

HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro Key Features

  • HUAWEI Horizon Display which curves at an angle of 88 degrees to maximise display area
  • HUAWEI Kirin 990 mobile platform with Big-Core + Tiny-Core NPU
  • EMUI 10 operating system
  • Leica SuperSensing Quad Camera System that consists of :
    – 40 MP Cine Camera
    – 40 MP SuperSensing Camera
    – 8 MP Telephoto Camera with 3X optical zoom
    – 3D Depth Sensing Camera
  • 4,500 mAh battery with 40W wired charging and 27W wireless charging

 

Recommended Reading

[adrotate group=”2″]

Go Back To > Mobile Devices | Software| Home

 

Support Tech ARP!

If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!


CONFIRMED : HUAWEI Licence Extended By 90 Days!

HUAWEI gets another reprieve from the Trump Administration, with its temporary general licence extended by another 90 days!

Here is the full story, and what it means for HUAWEI and their business partners in the US and elsewhere!

 

The First HUAWEI Temporary General Licence

Just days of adding HUAWEI to the Entity List of US national security threats, the Trump Administration issues HUAWEI a 90-day temporary licence.

This partially restored their access to US technology and suppliers. It basically allows them to service and maintain their current networks and smartphones.

Establishing new networks or create new products, using technologies with more than 25% US content or origin, would require companies to apply for special licences from the US Commerce Department.

 

HUAWEI Licence Extended By 90 Days!

HUAWEI’s first temporary general licence was slated to expire today, on 19 August 2019.

But Trump had been signalling that he was open to extending HUAWEI’s licence, after he delayed new tariffs on Chinese goods until 15 December.

That was confirmed today when the US Commerce Department announced that it was extending the temporary general licence for HUAWEI, by another 90 days.

“As we continue to urge consumers to transition away from Huawei’s products, we recognize that more time is necessary to prevent any disruption,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “Simultaneously, we are constantly working at the Department to ensure that any exports to Huawei and its affiliates do not violate the terms of the Entity Listing or Temporary General License.”

This means HUAWEI will be able to continue supporting existing networks and devices up till 19 November 2019.

 

Can HUAWEI Can Launch New Devices With Licence Extension?

With the HUAWEI Mate 30 smartphones slated for launch very soon, this is a very important question – can HUAWEI launch new devices based on Android and its ecosystem?

The temporary general licence that was specifically issued to HUAWEI does not permit the use of US technologies (of more than 25% origin or content) in new HUAWEI devices without a special licence.

However, it buys HUAWEI and its business partners time to request special licences to sell their products or services to HUAWEI.

US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross confirmed that he received more than 50 applications last month, with more coming in.

It is actually very important for many US companies to continue to do business with HUAWEI, who spent some $11 billion on US products and services in 2018.

 

More HUAWEI Affiliates Added To Entity List

It was not all good news though. The US Commerce Department also announced that it was adding 46 additional HUAWEI affiliates to the Entity List, due to national security concerns.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Mobile DevicesHome

 

Support Tech ARP!

If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!