iOS 18.4 beta 1 is now available, including for public beta users. And among its many changes, there’s a convenient feature enhancement to verification codes found in Apple’s Passwords app. Here are the details.
Countdown in iOS 18.4’s Passwords app shows when codes will expire and reset
As shared by Aaron Perris on X, Apple’s Passwords app got a welcome feature enhancement in the first iOS 18.4 beta.
Verification codes now offer a visual countdown timer to show you how long it will be until they expire and refresh.
Source: iOS 18.4 gives Apple’s Passwords app a small but convenient new feature – 9to5Mac
Microsoft has quietly launched a new version of Microsoft Office for Windows that can be used to edit documents for free, no Microsoft 365 subscription or Office license key required. This free version of Office is based on the full desktop apps, but has most features locked behind the Microsoft 365 subscription.
First spotted by Beebom, the free version of Office for Windows includes ads that are permanently on screen when within a document in Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Additionally, this new free version of Office also only allows you to save files to OneDrive, meaning no support for editing local files.
In France, rightsholders have taken legal action to compel large VPN providers to support their pirate site blocking program. The aim is to reinforce existing blocking measures, but VPN providers see this as a dangerous move, leading to potential security issues and overblocking. As a result, some are considering leaving France altogether if push comes to shove.
Copyright holders see pirate site blocking as an effective and proportional tool to combat widespread online piracy.
Over the years, courts and lawmakers in dozens of countries have agreed, resulting in a patchwork of blocking regimes around the globe.
Source: VPN Providers Consider Exiting France Over ’Dangerous’ Blocking Demands * TorrentFreak
Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes just suffered a major legal setback because a federal appellate panel upheld her fraud convictions. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday affirmed the convictions, sentences and nine-figure restitution ordered against both Holmes and Theranos president, Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani.
Holmes and Balwani, who were also in a personal relationship and Holmes said he abused her, were tried separately. She was sentenced to about 11 years (135 months), while he was sentenced to about 13 years (155 months). According to the federal Bureau of Prisons, Holmes, 41, is in a minimum security federal prison camp in Texas with a release date in 2032, while Balwani, 59, is in a medium security facility in California with a 2033 release date.
Source: Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes’ fraud convictions upheld by federal appeals panel
It’s proven that anytime you release something to the World Wide Web, some people – usually a lot – will abuse it. So it’s probably not surprising that people are abusing ChatGPT in ways against OpenAI’s policies and privacy laws. Developers have difficulty catching everything, but they bring their ban hammer when they do.
OpenAI recently published a report highlighting some attempted misuses of its ChatGPT service. The developer caught users in China exploiting ChatGPT’s ”reasoning” capabilities to develop a tool to surveil social media platforms. They asked the chatbot to advise them on creating a business strategy and to check the coding of the tool.
Source: OpenAI cracks down on users developing social media surveillance tool using ChatGPT
