The best password managers, universal chargers, WhatsApp dark mode beta

[TechSpot Weekly Newsletter] Latest in tech January 24 Security [The Best Password Managers]( In today’s digital age, hackers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their efforts to gain access to your accounts and data. Aside from breaching databases and exploiting software vulnerabilities, another attack vector is your weak password. In today’s digital age, hackers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their efforts to gain access to your accounts and data. Aside from breaching databases and exploiting software vulnerabilities, another attack vector is your weak password. Industry [Xerox will attempt a hostile takeover of HP Inc.]( John Visentin, vice chairman and chief executive officer of Xerox, said HP shareholders have told them that they believe their acquisition proposal will bring tremendous value. It is why Xerox has lined up $24 billion in binding financing commitments and… John Visentin, vice chairman and chief executive officer of Xerox, said HP shareholders have told them that they believe their acquisition proposal will bring tremendous value. It is why Xerox has lined up $24 billion in binding financing commitments and… Culture [Kids are secretly 'talking' to each other in class using AirPods and apps]( Those of a certain age may recall when throwing rolled up pieces of paper containing written messages was the best way of surreptitiously communicating in classrooms. In today’s digital age, things are a lot more high-tech. Those of a certain age may recall when throwing rolled up pieces of paper containing written messages was the best way of surreptitiously communicating in classrooms. In today’s digital age, things are a lot more high-tech. Search [Google updated look of search results makes ads less obvious]( You may not have noticed, but Google has been busy updating the look of search results, first on mobile devices and recently started rolling out those changes to desktop users as well. You may not have noticed, but Google has been busy updating the look of search results, first on mobile devices and recently started rolling out those changes to desktop users as well. Streaming [Comcast is jacking up its prices again thanks to NBC's Peacock streaming service]( Comcast customers should see a rise in their bills once the Peacock streaming service goes live, if they haven't already. The internet TV channel enters early access on April 15, along with a rate hike. Comcast customers should see a rise in their bills once the Peacock streaming service goes live, if they haven't already. The internet TV channel enters early access on April 15, along with a rate hike. WTF?! [Apple argues against EU calls for universal mobile charger, says it would stifle innovation]( Earlier this month, it was reported that the EU was considering legislation that would require all mobile devices to support a single charging standard, thereby making consumers’ lives less complicated while reducing the 51,000 tons of electronic waste generated every… Earlier this month, it was reported that the EU was considering legislation that would require all mobile devices to support a single charging standard, thereby making consumers’ lives less complicated while reducing the 51,000 tons of electronic waste generated every… Can't Upgrade [German government to pay Microsoft $886,000 after failing to upgrade from Windows 7]( According to German media, the country’s federal government still has 33,000 workstations running Windows 7. To keep receiving ESUs, it must pay Microsoft a fee for every device—and it’s not cheap. The price is dependent on what version of Windows… According to German media, the country’s federal government still has 33,000 workstations running Windows 7. To keep receiving ESUs, it must pay Microsoft a fee for every device—and it’s not cheap. The price is dependent on what version of Windows… Foldable [Microsoft releases preview SDK for the Surface Duo, envisions Windows 10X on foldables]( The tech community has received a few updates from Microsoft regarding the company's upcoming foldables: The Windows 10X-powered Surface Neo and the smaller Android-powered Surface Duo. The tech community has received a few updates from Microsoft regarding the company's upcoming foldables: The Windows 10X-powered Surface Neo and the smaller Android-powered Surface Duo. Gaming [Valve makes all Half-Life games free to play for a limited time]( Half-Life: Alyx was one of the best surprises of late 2019. Announced in mid-November, the VR exclusive that takes place before the events of Half-Life 2 is set to drop in just a couple of months. To celebrate the occasion,… Half-Life: Alyx was one of the best surprises of late 2019. Announced in mid-November, the VR exclusive that takes place before the events of Half-Life 2 is set to drop in just a couple of months. To celebrate the occasion,… Tech + Politics [Seattle-area voters will be the first to cast ballots on smartphones]( Voters in one Seattle area district will be the first in the country to cast a ballot using their smartphone. Voters in one Seattle area district will be the first in the country to cast a ballot using their smartphone. [Dark Mode finally arrives to WhatsApp Beta]( The latest WhatsApp Beta (version 2.20.13) finally brings the long awaited dark mode. To activate [download here](, install and head to the three dots in the upper right corner. Next select Settings > Chats > Theme > Dark. FYI, going from stable to beta doesn't affect your chats or settings in anyway. [Motorola Razr new release date and pre-order window confirmed]( Motorola officially unveiled its long-rumored and teased Razr reboot back in November. At the time, it had pre-orders slated to open on December 26 with the launch coming January 9. However, just days before pre-orders were to start, the company… [Xbox Series X port selection revealed in alleged leaks]( Last month, we came to know that the Xbox Series X was out in the wild, and one had become Phil Spencer's primary console at home. Shortly afterward, we got our first look at the console and came to know… [Installing or updating Office 365 will quietly set Chrome search to Bing]( The Redmond giant isn't just busy moving as many customers as possible to the latest version of Windows 10. According to a new report from Thurrott, one of the company's next moves will apparently involve hijacking the default search engine… [Apple reportedly starting mass production of iPhone SE 2 / iPhone 9 next month, launching in March]( Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the plan, writes that production of the iPhone will be split between Foxconn, Pegatron, and Winstron, and the firm will officially unveil the device “as early as March.” [Asus' bezel-eliminating monitor kit is finally available to purchase]( Asus at CES 2018 showcased a unique monitor accessory that manipulated light to help eliminate ugly bezels when utilizing a multi-monitor setup. Now more than two years later, the add-on is available to purchase. [Lenovo issues driver and firmware updates for ThinkPads with faulty USB-C ports]( If you own a ThinkPad laptop that's experiencing connectivity issues over its USB-C port, chances are that it suffers from a corrupted firmware issued by the company in August last year. [Season 2 of cyberpunk thriller Altered Carbon airs next month on Netflix]( Two years ago, we reported on a strange booth that was set up at CES 2018 by a company called Psychasec. The company claimed to manufacture full-body replacements for humans, prototypes of which were on display. [Sprint will fix your Samsung Galaxy's cracked screen for $49]( Again, it happens to all of us, and it's always a frustrating experience. Smartphones aren't cheap these days, and neither are screen repairs. Third-party shops may be willing to cut you a deal, but if you want to go the… [Misconfigured Microsoft database exposed 250 million customer service records]( The records contain conversations, logs and information between Microsoft support agents and customers from around the globe dating all the way back to 2005. [Jeff Bezos' phone was reportedly hacked using Saudi Prince's WhatsApp account]( The revelations come from a report in The Guardian, which claims the encrypted message contained a video file that forensic analysists believe was likely to contain malware. Once activated, it was able to remove large amounts of data from Bezos’… [Google introduces three Digital Wellbeing apps to help curb your smartphone addiction]( Digital Wellbeing debuted in 2018 as an experimental feature in Android Pie. It allowed people to manage their digital lives and give some visibility as to how often they were using their smartphones. Wind Down turns on Android's Night Light… [The Witcher is set to become Netflix's biggest debut season ever]( There is, however, a caveat to go with that number. In a letter Netflix sent to shareholders, it uses the term “chose to watch” when revealing viewing figures; this is because it has changed its old metric that used to… [Graphics stalwart Matrox collaborates with Nvidia on new video card series]( Matrox is a name that longtime hardware folks are likely familiar with. The company launched its first graphics card in the late 70s and tried its hand at consumer-focused 3D accelerators in the mid-90s. Unfortunately, its offerings often fell short… [Companies are taking advantage of the cloud by putting different workloads into different clouds]( In last week’s column (see “New research shows it's a hybrid and multi-cloud world”), I described the overall purpose and approach for the new Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Study. Also mentioned was the overall diversity of cloud computing efforts, including the… [China jails University of Minnesota student over tweets mocking President Xi Jinping]( Axios reports that 20-year-old freshman Luo Daiqing was arrested in July last year when he returned to his hometown of Wuhan for the summer break. According to court documents seen by the publication, he was sentenced to six months in… [SteelSeries' newest gaming peripherals are surprisingly affordable]( It starts with the new Rival 3, a wired gaming mouse packing SteelSeries’ TrueMove Core sensor that affords 1-to-1 tracking from 100 to 8,500 CPI (counts per inch). This right-handed pointer is constructed of ABS plastic with a matte finish,… Software Downloads - [Telegram 5.14.0]( - [Calibre 4.9.1]( - [Chromium 81.0.4038.0]( Drivers - [Intel HD Graphics Driver 26.20.100.7755 for Windows 10 64-bit]( 2020-01-22 14:26:24 - [Realtek UAD Driver 6.0.8885.1]( 2020-01-22 17:21:42 Tech Pic of the Day [My Epic library is just the free games]( Credit: [Reddit]( Hot discussion [News and Comments]( [Almost 9 out of 10 parents think their kids spend too much time gaming, but 70% believe it has a positive impact]( [News and Comments]( [US falls further down the broadband price table, Syria tops list as the cheapest]( Follow TechSpot TechSpot: [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Steam]( [Flipboard]( [YouTube]( [RSS]( [View this email in your browser]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} [We only send these emails with your permission after you've registered on TechSpot.com]( [Click here to unsubscribe]( © 2019 TechSpot, Inc.