 USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), the organization which promotes USB technology, today announced a USB HID (Human Interface Device) standard for braille displays. This new standard will make it easier for the blind community to use a braille display across operating systems and different types of hardware. It will also enable easy development of braille devices as custom software and drivers created for a particular OS or screen reader is no longer needed. Microsoft collaborated with Apple and industry organizations to develop this new standard. “We see the opportunity that advancements in technology can create for people with disabilities and have a responsibility as an industry to develop new ways of empowering everyone to achieve more,” said Jeff Petty, Windows accessibility program manager lead at Microsoft. “Developing an HID standard for braille displays is one example of how we can work together, across the industry, to advance technology in a way that benefits society and ultimately improve the unemployment rate for people with disabilities.”“Technology should be accessible to everyone and Apple designs all products with that in mind,” said Sarah Herrlinger, director of Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives at Apple. Further details can be found on OUR FORUM.  After it was reported that the VPNFilter botnet consisting of over 500,000 routers and NAS devices was taken over by the US government, the FBI issued an advisory stating that users should reboot their routers in order to disrupt the malware. Unfortunately, as shown by the five phone calls I received today, many people heard the reboot part but did not read the rest of the recommendations of turning off remote administration, changing passwords, and upgrading to the latest firmware. One step that was not mentioned is the fact that the only way to truly remove VPNFilter is to reset the router to factory defaults. Due to this, people are just resetting their routers but leaving part of the malware still present after it is rebooted. With that said, I have put together a guide on VPNFilter, what the FBI advisory is about, and the steps you should perform to clean and secure your router. VPNFilter is malware that targets routers and NAS devices in order to steal files, information, and examine network traffic as it flows through the device. When the malware is installed, it will consist of three different stages, with each stage performing specific functions. There's plenty more on OUR FORUM.  The rollout of Windows 10 April 2018 Update started earlier this month, and according to AdDuplex, a leading cross-promotion network for Windows Store apps, the latest version of the OS has already managed to reach 50% of Windows 10 PCs in just one month. It is worth noting that the report is based on data collected from around 5,000 Microsoft Store apps. Microsoft typically needs a few months to ship new Windows 10 updates to all devices, but it appears that the more and more users have manually upgraded their systems to the newest version of the operating system. Windows 10 April 2018 Update is available for manual download since April 30, and in just one month, the operating system is on 50% of PCs. AdDuplex claims that this the fastest spreading Windows 10 update by far, and the previous version of Windows 10 (the Creators Update) was under 50% for about 3 months. Microsoft has tried to make Windows 10 the right operating system for all devices with the April 2018 Update (version 1803). Windows 10 version 1803 is a big update and it comes with Timeline, a new feature that allows users to resume the activity from where they left off. It also improves Edge browser, Start menu, Fluent Design, first-party apps and fixes the glitches reported by users. Tere's more on OUR FORUM. |
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