FileHippo News

The latest software and tech news

Deepfake Safety: Five Things You Can Do Today

The generation of images, videos, and voices through artificial intelligence is evolving at a pace that demands we establish clear criteria and good habits to defend ourselves from the dangers of abusing these technologies. Deepfakes are already part of our everyday online life, so it is a very good idea…

Top Online Scams to Be Aware of in 2025

The internet is undoubtedly full of great content, hobbies, information, offers, products, and people, but there’s also a darker side to it. We might not realise it, but every day we’re exposed to threats and scams as we navigate the online world. Curiosity and trust can be exploited to lure…

Meet the new features for Avast Free AV and Avast Premium Security

With millions of active users worldwide, Avast stands as a benchmark in cybersecurity. Why? Because of the quality of its solutions, the reach of its tools and because it is a platform in continuous evolution. A platform that today, once again, places our security at the forefront by reinforcing every…

User Steals 40K Pics From Tinder For Facial Rec Database
Software written to create cache of facial recognition images.  This is either diabolical, or a great lesson in how creative people can use resources that are readily at their disposal to achieve their ends. A man in California has sparked an investigation by the team at Tinder after he stole... Read more
Baidu Spark Browser: Fast, Free, Easy To Use And Good Looking
A fast and intuitive Chromium-based web browser with cool features and lots of nice touches. Baidu Spark Browser is a worthy alternative to the likes of Google’s Chrome, Mozilla’s Firefox, or even, dare I say it, Microsoft’s Edge. It’s also completely free. The learning curve for new users of Baidu is thankfully... Read more
Man Sentenced To Prison By Proprietary Algorithm
Compas software by Northpointe predicts likelihood of offending. One of the hallmarks of the US legal system is that the defendant has key rights. He’s innocent until proven guilty, he has the right to as speedy a trial process as possible, and he has the right to face his... Read more
Second OSX Mac Trojan Discovered
Apple under attack again with new virus variant. Mac users have enjoyed a virus-free mindset for far too long, at least in the minds of some malicious code writers. After last week’s announcement of a newly discovered Mac trojan, a second variation on that OSX.Dok has been found. Unlike... Read more
New Data Shows 50 Per Cent Rise In Ransomware Attacks
Ransomware is one of the biggest threats to global cybersecurity. Data breaches and hacking events are on the rise, according to the record-setting numbers of incidents tracked by the Identity Theft Resource Center. A new study, though, has narrowed down the scope of the crime to discover that ransomware... Read more
Hackers Could Have Used Word Bug To Insert Malware On Millions Of Computers
Did slow response by Microsoft leave millions at risk? A slow response time by Microsoft and a premature blog post by McAfee means hackers could have exploited a bug that let them take control of computers around the world and spy on millions. While Microsoft struggled to come up with... Read more
The Robot Will See You Now: AI Doctor App Takes Next Step
Babylon Health app aims to help machines and medics co-operate, not compete. Regardless of location, political system, or government oversight, healthcare systems around the world are in a state of crisis. The US is deeply entrenched in a political give-and-take during which everyday citizens’ healthcare costs are the gambling... Read more
Driverless Cars Set For UK Motorways Trials In 2019
A consortium of British companies known as ‘Driven,’ has unveiled a plan to test driverless cars on UK roads and motorways by 2019. Despite the advances and trials taking place in other parts of the world by the likes of Google, Ford, and Tesla to do with autonomous self driving... Read more
Outgoing Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer To Get $186m Severance, For Failing.
Marissa Mayer’s reign saw security breaches, declining market share and falling revenues. What price for presiding over record breaking security breaches, poor business decisions, falling market share and revenues? About $186 million, actually, if you happen to be Marissa Mayer, the outgoing CEO of former Internet titan, Yahoo. Despite... Read more
Top 5 Free VPNs
Increase online privacy and cover your tracks with a Virtual Private Network (VPN). If you value your online privacy, security, and want to keep potential snoopers at bay, then a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is exactly the piece of software you need. They work by creating a private internet... Read more
Qualtrics Tech ‘Unicorn’ Raises $180M And Valued At $2.5 Billion
Qualtrics latest round of funding marks huge leap forward for experience management tech company founded in 2002. The software company, which is part of Salt Lake City’s growing tech scene, said last week that it  had raised $180 million at a valuation of $2.5 billion. The new financing round... Read more
Netflix Signs Deal In China
Deal is in conjunction with existing Baidu-backed streaming service iQiyi. Netflix, has announced a major plus for its Asian operations: a deal with China. This is a turnaround from its CEO’s comment only last October that there had been no change in the company’s ability to get government approval for streaming. So what... Read more
Tor Browser: Private And Anonymous Browsing Made Simple
Easy to use software for online privacy, anonymity and security. Tor Browser is perhaps the single most accessible piece of software you can use to keep your online activities private and anonymous, while at the same time enhancing your security. It’s also incredibly easy to use, using as it does, a... Read more
Teenage Hacker Jailed For Masterminding Attacks Against Sony and Microsoft
Sentenced to two years as the ‘mastermind’ behind global malware created and sold from his bedroom. Adam Mudd, from Hertfordshire, England, was only 16 when he created the Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Titanium Stresser program in 2013. The malware he designed was responsible for carrying out more than... Read more
Uber Violates Privacy… Again
Uber reportedly ‘tracked iPhones to stop fraud’. A recent and highly in-depth New York Times article has shed new light on both the latest discovery in Uber’s privacy faux pas, and on how the company’s founder views all rules… namely, that they simply don’t apply. Apple tell Uber what’s what The article centers... Read more
Google Home Gets Creepy With Invasive Advertising
Burger King ad ‘speaks’ to viewers’ Google Assistant-powered smart speaker. The jury is still out on consumer perceptions surrounding in-home AI devices. While some estimates put Amazon’s Echo sales around 8 million US units so far, there are currently no solid numbers around the competing Google Home device. Some users love... Read more
Bose Sued For $5M Over Consumer Data
User lawsuit claims audio app logged his actions without permission.  Another day, another privacy allegation – at least that’s how it feels from the news headlines. This time, it’s audio device manufacturer Bose, who’s being sued for $5 million US over allegations that its app records users’ listening preferences... Read more
Apple Back On The Road With Self-Driving Cars
Is tech giant back in the autonomous vehicle game? Late last year, Apple announced it was cutting back on its ambitious plans to join the self-driving car craze. At the time, the company explained it wasn’t abandoning its projects, but would instead be focusing more on developing the software... Read more