Techlife News #341

Yet another service is asking you to change your password. Twitter said last week it discovered a bug that stored passwords in an internal log in plain text, without the usual encryption. Though Twitter says there’s no indication that anyone has stolen or misused those passwords, the company is recommending a change as a precaution. Here are some tips on coming up with a new password and safeguarding your account — even if your password is compromised. COMPLEXITY COUNTS Don’t even think of using “password” as your password. Picking any common word as your password should be avoided because it’s easily guessed using software that tries out every word in the dictionary. However, you can get a good password by combining two or more words, such as “rocketcalendar.” Sprinkle in some numerals and punctuation marks,…

Millions of anti-Semitic messages on Twitter have spread negative stereotypes and conspiracy theories about Jews across the social media platform, according to a report by the Anti-Defamation League. ADL national director and CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said the data showed many used Twitter as a “megaphone to harass and intimidate Jews.” An earlier report from the Jewish civil rights group said anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S. last year had reached the highest tally it has counted in more than two decades. That increase appeared to be fueled by emboldened far-right extremists as well as the “divisive state of our national discourse,” Greenblatt said in February. In the new report, the group estimated that about 3 million Twitter users posted or re-posted at least 4.2 million anti-Semitic tweets in English over a 12-month period ending…

APPLE VIDEO IS ON ITS WAY Almost three years have passed since Apple Music’s launch, and new figures suggest that 40 million people now subscribe to theall-you-can-eat music streaming service . It’s great news for Tim Cook and Co, and it’s news that has sent Spotify into a panic. Thanks to Apple’s innovative technology, an impressive share of the smartphone market and a keen eye for detail, the company has managed to grow its services division by 31% to $9.2 billion in 2017. That makes it its second most profitable, right behind the iPhone division. If services are where Apple wants to innovate, then there’s no greater project than a Netflix rival. And that’s exactly what Apple is working on right now, with the Cupertino company confirming its plans to launch a…

Media company Twenty-First Century Fox is buying seven TV stations from Sinclair Broadcast Group for $910 million. The move comes as Sinclair is selling some stations to meet regulatory approval for its pending $3.9 billion acquisition of Tribune Media. Meanwhile, Disney is pursuing a $52 billion takeover of much of Fox, though TV stations will stay with Rupert Murdoch’s family under a new Fox company. Two of the stations are in California. The others are in Colorado, Florida, Ohio, Utah and Washington. Fox says the deal will let it compete in 19 of the top 20 markets, with a larger presence in the West. In April, Sinclair sold off nine TV stations to Standard Media Group for $441.7 million. Both of the sales are contingent on the acquisition of Tribune Media closing.…

Microsoft is launching a $25 million initiative to use artificial intelligence to build better technology for people with disabilities. CEO Satya Nadella announced the new “AI for Accessibility” effort as he kicked off Microsoft’s annual conference for software developers. The Build conference in Seattle is meant to foster enthusiasm for the company’s latest ventures in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, internet-connected devices and virtual reality. Microsoft competes with Amazon and Google to offer internet-connected services to businesses and organizations. The conference and the new initiative offer Microsoft an opportunity to emphasize its philosophy of building AI for social good. The focus could help counter some of the privacy and ethical concerns that have risen over AI and other fast-developing technology, including the potential that software formulas can perpetuate or even amplify gender and racial…

APPLE CONTINUES THEIR LEGACY For many of us, the first piece of Apple tech we owned was an iPod, used in conjunction with iTunes. Apple has long been the king of music, and technology, and strives to create a seamless integration across all Apple products, and the latest addition to the Apple family does just that. AirPlay 2 works to create a seamless transition between our devices and allows multi-room control directly from your iPhone. AIRPLAY 2 IS ABOUT TO SHIP Apple AirPlay 2 is the latest version of theAirPlay protocol, and it is finally on its way . The original AirPlay was first introduced in 2010, so it is certainly outdated, and finally it will feature universal device support. It allows you to share music from your MacBook or iPhone to your…