Microsoft released its all-new “Edge” browser in July, 2015, to very little fanfare. The nicest thing reviewers could find to say about Edge was, “It’s better than Internet Explorer.” After more than three years of work, there are some noteworthy improvements, but it's still a hard sell. Here is what's new and notable in the Edge web browser...

The Music Modernization Act (MMA) has become law, after decades of wrangling between songwriters, producers, streaming services such as Spotify, and other stakeholders. More people will collect money for music. Does that mean you will pay more? Read on to see what the MMA does and how it may affect the cost of music...

Sir Timothy Berners-Lee created the World Wide Web and the Hyper-Text Markup Language (HTML) that underpins it in March, 1989. Today, the father of the web is “devastated” and “sickened” by what has been done with his brainchild. But he has a plan to change all that. Read on for the details…

Which auto maker has the best auto-pilot software? What's the most common cause of death for selfie snappers? And is it legal for the cops to force you to unlock your smartphone? Get answers in today's Geekly Update -- it's jam-packed with the latest tech news. This issue is guaranteed to make you 146% smarter -- you'll see why. Read, think, and, comment!

A 15 year-old technique is finding favor among today's malware authors, vastly complicating the work of anti-malware software developers and forensic analysts. Tracking down so-called “fileless malware” is to detection of regular malware what ghost-hunting is to catching a garden-variety burglar. Read on to learn about this resurgent threat and what you can do to stop it…

A ransomware program named Kraken Cryptor is disguised as the popular anti-malware program, SuperAntiSpyware. Users are being tricked into installing what they think is anti-malware protection but which is really a wicked app that encrypts their data and demands money in exchange for the key to decrypting it. Here's how to avoid traps like this...

Google’s livelihood depends on people’s trust in the Web. So Google devotes enormous resources to keeping the Web a safe place to explore. Collectively, these resources are called Google Safe Browsing. Let’s see how Safe Browsing works, and how it protects your web browsing, email, and downloads -- even if you don't use Google services...

I made several security recommendations in response to Facebook’s loss of 50 to 90 million user “access tokens.” One of them is to use a secure authentication app such as Google Authenticator. A reader requested more info on that, and I am happy to oblige. Read on for the scoop on how Authenticator can lock down your online accounts...

Google’s annual hardware launch event happened on October 9. In typically quirky fashion, the event kicked off with a video summarizing all the leaks of product info that led up to the event. Senior VP of hardware Rick Osterloh was the master of ceremony, introducing each product and tying them together with the theme of “help.” Let's see what was revealed and how helpful it will be to you...

The latest version of the Vivaldi browser adds syncing, end-to-end encryption, dramatically faster startup speeds, and some nifty new features. Vivaldi is still famous as “the most configurable browser on the web” and a zealous guardian of privacy. What’s not to like? Here's what you need to know...

Are you getting Facebook friend requests from people who are already your Facebook friends? Are friends complaining they are getting new friend requests from you that you didn’t send? Here's what is going on, and what you can do about it…

A nonprofit consumer advocacy group looked at 186 SOHO (small office/home office) WiFi routers from 14 U.S. vendors and found 83% of them were running outdated firmware whose vulnerabilities are public knowledge, leaving the routers and their users vulnerable to hacking attacks. Is yours on the hit list? Here's what you need to know...

The October 2018 Windows 10 Update (to version 1809) is rolling out now. Should you grab it, wait for it, or dodge it as long as possible? Here's what you need to know...

How much would you pay for a working Apple-I computer, straight out of 1976? Will a squabble amongst Linux developers torpedo the Internet? And why does Spotify want a sample of your blood? Get answers in today's Geekly Update -- it's jam-packed with the latest tech news. This issue is guaranteed to make you 146% smarter -- you'll see why. Read, think, and, comment!

I don't spend much time behind Web proxies, but news of the latest privacy-focused Tor browser caught my eye, so I installed it and spent a couple of hours wandering through the Tor network. It was an interesting and surprisingly non-geeky sojourn! Here's what you need to know about the Tor network and web browser…