Weekly Tech Wrap-Up 5-20-2023, a week in which Apple’s release of iOS 16.5 to patch three zero-day exploits, Microsoft forced upgrades to Windows 10 22H2, and Microsoft’s malware scanning of password-protected SharePoint storage files captivated our readers the most. Today, we look back at this week’s ten most engaging stories from the Tech Help Knowledgebase social media feeds. We order the story summaries below by user engagement — the stories our users interacted with the most. Stories are in descending order with the most engaging story first. Our human-curated social media feeds include links to technology news, how-to and help articles, and video tutorials for common issues.
Stories curated for our feeds are from our staff writers or culled from third-party sources that produce content related to the categories covered by our site. See the summaries and links below for this week’s top stories by user engagement. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to interact with our feeds.
Top 10 Most Engaging Stories This Week
1. iOS 16.5 patches 39 security flaws, 3 actively exploited (9 to 5 Mac)
Apple released iOS 16.5 this week, which comes with important security fixes. There are 39 vulnerabilities addressed in the latest iOS update, with three of them actively exploited. While iOS had the most fixes at 39, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS also include important security updates. It is vital to install security updates as soon as they are available to protect your devices from vulnerabilities that attackers could exploit.
2. 1Password is launching passkey management next month (The Verge)
1Password will begin supporting passkeys in June 2023. Passkeys are a new type of passwordless authentication developed by Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Passkeys are more secure and easier to use than traditional passwords. 1Password is not dropping support for traditional passwords anytime soon since it will take some time for passkey support to be widely adopted.
3. Microsoft is scanning the inside of password-protected zip files for malware (Ars Technica)
Microsoft has been scanning for malware in password-protected zip files, even though these files are supposed to be secure. Threat actors have been using password-protected zip files to conceal malware by encrypting the file contents and requiring users to type in a password before opening the file. However, Microsoft bypasses this password protection and scans the files for malware. This has caused some security researchers to express concern about the privacy implications of Microsoft’s actions.
4. Microsoft just gave you a new way to stay safe from viruses (Digital Trends)
Microsoft has announced that it will begin scanning for encrypted malware in its SharePoint cloud storage service to protect users from even the most sophisticated attacks. Encrypted malware is a growing threat, as it can evade traditional antivirus software. By scanning for encrypted malware, Microsoft is making it more difficult for attackers to successfully infiltrate SharePoint. This is a welcome development, as SharePoint is a popular platform used by businesses of all sizes. By taking steps to protect SharePoint from encrypted malware, Microsoft is helping to keep businesses safe from attacks.
5. Not upgraded to Windows 10 22H2 yet? You’ll soon be forced to (TechRadar)
Windows 10 users who haven’t upgraded to the latest version of the operating system (22H2) will soon have to do so. Microsoft is ending support for Windows 10 21H2 on June 13, and there will be no more updates after that. If you want further updates, run Windows 10 22H2 or upgrade to Windows 11. This is the last forced upgrade for Windows 10 users, and there won’t be a newer version than 22H2 to upgrade to. Microsoft is likely trying to get people to upgrade to Windows 11, as adoption has been slow.
6. WebKit Under Attack: Apple Issues Emergency Patches for 3 New Zero-Day Vulnerabilities (The Hacker News)
Apple has released emergency patches for three new zero-day vulnerabilities in WebKit, the web rendering engine used by Safari and other Apple products. The actively exploited vulnerabilities could have allowed attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected devices. Apple has credited security researchers Clément Lecigne and Jonathan Ó Cearbhaill with reporting the vulnerabilities, and has released updates for all affected products, including macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS. Apple urges users to install the updates as soon as possible to protect themselves from these vulnerabilities.
7. iOS 16.5 is bringing two exciting new features to your iPhone (Digital Trends)
Apple has launched iOS 16.5, which includes many new features and improvements. One of the most notable new features is the addition of five new Pride wallpapers. The wallpapers feature a variety of colors and designs, which users can customize to reflect the user’s individual style. Another big addition is the Sports tab in the Apple News app, which now gives you easy access to stories, scores, standings, and more. Other bug fixes include an issue where Spotlight became unresponsive and where Screen Time settings may not reset or sync across all your devices.
8. How to Use Microsoft’s Latest AI Tool to Create Free Designs From Text (Gizmodo)
Microsoft has released a free and open-source AI art design tool called Microsoft Designer. The tool uses artificial intelligence to generate high-quality images from text descriptions. Use Designer to create a variety of images, including paintings, illustrations, and photographs. The tool is still under development. Designer is a powerful tool for artists, designers, and anyone else who wants to create beautiful images.
9. WordPress Update 6.2.1 Causing Sites To Break (Search Engine Journal)
A recent WordPress security update featuring multiple security fixes is also causing some sites to stop functioning. The update removed a key functionality that caused numerous plugins to stop working on sites that use the WordPress blocks system. Affected plugins ranged from forms to sliders to breadcrumbs. WordPress released a 6.2.2 on May 20 to fix the issues caused by 6.2.1.
10. Apple’s latest iOS 17 feature creates a digital version of your voice in just 15 minutes (Tom’s Guide)
Apple’s latest iOS 17 feature, Personal Voice, creates a digital version of your voice in about 15 minutes. They accomplish this through on-device machine learning, so your voice data never leaves your device. Once created, use Personal Voice with Apple’s new Live Speech feature, which allows you to type out messages your device will read aloud in your own voice. Use Live Speech on phone calls or in person, or use it to save messages and phrases for later use. Live Speech is a valuable tool for people who are unable to speak, or for those who want an option to communicate with their own voice without having to type.
Thank you for visiting Tech Help Knowledgebase to read the Weekly Tech Wrap-Up 5-20-2023, a summary of this week’s ten most engaging stories. If you liked this article, follow us on Twitter @techhelpkb and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep in the loop.
Henry Irvine, Contributing Technology Writer, translates more than a decade of internet technology experience in product and customer relationship management into practical help and how-to content. Look for him on Bay Area trails, music venues, or sausage shacks when he’s not writing. Don’t call him Hank if you see him. Seriously. Hank on Twitter
