Weekly Tech Wrap-Up 7-15-2023, a week in which the ActivityPub social media protocol, Thunderbird 115 Supernova, the new ShadowVault macOS malware, and Windows 11 21H2’s end-of-service date captivated our readers the most. Today, we look back at this week’s ten most engaging articles from the Tech Help Knowledgebase social media feeds. We order the summaries below by user engagement — the stories our users interacted with the most. Articles 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. ActivityPub and the Fediverse, explained | Popular Science
ActivityPub is a social networking protocol developers use to create services like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Developers use it to enable the Fediverse, a series of decentralized social networks. ActivityPub is a set of rules that allows decentralized servers to share posts in a standardized format and enables users to use client apps to receive that information from the relevant servers. One of the most popular social networks to use ActivityPub is Mastodon, but Meta has promised to add ActivityPub support to Threads. ActivityPub implementation would allow the two social networks to interoperate in ways not yet seen with any major social platforms.
2. Mozilla Thunderbird 115 Released with Supernova UI, OpenPGP Improvements | 9to5Linux
Mozilla released Thunderbird 115 Supernova this week with a refreshed user interface, improved OpenPGP support, and many other changes. The new UI features an intuitive app menu, sortable folder modes, modern cards view, and an improved Calendar design. OpenPGP support can now use user-defined passphrases, combined signing, and encryption for OpenPGP messages by default, and the ability to open the OpenPGP key manager context menu using keyboard shortcuts. Additionally, Thunderbird 115 includes other changes, such as the ability to reorganize Newsgroups using drag and drop, the ability to correctly announce the Message List to screen readers when in unthreaded mode, as well as the ability to right-click on unselected messages in the Message List. Thunderbird 115 is a significant release that brings many improvements to the popular email client. If you are a Thunderbird user, I recommend upgrading to the latest version.
3. ShadowVault macOS Stealer surfaces as the newest sophisticated Mac malware | 9to5Mac
Security researchers discovered a new piece of macOS malware called ShadowVault. Attackers designed the malware to steal sensitive data from macOS systems, including passwords, credit card numbers, crypto wallets, and more. ShadowVault is being sold as a service on the dark web for $500 per month. Threat actors distribute the malware disguised as a legitimate app via phishing emails, malicious websites, and drive-by downloads. Once installed on a system, ShadowVault collects sensitive data and sends it back to the attackers. Security researchers recommend users keep their macOS systems up to date with the latest security patches and use a reputable antivirus or anti-malware solution to scan their systems for threats.
4. MacOS vs Windows: Which Desktop OS Is Safest? | PCMag
Many consider macOS to be more secure than Windows. However, recent years have seen an increase in malware and ransomware attacks targeting macOS users. There are many reasons why people consider macOS more secure than Windows. For example, Apple controls both the hardware and software on macOS devices, which makes it easier for Apple to patch security vulnerabilities. Additionally, macOS users are more likely to keep their systems up-to-date with the latest security patches. But the gap has closed between macOS and Windows security in recent years. Microsoft has made significant investments in security, and Windows 11 is one of the most secure versions of Windows yet. Additionally, many macOS users are not as security-conscious as Windows users, which can make them more vulnerable to attacks.
5. Hackers exploit gaping Windows loophole to give their malware kernel access | Ars Technica
Hackers are exploiting a loophole in Windows to forge signatures on kernel-mode drivers, giving them complete access to a system. The loophole allows hackers to use expired or stolen certificates to sign malicious drivers. Windows then loads the drivers without any warning or verification. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows hackers to gain complete control of a system. Once they have kernel-mode access, they can do anything they want, including steal data, install malware, or even take control of the system remotely. The best way to protect yourself from this vulnerability is to keep your Windows system up to date with the latest security patches.
6. Microsoft: Windows 11 21H2 reaching end of service in October | Bleeping Computer
Microsoft announced that Windows 11 21H2, the first major update to Windows 11, will reach its end of service on October 10, 2023. Users who run Windows 11 21H2 after October 10 will be at increased risk of security vulnerabilities. They may also experience compatibility issues with newer software and hardware. Microsoft recommends users upgrade to the latest version of Windows 11, which is currently 22H2.
7. How businesses will benefit from macOS Sonoma and iOS 17 | 9to5Mac
The upcoming macOS Sonoma and iOS 17 updates include many features that could benefit businesses. These include new security features, improved productivity tools, and enhanced video conferencing capabilities. For example, macOS Sonoma introduces a new Game Mode that can improve the performance of Mac computers when gaming. iOS 17 also includes some features that could benefit businesses. These features include new Reactions, which allow users to share their thoughts and feelings during video calls with emojis and other animated stickers.
8. How to create custom emoji wallpapers for your Android phone | Android Police
Android 14 will allow users to create custom emoji wallpapers for their devices. To do this, users should open the Wallpaper & style app and select Emoji Workshop from the wallpaper source. Once in Emoji Workshop, users may choose the emojis they want to use in their wallpaper and then arrange them in a pattern. They can also choose the color scheme and size of the emojis. When users finish creating their wallpaper, they can save it and set it as their default wallpaper. Emoji wallpapers are a fun and creative way to personalize your Android device.
9. iOS 17 is a lot of little updates that make a big impact | The Verge
iOS 17 is a minor update that includes some small but useful features. These features include a new Standby mode that reduces battery usage when your iPhone is not in use, live voicemail transcription, and new stickers for Messages. The Standby mode is one of the most notable new features in iOS 17. It works by reducing the amount of background activity your iPhone performs when it is not in use, extending your battery life by up to 30%. Live transcription is another new feature in iOS 17 that users may find useful. It allows you to transcribe voicemails into text, so you can read them instead of listening to them. The new stickers in Messages are also a welcome addition. They include a variety of new designs, including Pride stickers, Earth Day stickers, and more.
10. Linux could be 3% of global desktops. What happened to Windows? | Ars Technica
According to a recent report by Statcounter, Linux desktop operating systems reached a market share of 3.07% globally in June 2023. It represents the first time Linux has reached this milestone, but it is still a small percentage compared to Windows and macOS. In the United States, Linux’s market share is much lower at just 1.96%. This lower share is likely because Windows is the dominant operating system in the US, and macOS is also more popular than Linux. The report also found that Linux’s market share is growing in some regions, such as Africa and Asia. This growth is likely due to cloud computing and server environments using Linux.
Thank you for visiting Tech Help Knowledgebase to read the Weekly Tech Wrap-Up 7-15-2023, 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
