TechCrunch | A security lapse has exposed a massive database containing tens of millions of text messages, including password reset links, two-factor codes, shipping notifications and more. The exposed server belongs to Voxox (formerly Telcentris), a San Diego, Calif.-based communications company. The server wasn’t protected with a password, allowing anyone who knew where to look to peek in and snoop on a near-real-time stream of text messages.

CNET | The Firefox Monitor service, which arrived in September and is based on the Have I Been Pwned service from security expert Troy Hunt, warns you if your account was among the hundreds of millions affected by data breaches at sites like Yahoo, LinkedIn, and Equifax. A new feature with the service now pops up a notification if the website you're visiting was affected by a data breach reported in the previous 12 months, so you can know whether to check your account.

Troy Hunt | "This post will be partly about 2FA in general, but also specifically about Google's program because of the masses of people dependent on them for Gmail. Your email address is the skeleton key to your life (not just 'online' life) so protecting that is absolutely paramount," writes Troy Hunt.

Engadget | Huh. Okay then. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

How-To Geek | You can insert special characters in your documents and presentations without having to remember all those Alt-codes by using the easy-to-use character insertion tool. It offers a myriad of symbols, characters, languages, and more.

MakeUseOf | Ever connected a USB drive or other device into your computer, only to find later that it won’t work? There’s a good chance that the USB port has a problem. But what can you do about it? Here’s how to diagnose and fix a suspect USB port.

Computer Weekly | In IT, nothing is ever reinvented and nothing ever really goes away. Computer Weekly investigates how IT departments can remain agile while managing legacy assets.

How-To Geek | "'Windows as a Service' is failing. It’s obvious: Windows is not a service, and never was. It’s a desktop operating system, and it doesn’t need updates every six months. Even iOS and Android only get significant updates once per year," writes Chris Hoffman.

G Suite Updates | Starting November 27th, 2018, Google will make some small changes to the appearance of the Google sign-in page. Specifically, you might notice outlines around some entry fields, and changes to the spacing and styling of other text on both the web and mobile screens. The changes will start to take effect on November 27th and may take up to two weeks to reach all users.