Hundreds of Android and iOS Apps Use Your Mic to Check What TV Shows You Are Watching

BetaNews | There are a large number of games for both iOS and Android that include Alphonso software. This uses smartphones' microphones to record audio which is then used to determine which TV shows and commercials you're watching—and then deliver targeted ads accordingly. Is this being done in secret? Not really.

Processor Flaw Exposes 20 Years of Devices to New Attack

The Verge | New details have emerged on how severe and far reaching the vulnerability truly is. Two critical vulnerabilities—dubbed “Meltdown” and “Spectre”—affect nearly every device made in the past 20 years. The vulnerabilities allow an attacker to compromise the privileged memory of a processor by exploiting the way processes run in parallel. The result, one researcher said, is that "an attacker might be able to steal any data on the system.”

Chrome Is Turning into the New Internet Explorer 6

The Verge | If you want to know why saying "Chrome is the new Internet Explorer 6" is so damning, you have to know why IE6 was a damnable problem in the early ‘00s.

The 8 Best Ways to Manage Your Tasks in Chrome

MakeUseOf | New year, new you: Here's to managing your everyday tasks more efficiently this year. These Chrome extensions come with subtle powers to restore order to your day.

The Best Free Microsoft Office Calendar Templates for the New Year

MakeUseOf | Are you ready to begin a new year? Maybe you are, but your office is not. These handy free calendar templates for Microsoft Office can help you start the year off right.