Category: News

Windows 10

Microsoft cancels a Defender feature that gave subscribers a free VPN

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Microsoft introduced a new feature that it called Privacy Protection less than two years ago to Microsoft 365 Home and Family plans. The feature gave subscribers access to a VPN service along with 50 gigabytes of traffic per month.

Microsoft limited the feature to the Microsoft Defender app, subscribers, and users from a handful of countries only.

At this moment, Microsoft is sending out emails to users of the VPN that it is being cancelled.

The details:

  • The service will be pulled on February 28, 2025.
  • It affects Home and Family subscribers only.

About Privacy Protection: reason for its removal

I reviewed Privacy Protection back in 2024 on Ghacks. While bare bones, it was still miles ahead of Google’s offering, which I called the most basic VPN one could get. Interestingly enough, Google did shut down its Google One VPN in mid 2024 for many customers.

Microsoft explains on a support page that its goal is to ensure that subscribers “remain safer online” and that it decided to pull the feature after evaluation of its usage and effectiveness.

The company says that Windows, iOS, and macOS users do not need to take any action. Android users, who have used the feature, need to remove its VPN profile manually from their device.

These are the steps according to Microsoft:

  1. Go to your phone’s Settings app.
  2. Search for ‘VPN’ in the settings.
  3. If you’ve onboarded to privacy protection, you should see a ‘Microsoft Defender’ VPN profile in the list of VPN profiles.
  4. Use the info icon to tap on it and remove it.

Microsoft Edge Secure Network, a browser VPN integrated into Edge by Microsoft, does not appear to be affected by the change.

Closing Words

VPN solutions, like Microsoft’s Privacy Protection or Google’s One VPN feature, offered basic functionality when compared to dedicated VPN solutions. Heck, Google did not even support options like selecting a server to connect to.

Major features, like dual-hop connections, selecting different protocols, using obfuscation techniques, or kill switch functionality, were never supported.

This does not mean that the basic VPN solutions were useless. Users could still use the VPNs to protect their Internet traffic, especially in public places.

Now it is your turn. Do you use a VPN service sometimes or regularly? If so, which one is your favorite and why?

Brave personalized search

Brave Search: raise or discard domains in search for custom results

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Brave launched a new search feature today that introduces reranking options. The core idea is to give users of the search engine an option to see more results of websites they like or prefer, and less or nothing at all of sites that they do not like or want to see.

This is especially useful if you come upon sites that you do not value highly regularly, or miss articles or information from a site that you do value.

Brave notes that rerank only applies to the current user. It has no impact on a site’s presence on the search engine, other than for the user who made the change. The feature does not require an account, which is another plus.

Denoted sites do not appear in search results any longer on Brave Search. This works similarly to the extension uBlacklist, which works on Google Search only though.

Raised sites get a new ranking signal that boost their ranking. While they may still not be shown in the first few spots in the results, their rank should be higher than before.

Brave Search’s AI component takes the new signals into account, which means that you should see sites mentioned more often or less there as well.

Good to know: the feature uses Brave Goggles, a feature that Brave introduced in 2022. It allows users to create custom filters that change search result rankings.

How to use the new feature on Brave Search

You can access the new feature after you run a search. Click on the new rerank icon in the top right corner to display the options. There you may:

  • Raise any listed site to strengthen it in Brave Search.
  • Discard any site to make sure it won’t show up in the search results anymore.

The listing changes when you switch pages in the results.

There is no option currently to add custom sites. If you want to get rid of a site or promote one, you need to run a search that includes it. The best way to do that is to search for the name of the site, as it will likely appear in the results in that case.

The finetuning applies to any search. If you raise a site, it will rank higher regardless of search term. That’s important to note, as it may catapult sites that cover anything to the top of the results regularly, if you raise them.

A click on the edit button displays options to remove sites again.

Closing Words

Rerank is an excellent feature that may improve Brave Search for users who use it. While I wish it would include an option to add a site manually, it is possible that it will come at a later point.

It is still possible to run default searches using a browser’s private browsing mode.

You can read more about the new feature on the Brave website.

Firefox 134.0.2

Firefox 134.0.2 is here with a few non-security corrections

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Mozilla plans to release a second point update for Firefox 134 later today. Firefox 134.0.2 is another non-security update that addresses a few pressing problems in the browser that had to be fixed early.

Most Firefox installations will be upgraded automatically once the update is released. As this does not happen in real-time, some users may want to trigger the update manually instead.

How to update Firefox: One easy way of doing so is to select Menu > Help > About Firefox. The browser displays the current version and runs a check for updates. It should pick up the latest, download it and install it. A restart is required to complete the process.

Good to know: Firefox 134.0.1, released last week, fixed an issue on YouTube and a crash issue.

Firefox 134.0.2: the changes

The official release notes are not available yet. Mozilla will publish them later today on this page.

Here is a quick overview of the included fixes:

  • After a crash, the crash reporter was not displayed for some localized builds.
  • Anchored links in HTML framesets pointing to local files did not work.
  • Network requests could not be resend in the Developer Tools when debugging extensions.
  • Data consumption from service works could unexpectedly halt.

Most Firefox users should not be affected by any of these issues, as they apply mostly to edge cases or development related cases.

Suggested course of action: Since the release does not fix any security issues, most users should not feel pressed to install the update immediately.

The next major release happens on February 4th, which is about two weeks from today.

Linux Mint 22.1 is available with a big list of changes

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

A new version of the Linux distribution Linux Mint is now available. Linux Mint 22.1 is a long term service release that will be supported until 2029. Downloads are already available on the official website and various mirror servers.

As always, Linux 22.1 is available in three editions: Cinnamon, Xfce, and MATE. Cinnamon is the most popular version, Xfce is a lighter version that does not support some of the Cinnamon features, but is lighter on resources because of that. Mate is a traditional edition that continues to be supported.

Tip: check out the list of known issues here before you start the upgrade or installation.

Linux Mint 22.1 improvements (Cinnamon)

The official release notes reveal what is new and changed. Here are the highlights:

  • APT dependencies modernization, which lays the groundwork for future improvements.
  • Night Light support, which “adjusts the screen to help reduce eyestrain, headaches, and improve sleep quality”. You can configure it under Settings > Night Light.
  • New default theme with “smoother, rounded elements and darker tones”, and cleaner, modern dialogs.
  • Wayland compatibility improvements by using native dialogs for better integration.
  • Software manager optimizations (“better speed, ensuring faster application browsing and installations”).
  • Nemo actions support for keyboard shortcuts.
  • Improved Alt-Tab experience.
  • Support for notifications on fullscreen windows.

Now it is your turn. Have you tried Linux Mint before or this particular release already?

Firefox 134.0.1

Firefox 134.0.1 fixes a crash and an issue on YouTube

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Mozilla plans to release a point update for Firefox 134 later today. Firefox 134.0.1 is a small non-security update that addresses three main issues.

The details:

  • Fixes a startup crash that prevented some users from upgrading from Firefox 133.
  • Fixes user interface hangs on YouTube and Google Docs.
  • Fixes an issue with the search engine menus.

Firefox 134.0.1: the fixes

The big fix of this update is the crash fix. A bug prevented some Firefox Stable users from upgrading the browser to the recently released version 134.

Mozilla found out during an investigation that the bug affected some Firefox 133.0.3 users only. Once Firefox 134.0.1 gets released, it should be downloaded on those systems automatically and the update should run through without issues. Note that it is also possible to download and install Firefox manually from Mozilla.

The second issue affects some Firefox users who open YouTube or Google Docs in the web browser. The issue is caused by ghost windows being opened on the Google properties, according to Mozilla. Each of these windows is using between 30 and 100 megabytes of memory and memory usage could go up to several gigabytes as a consequence.

The third and final issue that Mozilla fixed in Firefox 134.0.1 impacted the selection of search engines in the browser. Some users reported that they did not see any search engines in Firefox, others that they had issues interacting with search engines.

Mozilla says that the issue has been caused by a search settings migration that it ran and that failed for some users.

All three bugs appear fixed in the new update. Note that it may take hours or even days after the release of the update before it reaches most Firefox Stable users. You can run a manual check for updates going to Menu > Help > About Firefox after the update has been released to install it as soon as possible.

Now You: do you use Firefox? Did you ran into any of the issues mentioned?

Firefox

Firefox 134 improves video playback on Windows

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Mozilla has released the first Firefox update of 2025. Firefox 134, Firefox 115.19.0, and Firefox 128.6.0 are already available.

The details:

  • Firefox 134 is a smaller release with just a few new features and changes.
  • It is also a security update.

Tip: Most Firefox installations are configured to update automatically. You can speed up the process by selecting Menu > Help > About Firefox.

Firefox 134

The official release notes list just a few changes. The new version introduces two new features:

  • Support for hardware-accelerated HEVC video playback.
  • Touchpad hold gestures support on Linux.

Hardware-acceleration should improve resource usage when that specific type of video is played in Firefox. The Linux feature works by placing two fingers on the touchpad of the computer. This stops any momentum scrolling happening at the time.

Other than that, search engine Ecosia is being added to more regions as an option.

Another change is being rolled out to users from the United States and Canada only. It changes the New Tab layout of the browser. The main difference is that Firefox displays “thought-provoking stories” now there as well, plus the obligatory sponsored stories.

Here is a sample image that Mozilla released that shows the new tab page:

Firefox New Tab page layout. Currently only in the US and Canada.

Mozilla lists the applied security fixes on the advisories website. The aggregate severity rating is high and 11 security issues rated high and moderate have been addressed in the update.

Firefox ESR updates

Mozilla maintains two Firefox ESR versions currently. Firefox ESR 115.19.0 is only available for older versions of Windows and macOS.

The current branch version, Firefox ESR 128.6.0 is only available for newer operating systems and versions.

Both release notes pages list just security fixes.

Now it is your turn. Do you run Firefox? If so, which version? How happy are you with the browser currently? Feel free to leave a comment down below.

Firefox

Mozilla warns: add-ons will be deactivated in outdated Firefox versions

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Firefox users who run outdated versions of the web browser will run into troubles in March 2025 according to Mozilla.

The details:

  • A certificate used by Mozilla for various services, including Firefox, will run out on March 14, 2025.
  • Recent versions of Firefox are unaffected, as they include the new certificate.
  • Old Firefox installations are affected. Issues include that add-ons will stop working and that DRM-content may refuse to play.

Firefox installations on all supported platforms but on iOS are affected, if they do not meet the following minimum versions:

  • Firefox Stable 128 or higher.
  • Firefox ESR 115.13 or higher.

Upgrading Firefox is the only way to prevent issues caused by the expiring root certificate.

Firefox users may select Menu > Help > About Firefox to run a check for updates. The browser should display the newest version automatically so that it can be downloaded and installed.

Firefox users who do not update the browser may run into several issues, according to Mozilla.

  • Installed add-ons will be disabled.
  • DRM-protected content, may fail to play “due to failed updates”.
  • Features that rely on remote updates will stop working.
  • Systems “dependent on content verification could stop functioning properly”.

Firefox will still run if it is not updated, but some functionality won’t be available anymore. Mozilla notes that outdated versions of Firefox may also have security issues that were fixed in newer versions.

Mozilla explains that the issue is caused by an expiring root certificate. Root certificates are used mainly for verification purposes. Expired certificates cannot be used anymore, which results in the issues.

Firefox users who run outdated versions should consider upgrading to a newer version that supports the new root certificate. (via Sören Hentzschel)

Firefox Translate

Firefox Translate is finally getting support for Japanese, Chinese, and Korean

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Firefox Translate is a built-in translation feature of the Firefox web browser that is special. It is special, because its translation engine runs locally. That’s great for privacy, as no translation service needs to be contacted on the Internet with information on the site you visited or the content that you want translated.

The main downside to Firefox Translate is that it supports fewer languages. One of the main shortcomings was missing support for the languages Japanese, Chinese, and Korean.

Good news is, that Mozilla has added support for the three languages to Firefox Nightly. In other words: you can now translate webpages that are in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean using Firefox’s built-in translation feature. Yes, that works offline as well.

Once you have installed the latest Firefox Nightly version, you have these languages at your disposal. Note that you need to download language packs for these languages in the settings before you can get started.

Here is how that is done:

  1. Load about:preferences in the Firefox address bar or select Menu > Preferences.
  2. Scroll down to Translations on the page.
  3. Select the Download button next to any language that you want to translate using Firefox.

The languages become available immediately after the downloads complete.

Firefox may either suggest to translate a webpage when it is opened, or you may select the translate icon in the address bar to display the translate interface.

Hit the translate button to translate the webpage to the selected language. A click on the translate settings icon displays the usual options. These include never translate a specific language or always translate it.

Closing Words

It will take some time before support for the new languages arrives in Firefox Stable. Still, the integration is a major milestone for Mozilla and part of the Firefox user base.

While there is still work to be done, as major languages are still unsupported, translate functionality is a major win for users of the Firefox web browser.

Have you tried Firefox’s translate functionality? What is your take on it? Feel free to leave a comment down below.

Mozilla releases Deep Fake Detector for Firefox

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Mozilla has released another Firefox extension after Orbit. Deep Fake Detector is a free beta extension for Firefox that determines whether text has been created by AI or humans.

It is part of Fakespot, a service that Mozilla acquired some time ago. Fakespot checks reviews on popular shopping sites to determine whether they are legitimate.

The new browser extension uses Fakespot’s ApolloDFT Engine, but it works with text on any website.

Using the extension is quite simple: You select some text and either right-click on the selection and select “Scan for Deepfakes”, or activate the add-on’s icon in the Firefox toolbar to do so.

The extension needs an active Internet connection and the text that you have selected is passed on to the detection engine. The result tells you the AI’s assessment in regards to human or AI authorship.

It is interesting to note that the extension queries multiple services. It does rely on Fakespot’s own engine, but also three additional ones (ZipPy, Binocular, and UAR). These may not always come to the same conclusion, as you can see on the screenshot below.

You may disable models in the settings of the extension. There you find ratings for each of the used models and options to disable them.

Ratings include the speed of analysis, domain versatility, short and long text handling. If you have a preference, you can disable the others to focus the analysis on that one engine.

What is it good for?

The Internet is flooded with AI-generated texts already. Be it reviews on shopping sites, blog posts, comments, posts in forums or on social media sites, and in many other places.

Finding out if a text has been generated by AI can be useful to determine trust. While that should not be the only factor, it may be useful to weed out AI-generated content to focus on the human-generated content instead.

The developers have big plans for the extension. They want to add image and video analysis in the future, which would make it more versatile and useful.

Closing Words

All in all, Deep Fake Detector is a useful extension that may help you detect AI generated text on the Internet. While it may be wrong at times, use of multiple models may decrease the chance.

Most models rely on Internet connectivity as computations are run on servers and not on user systems. This is the case for the extension as well. This may change in the not-so-near future, but for now, it is the norm and little can be done about it.

What is your take on the extension? Would you use it to check text? Feel free to leave a comment down below.

First look at Mozilla’s Orbit AI-extension for Firefox

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Orbit by Mozilla is a browser extension that brings AI-functionality to Firefox. It was announced in September 2024 and is currently available as a beta.

Orbit supports a few options right now, but there are also limitations. As far as these are concerned, it is available only for pages in English at the time of writing.

Main features include:

  • Getting a quick summary of a webpage’s or a video’s content.
  • Interact with the AI in a chat-like interface.

What about privacy?

Mozilla says that Orbit does not use user data for training. It is based on Mistral 7B, which is one of the top small large language models out there.

The service does not require an account, which is good for privacy. Downside is that prompts are lost when you navigate away from a page.

Mozilla states in the privacy policy that is is getting information when the service is used.

We receive basic telemetry data by default, which we use to improve the performance, stability, and security of the Service, including information about your device, including hardware configuration and device operating system; browser information, such as browser type and settings; log files and usage data; and event information, such as errors or crashes. We may also receive additional information about your device, such as country, language, operator and OEM, which we use to prevent fraud and abuse, enforce our terms, and improve the security of the Service.

Orbit uses third-party services and shares some information with those. It uses the Google Cloud Platform as well as Sentry for application performance monitoring.

Using Orbit

First thing you do is install Orbit in Firefox. You get a privacy prompt after installation. Here you select whether you want basic telemetry to be shared only or more.

Once that is out of the way, you see the Orbit icon floating in the right corner of webpages. Hover over the icon to display the available actions. The top two, Summarize and Ask Orbit, are the main actions.

Summarize provides a short summary of webpages, emails, videos, and other content on a specific site. It is designed to return the essence of the page, but it may be too basic, especially on longer pages, emails, or videos.

The ask Orbit option is available as a standalone option and also after summaries. It works like other AI chat tools. Type a query and wait for the AI to respond.

The option works well with summaries. Start with a summary and then ask Orbit for additional details.

I tried this on several videos, and it worked really well (using transcripts). Orbit answers follow-up questions that you may have, and it worked surprisingly well in tests.

You may also chat directly with Orbit. Chats are limited to content on the active webpage. This limits Orbit.

Closing Words

Orbit, all in all, is an interesting helper extension. While it shares issues with every other AI-tool out there, mainly hallucinations, it is designed to help users make sense of content that they see in front of them.

It worked well with videos, especially with follow-up questions. Still, it may be necessary to verify the information that the AI provides, especially if it is critical.

Have you tried AI tools in recent time? If so, which is your favorite and why?