computing67.475 min read
Fidelity breach settlement could pay up to $5,000 to affected customers
8 days ago•Source: Tom's Guide
Computing News
The latest computing stories, summarized by AI
Featured Computing Stories
View original source
76.89 min•19 days ago
Chrome's hidden 4GB AI model stash prompts consent questions
A 4GB file named weights.bin has surfaced in Chrome folders, tied to Gemini Nano on-device AI that runs features like autofill and text summaries; Google says the model is downloaded to keep on-device features ready and has added an opt-out, but concerns remain about transparency and consent as users may not be clearly informed of the storage impact. Deleting it may not be permanent if related AI features stay enabled.
104.045 min•23 days ago
One Giant Screen, Not Two: How a 40-inch Ultrawide Changed My Workflow
More Top Stories
2
Apple’s AR glasses aim to outpace Meta with iPhone-tight, AI-driven wearables
Tom's Guide•1 month ago
3
Two AIs Build PCs: ChatGPT Edges Gemini in the Showdown
TechRadar•1 month ago
More Computing Stories
Disgruntled researcher leaks Defender zero-days, leaving Windows users exposed
A disgruntled security researcher leaked three Microsoft Defender zero-days—BlueHammer, RedSun and UnDefend—exposing over a billion Windows users; BlueHammer has been patched in the April 2026 updates, while RedSun and UnDefend remain unpatched but are already being exploited in the wild. Users should install the April 2026 security updates now and monitor for future patches, with additional antivirus protection to bolster defenses.
Intel Core Series 3 debuts for mainstream laptops with AI boost
Intel's Core Series 3 chips, codenamed Wildcat Lake, target mainstream and value laptops with the same 18A process as Core Ultra Series 3. They deliver up to 47% better single-thread and 41% better multi-thread performance, plus up to 2.8x GPU AI performance vs a five-year-old PC, and up to 64% lower power vs last-gen Core 7 150U. The top six-core Core 7 360 can reach 4.8GHz with 17 TOPS NPU; Intel promises all-day battery life (about 12.5 hours office, 18.5 hours streaming), Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and two Thunderbolt 4 ports. Laptops from Acer, ASUS, Dell, Samsung and Lenovo will adopt Core Series 3 in 2026.
108 Chrome extensions quietly exfiltrate data and inject ads across sites — remove them now
Security researchers found 108 malicious Chrome extensions—designed as games, utilities, or add-ons—that quietly siphon user data and inject ads across every site. Despite different publishers, all stolen data is sent to a single command-and-control server; 54 extensions harvest Gmail addresses, full names, and Google 'sub' IDs to build a persistent profile. If you have any of these extensions installed, delete them via Chrome or Edge extensions manager. To stay safe, download only trusted extensions, inspect permissions, enable Enhanced Safe Browsing, and consider antivirus and identity protection to guard against similar threats.
Claude lands in Word, turning documents into a cross-app AI workflow
Anthropic's Claude is now integrated with Microsoft Word, allowing AI-powered questioning with clickable citations, formatting‑preserving edits, and replies to comment threads; it can also pull data from open Excel files and work across Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for streamlined, cross‑app document workflows. The integration is in beta for Team and Enterprise plans.
Windows 11 bug traps C: drive access on some Samsung laptops, Microsoft investigating
A bug tied to the February 2026 Windows 11 security update (KB5077181) is locking users out of the C: drive on certain Samsung laptops with the error “C:\ is not accessible – Access denied.” Microsoft says it’s investigating with Samsung and will issue a fix; affected users can roll back the update or pause installation if not yet installed. While Samsung Share app is suspected, this isn’t confirmed and workarounds should be used with caution.
Video editing in 2026: 32GB RAM is the sweet spot
An opinion piece argues that RAM matters for video editing but more RAM isn’t a cure-all amid a RAM shortage and rising prices. For most 4K editing, 32GB is a practical sweet spot; 64GB benefits longer timelines and heavier VFX, while 8–16GB is usually insufficient. Budget-minded editors can use DDR4 on older systems or proxy media, though DDR5 kits remain costly. The RAM crunch could ease around 2028 as prices normalize.
Samsung Galaxy Book 6 lineup lands in the US on March 11 with AI features and high-end GPUs
Samsung will begin US reservations for the Galaxy Book 6 lineup—Book 6, Book 6 Pro, and Book 6 Ultra—on March 11, with prices starting at $1,050 for the base model and up to $2,450 for the Ultra. The series uses Intel Core Ultra processors, Intel Arc graphics, and RTX 50 GPUs, and offers 14- or 16-inch AMOLED 2X displays, up to 30 hours of playback, and AI features like AI Select and Search; availability began after their CES debut.
Khadas Mind 2S: a pocketable workstation with modular dock power
Khadas Mind 2S packs a Core Ultra 7 255H with 64GB RAM and up to 2TB SSD into the same compact Mind chassis, adds PCIe 5.0 and a copper cooling system, and supports a modular dock ecosystem (Mind Dock, Mind Graphics Dock, and Mind xPlay) to transform it into a desktop replacement or portable workstation. It delivers strong multi‑task and light gaming performance for its size, but carries a steep $1,599 price (with optional docks pushing total cost well above $3,000) and can get loud under heavy load.
Aluminium OS leak hints at Android-on-desktop hybrid for PC
A Google bug-tracker leak appears to preview Aluminium OS, a desktop-style Android-on-PC interface for Android 16, blending Android and ChromeOS aesthetics with a bottom taskbar, top status bar, Play Store, windowed apps, and split-screen—though Google has not commented on the leak yet.
Microsoft rolls out a second emergency Windows 11 patch to stabilize Outlook
Microsoft has issued a second out-of-band patch for Windows 11 to fix Outlook crashes and cloud-storage issues caused by the January security update; the cumulative update addresses unresponsiveness when apps access cloud-backed files (such as OneDrive PST locations) and follows earlier fixes for shutdown/log-in problems.