Attention Chrome and Chromium-browser users: Your internet activity is vulnerable to cyberattacks, unless you update to the latest version of your browser.

On Tuesday, Google announced on the Chrome Releases blog that a new version of Chrome, 119.0.6045.199 for Mac and Linux and 119.0.6045.199/.200 for Windows, is available, and patches seven different security vulnerabilities. All of these discovered issues are rated as “high” in severity, but Google only names six of them:

• High CVE-2023-6348: Type Confusion in Spellcheck. Reported by Mark Brand of Google Project Zero on 2023-10-10

• High CVE-2023-6347: Use after free in Mojo. Reported by Leecraso and Guang Gong of 360 Vulnerability Research Institute on 2023-10-21

• High CVE-2023-6346: Use after free in WebAudio. Reported by Huang Xilin of Ant Group Light-Year Security Lab on 2023-11-09

• High CVE-2023-6350: Out of bounds memory access in libavif. Reported by Fudan University on 2023-11-13

• High CVE-2023-6351: Use after free in libavif. Reported by Fudan University on 2023-11-13

• High CVE-2023-6345: Integer overflow in Skia. Reported by Benoît Sevens and Clément Lecigne of Google’s Threat Analysis Group on 2023-11-24

While all vulnerabilities are important to patch, it’s the last one, CVE-2023-6345, this is the most concerning. Google confirmed it is aware an exploit for this vulnerability exists in the wild, which means bad actors either know how to use it against users, or they already have.

We don’t know much about the issue, other than that it’s an integer overflow flaw in Skia. Skia is an open source 2D graphics engine, while an integer overflow occurs when the result of an operation doesn’t fit the respective amount of memory the system sets aside. While not all integer overflow flaws lead to vulnerabilities, this one does—which means bad actors may be able to use it to take over the system.

This update follows a Nov. 14 update that patched four security flaws, as well as a Nov. 7 update that patched one. The last update that patched a zero-day security flaw was issued Sept. 11.

How to update your browser

As this flaw affects the underlying code used in Chrome, all Chromium-based browsers should be updated to patch this issue. That means Chrome, of course, but also browsers like Edge, Opera, and Brave.

Your browser may be set to update automatically, but you can trigger an update manually if the update hasn’t been installed yet. Usually, that’s in the browser’s settings. In Chrome, for example, you can click the three dots in the top-right corner of the window, head to Help > About Google Chrome, then allow the browser to look for an update. If one is available, follow the on-screen instructions to install the update.

Source: LifeHacker – You Should Update Chrome Right Now (Again)

Apple continues to improve the accessibility features available for all of its devices, and the Mac is no exception. macOS Sonoma ships with a few accessibility features that launched earlier in iOS and iPadOS, but never on the Mac. This version of macOS comes with unique and useful features, such as the ability to create and store your own voice—invaluable to people who are at risk of losing their voice. Let’s take a look at the best new accessibility features on the Mac.

Easily set up custom font sizes for Apple’s apps

macOS Sonoma has a new accessibility feature which lets you force apps to use a larger or smaller size depending on your preferences. You can check this out by going to System Settings > Accessibility > Display > Text Size. This page allows you to set a default text size for all apps and lets you customize preferred sizes for some Apple apps. You can also adjust the font size in any app by pressing Command + or Command –.

Create your own voice

If you’re at risk of losing your voice entirely, you can now use your Mac to create a voice that sounds like you. Apple allows you to use this voice with the Live Speech accessibility feature on phone and FaceTime calls that you answer on your Mac. Go to System Settings > Accessibility > Personal Voice to set this up. You can check out our guide for this feature on iPhone to see how it works.

Use your voice on calls

To use the voice you’ve created with the Personal Voice feature, you should enable the Live Speech feature too. You can go to System Settings > Accessibility > Live Speech and enable Live Speech. This will allow you to type out your replies and your Mac will convert it to speech in your voice. 

More natural sounding voices for VoiceOver

VoiceOver is essential for people who live with low vision. With VoiceOver enabled, your Mac will read out descriptions for all items on the screen and allow you to use the computer much better if you can’t see the screen clearly. In macOS Sonoma, the Siri voices that are used with VoiceOver sound far more natural particularly at high rates of speech.

Customize Siri voices for VoiceOver and Spoken Content

For VoiceOver and Spoken Content—a new macOS feature that lets you ask Siri to read articles out loud—you can set up AI voices to your liking. macOS Sonoma allows you to tweak the pitch range. You can adjust these for Spoken Content by going to System Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content. Similarly for VoiceOver, you can go to System Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver and click Open VoiceOver Utility. Go to the Speech tab and hit Edit to make the changes you need.

On a related note, Apple also claims that navigating your code in Xcode is now a much smoother experience with Voice Control.

Enhanced Voice Control features

Controlling your Mac with your voice is becoming easier with Sonoma. When you fire up Voice Control, your Mac will give you tutorials to learn how to make the most of this feature. You’ll also notice that text editing with Voice Control is more accurate as you can use phonetic corrections to pick the correct word from a list of similar-sounding words.

Animated images are paused automatically

Some people find it hard to look at continuously looping GIFs and macOS Sonoma has a solution for that problem. Animated images will no longer loop forever in Messages and Safari. They pause automatically and you can click these images to keep viewing their animation.

Set a custom zoom level for each monitor

For those who use multiple monitors, macOS Sonoma has a new feature that allows you to set up a custom zoom level for each monitor. This will allow you to make text easier to read on the monitor you use for reading, without affecting the UI elements on other monitors.

Switch Control lets you create a virtual game controller

Gaming is pretty difficult for people who have motor control challenges. You can use the Switch Control feature in macOS Sonoma to turn your facial expressions or other actions into controls on a virtual game controller. You can configure this by going to System Settings > Accessibility > Switch Control.

Source: LifeHacker – These Are the Best New Accessibility Features in macOS Sonoma

Rusted tools, cars, bolts or even your stainless steel appliances can often be salvaged—if the rust is caught early enough. At those early stages, rust is more of an aesthetic issue and an annoyance. But rust is a process of corrosion that will eventually render its victims unusable and unrepairable, making any effort to clean them up and protect them against further ruin a waste of time. The trick is knowing when rust has won and you’re better off replacing that car panel, old power tool, or kitchen utensil.

Stages of rust

The first thing to know is that rust goes through several distinct stages as it quietly consumes your beloved stuff:

• Surface rust. The earliest stage of rust shows up as isolated reddish-brown patches, often quite small. This surface rust is generally harmless and doesn’t penetrate below the surface of the metal, so it can be scraped away pretty easily—and if you take steps to protect the metal by keeping it away from moisture and adding a coating of lubrication (WD-40 will work), it will be just fine.

• Scale rust. If left to its own devices, the rust will keep eating away at the iron in your tool or component. The brown, dusty discoloration will spread—but more importantly, pitting will start to show up. These tiny pinpricks in the metal are where the rust process has started to invade below the surface. Your stuff can still be saved, but it’s going to take more work.

• Structural rust. At this stage, literal holes have begun to appear in the metal. In sheet metal, like a car panel, this usually means the metal is thin and papery, and might have been eaten away entirely. In thicker components, the structural integrity may still be viable, but the pitting is probably so severe that any attempt at repair will be futile.

If the rust is very severe, you can often tell visually—at a glance—that the thing you’re trying to save is a lost cause. But with more complex things, like tools, it sometimes takes a bit more investigation.

Assessing rust

When it comes to rusted stuff, the “lost cause” stage often depends on its role. Car panels, for example, are usually designed more for aesthetics than safety or strength, and thus can often be filled in, sanded, and painted, and still perform their basic functions. Stuff like metal furniture that gets badly rusted can often be salvaged by applying a rust-specific primer that stops the oxidation process.

For anything that requires a high level of strength, like a car’s rocker panels or tools, however, cosmetic repairs won’t be sufficient. A few considerations:

• Pitting. If the metal is visibly pitted and etched by rust, the process of reduced structural integrity has already begun. If the component is intended to be load-bearing or needs to apply a lot of torque (like a wrench or power drill), severe pitting is a sign that it probably needs to be replaced.

• Thickness. The use and thickness of the metal is a factor, too. A hammer that’s suffered a lot of rust may still be usable as long as a stable core remains in the head and you repair it properly. A badly rusted drywall knife, on the other hand, might not be salvageable at the same level of damage.

• Power tools. If rust on a power tool has compromised its moving parts, it can be dangerous to operate even if you manage to remove the caked-on surface rust and get it moving again. A good rule of thumb is if the power tool won’t initially work due to thick rust deposits, it’s probably best to just replace it unless you’re willing to put in a lot of work to salvage it.

Source: LifeHacker – How to Tell When Rust Has Won

You may have heard ads promising that professional bill negotiation services can help you save big money on your medical bills, credit card statements, cable bills, and more. While it’s a promising offer, the truth is negotiating bills on your own is simple, effective, and most importantly: free. You may be surprised at how willing many companies are to reduce your rates, especially for long-time loyal customers. With some preparation and persuasive negotiation tactics, you can trim hundreds of dollars from your annual expenses. Follow these simple steps to start saving—without paying any unnecessary fees.

How to lower your bills for free

Bill negotiation works because companies have incentives to keep customers happy and retain business. It costs more for them to acquire new customers than to keep existing ones. As long as you make reasonable requests and politely threaten to take your business elsewhere, many service providers will offer discounts or perks.

Contact service providers yourself

Don’t wait for a third party to step in—contact providers directly to dispute problematic charges or rates. Call their billing department about discrepancies or overcharges on your statements, armed with your notes from reviewing the itemized bill. Ask about applying for hardship assistance programs or discounts. Service representatives are often authorized to make adjustments to retain you as a customer.

Know your stuff

Request an itemized bill from any provider to scrutinize the charges in detail. Identify overcharges, duplicate charges, and services you did not receive. Federal law also allows you to request interest rate reductions on credit card bills.

Send formal dispute letters

If a phone call yields unsatisfactory results, follow up with a formal dispute letter stating which charges you disagree with and why. Provide evidence of errors or unfair rates by including notes from researching reasonable costs or comparing with past statements. Request that the disputed charges be removed and clearly communicate you expect a response by a specific date.

Use free templates and tools

Instead of paying steep sign-up and commission fees for bill negotiation services, use free scripts, online dispute letter templates, and cost-of-living calculators to bolster your case. Seek form letters specific to cable bills, hospital bills, credit card statements, phone bills, etc. to save time and effort.

How to tell if a bill negotiation service is worth it

Of course, negotiating your own bills is not nearly as effortless and appealing as downloading an app that does all the work for you. The thing is, bill negotiation services aren’t worth it if their fees exceed the savings you get from lowered billed. To evaluate if an app is going to be worth it for you, compare the fees with the potential benefits.

For most these apps, the fees will be any combination of the following:

• Service fees (monthly, one-time, or annual)

• Membership fees (usually annual or recurring/monthly)

• Bill negotiation fee (percentage of your savings)

Let’s take a look at an example of how these services make money while cutting down your bill costs: BillShark is one that negotiates monthly bills and doesn’t charge customers upfront fees. Instead, it charges a one-time fee of 40% of the savings it creates. If you don’t have time to hop on the phone and negotiate your bills yourself, that 40% may be worth it. Otherwise, that’s a decent chunk of savings that could be all yours, if you use the tips above. The bottom line is before you pay for these services, remember that you have the power to effectively negotiate your own bills without an expensive middlemen.

Source: LifeHacker – Bill Negotiation Services Are a Waste of Money