Password sharing in the workplace and at home is a common practice, but doing so securely can be tricky. 1Password aims to address that with its new feature that gives you a way to share log-in credentials in a secure way even with people who don't have an account with the service. It's called Psst!, which is short for Password Secure Sharing Tool, and it's apparently one of the company's most requested features.

Based on a research the company conducted, most workers reuse corporate credentials. Of those people, 36 percent admitted to sharing log-ins with other workers and clients via insecure channels, including emails, chat apps, spreadsheets, documents and texts. In another survey, 1Password found that most families share passwords between members and also use insecure methods, such as writing them down and messaging them to each other.

Psst! allows you to share credentials with anybody by generating a link with the information that other people can access, even if they don't have a 1Password account. You can choose how long the link remains valid, from an hour to 30 days, after which it will automatically expire. You can also choose to share the credentials with anybody who has the link or with specific people only. If you choose the latter, the service will require the recipient to confirm their identity by verifying their email addresses before giving them access. 

The service has launched this new feature alongside its announcement that it now has over 100,000 business customers and that it's growing its employee headcount to 500. Jeff Shiner, CEO of 1Password, said in a statement:

"Having the ability to share passwords and other credentials outside of a business or family has been one of our most highly-requested features, and I’m very excited by today’s launch of Psst! as it helps keep everyone, not just 1Password customers, safe online. Crossing the 100,000 business customers mark is a clear indication that businesses understand the need to safeguard their passwords and other sensitive information online."

1Password

Back in September, Twitter announced that it's working on a dedicated tab for Spaces to make it easier for users to find relevant conversations they can listen to. Now, the website has started rolling out the tab to iOS users whose language is set to English. The new tab will feature a curated list of active Spaces, as well as a search function that people can use to look for conversations relevant to their interests. Twitter announced the update through the official Spaces account, where it also said that the tab will be available on Android and in other languages "in the future." Unfortunately, the company didn't mention a more specific date for Android availability, but iOS users who haven't gotten the tab yet can expect it soon.

Twitter started testing Spaces in December. It's a live audio feature à la Clubhouse, where users can host conversations in audio-only rooms other people can enter. The website expanded its availability over the past months and added new ways to make Spaces more prominent and easier to find in its apps. Back in July, for instance, it added the ability to compose a new tweet directly from a Space, which will link directly to the audio chat.

The company might also have plans to add the Spaces tab to its website. While it has yet to officially announce anything, Nima Owji, who reverse engineers apps, found the unreleased feature and shared a screenshot of it in a tweet.

The judge who presided over the Apple vs. Epic case largely sided with the tech giant, except in one area: She ruled that Apple must allow developers to direct users to other payment systems within their apps. Any changes the company has to make to App Store rules to accommodate for that must be in effect by December 9th, or so the judge originally ruled. But now, Apple has filed a notice of appeal (PDF via CNBC) asking for a stay on the injunction, which could push back developers' ability to offer alternative means of payment by one more year.

In its appeal, Apple wrote that it "has already taken concrete, specific steps in the direction indicated by the Court’s opinion — including by agreeing to eliminate the prohibition on targeted out-of-app communications." The tech giant argued that it "would be a poor use of resources" to require it to comply with the injunction due to the "near-inevitable litigation" from Epic regarding the scope of its compliance. "There is no reason to expend resources,"it said, adding that "a stay would maintain the status quo while the appellate process progresses to completion."

Trystan Kosmynka, Apple's senior director of App Review, also said:

"At a high level, it is my judgment that, without thoughtful restrictions in place to protect consumers, developers, and the iOS platform, this change will harm users, developers, and the iOS platform more generally."

Allowing developers to add in-app links to external payment options would be a major shift for the company. It originally yanked Fortnite from the App Store when Epic offered buyers discounts and freebies if they make their purchases directly from the developer. Shortly after that, the tech giant removed Epic's developer tools, as well. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney shared communications between the two parties back in September, wherein the tech giant said it wouldn't allow Fortnite back in the App Store until all court appeals are exhausted. The process could take five years.

According to a previous analysis by the CNBC, the App Store had gross sales of around $64 billion in 2020. Apple typically takes a 30 percent cut from app purchases, though it recently lowered that to 15 percent for all apps that earn less than $1 million a year. Giving developers the means to accept alternative modes of payment could cost the company billions. As Bloomberg notes, however, the judge that issued the injunction didn't specifically mention that the company can't charge developers a commission for payments made outside the App Store. Whether Apple would still ask developers for a cut remains to be seen, though it would be a complex undertaking if it decides to do so. 

A hearing has been set for Apple's request to stay the injunction on November 16th, but it's looking to move the proceeding to November 2nd. 

Smartphones have made it easier than ever to tune your guitar. All you have to do these days is find a decent tuning app or ask Google Assistant to tune your instrument. Now Google has made the process even more painless by launching a chromatic tuner right within Search. The tech giant has told Android Police that it has just rolled out the new Search feature, which can be accessed on pretty much any device. 

Unlike the Assistant function that needs, well, a device that can access the voice assistant, you can summon this tuner simply by doing a query in Search on mobile or desktop. Just type in "google tuner" to see it right on top of the results page. Of course, the device you're using must have a functional microphone to be able to hear your instrument, and you'll need to give the feature permission to access it. 

This is what the tuner looks like on desktop:

Engadget

According to Android Police, its effectiveness depends on the microphone of your device. Some devices might need you to play loudly or really, really close to them, and smartphones might work better than computers for this particular purpose. After you get it to work, the tuner will let you know whether your instrument is in tune or if you need to adjust it with the help of a visual indicator. This built-in Google tuner joins other music-related features in the tech giant's search engine, including "Hum to Search," which can help you identify songs stuck in your head.

Installing Windows 11 might make the apps on your AMD-powered computer slower, the chipmaker has warned. AMD has published documentation on a couple of Windows 11 bugs affecting its Ryzen processors, one of which can slow down its CPUs by up to 15 percent. That particular bug can increase L3 cache latency by three times, which in turn can affect apps that need quick access to memory. 

Most affected applications could slow down by three to five percent. If you play games "commonly used for eSports," though, you might be feeling the bug's impact a lot more, since it could slow down those games by around 10 to 15 percent. The second bug, as Ars Technica explains, is related to the "preferred core" feature that allows a system to use the fastest individual CPU cores in a processor. AMD didn't mention any particular percentage for the second bug, but the company said its impact is more noticeable in chips with eight cores or more and with 65W Thermal Design Power (TDP) or higher. That includes most AMD chips released over the past few years. 

In its announcement, AMD assured that it's investigating the issues with Microsoft and that they're working on a fix for them. A patch for the first bug will be released as Windows update, while a fix for the second will roll out as a software update sometime this month. For the latter, it could mean having to check AMD's website for the update and having to install new drivers manually.

Turns out Tesla isn't just building a factory in Austin, Texas — it's also moving its headquarters to the city from California. Elon Musk has announced the move at the company's most recent annual shareholder meeting, where he also clarified that Tesla still plans to expand production at its California plant by 50 percent. He explained, however, that there's "a limit to how big you can scale in the Bay Area," because house prices are sky high, which means long commutes for workers who have to live elsewhere. 

The move doesn't come entirely as a surprise: Musk previously threatened to move Tesla's headquarters out of California after coronavirus lockdowns forced the company to suspend production in the state. He even called the lockdown orders "fascist" during an earnings call in 2020 and then personally relocated from LA to Austin a few months later. That said, it's worth noting that Tesla is now based in a state where it can't sell its cars to buyers directly, which has been its approach from the beginning, due to pro-dealership laws.

As CNBC notes, Musk moving to Texas means he'd be paying less taxes. The state has no personal income tax, whereas California has some of the largest income tax rates in the country. Further, the state has been offering companies tax breaks to build facilities in the state under the Texas Economic Development Act.

During the meeting, shareholders also voted on proposals to improve company governance. The New York Times said they agreed on most of the proposals aside from a couple that the company opposed, one of which would require the company to publish reports on its efforts to diversify its workplace. Tesla said in a report (PDF) last year that its leadership in the US is still mostly white and male, while its workforce is 79 percent male and 34 percent white overall. Just a few days ago, the company was ordered to pay $137 million in damages to a former Black worker. The plaintiff accused the automaker of turning a blind eye to discrimination and racial abuse while he was working at its plant in Fremont, California. 

The United States Department of Justice has formed a team of investigators to look into the use of cryptocurrency for criminal purposes. To be specific, the group, called National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET), will tackle cases committed by virtual currency exchanges and groups and individuals involved in money laundering. Members will also investigate mixing and tumbling services, which charge customers a fee to send cryptocurrency to an address while also concealing the source of the funds. In addition, they'll work on tracing and recovering assets lost to fraud or ransomware extortion demands. 

According to the DOJ's announcement, the team will combine the expertise of its money laundering and asset recovery section with its computer crime and intellectual property section. It will also include experts from US Attorneys' Offices. The group will be under the supervision of Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr., though the Justice Department is still looking for an individual to lead it. DOJ is looking for someone "with experience with complex criminal investigations and prosecutions, as well as the technology underpinning cryptocurrencies and the blockchain," in particular. 

The hope is that NCET can provide the whole department and other government agencies with the expertise in cryptocurrency and blockchain needed to investigate and prosecute the growing number of cases related to the technology today. There's been a rise in cybercrime cases these past years, including ransomware attacks wherein bad actors target companies across industries to hold their networks hostage in exchange for payment via cryptocurrency. 

Some of them have had real-world consequences. The attack on Colonial Pipeline caused fuel shortage in the East Coast, for instance, while the various attacks on hospitals around the world put people's lives in danger. The Biden administration is even hosting a meeting with 30 countries later this month to discuss the threat of ransomware attacks to global economy and national security.

Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco said in a statement:

"Today we are launching the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team to draw on the Department’s cyber and money laundering expertise to strengthen our capacity to dismantle the financial entities that enable criminal actors to flourish — and quite frankly to profit — from abusing cryptocurrency platforms. As the technology advances, so too must the Department evolve with it so that we’re poised to root out abuse on these platforms and ensure user confidence in these systems."

Audio-Technica has released a new true wireless earbuds model that you can add to your holiday shopping list if you're looking for a pair that costs below $100. The ATH-SQ1TW, which has been available since late last year in Japan and other Asian regions, will set you back $79 in the US. It has built-in touch sensor controls that let you control music playback or receive calls without having to use your phone. The model's voice guidance feature will also tell you its remaining battery level, pairing status and other information without you having to check the device it's paired with.

Speaking of pairing, the model also supports Google Fast Pair for easy connection to Android phones via Bluetooth. The ATH-SQ1TW has 5.8 mm drivers and is capable of up to six-and-a-half hours of continuous use on a full charge. It doesn't have noise cancelation, but if you want to let more ambient noise in for safety purposes, say while outside walking or jogging, it offers a couple of options. You can activate single-ear mode to only use one earbud or take advantage of the earphone's hear-through function.

Audio-Technica gave the model's base a square design and has released it in six different colorways: licorice/black, popcorn white, blueberry, caramel, popsicle and cupcake pink/brown. It's now available via retailers in the country.

Sebastian Bernard, the lead developer and designer for hit indie game Dead Cells, has created a new game that will have you fighting fires, solving mysteries and saving cats. Yes, you'll play a firefighter in Bernard's new 2D action-adventure game entitled Nuclear Blaze — one who gets air-dropped into a secret military facility that went up in flames for unknown reasons. 

In the complex, you'll have to use your firehose wisely to deal with the wildfire spreading uncontrollably throughout each section. You'll also have to deal with backdrafts, exploding walls and complex sprinkler systems. But you won't just be trying to put out a blazing inferno in the game: You also have to rescue survivors (cats included) and investigate every nook and cranny to find hidden secrets that would help you figure out the site's true nature, as well as solve the mystery behind the fire.

Bernard developed Nuclear Blaze under his own company called Deepnight Games. In the developer's website, Bernard described himself as a "former associate" of Motion Twin, which was the studio behind Dead Cells. He also said that he wanted to create a game his 3-year-old could play, which is why the title has a "Kid mode" with simpler level designs, rules and gameplay. 

Nuclear Blaze will be available for download on Steam on October 18th. You can watch a short trailer below to get an idea of how you'll be fighting fires and solving mysteries as a 2D firefighter.

When General Motors CEO Mary Barra delivers the opening keynote at next year's CES, she won't only be kicking off the event — she'll also be unveiling Chevrolet's electric Silverado. The automaker first revealed that it's working on an electrified version of the pickup truck in April, promising an EV with a 400-mile range, which can rival Tesla's 2020 Long-Range Plus Model S. 

In today's announcement, Chevrolet has also confirmed that the retail model will come with a glass roof with increased headroom to make the interior look and feel bigger. It will apparently be the first time GM is making a glass roof option available for a full-size pickup. Chevrolet has also confirmed that the vehicle will be capable of four-wheel steering. 

The electric Silverado is based on GM's Ultium platform, the automaker's modular technology that enables it to mix and match battery and drive units to electrify all kinds of vehicles across its brands. GMC's electrified Hummer vehicles are also based on the Ultium platform. And, like the Hummer EVs, the electric Silverado will be manufactured at GM's Factory ZERO, the company's new Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant. GM spent $2.2 billion to set up the factory with the equipment needed to build all types of electric vehicles.

Mary Barra's CES 2022 keynote and the Silverado's debut will take place on January 5th.