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ComputerWorldIndependent

Mozilla first reveals, then conceals, paid support plan for Firefox

Credit to Author: Gregg Keizer| Date: Tue, 17 Sep 2019 10:56:00 -0700

Mozilla earlier this month quietly outlined paid support for enterprise users of Firefox, but last week scrubbed the reference from its website, saying that it is “still exploring that option.”

The offering – labeled “Mozilla Enterprise Client Support” – was to start at $10 per “supported installation,” which likely referred to per-device, not per-user, pricing. It’s unclear whether that was an annual or monthly fee, and Mozilla declined to say which it was when asked.

In return for the fee, Mozilla said on the now-absent Firefox enterprise site – still visible through the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine – customers would be able to privately report bugs via a new web portal and receive fixes on a timeline dependent on the impact and urgency of the problem. Customers would also be able to file requests for help with Firefox’s installation and deployment, management policies, functionality and customization.

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ComputerWorldIndependent

All about U.S. tech antitrust investigations | TECH(feed)


Four large tech companies — Apple, Amazon, Google and Facebook are under investigation in the U.S. for allegedly anticompetitive behavior. These antitrust investigations on both the federal and state levels are aimed at uncovering the practices these companies engage in to eliminate competition. In this episode of TECH(feed), Juliet discusses the House investigation into big tech and how Congress plans to investigate potential wrongdoing by these companies.

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ComputerWorldIndependent

Now let me guess your password

Credit to Author: Sharky| Date: Mon, 16 Sep 2019 03:00:00 -0700

This pilot fish IT guy gets a call from an irate client one day complaining (incorrectly) that we had changed his administrative password on his Windows 2000 server without his knowledge.

“As I walked him through the logon process, I asked if the username in the login prompt was ‘Administrator,’ says fish. “His reply: “Oh, do I need to change that?”

Feed the Shark! Send me your true tales of IT life at sharky@computerworld.com. You can also subscribe to the Daily Shark Newsletter.

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ComputerWorldIndependent

Mozilla previews Firefox VPN, will charge for service at some point

Credit to Author: Gregg Keizer| Date: Thu, 12 Sep 2019 13:09:00 -0700

Mozilla this week resurrected its Test Pilot preview program, offering Firefox users a free VPN-like service to encrypt browser-to-site-and-back transmissions over public networks.

“The Firefox Private Network is an extension which provides a secure, encrypted path to the web to protect your connection and your personal information anywhere and everywhere you use your Firefox browser,” wrote Marissa Wood, vice president of product, in a post to the Mozilla blog.

The free service is available immediately, but only to U.S.-based users running the desktop version of Firefox. A Firefox account – typically used for syncing copies of the browser on multiple devices – and an accompanying add-on are required.

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ComputerWorldIndependent

Heads up: Microsoft is back to snooping with this month’s Win7 and 8.1 'security-only' patches

Credit to Author: Woody Leonhard| Date: Thu, 12 Sep 2019 09:32:00 -0700

Two months ago, the July Win7 security-only patch was found to install telemetry software, triggered by newly installed scheduled tasks called ProgramDataUpdater, Microsoft Compatibility Appraiser, and AitAgent. As best I can tell, Microsoft never admitted that its security-only patch dropped a telemetry component.

The August security-only update didn’t include that bit of snooping, so it looked like the July snooping was a one-off aberration.

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ComputerWorldIndependent

Throwback Thursday: Let’s get an expert opinion

Credit to Author: Sharky| Date: Thu, 12 Sep 2019 03:00:00 -0700

Card-reader door locks are installed at this pilot fish’s company, and she’s tasked with setting up the software, configuring the locks and assigning employee access and times.

A VP gives her a handwritten sheet of paper with the employee door access and times, reports fish. Then he promptly takes a one-week vacation.

“The day the system goes live, the employees are standing in front of me yelling because their cards won’t let them in the door they want to use. They now have to use the main door instead.

“The VP comes along hearing all the complaints, then starts yelling at me that this is not the way it should be set up.

“I pull out his handwritten instructions. He looks at it and says, ‘That’s not my handwriting!’”

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ComputerWorldIndependent

Lemonade is changing the way we insure our homes

Credit to Author: DealPost Team| Date: Wed, 11 Sep 2019 07:05:00 -0700

Your home can be broken into or destroyed by a natural disaster when you least expect it. When that happens, how will you get back on your feet? Ideally, you would’ve been paying homeowner’s or renter’s insurance to cover your losses. Unfortunately, it can take weeks or even months to receive your money after filing a claim. 

Lemonade is here to save the day in less than a day. With rates starting as low as $5/mo for renter’s insurance and $25/mo for homeowner’s insurance, you can rest assured that your property claims can be approved and reimbursed within seconds. 

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