Air Canada locks down 1.7 million customer accounts due to data breach

Air Canada locked down 1.7 million user accounts forcing customers to change passwords used to access online and app services due to a data breach that left 20,000 users data vulnerable to hackers.

Air Canada detected unusual login activity between Aug. 22 and Aug. 24, and tried to block the hacking attempt, locking the app accounts as an additional measure, according to a notice on its website.

After a series of data breaches taking place in the past year, companies are still careless with their security and customers are the ones that end up having to deal with the breach.

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Spotify starts testing Friends Weekly playlist on Android

Android users, do you want to learn more about what your friends are listening to on Spotify? Looks like the music streaming service is bringing its Friends Weekly playlist to you. XDA Developers reports that Spotify is testing the feature on Android. This curated playlist shows you a sample of what your friends have recently and it supposedly boosts the social aspect of the app by letting you also see what songs your friends are interested in as well as react to these choices with emojis. The interface looks similar to what you see on Instagram Story. The feature will also let you click on a friends’ name and start listening to what they’re currently listening to, which is something you can do on the desktop client but it hasn’t come to mobile yet (at least on Android). If you want to try this out, XDA has two methods you can try out.

Is Chrome OS getting facial recognition?

Google Pixelbook

It might be easier to sign into Chrome OS soon, if the discovered code is any indication. Chrome Story spotted the possibility of Google developing facial recognition feature for its desktop operating system. There’s even mention of Intel Face Engine, which suggests this might be what would drive the feature on Chrome OS devices. But this also means it would need special hardware to get this to work because implementing this with just a front-facing camera won’t be that secure. Google hasn’t confirmed this feature but if it will come we might expect it to show up in the next generation Pixelbook.

Intel's new Whiskey Lake and Amber Lake processors promise longer battery life for thin and light notebooks

Intel's stepped up chip production on lower powered processors that can offer longer battery life. Under fire from ARM processors slowly creeping up to thin laptops and 2-in-1's, Intel's new Whiskey Lake and Amber Lake processors "raise the bar for connectivity, performance, entertainment, and productivity." The U-series chips introduce support for integrated Gigabit Wi-Fi for up to 12-times faster connectivity speeds, support for USB 3.1 Gen 2 transfer speeds, and built-in support for voice services like Alexa and Cortana.

Slim and light laptops and 2-in-1's running these processors can last up to 16 hours with power optimized systems running up to 19 hours. These chips will ship in the fall and could appear on new laptops and tablets released during that period.