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Stacked widgets and a new look for the lock screen may be coming to Android 12

It’s been a big couple of weeks for Android fans. First came the leaks. Then Google officially made its Android 12 developer preview available, allowing curious folks to dig in and see what the company has actually been working on. The past couple of days have brought many discoveries of tweaks and features that Android 12 will offer, including some hints at what UI changes may be on the way.

First up: stacked widgets, similar to iOS. Mishaal Rahman identified the “expanded smart space” feature, which appears to let users scroll between widgets occupying the same space on the home screen. It’s similar to the Smart Stacks feature introduced in iOS 14, which allows you to “stack” widgets of the same size and scroll between them.

A new feature may allow you to swipe across the screen to scroll between widgets.

Photo by Mishaal Rahman

XDA-Developers has also been able to confirm some of the previously leaked UI changes. It’s been able to enable a new lock screen and always-on display, with larger clock text that’s stacked with the hours on top of minutes. On the lock screen, it floats to the right when notifications come in. The always-on display also shows a new placement of notification icons in the upper left of the screen.

It’s hard to know what these UI changes will look like in their final form (if they even make it to the customer-ready version of Android 12), but we do know that Google is planning to change certain aspects of its UI like notification appearance. These developer preview hints give an interesting look at what other changes might be in store.

How to watch BlizzCon 2021

After canceling BlizzCon 2020 due to the pandemic, Blizzard is back — earlier than usual in the year — for BlizzCon 2021. Blizzard is actually calling it “BlizzConline 2021.” Expect to hear updates on anticipated titles, including Diablo IV, Overwatch 2, World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, and perhaps a sneak peek at the rumored Diablo 2 remaster.

Activision, Blizzard’s parent company, announced during a recent earnings call that both Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2 wouldn’t see a 2021 release. And while that’s disappointing, there will likely be some news on games releasing this year. A likely candidate is the Diablo Immortal game for iOS and Android phones, which my colleague Andrew Webster got to experience hands-on.

If you want to watch the festivities (which should still be plenty festive even if they won’t be replete with the usual amount of in-person cosplay), here’s how to do that.

When is BlizzCon 2021 happening?

BlizzCon will start with the usual opening ceremony at 5PM ET / 2PM PT on Friday, February 19th, and it’s slated to last for an hour and 10 minutes. From then, the convention splits off into five different broadcasts, each focusing on a different game. Here’s the full schedule. All broadcasts are scheduled to wrap up by 8:40PM ET / 5:40PM PT. If you’re looking for news on games, it’ll likely happen on day one.

However, it’ll start up again on Saturday, February 20th, at 3PM ET / 12PM PT. The day two schedule consists of Q&A sessions, community showcases, and additional entertainment, like a Diablo tabletop campaign hosted by the Critical Role crew.

Does it cost anything to attend BlizzCon 2021?

Nope. It’s free to attend, unlike previous in-person BlizzCon events that required tickets. If you want some of the goodies that usually came with a ticket, you can buy a BlizzCon bundle of in-game items and cosmetics right here.

Where can I watch BlizzCon 2021?

Blizzard is hosting its online convention at BlizzCon.com, or through Battle.net, Activision Blizzard’s game launcher on desktop and mobile. It’s also going to stream live from YouTube and Twitch.

How to stop your emails from being tracked

All of those obnoxious marketing emails that crowd your inbox aren’t just pushing a product. They’re also tracking whether you’ve opened the email, when you opened it, and where you were at the time by using software like MailChimp to embed tracking software into the message.

How does it work? A single tracking pixel is embedded into the email, usually (but not always) hidden within an image or a link. When the email is opened, code within the pixel sends the info back to the company’s server.

There have been some attempts to restrict the amount of information that can be transmitted this way. For example, since 2014, Google has served all images through its own proxy servers, which could hide your location from at least some tracking applications. And extensions such as Ugly Email and PixelBlock have been developed to block trackers on Chrome and Firefox.

There is also a simple basic step you can take to avoid trackers: stop your email from automatically loading images since images are where the majority of these pixels hide. You won’t be able to avoid all of the trackers that can hide in your email this way, but you will stop many of them.

Here’s how to do it in the major desktop and mobile email apps:

Disable image autoloading in Gmail:

Click on the gear icon in the upper right corner to access your settings, and click on “See all settings.”
In the “General” tab (the first one), scroll down to “Images.”
Select “Ask before displaying external images.”
Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on “Save Changes.”

Note that this will also turn off Gmail’s dynamic email feature, which makes emails more interactive.

Disable image autoloading in Microsoft Outlook (Office 365):

Click on “File” > “Options.”
In the “Outlook Options” window, select “Trust Center.”
Click on the “Trust Center Settings” button.
Check the boxes labeled “Don’t download pictures automatically in standard HTML messages or RSS items” and “Don’t download pictures in encrypted or signed HTML email messages.” You can make a number of exceptions to the first item if you want by checking the boxes underneath it.

Disable image autoloading in Apple Mail:

Select “Mail” > “Preferences.”
Click on the “Viewing” tab.
Uncheck “Load remote content in messages.”

Disable image autoloading in Android Gmail:

Tap on the three lines in the upper left corner.
Scroll down to and select “Settings.”
Tap on the email account that you want to work with.
Scroll down to and select “Images.”
Tap on “Ask before displaying external images.”

Disable image autoloading in iOS Gmail:

Open Gmail for iOS, tap the hamburger menu in the upper left, and scroll down to settings.
Tap the account you want to personalize, and tap into “Images.”
Switch from “Always display external images” to “Ask before displaying external images.”

Note that for those wishing to do this on Gmail’s mobile client, it appears it will only work for personal accounts and not enterprise ones managed through G Suite, for now.

Disable image autoloading on iOS Mail:

Tap on “Settings” > “Mail.”
Find the “Messages” section and toggle off “Load Remote Images.”

Another option is to use an email client such as Thunderbird, which blocks remote images by default; the application allows you to download embedded content on an individual basis or allow pictures from contacts that you trust not to send hidden code in their images.

Update July 3rd, 2019, 3:47PM ET: This article has been updated to include additional information about email clients.

Update September 3rd, 2019, 7:35PM ET: This article has been updated to include directions for disabling image autoloading on Gmail for iOS.

Update February 17th, 2021, 5:30PM ET: Instructions for Microsoft Mail have been removed, and a few instructions updated.

Apple reportedly developing magnetic battery pack for iPhone

Apple is reportedly developing a new iPhone charging accessory in the form of a battery pack that magnetically attaches to the rear of the device using MagSafe, Bloomberg reports. Although some prototypes have a rubber exterior, the battery pack isn’t thought to act as a protective case like previous iPhone battery accessories from Apple. Alongside details of the new battery case, Bloomberg also notes that the iPhone lineup is unlikely to receive support for reverse wireless charging anytime soon.

The battery pack accessory is thought to have been in development for at least a year, but it’s reportedly faced development issues relating to the iPhone’s software thinking that the pack is overheating. Bloomberg notes that Apple is cautious about announcing charging accessories, after it was forced to cancel its AirPower charging mat in 2019, a year and a half after it was first announced. Development problems could mean that the new battery pack accessory is delayed or even scrapped.

The charging pack would be the latest in Apple’s lineup of iPhone 12 MagSafe accessories, which attach onto the back of the phone with the assistance of an embedded circle of magnets. Previous accessories have included wall chargers, as well as magnetically attaching wallets. MagSafe is said to be returning to Apple’s laptops as well, only with a connector reminiscent of the old pill-shaped design.

Rumors of the new battery pack first emerged after a reference to it was found in code in the iOS 14.5 beta, MacRumors reported earlier this week. Bloomberg notes that the reference has subsequently been removed.

As well as the new battery pack, Apple is reportedly interested in allowing its devices to charge one another. Bloomberg notes that it had planned for its 2019 iPhone lineup to be able to wirelessly charge AirPods, but the plans were later scrapped. The functionality is “unlikely in the near future,” according to Bloomberg.

Other accessory manufacturers are already attempting to offer similar functionality to the rumored MagSafe battery pack. 9to5Mac reported on one such pack late last year, which was being sold on Alibaba and Aliexpress under a variety of names.

Puss is a seemingly simple puzzle game except for the psychedelic cats

Puss might be the strangest video game I’ve ever played.

In Puss, you play as a small pixelated cat head navigating short mazes. The mazes are often filled with obstacles and bullets impeding your route to the end, and if you touch a wall for too long, you’ll get zapped and lose a life.

That’s only part of the experience, though. It’s the mind-meltingly psychedelic aesthetic that permeates every aspect of the game that makes Puss stand out.

Image: teamcoil

Nearly every maze in Puss offers an entirely new visual experience, and most have bright colors that regularly change, shift, or flash as you navigate through the level. The intensity of the graphics can sometimes feel overpowering, often distracting me from actually completing a level. In one, for example, nearly the entire background was taken up by a looping video of giant, chattering teeth.

Every once in a while, I would even notice that my eyes hurt while playing, forcing me to stop. When you boot up Puss, it suggests consulting a doctor before playing video games if you have epilepsy or have had reactions to flashing lights. There’s also a very brief message that “player discretion is advised.”

The music doesn’t make the game any easier to play. The soundtrack regularly mashes up different genres and sound effects to create weird and often uncomfortable soundscapes. In one section of one song, a low, industrial hum rumbles beneath occasional guitar twangs and incomprehensible mumbling voices. Sometimes these mashups created interesting, lo-fi hip-hop-esque beats. But more often than not, the music just put me on edge.

The mazes themselves are short, and each has different mechanics and puzzles that are fun to figure out, despite everything that’s going on. Some mazes have you time movements across ever-shifting platforms. Others have timer buttons that reveal a new platform you’ll have to race across in order to get to the end. Sometimes you’re just dodging a lot of bullets.

I was able to finish many of the mazes on my first try, and the ones that tripped me up at first would get easier with practice. The game also has truly outlandish bosses. During one stage of a boss fight, there’s a dog with three heads fused into one that shoots lasers out of its eyes. The bosses often reminded me of Undertale’s memorable final foe.

Everything about Puss is overwhelming, and I’m convinced that the game is trying to make you feel like you’re high on catnip. But the absurdity of that conceit works. A part of me was always looking forward to what unexpected combination of visuals, sounds, and puzzle-solving awaited me with each new maze or boss fight. It just sometimes hurt my head to try to comprehend it all.

Puss launches on February 19th on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It’s already available on iOS, Android, PC, Mac, and Linux.

Brydge’s Pro Plus iPad keyboard gets much better trackpad support with new firmware

Brydge has announced a new firmware update for its Pro Plus iPad keyboards that promises to hugely improve the trackpad experience. The update brings “native” multitouch to the trackpads, meaning you can use the same kind of multi-finger gestures on a Brydge device as Apple’s own Magic Keyboard.

The Brydge Pro Plus was the victim of unfortunate timing. It was originally announced as a power-user product designed to support Apple’s experimental cursor feature, but then Apple turned that into consumer-level functionality with iOS 13.4 and released its own keyboard/trackpad accessory, the expensive but excellent Magic Keyboard. At launch, the Pro Plus’ trackpad was usable for basic tasks, but it didn’t have full gesture support and couldn’t compete with the smoothness of Apple’s own hardware.

I’ve spent a couple of days with a beta version of Brydge’s new firmware, using the company’s keyboard designed for the 11-inch iPad, and the news is good so far. While the trackpad on this model is quite small, and its levered mechanism means there isn’t a lot of space for clicking, the cursor movement is far smoother and gestures work well. You can use three fingers to swipe between apps, for example, or swipe up to bring you to the multitasking interface. Simple two-finger scrolling is also much improved, working with consistent momentum as you’d expect across various apps.

I’ll have to test the Pro Plus’ new firmware further before giving a final verdict, but my first impressions are positive. The Pro Plus looks like it’ll soon be a much more viable product than it was upon its original launch, particularly since Brydge is putting it on sale today; the 12.9-inch model is getting a $60 reduction to $169.99, while the 11-inch version is available for $40 off at $159.99.

Brydge is also announcing a new trackpad-equipped iPad keyboard, the first product to come out of a collaboration with OtterBox that was announced last year. The 10.2 Max Plus is designed for the seventh- and eighth generation iPads with 10.2-inch displays, and includes a detachable case that Brydge says offers 4-foot drop protection. It’s set to ship in late March and will be available to preorder today for $129.99.

If you already have a Pro Plus keyboard, meanwhile, Brydge is opening signups for a public beta of the new firmware. You can register here; the page notes that the firmware will require an iPad running Apple’s iPadOS 14.5 public beta. The program will begin on March 3rd, but 500 users will get earlier access on February 24th.

Ecobee adds baby monitoring features to its SmartCamera

Ecobee has updated its SmartCamera home security camera with a few new features that make it easier to use as a baby monitor. The new Baby Monitor mode, which is enabled during setup of the camera, adjusts the camera’s settings to dim the LED lights on the front, makes it harder to accidentally enable the camera’s Siren alarm, and, perhaps most importantly, adds an audio-only streaming option that lets you continue to listen for disruptions even if you switch to a different app or lock your phone.

Using a home security camera as a baby monitor is hardly a new idea, but this is the first one to my knowledge that actually makes it easier to do so. While traditional video monitors provide an always-on feed to a dedicated screen, home security cameras require the use of your phone and an app, which can be slow to load and cumbersome to use. Ecobee’s audio streaming mode effectively turns the camera and your phone into an always-on audio monitor, from which you can then tap into the app to check the video feed when you hear a disturbance.

The SmartCamera is also compatible with Apple’s HomeKit platform (including HomeKit Secure Video) and Amazon Alexa, which allows you to view the video feed from an Echo smart display or the Home app on an iOS or macOS device. Ecobee’s dedicated app is the only way to access the audio monitoring and other dedicated features such as pan and zoom on the SmartCamera, however.

The baby monitoring features for the SmartCamera include dimmed LED lights and an audio streaming mode.

Image: Ecobee

One thing the new baby monitor features don’t specifically address is the security concerns inherent with aiming an internet-connected camera at your baby’s crib. There have been numerous accounts of security cameras being accessed by an unauthorized user and children’s privacy being violated through the camera, speaker, and microphone. Ecobee does have two-factor authentication for its accounts, which helps prevent these kinds of attacks, but that might not be enough comfort for some parents.

Ecobee notes that you can switch between the baby monitoring (which disables some of the home security features of the camera) and the standard security camera modes at any time, so once you no longer have the need for a baby monitor, you can repurpose the camera elsewhere in your home.

In addition to the new baby monitoring features, Ecobee is also now selling a bundle that includes a SmartCamera and a SmartThermostat for $299.99. The SmartCamera is available separately for $99.99.

Twitter’s voice DMs arrive in India

Twitter has rolled out support for voice direct messages on iOS and Android in India starting today, the company has announced. Android Central reports that the audio messages are now available in three countries worldwide: India, Brazil, and Japan. Plans for voice DMs were first announced last year. Twitter says the feature, which it’s calling an “experiment,” will roll out in India in phases.

In a statement, Twitter India’s managing director, Manish Maheshwari, said voice messages are designed to “give people a new way to express themselves and help them connect through the nuances, emotion, and empathy built by hearing someone’s voice.” Similar features are already available on other services like Messenger, Instagram DMs, and WhatsApp.

test, test: Starting today, you’ll be able to record and send voice messages in DMs Here’s how

PS. The experiment will be rolled out in phases. pic.twitter.com/aqQM6h9sof

— Twitter India (@TwitterIndia) February 17, 2021

A video released by Twitter India shows how the feature works. Users can start recording using a small icon to the right of the message box, and voice messages can be up to 140 seconds in length. There’s an option to review a voice message before sending it. Although it isn’t possible to send voice messages from the web at the moment, browsers can reportedly still play back the audio clips.

While Twitter has traditionally been a text-based platform, it’s tested a number of audio-centric features over the last year, including audio tweets the company has been testing on iOS as well as Twitter Spaces, which are voice chat rooms similar to what Clubhouse offers. However, Twitter’s audio ambitions faced criticism for their lack of accessibility options. In response, the company announced it was setting up new accessibility teams within the company and that it would be adding automated captions to audio and video on the platform in 2021.

Epic Games brings Apple fight to the EU with new antitrust complaint

Fortnite developer Epic Games has made a formal antitrust complaint about Apple to the European Commission, the company announced today. Epic alleges that Apple’s “carefully designed anti-competitive restrictions” have “completely eliminated competition in app distribution and payment processes.” It says this leads to consumers playing higher prices, and gives Apple too much control over developers on its platform.

The complaint is the latest legal action taken by Epic in its ongoing dispute with Apple. The developer has criticized Apple’s control over software distribution with the App Store, as well as its policies around payments, which often result in Apple taking a 30 percent cut of in-app purchases. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has called this 30 percent cut a “tax,” and Epic claims Apple’s policies give its own services an unfair advantage over other iOS developers. In November, Apple said it would reduce its App Store commission rate to 15 percent for any developer that earns less than $1 million in annual revenue, in an apparent response to pressure from developers and regulators.

In its announcement, Epic Games said it’s not seeking damages from Apple in the EU. Instead, it says it wants “timely and effective remedies” to address what it claims are Apple’s anti-competitive practices. “We just want to see prohibition on these platform companies using their control over the hardware to exert control over secondary markets and force them to compete on equal terms with every competitor,” Epic CEO Tim Sweeney told The Financial Times when asked what these remedies should include.

Epic’s dispute with Apple erupted last summer when the developer attempted to circumvent Apple’s 30 percent cut on in-app purchases in Fortnite. Apple responded by removing the popular game from its App Store, only for Epic Games to file a lawsuit in response. Epic has subsequently launched legal proceedings in Australia, and earlier this year complained to the UK’s antitrust tribunal about Apple’s actions. Epic Games and Apple are due to meet in court in May, according to the FT.

As well as challenging Apple, Epic also sued Google after it removed Fortnite from Android’s Google Play Store.

Responding to Epic’s latest filing, Apple told Bloomberg that Epic had intentionally violated its App Store policies, and that these “apply equally to every developer and protect customers.” It said Epic’s actions “made pawns of customers, and we look forward to making this clear to the European Commission.”

Epic’s new complaint follows the EU’s announcement last year that it has opened a formal antitrust investigation against Apple over its App Store and Apple Pay practices. The EU is concerned that Apple’s policies stifle and distort competition in cases where Apple’s own services compete with other developers on its App Store. Messaging app Telegram has also complained to the EU about Apple’s policies, demanding that it allow users to download software outside of the App Store.

Apple’s adjusting emoji in iOS 14.5 to promote helmet use and sell headphones

As part of iOS 14.5, Apple is updating its emoji with new variations from the Unicode Consortium’s 13.1 release, including new skin tone options for popular emoji, several new smiley faces and hearts, and some deliberate Apple redesigns.

The changes to skin tone and gender presentation are probably the most important to note. Popular emoji like “Couples Kissing” and “Couples with Heart” now have many more skin tone variations for all options.

Skin tone variations for the “Couples with Heart” emoji in iOS 14.5.

Image: Emojipedia

In addition to more skin tones, the bearded emoji has also been adjusted to allow for not just the neutral “Person:Beard” but also “Man:Beard” and “Woman:Beard.”

The various beard options in iOS 14.5.

Image: Emojipedia

On the more unusual side of things, Apple’s update also includes several variations on smiley faces like “Exhaling Face,” “Face with Spiral Eyes,” and the elusive “Face in Clouds.” Hearts, another emoji go-to category, also has two new members joining its ranks, “Heart on Fire” and “Mending Heart.”

Exhaling face, face with spiral eyes, and face in clouds.

Image: Emojipedia
Heart on fire and mending heart.

Image: Emojipedia

Finally, Apple is also making tweaks to some existing emoji: the rock-climbing emoji will now feature a helmet, the syringe emoji is now a more generic one rather than one filled with blood, and the headphones look like the AirPods Max.

The syringe change could be a legitimately helpful one for anyone writing about COVID-19. Not only is the new syringe way less intimidating when emptied of blood, but it’s also more applicable to vaccinations, which will hopefully become a lot more common soon. The headphone change, on the other hand, is just Apple branding, the same way that the preexisting mobile phone emoji was designed to look like an iPhone.

A comparison between the two versions of the syringe emoji.

Image: Emojipedia

Apple says all of these emoji are available in the new release of the iOS 14.5 beta, which also comes with a nice little change to the Apple Music app. According to users on Reddit running the beta, you can now add and remove music from your queue with the same kind of swiping gesture used in Apple’s Mail app to archive, delete, or flag emails.

The full release of iOS 14.5 is also said to include several other helpful additions like support for the new Xbox and PlayStation controllers, the ability to set Siri’s default music streaming service to Spotify, and the ability to unlock your phone with your Apple Watch.

Apple won’t have to allow App Store alternatives on iOS after North Dakota bill fails

A North Dakota bill that would have drastically altered the way app store operators like Apple and Google manage their digital marketplaces has failed to garner enough votes, failing in the state senate by an 11-36 vote on Tuesday, according to North Dakota House of Representatives member Karla Rose Hanson.

The bill, SB 2333, stirred considerable controversy last week when a committee hearing drew the attention of corporate lawyers and lobbyists, experts, and Apple critics arguing both in favor and against the proposed legislation’s potentially far-reaching consequences.

The bill would have barred any company in the business of software distribution making over $10 million in annual revenue from imposing rules on developers dictating they only use one app store, like the App Store or the Google Play Store, and that they have to use the app store owner’s preferred payment system. Using Apple or Google’s payment system, in turn, lets those companies take 30 percent of most sales, per their long-standing revenue sharing policies around app sales and in-app purchases.

Requiring developers to use the App Store and Apple’s own payment system are pillars of the iPhone maker’s mobile business and largely responsible for the App Store’s continued financial success. The App Store is estimated to have generated more than $64 billion in revenue last year. (Google does allow alternative app stores onto Android, but the company requires users to click through security warnings to download and use such software.) Yet, developers have long complained of Apple’s grip on the flow of revenue on iOS, with critics claiming its ever-changing rules are inconsistently applied and that Apple grants exemptions on a case-by-case basis.

Although the bill would only have dictated how companies like Apple operate within the state of North Dakota, the bill’s broad language may have forced Apple to make systemic changes to its business nationwide. The legislation’s success could have also inspired other states to follow suit with similar attempts to regulate app stores’ relationships with developers, although that appears to be already underway despite SB 2333’s failure.

In arguing against SB 2333, Apple’s chief privacy engineer, Erik Neuenschwander, testified that the bill “threatens to destroy iPhone as you know it,” arguing that it would “undermine the privacy, security, safety, and performance that’s built into iPhone by design,” according to the Bismarck Tribune. “Simply put, we work hard to keep bad apps out of the App Store; (the bill) could require us to let them in,” Neuenschwander concluded.

The legislation is just one of a growing number of state bills, which now includes proposed bills in Arizona and Georgia that seek to place limits on the power of Apple and fellow app store owners. a The New York Times report this weekend linked the bills to a multi-state lobbying effort from Apple’s fiercest critics, with Fortnite creator Epic Games leading the charge.

SB 2333 was proposed by Sen. Kyle Davison (R-Fargo) after the state senator was approached by Lacee Bjork Anderson, a lobbyist with the firm Odney Public Affairs based in Bismarck, North Dakota. Anderson, it turns out, was hired by Epic, the Times reported. Epic is also suing Apple and Google after both companies removed Fortnite last August, following Epic’s decision to include its own in-app payment system in the iOS and Android versions of the battle royale hit.

Anderson was also paid by the Coalition of App Fairness, an industry group formed last fall consisting of Epic and fellow app makers like Tinder parent company Match Group and Spotify that have for years railed against the App Store and Apple’s mandate that it take 30 percent of all app sales and in-app purchases.

In a tweet, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney acknowledged Epic and the Coalition for App Fairness’ participation in the ongoing lobbying efforts. “North Dakota’s effort to combat app store monopolies is awesome for consumers and developers,” Sweeney wrote. “The Coalition for App Fairness organized the outreach, lobbying, and developer participation. Can’t take credit for it, but Epic is proud to be a part of it!”

North Dakota’s effort to combat app store monopolies is awesome for consumers and developers. The Coalition for App Fairness organized the outreach, lobbying, and developer participation. Can’t take credit for it, but Epic is proud to be a part of it!https://t.co/Zi0iDMpkaz

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) February 16, 2021

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

LastPass’ free tier will become a lot less useful next month

LastPass is adding new restrictions to its free subscription tier starting March 16th that’ll only allow users to view and manage passwords on one category of devices: mobile or computer. Mobile users will be limited to iOS and Android phones, iPads, Android tablets, and smartwatches. Computer subscribers will be able to use their passwords from Windows, macOS, and Linux desktops and laptops, the LastPass browser extension, and Windows tablets.

Users on LastPass’ free tier will be asked to pick between the two options the first time they log in after March 16th, and the company says they’ll be able to switch between categories up to three times after they’ve picked. Although customers are restricted to a single category of devices on the free tier, they’ll still be able view and manage passwords from an unlimited number of devices within either the mobile or computer category. LastPass says no users will be locked out of their accounts or lose access to their passwords as a result of the changes.

As well as restricting its device types, LastPass is also changing the kinds of customer support free tier users will be able to access. From May 17th, free users will lose access to email support, the company announced.

LastPass is clearly hoping the new restrictions are enough to encourage people to upgrade to its Premium or Families tiers. LastPass Premium starts at $3 a month, while a Families subscription costs $4 and includes licenses for up to six people. In an accompanying blog post, the company says it now has over 20 million users around the world, though it’s unclear how many of these use the service’s free tier.

Compared to a lot of other password managers, which ask you to subscribe to access even their basic features, LastPass’ free tier has always been pretty generous. But these upcoming changes could make it a lot harder to use the service for free in the future.

Microsoft’s new Office app now available on iPad

Microsoft has updated its unified Office mobile app to work on Apple’s iPad devices. The new Office app combines Word, Excel, and PowerPoint into a single application, and originally launched for iOS and Android back in 2019. Microsoft has been gradually improving it ever since, but it always ran in a windowed mode instead of a fully optimized iPad app.

This new update means Office is now a full iPadOS app, with access to all of the regular tablet variants of Microsoft’s productivity suite. The app also bundles in some useful tools designed primarily for mobile tasks. These include the ability to quickly create PDFs or sign documents, converting images to text and tables, and more quick actions.

Microsoft has been simplifying its mobile Office offerings into this single app, but standalone apps for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are still available and updated regularly. While it took a while for the main Office app to be iPad-friendly, Microsoft has added many iPad-specific features to its Office apps, including mouse and trackpad support recently.

Here’s a first look at Microsoft’s xCloud for the web

Microsoft has started testing its xCloud game streaming through a web browser. Sources familiar with Microsoft’s Xbox plans tell The Verge that employees are now testing a web version of xCloud ahead of a public preview. The service allows Xbox players to access their games through a browser, and opens up xCloud to work on devices like iPhones and iPads.

Much like how xCloud currently works on Android tablets and phones, the web version includes a simple launcher with recommendations for games, the ability to resume recently played titles, and access to all the cloud games available through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Once you launch a game it will run fullscreen, and you’ll need a controller to play Xbox games streamed through the browser.

Microsoft’s xCloud service on the web.

It’s not immediately clear what resolution Microsoft is streaming games at through this web version. The software maker is using Xbox One S server blades for its existing xCloud infrastructure, so full 4K streaming won’t be supported until the backend hardware is upgraded to Xbox Series X components this year.

Microsoft is planning to bundle this web version of xCloud into the PC version of the Xbox app on Windows 10, too. The web version appears to be currently limited to Chromium browsers like Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, much like Google’s Stadia service. Microsoft is planning some form of public preview of xCloud via the web in the spring, and this wider internal testing signals that the preview is getting very close.

The big drive behind this web version is support for iOS and iPadOS hardware. Apple imposes limitations on iOS apps and cloud services, and Microsoft wasn’t able to support the iPhone and iPad when it launched xCloud in beta for Android last year. Apple said Microsoft would need to submit individual games for review, a process that Microsoft labeled a “bad experience for customers.”

Clubhouse says it will improve security after researchers raise China spying concerns

The developers of audio chat room app Clubhouse plan to add additional encryption to prevent it from transmitting pings to servers in China, after Stanford researchers said they found vulnerabilities in its infrastructure.

In a new report, the Stanford Internet Observatory (SIO) said it confirmed that Shanghai-based company Agora Inc., which makes real-time engagement software, “supplies back-end infrastructure to the Clubhouse App.” The SIO further discovered that users’ unique Clubhouse ID numbers —not usernames— and chatroom IDs are transmitted in plaintext, which would likely give Agora access to raw Clubhouse audio. So anyone observing internet traffic could match the IDs on shared chatrooms to see who’s talking to each other, the SIO tweeted, noting “For mainland Chinese users, this is troubling.”

The SIO researchers said they found metadata from a Clubhouse room “being relayed to servers we believe to be hosted in” the People’s Republic of China, and found that audio was being sent to “to servers managed by Chinese entities and distributed around the world.” Since Agora is a Chinese company, it would be legally required to assist the Chinese government locate and store audio messages if authorities there said the messages posed a national security threat, the researchers surmised.

Agora told the SIO it does not store user audio or metadata other than to monitor network quality and bill its clients, and as long as audio is stored on servers in the US, the Chinese government would not be able to access the data.

Agora did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Sunday, but told Bloomberg in a statement that it “does not have access to share or store personally identifiable end-user data. Voice or video traffic from non-China based users — including US users — is never routed through China.” The company declined to comment on its relationship with Clubhouse.

Clubhouse told the researchers in a statement that when the app launched, developers decided not to make it available in China “given China’s track record on privacy.” However, some users in China found a workaround to download the app, the company said, “which meant that—until the app was blocked by China earlier this week— the conversations they were a part of could be transmitted via Chinese servers.”

The company told SIO that it was going to roll out changes “to add additional encryption and blocks to prevent Clubhouse clients from ever transmitting pings to Chinese servers” and said it would hire an external security firm to review and validate the updates. Clubhouse did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Sunday.

Clubhouse is an invite-only, iOS-only live-audio app that has become popular among many in Silicon Valley, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whose Clubhouse debut earlier this month drew thousands of concurrent listeners. The company was recently valued at a reported $1 billion.