Microsoft Rolls Out Update For Disconnecting Xbox Series X Controller Issue

It appears that Microsoft quietly rolled out an update to fix some of the issues that have plagued the Xbox Series X controller, chief among which being the disconnecting issue. In addition, it has also introduced new features.

As a quick recap, some owners of the Xbox Series X controllers took their complaints online, when their controllers started disconnecting intermittently, in intervals of 10 seconds, and for about five times. For gamers, it’s an issue that would effectively destroy the gaming experience.

Now, the new features and fixes aren’t technically being listed in the update’s official patch notes, but Jason Ronald, Xbox Program Manager, did assure owners of the controllers that the fixes are live. As for the new features, the update now gives users the option to toggle FPS boost and auto-HDR settings. To be clear, both those features launched last month; the new update merely gives users the option to turn them off and on.

Apple Rolls Out Update To Address WebKit Security Issue On iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS

Apple has rolled out a set of updates that are meant to address the security issue within WebKit which is the web browser engine that the company uses in its Safari web browser. Interesting enough, the issue seems to be affecting multiple Apple products at once.

The exact nature of the security issue which is labelled as the CVE-2021-1844 was not revealed by Apple although it has been described as a memory corruption issue that could provide space for a malicious website to run unauthorised codes. Its discovery was credited to Clément Lecigne from Google’s Threat Analysis Group and Alison Huffman of the Microsoft Browser Vulnerability Research team.

For iPhone and iPod Touch, the patch comes in the form of iOS 14.4.1 and similarly, iPad users can also obtain it via iPadOS 14.4.1. On another hand, the fix is being delivered to Apple Watch Series 3 and above through watchOS 7.3.2.

Mac users should keep a look for macOS Big Sur 11.2.3 for the security fix but if they are using an older version of the operating system such as Catalina and Mojave, the update is delivered directly to the Safari web browser. Once the update is applied, the build number of the Safari 14.0.3 on their Catalina machine will be refreshed to 15610.4.3.1.7 while those on Mojave will see build 14610.4.3.1.7.

Shopee Malaysia Rolls Out Next-Day Delivery In Time For 3.3 Supermarket Sale

Shopee Malaysia officially announced its next-day delivery service, just in time for its 3.3 Supermarket Sale that has just kicked off today. However, the service is currently only available in Klang Valley, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Johor, Perak,  Pahang, and Penang.

Bear in mind that next-day delivery isn’t applicable to all items – only the ones on Shopee Mart marked with the Next-Day Delivery tag. You will also have to place your order before 12:00 PM to use that option as orders placed after that will be considered as the next day’s orders, and will be delivered the following day.

Here is a handy table that explained the timing for Shopee’s Next-Day Delivery option:

While the service currently doesn’t apply to public holidays, it will work for weekends orders and deliveries. If your eligible order isn’t delivered by the next day, you’ll get a Free Shipping voucher to be used on your next Shopee Mart purchase. But as always, terms and conditions apply.

Shopee said its next-day delivery service is part of its larger efforts to shorten delivery times for sellers and buyers in Malaysia. Shopee Regional Managing Director Ian Ho claimed that deliveries that used to take up to 10 days, and longer in East Malaysia, have now been reduced to one to four days.

Those interested in trying out the next-day delivery service can do so now during Shopee’s 3.3 Supermarket Sale, which offers shoppers free shipping with a RM10 minimum spend, daily 50% off deals, and bargains from as low as 33 sen. Scheduled to end on 3 March 2021, so you can visit its official page for further details.

China Rolls Out New Anti-Monopoly Rules For Tech Giants

China has issued new anti-monopoly guidelines that will apply to the country’s tech giants, the BBC reported. In recent months, Beijing has been scrutinising industry players that it believes have grown too powerful. Among those affected by the new rules are e-commerce platforms Alibaba and JD.com as well as fintech outfits Ant Group and Tencent’s WeChat Pay.

China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) announced the new rules, which target price-fixing, predatory pricing, and unreasonable trading conditions.

For example, e-commerce platforms are now banned from forcing vendors to deal exclusively with them. The rules also prohibit companies from restricting technologies and using data and algorithms to manipulate the market.

SAMR said reports of anti-competitive behaviour were on the rise, and industry regulation was challenging. “The behaviour is more concealed, the use of data, algorithms, platform rules and so on make it more difficult to discover and determine what are monopoly agreements,” the regulatory body said, according to the BBC.

Though rules signify China’s growing determination to take on its big tech, their immediate impact on the market might not amount to much.

“The regulation, you know, is starting with a very good intention,” Hao Hong, managing director and head of research at Bank of Communications International, told CNBC’s “Street Signs Asia”. “The actual fact is that … the market position … of these big internet platforms are very difficult to encroach for now.”

In other words, China’s big tech may have gotten too big to be shrunk. Then again, Beijing is attacking on multiple fronts. Jack Ma-founded Alibaba is still being investigated for monopolistic practices. We’ll have to see how much the company and the broader industry can actually take.

WhatsApp Rolls Out Biometric Authentication For Web and Desktop

WhatsApp has recently rolled out biometric security support for its web and desktop app. However, this does not mean that you need a fingerprint reader or webcam to use the popular instant messaging service on your PC though.

Instead, what this actually means that WhatsApp will now ask you to scan your fingerprint or face on your phone when you want to open WhatsApp Web or WhatsApp Desktop on a PC. Naturally, this means Touch ID or Face ID if you are using an iPhone.

The biometric authentication takes place in the Link A Device section of WhatsApp, just before you scan the QR code on WhatsApp Web or WhatsApp Desktop. As noted in its FAQ, the company stated that it will not be able to read the biometric information as the authentication process is being done through the device’s operating system.

This has also been verified by the famed independent WhatsApp portal, WABetaInfo who pointed out that the biometric authentication process is indeed using system API which made data extraction impossible. Don’t be surprised if you have not seen this feature on your phone though as it may take some time for the deployment to reach out to all users.