News
- Microsoft is changing Edge for the better in the European Economic Area
- This is happening due to the Digital Markets Act in that region
- It means Edge will stop nagging to be the default browser
Microsoft is relenting with its constant prompting of folks to use the Edge browser under Windows 11, but not everyone is getting this welcome relief.
Sadly, the pushing of Edge in some notable ways is only being curtailed in the European Economic Area (EEA) due to rules imposed by the Digital Markets Act. With no such regulatory pressure in the US or elsewhere, these restrictions on Edge aren’t happening.
TechSpot noticed Microsoft’s blog post introducing these various changes, the key one being that Edge will stop annoying you to set it as the default browser in Windows 10 and Windows 11. It’ll only prompt a request to be your go-to app for web browsing if you open Edge directly, and this feature has already been implemented as of the end of May, with version 137.0.3296.52 of the browser.
Another change is that when Edge is uninstalled, you won’t get other Microsoft apps telling you to reinstall it.
Furthermore, when you set any web browser as your default choice, it’ll have a whole lot more file formats (and link types) tied to it, rather than having Edge still open some file types. This stood as another sneaky way to get Edge back on your radar after you’ve chosen to give it a wide berth.
Additionally, when using the Windows search box and clicking on a web search result, it will be opened in your chosen default browser, rather than Edge, in Bing.
All these changes should be in place soon, and will be rolling out in June in the EEA, save for the main one, which is already in place as noted.
Away from Edge, another potentially sizeable plus point for Windows users in this region is that they’ll be able to uninstall the Microsoft Store, should they wish. That move won’t be coming until later in 2025, though.
Microsoft clarifies that if you remove the Microsoft Store, but have already used it to install some apps, that software will continue to receive updates in order to ensure it gets the latest security patches, which is good news.
Analysis: Give us all a break, Microsoft(Image credit: Shutterstock)These are welcome moves for Windows 11 and 10 users in this region, but it’d be nice if Microsoft could implement them elsewhere as well. However, without the relevant authorities breathing down the neck of the software giant, it won’t do anything of the sort. All these behaviors will persist outside the EEA because Microsoft clearly believes they may help drive more users to Edge.
When in fact they are more likely to drive people up the wall. Repeatedly insisting that folks should use Edge in scenarios of varying degrees of overreach is a tiresome policy, as is popping up Edge whenever possible, rather than using the default browser choice. That should always be the default; no matter what’s happening, the clue is in the name, Microsoft.
Don’t expect Microsoft’s overall attitude to change anytime soon. Still, at least some people will get to enjoy a slightly less nag-laden experience in Windows 11, and fewer instances of Edge clambering onto their monitor screen in a bid to remind them that it exists. However, the majority of us can doubtless expect more pop-ups and general weirdness in terms of some of the more left-field efforts Microsoft has made to promote its browser.
You might also like- Crocodilus Android trojan has been updated with new features
- Among them is the ability to add a fake contact and trick people into accepting calls
- The contacts don't sync with Google, experts say
Security researchers have spotted a new Android malware variant called Crocodilus, and what makes it stand out is the ability to add new contacts to the target device’s contacts list.
Crocodilus was first spotted in late March 2025 by security researchers Threat Fabric, when it was described as a “highly capable mobile banking Trojan” using different techniques such as overlay attacks, keylogging, and abuse of Android’s Accessibility Services, to steal sensitive data, access people’s bank accounts, steal cryptocurrency, and more.
Now, the researchers are claiming the Trojan is evolving to bypass classic defense mechanisms and wreak even more havoc. One of the key newly introduced features is the ability to modify the contact list on an infected device.
Bank support“Upon receiving the command “TRU9MMRHBCRO”, Crocodilus adds a specified contact to the victim’s contact list,” Threat Fabric explained.
The goal of this feature is not only to increase the attacker’s control over the device, but also to make attacks harder to detect.
“We believe the intent is to add a phone number under a convincing name such as “Bank Support”, allowing the attacker to call the victim while appearing legitimate,” the researchers explained. “This could also bypass fraud prevention measures that flag unknown numbers.”
The good news is that the fake contact will not make it into people’s Google accounts, so it won’t show up on other devices.
Numerous other improvements were introduced in the latest version, as well, which are mostly focused on evading traditional detection mechanisms. Furthermore, the malware now seems to have expanded its target scope, from focusing mostly on Turkey, to going global.
Android malware and Trojans are usually distributed through fake and third-party app stores, social media channels, and email.
Therefore, users are advised to only download Android apps from reputable sources (such as the Google Play Store, or Galaxy Store), and even there - to be careful. Reading through the reviews, minding the download count, and checking the developer’s reputation is a good way to spot malware.
Via BleepingComputer
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- Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is the subject of Nintendo's latest Creator's Voice video
- Huang states that Switch 2 has the "most advanced graphics ever in a mobile device"
- Nvidia has developed the Switch 2's custom processor, as it did for the original console
Jensen Huang, CEO of tech giant Nvidia, has no shortage of praise for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2.
Huang was the subject of a new Creator's Voice Special Edition video, published to Nintendo's official regional YouTube channels. He opens by stating the launch of Nintendo Switch 2 is "a proud moment" for Nvidia, adding that the company has worked with Nintendo for over a decade.
In case you're unaware, Nvidia was responsible for the custom Tegra X1 system-on-a-chip (SoaC) that powered the original Nintendo Switch. And as referenced by the Switch 2's official tech specs page, Nvidia has also provided a new custom processor for the new console.
Huang adds that to "take the original vision further" for Nintendo Switch 2, Nvidia "had to reinvent everything."
"The chip inside Nintendo Switch 2 is unlike anything we've built before," Huang adds, before claiming the console has "the most advanced graphics ever in a mobile device."
Huang also stresses the importance of new features for Switch 2, including ray tracing, HDR, and backwards compatibility. He also clearly has much reverence for former Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, who sadly passed away in 2015 before the launch of the original Nintendo Switch.
"Switch 2 is more than a new console," Huang states, "it's a new chapter, worthy of Iwata-san's vision."
The Nintendo Switch 2 is launching tomorrow, June 5, at $449.99 / £395.99 for the console by itself. A bundle with a digital copy of Mario Kart World is also available for $499.99 / £429.99. While canceled Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders have been a concern, some retailers including Costco and Target have confirmed they will have launch day stock.
You might also like...- Recent posts to the Nintendo Today app have shed some more light on GameShare
- One outlines how it will work with certain games
- The other gives us a short clip of the service in use
A recent post on the Nintendo Today mobile app has given us a detailed look at how GameShare will work on the Nintendo Switch 2.
"With a Nintendo Switch 2 system, you can use the new GameShare feature to share supported games with friends and family," the post reads.
GameShare can be used both locally, to share your games with others via a local wireless connection, or online which relies on the internet. The online version of GameShare is tied to GameChat, and requires a Nintendo Switch Online membership.
The post also outlines some of the ways in which GameShare will work in certain games. In Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, for example, all courses can be played with two players. Each player will have their own camera too.
In Super Mario Odyssey, you will be able to play as either Mario or Cappy - swapping between the two roles if desired.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury will allow four players to play at once, with everyone controlling their own characters.
In a separate Nintendo Today post, a video shows GameShare in use locally. In the short clip, we see one player in Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics on Nintendo Switch 2.
They press a new GameShare button on the game's main menu. On a second Nintendo Switch console, another player presses the GameShare icon on the system home screen.
The two consoles quickly that they are in close proximity to one another and begin to GameShare successfully.
The Nintendo Switch 2 is set to launch later this week on June 5. It costs $449.99 / £395.99 or $499.99 / £429.99 for a bundle that includes a digital copy of Mario Kart World.
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- Sigma's 12-lens Aizu Prime Line range features T1.3 aperture across the entire line-up
- Large-format Aizu Primes promise superb bokeh and natural image quality across the board
- Upcoming AF Cine Line zooms will be Sigma's first AF-compatible Cine Lenses
Sigma has introduced two new series of cinema lenses, one of which – the Aizu Prime Line – has the world’s fastest aperture of T1.3 across all its focal lengths.
The full Aizu Prime Line will eventually comprise 12 large-format lenses covering the 18mm to 125mm focal length range, all of which will be available in both PL Mount and Sony E-mount. However, the initial launch, in August 2025, will see only eight of these (covering the core 25mm to 75mm range) released. Prices are still TBC.
The initial eight Aizu Prime Line lens release will cover the 25mm to 75mm focal length range. (Image credit: Sigma)Sigma is promising exceptional image quality across the range, with the optics engineered specifically to a deliver a natural look with minimal distortion and focus breathing. They’ll also demonstrate consistent color balance, contrast and flare characteristics across the whole range, to help filmmakers readily achieve a more unified look.
That T1.3 maximum aperture, meanwhile, should give users the ability to achieve very shallow depth of field and attractive, soft bokeh. Sigma has shot a short film with the range to demonstrate what they can do (see below).
Despite being relatively compact and lightweight (all of the initial eight weight either around 3.6lb / 1.7kg), Aizu Prime Line lenses feature a large-diameter 46.3mm image circle, allowing them to be used not only with Super 35 and full-frame but also large-format cameras like VistaVision and ARRI ALEXA LF Open Gate.
AF and FF arriving later this yearAlongside the Aizu Prime announcement, Sigma also revealed that it’s currently developing two new full-frame zoom lenses for its AF Cine Line. These will be the first Sigma Cine Lenses to support autofocus and will be available in L-Mount and Sony E-mount. Sigma says they will offer excellent optical performance (derived from the designs of two existing Sigma Art lenses, designed for photography) and near-silent AF operation.
First to arrive will be the Sigma 28-45mm T2 FF, due to launch in November 2025. It will be followed by the Sigma 28-105mm T3 FF in the spring of 2026. Pricing is still TBC.
(Image credit: Sigma)You might also like- Meta and Yandex were spotted using covert tracking techniques
- The techniques violated Google Play policies
- The code was mysteriously removed after being pointed out by researchers
Meta and Yandex have been accused of dodging privacy protection requirements by associating users with their web browsing activity and cookies through native Android applications using Meta Pixel and Yandex Metrica trackers.
The method involved gathering data through the localhost function built in to many native Android apps which is used for testing purposes.
Following the release of research by computer scientists at IMDEA Networks, Radboud University, and KU Leuven, the script associated with the data extraction and user tracking was removed.
Covert tracking in Android apps and browsersSpecifically, the tracking was spotted on Meta’s Facebook and Instagram apps, as well as Yandex's Maps and Browser.
The apps use localhost, which allows a device to send itself a network request, as part of their ability to associate browsing data with user identities.
In the researcher's words, “These native Android apps receive browsers' metadata, cookies and commands from the Meta Pixel and Yandex Metrica scripts embedded on thousands of websites. These JavaScripts load on users' mobile browsers and silently connect with native apps running on the same device through localhost sockets.”
What Meta and Yandex have essentially done is create a crack in the Android sandbox environments through which they can extract website data and cookies, bypassing inbuilt security and privacy protections, and then associating the data with the user’s device identifiers such as their identity within a Meta app, or the user’s Android Advertising ID.
When probed about the covert tracking method by The Register, a Meta spokesperson said, “We are in discussions with Google to address a potential miscommunication regarding the application of their policies. Upon becoming aware of the concerns, we decided to pause the feature while we work with Google to resolve the issue.”
According to the researchers, Yandex has been using this method of covert tracking since 2017, while Meta started in September 2024.
Firefox and Chromium-based web browsers were the primary target of the web data extraction, with Meta and Yandex able to extract cookies that should be otherwise inaccessible due to cookie clearing, Incognito browsing, and Android's app permission system.
A Google representative told Ars Technica, “The developers in this report are using capabilities present in many browsers across iOS and Android in unintended ways that blatantly violate our security and privacy principles,” the representative said, in reference to the developers who built the code behind Meta Pixel and Yandex Metrica. “We've already implemented changes to mitigate these invasive techniques and have opened our own investigation and are directly in touch with the parties.”
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