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    in Information Technology

    It’s time to update Chrome ASAP – again! – to fix this critical flaw

    Kyle Kucharski/ZDNETGoogle Chrome users who want to stay safe and secure will want to update their browser to the latest version. That’s because it contains a fix for a critical vulnerability that could cause Chrome to crash or even infect your system or device with malware.On Wednesday, Google released Chrome version 134.0.6998.117/.118 for Windows and Mac and 134.0.6998.117 for Linux. Rolling out over the next few days and weeks, this version offers several security fixes. But the patch for the critical vulnerability is the most important one.Also: I’ve tried nearly every browser out there and these are my top 6 (none are Chrome)As described in the NIST vulnerability database, CVE-2025-2476 points to “Use after free in Lens in Google Chrome prior to 134.0.6998.117 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page.” And what does that mean in layman’s terms? Let’s break it down.”Use after free” is a type of memory corruption in which a program continues to use a block of memory even after it’s been freed. Lens in Google Chrome refers to the Google Lens tool that can search for and identify items you spot through your phone’s camera.”Heap corruption” means that someone could exploit data stored in the block of memory. And “a crafted HTML page” — in this instance — is a web page custom-designed for malicious purposes. Put them together, and any previous version of Chrome is susceptible to web pages created by attackers that would take advantage of corrupted memory to infect your PC with malware.Here’s a clever way to visualize this type of flaw. More

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    in Information Technology

    Google Maps yanks over 10,000 fake business listings – how to spot the scam

    ZDNETAs a Google Maps user, I tend to assume that the listings I find in a search are real and legitimate. But that assumption could get me in trouble.Google recently discovered more than 10,000 phony listings in Google Maps, CBS News reported on Wednesday. The listings ran the gamut from blatantly fake businesses to legitimate accounts that had been hacked or hijacked by cybercriminals. In response, Google removed the listings and has filed a lawsuit against the alleged scammers behind them. The old bait-and-switch tacticIn an interview with CBS Mornings, Google General Counsel Halimah DeLaine Prado explained how one complaint uncovered a much wider plot. The probe started after a Texas business complained to Google that an unlicensed locksmith was impersonating them on Google Maps. In this hacked listing, the scammers replaced the existing phone number with a number of their own. Any person calling the new number would have been directed to a different locksmith who might have charged the consumer an exorbitant fee to fix a lock. This one incident led Google to ultimately discover a much greater number of fake listings. Also: 6 Google Maps tricks to tryRelying on the old bait-and-switch tactic, the particular scam was also successful because it targeted people in “duress verticals.” In these, the customer is usually in a vulnerable or urgent situation, such as being locked out of their home. The scammers count on this urgency to trick their victims, who may not realize they’re being scammed until it’s too late. “Online profiles are extremely valuable to businesses as well as consumers,” Prado said in the CBS interview. “Small and medium businesses use those listings for word of mouth and discoverability. Consumers use the reviews for those listings to make decisions on what service to use or not to use. A fake profile and a fake review undermine the trust you have in that ecosystem.” More

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    in Robotics

    Boston Dynamics’ Atlas can run and cartwheel like a human now – and it’s stunning

    Boston Dynamics / ZDNETIf there’s ever an Olympics for robots, we might have found the American entry for breakdancing.In a recent video, Boston Dynamics shows off what Atlas has been up to lately, and it’s probably one of the most impressive things I’ve seen from the company. The robot isn’t just picking things up and moving them around anymore; it’s showing off some eerily human moves. [embedded content]Impressive human movesThe video starts by showing Atlas walking and then running. The walking was a little stiff, but the running was perfectly human-looking. Next, the robot “crawled,” in the company’s words, but it looked more like a series of mountain climber exercise movements. It was extremely fluid, but Atlas was just getting started. Also: The clever Roborock robot vac with a mechanical arm is finally available for preorderAfter showing a tuck-and-roll style move, Atlas shows off a front handspring before breakdancing (a quick search tells me it’s a move called a “coffee grinder” or “helicopter”) and then finishes with a cartwheel. The moves were impressively human, especially the cartwheel. More

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    in Robotics

    How we test products and services at ZDNET

    Kerry Wan/ZDNETAt a time when technology permeates every aspect of our lives, from the smartphones in our pockets to the cloud services powering our businesses, finding the right tech can make all the difference. That’s why ZDNET’s team of subject matter experts, with over 30 years of experience, is committed to providing readers with in-depth, unbiased, and lab-tested reviews of the latest products and services.Also: How we rate deals at ZDNET in 2025Today, ZDNET covers over a dozen product categories, spanning consumer technology to the enterprise, including TVs, tablets, smartwatches, smart rings, laptops and PCs, portable power stations, VPNs, and more. Our reviewers spend upwards of a year testing each product and service to fully grasp its strengths and weaknesses and how it ultimately fares in real-world usage.Every review, product comparison, and best list you read on our website goes through our rigorous testing efforts, which take into account the following:Transparency: Writers and editors evaluate products as they’re released and base buying advice on the state of the product during the review period. We never recommend products based on their promise of future updates, and we’ll always disclose if an external party or brand had any involvement in a story.Expertise: Our team of experts includes industry veterans, analysts, and business professionals who have spent decades testing consumer-facing products. As technology advances, we’re constantly staying on top of trends to best understand the market and how it impacts the products and services you buy.Hands-on testing: Beyond putting products through real-world usage, meaning we go beyond the office space to explore various use cases, ZDNET also has a dedicated testing lab in Louisville, which spans over 10,000 square feet, to test smart home devices, big-screen TVs, projectors, and more.Value: To give the best buying advice, our reviewers always consider whether the product and service they’re testing are worth the asking price, what the extraneous fees are (if any), and how the pricing compares to competitors and previous generations.How ZDNET gets products to review More

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    in Robotics

    Change these 6 TV settings to give it an instant speed boost (and why they work)

    Maria Diaz/ZDNETIs your smart TV slow to respond or stuttering during scenes? You’re not alone — many people experience laggy performance and choppy playback. The good news? A few simple fixes can get things running smoothly again. Also: The default TV setting you should turn off ASAP – and why it makes such a big differenceModern TVs have plenty of features and apps (and services that run in the background) that can slow them down over time. Fortunately, some simple actions can rectify your flatscreen’s sketchy performance. More