Blocking annoying popups in Google Chrome; keep your coffee warm for eight hours; Netflix email scam

In the show today, Marcello Sukhdeo talks about a Google Chrome update that will prevent websites from taking advantage of us by opening new tabs, a smart mug that can keep your coffee warm for up to eight hours, and if you are a Netflix subscriber there is an email scam that you need to be aware of. 

Show Notes: 

Google Chrome will now do more to prevent those annoying ways that websites try to take advantage of us.

Google is planning a new update which will prevent these websites from automatically launching new tabs and windows you never intended on opening in the first place. 

According to a blog post from Google, it says: "One piece of feedback we regularly hear from users is that a page will unexpectedly navigate to a new page, for seemingly no reason.” The source of these redirects, according to Google, is often content embedded within the site itself. 

Now, with the latest update, Chrome will block third-party content from launching new pages unless you're actively interacting with that content. With this update, you will get a notification to let you know the redirect has been blocked. 

A smart mug

The Ember Ceramic mug is a smart mug that connects to your phone through Bluetooth and allows you to set an ideal temperature for whatever you’re drinking (up to 62 degrees Celsius for Canadians). Once the beverage reaches that temperature, the mug will maintain it for up to eight hours.

The ceramic mug will retail for $79 US and is available exclusively at Starbucks and on Ember’s website. 

Netflix email scam

A well designed scanned email has been landing in the inboxes of millions of Netflix subscribers asking them to update their billing information. This of course is part of a large-scale phishing operation.

The email, which has the subject line: ‘Your suspension notification’, includes a link that takes readers what looks like a genuine Netflix home page. From there, readers are prompted to enter private information, regarding their billing details. 

Tech Bytes

Some 800 schools across the US have been targeted by hackers and their websites redirected to an Islamic State-sponsored YouTube video.

The attack, which lasted a few hours, affected schools in Arizona, Connecticut, Virginia and New Jersey.

The hack, which also affected private companies and government websites, is being investigated by the FBI.

Apple has offered to help the FBI with an encrypted phone belonging to Texas church shooter Devin Patrick Kelley after learning the bureau was having trouble getting into the device.

A statement from Apple reads: “Our team immediately reached out to the FBI after learning from their press conference on Tuesday that investigators were trying to access a mobile phone. We offered assistance and said we would expedite any legal process they send us."

Facebook has announced version 2.2 of Messenger. This new version introduces a series of new business-friendly features to the messaging platform. It includes a customer chat plugin that lets businesses integrate Messenger into their own website.