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Helm's personal email server helps you avoid data breaches
Are you uncomfortable with the thought that some of your sensitive data is sitting on a remote server that represents a big, juicy target for hackers? Helm thinks it has a solution: put that data inside your home. It's launching a namesake personal server that handles email, calendars and contacts without the setup headaches of conventional methods. You just have to pick a domain name (if you don't already have one) and walk through a setup process that should only take a few minutes -- after that, you have 120GB of expandable data space under your control.
Slack buys and shuts down intelligent email app Astro
Slack has acquired email app company Astro and it will be using the company's expertise to better incorporate email into Slack channels. The company said that with over 50 million channels created to date, they're increasingly becoming the platform through which teams collaborate. "But we all know that email is still a very important tool in business communication," said Slack. "We've taken some steps to make it possible to integrate email into Slack, but now we're in a position to make that interoperability much simpler and much, much more powerful."
State Department email breach leaks employees' personal data
The latest government data breach affected State Department employee emails. On September 7th, workers were notified that their personally identifiable information was obtained by an unnamed actor, according to a recent report from Politico. It apparently impacted "less than one percent" of employees and direct victims of the breach were alerted at the time. Apparently, this didn't affect classified information, so at least there's that.
Google is discontinuing Inbox
Google launched Inbox in 2014 as a sort of incubator for new approaches to email, but it hasn't been quite so novel in the wake of steady Gmail upgrades, including April's big redesign. Appropriately, the company is sunsetting Inbox at the end of March 2019. The company wants a "more focused approach" to email, according to product manager Matthew Izatt, and that clearly leaves Gmail as the lone survivor.
Outlook's simplified redesign arrives in public preview
Microsoft teased significant upgrades to Outlook as part of its big Office interface update, and they're finally here... in a manner of speaking. Outlook users on the web and Windows can start trying a public preview of a new experience that's simultaneously less overwhelming and more powerful. Most notably, you can use a simplified ribbon that includes the essentials while staying out of your way. You can expand it at any time if you need more, but you don't need that clutter if you're just handling common tasks.
Gmail's merciful 'undo send' feature comes to Android
Gmail's desktop 'undo send' feature is a godsend for the mashy-handed, letting you recall an email for a short time after you've sent it out into the internet ether. Now -- finally -- it's available on Android with the latest Gmail update (version 8.7).
Gmail's 'Confidential Mode' arrives on mobile devices
Google's big Gmail redesign was revealed this past April (with G Suite customers getting the first look). It became default for everyone starting in July. One of the key features, Confidential Mode, is now available for mobile devices, though not everyone is as confident in its ability to keep your data private.
Newton's subscription email service will shut down next month
Newton was the rare email app that worked well on mobile, Windows and Mac, but it really did cost too much. Note the past tense: The company announced today that the email service will shut down on September 25th. The service will not renew monthly subscriptions or allow new sign ups immediately and will offer pro-rated refunds for annual subscribers. Its parent company, CloudMagic, will continue to work on "new and innovative projects," according to CEO Rohit Nadhani.
Newton email app surfaces messages it thinks you should reply to
If you've used the new version of Gmail, you're probably familiar with how the service "nudges" you to follow up on emails you might have forgotten about. If you want a feature like that, but prefer to use an app vs. Gmail in your browser, cross-platform email program Newton has a new feature called Recap that should scratch that itch.
FBI tracks down California man who threatened Ajit Pai's family
Today the Department of Justice announced it has arrested a man in LA on charges that he threatened to kill the family of FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai. 33-year-old Markara Man allegedly sent three emails to Pai from "stubblemanliness@gmail.com" that in succession blamed the commissioner for a child's suicide, threatened his kids while listing several Arlington preschools and finally contained a picture of Pai and his family. According to the filing, Man admitted that he sent the emails in response to the FCC's repeal of net neutrality protections. Earlier this year, Pai canceled a scheduled appearance at CES 2018 citing security concerns, and in November another man was charged with threatening Representative John Katko. The charge Man is facing carries a maximum penalty of ten years in jail.
The EFF wants to make email servers more secure
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) launched HTTPS-encryption initiative Let's Encrypt two years ago with Mozilla and Cisco. Now it's turning its attention to email servers with a new project called STARTTLS Everywhere, which aims to help server admins run STARTTLS emails servers properly. Because according to the EFF, most aren't.
Facebook accidentally sent developer reports to app testers
While Facebook is still reeling from it's Cambridge Analytica scandal, it has been trying to clean up its image as a company that plays fast and loose with your privacy. Unfortunately, there's yet another issue. According to TechCrunch, Facebook accidentally leaked analytics reports from developers to app testers.
With new updates, Yahoo bets big on Mail’s mobile future
Few things are a uniquely annoying as having to use your email service's mobile interfaces — they're basic, they're kind of ugly, and they rarely provide the niceties you'd normally be used to. Yahoo wants to change that. The brand (which, like Engadget, is own by Verizon's Oath) today announced a new mobile web interface that looks and feels more like Yahoo's full-blown Mail app.
Comey used personal Gmail while FBI director, says federal watchdog
Cast your memory back to the months leading up to the 2016 presidential election and remember the hubbub around then-candidate Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while serving as secretary of state. FBI director at the time James Comey didn't advise charges against Clinton, then reopened scrutiny in late October days before the election. Whether or not that converted fence-sitters into casting ballots for Trump, his campaign capitalized on the FBI's attention. But according to a report (PDF) by the Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General, Comey himself used a personal Gmail account while operating as director of the agency after the election. The report criticized Comey for using his personal email account for unclassified FBI business, which is understandably inconsistent with DOJ policy, according to CNBC. "I wasn't doing classified work there, so I wasn't concerned about that," Comey is quoted saying.
Facebook tells advertisers to get consent for email and phone targeting
Facebook has had no shortage of privacy debacles lately, and it's taking steps to prevent another one before it starts. The company has instituted requirements for its Custom Audience advertising that, as of July 2nd, will tell them to ask permission for targeting ads based on contact info like email addresses and phone numbers. They'll also have declare how they got that contact info (direct consent, partners or a mix of both).
UK privacy watchdog slaps Yahoo with another fine over 2014 hack
Yahoo still isn't done facing the consequences for its handling of a massive 2014 data breach. The UK's Information Commissioner's Office has slapped Yahoo UK Services Ltd with a £250,000 (about $334,300) fine under the country's Data Protection Act. The ICO determined that Yahoo didn't take "appropriate" steps to protect the data of 515,121 UK users against hacks, including meeting protection standards and monitoring the credentials of staff with access to the information.
Gmail's major redesign will be available to all in July
Google made it clear from the outset that it was merely matter of time before the new Gmail design reached everyone, and now we know when that's happening. The internet giant has promised "general availability" of the reworked Gmail in July, with G Suite administrators having options to stagger the transition by either letting users opt-in on their own schedule or making them wait four weeks. Don't think you can cling to the old ways forever, though.
Gmail for iOS now sends money and snoozes emails
Gmail on your iPhone can now help you settle a tab with a friend. A quiet update to the iOS app has introduced the ability to send and receive money using Google Pay. As on Android devices, Gmail sends the payment as an attachment -- the recipient only needs an email address to receive their money. The feature might not be as simple on iOS given that you need to download an app to use it, but it's easier than some third-party apps and more widely available than Apple Pay Cash.
You can soon pay bills directly through your Outlook inbox
If you manually pay the bills that pour into your email inbox, you know it can get tiring: you typically have to launch your browser or an app and wade through any number of screens to send your money. Microsoft might have a better way. It's developing a framework that uses Microsoft Pay to handle bill and invoice payments directly inside Outlook. Companies will need to use a supported service (such as Braintree, Stripe, FreshBooks and Intuit), but this could reduce payments to just a few clicks.
Newton email app makes the 'sent' folder unnecessary
The Newton email and calendar apps offer a fairly unique way to deal with those unfortunate but necessary components of modern life. Some of its smarter features include read receipts, the option to recall a sent email, one-click unsubscribe from newsletters, the ability to hook up apps like Todoist, Pocket, Trello and Asana, send-later scheduling and more. Today, the Newton team is making a seemingly small but potentially useful change to the way sent emails are handled. Specifically, Newton is getting rid of the sent email folder entirely.
