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• Apple MacBook Air might be getting a major design overhaul for 2021

  It looks like the 16-inch MacBook Pro might not be the only MacBook to bring back MagSafe charging

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• IRS will let tax payers opt out of facial recognition, but there's a big catch

  Although the IRS has dropped its plans to use video selfies to verify the identities of taxpayers, this year's tax season is still set to be a bit more chaotic than usual.

  Originally the government agency had planned to use the third-party identity verification provider ID.me as part of its efforts to require taxpayers to create new online accounts. However, following backlash, the IRS reversed course despite its $86m contract with the firm.

  Now though, the IRS has announced that taxpayers that don't want to submit biometric data to sign up for an online account with the government agency and will have another option to verify their identities. It seems the IRS is taking a page out of ID.me's book as the identity verification firm recently gave public sector employees working for the government the option to verify their identities with a human agent.

  Taxpayers will be now able to verify their identities via a live virtual interview to create an account on the IRS' website.

  A short-term solution

  In addition to virtual interviews with IRS agents, taxpayers will still have the option to verify their identity automatically through ID.me's self-assistance tool if they choose.

  At the same time, new requirements have been put in place for those that choose this option to ensure that the images they provide are deleted after their account has been created. Meanwhile, any existing biometric data from taxpayers that have already created an IRS Online Account will be permanently deleted over the course of the next few weeks.

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  > Facial recognition will soon be optional for government agencies using ID.me

  > IRS tax tips to protect you from becoming a victim of identity theft

  > TurboTax maker Intuit says it is dropping out of IRS Free File program

  The IRS remains intent on having taxpayers verify their identities to access its online services which is why the government agency is developing its own authentication tool. The IRS provided further details on its upcoming tool which will be available next year in a press release, saying:

  “While this short-term solution is in place for this year’s filing season, the IRS will work closely with partners across government to roll out Login.Gov as an authentication tool. The General Services Administration is currently working with the IRS to achieve the security standards and scale required of Login.Gov, with the goal of moving toward introducing this option after the 2022 filing deadline.”

  Even though the IRS is moving away from using ID.me, this tax season is likely to be quite tedious for taxpayers who also still need to worry about tax-related identity theft.

  • We've also featured the best personal finance software and the best tax software

  Via ZDNet

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• Zyxel UTM and VPN series of gateways impacted by vulnerability

  Zyxel confirms buffer overflow vulnerability affects a number of its products supporting Facebook Wi-Fi feature.

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• Firefox 96 is a boost for anyone doing video calling

  Mozilla has released Firefox 96, an update to one of the most popular web browsers out there.

  According to Mozilla's desktop release notes, Firefox 96 is a big win for anyone who uses the browser to make video calls, with improved noise-suppression and auto-gain-control, plus echo-cancellation, to make sure you sound as crisp and clear as possible. 

  By building the video improvements right into the browser, Firefox users without the best webcams or best USB microphones should see automatic improvements as we move into year three of working from home.

  Firefox for Android boost

  Elsewhere, there are a bunch of technical changes, including reducing the main-thread load, which should make Firefox run that much smoother on most machines. Also includes are the usual bug fixes, such as changing how macOS users can command-click on Gmail links. 

  But it isn't just desktop that gets some Mozilla love, as the Android version of Firefox 96 is set to get some cool improvements, too. As Mozilla says in the Android release notes, users can now see highlights of recently-visited websites and bookmark images have been improved. There are also the usual range of bug fixes. 

  While these are fairly small changes, they make a Firefox for Android that much better and help it compete with Chrome, Brave, Opera, and other Android browser alternatives. 

  The news comes shortly after Mozilla was involved in a controversy over accepting crypto donations. The company was forced to step back from its position on accepting donations via cryptocurrency following a massive backlash which included Mozilla co-founder Jamie Zawinski slamming the company.

  In response, Mozilla promised it will "take action", particularly concerning its climate goals.

  • These are the best browsers with a built-in VPN

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