Valve has introduced a new Notes app in the Steam Beta that automatically pops up the correct file that corresponds to each game you play, can be overlaid on top of your game, and automatically syncs from PC to PC via the cloud. The update also includes a revamped notifications tab, screenshot manager, and optional hardware acceleration for the Linux version of Steam. These changes will be rolled out across Steam Desktop, Big Picture Mode, and Steam Deck simultaneously.
Google Authenticator's new feature that enables the backup and syncing of 2FA codes across devices using a Google Account is not end-to-end encrypted, leaving the sensitive one-time passcodes potentially exposed to bad actors. Mysk security researchers found that the unencrypted traffic contains a "seed" that's used to generate the 2FA codes, and anyone with access to that seed can generate their own codes for the same accounts and break in to them. Google has advised users not to enable the Google account feature that syncs 2FA codes across devices and the cloud until end-to-end encryption is added.
Google Authenticator now syncs one-time two-factor authentication codes to users' Google Accounts, making it easier to sign in to apps and websites on new devices. Users can also manually transfer their codes to another device. Christiaan Brand, a group product manager at Google, assures users that the new feature is convenient without sacrificing security. However, if users are wary of syncing their codes with Google's cloud, there are alternative 2FA apps available such as Authy and Duo.
