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Android 13, new Ubuntu updates and facial recognition conundrum round up our most read stories of the past week.

Too busy this week to catch up on all the latest tech news? Fear not: We’ve rounded up and summarized TechRepublic’s top stories from August 11-18.

Android 13 and Pixel 6 facial recognition conundrum

Despite having the technology and hardware to support it, Google has yet to publicly test facial recognition support for any of its phones since the Pixel 4. And while the pandemic made fingerprint unlocking Even if the Pixel 5’s digital camera was a fluke, the customer base would still like the ease of use offered by Apple’s Face Unlock features.

TL;DR: Jack Wallen believes that if Google doesn’t implement support for facial recognition soon, it will disappoint some users and lose them for good.

How to return first and last timestamps in Microsoft Excel

Call center logs can be unnecessarily complicated when imported into Excel, but this tutorial by Susan Harkins and her companion demo file can reduce the noise of repeated calls in your call center logs.

TL;DR: Use the Excel MIN() and MAX() references in conjunction with a VLOOKUP to isolate the start and end of calls for the day.

What’s new with Ubuntu 22.04.1?

The first release of Ubuntu Jammy Jellyfish wouldn’t normally attract much attention, but Jack Wallen advises users to upgrade now to enable security features. The release also includes several other updates, such as toolkits for major programming languages ​​and GNOME 42.

TL;DR: This update also includes the ability for users to upgrade from 20.04 via the command line, which removes several commands if you’re ready to upgrade to the latest version.

Nearly 2,000 data breaches reported in the first half of 2022

Data breach reports are down in the first half of 2022 compared to the first half of 2021, according to the latest data from the Flashpoint State of Data Breach Intelligence: 2022 Midyear Edition. But those numbers, and the report of the lowest number of exposed records since 2015, can be misleading.

TL;DR: Reporting is slow, so the actual number of data breaches and exposed records may reach or exceed last year’s numbers when fully accounted for.

Google officially releases Android 13

Owners of Pixel 4, 5 and 6 phones can update to the latest operating system, Android 13, at any time from the settings menu. In addition to updated music controls, customizable icons and a sleep mode, the new version of the operating system also includes greater privacy controls.

TL;DR: Compatibility with older Pixel phones is slated to roll out later this year, but Android-powered tablets can be updated immediately to access split-screen mode and other updates.