With the launch of the Watch Series 6 and Watch SE, Apple also introduced clasp-free stretch bands, the Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop. However, sizing them proved to be tricky despite a printable price/size chart, so many buyers found themselves with an ill-fitting band. To make matters worse, Apple’s return policy meant that you had to send back the entire Watch to get the band replaced, a process that could have taken until November.

Apple

Apple has now addressed issues of fit and returns, according to MacRumors and several Twitter users. You can reportedly send back the band only and should be able to get the return processed in a matter of days...

Back in July, Twitter became the target of cyberattackers that hijacked high-profile accounts to run a bitcoin scam. Now, the company has published a post detailing how it’s keeping Twitter secure and making sure that incident won’t happen again, especially since it’s election season in the US. For starters, it has been strengthening the rigorous checks team members with access to customer data must undergo.

As the company explains, some of its teams need access to user data to keep Twitter running. While it usually only grants them access for valid reasons, such as to help users who’ve been locked out of their accounts, it’s had to tighten its measures even further...

It feels unusual to see internet problems that aren’t related to someone trying to pre-order gaming equipment, but this evening users on the East and West coasts of the US experienced issues accessing Google services like Gmail, Google Docs, and even YouTube.

As noted on trackers like DownDetector, the issue seemed to peak at about 9PM ET. Eventually Google’s server status updated to note the issue, and said it was resolved fully by around 10 PM. In a statement to Engadget, a Google Cloud spokesperson said “We experienced a short service disruption affecting several products including G Suite, and are now recovering.”

In yet another unexpected development from 2020, there’s a massive content update available for Left 4 Dead 2. Valve’s co-op zombie shooter was originally released in 2009, but the community is still active enough to produce a new content pack dubbed The Last Stand. There are new achievements, weapons and dialog, as well as “twenty new Survival Arenas, four Scavenge Arenas and a Campaign based on The Lighthouse Survival map.”

The Last Stand DLC is available for free to all players on PC, and even if you haven’t purchased Left 4 Dead 2 on Steam, the entire game is available for free this weekend so you can play it over the next three days...

If you didn’t get a chance to snag a PlayStation 5 when initial pre-orders went live last week, you’ll have a chance to try and buy one tomorrow. GameStop says it will have additional PS5 stock available to pre-order on September 25th both online and in store.

We are pleased to announce that further quantities of PS5 consoles will be made available to pre-order at https://t.co/hfsGYTcy0V and in GameStop stores tomorrow, Friday 9/25. pic.twitter.com/EbRMkAe5RW

— GameStop (@GameStop) September 24, 2020

In a subsequent tweet, the retailer said it’s working on securing more Digital Edition units for people to pre-order, but tomorrow’s availability will only include the more expensive $499 model with disk drive...

One of the notable changes in iOS 14 is that it finally allowed users to set new default apps for their web browser and email. Chrome, Firefox, Gmail and others are already taking advantage of the setting, but after the update rolled out last week, many iPhone and iPad owners noticed their devices would go back to the original settings after a restart.

This afternoon Apple pushed out iOS 14.0.1 and iPadOS 14.0.1, which addresses that issue. If you haven’t received it already then you should be able to nab the download by manually checking for an update, which 9to5Mac shows is around 171MB to download. Other tweaks in the update address camera previews, problems connecting to WiFi, and a problem that could block images from the widget for Apple News...

When it comes out on November 24th, Football Manager 2021 will the first entry in the popular simulation series to make its way to Xbox consoles in more than a decade. Sega plans to release the game on Xbox One, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X, with a single purchase getting you access to both the current and next-generation versions of the game. You’ll also have to chance to buy Football Manager 2021 on PC and Mac, where they’ll be available through Steam and the Epic Games Store.  

Sega says the Xbox release of Football Manager 2021 builds on the Touch version of the series — which the company has typically released on iOS and Android devices, as well as Nintendo Switch. But don’t worry, Sega says it’s fully optimized the game for Xbox controllers...

Facebook has uncovered yet another network of fake accounts with ties to Russia’s intelligence services. As with another recent investigation, Facebook says the fake accounts posed as editors and other media entities in order to trick actual journalists into writing articles for them. 

The social network disclosed the takedowns, saying that the fake accounts had gained around 59,000 followers on Facebook and 2,000 on Instagram. Facebook’s Head of Cybersecurity Policy, Nathaniel Gleicher, said the accounts in question could have also been used in the same kinds of “hack-and-leak operations” Russia used in 2016.

Amazon has announced Guard Plus, a premium version of its Guard service that turns Echo speakers and smart displays into home security devices. Guard Plus can try to deter potential intruders by playing warning sounds like barking dogs and send you a notification if it detects one while you’re away from home. Your device can even listen for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and let you know if they go off.

Guard Plus can also connect you to an emergency helpline staffed by agents who can contact emergency services on your behalf — that could be useful if your phone’s out of reach and an Echo device is close by. You’ll be able to link Guard Plus to other security systems including those from A3 Smart Home, Abode, Resideo, Ring, Scout Alarm and Wyze...

Twitter’s years-long battle over government surveillance and transparency isn’t over yet. In 2014, Twitter sued the US government. The platform was hoping to publish the exact number of national security letters (NSLs) or FISA court orders it receives, but it couldn’t reach an agreement with the US Department of Justice or FBI. In April, a judge denied Twitter’s request for a summary judgment and dismissed the lawsuit. Now, Twitter is appealing that decision.

A member of Twitter’s legal team announced the appeal in a tweet. “When the government issues surveillance requests for people using Twitter, we believe the public has a right to know,” Vijaya Gadde wrote.