Internet Explorer may be a thing of the past, but there are still users and threat actors trying to deliver drive-by downloads.
The year is 2023 and there still are some people using Internet Explorer on planet Earth. More shocking perhaps, is the fact there are still threat actors maintaining exploit kit infrastructure and dropping new malware.
In this quick blog post, we review two well-known toolkits from the past, namely RIG EK and PurpleFox EK with the latest traffic captures we were able to collect.
RIG EK
The RIG exploit kit continues to be used by a single threat actor that leverages adult traffic schemes. In this latest instance, it dropped the Lumma Stealer.
PurpleFox EK
PurpleFox is more than just an exploit kit, it is a complete framework with rootkit capabilities. The exploit kit is one of the delivery mechanisms for the PurpleFox malware.
Thank you to researchers at First Watch Security for providing information on this attack chain.
Protection
Even after all these years, Malwarebytes continues to protect agains these exploit kits targeting vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer, the browser no longer supported by Microsoft.
The Pixel 8 Pro has shown up in a promo video leak. The leaked video clip isn’t long but it’s long enough to showcase two things. One of the color options of the phone and an upcoming feature that Google seems to be releasing alongside it called Audio Magic Eraser.
Worth keeping in mind is that the video comes from a brand-new X account, likely created for the sole purpose of sharing this clip and nothing else. Make of that what you will. The promo video leak of the Pixel 8 Pro also clearly has some sort of edited filter over it. Perhaps to obscure things for whatever reason. With all of that out of the way, the video does have some interesting things to take out of it.
First, the Pixel 8 Pro can be seen in a new light blue color as noted by 9To5Google. It’s fairly close to the blue color of the Pixel 7a. So Google looks to be continuing its color scheme here. That’s not too surprising as Google is already doing this with other hardware products that it offers.
The Pixel 8 Pro promo video leak shows Audio Magic Eraser in action
If you were curious about how this feature might work, it’s probably how you’re imagining it. With the regular magic eraser feature for photos, you can use it to remove people or things from a shot. Audio Magic Eraser looks to do the same exact thing but for sound. In the promo video, it shows the user of the Pixel 8 Pro viewing a recording of someone skateboarding across a concrete bridge. They then hit the Audio Magic Eraser button, which scans audio in the recorded clip to identify it. After which, the user drags a bar all the way to the left to remove the sound of the skateboard wheels traveling across the concrete.
Obviously, it’s not clear if the feature will work as well as it’s portrayed in the video. But it’s an impressive feature nonetheless if the video is even remotely accurate. And it should make editing clips a little simpler for times when surrounding noises might be drowning out what you want.
Google has been testing a new card-style UI for search results on its iconic Google app. The new UI generates a card for each search result that includes rounded corners to help you clearly see where one card ends and the next one begins. The goal is to make the app look less dated although this new look is the subject of one of Google’s typical A/B tests and it isn’t clear whether this look will be canceled or disseminated to one and all in due time.
Android Police discovered that the new card-style search results UI for the Google app was spotted by some users in version 14.31.19.29 of the Android version of the app. But since this is an A/B test, some of those with that version of the Google app on their Android phone may not have the updated look yet. For example, my Pixel 6 Pro is running Android 14 Beta 5 and the version of the Google app that we mentioned earlier in this paragraph. But the new UI has yet to appear on the phone.
Google tests a new card style UI for search results on the Google app
Just because Google is testing the card-style UI for search results doesn’t mean that it will elect to keep it after completing its testing. For example, in January of this year, the bottom bar of the Google app received a brief Material You makeover in a test that highlighted the tab that you selected from the choices on the bottom bar of the app: Discover, Search, or Collections. The tab you tapped on would be highlighted by a “blue pill” and while it was a nice touch, Google did decide to end the testing without adding the feature permanently.
Google might decide to keep the card-style UI for search results because it gives the results a more organized look. Still, as you can see from the previous paragraph, Google has no problem shutting down a test if it feels like it should.
A widespread ransomware attack affecting 16 hospitals last week has led to ongoing cleanup efforts.
The 16 hospitals struck down by ransomware last week are still dealing with the fallout from the attack. The healthcare facilities located in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Rhode island, and California had the ransomware attack confirmed by the FBI. Issues started to emerge last Thursday with patients diverted to other locations and some operations put on hold.
The AP reported that staff were forced to resort to pen and paper and manually running records to different departments. When dealing with potentially critical health issues, every second counts, and this is especially the case where so much critical healthcare equipment is reliant on networks and interconnected digital systems.
A recent Facebook update from Waterbury Hospital, CT reads as follows:
Our computer systems continue to be down throughout the network. We are following downtime procedures including the use of paper records. The outage has affected some of our outpatient services, mostly diagnostic imaging and blood draw and some patient appointments. We have contacted and will continue to contact any affected patients.
The post also states that a diagnostic radiology department is affected.
At the time of the attack, no ransomware group had claimed responsibility for the network breach. Now, according to The Record, several sources told Recorded Future News that the ransomware group behind this widespread attack is Rhysida. It’s standard practice that law enforcement will not comment on a ransomware group directly while an investigation is taking place.
What’s interesting given the alleged claims from sources is that the US Department of Health and Human Services recently published a warning to hospitals last week about this specific group. The document said about Rhysida:
Rhysida is a new ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) group that has emerged since May 2023. The group drops an eponymous ransomware via phishing attacks and Cobalt Strike to breach targets’ networks and deploy their payloads. The group threatens to publicly distribute the exfiltrated data if the ransom is not paid. Rhysida is still in early stages of development, as indicated by the lack of advanced features and the program name Rhysida-0.1.
The ransomware also leaves PDF notes on the affected folders, instructing the victims to contact the group via their portal and pay in Bitcoin. Its victims are distributed throughout several countries across Western Europe, North and South America, and Australia. They primarily attack education, government, manufacturing, and technology and managed service provider sectors; however, there has been recent attacks against the Healthcare and Public Health (HPH) sector.
The HHS notes that the ransomware is relatively new. When it first made an appearance on our Ransomware Review in July of this year, we said the following:
Rhysida, a new ransomware gang claiming to be a “cybersecurity team,” has been in operation since May 17, 2023, making headlines for their high-profile attack against the Chilean Army.
The gang published a whopping eighteen victims on their leak site in June, making it one of the most prolific newcomers in our month reviews to-date.
In terms of how Rhysia spreads, the primary methods of infection include phishing attacks, and dropping payloads across compromised systems once Cobalt Strike or other command and control frameworks are in place. Once the ransomware has taken hold, the group uses tried and tested double threat extortion tactics. A ransom note threatens to distribute stolen data publicly unless the ransom is paid.
The threat isn’t “just” locked computers, or patients unable to be assisted. There’s the very real possibility of said patients having their medical or other personal data thrown online for all to see.
Some ransomware groups won’t touch medical attacks for fear of reprisals. On many occasions where a medical facility or healthcare provider has been attacked, those responsible will apologise and provide free decryption tools. Others will do much the same thing alongside blaming rogue affiliates.
Certain attacks simply draw too much heat and generate waves of negative publicity for the culprits. If your entire gimmick is that you can (just about) be trusted to unlock PCs and return data if you receive a ransom, taking down hospitals will not encourage others to trust you.
All this leads to in the long term is a probable drop in ill-gotten gains, and you can bet the ransomware authors would prefer that to not be the case.
Hopefully, all of the impacted healthcare operations will be back up and running soon. We’d suggest anyone potentially affected keep in touch with their local hospital and pay attention to the updates page for more information.
Detect intrusions. Make it harder for intruders to operate inside your organization by segmenting networks and assigning access rights prudently. Use EDR or MDR to detect unusual activity before an attack occurs.
Stop malicious encryption. Deploy Endpoint Detection and Response software like Malwarebytes EDR that uses multiple different detection techniques to identify ransomware, and ransomware rollback to restore damaged system files.
Create offsite, offline backups. Keep backups offsite and offline, beyond the reach of attackers. Test them regularly to make sure you can restore essential business functions swiftly.
Don’t get attacked twice. Once you’ve isolated the outbreak and stopped the first attack, you must remove every trace of the attackers, their malware, their tools, and their methods of entry, to avoid being attacked again.
Malwarebytes EDR and MDR removes all remnants of ransomware and prevents you from getting reinfected. Want to learn more about how we can help protect your business? Get a free trial below.
A couple of days back, Samsung released the August 2023 security update for the Galaxy S22 series in Latin America. The update has now crossed boundaries to reach the US. More precisely, the company is pushing the new SMR (Security Maintenance Release) to its 2022 flagships in Puerto Rico. It should soon be available in the mainland US as well. Users in other parts of the world can also expect to receive the latest security patch in the coming days.
Samsung‘s August SMR is currently rolling out to factory-unlocked variants of the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+, and Galaxy S22 Ultra in Puerto Rico. The new firmware build number for the phones is S90*U1UES3CWG2. The official changelog supplied by the Korean firm reveals that the devices aren’t getting anything more than this month’s security patches. Users in Latin America also only received the August SMR and nothing else.
As said earlier, Samsung will soon expand the rollout of the August SMR for the Galaxy S22 series to other parts of the US as well as the rest of the world. The update will also be available for users with carrier-locked units. The build number may vary, but the changelog should remain the same. The company has already revealed that the latest security patch contains fixes for more than 80 vulnerabilities, including at least three critical patches.
If you’re using a Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+, or Galaxy S22 Ultra, you can expect to receive a notification promoting you to download the August update in the coming days. You can tap on the notification and follow the on-screen instructions to install the latest security enhancements on your phone. You can also navigate to Settings > Software update > Download and install to check for new OTA (over the air) updates manually.
Samsung has begun beta testing the Android 14 update for Galaxy devices
As Samsung pushes the August SMR to more Galaxy devices, the company is also simultaneously beta-testing the Android 14 update. The first beta build of the big Android update, which brings the company’s One UI 6.0 custom software, is now available for the Galaxy S23 series in Germany, South Korea, and the US.
Interested Galaxy S23 users in these countries can enroll in the One UI 6.0 beta program from the Samsung Members app. The company is expected to open the beta program for more devices and expand the availability to other countries later this month. The stable update should arrive in November, if not earlier.
Thesnake02 hacker group exposes sensitive data from Brazilian Plastic Surgery Clinic.
Breach occurred in July 2023, leaking 1.25 GB of private patient data, including surgery-related images and financial documents.
Trend of healthcare cyberattacks continues; Roberto Polizzi Plastic Surgery Clinic joins the list of victims.
Detailed analysis reveals trove of confidential patient info, nude images, and PII, but no passwords or credit/debit card data.
While primarily in Portuguese, leaked nude images pose significant risks; potential for exploitation by cybercriminals.
Previous cybercrime groups like REvil, The Dark Overlord, and Tsar Team targeted plastic surgery clinics, extorting ransom payments and leaking data.
Breach underscores urgent need for improved healthcare cybersecurity to protect patient confidentiality and data.
A group of hackers operating under the alias Thesnake02 have leaked a trove of sensitive data belonging to the Roberto Polizzi Plastic Surgery Clinic based in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
The breach, which occurred on July 26th, 2023, has resulted in the leak of approximately 1.25 GB of highly sensitive and private data, including surgery-related images, financial documents, and personal information of patients.
The clinic, managed by Dr. Roberto Polizzi, has become the latest victim of a growing trend of cyberattacks targeting healthcare and medical institutions. The leaked data, initially made public on the latest version of Breach Forums, has been closely examined by Hackread.com.
Post of the Breach Forums (Screenshot: Hackread.com)
Detailed analysis of the compromised data reveals a vast trove of confidential patient information, including nude images related to surgical procedures, WhatsApp messages, audio notes, receipts, CVs, invoices, internal clinic documents, and contact details.
The breach also exposed a wealth of personally identifiable information (PII), such as driver’s licenses, CPF IDs (Brazil’s equivalent of social security numbers), Covid certificates, and more. Importantly, no credit card or debit card information was among the leaked data.
The leaked data has been blurred over privacy concerns. (Screenshot: Hackread.com)
While the leaked records are primarily in Portuguese, we warn that the exposure of surgery-related nude images carries substantial potential risks. Cybercriminals could exploit this sensitive content in various harmful ways, including extortion and blackmail.
In the past, several notorious cybercrime syndicates, including REvil hackers (also known as the Sodinokibi group), The Dark Overlord, and Tsar Team, were involved in cyberattacks targeting plastic surgery clinics. These groups would extort ransom payments from their victims and, when these demands went unmet, proceeded to expose sensitive data online.
In December 2020, The Hospital Group, situated in Manchester, England, fell victim to REvil’s cyber attack. The plastic surgery clinic London Bridge Plastic Surgery (LBPS) was targeted by The Dark Overlord in October 2017, while Tsar Team successfully hacked and subsequently leaked data from Grozio Chirurgija, a cosmetic surgery clinic located in Kaunas, Lithuania back in May 2017.
As for the Roberto Polizzi Plastic Surgery Clinic, given the language barrier, the immediate impact of this breach might be somewhat limited. However, the incident underscores the critical need for enhanced cybersecurity measures within the healthcare sector, where patient confidentiality and data protection are of paramount importance.
Analysis of the Zoom Terms of Service caused users to believe their video conferences were being used to train an AI
Changes in the terms of service (TOS) of the Zoom video-conferencing software have caused some turmoil. Since the pandemic, Zoom (Video Conferencing) has become a household name. Zoom came up as the big winner in the video conferencing struggle that enabled us to work from home. Now that things are more or less returning to a new normal, this has also had an impact on their success. But the recent uproar about their TOS could turn out to be a bigger blow.
The strange thing should be that the offending bits of the changes were effectuated in March of 2023. But nobody noticed until August when people started posting and discussing a portion of Zoom’s TOS. They found that Zoom claimed the right to access, use, collect, create, modify, distribute, process, share, maintain, and store Service Generated Data, including for the purpose of product and service development, marketing, analytics, quality assurance, machine learning or artificial intelligence (AI).
For a better understanding, you will want to know that in May, Zoom announced a collaboration with Anthropic, an artificial intelligence company that conducts research into AI safety and develops tools based on that work. The AI called Claude is intended to be integrated into the Zoom platform.
After all the uproar about it, Zoom changed its Terms of Service to reflect that Zoom will require user consent to use content for training artificial intelligence.
“Notwithstanding the above, Zoom will not use audio, video, or chat Customer Content to train our artificial intelligence models without your consent.”
In a blogpost, Zoom explains that they updated the TOS (in section 10.4) to confirm that they will not use audio, video, or chat customer content to train the AI models without your consent. And that the section about training artificial intelligence only concerned certain information about how customers in the aggregate use their product. They claimed to only do this to improve the product—not to spy on users.
The explanation makes a lot of sense, but wouldn’t it have been easier if they’d said that in the first place? From the way the TOS was worded, I would have guessed that that’s what they wanted us to think and not what they actually meant.
Unfortunately, they are not alone. Many software companies have their legal documents and agreements drawn up by professionals, that do not care whether their products can be read by ordinary people. As long as the legal content is correct and covers all angles, it’s all good in their point of view.
For that reason, it happens a lot that TOS, EULA’s (End User License Agreements), Privacy Policies, and privacy agreements do not get read in full. And even if we do, some of them look like they are designed not to be understood even if we take the trouble of reading through all of it.
If you don’t believe me, have a look at the Zoom TOS. If you have no trouble understanding what it says there, you are probably a lawyer specialized in corporate law. Even now that we have summarized it for you, it still looks like a major case of letter soup designed to make your eyes roll.
What most of these pieces of text have in common is:
You are supposed to have read them once you use the software, be it by putting a checkmark at the bottom of an endless text, or by simply proceeding to use the software
They protect the rights of the issuer
They restrict your usage
They explain what the issuer can do with your information and content
They are written by and for lawyers
They often favor length and complexity
But most of the time we view them as something that stands in the way of our goal, which is to play the game, use the software, or start working. This has been a known problem for many years, even so much so that a friendly programmer set out to work on a solution. If you’re interested in what a EULA has to say, but no time or inclination to read through all of it to find the important parts, give Eulalyzer a try. It’s free for personal use.
Malwarebytes EDR and MDR removes all remnants of ransomware and prevents you from getting reinfected. Want to learn more about how we can help protect your business? Get a free trial below.
We’re here to compare two book-style foldables, which have a similar form factor, but are quite different at the same time. We’ll compare the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Huawei Mate X3. Samsung announced its latest foldables during an event last month, one of which was the Fold 5. The Huawei Mate X3 arrived earlier this year, but it’s still quite compelling. Hardware-wise, many would say it’s more compelling than the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
We will compare these two phones across a number of areas, but we’ll first list their specs. Following that, we’ll compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance. Let’s see how Samsung’s best foldable compares to Huawei’s, shall we?
Specs
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 & Huawei Mate X3, respectively
– Screen size (main): 7.6-inch Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X display (120Hz, HDR10+, 1,750 nits) 7.85-inch Foldable OLED (120Hz, 1 billion colors) – Screen Size (cover): 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X (120Hz) 6.4-inch OLED (120Hz) – Display resolution (main): 1812 x 2176 2224 x 2496 – Display resolution (cover): 2316 x 904 2504 x 1080 – SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 – RAM: 12GB (LPDDR5X) 12GB – Storage: 256GB/512GB/1TB (UFS 4.0) 256GB/512GB/1TB – Rear cameras: 50MP (wide, f/1.8 aperture, Dual Pixel PDAF OIS), 12MP (ultrawide, 123-degree FoV), 10MP (telephoto, 3x optical zoom) 50MP (wide, f/1.8 aperture, PDAF, OIS), 13MP (ultrawide), 12MP (periscope telephoto, 5x optical zoom) – Front cameras: 4MP (under display, main display, f/1.8 aperture), 10MP (cover display, f/2.2 aperture) 8MP (main and cover display, f/2.4 aperture) – Battery: 4,400mAh 4,800mAh – Charging: 25W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless (no charger) 66W wired, 50W wireless, 7.5W reverse wireless (charger included) – Dimensions (unfolded): 154.9 x 129.9 x 6.1mm 156.9 x 141.5 x 5.3mm – Dimensions (folded): 154.9 x 67.1 x 13.4mm 156.9 x 72.4 x 11.8mm – Weight: 253 grams 239/241 grams – Connectivity: 5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3 4G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.2 – Security: Side-facing fingerprint scanner – OS: Android 13 with One UI Android with EMUI 13.1, no Google Play Services – Price: $1,799 €2,199 – Buy: Samsung Huawei
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Huawei Mate X3: Design
Both the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Huawei Mate X3 are made out of metal and glass. It is worth noting that the Mate X3 also comes in an eco leather variant, though. They do have a similar form factor, they’re quite tall when folded, and almost square-shaped when not. The thing is, the Mate X3 does have a more regular aspect ratio on its cover display, the Galaxy Z Fold 5’s is quite narrow.
Both devices include a display camera hole on their cover display, a centered one. The Mate X3 also has one on the main display, in the top-right corner. Samsung hides the selfie camera under the main display of this phone. Both phones have rather thin bezels around both displays. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 has three vertically-aligned cameras on the back. Those cameras are located in the top-left corner, and are a part of the same camera island. The Huawei Mate X3 has a circular camera island on the back, which is centered at the top, and hosts three cameras.
The thing is, the Huawei Mate X3 has larger displays than the Galaxy Z Fold 5, and despite that, it’s considerably lighter. It weighs 239 grams or 241 grams, depending on the model. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 weighs 253 grams. They’re similar in terms of height, while the Mate X3 is wider in both states (folded and unfolded). The Mate X3 is noticeably thinner than the Galaxy Z Fold 5, however, in both folded and unfolded states. Both devices do fold flat, without a gap, and both are IPX8 certified for water resistance.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Huawei Mate X3: Display
A 7.6-inch main display is included on the Galaxy Z Fold 5. That is a Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It has a resolution of 1812 x 2176 pixels, and supports HDR10+ content. The cover display on the phone measures 6.2 inches, and has a resolution of 2316 x 904 pixels (23.1:9 aspect ratio). This is also a Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel, with a 120Hz refresh rate. It is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
The Huawei Mate X3, on the other hand, includes a 7.85-inch main display. That is a Foldable OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, which can project up to 1 billion colors. The resolution here is 2224 x 2496. The cover display on the phone measures 6.4 inches. That is an OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. It has a resolution of 2504 x 1080, and it’s protected by Huawei’s Kunlun glass.
All four displays are really good, actually. They offer good, vivid colors, deep blacks, and good viewing angles. They’re more than sharp enough, and also bright enough. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 does have a brighter main panel, though, with a limit of 1,750 nits. The cover displays are well-protected on both phones, and seeing a 120Hz refresh rate on all panels is always good. The cover display on the Mate X3 is more useful, though, as it’s not as narrow as on the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Huawei Mate X3: Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy fuels the Galaxy Z Fold 5. Samsung also included 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM on the phone, and UFS 4.0 flash storage too. The Huawei Mate X3, on the other hand, utilizes the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC, a variant that is limited to 4G connectivity. We’re not sure about what LPDDR and UFS modules Huawei used exactly, but it’s most likely LPDDR5 and UFS 3.1 or 4.0.
When it comes to general performance, the two phones are on par. Day-to-day performance is extremely snappy on both, and that goes for multitasking as well. If you delve into gaming, you’ll also get great performance from both phones. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 could handle the most demanding games a bit better, but both are quite capable from what we’ve seen. They do get warm, but not overly hot or anything of the sort. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is more future-proof, though, and the Mate X3 doesn’t include Google services, which is worth noting.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Huawei Mate X3: Battery
A 4,400mAh battery sits inside the Galaxy Z Fold 5, while a 4,800mAh one is included inside the Huawei Mate X3. The Mate X3 does have larger displays, so it makes sense it has a larger battery too. What’s the battery life like, though? Well, it’s really good on both phones. Getting to 7 hours of screen-on-time is easily possible on both phones, though your mileage may vary. Truth be said, we did fly under the 7-hour mark on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 sometimes, but usually it was able to cross that mark. The Mate X3 does seem to offer a bit better battery life, though.
Your mileage may vary, though, of course. There are two screens to consider here, on both phones, while your usage will be different, as will your signal strengths, and installed apps. Also, if you’re planning to play games, that will considerably impact battery life on both phones, which may mess things up even further. We only played games for testing purposes, on regular days, we did not.
When it comes to charging, the Mate X3 shames the Galaxy Z Fold 5. It supports 66W wired, 50W wireless, and 7.5W reverse wireless charging. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 supports 25W wired, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. Needless to say, the Huawei Mate X3 will charge up a lot faster, both via a wire, and wirelessly. It also includes a charger in the box, unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Huawei Mate X3: Cameras
A 50-megapixel main camera is included on the Galaxy Z Fold 5. In addition to that, there is also a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera (123-degree FoV), and a 10-megapixel telephoto unit (3x optical zoom). The Huawei Mate X3, on the other hand, also has three cameras on the back. A 50-megapixel main camera is backed by a 13-megapixel ultrawide camera, and a 12-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (5x optical zoom).
The images from the Galaxy Z Fold 5 do end up looking more processed. The Huawei Mate X3 keeps things a bit closer to real life, but the images from the phone are far from plain. We prefer the Huawei Mate X3 here. Both phones do end up offering sharp images, and both phones handle HDR conditions really well. Even in low light, both devices are very capable, and manage to keep around plenty of details. The Mate X3 does handle street flares a bit better, though.
When it comes to ultrawide cameras, they’re following the main camera’s colors really well, but are a step below what the main cameras can do. They do a solid job in low light, though. When it comes to telephoto cameras, we definitely prefer the Mate X3’s, as it can zoom further without losing a lot of details. The telephoto camera on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is also quite useful, though.
Audio
Both phones feature stereo speakers, and both sets of speakers are loud enough. They’re not the best out there, but they’re loud. They’re also quite detailed, and there’s no distortion you should worry about. The sound is also well-balanced.
Neither device has a 3.5mm headphone jack, so you’ll have to rely on their Type-C ports for wired audio connections. If you opt for a wireless connection, do note that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 supports Bluetooth 5.3, while the Huawei Mate X3 offers Bluetooth 5.2.
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang believes AI-powered chips can reinvent computers, and AI platforms are the future of computing, The Street reports.
AI is pegging itself as an integral part of everyday life, and its scope is remarkably growing. It is changing the meaning and nature of every device we already know, and computers won’t be an exception. As a leading brand in the semiconductor industry, NVIDIA is now preparing for the next-generation computers that are totally powered by AI.
NVIDIA CEO lays out visions for computers with AI-powered chips
CEO Jensen Huang said on August 8 that an AI technology powered by Nvidia’s chips will “reinvent the computer itself.” Additionally, powerful new AI platforms are on the way to replace the computing platforms we currently know.
“Large language model is a new computing platform because now the programming language is human,” Huang said. “For the very first time, after 15 years or so, a new computing platform has emerged. The computer itself will, of course, process information in a very different way.”
NVIDIA CEO added that his company’s accelerated computing will work to align computers and computing platforms with large language models. Of course, Huang mentioned that the upcoming environment that generative AI fuels requires a tremendous amount of cloud.
To support this growing demand in the cloud environment, Huang said NVIDIA is giving a “boost” to its Grace Hopper Superchip processor. The new chip will be called “GH200” and is combined with the world’s fastest memory chip, HBM3.
“The chips are in production. This processor is designed to scale out of the world’s data centers. It basically turns these two super chips into a super-sized super chip,” Huang noted.
The NVIDIA CEO also said companies will be able to put any large language model they like into this chip, and “it will infer like crazy.” Additionally, the inference cost of large language models will drop significantly.
The growing demands in the semiconductors industry caused NVIDIA to surpass over $1 trillion in valuation. The financial reports are also painting a rosy picture of the company’s situation. Beyond that, AI-powered chips can give an unbeatable competitive advantage to NVIDIA and reinvent the meaning of computers for users.
The Galaxy S21 series is the latest entrant to Samsung‘s August 2023 security update party. The Korean firm has released the latest security patch for its 2021 flagships in Latin America. A wider rollout covering the phones in more markets, including the US, should follow soon.
The August SMR (Security Maintenance Release) for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra comes with the firmware build number G99*BXXS9EWH1 in Latin America. As of this writing, we can confirm the availability of the update in Guatemala and Trinidad and Tobago. Samsung will gradually expand the rollout to more countries in the region as well as the rest of the world.
Don’t expect anything big here, though. The update doesn’t bring any new features or improvements to your Galaxy S21 handset. As confirmed by Samsung’s official changelog, this update is all about the latest security patch. The company has already revealed that the August SMR patches as many as 86 vulnerabilities. At least three of those were “critical” flaws, while the vast majority of the remaining patches were classified as “high-severity” issues by Samsung and Google.
If you’re using a Galaxy S21 phone, these security fixes will be available to you shortly. Samsung has also released the August SMR for the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S22, Galaxy S20, Galaxy Note 20, all recent foldables, and a few Galaxy A series mid-range smartphones. As you’d expect, the rollout for most of these phones is limited to select markets at the moment. However, it’s just a matter of time before the updates reach eligible units globally.
As usual, you will get a notification once the OTA (over the air) rollout hits your Galaxy smartphone. Simply tap on the notification and follow the on-screen instructions to update your phone to the latest security patch. Alternatively, you can go to the Settings app, tap on Software update, and then on Download and install to manually check for new updates. Note that updates are released in batches and may not show up for everyone at the same time.
The Galaxy S21 series will get the Android 14-based One UI 6.0 update
Samsung launched the Galaxy S21 trio in early 2021 with Android 11 onboard. The company has since pushed Android 12 and Android 13 to the devices. The phones will get Android 14 as well. The Korean firm recently released the One UI 6.0 beta update for the Galaxy S23 series, with its One UI 6.0 custom software. It will push the stable version later this year. The Galaxy S21 series should also get the One UI 6.0 update before the end of 2023.
