Having a warranty on a device is nice, but most warranties are limited to just a year. According to a statement to Android Authority (via 9To5Google), OnePlus will offer a lifetime screen replacement warranty for its users. While that sounds phenomenal, it’s not for everyone. In fact, it’s only for a limited group of users.
Before we dig into the news, OnePlus recently launched its OnePlus Nord N30. This is quite possibly one of the best $300 phones launched this year. It excels in multiple areas such as display, speakers, performance, cameras, etc. Android Headlines was given the opportunity to review this phone, and it got 5/5 stars. Check the link below to read our review.
OnePlus offers a lifetime screen replacement warranty, but it’s not for everyone
If you’re on the receiving end of this warranty, then there’s no cause to celebrate. Over the past couple of years, OnePlus phones started suffering a display issue. Users would see a green line stretch across the screen. It was highly annoying and it affected numerous users.
OnePlus is going to offer lifetime screen replacements for people affected by this issue, but it won’t apply to everyone affected by it. For starters, only people using the OnePlus 8 or OnePlus 9 can get this coverage. We’re not sure if the company is going to extend this coverage to more models.
Also, this warranty only applies to people living in India. Again, we don’t know if the company is going to extend this to other markets. In any case, it’s good to know that the company is taking steps to help the situation. No one likes to have random issues on their displays. Also, since OnePlus is offering screen replacements, it’s clear that it’s a hardware issue and not a software one.
There’s another perk to this offer. OnePlus will also offer the user a discount on an upgrade. It’s a voucher that they can only use if they buy the phone online. If you’re in the Indian market, and you’ve experienced this problem with your OnePlus 8 or OnePlus 9, then you should look into this offer..
So you’re heading out on your own, in your first year of college, or heading back to college. And now you’re looking to get some essentials for your own dorm room, well look no further. As we have rounded up the very best dorm room essentials that you can pick up today.
These include tech, as well as other essentials you might need, like an electric kettle for coffee and tea. So we’ve got you covered here.
Best Dorm Room Essentials For College Students
In this list, you’ll find many great essentials for your dorm room to help keep it clean, organize, and prepare yourself for another great year in college. Many of these are inexpensive, compared to other models. For example, we did not list the most expensive Roomba, but rather one of the cheapest. Since college students usually don’t have much cash.
The Google Pixel Buds Pro are one of the best pairs of earbuds you can buy right now. And currently, they are discounted to $139 – normally they cost $199. These earbuds work with Fast Pair across any Android device. And since they are Bluetooth, they’ll still work with iOS, macOS and Windows products too.
These earbuds offer ANC, as well as pretty decent battery life. We’re looking at around 6 hours on a single charge. Google Assistant is included, allowing you to get notifications read to you while you are wearing the earbuds. Which is a really cool feature, to be quite honest.
Just a simple Bluetooth speaker from Bose, that doesn’t cost a fortune. That’s what the Bose SoundLink Flex is. It’s not a smart speaker, so there’s no Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant included, just some good audio.
This is perfect for travel, or using outdoors as well. Bose says you can get around 12 hours of continuous playback on this speaker. And it recharges via USB-C. It’s also resistant to dust, water and debris. It can also resist UV light.
A lot of dorm rooms don’t have a stove, or even a microwave to heat up water and make coffee and/or tea. So that’s where this electric kettle comes in. It works via plugging it into the wall. It can take some time to start boiling, but it’s better than running down to the kitchen.
Spend those late night study sessions in comfort with this reading pillow from Linenspa. It’s made of shredded foam, so it’s going to be super comfy to sit in and study, or read a book. It also has a 3-year warranty in the US, which is pretty neat. And comes in a few different colors.
Many dorm room don’t have a lot of space, so in our essentials, we included a pretty small mini fridge. This one from Black + Decker has about 1.7 cubic feet of space. Which is not a lot, but enough space to store some drinks and some other essentials.
A pretty neat feature on this one is the fact that you can actually reverse the side the door hinge is on. Making it work better in every dorm room, no matter how you have it set up.
You’ll need a drive to store your school work, and anything else that’s important. Just in case something happens to your laptop, or computer. And the Crucial X6 is a really good option. It comes in 500GB, 1TB, 2TB and 3TB. We feel that the 1TB is the best option here for the price at $99.
It’s a SSD, so you’re going to get some pretty fast speeds here. We’re talking up to 800MB/s.
This is currently the cheapest Roomba on the market. Which means that you do miss out on some features, like the auto-empty dock. But for a dorm room, it’s perfect, and why its on our essentials list.
This robot vacuum is able to map out your dorm room and clean it with ease. It works on hardwood, laminate, carpet and much more. And once you move out of the dorm into your own apartment, you can take it with you and use it there.
Even though you’re going off to college, there still might be some online classes you need to take. So a webcam is a good dorm room essentials item to add to your list. And you’ll be able to use this to call home and chat with your family and friends.
The Logitech C270 is not a flashy webcam and it’s under $20. It can output at 720p, and has a noise-reducing microphone built-in.
This is, surprisingly, a 4K 43-inch TV that is under $200. It runs on Fire TV, so you’re going to have access to all of your favorite streaming services. That includes Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and much more.
On top of that, it’s a good size TV for a dorm, since it’s not overly large. And can still be used to connect your gaming console too. While it doesn’t do 4K120, it is still a decent screen.
The well-known bulletproof hosting platform, Lolek Hosted, has been shut down by law enforcement officials from the United States and Poland to limit fraudsters’ access to tools that enable anonymous online behavior.
These platforms give hackers anonymity and are frequently used for malicious activities like malware distribution and assisting cyberattacks.
The FBI and IRS displayed a banner on the <Lolek>Hosted website as early as Tuesday.
“This domain has been seized by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation as part of a coordinated law enforcement action taken against Lolek Hosted,” the banner said.
Lolek Hosted website displayed the Banner
Since 2009, Hosted is a well-known bulletproof hosting service with headquarters in the UK and a data center in Europe. The website is frequently mentioned in stories regarding anonymous hosting services.
While promising to secure their clients’ identities, bulletproof hosting providers turn a blind eye to the content that users publish.
These businesses are notorious for renting out IP addresses, servers, and domains to criminals who use them to spread malware, build up botnet armies, and do other activities connected to fraud and cyberattacks.
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Sentencing Individuals Involved in Bulletproof Hosting Service
U.S. law enforcement has made a point of going after the operators of bulletproof hosting firms in recent years, bringing individuals responsible and imposing severe penalties.
The United States Department of Justice sentenced Mihai Ionut Paunescu, 39, to three years in federal prison in June for his assistance in managing the bulletproof hosting company PowerHost[.]ro.
Pavel Stassi, 30, of Estonia, and Aleksandr Shorodumov, 33, of Lithuania were both sentenced to more than two years in prison for running a bulletproof hosting company that assisted in launching attacks against U.S. targets between 2009 and 2015.
Aleksandr Grichishkin, a Russian national, received a five-year sentence in 2021 for founding and running a bulletproof hosting business.
A 33-year-old resident of Illinois was also given a prison term for owning and running the DDoS facilitation websites DownThem.org and AmpNode.com, which also offered users bulletproof server hosting.
Hence, reports say authorities from the US and Poland worked together to seize Lolek Hosted.
This confiscation is a result of US authorities’ aggressive efforts over the past few years to stop the operations of bulletproof hosting services, which have been mostly successful, with major successes including jail terms for important operators of these platforms.
Gboard is one of the most popular keyboards among Android users, and Google is constantly adding new features to the platform. According to an APK deep-dive performed by 9To5Google, Google could be planning a big version 13.3 update for Gboard. This could, among other things, merge generative AI and stickers.
Since this is an APK breakdown, you’ll want to take this news with a grain of salt. Companies hide code for future features within the current versions of apps, so they saw hints of new features in the current version of Gboard. However, Google can change or take features away at any moment. There’s no telling if we’ll see these changes.
What to expect from the version 13.3 update to Gboard
This is going to be a pretty significant update if it makes it to the public. One feature will be like a breath of fresh air for people who like to use styluses. One feature hinted at was a handwriting feature. This would allow you to use a stylus to handwrite what you want into any text field. Motorola has a feature like this for its G Stylus phones, but this would be available to everyone with the app.
This functionality will come with some convenient gestures to make writing easier. You’ll cross out words to erase, circle words to select them, draw a vertical line to eliminate the space between letters, draw a backward “L” to make a new line, etc.
Next, you’ll be able to minimize the keyboard when you’re using voice typing. You’re able to type and speak at the same time, but if you don’t want to bother with the keyboard, you’ll be able to minimize it. As the app describes it, you’ll be able to see more of your screen when using voice typing.
Google is prepping several AI tools
Well, this should come as no surprise, seeing as this is Google we’re talking about. There are some features that are potentially on the way that could leverage Google’s AI prowess. Firstly, the company might give you infinite options for stickers thanks to Emogen.
This will use generative AI to generate emoji-type stickers that you can paste into your messages. This could be helpful, as we’ve all had those times when we’ve been searching through lists of stickers just to find the perfect one.
Next, Google will bring AI proofreading to the keyboard. We know that Gboard has a simple spell checker, but this one takes it to the next level. Gboard will actually give you corrections on your spelling, punctuation, and grammar. It will use generative AI to do this. Google notes that when you do this, the text you type, your feedback, and your interactions will be stored on Google’s servers for 60 days.
The last potential feature will remind you of the “Help Me Write” feature present in Google Docs. It’s called “tone”, and it will give you suggested rewrites for your text. If you want to sound more professional or concise, you can use this tool to rewrite your text.
Hulu Live TV is the latest to announce a price increase, and it’s going up by $7 starting on October 12. That’s going to bring the price to about $76.99 per month. That actually makes it more expensive than YouTube TV, following its latest price hike. The ad-free Hulu Live TV experience is going up to $89.99 – that’s a $14 increase.
This comes as all of Disney’s streaming services get a price hike, at least the ad-free tiers. Disney+ will be moving to $13.99 for the ad-free tier, Hulu moving to $17.99 and ESPN+ moving to $10.99. While Disney has also introduced a new bundle called “Duo Premium” which gives you ad-free Disney+ and Hulu for $19.99. Considering those combined would cost you $31.98, that’s actually a really good deal.
Hulu Live TV’s latest price increase doesn’t include any channels or features
As we’ve seen around the streaming landscape as of late, prices are continuing to go up, without any new channels or features being added here. At least in terms of Hulu Live TV, which offers, well, Live TV. It is still a really good option, as you are getting 33 of the top 35 channels here on Hulu Live TV. And you also get Disney+ and ESPN+ included here, as well as Hulu’s library. That’s a $14.99 value, so when you compare it to YouTube TV now, it’s technically cheaper.
This comes as we are seeing content costing more and more. Studios like NBCUniversal, Disney, A+E and others are wanting more for their channels to be carried. And of course, with companies like Hulu Live TV having to pay more out of pocket, consumers will have to pay the difference. Which should come as no surprise, but that doesn’t make it sting any less.
Unfortunately, Hulu Live TV’s only real competitors are YouTube TV and DIRECTV Stream which cost about the same amount. So it’s not really worth switching.
Lolek Hosted, a prominent bulletproof hosting provider, has been dismantled in a coordinated operation by US and Polish authorities.
The joint effort aimed to curb cybercriminals’ access to crucial tools for malicious activities by targeting the hosting platform.
The takedown was marked by a banner on the seized website displaying logos of the FBI and IRS-CI, confirming the seizure.
Both US and Polish authorities, along with law enforcement agencies, played vital roles in the operation, though details remain undisclosed.
This action aligns with a broader trend of international law enforcement agencies intensifying efforts to dismantle cybercriminal networks and their supportive platforms.
In a significant blow to cybercriminals’ anonymous infrastructure, authorities from the United States and Poland successfully dismantled the notorious bulletproof hosting provider, Lolek Hosted, this week. The joint effort aims to curtail cybercriminals’ unfettered access to critical tools for carrying out malicious activities.
As of the early hours of Tuesday, visitors to the Lolek Hosted website were met with a banner prominently displaying the logos of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). The banner stated:
“This domain has been seized by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation as part of a coordinated law enforcement action taken against Lolek Hosted.”
The operation also saw the active involvement of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Department of Justice.
Domain seizure notice uploaded by authorities (Screenshot: Hackread.com)
Additionally, Polish authorities played a crucial role, with significant support provided by the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Katowice and the Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime in Krakow.
An official spokesperson from the IRS confirmed the legitimacy of the seizure notice, affirming its role in the takedown. However, both the FBI and Polish authorities refused to provide any details regarding the seizure.
Lolek Hosted, a widely used bulletproof hosting provider, has been operating since 2009 and has established itself as a key player in the realm of anonymous hosting platforms.
Operating from a European data center, the company offered services that shielded clients’ identities and turned a blind eye to the content they posted. This approach made bulletproof hosting services a haven for criminals seeking to disseminate malware, orchestrate botnet attacks, and execute various forms of cybercrime and fraud.
Archive view of the now seized Lolek Hosted domain (Screenshot: Hackread.com)
In recent years, authorities have escalated their efforts to dismantle bulletproof hosting services and other platforms aiding cybercrime by bringing the individuals responsible to justice. Notable cases include the seizure of DoubeVPN, the takedown of the infamous Safe-Inet VPN service, and the INTERPOL’s collaborative effort to dismantle the ’16shop’ phishing platform, resulting in arrests.
The joint operation involving INTERPOL, Indonesian, Japanese, and US authorities, as well as private sector partners, dismantled the ’16shop’ phishing-as-a-service platform. The platform offered phishing kits to hackers, enabling email scams to steal sensitive information from victims.
Nevertheless, these joint efforts serve as a clear indicator that law enforcement agencies worldwide are intensifying their efforts to dismantle the foundations of cybercriminal networks, leaving no safe haven for those seeking to exploit the digital realm for illicit gains.
Infostealer malware is becoming extremely popular among cybercriminals, especially in the malware-as-a-service (MaaS) based sector.
These kinds of malware remain undetected as much as possible for stealing information from the user’s device and transfer to the C2 server of the attacker.
An analysis of over 19.6 million stealer logs for identifying the trends about this malware showed that threat actors valued financial and corporate resources more than any stealer logs.
These logs were sold at a price of $112 on average when compared to all other log sales, which were at $15.
Key Findings
Among the 19.6 million logs, over 376k logs consisted of credentials belonging to many business applications that are more commonly used in all organizations. These include Salesforce, Hubspot, AWS, GCP, Okta domains, and DocuSign.
Over 200k logs consisted of OpenAI credentials which are 1% of the analyzed logs. In addition to this, 48k logs consisted of access to a resource that also includes “okta.com”.
This means that most of the confidential information was accessible. Okta is a popular Identity and Access management software widely used among applications.
Surprisingly, Access to Gmail credentials contributed to 46.9% of the total logs, indicating that over 8 million devices were infected with information stealer malware.
Russian Market and VIP telegram rooms were the prominent sources for these kinds of logs.
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Tiers of Infostealer Access
Based on the type of credential and the type of access contained in a stealer log, they are categorized into three tiers Tier 1 (Corporate and Business Application access), Tier 2 (Infected devices and Banking), and Tier 3 (Consumer applications and Stealer logs).
Tier 1: Corporate and Business Application Access
These logs represent stolen credentials by the info stealer malware that was stored on the employees’ browsers. CRM, RDP, VPN, and SaaS application access credentials belong to this category.
These credentials are used to exploit and expand access before they are sold to top-tier dark web forums.
Tier 2: Infected Devices and Banking
These logs consist of major consumer bank credentials which are used by threat actors to steal money from consumer accounts.
Initial access brokers sell these credentials for an average of $112 at the Genesis market as mentioned earlier.
Tier 3: Consumer Applications
These logs usually belong to VPN applications, streaming services, and other applications which are used to save monthly subscriptions.
However, these are considered to be the lowest-valued credentials which are sold at $10 to $15 per log file.
A complete report has been published by Flare, which provides detailed information on the log classification and other infostealer log information.
If you’re looking for a new wallpaper app, One4Wall is worth the shot. This application is filled with wallpapers made by AI. On top of that, the app’s UI looks great, and it also works flawlessly.
One4Wall app has a large selection of AI wallpapers for you to check out
This app, at the time of writing this article, has over 680 free wallpapers you can check out, and more than 2,000 premium wallpapers, if you’re willing to pay up. Wallpapers are added on a daily basis, that goes for both free and paid wallpapers.
Parts of the UI here are somewhat see-through, while the main portion is focused on the wallpapers themselves. As you scroll between the grid of wallpapers, each of the windows will also slowly scroll, adding to the visual representation.
There are five tabs at the bottom of the article. Those tabs allow you to jump between Free, Plus, Pro, and 8K wallpapers. The last icon at the bottom throws you on your list of favorite wallpapers, in case you saved some of them.
The app itself allows you to edit the colors, saturation, lightness, and blur of each wallpaper. You can, of course, also download them, if you want, or simply set them as your own wallpaper directly from the app.
There are also a number of categories you can jump between
At the top of the main screen, you’ll notice a number of categories you can switch between. Including AMOLED, Anime, Space, Art, Scenery, Abstract, Pastel, and more. You also have the option to choose between light, dark or AMOLED themes for the app itself.
You do not have to pay for this app, at all. If you’d like to access the paid wallpapers, you can pay to get access, as there are quite a few of them.
Check out the images below in order to take a closer look at the UI and the wallpapers themselves. The download link is also included below the article.
From decentralized lending and yield farming to automated market makers, explore how blockchain technology is reshaping the financial landscape for greater accessibility and efficiency. Looking to access the top-notch automated trading platform for BTC? Give Trader AI a shot today for a completely automated trading journey!
DeFi’s Disruptive Impact on Banking
The emergence of DeFi (Decentralized Finance) has ushered in a new era for the financial industry, and its impact on traditional banking is nothing short of disruptive. Unlike the conventional centralized banking system, DeFi operates on blockchain technology, enabling peer-to-peer transactions and financial services without intermediaries.
One of the most significant ways DeFi disrupts traditional banking is through the democratization of financial services. In the past, accessing certain financial products and services was often limited to a select few with privileged access. DeFi, however, opens up a world of possibilities for anyone with an internet connection. It promotes financial inclusion by providing a wide range of services to unbanked and underbanked populations, leveling the playing field and giving equal opportunities to individuals worldwide.
Decentralization also addresses the issue of inefficiencies in the traditional banking system. In conventional banking, transactions often involve multiple intermediaries, leading to delays, high costs, and potential points of failure. DeFi eliminates these middlemen by relying on smart contracts, which are self-executing agreements on the blockchain. This significantly streamlines processes, reduces transaction times, and minimizes costs, making financial services more efficient and accessible.
Moreover, the potential to eliminate intermediaries has broader implications for the banking industry. In DeFi, users have more control over their funds, as they are not held by a centralized authority. This eliminates counterparty risk, where individuals are dependent on the solvency and trustworthiness of financial institutions. Instead, users can manage their assets directly, reducing their exposure to systemic risks associated with centralized institutions.
However, while DeFi offers numerous advantages, it is not without its challenges and risks. Smart contract vulnerabilities and security breaches have resulted in significant losses for some DeFi projects and users. Therefore, it is essential for participants in the DeFi space to exercise caution, conduct thorough due diligence, and employ best practices to protect their assets and investments.
Innovative DeFi Banking Applications
DeFi (Decentralized Finance) has introduced a plethora of innovative banking applications that are revolutionizing how individuals interact with financial services. These applications leverage blockchain technology and smart contracts to offer decentralized, transparent, and efficient solutions to traditional financial processes. Below, we explore some of the most notable DeFi banking applications and their impact on the financial landscape.
One of the most significant developments in DeFi is the concept of decentralized lending and borrowing. Traditional lending processes often involve complex procedures, credit checks, and intermediaries. In contrast, DeFi lending platforms enable individuals to lend their digital assets and earn interest while allowing others to borrow those assets. This peer-to-peer lending model eliminates the need for banks as intermediaries, making the process more efficient and cost-effective for both lenders and borrowers.
Another popular DeFi application is yield farming and staking. Yield farming involves providing liquidity to decentralized exchanges (DEXs) or lending platforms to earn rewards in the form of additional tokens. Staking, on the other hand, involves locking up a certain amount of cryptocurrency in a wallet to support the network’s operations and, in return, earning staking rewards. These innovative mechanisms enable users to earn passive income on their digital assets, encouraging participation and liquidity within DeFi ecosystems.
Decentralized exchanges (DEXs) are also a vital part of the DeFi banking revolution. Traditional centralized exchanges require users to trust a third party with their funds and personal information. DEXs, however, operate without a central authority, allowing users to trade cryptocurrencies directly from their wallets. This not only enhances security and privacy but also eliminates the risk of exchange hacks or mismanagement of funds by intermediaries.
Automated Market Makers (AMMs) are another groundbreaking DeFi application. AMMs use algorithms and smart contracts to determine asset prices and facilitate trades without requiring order books. Liquidity providers pool their funds into smart contracts, and these pools are then used to execute trades. The absence of order books and reliance on liquidity pools makes trading more efficient and provides continuous liquidity for various trading pairs.
While DeFi banking applications offer exciting opportunities, it is essential to be aware of the risks involved. Smart contract vulnerabilities can lead to potential exploits, and users must thoroughly research and understand the risks associated with each platform. Additionally, the rapidly evolving DeFi space means that new projects and protocols emerge frequently, adding to the complexity and uncertainty.
Conclusion
Innovative DeFi banking applications are redefining the way we interact with financial services. By promoting financial inclusion, reducing intermediaries, and offering new earning opportunities, DeFi is poised to revolutionize the banking sector, paving the way for a more decentralized and accessible future.
It comes as no surprise that Disney+ has had a tough year, thanks in part due to the growing subscription costs and the subpar quality of its most popular Marvel TV shows. Now, after the recent announcement of the addition of Hulu content, the company has introduced a new Duo Premium plan, which will cost $20 per month and offer ad-free access to both Disney+ and Hulu.
CEO Bob Iger announced the new plan during the recent third-quarter earnings call and explained the company’s commitment to adapting to the evolving preferences of its diverse audience. “I’m pleased to share that our ad-supported Disney Plus subscription will be available in Canada and select markets across Europe starting Nov. 1. In the US, a new ad-free bundle featuring Disney Plus and Hulu will also be offered.”
Revised Subscription Prices
In terms of pricing changes, the ad-free subscription plan will jump from its current rate of $10.99 per month to a new charge of $13.99 per month. Similarly, Hulu’s ad-free tier will also experience an increase from $14.99 to $17.99 per month. Additionally, the company is also introducing a new “Triple Play” bundle, which will cost $24.99 per month and include Disney Plus (ad-free), Hulu (ad-free), and ESPN Plus (with ads).
Moreover, the company is also reportedly working on developing a unified streaming app that combines content from two of its prominent platforms – Disney Plus and Hulu. And although both platforms will retain their independent status, this combined app will promise a streamlined entertainment experience.
However, these adjusted subscription costs might pose challenges for Disney, as it now comes at a higher price compared to its competitor, Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max service, which provides an ad-free experience at $15.99 per month. Additionally, the company’s announcement of a password-sharing crackdown from 2024 could also prompt viewers to reevaluate the value of their subscription.
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