OnePlus has made a splash with its Nord line of affordable phones, and we’re getting ready for the next entry. The company is set to announce the Nord CE 4 Lite 5G on June 24th, but the company did a pre-announcement announcement of the phone. That’s a bit weird. This phone, along with being a mouthful, is meant to be a compelling handset with some nice specs for its price.
OnePlus shares some details about the Nord CE 4 Lite 5G
The Nord series of phones has expanded over the years to cover a wide range of prices and specs. The next Nord CE device is set to come jam-packed with some nice goodies. OnePlus talked to Tom’s Guide about this upcoming phone and shared some details about it before the official announcement.
Starting off with the focus of this phone, the battery is going to be bigger than the cell in the Nord CE 3 Lite. The latter came with a standard 5,000mAh battery. The Nord CE 4 Lite will sport a 5,110 mAh battery. That’s not a big boost in capacity ( 2.2% increase), but it’s enough for OnePlus to promise all-day battery life. Hopefully, OnePlus has some trick up its sleeve to push the battery life.
When it comes to the charging, this handset will have an impressive 80W charging, which is a notable boost from last year’s 67W. In case you’re caught without a charger, this phone will also come with 5W reverse charging.
The OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G will have an OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. You won’t have any issue seeing this phone in the daylight, as its display could max out at an impressive 2,100 nits.
Rounding out the specs, it looks like this phone will come with a 50MP main camera. It’ll use the Sony Lytia 600 sensor. We’re going to have to wait until June 24th for more information. Already, it looks like this will be a great phone.
Samsung has announced a global release of the Galaxy Book 4 Edge, its first Copilot+ AI PC. Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite processor, the new laptop is equipped with cutting-edge technologies tailored for the AI era. The laptop is now on sale in the US and many other global markets.
Galaxy Book 4 Edge goes on sale globally
Unveiled in mid-May, the Galaxy Book 4 Edge is part of the first batch of Snapdragon X PCs. Qualcomm’s new processors, including the Snapdragon X Plus, are making their debut globally today as the only chips rated to power Copilot+, Microsoft’s new AI PC ecosystem. Samsung’s first offering is available in two sizes—14-inch and 16-inch. Both models feature a Dynamic AMOLED 2X touchscreen with QHD+ or 3K resolution (2,880 x 1,800 pixels) and 10-point multi-touch.
The screens boast a 120Hz variable refresh rate, 500 nits of brightness, and HDR10+ support. The 14-inch model has the Snapdragon X Elite processor clocked at 3.4GHz, while the bigger laptop goes up to 3.8GHz. Both get 16GB RAM and 512GB storage as standard, but the beefiest configuration for the 16-inch model gives you 1TB of storage. Beyond the CPU and GPU, the NPU, i.e., the Neural Processing Unit, is one of the biggest strengths of the Galaxy Book 4 Edge series.
The Snapdragon X Elite’s Qualcomm Hexagion NPU delivers 45 TOPS performance for seamless AI processing. The Galaxy Book 4 Edge is well-equipped to handle AI features such as real-time translation, AI-powered editing tools, and other applications. The smaller model expectedly lacks a numeric keypad and features a smaller battery (55.9Wh vs. 61.8Wh). Samsung rates it to last up to 18 hours on a single charge and the other to 21 hours. The laptops charge at 65W speed.
Port options are the same across the two models. You get one HDMI 2.1 port, two USB Type-C 4.0 ports (Thunderbolt 3), one USB Type-A 3.2 port, a MicroSD card slot, and a 3.5mm headphone jack (the laptop charges via a USB-C port). The Galaxy Book 4 Edge has two microphones and a 2MP Full HD webcam. The laptop boasts Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 7 (Wi-Fi 6E in South Korea). You also get Dolby Atmos-enabled AKG quad-speakers with two 2W tweeters and two 5W woofers.
Price and availability
The Galaxy Book 4 Edge is available in Europe, South Korea, the UK, the US, and many other markets. In the US, Samsung is selling the 14-inch model for $1,350 and the 16-inch model with 512GB of storage at $1,750. The 1TB model costs $1750. You get a 50-inch Crystal UHD 4K TV worth $380 for free if you place your order today. You can buy the laptop from Samsung’s official website.
In Europe, the two size variants of the Galaxy Book 4 Edge series start at €1,700 and €2,100, respectively. Buyers in some European countries get a special discount of up to €150 until June 24. The UK prices of the laptops are £1,400 and £1,700, respectively. Last but not least, Samsung has priced the new PC at KRW 2.15 million (approx. $1,560) for the 14-inch model.
The company has also released the 16-inch Galaxy Book 4 Edge Pro in its homeland, priced at KRW 2.35 million (~$1,700) for 512GB of storage and KRW 2.65 million ($1,920) for the 1TB variant. You can check Samsung’s website for your country for regional prices, availability details, and promotions and offers. The Korean firm may bring the new PCs to more markets in the coming months.
The Kansas City, Kansas Police Department (KCKPD) is facing a major security breach after the notorious BlackSuit ransomware group leaked what they allege is stolen department data on their official dark web leak site.
The site serves as a platform to showcase their victims. A look at the screenshot below shows the BlackSuit ransomware group is blaming the KCKPD for the leak, claiming they “voluntarily agreed to have their case files made public.”
Screenshot from the dark web leak site of the BlackSuit ransomware gang (Credit: Hackread.com)
This leak comes after failed negotiations between the KCKPD and the attackers in which authorities were asked to ransom, a demand rejected by the police department. As seen by Hackread.com, the leaked KCKPD data contains a trove of police records including the following:
Manuals
Payroll data
Case reports
Investigations
Legal requests
Employee data
Fingerprint database
Evidence room information
Details of special operations
Homicide crime scene photos
Communication between the police and fire department
And a lot more…
Data leaked by BlackSuit ransomware gang (Screenshot: Hackread.com)
The KCKPD has not confirmed the extent of the leak or its authenticity or commented on the news. However, Hackread.com can confirm that the leaked information and files are as recent as June 13, 2024.
For your information, BlackSuit is suspected to be a rebrand of Royal, a notorious ransomware cartel and a rebrand of the Conti ransomware gang. The group emerged in May 2023 and has been among the most active groups, having victimized a staggering 58 organizations so far in 2024.
The KCKPD serves over 156,000 residents, so the leak, if authentic, may pose significant public safety concerns as it could expose details of past investigations, potentially leading to identity theft and financial scams. The breach could also damage public trust in the KCKPD’s ability to protect sensitive information.
The incident highlights the need for increased cybersecurity measures across all law enforcement agencies, investing in robust digital defences and fostering a culture of cyber awareness. Residents of Kansas City must remain cautious about unsolicited calls, emails, or texts, and be proactive about credit monitoring and identity theft protection.
Sometimes you’ll see the term “overlays” used in articles about malware and you might wonder what they are. In this post we will try to explain what overlays—particularly on Android devices—are, and how cybercriminals deploy them.
Most of the time, overlays are used to make people think they are visiting a legitimate website or using a trusted app while in reality they are not.
Simply put, the Android overlay is a feature used by an app to appear on top of another app. The legitimate use of overlays is to offer functionality to the app’s user without them having to leave the app itself, for example for messages or alerts, such as Android bubbles on Messenger.
The possible malicious use of overlays, then, is not hard to guess. Overlays can be used to draw a full window on top of a legitimate app and, as such, intercept all the interactions the user has with the app. But they can also be superimposed over certain critical areas of an app like the text in a message box.
Some examples of malicious uses of overlays:
Requesting permissions under false pretenses, malicious apps can hide their requests by covering the legitimate app’s permissions text.
Clickjacking, where a user is tricked into clicking on actionable content thinking they are interacting with a legitimate app.
Intercepting information like login credentials and even some multi-factor authentication (MFA) tokens, by making the user think they are entering them on a legitimate app or website.
Whether the overlays are transparent or whether they mimic the legitimate app does not influence the way they work. As long as they blend with the original application’s interface, they are incredibly hard to spot.
Most of the time, a malicious overlay’s goal is to intercept certain user data which enables cybercriminals to steal money or cryptocurrencies. This is why many banking apps have protection in place. In modern Android versions, developers can successfully block any non-system Android overlay to protect against overlay attacks.
Protection against overlays
As we said, screen overlay attacks are most common on Android devices, and they are a significant threat, so we will explain how you can check which apps have the permission to use overlays and how you can disable it.
Tap Settings > Apps > Options (three stacked dots) > Special access > Appear on top. Here you can see a list of apps with the permission to “Appear on top” and you can disable the ones you don’t recognize or don’t need to have this permission.
Using an anti-malware solution for your Android device will be effective against known malicious apps. You can uninstall these apps using the mobile device’s uninstall functionality, but the tricky part lies in identifying the offending behavior and app. That is where Malwarebytes for Android can help—by identifying these apps and removing them.
It also helps to use authentication methods which are harder to phish. MFA is vital to enable, and will protect you from many types of attacks, so please continue to use it. However, authentication-in-the-middle attacks only work with certain types of MFA, and passkeys for example won’t allow the cybercriminals to login to your account in this way.
We don’t just report on phone security—we provide it
Don’t you hate having to scan your fingerprint five times just to get into your phone? It’s a hassle, but it might not be the manufacturer’s fault. There’s always the chance that you didn’t register it correctly. Well, Android 15 could automatically delete your biometric data if it’s not working.
We get it, companies can drop the ball with how they implement biometric scanners. We all remember the issue with the Pixel 6’s fingerprint scanner. Either Google swung and missed with its first under-display fingerprint scanner or we were all just using it wrong.
However, it’s not always the manufacturer’s fault. When setting up a fingerprint or facial I.D., there’s always the case that the data wasn’t registered properly. Maybe the screen was dirty when you registered your fingerprint or your finger was a little wet. Maybe you weren’t in proper lighting conditions when you registered your face. There’s always the chance that you just didn’t register your data properly.
Android 15 could automatically delete your biometric data
If you’re struggling to get into your device, then registering your data again might be the solution. Sure, it’s a hassle, but it’s better than getting the “Try again in 30 seconds” text. According to a new report, Android might get this process started for you.
Android expert Mishaal Rahman discovered some strings within the latest Android 15 beta. They point to the system automatically deleting your biometric data when the models keep failing. Since Google didn’t announce this, you’ll want to take this news with a grain of salt.
The strings contain the notifications that you’ll see when Google does this. One notification reads “Your face model wasn’t working well and was deleted. Set it up again to unlock your phone with face.” In the case of your fingerprint, the system might tell you which fingerprints are not working.
This could be a useful addition to the software, but the issue is that the system could do this automatically. There’s the chance that this could happen at an inconvenient time. It would be nice if the system would ask if you want it to delete the data.
Last week, Apple announced updates to all of its operating systems at WWDC, and unveiled Apple Intelligence. Because, of course, they had to brand a technology. Anyways, Apple Intelligence will bring numerous features to macOS, iOS, and iPadOS this Fall in partnership with ChatGPT. But the real question is, how safe is your data?
For years, Apple has been bragged about not collecting its users’ data. And how its competition – mainly Google – collects almost all of its user’s data. But with AI, Apple is going to need to collect some data and take it off the device. While Apple is looking to do most of the AI work on devices, some of the heavy lifting will need to be done via the cloud.
Sticking with that privacy stance, Apple has done something interesting for cloud-powered AI features. It’s called “Private Compute Cloud”. This is going to allow Apple Intelligence to process complex user requests with groundbreaking privacy, according to Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi.
Apple says that they have “extended iPhone’s industry-leading security to the cloud, with what we believe is the most advanced security architecture ever deployed for cloud AI at scale. Private Cloud Compute uses your data to fulfill your request and never stores it, making sure it’s never accessible to anyone, including Apple.”
With this, Apple isn’t just talking out of its butt, it’s inviting independent experts to verify the code for Private Compute Cloud.
That sounds cool and all; however, what about ChatGPT? Apple is not only unveiling its own suite of AI features but also includes ChatGPT integration here. So how protected will your privacy be when Apple Intelligence rolls out with iOS 18 later this year?
Will ChatGPT protect my data as much as Apple?
The parent company of ChatGPT, OpenAI, is not particularly well-known for protecting users’ data. In fact, they’ve been in the news a lot for scrapping data from other websites – particularly news websites. So, can you feel safe with your data being in the hands of OpenAI on your iPhone?
Keep in mind what ChatGPT is being used for with Apple Intelligence. It won’t necessarily or automatically have access to your personal details. ChatGPT is mostly being used to make Siri smarter. In a demo shown off during WWDC earlier this month, Apple shows that before Siri uses ChatGPT, it will ask you for permission.
Additionally, as part of its agreement with Apple, OpenAI had to make a significant concession. That is, OpenAI will not store any prompts from Apple users or to collect their IP addresses. Obviously, that is only going to be from using ChatGPT through Siri and not the ChatGPT app that is already available on the iPhone.
How did Apple train its AI?
While it seemed like Apple was pretty late to the party with artificial intelligence, they’ve actually been using it in their software for many years already. Earlier this year, they open-sourced their own LLM (Large Language Model) called OpenELM. But the real question is, with all of these privacy concerns, what data did Apple use to train their AI?
According to a technical document that Apple released this week, its models are trained “on licensed data, including data selected to enhance specific features.” This means that Apple is not scrapping the entire internet, as OpenAI has been accused of doing, and Google definitely is since it is the largest search engine.
Apple says that “we never use our users’ private personal data or user interactions when training our foundation models.” The company continued by stating that “we apply filters to remove personally identifiable information like social security and credit card numbers that are publicly available on the internet.”
On the flip side, Apple has admitted to scraping some of the internet for data that went into training its proprietary models. However, Apple has not said what web-based information it has ingested. Apple has also confirmed that publishers can add code to their websites to prevent Apple’s web crawler from collecting their data.
Can you trust Apple Intelligence with your data?
Now, for the million-dollar question. Can you actually trust Apple Intelligence with your data? As we’ve gone over, ChatGPT is not able to store your prompts or your IP addresses. So it’s almost like using Snapchat for AI. With Apple’s own AI features, they are using the Private Compute Cloud to secure your data. So, can you trust Apple Intelligence?
At this point, I’d say you can. Apple has already gone the extra mile to make your data more secure, especially when compared to other AI companies out there.
Of course, at this point, this is all about what Apple has said, and not what they have done. We’ll have to wait until later this year when Apple Intelligence actually rolls out to see some independent experts analyze the code and see if it is actually as secure as Apple is promising. But so far, it’s looking pretty good.
Threads, the X-like social media platform from Meta, is making waves in the tech world today by opening its doors to third-party developers. This significant move means that developers can now harness the power of the Threads API (Application Programming Interface) to build new tools and features that will enhance the overall Threads experience for users.According to Meta’s announcement, one of the key benefits of the Threads API is the ability for developers to directly publish posts on behalf of users, which can streamline content creation and management. In addition, the API provides insights into post performance, including metrics like views, likes, replies, and reposts. Armed with this data, developers can optimize their strategies and create more engaging content.Additionally, the Threads API allows developers to effectively manage replies and interactions on their posts. This includes the ability to set controls for replies and quotes, retrieve replies to posts, and even hide, unhide, or respond to specific replies. This level of control allows developers to create a more engaging and positive community experience within the Threads platform.
Meta also stated that prior to the public release of the API, the company partnered with a select group of companies to beta test it. These companies included names like Grabyo, Hootsuite, Social News Desk, Sprinklr, Sprout Social, and Techmeme. This beta testing phase allowed Meta to gather valuable feedback and refine the API based on real-world use cases.
The introduction of the Threads API is a positive development for both developers and users alike. It opens up a world of possibilities for innovation and creativity, not to mention a possible wave of new apps that can leverage the larger real estate of tablets, foldables, and TVs.
One example that can be immediately pointed out, is the lack of a Threads app for iPad or Mac. Of course, a PWA exists, but nothing really compares to the experience of a truly native app. As developers explore the potential of the API, we can expect to see a surge in new tools and features that will enhance the way we connect and interact on the platform.
Right now, Korean company Samsung is in a battle with Taiwanese company TSMC. Both are major chip fabrication companies, but TSMC has been stealing a ton of Samsung’s customers. According to a new report, it seems that Google could use TSMC for the chip powering the Pixel 10 devices.
Right now, the Pixel 9 isn’t even out of the rumor stage, so it seems odd that we’re covering news about the Pixel 10. However, most of the time, the devices we use were in planning at least a year before launch. Google is already making preparations for its Pixel 10 phones and the chip powering them. We’re sure that the Pixel 9 is already in production and getting ready to ship.
Google could use TSMC for the Pixel 10 phones
This is still early information, so you’ll want to take this news with a grain of salt. We’re looking at more than a year before we start to hear about the next Tensor chip. We expect it to be called the Tensor G5.
Business Korea reports that Google might use TSMC’s 3nm process for its next Tensor chip. Samsung is also working on 3nm technology, but the company’s yield rates sit between 10% and 20% lower than those of TSMC. When fabricating chips, there’s a chance that a number of them fail. It’s natural for all foundries. However, it seems that Samsung’s chips are more likely to fail than TSMC’s.
The fabrication process also has an impact on the overall performance of the chip. We can’t forget the blow to Samsung’s ego that was the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1. That chip’s lateral predecessor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 was fabricated by Samsung, and phones using that chip experienced overheating and efficiency issues.
The 8 Plus Gen 1 was the same exact chip, but it was fabricated by TSMC. That chip had a palpable performance, heat management, and efficiency gain over the Samsung-fabricated chip.
This is why several companies are no longer using Samsung Foundry. Google has been a holdout, but it seems that even it’s going to convert. Samsung has been working on its fabrication process, and it’s also pushing forward with production on a 2nm process. So, there’s no telling what the future holds for the company.
Microsoft has gone all in on AI, but the company is, surprisingly, working on other types of technology. According to a new report, Microsoft is working on a new earbuds authentication method that could make logging into your devices and services easier.
Over the years, we’ve seen companies develop different methods of biometric authentication. Of course, there are fingerprint and facial recognition. Also, we’ve seen Samsung’s retina scanning technology. We can’t forget about LG’s palm scanning method. It seems that people are looking for more ways to verify your identity for some reason.
Microsoft filed a patent for earbud authentication
Right now, there’s no telling if this technology will make it to the real world. Microsoft only patented the technology. It’s basically securing the rights to the tech in the case that it wants to pursue it. So, you’ll want to take this news with a grain of salt.
Firstly, how the heck will you use your headphones to verify your identity? Well, the earbuds using this technology will emit an ultrasonic sound that will bounce off of your ear’s internals. Apparently, the internal structure of a person’s ear is unique to just them. So, the earbuds will, ostensibly, be able to identify you. It will listen back to the echos of the ultrasonic sound and tell who you are.
The earbuds will be able to ping nearby devices that require authentication. So when you need to log in to a service or a device, it will use the earbuds for authentication. Since the earbuds will be able to tell when they’re in your ear, they won’t be able to verify your identity when they’re not in your ear.
This seems like a pretty odd kind of technology, but it’s interesting. If Microsoft can develop it, then logging into your devices will be much easier. Rather than having to enter your password, you’ll be able to seamlessly authenticate yourself.
It’s been just over a month since Sony officially launched the Xperia 1 VI and we are already starting to get rumors about its successor, the Xperia 1 VII. Recently, a Chinese tipster shared a few details and render of the Sony Xperia 1 VII cameras.
Per the tipster’s Weibo post, Sony plans to end the vertical camera alignment as seen in past Xperia 1 devices. The company plans to do so by separating the telephoto camera from the main and the ultra-wide camera.
The Sony Xperia 1 VII is rumored to feature larger camera sensors
The Sony Xperia 1 VII will reportedly feature a telephoto sensor of 1/3.5-inch larger than 1/2.3-inch on the Xperia 1 VI. Whereas, the focal range on the telephoto lens of the Xperia 1 VII is rumored to be between 70mm-200mm. Sony might include a 1/1.3-inch sensor for the main camera on the Xperia 1 VII, similar to the one in this year’s flagship.
Besides, the tipster claims that the 2025 flagship’s ultra-wide camera will get a 1/2.3-inch sensor which again will be larger than the one used in Xperia 1 VI. As you may know, using a large sensor helps capture more light and data through the lens. Therefore, you can expect better low-light photography with less noise on the Xperia 1 VII.
Image credit: Weibo
Sony to stick with the dual-layer transistor pixel technology
The Weibo post also highlights that Sony will continue using dual-layer transistor pixel technology for all three cameras. It is a stacked CMOS image sensor technology where photodiodes and pixel transistors are placed on different substrate layers. Thanks to its wide dynamic range, this sensor allows you to capture high-quality images in all lighting conditions.
If all the claim turns out to be true, the Xperia 1 VII will be the Android flagship to watch out for its camera capabilities in 2025. The tipster also claims that no Xperia 5 VI will launch this year. And, that Sony may have discontinued the series altogether leaving the Xperia 1 VI as the high-end model in the Xperia’s 2024 lineup. However, the tipster’s track record hasn’t been impressive, so you’ll want to take this news with a grain of salt.
