Pixel at a Glance widget to get more customization options

andreasc
-
0
Pixel at a Glance widget to get more customization options
[ad_1]

The Google Pixel at a Glance widget is set to get a remarkable upgrade that gives users more control. A recent APK teardown has shown off the presence of some customization upgrades to the at a Glance widget feature. This time around, the upgrade gives users the ability to customize the widget, so it suits their style.

With this APK teardown, it is clear that users would be able to pick from three background options. These background options will define how the widget will appear on users’ devices. Already this widget has got ‘Material You’ theming and now Google is preparing to add customization options for users.

This change will also affect the At a Glance settings page, where users will be able to access more functions. Most of these changes and upgrades will reflect in the coming Android 14 operating system. But before then, let’s have a look at what is new and what customizations Google is giving Pixel users.

Here are the new design customization upgrades coming to Pixel at a Glance feature

With the coming Pixel at a Glance widget update, users will be able to pick between three background styles. The background styles offered for selection are Solid, Semi-transparent, and Transparent. Each background gives the widget a different feel on the homepage.

For the Solid option, users will get a widget design that will not flow with the device’s theme. This is to say that the Solid design option will come with the colour white. With this, users will notice the widget once they go into their home screen thanks to its abstract colour that stands out from the device theme.

The Semi-transparent colour option will come with Material You theming, so it’d seamlessly blend with the device theming. This background style will be ideal for users that want a sense of orderliness across their devices. As for the Transparent colour option, users simply get a thin outline around the content of the widget.

All three background options will come in a pill-shaped design by default. However, users will be able to customize the shape and size of the cutout to suit their taste. Google will also give Pixel users a settings page that can be pulled up by holding down on the at a Glance widget.

This settings page comes with ‘useful’ and ‘not useful’ buttons with which users can vote for or against the content of the widget. Under these usefulness rating buttons are the style and customization settings options. More information on this upgrade to the Pixel at a Glance widget customization feature will be made available in the coming weeks.


[ad_2]
Source link

Threads lost half of its users, but it’s okay in Meta’s eyes

andreasc
-
0
Threads lost half of its users, but it’s okay in Meta’s eyes
[ad_1]

The brightest stars burn out the quickest, and Threads was the brightest in the sky a few weeks ago. The Meta social media app rocketed to 100 million users within a week, but its user base is waning, according to the company (via BBC). Threads has lost half of its users, but Meta is not worried.

In case you don’t know, Threads is the newest social media platform on the scene. It’s Meta’s answer to Twitter (or X, if you actually want to call it that) having borrowed heavily from the platform. It’s tied to your Instagram account, so if you have an Instagram account, you have a Threads account.

Threads lost half of its users

While Threads still has things that it can’t do, this fledgling platform has proven to be a worthy Twitter alternative. Again, it hit 100 million users in a few days. However, users and Active users are two very different things. The 100 million specifically refers to the number of sign-ups that the app got.

Active users are those who stick around and continue to post content. Meta announced that about half of the people who jumped on the Threads train have jumped off. This wasn’t unforeseeable, as Threads’ numbers have been on the fall immediately after it hit 100 million.

Is Meta worried? No

Meta’s response to this was pretty mild and optimistic. In fact, the company anticipated this happening and referred to it as normal. So, if you’re picturing Mark Zuckerberg and the Meta team panicking, that’s not the case.

In all honesty, this is something that we all anticipated. The initial hype around the app has cooled and most people have already made their posts bad-mouthing Elon Musk. The app has moved to the back of people’s minds.

The biggest reason for the dropoff might be the lack of features. While Threads is on its stable release, it feels like a beta. It’s pretty devoid of features like a DM system and the ability to post GIFs from the keyboard. It just recently gained the ability to see a feed of only those you follow.

Meta is still working on features for the platform, and it believes that it will win back some of those lost users with these features. Let’s hope that this is the case; things over at Twitter, A.K.A Elon’s Whacky House Of Shenanigans, aren’t looking too good.


[ad_2]
Source link

Google Assistant now handles voice search on Google Maps to speed things along

andreasc
-
0
Google Assistant now handles voice search on Google Maps to speed things along
[ad_1]
As per Google News on Telegram (via AndroidCentral), Google is changing how its Maps app receives voice commands as Google Assistant is replacing Google Speech Services. The latter had been popping up whenever you tapped the microphone icon in the Google Maps search bar. Now, when you tap the microphone icon, the Google Assistant’s voice typing feature will deliver a faster voice experience and will briefly show you what you’ve said before displaying the results. This way you can see if the Assistant heard you correctly.
The first time you use this feature following the update, you’ll see a notification from Google that says, “New! Faster ways to search on Maps.” Underneath that heading, Google writes, “To get directions and search for places with your voice, allow Maps to record audio.” When you use the microphone, a Google Assistant card pops up from the bottom of the screen and says, “Say where you want to go” along with a carousel made up of suggestion pills that say “Restaurants,” “Home & garden,” “Coffee,” “Groceries,” and more. This carousel currently appears under the Google Maps search bar.
Faster voice search is coming to Google Maps thanks to the Google Assistant - Google Assistant now handles voice search on Google Maps to speed things along

Faster voice search is coming to Google Maps thanks to the Google Assistant

Users can check out how long it will take them to get from their current location to a particular destination or check the traffic by tapping the microphone icon and naming a destination. Or, by telling the Assistant “Navigate to…” a particular destination, the process of receiving turn-by-turn directions to that destination appears faster than before. The Google Maps app also recently received an update that added glanceable directions to the app. This allows you to get a preview of the suggested route that you’ll be taking to get to a destination without having to tap the start button.
With this new feature, available for driving, walking, and cycling modes on iOS and Android, users will still receive turn-by-turn directions and the estimated time of arrival will be updated. Using glanceable directions will also show you a broader view of your surroundings on the preview screen and the lock screen. 
Google Maps has certainly matured and these days it not only shows you how to get from point “A” to point “B” safely and quickly but it also tells you where to dine, where to sleep, where to find gas or a great cup of coffee, and where you can find entertainment once you arrive at your destination. If you don’t have it on your iPhone, tap here to install the app from the App Store. Google Maps should be on your Android phone by default. If not, you can install it by tapping here.

[ad_2]
Source link

41 Zero-days Exploited In-the-Wild in 2022

andreasc
-
0
41 Zero-days Exploited In-the-Wild in 2022
[ad_1]
41 Zero-days Exploited

In 2022, the detection of zero-day exploits in the wild decreased by 40% compared to the previous year. 

41 in-the-wild 0-days were detected, the second-highest count since 2014, but lower than the 69 found in 2021.

While a 40% drop appears as a security win but, the reality is more complicated than it seems. Despite the drop, 41 zero days in the wild is significant, and declining numbers don’t necessarily indicate improved product security or better detection by defenders.

41 Zero-days Detected

Google’s 2020 finding of 25% exploited zero-days linked to disclosed vulnerabilities increased to over 40% in 2022, with 17 of 41 zero-days connected. Over 20% were variants of previous zero-days, seven from 2021 and one from 2020.

Detection (Source – Google)

In 2022, 18 organizations were credited across the 41 in-the-wild 0-days, highlighting the importance of a large workforce tackling this problem.

Analyzing 2022 0-days, Google researchers anticipate industry focus in the following areas:-

  • Enhance patching to promptly address variants and n-days posing as 0-days.
  • Platforms adopt browser-like mitigations to reduce the exploitability of entire vulnerability classes.
  • Make sure to increase transparency and collaboration between vendors and defenders to detect exploit chains across multiple products.

The 0-days detected and disclosed in the wild serve as one of many indicators for security experts, who attribute the 40% drop from 2021 to 2022 to a mix of improvements and regressions, leading to a higher-than-average count in 2022.

Gaps between upstream vendors and downstream manufacturers enable n-days to act as 0-days due to the lack of available patches, leaving users with limited defenses. Android experiences more prevalent and extended gaps in such associations.

Zero-Days Platforms (Source – Google)

Alongside the general decrease in detected zero-days, browser zero-days reduced by 42% in 2022, possibly due to increased exploit mitigations by manufacturers and attackers shifting focus to other areas.

In 2022, attackers also favored zero-click exploits, targeting non-browser components like iMessage.

Zero-Days Browsers (Source – Google)

One-click exploits require a visible link that targets must click, potentially detectable by security tools, with the exploits hosted on a server at that link that is navigable.

In the second half of 2023, their 0-days in-the-wild program moves from Project Zero to TAG, combining vulnerability analysis, detection, and threat actor tracking expertise in one team – introducing TAG Exploits.

Keep yourself informed about the latest Cyber Security News by following us on GoogleNews, Linkedin, Twitter, and Facebook.


[ad_2]
Source link

Google revamps the Play Store for larger screens

andreasc
-
0
Google revamps the Play Store for larger screens
[ad_1]

Google has been slowly transforming Android into a more tablet-friendly platform. This involves revamping apps to work on tablets and foldables. According to Google (via Fone Arena), a huge Play Store redesign is going to make it much better for larger screens.

Google now has a tablet and a foldable; it couldn’t possibly ignore larger screens like it did for the past decade. Throughout the 2010s, Android tablet users were forced to use the mobile version of Android stretched over a 10-inch canvas. All of this happened while Apple introduced iPadOS and redefined what a tablet could do.

Now, the tablet version of Android is indistinguishable from what we had years ago. Google is continuing to push improvements to Android as we speak.

A new Play Store design makes it better on larger screens

This is a pretty big redesign of the app. Each change is specifically targeted at making the experience better for those with tablets and foldable. When you open an app’s detail page, you’ll see a large video banner stretching across the top of the page with a carousel of screenshots right below. It’s much more of a visual spectacle.

The Play Store will also implement a two-column view when viewing the app’s info. The left side of the screen shows the app’s information and the right side has the list of related apps. This makes navigating so much easier.

In that same vein, there’s also a split-screen search mode. When you type in a search query, you’ll get the search results on one side of the screen. The other side of the screen will show you the info screen for the app you select. This means that you won’t need to switch between screens when searching for apps.

This next feature is more reminiscent of what Apple does. When you’re using a Tablet, you’ll have recommendations of apps better formatted for larger screens. So, if you’re looking for a productivity or coloring app on your tablet, you’re more likely to get apps that are built for tablets than ones built for phones.

Other features

One new feature was revealed a while back. If an app has a crash rate of 8% or more, you’ll see a little warning on the app’s info screen letting you know.

On the main screen, you’ll see featured apps show up on the top of the screen. These apps will be a lot larger, so you’ll know that they deserve your attention.

Google’s going to roll out this change over the next couple of weeks. We’re not sure about Google’s rollout plans, but we expect the update to hit the Pixel Tablet and Fold before other devices.


[ad_2]
Source link

Original BreachForums Breached, PII Data of 210K Users Sold Online

andreasc
-
0
Original BreachForums Breached, PII Data of 210K Users Sold Online
[ad_1]

In Summary

  • The breached forum is BreachForums, started by PomPomPurin.
  • The database was shared by “breached_db_person” with HaveIBeenPwned.
  • The database is being sold on Telegram and several cybercrime forums.
  • The incident took place in Nov 2022, months before the forum was seized by the FBI.

In a troubling turn of events, the remnants of the seized hacking site, BreachForums, have resurfaced as the stolen database is now up for sale by a threat actor known as “breached_db_person.”

This is the same forum where sensitive data, such as the US No Fly List, FBI’s InfraGard, DC Health Link with Members of Congress data, and more, were leaked.

This should not come as a surprise, as hackers getting pwned by other hackers is nothing new. Just recently, the newly surfaced clone of BreachForums under Shiny Hunters’ administration was also compromised, leaking the personal details of more than 4,000 users.

As for the recent developments, according to sources, the stolen database contains a staggering 212,000 records, encompassing sensitive information such as usernames, IP and email addresses, private messages exchanged between forum members, and argon2-hashed passwords. 

The data tables within the 2 GB file shared by breached_db_person reportedly include details of member databases, private messages, and payment transactions. The information contained within could potentially provide valuable insights into prior intrusions and the identities of attackers associated with the forum.

There were also indications of payment information tied to forum ranks and credit purchases, further escalating concerns over potential financial repercussions for the victims.

Have I Been Pwned, a central repository for tracking online data breaches and exploits, has confirmed the legitimacy of the stolen data. The breach notification service announced the inclusion of the BreachForums data, allowing users to check if their login credentials have been compromised. Interestingly, the threat actor behind the sale reportedly shared the database with Have I Been Pwned to prove its authenticity to potential buyers. 

While the stolen BreachForums data is on the market, it comes at an exorbitant price, with offers ranging from $100,000 to $150,000 for the entire database snapshot taken on November 29th, 2022.

However, security experts and law enforcement agencies strongly discourage any attempt to acquire or use stolen information. Doing so would not only condone criminal activities but also perpetuate a cycle of cybercrime and harm innocent individuals whose data was compromised.

  1. OGUsers hacker forum hacked for 4th time; database leaked
  2. Raidforums Database Leak: Data of 460,000 Users Dumped Online
  3. FBI Seizes RaidForums, Arrests Alleged Founder Diogo Santos Coelho

[ad_2]
Source link

Older Galaxy devices will get these Fold 5, Flip 5 camera features

andreasc
-
0
Older Galaxy devices will get these Fold 5, Flip 5 camera features
[ad_1]

Samsung recently launched the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 foldable smartphones with Android 13-based One UI 5.1.1 onboard. Among other things, the foldables bring new and improved camera features. The company has now announced that some of those features will roll out to older Galaxy devices, including the Galaxy S23 series.

According to a Samsung Community moderator in charge of camera-related developments, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 offer improved digital zoom when shooting in the Photo mode with the rear cameras. These improvements will trickle down to the Galaxy S23 series with a future update. The company is currently working on the update and doesn’t have a release timeline to share with its customers.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 brings a usability improvement that allows you to select multiple photos in the Capture View. You can easily share and delete them at once. The new foldable also lets you adjust various camera settings in Pro/Pro Video mode. Samsung plans to roll out these improvements to the Galaxy Z Fold 4, Galaxy Z Fold 3, and Galaxy Z Fold 2. Once again, we don’t have a release timeline for the update.

Another handy camera feature that Samsung added to its latest foldables comes into play when scanning documents. You can choose to sharpen the text and erase distractions such as fingers from documents with ease. If you’re holding a document with one hand and capturing with the other, there’s a chance that your hand will shake or the photo will contain your fingers. The new feature helps fix those issues. The Galaxy S23 series will get it with the Android 14-based One UI 6.0 update.

Older Galaxy S flagships and foldables will get more camera features

The latest Samsung foldables let you copy editing effects such as filters and color tones from one photo and apply them to another. You can find that option in the More section of the Photo Editor menu in the Gallery app. The Korean firm will push this feature to all of its foldables launched in 2020 and beyond, including the original Galaxy Z Flip. The Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, and Galaxy S23 phones will also get it.

All of these Galaxy devices are also in line to get Samsung’s improved Photo Remaster tool. The community moderator touts improvements in removing fingerprints and erasing foreign objects. The after-before comparison tool has been improved too. Last but not least, Samsung will update these phones to give users an improved video editor. You can make bright areas brighter and dark areas darker. We will let you know when these updates roll out.


[ad_2]
Source link

The Galaxy S23 is more popular than its predecessor

andreasc
-
0
The Galaxy S23 is more popular than its predecessor
[ad_1]

Samsung is a popular phone company that makes, well, popular phones. We expect the company’s new phones to be more popular than their predecessors, and that’s what happened in this case. The Galaxy S23 is more popular than the Galaxy S22, according to Sam Mobile.

The company just posted its Q2 2023 earning report, and it shows some mixed results. The company’s income is down because of its declining sales in the semiconductor market. While that’s the case, other divisions of Samsung are seeing varying levels of success. Basically, we don’t think that Samsung is going to be filing for bankruptcy anytime soon.

The Galaxy S23 is more popular than the Galaxy S22

Samsung’s phones have been weathering the declining smartphone market, and they see varying degrees of success. The Galaxy S22 Ultra was a runaway success last year breaking pre-order records. From that moment, it looked like the company had the right formula because it repeated the same thing this year.

This year, Samsung released the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ as the two more standard phones. Above them sits the Galaxy S23 Ultra. This is the monster of a phone sporting a near-tablet-sized display with more pixels and the S Pen. While last year’s phones were popular, the Galaxy S23 seems to be more popular. Samsung says that the Galaxy S23 outsold the S22 in both volume and value.

The smartphone market is in a tough place

This is significant, as the smartphone market is continuing to decline. Fewer and fewer people are buying smartphones nowadays. The economy is in a tough spot that keeps getting tougher. Folks are having to make tough choices about what they’re going to do with their money. “Do I buy a new phone or be able to pay my rent?”

Samsung shipped 37% fewer units in Q2 2023 compared to the same period last year. That’s not great, but we know that the company will see an increase this quarter and the next. It’s soon to release its Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5. This will boost its numbers.


[ad_2]
Source link

Dark mode will be standard on Twitter

andreasc
-
0
Dark mode will be standard on Twitter
[ad_1]

If it’s one thing that app users adore it’s applying dark mode to their apps. Having a dark gray or completely black background with white text seems to be the optimal way to use apps. Well, it seems that Twitter is making its dark mode standard, according to Android Police.

Twitter, or should we call it X (no, we shouldn’t), is in a bit of a bad place right now. In a mad dash to make Twitter Blue a more appealing option for social media goers, Elon brought a ton of questionable and unwelcome changes to the platform. These unwelcome and unexpected changes seem to be ramping up as Threads is now a thing.

Twitter will make dark mode a standard setting

Recently, Twitter announced that it was completely dropping its light mode. In a short and sweet tweet, Elon stated that dark mode is better than light mode in every way. However, the tweet faced some backlash, which surprised no one. So, that change was killed off.

That doesn’t mean that there won’t be a change, however. In fact, there will be two changes. First off, while light mode isn’t going anywhere, dark mode will be enabled by default. You can change it to light mode whenever you want.

Secondly, while light mode isn’t going away, dim mode is. Dim mode darkens the background of the UI, but it’s not as dark as dark mode. Instead of turning the background completely black, dim mode turns it a dark blue color.  Well, folks who like that theme will be disappointed, as it’s going away.

This makes the latest in a long line of odd changes that Twitter is bringing. At this point, there’s no telling what odd change Twitter’s going to implement next. No other social media platform brings changes at such an impulsive rate.

During the first couple of months of Elon’s ownership, it felt like he was just feeling out owning a social media site. So, we expected some whacky behavior. However, it’s been more than half a year since Musk’s reign, and it’s clear that this situation is not going to get better. All we can do now is wait for the next Twitter alternative to sprout.


[ad_2]
Source link

Zuckerberg caught on tape: less than 50% of the initial 100M Threads subscribers still use the app

andreasc
-
0
Zuckerberg caught on tape: less than 50% of the initial 100M Threads subscribers still use the app
[ad_1]
During the second week of this month it looked as though Instagram’s Threads platform was going to be a huge hit and a serious challenge to Elon Musk’s Twitter since re-branded as “X.” In the first five days, Threads had 100 million people sign up. Since subscribers to Threads must have an Instagram account, existing Instagram users were able to open a Threads account easily. But this means that anyone deleting their Threads account will have to delete their Instagram account as well.
But things have cooled off and as per Reuters, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said at a company Town Hall yesterday that more than half of the 100 million who signed up for Threads are no longer using the app. Meta, of course, owns Instagram. Reuters has heard an audio tape of the meeting during which Zuckerberg said that the retention rate on Threads was better than Meta executives expected although the executive did say that it was “not perfect.”
Zuckerberg, who called the drop in Threads usage “normal,” also said, “Obviously, if you have more than 100 million people sign up, ideally it would be awesome if all of them or even half of them stuck around. We’re not there yet.” He said that as more features are added to the platform, the retention rate will rise. Some of these upcoming features include a search function and a desktop version of Threads.
Threads adds a Following feed that allows users to see posts from profiles they are following with the most current post on top - Zuckerberg caught on tape: less than 50% of the initial 100M Threads subscribers still use the app

Threads adds a Following feed that allows users to see posts from profiles they are following with the most current post on top

Chief Product Officer Chris Cox said that the platform needs more “retention-driving hooks” to create incentives for those who have stopped using Threads to return to the app. Cox said that “making sure people who are on the Instagram app can see important Threads” might help.

Earlier this week Threads added some new features to the iOS and Android apps including a “Following” feed that shows users posts from profiles that they are following with the most current post at the top. The other option, the “For You” feed, shows a mix of posts from profiles users follow mixed with recommended posts. To change feeds, tap on the Threads icon at the top of the display and swipe on the screen.

Other added features include post translations, new ways to filter notifications in Activity, a Follow button to quickly follow your followers back, and a quick way to approve new followers for those with a private account.


[ad_2]
Source link
1...1,0461,0471,048...1,476Page 1,047 of 1,476