Huawei launched HarmonyOS years ago, and we’re coming around to version 4.0 now, which is coming in August. Huawei confirmed that the new version will become official on August 4 via a cryptic post on Weibo.
Huawei’s HarmonyOS 4.0 is coming next month, and we already know the date
The company shared an image of some ArkTS code, and the timing fits, as that’s when Huawei Developers Conference will take place. So, it’ll be announced during Huawei’s conference, as expected.
HarmonyOS is not only made for smartphones, but for the company’s entire smart ecosystem. It runs on global versions of Huawei smartwatches, though their smartphones are still pre-loaded with EMUI (even though the functionality is basically the same). In China, it’s a different story entirely.
HarmonyOS 4.0 will improve interoperability within the 1+8+N environment, based on teasers. It is already in beta testing, as expected. It will likely be rebranded to EMUI globally, but still, it’s HarmonyOS at its core.
The Huawei Mate 60 series will come with HarmonyOS 4.0 pre-installed, at least in China
The upcoming Huawei Mate 60 series will likely come with HarmonyOS 4.0 pre-installed, in China at least. The global variants will include the EMUI equivalent of HarmonyOS 4.0, basically.
We still do not know when the Mate 60 series will launch exactly, but it’s expected to drop this fall. So, considerably later than HarmonyOS 4.0, which basically guarantees we’ll see it pre-installed.
As many of you know, Huawei is still banned from using Google services on its phones. It’s also prevented to use 5G processors due to the US ban. The company has been pushing its products forward despite that, however.
The Huawei Mate X3 foldable is an outstanding offering that got announced not long ago, and the Huawei P60 series proved to be quite compelling too. It remains to be seen what will Huawei deliver with the Mate 60 series.
Apple’s 30% App Store fee has always been a subject of widespread debate, particularly because the company does not allow users to side-load apps like Android. And although the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) has mandated Apple to allow sideloading in the 27 EU member states from March 6th, 2024, over 1500 app developers have reportedly filed a class action lawsuit against Apple, alleging that the company’s App Store commission fees are exorbitant and a consequence of its monopolistic control over the app distribution platform.
Leading the lawsuit is Sean Ennis, a professor at the Centre for Competition Policy at the University of East Anglia, who argues that the company’s significant commission fees, ranging from 15% to 30%, have severely hampered business for many developers. As a result, the lawsuit is seeking $1 billion in damages.
“Apple’s charges to app developers are excessive and only possible due to its monopoly on the distribution of apps onto iPhones and iPads. The charges are unfair in their own right and constitute abusive pricing. They harm app developers and also app buyers,” said Ennis.
While Ennis takes the class action lawsuit to the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal, with the support of the law firm Geradin Partners, various organizations and governments have long contested Apple’s fee structure. And despite a $100 million lawsuit last year prompting the company to implement several changes, such as removing the $100 developer fees and introducing the Small Business Program to alleviate the burden on smaller developers, many big studios still have to pay a significant cut.
Side-loading could be the answer
Although the outcome of the lawsuit remains uncertain, considering a similar case in a U.S. court ruled in favor of Apple, the EU’s mandate for Apple to allow sideloading might help developers circumvent the fees. This ruling not only promises to benefit developers by boosting their profit margins, but it could also lead to lower prices for consumers in the long run.
The CPUs that are based on x86-64 architecture feature XMM registers (128-bit), recently extended to 256-bit (YMM) and 512-bit (ZMM) for greater capacity.
Beyond number crunching, the large registers (YMM and ZMM) are employed in various scenarios, including standard C library functions such as:-
Tavis Ormandy, a Google security researcher, found a fresh AMD Zen2 CPU vulnerability enabling data theft at 30KB/sec per core, risking passwords and encryption keys.
ZenbleedFlaw
The AMD’s Zen2 processor vulnerability has been tracked as “CVE-2023-20593,” this results from mishandling ‘vzeroupper’ instruction, impacting modern processors’ speculative execution.
Ormandy found hardware events with fuzzing and performance counters, confirmed via the “Oracle Serialization” approach.
Using this technique, the author exposed CVE-2023-20593 in Zen2 CPUs by spotting discrepancies between randomly generated programs and serialized oracles.
The flaw allowed optimized data leakage from various system operations, even in virtual machines, isolated sandboxes, and containers.
On May 15, 2023, the researcher informed AMD of the flaw and now released a PoC exploit for CVE-2023-20593. Though written for Linux, the bug impacts all Zen 2 CPUs regardless of the operating system.
Products affected
Here below, we have mentioned all the products that are affected:-
AMD Ryzen 3000 Series Processors
AMD Ryzen PRO 3000 Series Processors
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3000 Series Processors
AMD Ryzen 4000 Series Processors with Radeon Graphics
AMD Ryzen PRO 4000 Series Processors
AMD Ryzen 5000 Series Processors with Radeon Graphics
AMD Ryzen 7020 Series Processors with Radeon Graphics
AMD EPYC “Rome” Processors
For ‘Zenbleed’-affected CPUs, make sure to apply AMD’s microcode update immediately or await a future BIOS fix from your vendor.
It’s been recommended users set up the “chicken bit” to DE_CFG[9] as a mitigation method, but it causes a CPU performance drop. Detecting Zenbleed exploitation is likely impossible since it’s stealthy, needing no elevated privileges or special system calls.
However, the practical impact of Zenbleed is limited to users with local access and specialized knowledge to exploit it.
But, experts have strongly recommended that users keep their systems updated with the latest security patches and BIOS updates.
The Snapdragon exclusivity of Samsung‘s Galaxy S flagships may be ending after just one year. Next year’s Galaxy S24 series may use an Exynos chipset in some markets. Samsung will also launch the Galaxy S23 FE, which is expected to debut a few months later, in Exynos and Snapdragon variants.
For the past several years, Samsung shipped its flagship phones with either an Exynos or Snapdragon processor depending on your region. Usually, the US and China got Snapdragon and the rest of the world got the company’s in-house Exynos chip. The latter group of users wasn’t happy with this split as Exynos versions always underperformed their Snapdragon counterparts.
After relentless complaints for years, Samsung finally ditched Exynos and went all in with Snapdragon last year. The Galaxy S23 series is powered by an overclocked version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 globally. However, rumors are that the company will go back to Exynos as early as next year. A Samsung executive hinted in April that the Galaxy S24 series could ship with an in-house processor.
Another report has now reiterated this possibility. Citing a reliable source, Pocket-lint reports that Samsung is considering returning to Exynos for the Galaxy S24 series. Previous rumors suggested that the Exynos-powered Galaxy S24 may launch in Europe and Southeast Asia. However, some industry experts believe the Korean firm may not take this risk of shipping the Exynos version in major markets like Europe.
“I’d be surprised if Samsung decided to return to Exynos for the important European market, but we might see it in some smaller markets to ensure Samsung’s in-house platform stays in the game,” said Ben Wood, Chief Analyst and CMO of CCS Insight. “There’s also likely an element of Samsung wanting to keep Qualcomm on its toes too, which may be what is driving these recent rumors.”
Samsung will use the Exynos 2200 in the Galaxy S23 FE in some regions
Ahead of Galaxy S24, Samsung has one more Galaxy S model lined up for launch. The company is readying the Galaxy S23 FE with plans to debut it later this year. It’s developing Exynos and Snapdragon variants of the new Fan Edition (FE) phone. The device will feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in the US and Exynos 2200 in other regions. We might hear more about this phone following the Galaxy Unpacked event on Wednesday. Samsung will launch new foldables, tablets, and smartwatches at the event tomorrow.
Sony has taken the wraps off the long-rumored WF-1000XM5 TWS earbuds. The new pair of wireless earphones, which are named identically to the WH-1000XM5 over-the-ear headphones, succeed the WF-1000XM4 from 2021. They improve the company’s TWS offerings in several areas, with active noise cancelation (ANC) being the biggest focus.
Sony WF-1000XM5 specs and features
According to Sony, the WF-1000XM5 earbuds mark its “biggest ever step forward in noise canceling.” The result is the best noise-canceling headphones it has ever made. Each bud features three microphones, including dual feedback mics, which improve low-frequency cancellation performance. This enables the bud to capture the ambient sound more accurately.
The Integrated Processor V2 works in tandem with the HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN2e to efficiently control the six microphones to deliver unprecedented and adaptive noise-canceling quality. The Dynamic Driver X also helps make it all happen. The Noise Isolation Earbud Tips, which feature a unique polyurethane foam material, reduce noise in the high-frequency range.
The Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds also boast the company’s best-ever call quality. They feature an AI-powered noise reduction algorithm based on Deep Neutral Network (DNN) processing. Other features like bone conduction sensors and wind noise reduction ensure that your voice comes through “crystal clear and natural” in every environment, no matter how noisy it is.
“As a music lover and a music creator, the WF-1000XM5 earbuds really surprised me in terms of bass, clarity, and overall dynamic range,” said renowned singer, actor, and songwriter Miguel (via). I enjoy the ability to personalize and craft my own sound, and these earbuds deliver an authentic music-listening experience. Plus, the noise canceling gets rid of any unwanted noise.”
Thanks to the LDAC codec, these earbuds support High-Resolution Audio Wireless. They also support DSEE Extreme to upscale compressed digital music and 360 Reality Audio to give you a more immersing listening experience. The built-in head-tracking technology adds to the fun. Sony has also added support for Adaptive Sound Control, Speak-to-Chat, Multipoint Connect, Fast Pair, Swift Pair, and digital voice assistant.
The new Sony TWS earbuds are smaller and lighter
All of this while simultaneously making the buds smaller and lighter. The WF-1000XM5 earbuds are 25% smaller and 20% lighter than the WF-1000XM4. This is without compromising on the battery life, though. The new buds are touted to run for up to 12 hours on a single charge (8 hours with ANC). The case can fully charge the buds two times, giving you a total playtime of up to 36 hours. The buds support quick charge and Qi wireless charging.
The Sony WF-1000XM5 TWS earbuds boast an IPX4 rating for water resistance. The company has made the earphones in black and silver colors. The Japanese firm will start selling its latest audio products from August 2023 priced at $299, €319, or £259.
A 24-year-old man named Amir Hossein Golshan from Downtown Los Angeles has pleaded guilty to hacking into Instagram users’ accounts and using a technique called “SIM swapping” to fraudulently obtain money.
The charges consist of illegally accessing a secured computer to acquire data, a single charge of wire fraud, and another charge of accessing a computer for the purpose of obtaining financial benefits.
According to Attorney, he was taken into federal custody last month due to his criminal activities and violation of the terms of his pretrial release.
He was involved in the theft from April 2019 to February 2023 by executing multiple online schemes to defraud hundreds of users through various online scams and unauthorized intrusions into victims’ digital accounts, including social media account takeovers, Zelle payment fraud, and impersonating Apple support.
Over the course of several years, hundreds of victims have suffered losses amounting to $740,000.
Pleads Guilty to SIM Swapping
SIM swapping and social media account takeovers:
SIM swapping, also called SIM splitting, or sim jacking, is a fraudulent technique used by hackers to gain control of your phone number; with your phone number, hackers can take advantage of two-factor authentication to gain access to your bank accounts, social media accounts.
Golshan used this technique and targeted both account users and their online friends by tricking them into sending him money.
Zelle merchant fraud:
In 2019, Golshan falsely claimed that he could obtain verified Instagram badges for a user’s teenage daughter and convinced her to send $300 through electronic payment.
Apple Support fraud and NFT/cryptocurrency theft:
Golshan impersonates to gain access to several victims’ Apple iCloud accounts to steal NFTs, cryptocurrency, and other valuable digital property; by this, he earned between $2,000 and $389,000 each.
Through this incident, he was sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for a wire fraud count and 5 years for a computer access count.
The OnePlus Ace 2 Pro has paid a visit to China’s 3C certification authority. This certification process revealed that the OnePlus Ace 2 Pro will offer faster charging than the OnePlus 11. It will offer 150W wired charging.
The OnePlus Ace 2 Pro will offer notably faster charging than the OnePlus 11
The phone appeared under the ‘PJA110’ model number, with a ‘VCBEJACH’ power adapter. That power adapter supports charging speeds up to 150W (11V/13.7A). That’s basically everything that was revealed in this certification listing.
Having said that, this is not the first time we’re hearing about the OnePlus Ace 2 Pro, not at all. The phone surfaced before, well, its specifications did. This phone will be immensely powerful, actually.
The OnePlus Ace 2 Pro is tipped to offer up to 24GB of RAM, believe it or not. In addition to that, OnePlus will include up to 1TB of storage here. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC will fuel the device.
A 6.74-inch 2772 x 1240 AMOLED display is also expected, and chances are it will be curved. That display will offer a 120Hz refresh rate, and chances are it will offer an adaptive refresh rate at that.
It’ll have three cameras on the back, and a 5,000mAh battery
A 5,000mAh battery was also mentioned in previous rumors. We’re not sure if it will offer wireless charging, however. A 50-megapixel camera (Sony’s IMX890) is expected on the back, along with an 8-megapixel ultrawide unit, and a 2-megapixel macro camera.
We still don’t know when will the phone launch, but considering the number of times info regarding this phone popped up, chances are the launch event is near. OnePlus is expected to confirm something in the near future. Until then, however, all we can do is wait.
The OnePlus Open is probably the most notable release OnePlus will make this year, though, and it’s expected to arrive in Q3 this year. The latest info claims the launch event will take place on August 29.
The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max could get price hikes compared to current-gen models. According to a new report by Bloomberg, the company is trying to decide whether to raise prices or not.
The iPhone 15 Pro models could get price hikes, as expected
A report from last month mentioned that the entire iPhone 15 series will get major price hikes. The report by Bloomberg does not mention the vanilla iPhone 15 series, though. It also does not guarantee we’ll see price hikes.
It’s realistic to expect them, though, considering the state of tech these days. It would be great if Apple kept the current price tags, however. The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max start prices are $999 and $1,099. So any increase would push the base iPhone 15 Pro across the $1,000 threshold.
Tim Cook’s statement is also not encouraging. A while back, Apple’s CEO said “I think people are willing to really stretch to get the best they can afford in that category”. That could also indicate a price hike.
A report from last month suggested a $200 price hike for both models
Now, a report from last month suggested that both the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max could cost up to $200 more than the current-gen models. That’s a major price hike, needless to say.
Let’s hope Apple won’t go that far, in case it opts for a price hike, as that would be a major difference. As a reminder, this year’s ‘Pro’ models will deliver some changes to the table, based on rumors.
They’ll have more powerful internals, but they’ll also debut Type-C on iPhones, as will vanilla models. The ‘Pro’ iPhone 15 models are also expected to include frames made out of titanium, and thinner bezels. The ‘Pro Max’ model will even include a periscope telephoto camera, another first-ever for iPhones.
Samsung is getting ready to announce a bunch of new products. The company’s second Unpacked event is taking place on July 26, and you can tune in. Samsung will livestream the event, and you can watch the company unveil the Galaxy Z Fold 5, Flip 5, and more products.
You can watch Samsung’s second Unpacked event live, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 & Flip 5 are coming
In addition to the two foldables we’ve already mentioned, Samsung is also planning to announce the Galaxy Tab S9 series. Three tablets will be included. On top of that, the Galaxy Watch 6 series will probably land as well.
The live stream link is embedded below the article, in case you’re interested. Samsung will show us what’s happening via YouTube, and the press event kicks off at 12 PM CET / 6 AM EST / 3 AM PST, on July 26.
The company’s foldables will take the spotlight, of course
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5 will be the main devices that Samsung will announce, of course. The Fold 5 will be quite similar to its predecessor, but it will fold flat this time around, at least based on rumors.
The Galaxy Z Flip 5 will have a noticeably larger display than its predecessor, and thus look a bit more modern. Let’s hope that Samsung will give us more functionality out of that cover display too.
We’ll also get some new tablets and smartwatches
The three tablets that are coming will likely differ in terms of size, and some other aspects, while we’re also getting some smartwatches to check out, at least based on rumors. This will be a huge event for Samsung.
What’s interesting, is that the event is taking place in Korea, Samsung’s homeland. The company usually hosts these global press events in other countries, but this time around, it opted to do it from home.
We are now in that future that our ancestors imagined some decades ago – the future where businesses and many human activities are fully automated. The experiment began with the mechanization of farming, where the profession that used to employ about 70% of most countries’ workforce could no longer do so. Mechanization was only a prelude to machine learning and artificial intelligence’s possibilities. With AI, unsupervised learning and convolutional neural networks have become effortless.
Artificial intelligence has significantly enhanced the user experience on mobile-friendly casino sites with navigable features devices casino sites by enabling easy navigation and personalized interactions. Through AI-driven algorithms, these platforms can analyze user preferences and behavior to offer tailored game recommendations, promotions, and bonuses, resulting in a more engaging and enjoyable gambling experience. Moreover, AI-powered virtual assistants integrated into these casino sites can efficiently address user queries and provide real-time support, further contributing to seamless navigation and customer satisfaction.
This article will, among other things, focus on the pros and cons of artificial intelligence and how the many AI industries in Canada are now transforming our traditional views and use of online casinos.
Pros and Cons of Artificial Intelligence in Online Casinos
Pros
Many AI industries have developed algorithms that identify if and when a player is involved in collaboration, card counting, or any other unfair advantage. Thus, AI is helping to keep the gaming niche secure and fair through robust anomaly detection schemes.
Artificial intelligence companies have also developed ways to track fraud or cheating through their algorithms that detect betting patterns that are not natural.
AI also helps create a life-like feel in games, making them more fascinating to participants.
Artificial intelligence companies also mine players’ data or behavioural patterns using their engines or algorithms. So, technology has become a data science tool that uses predictive analytic tools for pattern recognition. From the information harvested, game studios and managers can recognise monetization opportunities and increase their ROI. They also use it to manage big data and computer vision that once required copious efforts.
Less human supervision is one of the most significant gains of AI in online casinos. With machine learning, chatbots, digital assistants, AI applications, and other AI tools, developers can go to sleep while machines continue to operate based on programmed commands.
Cons
Being the machine that it is, AI is prone to mistakes, and it is not always correct.
Stability AI has high maintenance demands. Many brains must come together to make stability AI or develop an algorithm whose accuracy will stand the test of time.
Artificial intelligence companies and engines are prone to hacks and manipulations that can distort the betting game.
AI’s full involvement in games and businesses has negative impacts on human jobs, countries’ employment rates, and economic stability. Let’s be frank; it threatens job availability as much as it provides solutions to businesses’ growth and efficiency.
What About Artificial Intelligence in Business?
Of course, the benefits of AI go beyond transforming the online casino niche. Businesses and educational institutions have already started enjoying what innovation has to offer.
According to Michelle H. Thomas, an expert in AI business intelligence and marketing, innovation is now helping to cut the time and money businesses spend on improving employees’ productivity and customer service experience. She reiterates that many companies have become AI-centric in their customer service approaches, helping to cut costs.
Three Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Business in 2023
Please, note that AI offers more than three intuitive applications for businesses, but the scope of this article only covers three of the leading ones. Contrary to it being the privilege of a few tech gurus and software experts, many businesses and entrepreneurs with little or no tech background are now using AI to power their services in the following ways.
Sales
A business review conducted by Harvard researchers shows that AI is helping many companies reduce their costs by 40-60%, leads by over 50%, and call time by between 60-70%. AI achieves this by automating business details like forecasting, lead prioritization, and monitoring outbound email campaigns. For instance, Levity now makes email categorisation, monitoring, and responses effortless based on users’ preferences.
Marketing
Businesses are also utilizing AI to balance their customer experience and operational efficiency. They use intelligent technology to perform market research, analyze competitors’ themes and trends, and achieve image recognition by categorizing and analyzing many social media pictures of competitors.
Besides, SEO through machine learning has become a tool to understand why people search for what they search for online. The understanding marketers get from this information helps formulate the best marketing strategy.
Customers’ Support
Customers determine a business’ profit trajectory. The account may become unbalanced if they don’t feel important and company owners do not satisfactorily address their concerns. Granted, it’s possible to address complaints manually, but that will require more human and financial resources, which most companies will find significant.
AI solves the bottlenecks around customer service satisfaction by assessing and categorizing messages for the right team to address them. Some algorithms can also tag specific inquiries as urgent, needing immediate attention.
While one may want to agree with some clamoring for artificial intelligence law to regulate the activities of stakeholders, the benefits are too apparent to ignore. AI is here with us, and from online casinos to sequence learning and everyday business, we cannot deny its benefits. Artificial Intelligence law can help curb the identified setbacks of this innovation but shouldn’t quench it.
