In a shocking twist, Twitter has made a problematic decision in an attempt to turn people toward getting a Twitter Blue subscription. There’s a new setting for Twitter DMs that could opt everyone in. However, this setting has the potential for some major harassment.
Elon Musk is still trying to make Twitter profitable. However, it seems that with every step forward the company makes… let’s not kid ourselves, the company’s been taking steps back since Elon took the helm. Since ad revenue is down, Twitter is focusing a lot on making Twitter Blue a worthwhile option.
A new setting for Twitter DMs could lead to harassment
When you’re using Twitter, you have the ability to send and receive direct messages. While this is the case, you have some settings to control who can contact you. You can either receive messages from everyone or only from people who you follow. It was a good system, so naturally, the company had to come and mess it up.
There are a ton of people on the platform who don’t want to receive messages from just anyone. These are celebrities, influencers, journalists, etc.. They have a high follower count, and they can be prey to all sorts of malicious messages and harassment.
Well, this new feature could open the gates for such things. This setting will allow messages from those you follow and any verified user. Back when the verification system was more exclusive, that wouldn’t have been as bad.
However, just about anyone who pays the $8/month can message people with those settings. This creates a low barrier to entry for people who want to contact people they weren’t allowed to before.
There’s also another downside
This setting also means that people who want to receive messages from everyone will see a dip in their messages. If you’re not verified or followed by that person, you can’t message them. This could be bad for creators who want to interact with their community or be contacted by companies.
WTF Twitter.
I started to see little to no DMs: and I keep my DMs open at all times, on purpose.
Twitter SILENTLY changed my (maybe everyone’s?) settings to only allow messages from only people I follow + verified users.
This, in and of itself is bad, but what makes this worse is that Twitter automatically opted people into this setting by default. It stated that it can easily be disabled, yet it didn’t directly explain how to.
How to disable this setting
If you don’t like this setting, it’s easy to disable it. In the app, open the side panel on the left of the screen and tap on the Settings & Support button and then tap on Settings & Privacy.
There, go to Privacy and Safety and tap on Direct Messages. On that screen, you’ll see the settings. Select the setting that you want.
Samsung has reportedly surpassed arch-rival TSMC in 3nm semiconductor manufacturing yield. According to the Korean media, the company has recently reached a 3nm yield rate of 60 percent. Its Taiwanese rival has only achieved a 55 percent yield rate of its most advanced semiconductors.
In the semiconductor industry, the yield rate is the percentage of usable chips. The higher this number, the more efficient the manufacturing process. It means the wafer loss is lower, thus reducing the production cost. A higher yield rate also means a larger production capacity and shorter wait times for customers.
Samsung Foundry has had yield issues for the past few years. The issues have been so big that many of its customers switched to TSMC for the production of their advanced chips. The list includes Qualcomm among others. However, the Korean firm has been determined to win back its customers’ confidence. It seems to be on the right track.
The latest information comes from the Korean capital market firm Hi Investment & Securities. According to KMIB News, which cites a recent report from the said firm, Samsung is also close to TSMC in 4nm yields. The former has a 4nm yield rate of over 75 percent. The Taiwanese giant sits atop with an 80 percent yield rate of 4nm chips.
Improved 3nm yield may help Samsung win back customers
It’s a rare feat for Samsung to do better than TSMC in the foundry market. The latter captures about 60 percent of the market, while the former follows distantly with a 15 percent share. But Samsung’s improved 3nm yields may make a few chip companies switch to it from TSMC for the production of their next-gen solutions. Qualcomm and Nvidia are among the names that are reportedly considering Samsung’s foundry.
The yield rates may not be the only factor driving these companies towards Samsung, though. Most of TSMC’s 3nm capacity is already reserved for Apple, so it may not take large-scale orders just yet. Moreover, the Taiwanese firm is charging up to 30 percent extra for chips manufactured in its US and Japan plants. Samsung’s technological expertise in AI (artificial intelligence) may also be playing a part.
Nonetheless, Samsung and TSMC going neck on neck in the foundry space should be beneficial for the semiconductor industry as a whole. Time will tell which firm goes on to lead the 3nm race. While the Taiwanese company is sticking to the FinFET transistor architecture, Samsung is moving to the GAA architecture. TSMC will adopt GAA architecture with its 2nm chips in 2025.
Security experts are warning Zimbra users that a vulnerability for which there is no patch is being actively exploited in the wild.
Security experts are warning Zimbra users that a vulnerability for which there is no patch is being actively exploited in the wild. In a security update about the vulnerability, the company offered a temporary workaround which users can apply while waiting for a patch to be created.
Zimbra is an open source webmail application used for messaging and collaboration. The vulnerability, which could impact the confidentiality and integrity of users’ data, exists in Zimbra Collaboration Suite Version 8.8.15.
Zimbra is widely used across different industries and government organizations. We reported about a cross-site scripting (XSS) zero-day vulnerability in the Zimbra email platform back in February 2022. At the time, Zimbra claimed there were 200,000 businesses, and over a thousand government and financial institutions, using its software. Thousands of Zimbra mail servers were backdoored in a large scale attack exploiting that vulnerability.
In our June 2023 ransomware review we noted how the MalasLocker ransomware group had targeted vulnerabilities in Zimbra servers, including CVE-2022-24682, to enable remote code execution (RCE). This resulted in MalasLocker taking first place on the list of known attacks over the month of May 2023, displacing perennial top-spot holder LockBit.
Known ransomware attacks by gang, May 2023
Since Zimbra mentions no further details, it is hard to determine what the exact problem is. Although the proposed fix (down below under Mitigation) suggest that there may be a problem which can be exploited by utilizing specially crafted XML files. By using the fn:escapeXml() function, which escapes characters that can be interpreted as XML markup, users will manually add input sanitization.
Zimbra makes no mention of active exploitation, but Google researcher Maddie Stone tweeted about another researcher in the Google Threat Analysis Group noticing the vulnerability being used in-the-wild in a targeted attack.
.@_clem1 discovered this being used in-the-wild in a targeted attack. Thank you to @Zimbra for publishing this advisory and mitigation advice! If you run Zimbra Collaboration Suite, please go manually apply the fix! #itw0dayshttps://t.co/lqwt0kOFWA
Earlier vulnerabilities in Zimbra allowed cybercriminals to steal emails in targeted attacks against organizations in the European government and media sectors.
Mitigation
The Zimbra security update suggests you apply the follow fix manually on all of your mailbox nodes:
Take a backup of the file /opt/zimbra/jetty/webapps/zimbra/m/momoveto
Then open to edit the active file and go to line number 40
Change <input name="st" type="hidden" value="${param.st}"/> to <input name="st" type="hidden" value="${fn:escapeXml(param.st)}"/>
Zimbra notes that a service restart is not required so you can do it without any downtime.
We will keep you posted when a patch is made available and in case there are other developments around this bug.
We don’t just report on vulnerabilities—we identify them, and prioritize action.
Samsung is pushing the July security update to about half a dozen Galaxy smartphones in the US. The latest security patch is available for the Galaxy Note 20, Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, Galaxy S21 FE, Galaxy A54, and Galaxy A53. It fixes as many as 90 vulnerabilities across the Galaxy family.
The Galaxy Note 20 series first picked up the July SMR (Security Maintenance Release) in Latin America. Samsung released the update about a week back for both 4G and 5G versions of its last Note-branded phones in the region. Recently, it rolled out the latest security patch to the devices in the US as well.
As of this writing, the update is limited to carrier-locked units. The new firmware build number for those phones is N98*USQS4HWF5 (via SamMobile). The July SMR should soon reach factory-unlocked Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra as well. The update doesn’t bring anything apart from the latest security fixes.
These security fixes are also available for the Galaxy S21 FE in the US. The same publication confirms the rollout for carrier-locked variants. The update bumps the firmware version of the phone to G990USQS8EWF1. Once again, it’s all about this month’s security patches and nothing else. Users with an unlocked unit should get the update in the coming days.
The July SMR for the Galaxy A54 and Galaxy A53 is even more limited. Samsung seems to have only released the update for Verizon-specific models of the two premium mid-range phones (model numbers SM-A546V and SM-A536V, respectively). The new build number for the former is A546VSQS4AWF2, while that for the latter is A536VSQS8CWF6 (via).
Other US versions of the Galaxy A54 and Galaxy A53 may have to wait longer for the July update. But if you’re using any of these Samsung smartphones, you can manually check for updates from the Settings app. Go to the Software update menu and tap on Download and install. Note that the latest updates may not show up for everyone at the same time.
The July update patches 90 security issues in Galaxy devices
The July SMR is one of the biggest monthly security releases from Samsung in recent times. It patches no less than 90 vulnerabilities across the Galaxy family. These include at least three critical Android OS flaws and 38 Galaxy-specific issues. The Korean firm will push these security fixes to more eligible Galaxy models in the coming days. We will keep you posted on those releases.
Many people thought that Netflix’s recent decision to abolish password-sharing would be a disaster — or at least, this is perhaps what they were hoping for, as this would have possibly led to the streaming service reverting the controversial decision to end password-sharing. But unfortunately, the opposite has happened. In the U.S., the password-sharing crackdown has proven to be successful with an increase in new subscribers.
Now, according to the UK newspaper The Times, Netflix will reveal its latest numbers this week and it’s expected to report a further increase in subscribers, giving more evidence that the password-sharing policy, though unpopular, was successful (via TechRadar). Apparently, analysts expect the streaming service to report an increase of 1.8 million new subscribers in the last financial quarter. This will reportedly take the total number of paying subscribers to over 234 million people.
This means that the decision Netflix made to end password-sharing was apparently successful
This anticipated increase is in stark contrast to a year ago when Netflix announced its first decline in the number of subscribers in well over a decade. The service notably lost almost a million subscribers, which put a dent in Wall Street’s confidence in Hollywood pivoting from cinemas to streaming.
Amid its financial losses, Netflix hunkered down on password-sharing to prevent multiple users sharing accounts and the streaming platform losing even more money. After announcing its decision, Netflix garnered much controversy and the service warned its investors about a possible “cancel reaction.” But it seems like the opposite is happening as the crackdown on password-sharing is proving to be successful. In addition to the anticipated increase this week, Bloomberg Second Measure — which tracks streaming services — reported a 236% increase in new subscribers between May 21 and June 18 of this year. Another analytics company, Antenna, reported in early June that “Netflix has had the 4 single largest days of US user acquisition in the 4.5 years that [the company] has been measuring the streaming service.”
Despite these increases in Netflix’s subscriber base, it’s also important to consider how they compare to the number of users who have cancelled their subscription as result of the great purge on password-sharing.
What’s also interesting is how these numbers will fare with Netflix’s latest policies, such as its latest decision to drop its basic ad-free plan for Canadian users. Either way, if there’s anything that the success of Netflix’s password-sharing crackdown tells us, it’s that the platform’s most controversial moves may end up being its most successful moves. As the service presses to stay relevant in the streaming wars, users are the most impacted.
The war rages on; Meta is still looking to compete with TikTok on the short-form video front. It’s been making Reels more of a priority, and this new change is evidence of that. According to Engadget, Facebook brought a revamped Video tab to the app that basically makes it resemble Instagram.
Before the whole TikTok tiff, Facebook focused on longer-form videos from its creators. Then, enter ByteDance’s video-sharing platform. It swooped in and poached users from Instagram (owned by Facebook owner Meta) and led to a significant drop in ad revenue. Since then, Mark Zuckerberg has been looking for ways to make Instagram the one-stop shop for short videos.
This is a tough job because it’s not only going against TikTok, but it’s also fighting YouTube Shorts and Snapchat’s Spotlight.
Facebook brought a new Video tab
Facebook revamped its hub for videos. It officially retired its Facebook Watch tab after about six years of service. When you access the tab, you’ll find a line of different buttons on the top to curate the videos on your screen. There’s one for live videos, Reels, Music videos, and creators you follow. When you open the tab, you’ll automatically be in the For You section.
In the ‘For You’ section, you’ll navigate a feed of videos that the algorithm thinks you like. This will be based on your Facebook activity. While there’s a Reels section, you’ll still see Reels mixed into your ‘For You’ feed. That should come as no surprise, however. You’ll still be able to interact with these videos just like other Facebook posts. You can “Like”, comment, react, and share them.
There’s also a search button on the top right of the screen. With it, you’re able to search for keywords and hashtags. When you summon the search bar, you’ll see recommended hashtags that you can discover as well.
This is a good addition for people who want a better video-watching experience while using Facebook.
The Threads app from Meta’s Instagram has been a massive success over the past few weeks. However, it is still struggling to take down Twitter, but it is a solid competitor. The success of this app however is restricted to certain areas as a result of governmental restrictions.
You might be wondering why these restrictions or laws against the use of the Threads app in the EU are in place. Well, the government in this region is concerned about its citizens’ privacy and how the app threatens it. Over the past few years, Meta has been a constant subject of consideration in lots of privacy concerns.
One region where it faces constant backlash regarding how it handles user data is the EU. For this reason, the Threads app is not available for users that live in the EU and its member states. Most people might suggest that users in this region use a VPN to access these services. That’s some fast and innovative thinking, well Meta thought of that first and is ready to help you waste your time.
Accessing the Threads app in the EU with a VPN is a complete waste of your time
Since the EU restricts usage of the Threads app in its region, a VPN might be a quick walkaround for most users. This is because a VPN is a tool to keep your location anonymous while you browse the internet. Browsing the internet with a VPN will mask your location to the website’s server, hence allowing you to avoid geo-blocking.
Lots of people in the EU use these services to access region-specific movies on streaming platforms. These same set of people might feel that a VPN would also grant them access to the Threads app. Meta, on the other hand, is blocking citizens of the EU from accessing this app even while using a VPN service.
How they get this done is very impressive yet a bit concerning. Since Meta owns platforms like Facebook and Instagram, users can log into either platform with the same details. This means that you can open an Instagram account with the details from your already existing Facebook account.
Also, to open a Threads account, you will need your Instagram account if you already have one. By doing this, your data across all three platforms is linked and accessible by Meta. This data includes your location, which can be got from your years of using Instagram and Facebook.
So if Meta finds that an account domicile in an EU member state logs into Threads using a VPN, it is automatically a red flag. Whether users in the EU try to access this service with or without a VPN, it is easy for Meta to block them. By actively blocking EU citizens from accessing this new platform, Meta might be protesting the EU’s decision to block the app over privacy concerns.
There are 44 countries in Europe, but the EU comprises 27 member states (countries) with 447 million citizens. By restricting the access of the Threads app via VPN to this mammoth crowd, Meta might be playing a wild card. However, having over 100 million users currently, the Threads app might be doing well without folks from the EU.
One good thing about social media platforms is that they give you the ability to mute and block certain words. Since there’s so much hate and prejudice in the world, this is a useful feature. Well, with a new platform comes the need to block those words all over again. Here’s how to hide posts on Threads based on certain words.
Doing this is pretty easy to do, so it won’t take you too long. After reading this article, feel free to check out some of our other content on this burgeoning platform. Android Headlines has news and How-To articles to get you started on this app on the right foot.
Before we start
At the time of writing this article, Threads is still very new, and there are features yet to come to the platform. If you’re looking to be one of the first to test out new features, you can join the beta program. At the time, the program is only available for Android users, but we expect it to make it to iOS eventually.
Just search for Threads on the Google Play Store and scroll down to the beta program section. There, you’ll see the Join button. It’ll take a few minutes for you to officially be added to the program. Once you’re added, you’ll then want to update the app.
If you’re using the beta software, just know that the experience may be less stable than if you’re using the stable version.
How to hide Threads posts based on certain posts
If you’re scrolling through your feed, and you’re not liking some of the words being passed around, then fixing it is an easy solution. The first thing you want to do is go to your settings. Tap on the Profile button on the bottom right corner of the screen. Right above your profile picture, tap on the hamburger-style menu.
When you tap on that button, you’ll be greeted by a familiar sight. This is reminiscent of the Instagram profile menu. Go down to the Privacy button. In that menu, tap on the Hidden Words button. In that menu, you’ll see some options. For starters, you’ll see the toggle to hide and unhide the words. So, if you don’t want to hide any words, you can simply toggle it off. It’s switched on by default.
The next section will let you choose which words you want to hide. Just like the top section, you’re able to switch this feature off if you so want. The very bottom option will allow you to type in the words that you don’t want to see.
In the text field, just type in the words that you don’t want to see. Make sure that you put a comma between the words so that the app knows to censor them separately.
More settings in Threads
So, you can now mute certain words that you see on the platform, but there are other settings that you can alter to make for a more comfortable threading experience. Let’s go over them. If the company adds more settings in the future, then the article will be updated accordingly.
Choose who can mention you
If you amass a bunch of followers on Threads, then you’ll expect a bunch of mentions. You’ll get a mention when someone makes a post and tags your profile by putting your username after the “@” symbol That could fill up your inbox and be a bother. There’s a setting that will let you choose who can mention you on the platform.
In order to do that, you’ll want to go back to the Privacy section. There, tap on the Mentions button. On the resulting page, you’ll have three options to choose from. The top option will allow any and all people to mention you.
The second option might be the most popular option for people who only want certain people to mention them. It will only allow someone to mention you if you follow them.
The last option will block everyone from mentioning you.
Mute an account
Features like these have become some of the most useful features on social media. Just like on other platforms, you’re able to mute and block people on Threads. These features can come in handy if there’s someone on the platform you don’t want to see posts from. They will become more useful when Threads eventually brings DMs.
If you don’t know the difference between muting and blocking, here’s a quick rundown. If you just don’t want an account’s content to show up on your timeline, you can mute it. You can either go to the account in question or go to one of its posts. Go to the upper-right corner and tap on the three-dot button.
There, you’ll see a panel pop up with some options. Tap on the Mute option. You’ll still be able to see their posts if you go to their profile, but they just won’t show up on your timeline.
Restrict an account
If you want to limit how a person can interact with you, then you can restrict the account. When you restrict an account, their posts won’t show up on your timeline, and you won’t see their comments either. Also, they won’t be able to see when you’re online.
You will restrict accounts in much the same way that you mute them. Go to the three-dot button on their profile. There, you’ll see the option to restrict them right under the Mute button. You can’t restrict an account through a post, however.
Block an account
If you just don’t want anything to do with an account, then you can completely block them. If you block an account, you won’t see any of their posts on your timeline, and you won’t see their posts on their profiles either.
Tap on the three-dot button on a post or profile, and you’ll see the Block button at the bottom in red text.
Unmuting/unrestricting/unblocking
Unmuting the account is the easiest to do of the three. Go to the profile of the person you want to unmute and press the three-dot button. Right where the Mute button was, you’ll see an Unmute button. Tap on it and you’re good to go.
Unrestricting an account is also pretty easy. Just go to the account that you restricted and tap on the three-dot menu on the upper right of the UI. There, you’ll see the Unrestrict button. If you want to see a list of the people you restricted, you won’t be able to do so in the Threads app. You’ll need to go to the Settings and Privacy section in the Instagram app.
Under that section, you’ll see a bunch of settings divided into categories. Scroll down to the How others can interact with you section. There, you’ll see the Restricted button. Tap on it, and you’ll see the list.
Lastly, unblocking accounts is quick and easy. In the Privacy section, scroll down the Blocked button. When you do that, it will take you right to the Blocked section in the Instagram app. It will show you a list of your blocked accounts with the option to unblock them. Simple as that!
Samsung has announced that its ViewFinity S9 5K monitor will be available in the US starting in August. Launched during CES 2023 in January, it is the company’s first monitor with a 5K resolution display. It succeeded last year’s ViewFinity S8, which has a 4K display.
Samsung ViewFinity S9 specs and features
The Samsung ViewFinity S9 (model number (S90PC) features a 27-inch flat LCS screen with a 5,120 x 2,880 pixels (5K) resolution. According to the company, the exceptional picture and text clarity offered by a sharper display helps enhance productivity as professionals don’t have to frequently zoom in to see content more cleanly. The Samsung Matte Display technology limits light reflection and glare on the screen.
The Korean firm has capped the refresh rate at 60Hz, while the typical peak brightness level remains at 600 nits. But a 99 percent DCI-P3 color gamut and 218 PPI (pixels per inch) pixel density ensures saturated and vivid colors with crisper details. It’s “perfect for those who rely on visual fidelity,” Samsung says. The display boasts a static contrast ratio of 1000:1 and a grey-to-grey (GtG) response time of 5ms.
The ViewFinity S9 includes one Thunderbolt 4, Mini DisplayPort, and USB Type-C port each. The Thunderbolt 4 port supports up to 90W of power input and offers up to 40 Gbps of data transfer speeds. The monitor ships with a detachable 4K SlimFit camera (3,840 x 2,160) in the box. It connects via a pogo pin and doesn’t require additional cables or equipment. It supports auto framing tokeep you in the shot even when you move around.
This monitor boasts Smart Calibration and supports Smart TV apps. When not at work, you can even use the display as an entertainment hub. You get a full TV experience with access to popular streaming apps. Samsung Gaming Hub lets you play online games as well. The device has built-in speakers with Adaptive Sound+, giving you an optimal audio experience. The monitor supports various stand types as well as wall mounts. It comes with a remote control and offers a vertical mode.
Price and availability
When Samsung first announced the ViewFinity S9 monitor in January, it skipped the price and availability details. The company simply said that the new monitor will be available this year. We finally have a more precise timeline and also know Samsung’s asking price. The Korean tech behemoth has priced the ViewFinity S9 at $1,599.99. It says the device will be available for purchase in August through its official website and select retailers nationwide.
One Punch Man is an anime sensation and it has a few games on the mobile market. However, Crunchyroll has partnered with Perfect World, and the team is creating a One Punch Man game for mobile and PC platforms.
If you’re unfamiliar with Perfect World, this is the company that brought us games like Persona 5: The Phantom X and Tower Of Fantasy. So, this studio has some game-developing chops. It’s going to be available for Android, iSO, and PC when it launches. We don’t know exactly when this game will hit the market. The company did tell us that it’s going to come later this year.
One Punch Man World will let you fight and explore
As you can guess, this game allows you to fight your way through the monsters that invade Z-City, following the plot of the anime. You’ll battle smaller monsters and giant beasts. The gameplay seems similar to that of Devil May Cry or the newer Final Fantasy games.
As you can also guess, you’ll be using popular characters from the anime to do battle. This will include characters like Genos, Puri Puri Prisoner, Smile Man, Lightning Max, and more. You’ll use their signature attacks from the anime to fight off the enemies.
The trailer shows us gameplay with these characters, but it doesn’t show us direct gameplay with the man of the hour, the titular One Punch Man. There’s a reason for that. The story behind One Punch Man (or Saitama) is that he can basically kill any monster with one punch. So, that might be why we don’t see any footage of him fighting enemies. We’re not 100% sure about what the game is going to do about him as a character.
Along with fighting enemies, you’ll be able to explore Z-City. There will be different activities and minigames. If you’re looking for some social interaction, you can join the Hero Association and team up with other players to fight off more monsters.
If you’re a fan of the anime, you’ll be able to play through a story mode that goes through the first season of the show. We don’t know if more seasons will be added, but that would be nice.
You can pre-register for the PC version of the game starting today.
