Twitter just paid some Creators as much as $25K

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Twitter just paid some Creators as much as $25K
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Twitter owner, Elon Musk, stated back in February that the platform would start doing revenue sharing with creators. Little was known about this program, until this week. And on Thursday, Twitter started to notify eligible creators that they were getting a payment within the next 72 hours. Some are getting payments as high as $25,000.

Now, that number is a bit skewed right now, since Musk did state that these payments are from when he made the announcement in early February until now (likely around June 30). So that’s about  five months worth of payments. And typically when platforms start paying out, the amounts are much higher, and start to trickle down later on. Part of that is due to the fact that there’s more people sharing the pool of money. But that might not be the case for Twitter, since it’s sharing a portion of ad revenue.

So what’s going on here? Well, Musk wants to make Twitter a viable job for creators. So he is sharing a portion of ad revenue from posts and replies for Creators. However, this is only available for some Creators right now.

What are the requirements for this program?

The requirements for this program are quite high. First of all, you do need to be a Twitter Blue subscriber to get paid. Secondly, you need to get at least 5 million impressions each month, for the past three months. Which sounds like a lot, but honestly, if you’re only getting a million impressions per month, you likely wouldn’t make much money.

There is a third requirement and that is that you pass human review for Creator Monetization Standards. Which has it’s own list of requirements.

It’s a good move by Twitter, even if it is pay to play. Though if your Twitter account is big enough, the $8 per month you pay for Blue will more than pay for itself here. Don’t forget that Twitter Blue does offer up prioritization for replies and posts. So with Blue you’ll be getting more impressions anyways.


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Fake TeamViewer Installer Used to Deliver njRAT Malware

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Fake TeamViewer Installer Used to Deliver njRAT Malware
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The njRAT malware is a remote access trojan that can perform malicious activities such as keylogging, password stealing, data exfiltration, accessing webcams and microphones, and downloading additional files, posing a significant threat to system privacy and security.

In recent news, cybersecurity researchers have discovered that threat actors are utilizing the popular remote desktop support software, TeamViewer, as a delivery mechanism for the njRAT malware.

The njRAT, also known as Bladabindi, is a remote access trojan that poses a significant threat to the privacy, security, and integrity of affected systems.

The recent findings by Cyble Research & Intelligence Labs (CRIL) shed light on the deceptive tactics employed by threat actors to exploit the trust associated with well-known applications. By leveraging the widespread adoption of TeamViewer, as well as other legitimate tools like WireShark and Process Hacker, the threat actors deceive unsuspecting users into downloading and executing the malicious files.

The njRAT malware, initially discovered in 2012-2013, has primarily targeted organizations in Middle Eastern nations. This trojan is capable of carrying out a range of malicious activities, including keylogging, password stealing, data exfiltration, accessing webcams and microphones, and downloading additional files.

Upon closer analysis, CRIL researchers identified a 32-bit Smart Installer as the delivery mechanism for the njRAT malware. The installer drops two files in the Windows folder, one of which is the njRAT malware itself, while the other is a genuine TeamViewer application. This clever camouflage allows the malware to operate undetected within compromised systems.

Once executed, the installer triggers the njRAT malware and simultaneously launches the legitimate TeamViewer application, creating a deceptive user prompt window that requests the user to proceed with the TeamViewer installation. While the user believes they are installing legitimate software, the njRAT quietly conducts its malicious operations within the compromised system.

To ensure persistence, njRAT modifies system settings, including the “SEE_MASK_NOZONECHECKS” environment variable in the Windows registry, thereby bypassing security warning prompts. Additionally, it creates autorun entries in the system registry and copies itself to the startup directory, guaranteeing that it automatically runs every time the system boots up.

New Attack Uses Fake TeamViewer Installer to Deliver njRAT Malware
njRAT files in the Windows folder (Cyble)

The njRAT trojan also engages in keylogging, capturing keystrokes by utilizing a dedicated thread with continuous monitoring and storage of the captured data. It collects various system information and encodes it using the base64 encoding scheme for exfiltration.

The malware establishes a connection with a Command and Control (C&C) server to transmit the gathered information, awaiting instructions from the C&C server for further malicious actions. 

The exploitation of legitimate software like TeamViewer highlights the resourcefulness and adaptability of threat actors in spreading malware. Users must take precautionary measures to protect themselves from such attacks.

Recommendations include downloading tools and applications only from official websites, enabling automatic software updates, using reputable antivirus and internet security software, and exercising caution when opening untrusted links or email attachments.

  1. TeamViewer was Targeted by Chinese Hackers in 2016
  2. TeamSpy malware targeting users via malicious TeamViewer app
  3. Hackers targeting embassies with trojanized version of TeamViewer
  4. VirusTotal Reveals Apps Most Exploited by Hackers to Spread Malware

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Gmail brings side navigation rail for foldable phones

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Gmail brings side navigation rail for foldable phones
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Foldable phones are able to seamlessly morph into the tablet form factor. That means that apps need to be compatible with both form factors for a good experience. Google is working on adding a navigation rail to Gmail for foldable phones, according to 9To5Google.

Since the Google Pixel Fold is out in the world, it’s important for the company to make its first-party apps compatible with the fluid form factor. This shouldn’t be much of a task, as the company has been making its app compatible with the tablet form factor for some time. This new change is just another minor step forward.

Google adds a navigation rail for Gmail in foldable phones

This is a pretty minor change to the app, but it makes sense. Currently, Gmail for tables shows your feed of emails on the left side of the screen with your currently opened email on the right. There’s also a bottom bar that houses your Chat and Meet buttons. Right above that, you’d see a floating compose email button.

That’s worked for tablet and foldable phone users, but the company will get rid of the bottom bar and place those icons on the left side of the screen. Right next to your feed of emails, you’ll see the Compose, Chat, and Meet buttons.

Gmail navigation rail foldable

Since foldable phones have more horizontal real estate, it’s a better idea to have these icons sit on the left of the rest of the UI rather than under it. Also, this placement makes it easier to press without taking your hand off of the phone. You can just press one of the buttons with your left thumb.

Weirdly enough, this was only spotted on the Pixel Fold. The folks are 9To5Google weren’t able to see it on the Galaxy Z Fold 4 or the Pixel Tablet. This might still be rolling out to other devices.


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House Republicans claim the FTC is harassing Elon Musk

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House Republicans claim the FTC is harassing Elon Musk
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House Republicans are defending Elon Musk, and tearing into the Federal Trade Commission’s Chair Lina Khan, claiming that an agency investigation into Twitter is borders on “obsession” with the platform.

This all came to a head at a House Judiciary Committee hearing overseeing the agency’s work under Khan’s leadership. Jordan, who is the chair of the committee, set the tone right away, and called Khan’s leadership a “disaster” and suggested that the agency’s probe into Twitter was politically motivated.

Rep. Jordan asked Khan “Why are you harassing Twitter?”

This hearing took place just hours after Musk had asked a federal court to end the FTC’s investigation into Twitter over privacy failures and to terminate a settlement it entered into with the agency last year. Musk’s X Corp. stated in the filing that the probe had “spiraled out of control and become tainted with bias.”

Twitter is required to inform the FTC of how it protects consumer data

Shortly after Musk took over Twitter, and he started to lay off thousands of workers, the FTC started to probe the company. It was looking to see if Twitter had the necessary resources to maintain the privacy of its users. This is due to a consent decree that Twitter entered into with the FTC in 2011 (it was later expanded in 2022), where it is required to inform the FTC on how it protects consumer data and coordinate regular security audits.

Khan noted that the FTC imposed these privacy restrictions that Musk hates so much, well over a decade ago. Stating that “Twitter has a history of lax security and privacy policies.”

On another note, the Republicans were also criticizing Khan and the FTC for its recent court failures to challenge mergers. Of course, the most recent one is allowing Microsoft to purchase Activision Blizzard. Republicans are suggesting that it was a ploy to make Congress pass new antitrust rules. Rep. Kevin Kiley asked Khan “Are you losing on purpose?” And then continued “You’re losing because you don’t have the authority that you want from Congress.”


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We have leaked images of the Galaxy Tab S9 FE devices

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We have leaked images of the Galaxy Tab S9 FE devices
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We’re less than two weeks away from the next Samsung Unpacked event, and we’re all excited. We expect to see the Galaxy Tab S9 series make an appearance at the event. Before the event, we have some leaked images of the Galaxy Tab S9 FE and the “+” variant as well.

Yes, if the rumors are correct, then Samsung is gearing up to launch five tablets during the event. We have the Galaxy Tab S9, Tab S9+, Tab S9 Ultra, Tab S9 FE, and Tab S9 FE+. That’s a ton of tablets, but it means that Samsung is looking to cover a wide range of prices with this launch.

With last year’s Galaxy Tab S8 series, the cheapest model was still a bit pricey. However, this year, there’s more competition at lower price ranges. We have sub-$500 tablets such as the Google Pixel Tablet and the OnePlus Pad among others. Launching cheaper tablets is a good idea.

We have leaked images of the Galaxy Tab S9 FE series

Images of the Galaxy Tab S9 FE and Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ come from MediaPeanut and WolfOfTablet, respectively (via Techradar). These images show us two similar-looking devices.

We see the Galaxy Tab S9 FE in a silver colorway. It will have a matte finish, but, looking at the renders, it might be somewhat reflective. The antenna lines sit near the top and bottom edges and curve with the corner of the device. There’s a singular camera on the top left corner with the magnetic strip to store and charge the S Pen.

We don’t see many differences with the “+” model. In the image, this one is a dark gray color. The only major difference between these two models is the additional camera on the back. Other than that, both devices appear the same.

There will be a size difference between these tablets, according to the leaks. We expect the Galaxy Tab S9 FE to have a 10.9-inch display and be 6.7mm thick. The Galaxy Tab S9+ could have a larger 12.4-inch display and be slightly thinner at 6.54mm.

We don’t have many specs on these devices. The only information we have is a few rumored specs on the “+” model. That one is expected to use the Exynos 1380 SoC. This could be backed up by 8GB of RAM. That seems just right for a mid-range tablet.

More information on these tablets will surface as we get closer to the Unpacked event. Mark your calendars for July 26th.


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Telly begins to ship out its free 55-inch 4K TVs

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Telly begins to ship out its free 55-inch 4K TVs
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Free Telly TVs are beginning to ship out to those who signed up for one, Variety reports. A little earlier this year, Telly announced it would be bringing a 4K TV to market that you wouldn’t have to spend a dime on. It waas basically free, but there was a catch. You had to sign up to receive one and there are only a limited amount of them. Which means not everyone was going to be a lucky recipient.

Getting the TV for free is also reliant on you agreeing to view and watch ads via the second dedicated display that sits below the main panel. Opting out of that agreement results in you having to pay up to $1,000 for the TV (the initial report in May says it could cost up to $500). Naturally, some were probably skeptical of opting into the situation. But even still it’s no doubt a tempting proposition as you get a free 4K TV with a 55-inch screen.

Telly has no confirmed that the TVs are just starting to head out of the warehouse and make their trip to those who were accepted to get one. So you’ll want to be on the lookout if you were one of those people. The company plans to ship around 500,000 of these TVs out, and says it received more than 250,000 signups. Which suggests there’s still more to go around.

Most free Telly TVs will ship out close to Black Friday

As mentioned only some of the TVs are starting to ship out. The first wave of TVs begins headed to consumers this week, while the majority of them will ship out around Black Friday.

The company doesn’t confirm a specific ship date for the larger portion of the TVs going out. But does mention that “there is no better Black Friday deal than free.” Suggesting this to be the timeframe when most can expect the TVs to show up. If you want to sign up for a free TV from Telly, it sounds like you may still be able to do so. But there’s a lot you have to agree to. So make sure to read all the fine print.


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YouTube announces quiz posts are coming to iOS and Android devices

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YouTube announces quiz posts are coming to iOS and Android devices
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After spending several months in beta, the option to create quiz posts in the Community tab is finally rolling out to everyone on Android, iOS and the web. YouTube confirmed earlier today that quiz posts are launching to all devices where Community posts are supported.

This means that creators with access to the Community tab will now be able to create quizzes and viewers on Android and iOS devices can engage with them. Here is how you can add a quiz to your post:

  • Enter a question in the text field.
  • Enter answers in the “Answer” fields. Answers can be up to 80 characters each.
  • If you need more answer fields, tap Add answer. You can have up to 4 answers.
  • Select the correct answer. You can add an optional explanation for why this is the correct answer in the text field. Explanations can be 350 characters max.

It’s important to mention that you can only have one correct answer on these quizzes, which makes perfect sense if you want to use these as educational tools. The announcement comes days after YouTube confirmed that it has started testing AI-generated quizzes on mobile. A small number of YouTube users are now part of an experiment that shows AI-generated quizzes on their Home feed. Of course, there’s no telling when these AI-generated quizzes will be made available for everyone nor if YouTube plans to really go ahead with this controversial feature.

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Red Menshen APT Group Deploying BPFDoor in Linux Kernel

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Red Menshen APT Group Deploying BPFDoor in Linux Kernel
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APTs Red Menshen expands targets to Linux and cloud servers, as seen in ransomware attacks on VMware ESXi, Mirai botnet variations, and cloud-focused stealers and crypto miners.

APT groups extend focus beyond Windows, signified by Sandworm’s attacks on Linux-based routers. Unlike cybercrime malware with broad targets, APT malware prioritizes persistent stealth and routine maintenance.

Red Menshen, an APT group active in the Middle East and Asia, continuously enhances the BPFDoor backdoor, utilizing Berkeley Packet Filter (BPF) to evade Linux and Solaris OS firewalls. 

Cybersecurity researchers at Trend Micro identify the Linux and Solaris variants as Backdoor.Linux.BPFDOOR and Backdoor.Solaris.BPFDOOR.ZAJE, respectively, with added monitoring and detection patterns.

Red Menshen advances BPF filters, increasing instructions six-fold, indicating active development and successful deployment of BPFDoor.

Workflow of BPFDoor

The intriguing technical aspect of BPFDoor lies in its kernel-level loading of packet filters, commonly known as BPF or LSF in Linux, representing the same underlying technology.

BPFDoor’s BPF filters enable backdoor activation with a single network packet, bypassing firewalls by leveraging the kernel’s BPF engine, and this rootkit-like capability sets it apart from typical backdoors.

BPFDoor variants employ classic BPF filters, with Linux samples using SO_ATTACH_FILTER and Solaris samples utilizing libpcap functions for runtime filter loading.

When a packet with the magic number arrives, BPFDoor connects back to the source IP, establishing a distinct identifier-based communication.

A privileged reverse shell is established by BPFDoor, enabling remote command execution by the attacker through a pipe connection to the infected machine’s shell.

Activation of BPFDoor backdoor (Source – TrendMicro)

The samples of BPFDoor across 2018-2022 feature a uniform BPF program accepting unique magic numbers for the following protocols:-

BPF program instruction old (Source – TrendMicro)

The BPF program in these samples comprises 30 instructions, which measure the filter’s complexity, reads the report shared.

On the affected systems, there are three distinct packets that trigger the activation of the backdoor, and here below, we have mentioned them:-

  • UDP packet containing the magic number 0x7255 at the data field
  • ICMP ECHO (ping) packet containing the same 0x7255 magic number at the data field
  • TCP packet containing the magic number 0x5293 at the data field

Experts identified four telfhash-supported samples introducing a 4-byte magic number for TCP packets, resulting in a new BPF program with 39 instructions.

BPF program instruction New (Source – TrendMicro)

In 2023, three samples utilized an enhanced BPF program with 229 instructions, specifically validating ICMP packets as ICMP ECHO requests.

Targets of Red Menshen APT

Here below, we have mentioned the countries targeted using BPFDoor:-

Here below, we have mentioned the industries targeted using BPFDoor:-

  • Telecommunication services
  • Financial services
  • Other services

Incorporating BPF bytecode into malware poses a new complicated hurdle for security experts. So, the BPFDoor’s evolving filters indicate threat actors’ efforts to enhance stealth and evade detection.

Updating rules and diving into BPF filter analysis promptly is advised for network defenders and malware analysts.


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Threads’ user engagement has dropped off since launch

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Threads’ user engagement has dropped off since launch
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Threads made waves when it first launched last week, amassing over 100 million users since then. It even prompted Twitter Elon Musk to speak out (and potentially sue Meta). While that’s the case, Threads’ user engagement has dropped off a bit since its launch.

The platform is very similar to Twitter; it brings the same mentality, at least. People are able to post their quick thoughts and augment them with images and videos, and GIFs. It doesn’t resemble Twitter; it resembles Twitter before Elon Musk took over. This is one reason why people flocked to the new platform.

But, Threads’ user engagement dropped off a fair bit

Several sources are looking into Threads’ numbers, and they’re reporting a post-honeymoon dip, according to CNBC. Sensor Tower, one of the sources reporting on Threads saw that on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, the number of daily active users was down about 20% from Saturday. Also, those who were on the platform spent about half as much time- 10 minutes spent on the app down from 20 minutes.

Another firm, Similarweb, also has analytics; however, these are only for the Android app. Statistics for the iOS app should come soon. Based on the company’s data, Threads had 36.6 million users on Monday.

Similarweb showed that it peaked on July 7th. Between that day and this Monday, Threads lost about 25% of its daily active users. Between July 6th and July 10th, time spent on the app dropped from 20 minutes to about 8 minutes. That’s a 60% drop.

Should Meta be worried?

Meta’s Threads broke records and became the fastest-growing social media platform ever. But now, we’re seeing a pretty notable dropoff. Should the company be worried?

No. It’s natural for a new platform to see a dropoff as time goes on. People spent more time getting used to it and seeing what it’s all about. After time passes, it moves into the back of people’s minds as they go on with their day. This happens to other apps.

We also can’t rule out the fact that some people just found the app is not their thing. There are people who prefer other platforms and uninstalled the app. At this point, there’s still a fair number of things that you can’t do on Threads.

So, this dropoff is just the initial excitement deflating. After a few weeks, we might get an idea of the average user engagement that Threads is going to see over the following years. As time goes on, Threads will see peaks and drops in its numbers as Meta adds more features.


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Anthropic launches Claude 2, the next-gen of ‘friendly’ AI chatbot

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Anthropic launches Claude 2, the next-gen of ‘friendly’ AI chatbot
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Ever since ChatGPT kicked off the AI revolution, other tech companies have been hard at work trying to develop the next evolution of generative AI. Now, in a recent development, Anthropic, the company founded by former OpenAI research executives, has released the next generation of their conversational chatbot, Claude 2, following a $750 million investment.

While similar in concept to Google’s Bard or OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Claude sets itself apart with its conversational tone and added humor. Additionally, the new version also allows for longer and more detailed responses while improving its skills in math, coding, and reasoning. Moreover, the company also highlighted the fact that the new chatbot outperformed its predecessor, scoring 76.5% on the multiple-choice section of the bar exam compared to Claude 1.3’s score of 73%.

Furthermore, addressing recent concerns about chatbots generating harmful and manipulative content, Anthropic claims that Claude 2 is twice as effective at providing harmless responses, reducing the risk of generating harmful content during interactions.

“We really feel that this is the safest version of Claude that we’ve developed so far, and so we’ve been very excited to get it into the hands of a wider range of both businesses and individual consumers,” said Daniela Amodei, co-founder of Anthropic.

Not connected to the internet

Although Claude 2 shares similarities with the Bing AI chatbot, it is not connected to the internet and is trained on data up until December 2022. As a result, the chatbot does not have access to the latest information or developments. However, it’s worth mentioning that its dataset is more up-to-date than the free version of ChatGPT, which cuts off in 2021.

Analyzing books and papers

Another notable feature of Claude 2 is its contextual understanding, which can accommodate approximately 75,000 words. This not only allows users to upload lengthy documents, such as novels or research papers, for analysis by Claude but also helps them quickly obtain summaries of complex texts and documents.


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