If you’re looking to pick up a new tablet, then Amazon’s Prime Day is definitely a good time to do just that. There’s a ton of great tablet deals available for Samsung, Lenovo, Apple and even Amazon tablets. Which is what we’ll be rounding up in this post.
Like with many of the other Prime Day roundups we have done, this will be updated periodically throughout Prime Day which ends at 11:59PM PT on July 12. So you can be sure that you’re getting the best tablet deals possible.
Best Prime Day Tablet Deals 2023
Amazon has quite a few great deals on their own tablets for Prime Day. This includes their kids tablets. Where you can get the Fire HD 10 Kids Pro tablet on sale for $119. That’s $80 off of its regular price. You’ll also find the Fire HD 8 Kids Tablet on sale for $104.99. Which is also $75 off.
There’s also some great deals on Samsung Tablets right now, including the Galaxy Tab S8+ which is now on sale for just $899. Making it a pretty sweet deal, and bringing it down to its all-time lowest price. Want something a bit cheaper? Well the Galaxy Tab S7 FE is also on sale for $429. That’s a whopping $100 off of its regular price. We have actually not seen prices like this since Black Friday last November.
You’ll also find the iPad on sale. That includes the iPad (10th generation) which is now just $399. That’s $50 off of its regular price. Obviously that doesn’t sound like a ton off, but Apple’s products rarely get discounted, so this is a pretty good deal. Especially since this is their newest iPad model.
Those are just a few of the many tablet deals that we are seeing right now for Prime Day. Remember, we will be continuing to update this all week long.
UGREEN, which makes some of the best charging hubs, has announced its latest solution. The company is readying a compact 300W GaN charger that can concurrently charge up to five devices at high speed. The new hub will debut next month with a price tag of $269.
The upcoming UGREEN charging hub features four USB Type-C ports and one USB Type-A port. The fastest USB-C port delivers up to 140W of power via the PowerDelivery 3.1 spec. That’s enough to fast charge some of the beefiest laptops out there. More impressively, its power output is unaffected even if you use the remaining four ports all at the same time.
According to The Verge, which received information about the new UGREEN product from the company’s spokesperson Roger Wan, the other three USB-C ports have a maximum power output of 100W, 100W, and 45W, respectively. The lone USB-A port charges connected devices at a speed of 22.5W, which remains constant regardless of how many ports are in use simultaneously.
The power delivery of the other three USB-C ports depends on the number of devices connected at a time, though. A chart supplied by the company shows that the second and third USB-C ports can’t deliver 100W of power at the same time. The third port’s output power will drop to 60W. If you plug in the fourth port as well, both will drop to 65W, while the fourth port itself will offer a maximum power of 30W (down from its original capacity of 45W).
Overall, this UGREEN charging hub will deliver a power output of 300W. The breakdown of all five ports when used at the same time is 140W from the first USB-C port, 65W from the second, 45W from the third, 20W from the fourth, and 22.5W from the lone USB-A port. You can see the chart below for a wider breakdown of power output when a few ports are not in use.
The new UGREEN 300W charger comes with a thermal monitoring system
UGREEN says the charger comes with a built-in thermal monitoring system that monitors its temperature to prevent overheating. It takes a temperature reading every half a second. However, as pointed out by The Verge, some of its earlier compact high-power charging hubs equipped with this technology were getting “uncomfortably” hot when used at full capacity, including the Nexode 140W charger.
We hope UGREEN has properly evaluated the thermal performance of the upcoming accessory. If it passes the thermal test, the new charging hub will be a great option for power users. A $269-priced charger is quite expensive, but it will charge all of your gadgets at high speed. Up to five of them simultaneously. No need to carry multiple chargers when going on a work trip or a holiday.
AirCube is a wireless access point device used in homes and Edge Routers are special routers manufactured by Ubiquiti that act at the network boundary and allow an internal network to connect to an external network.
MiniUPnPd (Mini Universal Plug aNd Play) is a small daemon that initiates the UPnP and NatPMP (Network Address Translation Port Mapping Protocol) for a device. These two services allow port redirection to any client on the network.
Recent reports from SSD suggest that MiniUPnPd service on the Aircube and Edge routers are vulnerable to an internal heap overflow that can lead potentially to execute arbitrary code.
CVE(s):
CVE-2023-31998: Heap Overflow in the miniupnpd leads to Arbitrary code execution
This vulnerability exists in the /etc/init.d/upnpd which exposes a dynamic TCP port to LAN clients, allowing threat actors to execute a heap overflow attack resulting in an arbitrary code execution.
The CVSS score and vector for this Edge Routers vulnerability are yet to be confirmed.
Vulnerability Details
Miniupnpd allows the configuration of NAT entries with a function called Internet Gateway Daemon. In Linux, the NAT entries are handled with the help of iptables or nftables. However, iptables used the function get_port_mappings_in_range function to get the external NAT entries and ports.
Image: miniupnpd functionality diagram
The default allocation of array memory is set to 128 ports as the number of external port entries is not known in advance. If the entries exceed the number of port entries, the reallocation of memory is not updated accordingly, leading to a heap overflow.
SSD has published detailed information about this Edge Routers vulnerability.
Google Pixel sales in Japan are going incredibly well, and the East Asian country is now the biggest market for Google’s smartphone in 2023.
If you are looking to buy a high-end Android smartphone, the Google Pixel is a solid choice thanks to its powerful hardware, outstanding camera quality, and software support from the company. Despite complaints about design defects like volume buttons falling apart, the latest statistics show that Pixel phone sales worldwide are skyrocketing.
According to 9to5google (via Counterpoint Research), Google Pixel global shipment soared 67% year-over-year as of Q1 2023. The Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, and Pixel 7 Pro are the company’s best-selling smartphones. While the International Data Corporation (IDC) didn’t paint a rosy picture of global smartphone shipment in 2023, the Google Pixel is voraciously increasing its market share.
Japan has become the biggest hub for Google Pixel phones
The latest report also sheds light on the biggest markets for Pixel phones. Interestingly, Japan is now the biggest selling hub for Pixel devices, accounting for 34% of Google Pixel shipments in Q1 2023. Last year, Japan only made 10% of Pixel shipments. This shows Pixel phones could find their place in the Japanese market and surpass rivals from Samsung and Apple. Google now holds 9% of Japan’s market, placing itself second after Apple.
The Pixel 7a is also the most successful device in the Japanese market, with a 74% shipment jump. Likewise, Pixel 6a could keep its reign as the best-selling Android phone in the country for seven consecutive months.
In Q1 2023, the United States also made 31% of Pixel shipments, which is a significant decrease from 51% the previous year. Of course, Pixel sales in the US are still consistent, but Japan is driving the brand growth. The Pixel phones sales in other markets also soared from 14% to 18%.
The Pixel shipments in Western Europe dropped from 24% to 17%. Apple, Samsung, and Xiaomi mainly dominate the European market. So Google has a tough time increasing its market share in this region. According to the latest reports, Google’s share of the Europe smartphone market is just 0.85%.
It’s no secret that Elon Musk’s dramatic changes for Twitter have led to the resurgence of many new apps, including Meta’s attempt called Threads, which has now surpassed 100 million users just a few days after launch.
According to a report from Quiver Quantitative’s Threads Tracker, the app achieved this remarkable milestone in only five days, largely due to its integration with Instagram, which made it incredibly convenient for the platform’s billions of users to sign up, except those residing in the European Union, where the app is not yet available.
Moreover, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been actively updating users about the app’s growth metrics. He revealed that the app attracted more than 10 million users within just 7 hours of its launch, a number that skyrocketed to 30 million by Thursday morning.
Staggering engagement metrics
Not only has Threads experienced exceptional user growth, but it has also witnessed remarkable engagement metrics. A recent report highlights that, as of Thursday morning, users had already shared over 95 million posts and given 190 million likes on the platform.
Very early days
Despite this early success, it is important to note that Threads is still in its early stages and lacks a few essential features that many users consider crucial. These include limited accessibility options, the inability to add alt text to images for individuals who rely on screen readers, and half-baked search functionality.
Furthermore, the absence of a chronological feed on Threads poses a limitation for users who want to stay updated with posts from friends and family. However, the company has reassured users that they are actively working on introducing chronological feeds in the near future.
Nonetheless, Threads’ appeal as a social conversation-based social media platform, along with the company’s decision not to promote political or hard-line news content, suggests that the platform could carve out a unique niche for itself, setting it apart from Twitter.
“Politics and hard news are inevitably going to show up on Threads — they have on Instagram as well to some extent — but we’re not going to do anything to encourage those verticals. There are already numerous vibrant communities, such as sports, music, fashion, beauty, and entertainment, that can thrive without delving into politics or hard news,” wrote Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram.
RomCom is a RAT – that enables remote access/control over devices to exfiltrate sensitive information for financial gain, now being used in geo politically-motivated attacks against Ukraine’s military institutions.
According to the Blackberry threat intelligence team, the threat actor targets NATO Submit guests through RTF Exploitation.
Threat actors took advantage of this event and sent malicious documents impersonating Ukraine congress to the supporters of Ukraine.
Exploitation
Lithuania is hosting a NATO Summit in Vilnius on July 11-12. The presence of the President of Ukraine Zelenskyy was confirmed and will be having a discussion of membership with Ukraine in the future.
The threat actors cloned the website of the Ukraine Congress by adding the “.info” suffix to look legitimate.
Fig: Cloned fake website
Using the typosquatting Technique, they have created a fake domain ukrainianworldcongress[.]info which looks like the original domain ukrainianworldcongress[.]org.
Then, the Spear phishing technique is used to spread the malicious document “Overview_of_UWCs_UkraineInNATO_campaign.docx” containing an embedded RTF file named afchunk.rtf to the victims
Fig: Word document sent through phishing
Once the document gets executed by the user, it will connect to proxies services and run SMP and HTTPS ports.
The OLE object in the RTF file renders Iframe tags to download additional files to execute the attack.
The next stage of the attack is carried out by exploiting the vulnerability CVE-2022-30190 in the victim’s machine.
It is a zero-day vulnerability affecting Microsoft’s Support Diagnostic Tool (MSDT) with freely available proof of concept (POC) exploit code appearing in the wild.
Through malicious document files, this vulnerability could be exploited by remote code exploitation attempts which leverage the additional payloads.
After the sequence of scripts starts the final payload—RomCom downloader—the file connects to the remote server to register the new victim, according to the report.
When the payload is successfully downloaded, the RomCom downloader starts the Windows service.
The RomCom downloader also collects information about the system on which it is running. Such as:
Samsung‘s second Galaxy unpacked event of the year is just over two weeks away now. The company will launch a host of new products at the big event in South Korea on July 26. Ahead of that, detailed specs and European pricing of the Galaxy Tab S9 series have leaked online, revealing what the company’s new flagship tablets will offer.
Galaxy Tab S9 specs detailed in new leak
Earlier leaks have already revealed most of the key Galaxy Tab S9 specs. Tipster Ishan Agarwal recently provided a round-up of it all. Like last year, we are getting three new flagship tablets from Samsung. The base mode will feature an 11-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a WQXGA resolution. It’s an upgrade from the TFT LCD screen the company offered on the base Galaxy Tab S8.
The Galaxy Tab S9+ and Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra will also get Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays but with a WQXGA+ resolution. The screens measure 12.4 inches and 14.6 inches, respectively. All three models will support S Pen input and feature an under-display optical fingerprint scanner. They are all IP68-rated for dust and water resistance and come with a stereo speaker setup with four speakers.
The upcoming Samsung tablets will pack 8,400mAh, 10,090mAh, and 11,200mAh batteries, respectively, in the base, Plus, and Ultra models. All three will support 45W wired charging. The devices also feature the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 “for Galaxy” processor that powers the Galaxy S23 series. Samsung will offer up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for the base model.
The Plus model will come in up to 12+512GB configuration, while the Ultra model will be available with up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. Coming to cameras, the base Galaxy Tab S9 will give you a 12MP selfie shooter and a 13MP rear camera. The Plus model will add a secondary 8MP lens at the back. The Ultra model, meanwhile, adds a second selfie camera as well—another 12MP sensor.
Other highlights of the Galaxy Tab S9 series should include Samsung DeX support, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, GPS, a magnetic strip for attaching the S Pen, and a USB 3.2 Type-C port. All three tablets should run Android 13-based One UI 5.1.1 out of the box and should get updates until Android 17.
The leaked European pricing is a little high
A separate leak from SamInsider gives us the alleged European pricing for the Galaxy Tab S9 series. Samsung is reportedly planning to price the Wi-Fi version of the base Galaxy Tab S9 (8GB+128GB) at €929.95. The 12GB+256GB variant could cost €1,049. For the 12GB+256GB Galaxy Tab S9+ (Wi-Fi), you might have to shell out €1,149. Finally, the 12GB+256GB Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra (Wi-Fi) could be priced at €1,369.
These prices are notably higher than what the Galaxy Tab S8 series cost at launch last year. The Wi-Fi variants started at just €749. So we advise you to take this information with a grain of salt. The publication claims to have obtained the details from a retailer database, but we should wait for more evidence. With the official launch just around the corner, the wait won’t be much longer now.
Meta launched their new platform, Threads, and this action has sparked a power tussle with Twitter. Regular users of Twitter are already rushing to Meta’s new platform to share ideas and interact. However, in recent times, sources have found out that politicians are also joining the migration.
This is yet another blow to Twitter’s face, as they previously had a firm grip on politics. Musk’s idea of free speech on Twitter was an aim towards letting people share their ideas on the platform. Issues relating to politics worldwide are of major concern to lots of people, and Twitter is a great platform to share these ideas.
Over the past few years, Twitter has reigned supreme when it comes to political matters or social media posts. Having the major players influencing the news in politics move over to another social media platform means trouble for Twitter’s business. With the rapid growth of users on Threads, politicians might just see the platform as a new place to share their political goals and aspirations.
Politicians might be officiating the next round of the Twitter and Threads battle
Meta is a huge brand that owns a ton of social media companies like Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Threads being the new addition. This is to show that they aren’t newcomers in the social media business, so launching a Twitter competitor spells trouble for the competition. To make the toughen fight, Meta did well to link users’ Instagram accounts to the Threads platform.
By doing this, they simplified the signup process to join the Threads app for millions around the world. As long as you have an Instagram account, you can simply open a Threads account without any stress. Instagram already has over 1.4 billion users globally, all of which are prospective Threads users as well.
In the US, Instagram has over 168.6 million users in this region alone. That’s a mammoth crowd, and politicians are seeing an opportunity here. The growth of Threads is massive, gaining over 90 million users already. Already some politicians are also switching over to catch this crowd young.
With the coming elections, politicians in the US might see Threads as a campaigning platform. This might be a solid reason for their speedy migration over to the new Meta-owned Twitter competitor. Also, the recent changes to Twitter are a major factor that prompted users to search for alternative platforms.
However, in the US, the Democratic leadership is currently looking into the safety of its members operating a Threads accounts from official devices. Instagram has come out to say that its new platform, Threads, is not meant for news or politics. In the coming, users of this platform would see how it handles the influx of politicians and how this will affect the Twitter and Threads battle.
CoverScreen OS, the app designed to significantly enhance Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip models by adding tons of features on the front display, is now available for the Motorola Razr+ (2023) (a.k.a. the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra, as it is called outside the US).
If you’ve played around with a flip phone before, you might’ve experienced simultaneous excitement and frustration with the external display. Yes, it’s a standalone screen, and yes, it’s not as usable as one could hope it would be. It’s OK for checking notifications, time-telling or using certain widgets, but it doesn’t provide much room for imagination. Those issues were addressed by a third-party app, namely CoverScreen OS.
What does CoverScreen OS offer?
Basically, it brings all your Android widgets on the cover display, making them usable. It also gives you access to your installed apps, in case you feel like browsing the web in Chrome on the 1.9 inch (48 mm) outer display of the Z Fold 4. Should you choose to install CoverScreen OS, bear in mind that you’ll have to grant the app a lot of permissions. In exchange for those, you’ll receive a third-party launcher with extra swipe gesture controls. The full range of options are available after subscribing or buying the app.
How does it relate to the hot Razr 40 Plus/Ultra?
Upgrading a Samsung’s sub-2 in. outer display is fun, and now Razr 40 Plus/Ultra users get to do it, too. As a matter of fact, the Razr offers a native app launcher, but more importantly, it offers something way more interesting in terms of hardware: a big, even huge (by flip phone standards) cover display: 3.6 inches, 1056 x 1066 px. You can read more about the Razr+ (2023) in our detailed article with specs and price info.Back to CoverScreen OS (CSOS): if you’re ok with using a 3.6-inch display all the time, you don’t have to open your Razr at all. Mind you, there was a time when we as a civilization used Nokia 3310’s 1.5 in. (84×48 px) display and thrived. All jokes aside, developer IJP highlights that compatibility with the Razr would not be an issue: ‘This version of CoverScreen OS is courtesy of over 138+ versions released and tested on Samsung Z Flip and Oppo Find N2 series, by thousands of users’. Three components are to unleash the full potential of the external screen for an ‘exceptional user experience’:
CSOS Clockface
Extensive Third-Party Widget Support
Advanced App Drawer
Let’s take a closer look
On the ‘CSOS Clockface’ point: the app allows users to set animated objects, pictures (or selfies), GIFs, or even videos as clockface wallpapers. Talking about ‘adding a touch of uniqueness and personalization’, you can’t ask for more. There are also multiple layout options and setting ‘direct access to any Android widget available on your phone, directly on the lockscreen’.Widget integration is said to be ‘seamless’: ‘Enjoy the convenience and functionality of a wide range of widgets from various apps. Swiping towards the left on the external screen reveals the widgets added through CSOS, while swiping to the right displays the native widgets.’ The developer claims that these widgets are be calibrated to fit ‘perfectly’ on the Razr screen, and if there’s need for extra pinching, there are two zoom/scaling options available.
As an app launcher, CSOS offers various sorting options to suit your preference. You can sort apps by most recently launched, alphabetically, favorites, and also search for a specific app. ‘Even when you have an app already launched on the external screen, CoverScreen OS ensures that the launcher remains accessible. This means you can switch between apps on the external screen without any hassle, providing a smooth and uninterrupted experience’.
Accessing the launcher is easy: a simple tap on the external screen’s LED hole should do the trick and your apps should immediately pop up, no need for navigating through menus and panels.
The hacker claims to have stolen Razer’s data, which allegedly includes source code, encryption keys, database access logins, and backend access credentials.
A threat actor going by the online handle of ‘Nationalist’ has claimed to possess stolen data from Razer Inc., a prominent American-Singaporean technology company. The news broke on Saturday when ‘Nationalist’ posted about the purported data breach on newly surfaced Breach Forums.
According to the seller, the stolen information encompasses a wide range of sensitive data, including source code, encryption keys, database access logins, and backend access credentials. To substantiate these claims, the seller provided screenshots displaying a detailed file tree and folders allegedly originating from Razer.com.
In exchange for the stolen data, ‘Nationalist’ requested a payment of US$100,000 in Monero (XMR) cryptocurrency, but also indicated a willingness to negotiate offers below the asking price. Monero, unlike Bitcoin, Ethereum or other cryptocurrencies, prioritizes privacy and anonymity, making it challenging to track the movement of funds and identify those involved.
“I have stolen the source code, encryption keys, database, backend access logins etc for razer.com & its products. I do not waste my time with non-serious buyers. I will be selling this one time. I am looking for $100K in XMR for the entire set of data, including access. MM only. I am looking for offers, not just $100k, can be less,” said the threat actor.
Advert on the Breach Forums (Image: Hackread.com)
To new readers, this should not come as a surprise, as hacking and cybercrime forums are known for selling high-profile data. Just last month, Hackread.com exclusively reported on how a Russian-speaking threat actor was selling access to a US military satellite to buyers for $15,000.
The authenticity of the alleged cyber attack targeting Razer Inc. has yet to be verified. However, According to the company’s tweet, they are aware of the issue and are currently investigating the “potential breach.
We have been made aware of a potential breach and are currently investigating.
It remains uncertain whether the data being sold on Breach Forums is related to the 2020 Razer cyber attack or represents a distinct and recent breach.
As reported by Hackread.com in September 2020, Razer experienced a security incident resulting from a server misconfiguration by its IT vendor, Capgemini. The breach exposed personal and shipping information belonging to approximately 100,000 Razer customers, leading to legal action by the company.
In a comment to Hackread.com, Tom Lysemose Hansen, CTO and co-founder of Promon, a Norwegian cybersecurity company said that “Cybersecurity is no game. You’d have thought that Razer would’ve learnt from its previous blunder in 2020, but this seems to not be the case.”
Tom added that “Gaming-related cybercrime is detrimental to business as the inability to provide a safe and secure experience for customers will erode consumer trust in Razer. Whilst the dust is yet to settle on this one, I think it’s highly unlikely that many people will be signing up for zVault anytime soon.”
As the latest incident unfolds, Razer Inc. faces renewed concerns about the security of its systems and the potential impact on customer data. The company’s response and efforts to mitigate the situation will be closely watched, considering the legal action taken against Capgemini in the aftermath of the 2020 breach.
Users and customers of Razer are advised to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions to protect their personal information. Cybersecurity experts and authorities will undoubtedly investigate the situation to determine the validity of the data breach claims and ascertain the potential implications for Razer Inc. and its stakeholders.
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