After a few months, the ASUS ROG Phone 7 is finally available in the US for consumers to buy. This is the latest gaming smartphone from ASUS, featuring next-gen advancements in mobile gaming hardware.
The ROG Phone 7 series was officially announced back in mid-April. But ASUS didn’t mention when it would be available for purchase in the US. Only suggesting that it would be sometime later this year. Turns out that time is today. Consumers interested in a gaming smartphone have a handful of options, however none measure up to what ASUS offers.
In our review we called the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate a “mobile gaming powerhouse.” And that’s exactly what it is. Featuring 16GB of RAM, a 6,000mAh battery, and the latest mobile chipset platform from Qualcomm. It also has features that have been a staple on the device series since the early days. Like the AirTriggers. For a smartphone, there’s a lot of tech packed into a small package. And if you take your mobile gaming seriously, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better option. All of that comes at a price though.
The ROG Phone 7 starts at $999 in the US
ASUS has always charged quite a lot for its flagship gaming devices. Its mobile phones are no different. The phone comes in two different models. The standard and the ultimate model. The standard model also has two configurations. One with 12GB of RAM and another with 16GB. The 12GB RAM model will start at $999 which is no small sum for a smartphone.
If you want more RAM, you can bump up to the 16GB option for $1,099. This model also goes from 256GB of storage to 512GB. So you get a little more room for games and other stuff. If you want the flagship, then go for the ultimate which will cost you $1,299. Feature-wise, there’s nothing different between this model and the 16GB standard model except for the display on the back. It does also come bundled with the latest AeroActive Cooler though. Whereas you need to buy this separately with all standard models of the phone.
The ROG Phone 7 and ROG Phone 7 Ultimate can be picked up from Amazon via pre-order starting today. You can also buy them directly from ASUS with no pre-order wait times.
A Samsung executive has confirmed rumors that the company is developing a ChatGPT-like generative AI tool. The confirmation came from co-CEO Kyung Kye-hyun during a recent internal meeting, anonymous industry sources told the Korean publication The Investor. Kyung oversees the tech giant’s chip business.
Samsung will keep its generative AI private
Unlike ChatGPT and Google Bard, Samsung’s generative AI service will be private to the company. The general public can’t access it. The Korean firm will only allow some of its employees to access the AI tool, which doesn’t yet have a name. The idea is to use AI to improve and speed up business processes wherever possible.
According to the new report, Samsung sees AI helping its business in nine key areas. Those include data analysis and information sourcing for chip production, translation of documents and meetings, transcribing audio files or meeting voices, cost management, and automated responses for product purchases.
Samsung previously tried to use ChatGPT to help its semiconductor division in business growth. However, it didn’t work out as intended. Employees inadvertently ended up leaking critical company information through the OpenAI-made tool. The Korean biggie has since banned the use of all external AI tools on official devices and internal networks.
However, Samsung does plan to incorporate ChatGPT in its products or services in some way next year. During a separate event at Yonsei University last Friday, Hyung described the tool as the “best intellect” in this space currently. He didn’t share further plans, though. The company is reportedly exploring new ways to contribute to the growing AI ecosystem beyond its internal goals.
“Depending on how we use generative AI, there can be tremendous innovation in what we do,” said Kyung. “We’re promoting the introduction of customized AI through a local specialized firm”. The Samsung co-CEO suggested potential applications of AI solutions in “wide bandwidth, high power efficiency and integration architecture from smartphones to data centers.”
Samsung’s new AI tool is still months away
It was rumored last week that Samsung could complete the work on the initial version of its new LLM (Large Language Model) as early as next month. However, the AI tool may not be ready for prime time until next year. The new report states that the company is aiming to launch the “basic service” in December this year. It may fully integrate the tool with its systems by February 2024.
A joint advisory published by CISA, the FBI and many others shows some interesting stats that align with data found by Malwarebytes.
The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), and the cybersecurity authorities of Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, and New Zealand (CERT NZ, NCSC-NZ) have all published a joint Cybersecurity Advisory about LockBit.
To help organizations understand and defend against this global threat and its large number of unconnected LockBit affiliates, the advisory titled Understanding Ransomware Threat Actors: LockBit includes:
A list of approximately 30 freeware and open-source tools used by LockBit actors
Observed common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs) used for exploitation
An evolution of LockBit RaaS (Ransomware as a Service) along with worldwide trends and statistics
Resources and services available from authoring agencies and recommended mitigations to help protect against the worldwide LockBit activity
The advisory points out that in 2022, LockBit was the most active global ransomware group and RaaS provider in terms of the number of victims claimed on its data leak site.
This confirms Malwarebytes findings that LockBit is the most active Ransomware-as-a-Service operator. In our monthly Ransomware Reviews, LockBit often ranks top for victim count, although Cl0p is a close rival. Cl0p has switched to a different modus operandi, where the gang acquires a vulnerability in popular business tools, develops an exploitation method, and then uses it on every vulnerable instance it can find. Because of this, the attacks come in waves, while LockBit is more constant.
One of the advantages of being a RaaS operator is the diversity of attack vectors that the initial access brokers (IABs) bring to the table. Some specialize in malspam, while other use known vulnerabilities against organizations that are behind on patches, or try to brute force Internet-facing systems like VPNs, RDP, or SSH. So when one affiliate has a bad month, another is likely to compensate.
This variety has another downside for the defenders. The advisory states:
“Due to the large number of unconnected affiliates in the operation, LockBit ransomware attacks vary significantly in observed tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs). This variance in observed ransomware TTPs presents a notable challenge for organizations working to maintain network security and protect against a ransomware threat.”
A disadvantage for operators of an RaaS model is the mutual trust that is needed. When you’re among anonymous criminals that must prove to be an exceptional challenge, which is very likely the reason why many other RaaS operators like DarkSide and Avaddon shut down.
The geographical distribution of the IABs is also grounds for some remarkable differences. Some of the participating countries provided their own statistics for LockBit’s share in ransomware attacks, with Australia noting that in the last year the gang made up 18% of total reported ransomware incidents. In Canada (22%) and New Zealand (23%), LockBit was responsible for over one in every five attacks in 2022.
France said 11% of the attacks it has seen since 2020 involved LockBit. In the US, however, the main target of almost every commercial ransomware group, LockBit is responsible for 16% of attacks on public entities, which include municipal and county governments, public higher education and K-12 schools, as well as vital services like law enforcement agencies.
The advisory also provides long lists of the legitimate tools, vulnerabilities, tactics, and techniques deployed by the LockBit affiliates. As we said, due to the number (over 100) and diversity of the affiliates these lists are long and subject to change.
Prevent intrusions. Stop threats early before they can even infiltrate or infect your endpoints. Use endpoint security software that can prevent exploits and malware used to deliver ransomware.
Detect intrusions. Make it harder for intruders to operate inside your organization by segmenting networks and assigning access rights prudently. Use EDR or MDR to detect unusual activity before an attack occurs.
Stop malicious encryption. Deploy Endpoint Detection and Response software like Malwarebytes EDR that uses multiple different detection techniques to identify ransomware, and ransomware rollback to restore damaged system files.
Create offsite, offline backups. Keep backups offsite and offline, beyond the reach of attackers. Test them regularly to make sure you can restore essential business functions swiftly.
Don’t get attacked twice. Once you’ve isolated the outbreak and stopped the first attack, you must remove every trace of the attackers, their malware, their tools, and their methods of entry, to avoid being attacked again.
Malwarebytes EDR and MDR removes all remnants of ransomware and prevents you from getting reinfected. Want to learn more about how we can help protect your business? Get a free trial below.
We’re here to compare two very thin book-style foldable smartphones, the Huawei Mate X3 vs Xiaomi MIX Fold 2. Many would argue that both of these phones trump Samsung hardware-wise. They both fold flat, are extremely thin, and have better crease control than the Galaxy Z Fold 4. Unfortunately, though, the Xiaomi MIX Fold 2 launched in China only, and the Huawei Mate X3 comes without Google services. It at least launched outside of China, though.
That being said, comparing these two phones should be quite interesting. We’ll first list their specifications, and will then move to compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance. Let’s get started, shall we?
Both of these phones are book-style foldables, and both of them are quite thin for that form factor. They do feel different in the hand, though, and there are a number of differences when it comes to their designs. The Huawei Mate X3 is shorter and narrower than the Xiaomi MIX Fold 2, which is understandable as it has slightly smaller displays. They’re about the same thickness, the difference is well under 1mm. That goes for both their folded and unfolded states.
The Huawei Mate X3 is only 5.3mm thick when unfolded, and 11.8mm when folded. The Xiaomi MIX Fold 2 measures 5.4mm when unfolded, and 11.2mm when folded. The Mate X3 does have a major advantage when it comes to weight, though. It weighs only 239 or 241 grams (depending on the model), compared to 262 grams of the Xiaomi MIX Fold 2. It’s important for such massive devices to be as light as possible, as they’re quite hefty in general.
The Mate X3 comes in both glass and eco leather variants, while the Xiaomi MIX Fold 2 has a glass backplate. Their frames are made out of metal, of course. Their bezels are quite thin, and both phones include display camera holes on all their displays. Their rear camera islands do look fairly different, the Mate X3’s is larger and round, unlike the one on the Xiaomi MIX Fold 2. The Mate X3 also has the advantage in the form of water resistance, it comes with IPX8 water resistance. Both devices feel like premium phones. They fold flat, and have great crease control. The experience with the Mate X3’s hinge trumps what the Xiaomi MIX Fold 2 offers, though.
Huawei Mate X3 vs Xiaomi MIX Fold 2: Display
The Huawei Mate X3 includes a 7.85-inch 2224 x 2496 main display. This is a foldable OLED panel that can project up to 1 billion colors. It also supports a 120Hz refresh rate. The cover display measures 6.4 inches, and it comes with a fullHD+ (2504 x 1080) resolution. It supports a 120Hz refresh rate, and this panel is protected by Huawei’s Kunlun glass, which has proven to be quite tough.
Xiaomi MIX Fold 2
The Xiaomi MIX Fold 2, on the other hand, includes an 8.02-inch 1914 x 2160 foldable LTPO2 OLED display. This panel can project up to 1 billion colors as well, and it also offers a 120Hz refresh rate. It supports HDR10+ content, and also has Dolby Vision support. This panel goes up to 1,300 nits of brightness at its peak. The cover display on the phone measures 6.56 inches, and it’s an AMOLED panel. This display has a 120Hz refresh rate support, and the same goes for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. This display goes up to 1,300 nits of brightness as well. It is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus.
All four displays are excellent, actually. Not only do they have vivid colors, great viewing angles, and are more than sharp enough, but they also support high refresh rates. The touch response is good on all of them, not to mention that the main displays have great crease control. They also get bright enough, that goes for all of these displays. So, there’s not really much to complain about here, to be quite honest.
Huawei Mate X3 vs Xiaomi MIX Fold 2: Performance
The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC can be found inside both of these smartphones. The thing is, in the Huawei Mate X3, it’s limited to 4G connectivity due to the US ban. The Mate X3 comes with 12GB of RAM. We’re not sure if Huawei used LPDDR5 or 5X RAM. The same goes for storage, UFS is used, but we’re not sure if it’s UFS 3.1 or 4.0. Having said that, the Xiaomi MIX Fold 2 includes 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and UFS 3.1 flash storage.
The performance is excellent on both phones. Do note that the Mate X3 doesn’t include Google services, while the Xiaomi MIX Fold 2 does, but you’ll have to install Google apps, and the phone doesn’t sell globally. Now, everything runs smoothly on both devices. They’re excellent in regular, simple tasks, and gaming alike. You can run basically any game with ease on these two phones, and they don’t even get hot. They do get warm during gaming sessions, but not to extreme levels. These two phones are actually some of the smoothest(-performing) foldable devices on the market at the moment.
Huawei Mate X3 vs Xiaomi MIX Fold 2: Battery
The Huawei Mate X3 includes a 4,800mAh battery on the inside, while the Xiaomi MIX Fold 2 comes with a 4,500mAh unit. The Mate X3 has a larger battery despite the fact it has smaller displays. Does that reflect on its battery life, though? Well, yes, you could say that. The Huawei Mate X3 does offer better battery life than the MIX Fold 2, though your mileage may vary, of course.
The Xiaomi MIX Fold 2 battery is not too impressive, in all honesty. Getting around 6 hours of screen-on-time is easily possible. The Mate X3 can cross that 7-hour screen-on-time mark with ease. It’s possible you’ll get different results, of course. It will all depend on the apps you have installed, your usage, your network signal, and so on. So… do take note of that. Generally speaking, though, the Mate X3 has more to offer in the battery life department.
What about Charging? Well, the Huawei Mate X3 has the upper hand in that regard too. It supports 66W wired, 50W wireless, and 7.5W reverse wireless charging. The Xiaomi MIX Fold 2 offers support for 67W wired charging only. The good news is, both smartphones do come with a charger in the box.
Huawei Mate X3 vs Xiaomi MIX Fold 2: Cameras
Both of these phones include three cameras on the back. The Huawei Mate X3 has a 50-megapixel main camera, a 13-megapixel ultrawide unit, and a 12-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (5x optical zoom). The Xiaomi MIX Fold 2 includes a 50-megapixel main camera, a 13-megapixel ultrawide unit (123-degree FoV), and an 8-megapixel telephoto camera (2x optical zoom).
Huawei Mate X3
Now, both devices do perform great overall. When it comes to the main camera during the day, you’ll get nice-looking, sharp photos from both phones. The Mate X3 could have a slightly better dynamic range, but other than that, everything is great. The pictures from it even look a bit more realistic than the ones from the MIX Fold 2. They both perform great in low light, with minimal noise.
Both ultrawide cameras do a good job overall, though the Mate X3 does have a slight advantage in low light. It also packs in a more capable telephoto camera, with its 5x optical zoom. That camera also does a better job in low light. The Xiaomi MIX Fold 2’s offering is not bad, but it’s not on the same level. Xiaomi should have avoided using an 8-megapixel unit here, first of all.
Audio
There is a set of stereo speakers on both smartphones, and both of them sound great. The speakers on both phones are quite thin, but that doesn’t stop them from sounding full, and being quite loud at the same time.
You will not find an audio jack on either of these two devices. You’ll have to use their Type-C ports in order to achieve wired audio connections. If you prefer to go wireless, do note that both smartphones offer Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity.
If you travel a lot, the Google Search Generative Experience (SGE) is here to help you out. This is the tech giant’s new AI-powered search engine that hit the stage at the Google I/O event a few months ago. AI fans around the world are ecstatic to hear of this feature and try it out in its testing phase.
Google has a lot of plans with their new AI-powered search engine, one of which involves travelling. So, if you are planning a trip in the coming future, you might be able to benefit from this feature. In a recent blog post, Google shows off what this feature can achieve for their users who are planning a trip.
With this feature, most users might no longer need to spend a lot on hiring a travel advisor for their next trip. They can leave things to the Google Search Generative Experience and get suggestions on the best place to visit. Most users might question how well-built this AI-powered feature is, and some might be skeptical about leaving their next trip in its hands.
Get travel advice and recommendations from the AI-powered Google Search Generative Experience
Google will now give a detailed breakdown of travel options to users in certain regions. With Google’s Search Generative Experience available on the Search Lab, users will be able to get needed help while planning to travel. This function will stand out from the regular Google search you might make to get ideas from websites or blogs on where to visit while travelling.
Thanks to generative AI capabilities, this feature will enable users to ask questions about great locations to visit. Then it will offer advice from websites and other sources available on the internet (reviews, photos, Business Profile details etc.). It will also permit users to ask follow-up questions from each response it provides, hence offering guidance as would a travel advisor.
Users of this feature will be able to learn more about places to visit, hotels to stay, restaurants to eat, and so on. Regardless of how you phrase the travel-related question, the Google Search Generative Experience will be able to understand. From what it can understand, it will offer deep delve answers that will guide users on their next trip.
Since this is an AI product, it will have its flaws and limitations. So those who get to try it out shouldn’t expect it to have accurate answers for all travel questions they throw its way. To be able to access this feature, you’d need to sign up for the Google Search Lab that is currently available in some countries.
Diicot shares its new name with the Romanian anti-terrorism policing unit and uses the same style of messaging and imagery.
Researchers from Cado Labs reported that an emerging Romanian threat actor called Diicot is utilizing unique TTPs (Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures) and an interesting attack pattern to target victims.
The researchers noted that the group has been using brute-force malware whose payloads have neither been publicly reported nor appeared in common repositories.
About Diicot Threat Group
Diicot, previously known as Mexals, is a relatively new threat group that possesses extensive technical knowledge and has a broad range of objectives. Diicot shares its new name with the Romanian anti-terrorism policing unit and uses the same style of messaging and imagery.
Previous research by Akamai and Bitdefender reveals that Diicot has been active since 2020 and mainly conducts cryptojacking campaigns or creates malware for malware-as-a-service (MaaS).
According to Cado Labs’ research, in its new campaign, Diicot has deployed the Cayosin botnet, while one of its prime targets is the internet-exposed SSH servers with password authentication enabled. Interestingly, their username and password list is pretty restrictive, including only default or easy-to-guess credentials.
Examining Diicot’s Unique TTPs
Diicot heavily relies on the Shell Script Compiler to make loader scripts difficult to analyze. Additionally, they pack payloads with a custom version of UPX, using a modified header with the byte sequence 0x59545399.
A UPX header prevents unpacking through the standard command (upx -d), but it can be circumvented via the upx dex utility created by Akamai’s Larry Cashdollar, and the sequence can be identified by detection tools.
Furthermore, Diicot frequently uses Discord to establish C2 because it supports HTTP POST requests to a webhook URL. The group includes Snowflake timestamps in the links, allowing for data exfiltration and viewing campaign statistics and creation dates within a given channel.
In their blog post, Cado researchers revealed that they identified four different channels that Diicot used in this campaign. Deploying Cayosin botnet, an off-the-shelf Mirai-based botnet agent to target routers running the Linux-based OS OpenWRT is a newly adopted tactic, indicating that the group changes its attack style after examining its targets.
Payload Analysis
Generally, Diicot group’s campaigns have a long execution chain in which payloads and outputs share an interdependent relationship. Shc executables act as loaders that prepare the system for mining via a custom XMRig version.
Initial access is achieved by a custom, Golang-based 64-bit SSH brute-forcing tool called “aliases.” It ingests a list of IP addresses and credential pairs to be targeted for conducting the attack. In case “aliases” encounters an OpenWrt router, a Mirai-style spreader script called “bins.sh” is launched to retrieve the Cayosin botnet agent’s binaries (multiple 32-bit ELF binaries).
SHC also runs a shell script for cryptocurrency mining by changing the password into a hardcoded value and installing XMRig if the system has more than four processor cores and the user ID is equal to 0 (root). If the user is not root, the payload generates a password through the date command, sha256sum, and base64.
The first 8 characters of the result are used as the password. Diicor registers its SSH key after executing the miner to maintain system access and creates a simple script to relaunch the miner if it stops running. Users must implement SSH hardenings, such as key-based authentication for SSH instances and firewall rules, to limit their access to IPs.
Doxxing
On the other hand, Akamai’s researchers claim that Diicot is still exploring ways to deploy it and can now also conduct DDoS attacks. When Diicot’s servers were examined, a doxxing video in the Romanian language was also discovered, showing a dispute between Diicot and the group’s online personas owned by rival hacking group members.
In that video, the personal details of these members, including photos, full names, online handles, and home addresses, are mentioned.
The screengrab provided by Cado Security from the doxxing video shows a face and a name.
“From this, it can be concluded that the group are actively involved in doxxing members of the public, in addition to the nefarious activities mentioned above.”
Google finally unveiled its Pixel Fold, and people are all eager to get their hands on the device. The pre-order period is over and people are waiting for their items to ship. However, it seems that the Pixel Fold is going through a delay- a BIG delay. This is pushing the shipping date into July.
In case you don’t know, Google unveiled the Pixel Fold during Google I/O this year, and it seems like it’s going to be a fun device. Even at its high price tag of $1,799, the device was able to wrack up some serious pre-orders.
But, a delay is pushing the Pixel Fold shipping date back
If you pre-ordered the Pixel Fold, then you should expect to see your phone arrive in less than two weeks. Well, that was originally the plan. People saw shipping dates around June 26th. But, people are looking at their shipping information to see that it’s changed.
According to 9To5Google, people who ordered the phone on day one received shipping dates between June 26th – June 27. However, at the beginning of this week, they saw that their shipping dates were moved to between June 28th – July 7th. We’re not sure that this happened to everyone, but there are multiple cases.
Now, it seems that the date slipped even further to between July 5th – July 10th. That’s a full two weeks behind the original date.
Things are even worse for people who ordered their phones later. If you ordered your phone at a later date, you were looking at dates between July 3rd – July 7th for the 256GB variant in the Obsidian color. That was moved to between July 19th – July 27th.
If you’re looking at getting a Porcelain color, you may as well get comfy. This one is not slated to start shipping until sometime between August 2nd – August 10th. Lastly, getting a black colorway with 512GB of storage, you’ll be waiting to between August 16th – August 24th. That’s two months and two weeks away!
This could spell a “Galaxy” of trouble for the Pixel Fold
Launching the Pixel Fold at this time wouldn’t have been much of a problem if the phones would ship at a decent time. However, people aren’t going to get their devices until July or later. Well, what else is happening in July? Galaxy Unpacked – AKA when Samsung unveils the latest Galaxy Z Fold.
Let’s, not mince words, the Pixel Fold didn’t have a chance of beating the Galaxy Z Fold 5, but there wouldn’t be any point in launching the Pixel Fold before the Galaxy if it’s going to be delayed for months. Let’s just hope that something happens between now and then that speeds up the process.
After failing to secure an acquisition deal with Nvidia last year, semiconductor design company ARM is planning to go public. It wants to sell its shares on the New York-based stock exchange Nasdaq later this year. Ahead of the planned IPO (initial public offering), the SoftBank Group-owned British firm is reportedly seeking to bring on one or more anchor investors to the table. It’s in talks with at least ten companies, including Intel, Google parent Alphabet, Apple, Microsoft, TSMC, and Samsung, Reuters reports.
According to the new report, ARM is looking to raise about $8-10 billion in anchor investment from these firms. This investment will come against shares in the company at a fixed price before the IPO. The plan is to bolster the demand for its shares and boost the confidence of potential investors in the IPO by getting some big names on board early. However, anchor investors will not get any board seats or control over the company. These investors only get to buy ARM shares ahead of the IPO.
A couple of sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that talks are still in the preliminary stage. ARM appears to be simultaneously discussing multi-billion anchor investments with several firms. The final decision may not come before August, though. Interestingly, some of the companies ARM is in talks with are already its customers. It’s unclear if an anchor investment from one or more of those companies will have any impact on their commercial relationships with the British chip designer.
ARM is in talks with multiple companies for anchor investment
ARM is one of the biggest names in the semiconductor industry. The Cambridge, England-based company designs CPU cores used by pretty much every chipmaker, including Qualcomm, Samsung, MediaTek, and others. Japanese conglomerate SoftBank Group has owned ARM since 2016 after acquiring it for $32 billion. In 2020, SoftBank Group reached an agreement with California-based Nvidia to sell the firm for $40 billion. The purchase was expected to complete in 2022 but numerous regulatory hurdles eventually forced the two parties to call off the deal.
A few other companies have since shown interest in acquiring ARM from the Japanese conglomerate, including Qualcomm. Samsung Chief Lee Jae-yong also met SoftBank founder and CEO Masayoshi Son in October last year, sparking ARM acquisition rumors. But it appears ARM has set its mind on an IPO after the failed deal with Nvidia. It has already begun preparations for a stock market listing later this year and has filed necessary regulatory applications. It remains to be seen if the company manages to get a few anchor investors on board ahead of that.
If you’re looking for another way to interact with your followers on Instagram, then the company has something for you. After testing its Broadcast Channels for several months, Instagram is expanding this feature globally today (via Engadget).
If you don’t know what this is, it’s something that WhatsApp is also testing out. This makes sense seeing as they’re both owned by the same company. Broadcast Channels are one-to-all chat groups where only one person can post messages.
They are a way for people to keep their followers up to date about what’s going on with them. The followers will receive the updates as though they were chat messages. People who start the channel will be able to post the kind of content that they can in a message. This means that they’re able to post text, images, and videos.
Instagram Broadcast Channels are expanding globally today
This seems like an interesting feature, and there are already some popular entities out there with their own broadcast channels. Now, it’s YOUR turn! The feature was only limited to certain creators. Those creators are notable figures who are set to get a lot of subscribers, and really test out this feature.
Since this feature is still rolling out, there’s a chance that you won’t see it just yet. It’s expanding to more people, and there’s a focus on people in the US market. The company didn’t tell us about any sort of requirements you need to meet in order to make a broadcast channel. You should be able to just make your channel no matter what.
You’ll be creating your channel from your inbox. Once you give it a name and set it up, you’ll be able to start inviting people to your channel. When you send an invite, the user will receive a one-time notification prompting them to check out your channel.
If you go to your inbox, and you don’t see the option to make a channel, then you might just want to wait a few hours. You may even want to wait a day for it to reach your account.
OnePlus is not interested in making laptops, at least not at the moment. Trusted Reviews had a chance to talk to Kinder Liu, the President and COO of OnePlus. During that interview, he shared some thoughts on tablets and laptops.
Don’t expect a budget tablet to arrive from the company, at least not anytime soon
Kinder Liu was asked whether the company plans to make more affordable tablets, following the launch of the OnePlus Pad. After all, the company is making ‘Nord’ phones, which are budget devices.
OnePlus doesn’t seem to be interested in such devices, though. Liu said: “focus remains on the higher end of the price segment, but if feedback suggests that a lower-spec and more affordable [sic], we are open to exploring it”.
Liu explained that the company only launched one tablet thus far. It has to be careful at this point, but he did leave the future wide open, of course.
OnePlus is currently not interested in making laptops
When asked about laptops, Liu explained that the company is not interested in making them at the moment. He said: “Our vision for technology puts smartphones and tablets as the primary devices for people to work and play, meaning that PCs and laptops are not something we’re exploring currently”.
He also added the following: “Technology is constantly evolving and that’s never going to change. What is relevant and ‘essential’ to consumers today may not be in 5, 10 or 20 years from now”.
Things are changing, that is true, especially when it comes to technology. So, who knows what could happen down the line. At the moment, though, there are no laptops in the pipeline, so don’t expect one to come from OnePlus.
OnePlus has at least one major device to launch this year, its first foldable
OnePlus does have at least one more exciting device in the pipeline this year. We’re talking about the company’s very first foldable smartphone, the OnePlus Fold aka OnePlus V Fold. That device is coming in Q3 this year, we still don’t know the date, though.
