Samsung has released the June 2023 Android security patch for the Galaxy Z Fold 2, Galaxy Z Flip, Galaxy S20 FE, and Galaxy A73. The latest security update is also now widely available for the Galaxy Z Fold 4, Galaxy S22 series, and Galaxy A52 5G.
The June SMR (Security Maintenance Release) for the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Galaxy Z Flip is currently available to users in the UK. According to SamMobile, which first reported this update, the new firmware build numbers for the phones are F916BXXU3JWE7 and F700FXXUCJWF1, respectively. These build numbers suggest that the devices are getting more than just the latest security patch. However, we aren’t expecting major new features. Samsung may be pushing some system optimizations for the foldable duo.
As usual, this month’s security update will reach the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Galaxy Z Flip in other markets in the coming days, including the US. The 5G version of the latter has yet to pick up the new SMR but it should join the party soon. The June 2023 security patch contains fixes for more than 60 vulnerabilities. These include 50-odd Android OS issues and 11 Galaxy-specific issues. At least three of those are critical security flaws. The latest update will patch all those flaws on Samsung’s aging foldable smartphones.
Samsung’s June update is available for a few more Galaxy devices
The Galaxy S20 FE and Galaxy A73 are also getting all of these security fixes with the latest update. The rollout for the former is already widespread across Europe. The device is getting the June SMR with the firmware build number G781BXXU6HWE6. The update may contain more than just a bunch of security patches, but we don’t have a changelog ready to confirm that.
The Galaxy A73, meanwhile, is currently getting the June SMR in Malaysia with some camera, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth improvements. The new firmware version for this phone is A736BXXU4CWE4.
Samsung will release the latest security update for these devices in other markets in the coming days. Meanwhile, if you’re using the Galaxy Z Fold 4, a Galaxy S22 model, or the Galaxy A52 5G, the June SMR for your phone is now rolling out more widely.
The latest foldable first received the update in the US. It’s now available to users in the UK and South Korea as well. Likewise, the latest update for the Galaxy S22 series has reached Asia after the initial release in Europe and Latin America. The Galaxy A52 5G is also getting the June SMR in Latin America.
If you are a big fan of retro games, the new Atari 2600 game might sweep you off your feet. Some of you might remember retro games from much simpler times in the tech industry. The block-like graphics, simple controls and what was an immersive gaming experience that shaped the future of the gaming industry as we know it today.
Atari is taking the minds of gamers back to those good ol’ days with their latest product. The company is asking if you remember what it feels like to game on a cartridge, and if you don’t, they are willing to remind you. With this new game entry, Mr. Run and Jump, Atari aims to bring back memories of their glory days for those who remember them.
This new game is meant for all who love indie games and wish to try their hands on some old gaming technology. If you fall into any of these categories, then this article has all the information that you need. But if you are new to the gaming industry and wondering what Atari is, this is also the article for you.
Atari 2600 is welcoming a new Mr. Run and Jump indie game
If you aren’t already aware, Atari was once a big name in the gaming industry (back in the 20th century). Their force in the gaming industry cooled off after going bankrupt in 1984, giving way to other popular names. After being a dormant part of the gaming industry for quite a long time, the company is back with something for its fans.
They are now releasing a new game for their Atari 2600 gaming console. This game is an entry into the indie category and features simple graphics and an easy-to-understand style of play. The brand is trying to remind a select group of users what gaming felt like over three decades ago.
The Atari 2600 is a gaming console that lets users play games from cartridges using a joystick controller. If you can still vividly remember what a cartridge looked like, then you have been around for quite a while. At just $59.99 Atari will sell you its “first cartridge launch for a new Atari title since 1990!”
This game will be played using the Atari 2600 console, reminding players of what the early gaming years felt like. There are also plans to bring this game Mr. Run and Jump to other platforms like PlayStation and the like. The game involves running through various courses and jumping obstacles to get to the end of each level. Atari will stick to a retro look for the cartridges to retail on their official website but might step things up with the version for other consoles.
There is no information on when this game will be available, but it’ll arrive at the company’s website for purchase. There will also be a provision to purchase the Atari 2600 retro gaming console. But you can pre-order this game now to be one of the first to get it once it launches.
The AMD Ryzen 7000 Pro processor just got unveiled, and it has big names to compete within the industry. During the event, this processor came up against the Apple M2 Pro and the Intel i7-1370P processor. AMD did this testing to highlight the performance of their new chip that will soon be making its way to the market anytime soon.
Despite the impressive result of the new Ryzen processor in this test, some experts are not happy. The reason for the cold acceptance of this processor is that it didn’t meet some needs that experts in the industry had. From the tests, it seemed as though AMD pitched their new processor against a less powerful variant of the M2 Pro chip.
This act made the AMD Ryzen 7000 Pro seem very powerful, while it might just be an average processor from the brand. But, in what ways does this new processor from AMD stand out from the Apple M2 Pro chip? And why is this not a determining factor to stand the AMD Ryzen 7000 Pro out from the crowd?
Details on the AMD Ryzen 7000 Pro stand-off against the Apple M2 Pro processor
Just like with other manufacturers, during the AMD Ryzen 7000 Pro’s launch, the company did well to compare it with other processors. The processors used for this comparison are the Apple M2 Pro and the Intel i7-1370P entries from competing brands. Areas like performance and battery life were put to the test during this comparison, and this new processor from AMD beat the competition.
This new processor outshines the Intel processor by running 70% longer and the M2 Pro by running 10% longer. In terms of performance, AMD claims that its new Ryzen processor is faster than the M2 Pro and the Intel i7-1370P on industry benchmarks. Despite all of this, some experts aren’t so happy with the performance of this new AMD Ryzen processor.
From their point of view, the AMD Ryzen 7000 Pro can square up against the 10-core M2 Pro chip. They argue that this new processor will fall back if put to the test with the 12-core M2 Pro chip. Also, because the M2 Pro is awaiting a successor, it’s easy to say that the AMD Ryzen 7000 Pro won’t hold its performance claims.
Experts also call out AMD for using the Ryzen AI block, which, of course, has its benefits but also a few downsides. However, this new processor from AMD has its target market and, in a few months, netizens will see some laptops launched with this processor. Will you want to purchase a laptop that uses this new processor once available?
Google has a longstanding history of making accessibility a priority across its services. The tech giant’s video calling app, Google Meet, in particular received many updates to make the platform more inclusive for users with disabilities. In the latest upgrade, the Google Meet team is now adding several new languages to the service’s closed captioning and translated captions.
Google Meet introduced closed captioning in seven languages
As announced on the Google Workspace blog and reported by AndroidPolice, closed captioning on Google Meet is picking up Indonesian, Polish, Romanian, Thai, Turkish and Vietnamese, all of which are in beta. Google has also added French Canadian to the list. But it is currently limited to the web version with “support for mobile coming soon.”
In addition to this, Google also shared that the video calling platform’s closed captioning for other languages. Including Dutch, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Russian, have made it out of beta
Among these updates, the translated captions will be able to translate video calls. With supported languages such as English to Dutch, Indonesian, Turkish and Vietnamese. A feature which is still in beta.
According to Google, the new closed captioning languages will be available to all users. This is regardless of their Google Workspace subscription type. However, the updated translated captions is limited to specific Workspace tiers. This includes Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Starter, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Plus, and the Teaching and Learning Upgrade.
Nevertheless, these updates mean more languages are being added to Google Meet’s closed captioning. In late 2020, the team behind the video-calling platform had already added Spanish, French, German and Portuguese to the app’s live captions. All of these updates are welcome additions to making Google Meet accessible to more users with disabilities.
In recent years, Apple has been expanding its services to be available on more than just iOS devices. It really started with Apple Music, which is available on Android and other platforms. And now Apple TV Plus has joined in on the fun, being available on many different TV platforms as well as Android and Android TV.
It’s one of the cheaper streaming services out there, and now it’s available on most platforms. So is it worth signing up for? Let’s find out in this Everything You Need To Know.
What is Apple TV Plus?
Apple TV Plus is the premium subscription streaming service from Apple. Which, like everyone else, decided they wanted to get into the streaming game too. It’s a completely ad-free platform. Though there are some promotions for content on the platform, at the beginning of each episode. These can be skipped, though I like these as they help me find out what else to watch on the platform.
The name Apple TV Plus is a big confusing in itself. As there is the Apple TV app, and also the Apple TV set-top box that retails for $149. And honestly, they could have come up with a better name for its streaming service.
Apple TV Plus vs Apple TV app
So there are three versions of Apple TV. There’s the Apple TV set-top box, the Apple TV app and then Apple TV Plus. Here’s what each one does:
Apple TV: This is a premium set-top box, starting at $149. It allows you to stream all sorts of things from Amazon Prime Video, Showtime, Netflix, Hulu, YouTube TV and much more. There is currently two models available, one that is in HD and then a 4K model. both of which are also available in 32GB and 64GB sizes.
Apple TV app: Now the Apple TV app that is available on every platform is a free app that is basically a hub for content from various streaming services. Think of it as Google TV, or Fire TV.
Apple TV Plus: This is a subscription service, that has Apple Originals. These are series and films that are produced by and/or for Apple. They do not license any content, yet. Which explains why their service has so few options right now.
How much does it cost?
Apple TV Plus is actually pretty inexpensive. It’s just $4.99 per month, or $49.99 per year in the US. And this can be shared with everyone on your family sharing account at this price. So even though the library is pretty small right now, it is still worth getting. Here’s the pricing in some other countries:
USA: $4.99/month, $49.99/year
Canada: $5.99/month
UK: £4.99/month
Europe: €4.99/month
India: Rs. 99/month
Australia: A$7.99/month
Where is it available?
Apple TV Plus is available in over 100 countries right now. Which is pretty impressive, as it launched in 107 countries, and didn’t expand later on. Here’s the full list.
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Bermuda
Bolivia
Botswana
Brazil
British Virgin Islands
Bulgaria
Cambodia
Canada
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Estonia
Eswatini
Fiji
Finland
France
The Gambia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Grenada
Guatemala
Guinea-Bissau
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
India
Indonesia
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Jordan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Malaysia
Malta
Mauritius
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Mongolia
Mozambique
Namibia
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Norway
Oman
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
St. Kitts and Nevis
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Thailand
Trinidad and Tobago
Turkmenistan
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
USA
Venezuela
Vietnam
Zimbabwe
How can I sign up?
To sign up for Apple TV Plus, you can simply open the Apple TV app on your iPhone, iPad or Mac. Or you can head to this site to sign up. Just tap on the “Start Free Trial” button to get started. It’ll ask you to sign into your Apple account, and if you don’t have one, you’ll need to create one. It’ll of course ask for your credit card information, so it can charge you after the free trial is over with.
Apple TV Plus is available within the Apple TV app across all devices that have the app. At launch, it was only available on iPad, iPhone, Mac and Apple TV. But Apple has since decided to launch it on other platforms. Apple realized, that even though they have a huge market share in the US, they are going to need to make it available to Android users int he US and around the world. So they did just that.
Here’s all of the devices compatible with Apple TV Plus:
What movies and TV shows are available on Apple TV Plus?
Here’s the big question. What content is available on Apple TV Plus? Remember that Apple TV Plus does not license content from other studios – which would put them in a bidding war with the other streaming services, and likely raise prices. So all of the content on Apple TV Plus is commissioned by Apple themselves. And that also means that the content won’t leave Apple TV Plus, unless they give up on the service like they did Ping.
Here are a few of the bigger shows and movies available on Apple TV Plus:
The Morning Show: An unapologetically candid drama that looks at the modern workplace through the lens of the people who help wake America up, pulling back the curtain on early morning TV.
Ted Lasso: An American football coach is hired to manage a British soccer team; what he lacks in knowledge, he makes up for in optimism, determination and biscuits.
Severance: Mark leads a team of office workers whose memories have been surgically divided between their work and personal lives; when a mysterious colleague appears outside of work, it begins a journey to discover the truth about their jobs.
Wecrashed: The love story at the centre of the rise and fall of one of the world’s most valuable startups. WeWork grows from a single co-working space into a global brand worth $47 billion in under a decade. Then, in less than a year, its valuation plummets.
Central Park: An animated series with a voice cast that includes Josh Gad and Kristen Bell.
Among many others.
Apple TV Plus launched just ahead of the pandemic in 2020, which forced a lot of studios to close down for many months as the lock down around the world happened. So there wasn’t alot of content on Apple TV Plus for a while. But now, they are releasing quite a bit of content. Including a couple new documentaries every single week. Docuseries like “They Call Me Magic” and “The Long Game: Bigger Than Basketball” are debuting this Friday on Apple TV Plus.
So while the library is still quite small compared to say Netflix or HBO MAX, it is growing, and almost all of the content is very popular. Which shows that Apple is doing the right thing here. Which is providing and investing in content that people actually want to see – unlike Netflix.
Major League Baseball on Apple TV Plus
Earlier this year, Apple announced that it has gained the rights to show some MLB games on Apple TV Plus this year. For the 2022 season, it will be airing MLB games on Friday nights throughout the entire season. These games will be broadcast in US, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and South Korea, with more countries to be added later.
Apple TV Plus is also going to launch a 24/7 channel that will feature MLB news, highlights, game replays, classic games and much more. And there will be on-demand MLB programming available too.
Apple has said that these games are available at no additional cost, which likely means that they will charge more for these sports in the future. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering how expensive sports rights are.
Here’s the schedule for the first half of the 2023 season of Friday Night Baseball.
Apple TV Channels
Channels aren’t actually part of the streaming service, but they are in the Apple TV app. It’s a lot like Google TV. Where you can add your subscriptions and even subscribe through Apple TV – making it easier to pause or cancel services. It lets you consolidate all of your streaming services into a single app – the Apple TV app. It’s really what the Google TV app wishes it was.
However, not all streaming services are compatible with the Apple TV app, here’s the full list:
Acorn TV
A&E Crime Central
Allblk (formerly Urban Movie Channel)
AMC Plus
Apple TV Plus
Arrow Video Channel
Bet Plus
BFIPlayer Classics
Britbox
CBS All Access
Cinemax
CollegeHumor Dropout
Comedy Central Now
CuriosityStream
Epix
Eros Now Select
Hallmark Movies Now
HBO (limited)
History Vault
IFC Films Unlimited
Lifetime Movie Club
Moonbug Kids
MTV Hits
Mubi
NickHits
Noggin
Out TV
Pantaya
Paramount Plus
PBS Living
ScreenPix
Showtime
Shudder
Smithsonian Channel Plus
Starz
Sundance Now
Tastemade
The Great Courses Signature Collection
Topic
Up Faith & Family
Should I sign up for Apple TV Plus?
It’s probably worth signing up for Apple TV Plus. The amount of great content it already has, and is adding, for just $5 is pretty impressive. And makes it the best value in streaming today. It would be nice for Apple TV Plus to add some licensed content from other studios, but that does help keep the price down, and keeps its subscribers on the platform too.
While the name isn’t great and can be confusing, embedding it within the Apple TV app which iOS users already use for other things, is genius. It means that users can stream Apple TV Plus shows without even really thinking about it. And with it being just $5, many will sign up, stream occasionally and never think about needing to cancel it.
In recent years, Apple has been expanding its services to be available on more than just iOS devices. It really started with Apple Music, which is available on Android and other platforms. And now Apple TV Plus has joined in on the fun, being available on many different TV platforms as well as Android and Android TV.
It’s one of the cheaper streaming services out there, and now it’s available on most platforms. So is it worth signing up for? Let’s find out in this Everything You Need To Know.
What is Apple TV Plus?
Apple TV Plus is the premium subscription streaming service from Apple. Which, like everyone else, decided they wanted to get into the streaming game too. It’s a completely ad-free platform. Though there are some promotions for content on the platform, at the beginning of each episode. These can be skipped, though I like these as they help me find out what else to watch on the platform.
The name Apple TV Plus is a big confusing in itself. As there is the Apple TV app, and also the Apple TV set-top box that retails for $149. And honestly, they could have come up with a better name for its streaming service.
Apple TV Plus vs Apple TV app
So there are three versions of Apple TV. There’s the Apple TV set-top box, the Apple TV app and then Apple TV Plus. Here’s what each one does:
Apple TV: This is a premium set-top box, starting at $149. It allows you to stream all sorts of things from Amazon Prime Video, Showtime, Netflix, Hulu, YouTube TV and much more. There is currently two models available, one that is in HD and then a 4K model. both of which are also available in 32GB and 64GB sizes.
Apple TV app: Now the Apple TV app that is available on every platform is a free app that is basically a hub for content from various streaming services. Think of it as Google TV, or Fire TV.
Apple TV Plus: This is a subscription service, that has Apple Originals. These are series and films that are produced by and/or for Apple. They do not license any content, yet. Which explains why their service has so few options right now.
How much does it cost?
Apple TV Plus is actually pretty inexpensive. It’s just $4.99 per month, or $49.99 per year in the US. And this can be shared with everyone on your family sharing account at this price. So even though the library is pretty small right now, it is still worth getting. Here’s the pricing in some other countries:
USA: $4.99/month, $49.99/year
Canada: $5.99/month
UK: £4.99/month
Europe: €4.99/month
India: Rs. 99/month
Australia: A$7.99/month
Where is it available?
Apple TV Plus is available in over 100 countries right now. Which is pretty impressive, as it launched in 107 countries, and didn’t expand later on. Here’s the full list.
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Bermuda
Bolivia
Botswana
Brazil
British Virgin Islands
Bulgaria
Cambodia
Canada
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Estonia
Eswatini
Fiji
Finland
France
The Gambia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Grenada
Guatemala
Guinea-Bissau
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
India
Indonesia
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Jordan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Malaysia
Malta
Mauritius
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Mongolia
Mozambique
Namibia
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Norway
Oman
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
St. Kitts and Nevis
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Thailand
Trinidad and Tobago
Turkmenistan
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
USA
Venezuela
Vietnam
Zimbabwe
How can I sign up?
To sign up for Apple TV Plus, you can simply open the Apple TV app on your iPhone, iPad or Mac. Or you can head to this site to sign up. Just tap on the “Start Free Trial” button to get started. It’ll ask you to sign into your Apple account, and if you don’t have one, you’ll need to create one. It’ll of course ask for your credit card information, so it can charge you after the free trial is over with.
Apple TV Plus is available within the Apple TV app across all devices that have the app. At launch, it was only available on iPad, iPhone, Mac and Apple TV. But Apple has since decided to launch it on other platforms. Apple realized, that even though they have a huge market share in the US, they are going to need to make it available to Android users int he US and around the world. So they did just that.
Here’s all of the devices compatible with Apple TV Plus:
What movies and TV shows are available on Apple TV Plus?
Here’s the big question. What content is available on Apple TV Plus? Remember that Apple TV Plus does not license content from other studios – which would put them in a bidding war with the other streaming services, and likely raise prices. So all of the content on Apple TV Plus is commissioned by Apple themselves. And that also means that the content won’t leave Apple TV Plus, unless they give up on the service like they did Ping.
Here are a few of the bigger shows and movies available on Apple TV Plus:
The Morning Show: An unapologetically candid drama that looks at the modern workplace through the lens of the people who help wake America up, pulling back the curtain on early morning TV.
Ted Lasso: An American football coach is hired to manage a British soccer team; what he lacks in knowledge, he makes up for in optimism, determination and biscuits.
Severance: Mark leads a team of office workers whose memories have been surgically divided between their work and personal lives; when a mysterious colleague appears outside of work, it begins a journey to discover the truth about their jobs.
Wecrashed: The love story at the centre of the rise and fall of one of the world’s most valuable startups. WeWork grows from a single co-working space into a global brand worth $47 billion in under a decade. Then, in less than a year, its valuation plummets.
Central Park: An animated series with a voice cast that includes Josh Gad and Kristen Bell.
Among many others.
Apple TV Plus launched just ahead of the pandemic in 2020, which forced a lot of studios to close down for many months as the lock down around the world happened. So there wasn’t alot of content on Apple TV Plus for a while. But now, they are releasing quite a bit of content. Including a couple new documentaries every single week. Docuseries like “They Call Me Magic” and “The Long Game: Bigger Than Basketball” are debuting this Friday on Apple TV Plus.
So while the library is still quite small compared to say Netflix or HBO MAX, it is growing, and almost all of the content is very popular. Which shows that Apple is doing the right thing here. Which is providing and investing in content that people actually want to see – unlike Netflix.
Major League Baseball on Apple TV Plus
Earlier this year, Apple announced that it has gained the rights to show some MLB games on Apple TV Plus this year. For the 2022 season, it will be airing MLB games on Friday nights throughout the entire season. These games will be broadcast in US, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and South Korea, with more countries to be added later.
Apple TV Plus is also going to launch a 24/7 channel that will feature MLB news, highlights, game replays, classic games and much more. And there will be on-demand MLB programming available too.
Apple has said that these games are available at no additional cost, which likely means that they will charge more for these sports in the future. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering how expensive sports rights are.
Here’s the schedule for the first half of the 2023 season of Friday Night Baseball.
Apple TV Channels
Channels aren’t actually part of the streaming service, but they are in the Apple TV app. It’s a lot like Google TV. Where you can add your subscriptions and even subscribe through Apple TV – making it easier to pause or cancel services. It lets you consolidate all of your streaming services into a single app – the Apple TV app. It’s really what the Google TV app wishes it was.
However, not all streaming services are compatible with the Apple TV app, here’s the full list:
Acorn TV
A&E Crime Central
Allblk (formerly Urban Movie Channel)
AMC Plus
Apple TV Plus
Arrow Video Channel
Bet Plus
BFIPlayer Classics
Britbox
CBS All Access
Cinemax
CollegeHumor Dropout
Comedy Central Now
CuriosityStream
Epix
Eros Now Select
Hallmark Movies Now
HBO (limited)
History Vault
IFC Films Unlimited
Lifetime Movie Club
Moonbug Kids
MTV Hits
Mubi
NickHits
Noggin
Out TV
Pantaya
Paramount Plus
PBS Living
ScreenPix
Showtime
Shudder
Smithsonian Channel Plus
Starz
Sundance Now
Tastemade
The Great Courses Signature Collection
Topic
Up Faith & Family
Should I sign up for Apple TV Plus?
It’s probably worth signing up for Apple TV Plus. The amount of great content it already has, and is adding, for just $5 is pretty impressive. And makes it the best value in streaming today. It would be nice for Apple TV Plus to add some licensed content from other studios, but that does help keep the price down, and keeps its subscribers on the platform too.
While the name isn’t great and can be confusing, embedding it within the Apple TV app which iOS users already use for other things, is genius. It means that users can stream Apple TV Plus shows without even really thinking about it. And with it being just $5, many will sign up, stream occasionally and never think about needing to cancel it.
The Galaxy S21 FE and Galaxy A42 5G are getting Samsung‘s June 2023 Android security patch in the US. This is the first rollout of the June SMR (Security Maintenance Release) for these phones. They haven’t picked up the latest security update anywhere else. The regular non-FE Galaxy S21 models received the new SMR in a few European countries earlier this week. The rollout for the flagship trio has yet to reach the US.
As of this writing, the June SMR for the Galaxy S21 FE is only available to users with a factory-unlocked unit in the US. The update comes with the firmware build number G990U1UES7EWE3 and is already rolling out widely across most carrier networks (via SamMobile). Samsung isn’t pushing any new features or improvements to the device with this update. It’s all about the security fixes for this month. The rollout should soon cover carrier-locked units and also expand to international markets.
The June SMR rollout for the Galaxy A42 5G in the US also follows a similar pattern. Samsung is initially pushing the update to unlocked units. However, availability seems limited to users in Puerto Rico. The new firmware version for this aging mid-range smartphone is A426U1UES6EWF3. Samsung’s official changelog states that the phone is getting some system stability improvements along with the latest security fixes. A wider rollout of the June SMR for the Galaxy A42 5G may follow in the coming days.
That said, there’s no guarantee Samsung will push the latest security patch to this phone in every market. The Galaxy A42 5G is only eligible for bi-annual updates, which is two updates in a year. The Korean firm could skip a few monthly releases in some markets. As usual, you can check for new updates from the Software update menu in the Settings app on your Galaxy smartphone. If you don’t see any updates today, wait a few days and check again.
The June update for Galaxy devices contains dozens of security fixes
Samsung’s June 2023 update for Galaxy devices contains more than 60 vulnerability patches. The company’s official security bulletin mentions 11 Galaxy-specific patches and 50 Android OS patches, at least three of which are critical fixes. These security flaws could allow threat actors to cause severe damage to affected Android devices. You should install the latest security updates as soon as possible. We will keep you posted as more Galaxy devices receive Samsung’s June update.
Razer has just launched the new Blade 14 models equipped NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 40-series GPUs. Providing power and performance in a smaller package. While Razer’s most powerful laptops are the Blade 16 and Blade 18, they’re also both beefier and not as easy to transport.
That’s where the Blade 14 comes in. It has a smaller screen, yes, but it’s more lightweight and slimmer. Making it infinitely more portable as a gaming laptop. And now that it has the latest and greatest hardware, it can pump out some serious gaming experiences.
Today’s launch consists of the Blade 14 in both Matte Black and Mercury variants. And there are a handful of neat upgrades that make this a laptop worthy of considering. Should you be in the market for a gaming laptop of course.
2023 Razer Blade 14 models now come with 40-series graphics
One of the more attention-grabbing upgrades is the NVIDIA 40-series graphics cards. We’ve seen these in some of Razer’s other laptops from this year. Like the Blade 16 and Blade 18. This is the first time they’ve made it to Razer’s 14-inch laptops though.
And while good, honestly a more notable upgrade is the expandable memory. You can get the 2023 model of the Blade 14 with up to 32GB of DDR5 RAM. Which is quite a lot and would likely be enough for most users. But if you need more, Razer finally allows you to upgrade the RAM on the Blade 14. Because these new models don’t have soldered on RAM in the slotted memory. Razer says you can bump the RAM up to 64GB if you so desire.
That might be a bit overkill, but it really all depends on what you’re using the laptop for. And really it’s just nice to see it as an option for those that want it. In addition to the newer GPUs and expandable RAM, the Blade 14 now also comes with the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS CPU. There’s also now a 16:10 QHD+ display for better clarity with support for up to a 240Hz refresh rate and a low 3ms response time.
You can buy the new Razer Blade 14 2023 model from Razer directly, with prices starting at $2,399.
Skuld malware, named after the Norse goddess associated with the future and fate employs sophisticated techniques to infiltrate Windows systems and gain unauthorized access to sensitive information.
Cybersecurity researchers have noticed an uptick in the use of the Go programming language by threat actors in developing malware. Skuld infostealer is the latest iteration discovered by Trellix, which substantiates this fact.
According to a report by Ernesto Fernández Provecho from Trellix Advanced Research Center, a new infostealing malware, dubbed Skuld, is targeting Windows-based systems worldwide. It is capable of stealing sensitive data from web browsers and Discord accounts.
Skuld Malware Analysis
Right after execution, Skuld looks for data from Discord accounts or web browsers, mainly searching files stored in folders. It especially locates financial data because some samples Trellix examined included an evolving module capable of stealing cryptocurrency wallets’ data.
Furthermore, Skuld checks whether it is running in a virtual setup through three different techniques.
First- check for the system’s screen resolution. If it isn’t higher than 200×200 pixels, it assumes the system is running in a virtual environment.
Second- It checks for the total RAM, which should be over 2,000,000,000 bytes/1.86 GB.
Third- It checks the various registry keys linked with the system’s video and disk information, and if any of them contain information about Virtual Box or VMware, the application terminates.
If a Windows device is confirmed, it extracts several running processes to be compared against a pre-defined blocklist for matching. The list comprises Username, PC name, HWID, and Public IP address.
If a match is found, the malware terminates the matched process instead of ending itself. It exfiltrates data through an actor-controlled Discord webhook. It may also use the Gofile upload service to steal the uploaded ZIP file through a reference link. The stolen data is sent to the attacker via the same Discord webhook.
Golang-based Skuld has Traces of Different Malware
Further probing revealed that its developer, Deathined, based this infostealer on open-source malware samples/projects such as BlackCap Grabber, Creal Stealer, and Luna Grabber and built it on Golang 1.20.3. The author used multiple libraries for its numerous support tasks.
Researchers noted that the malware developer had created accounts on GitHub, Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, and other social media platforms, supposedly for Skuld’s promotion. Trellix researchers also discovered a Telegram group called Deathinews, where the author might offer Skuld for sale to other cybercriminals.
Github account of Deathined (Trellix)
Skuld Capabilities
Skuld info stealer can collect system metadata, harvest cookies and credentials from web browsers, and looks for files in Windows PC’s user profile folders, e.g., Desktop, Documents, OneDrive, Music, Videos, and Pictures.
Furthermore, it can corrupt authentic files from Discord Token Protector and Better Discord and inject JavaScript code into the Discord app to steal backup codes. A clipper module was also found in Skuld samples that can modify clipboard content. Moreover, it can swap wallet addresses with attackers to steal cryptocurrency.
Polar wants to help you become a better you with its new Ignite 3 Titanium edition fitness watch, which the company is launching today. Polar says this is an “enhanced version” of last year’s Ignite 3. Sporting new features for an even more capable fitness watch to help you reach your goals.
It all starts with a brand-new Titanium bezel that surrounds all the internals for a more premium look. And dare we say it, an honestly better style. The use of Titanium is also more lightweight and yet it’s still strong and durable. So there’s less concern over damaging the watch if it happens to bang up against a wall or table every now and again. Still though, try to avoid that.
The new Titanium bezel isn’t the only change though.
Polar Ignite 3 Titanium brings in new features
The Titanium bezel is a nice design touch. But this newer version of the Polar Ignite 3 has more to bring to the table than just an updated design.
There’s also three new features to make better use of its fitness prowess. First up is the new overnight skin temperature sensing. This is a nightly feature so it’s intended to be used consistently every night as you go to bed. Which means you have to wear the watch as you sleep to take advantage of the benefits. Polar says this is to help you “better know your body by identifying deviations.”
Additionally, there’s a new Work-Rest Guide that analyzes your heart rate during training. The watch can then tell you exactly how long you should be resting between sets. Which ultimately is intended to help you get the most out of your workouts as you’ll be resting the proper amounts.
The Ignite 3 Titanium also now puts the SleepWise feature on the Dashboard so you have more immediate access to it. Of course the Titanium model still comes with all of the other features as the standard Ignite 3. And all of these improvements will be made available to the standard model as well via a 2.0 software update. Which Polar says will start rolling out when the Titanium model launches.
So keep an eye out for the software update if you have the standard model of the Ignite 3 that launched last year. You can grab the Titanium Ignite 3 for $369.99 with a black silicone trap, or $399.99 with a bronze leather strap.
