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Mozilla is testing an AI chatbot in the Firefox sidebar

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andreasc

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June 25, 2024

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With the AI race heating up, more and more companies are integrating AI features into their products. Microsoft offers Copilot in Edge, and Google offers Gemini in Chrome. Now, Mozilla is also entering the fray by adding its own AI chatbot to Firefox.

An AI chatbot is coming to Firefox

Nowadays, almost all major browsers have their own AI chatbot. Whether you’re talking about Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, or Opera, every big player in the browser market is offering AI chatbots. Now, it seems like Mozilla is also planning to jump on the bandwagon, as they’ve begun experimenting with an AI chatbot in Firefox Nightly.

You’ll be able to access this chatbot starting this week, and it will be available in the browser’s sidebar. To try out the chatbot, first download the latest version of Firefox Nightly. Then, click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner and choose Settings.

In the Settings menu, select Nightly Experiments in the left sidebar and check the box for AI Chatbot Integration on the right. After that, you need to pick a chatbot that you want to use in Firefox. You can choose between Google Gemini, ChatGPT, HuggingChat, and Le Chat Mistral.

Once you’ve selected your chatbot, you’re ready to use it. You can use it to summarize information, test your knowledge and memory of an excerpt, or simplify the language of the text. You simply need to select the text you want the chatbot to work on, hover your mouse cursor over an option that’s relevant to the chatbot, and then choose the action you want to perform.

These AI models are still under development

In their blog post, Mozilla discussed why they’re giving users a choice of AI services. They want users to decide which service works best for them, not be limited to a single option. The blog also mentioned that these AI models are still under development, and none of them are perfect.

Some AI models excel in particular areas, while others excel in completely different ones. With multiple AI services available, you’ll have the option to choose different services for different tasks, depending on their area of expertise.

As mentioned above, the Firefox AI chatbot is still under testing and far from being released in the stable version. It will be interesting to see what other changes Mozilla will make to its chatbot before it’s available in the stable browser version.

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Motorola’s new Razr flip phones won’t be available at Verizon

Android

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June 25, 2024

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Motorola’s new Razr flip phones won’t be available at Verizon

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The brand new Motorola Razr and Razr+ won’t be sold by Verizon once again. Last year, when this news surfaced, we thought it was weird, seeing as Verizon and Motorola have had such a tight relationship over the years. But that decision has happened once again. Both the Razr and Razr+ will be available at AT&T and T-Mobile but not Verizon.

The most likely reason Verizon is left off is that there’s no mmWave 5G support. Verizon is pretty well-known for only selling phones that support mmWave 5G support, and with the Razr and Razr+ not supporting mmWave 5G, that means Verizon is not interested, unfortunately.

The good news, however, is that the Razr and Razr+ both do support Verizon’s Sub-6 5G bands – that’s bands 2, 5, and 77. So you will be able to use the new devices on Verizon, but only if you buy it unlocked. Motorola sells Razr, and Razr+ unlocked through its website, as well as Best Buy and Amazon.

Motorola is missing out by skipping Verizon again

Motorola is really bringing the fight to Samsung with the Razr and Razr+ again this year, but the company is really missing out by not making the phones available at Verizon. Obviously, this is likely due to Motorola wanting to keep the price down. You see, mmWave is quite expensive to add to a phone. Take the Pixel 8a, for example; it costs $499; however, at Verizon, for the mmWave model, it is $549. For the Pixel 7, and Pixel 8 there is a $100 difference for mmWave.

So it’s fairly likely that Motorola wanted to keep the price down on the Razr models by skipping mmWave. However, by doing this, Motorola is also skipping the largest US wireless carrier. That’s a lot of customers who won’t be able to buy the Razr or Razr+ and get Verizon’s full 5G experience.

Motorola does offer financing, so you can still finance your unlocked Razr or Razr+, and there are also trade-in promos available.

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Motorola Razr Series 2024: Everything you need to know

Android

andreasc

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June 25, 2024

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Motorola Razr Series 2024: Everything you need to know

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On June 25, 2024, Motorola announced the Razr and Razr+ in the US (Razr 50 and Razr 50 Ultra in the rest of the world). This is the fifth-generation of Motorola’s fifth-generation flip-style foldable, which brought back the iconic “Razr” name that was synonymous in the early 2000s.

Both new Razr models offer up incredibly larger displays than their predecessors, with the Razr+ offering up the largest external display currently on a flip phone. That is pretty incredible, considering how large some of the competitors are going these days. Like the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and the OPPO Find N3 Flip.

Motorola Razr series 2024: Specs

Here are the specs for the new Motorola Razr and Razr+ 2024.

	Razr (2024)	Razr+ (2024)
Display	6.9-inch FHD+ 2640×1080 pOLED up to 120Hz 3000nit HDR10+ Certified 3.6-inch 1066×1056 OLED 120Hz 1700nit	6.9-inch FHD+ 2640×1080 pOLED up to165Hz 3000nit HDR10+ Certified 4-inch 1272×1080 pOLED up to 165Hz 2400nit
Processor	MediaTek Dimensity 7300X	Snapdragon 8s Gen 3
RAM	8GB	12GB
Storage	256GB	256GB
Battery Capacity	4200mAh	4000mAh
Charging Speeds	30W wired 5W wireless	45W wired 15W wireless 5W reverse wireless charging
Software	Android 14	Android 14
Rear Cameras	50MP wide f/1.7 13MP ultrawide/macro f/2.2	50MP wide f/1.7 50MP 2x telephoto f/2.0
Front Camera	32MP f/2.7	32MP f/2.4
Dimensions	Open: 73.99 x 171.3 x 7.25mm Closed: 73.99 x 88.08 x 15.85mm	Open: 73.99 x 171.42 x 7.09mm Closed: 73.99 x 88.09 x 15.32mm
Weight	188g	189g
Price	$699	$999
Colors	Koala Gray Beach Sand Spritz Orange	Midnight Blue Spring Green Peach Fuzz Hot Pink
Available	July 24	July 24

How much does the Razr 2024 cost?

Motorola was able to stick with the same prices for Razr and Razr Plus in 2024 despite some pretty major upgrades to both models this year. That means that the Motorola Razr is going to cost you $699, and the Razr+ will cost you $999. Those are pretty good prices, especially with the rumored price increase of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 that is launching next month.

In Canada, the Motorola Razr+ will be available for $1,299. Motorola also indicates that the pricing will vary depending on the carrier. Unfortunately, it looks like the Razr will not be coming to Canada right now.

When does the Razr go on sale?

The Motorola Razr and Razr+ will go on sale on July 10, with pre-orders shipping on July 24. The Razr will expand its availability on July 25 to Cricket, Spectrum Mobile, Straight Talk, Total by Verizon, Visible, Google Fi Wireless, Optimum Mobile, and US Cellular. Boost Mobile will carry the Razr later this summer.

In Canada, the Razr and Razr+ will both open pre-orders on July 10 from Motorola.ca. The device will be on sale at select carriers and retailers starting on July 24.

Where can I buy the new Razr?

The new Razr will be available virtually everywhere. Here’s where the Razr (2024) will be available:

T-Mobile (pre-orders)
Motorola.com (pre-orders)
Amazon (pre-orders)
Best Buy (pre-orders)
Consumer Cellular (July 24)
Xfinity Mobile (July 24)
Cricket (July 25)
Spectrum Mobile (July 25)
Straight Talk (July 25)
Total by Verizon (July 25)
Visible (July 25)
Google Fi Wireless (July 25)
Optimum Mobile (July 25)
US Cellular (July 25)

For the Razr+, Motorola will be selling it at more postpaid carriers than prepaid carriers. Which is a stark contrast from the regular Razr. Here’s all the retailers and carriers that will be selling the Razr+:

Motorola.com
Amazon
Best Buy
T-Mobile
AT&T

The Razr+ will also be available universally unlocked from Motorola’s website, Amazon and Best Buy. With a starting price of $999.

What colors does the Razr and Razr+ come in?

The Motorola Razr comes in three colors, while the Razr+ comes in four colors. Motorola is one of the few smartphone makers that offer its phones plenty of fun colors.

Motorola’s Razr (also known as the Razr 50 outside of the US) will be available in Beach Sand, Coala Gray, and Spritz Orange colors. The Motorola Razr+ (the Razr 50 Ultra outside of the US) comes in Midnight Blue, Spring Green, Peach Fuzz, and the iconic Razr hot pink color.

These are all going to be vegan leather backs, except for the Coala Gray and the Midnight Blue, which are vegan suede. The vegan suede feels really nice and smooth. Motorola says it should hold up well to scratches and scraps, but it’s too early to say if that is true.

What features does the Motorola Razr offer?

The Motorola Razr offers a number of new features and upgrades compared to the 2023 model. That includes some big camera upgrades, display upgrades and Moto AI.

Moto AI

Motorola, like just about every other Android OEM, is adding plenty of AI features to its phones. However, it is hoping to make these AI features useful for the user. That includes being able to do things like improve your pictures, generative pretty wallpapers, and much more. Like Samsung, Motorola is also using Google’s Gemini to power its AI features.

With Gemini, Motorola will allow you to use Gemini from the External Display, as well as using the power button to quickly bring up Gemini. It’s built into the phone, similar to the Galaxy S24 series, as well as TECNO’s new CAMON series.

Motorola has said that purchasers of the Razr and Razr+ will get three months of Google One’s AI Premium plan, which is a $20/month value and includes access to Gemini Advanced.

Additionally, Motorola has previewed a number of features that will be added to Razr in the coming months. This includes notification summaries. It’ll also be easier to help you remember things, and it can quickly pay attention to start recording a conversation and provide you with a summary.

Bigger and Better External Displays

Both Razr models sport larger external displays, though both now run full Android apps on the outside, which is incredible. The Razr has a 2.5x larger external display at 3.6 inches. At the same time, the Razr+ jumps from a 3.6-inch to a 4-inch display. They are making it truly full-screen when the phone is closed.

With the external displays, you’re able to run full Android apps like Spotify, Google Maps, Gmail, TikTok, X, and much more. You also get plenty of panels that you can use as full-page widgets. This all works to give you less reason actually to open the phone. And let’s not forget, you can play many games on the external display too.

Razr+ ditches ultrawide for a 2x telephoto camera

While both Razr models sport a new 50-megapixel main sensor, the Razr+ does ditch the ultrawide sensor for a new 2x telephoto sensor. With this telephoto camera, you’re able to get better bokeh for portraits, but you also get 2x optical zoom, along with 4x zoom, which is done by cropping in on the large 50-megapixel sensor.

Smaller, more durable hinge

The hinge on the Motorola Razr is also smaller this time around. Motorola is about 30% smaller, which also helps it to be more durable and resistant to dust and water. This hinge also helps to create a creaseless display on the Razr. On top of all of that, this new hinge also makes it more stable. While allowing the phone to unfold completely flat, unlike a handful of other foldables that have launched recently, Motorola is still keeping that Razr at 180 degrees.

Should I upgrade to the Motorola Razr or Razr+?

Unlike most new smartphones in 2024, Motorola has actually provided some pretty big updates year-over-year for the Razr. For the regular Razr, Motorola is providing a pretty major update to the cameras, as well as the front-display. However, the performance is likely very similar due to the fact that Motorola has switched to the MediaTek Dimensity 7300X. Whereas the Motorola Razr+ has also improved the cameras (swapping the ultrawide for a telephoto sensor), and an even larger display, along with a huge improvement in performance. Since it jumps from the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 to the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3.

Now, if you’re coming from another foldable, the Motorola Razr+ is still a pretty good upgrade, as it is far ahead of the Galaxy Z Flip 5, never mind the fact that there is no crease on the Razr+. You’ll have to wait for our full review of both models in the coming weeks to see if it’s really a big enough upgrade.

The post Motorola Razr Series 2024: Everything you need to know appeared first on Android Headlines.

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Motorola Razr+ 2024 specifications

Android

andreasc

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June 25, 2024

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Motorola has announced two new foldable smartphones today, the Motorola Razr 2024 and Razr+ 2024. Those are their names in the US, while they’ll be called differently in Europe and Asia. Having said that, we’re here to take a closer look at the Motorola Razr+ specifications.

The Motorola Razr+ is the more powerful of the two phones the company announced. We can say this is the company’s new flagship flip phone, basically. It looks very similar to its sibling, but it has a larger cover display, with thinner bezels, and better specs on the inside.

The Motorola Razr+ 2024 has more powerful specifications than its sibling

The Motorola Razr+ is fueled by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 processor. That is Qualcomm’s new powerful chip, even though it’s not as powerful as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Motorola also included 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM here, and 256GB of UFS 4.0 flash storage (non-expandable).

A 6.9-inch fullHD+ (2640 x 1080) pOLED display is used here. That’s the phone’s foldable panel. It’s an LTPO display, and it supports HDR10+ content. Its aspect ratio is 22:9, while its refresh rate goes up to 165Hz. The peak brightness is set at 3,000 nits.

There is a 4-inch cover display included here, with a 165Hz refresh rate

The cover display, on the other hand, is a 4-inch pOLED panel. Its resolution is 1080 x 1272, and it’s also an LTPO panel. This is a flexible AMOLED display with HDR10+ support. Its refresh rate also goes up to 165Hz, and brightness up to 2,400 nits. Gorilla Glass Victus protects this panel.

A 4,000mAh battery sits inside the phone. The device supports 45W TurboPower wired charging. 15W wireless charging is also supported, as is 5W reverse charging.

There are stereo speakers included inside of this phone, while the phone also has Dolby Atmos support. Spatial Sound is featured too, and the same goes for Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound 4. There are also three microphones on the device.

Wide and telephoto cameras are used

The Motorola Razr+ has two main cameras, plus the one on the main display. A 50-megapixel main camera (wide, f/1.7 aperture, 0.8um pixel size, OIS, Instant-all Pixel Focus) is backed by a 50-megapixel telephoto unit (f/2.0 aperture, 0.64um pixel size, 2x optical zoom). The front-facing camera is a 32-megapixel unit (f/2.4 aperture, 0.7um pixel size).

The phone’s frame is made out of aluminum, while vegan leather is placed on the back. Wi-Fi 7 is supported here, and the same goes for Bluetooth 5.4. The Motorola Razr+ is IPX8-rated, and 5G is supported here. Android 14 comes pre-installed. A side-facing fingerprint scanner is also included.

The Motorola Razr+ measures 171.42 x 73.99 x 7.09mm when open, and 88.09 x 73.99 x 15.32mm when closed. The device weighs 189 grams. It comes in Hot Pink, Midnight Blue, Peach Fuzz, and Spring Green colors. A charger is not included in the retail box.

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Google could announce its next devices 2 months early

Android

andreasc

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June 25, 2024

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Google could announce its next devices 2 months early

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[Update: Google France posted a teaser video confirming the date. Jump to updated content]

Timing is everything! When you own a business that’s launching devices in a heavily competitive market, you need to make sure that you’re launching them at the proper time. We’re all used to Google launching its devices in October. However, it seems that Google is opting for an August launch event for its new Pixel device.

We’re still dealing with early information with sparse details. However, this information comes straight from Google. There’s always the chance that this was an error. If so, we’ll keep you updated if anything changes.

Google could opt for an August Pixel event this year

When Google I/O ended, we all said “Bye, Google! See you in October.” That’s how it goes pretty much every year. However, it seems that the company might be looking to push the date up a bit. We thought that Samsung’s Unpacked events were pushing it by moving from August to July.

People have been receiving invites to attend Google’s Made by Google event. The date on the invite says August 13th, a full two months earlier than last year’s event. “You’re invited to an in-person Made by Google event where we’ll showcase the best of Google AI, Android software and the Pixel portfolio of devices.”

When Google says “Pixel portfolio,” we’re not sure if the company means that it’s going to announce all of the rumored devices or if it’s going to withhold some. Right now, we’re expecting to see the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, Pixel 9 Fold (or Pixel Fold 2), and Pixel Watch 3. That’s a heck of a lot of products to announce in one go. As such, it’s possible that Google could split up its announcements.

Right now, we’re going to have to play the waiting game. Thankfully, there’s not too much time to wait, it’s north of a month away.

Updated content

The Google France Twitter account posted this short teaser.

What Google’s up against

Hopefully, Google knows what it’s doing. It could launch products during the most competitive part of the year. It’s literally sandwiched between Samsung’s second Unpacked event of the year and Apple’s iPhone event. What makes things worse for Google is the fact that the iPhone 16 is going to be a HOT topic because of the AI features.

Let’s not mince words, the AI present on the Pixel 8 Pro heavily pales in comparison to Apple Intelligence. We’re not saying that Google’s new Pixel phones are going to be dead on arrival, but they might not stand out amid the Galaxy/iPhone sea.

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YouTube’s latest experiment adds Shorts to Smart Downloads

Apps

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June 25, 2024

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YouTube’s latest experiment adds Shorts to Smart Downloads

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Image credit — PhoneArena

YouTube Premium users are now able to automatically download recommended Shorts for offline viewing through a limited-time experiment. The feature, called “Smart Downloads” has been around for some time for regular long-form videos. Now, it is also available for Shorts.

The feature is currently being tested with YouTube Premium users and allows them to automatically download recommended Shorts to their devices. Users can enable the feature by going to the Your Premium benefits section in the YouTube app and selecting the Try experimental new features option. Once enabled, the feature will automatically download recommended Shorts based on the user’s recent viewing history.

YouTube Experiments section offering up Smart Downloads for Shorts as an option on the web and Android

| Image credit — PhoneArena

It’s important to note that currently you can only have one YouTube Experiment active at a time. For example, I currently have the YouTube Redesigned Watch Page experiment active until July 8th, which means that me signing up to try out the new Smart Downloads for Shorts would automatically remove me from the other experiment.

This new feature appears to have been available to some users as early as April, but it has now been rolled out to a wider audience. YouTube Premium members can try out the feature until July 15.Smart Downloads has been available for regular YouTube videos for some time, and it allows users to automatically download recommended videos for offline viewing. The feature is designed to help users save data and watch videos when they don’t have an internet connection.

YouTube is constantly experimenting with new features and ways to improve the user experience. Smart Downloads for Shorts is just one of the many new features that the company is testing, and whether it becomes a permanent feature or not likely depends on user feedback. This means that if you are interested in having a feature like this available for Shorts, make sure to sign up for it to make it known to the powers that it’s worth keeping.

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Motorola Razr specifications

Android

andreasc

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June 25, 2024

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In addition to the Motorola Razr+, the company also announced the Motorola Razr today. This phone is inferior to its ‘Plus’ sibling, but it’s also quite compelling. We’re here to check out the Motorola Razr specifications, as we’ve already covered the Motorola Razr+ specs.

Before we get down to it, do note that both of these are foldable smartphones. They’re the company’s new flip phones and will be called differently outside of the US. These are US-exclusive names.

The Motorola Razr has mid-range specifications, it’s fueled by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300X

The Motorola Razr is fueled by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300X processor. The company included 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM on the inside, along with 256GB of UFS 2.2 flash storage (non-expandable).

The main display on the phone is a 6.9-inch fullHD+ (2640 x 1080) panel. It’s a pOLED display, by the way, and it’s foldable. The refresh rate here is 120Hz, well, up to 120Hz (LTPO panel). The peak brightness of this panel is 3,000 nits.

The cover display, on the other hand, is a 3.6-inch pOLED panel. It has a resolution of 1056 x 1066, and this is an LTPS pane, not an LTPO one. This is a Flexible AMOLED display, and it supports HDR10+ content. It has a refresh rate of up to 90Hz and a peak brightness of 1,700 nits. Gorilla Glass Victus protects the phone’s cover display.

The device supports 30W wired charging, and 15W wireless charging

A 4,200mAh battery is included here, and the phone supports 30W TurboPower wired charging. 15W wireless charging is also supported. Do note that the charger does not come bundled in the box.

A 50-megapixel main camera (f/1.7 aperture, 0.8zm pixel size, OIS, Instant-all Pixel Focus) is backed by a 13-megapixel ultrawide/macro camera (f/2.2 aperture, 1.12um pixel size, 120-degree FoV). The front-facing camera is a 32-megapixel unit (f/2.4 aperture, 0.7um pixel size).

The phone does include a set of stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support. Spatial Sound is on offer too, and there are three microphones included on the device. Bluetooth 5.4 is also supported here. Android 14 comes pre-installed on the device.

A side-facing fingerprint scanner is in use, while the phone comes in three color options

Yes, the Motorola Razr supports both a physical SIM and an eSIM, ti’s up to you. A side-facing fingerprint scanner is included too, while the phone supports Wi-Fi 6/6E. The device is also IPX8 certified for water resistance. Its frame is made out of aluminum, and vegan leather is placed on the back.

The Motorola Razr measures 171.30 x 73.99 x 7.25mm when open, and 88.08 x 73.99 x 15.85mm when closed. It weighs 188 grams. The phone comes in Beach Sand, Koala Gray, and Spritz Orange colors.

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An AI-generated Elon Musk if shilling crypto (because why not?)

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June 25, 2024

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An AI-generated Elon Musk if shilling crypto (because why not?)

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Have there ever been more buzzwords stuffed into a single headline? It appears that An AI-generated Elon Musk was running a scam where it shilled crypto. As much as we want to believe that this is clickbait, it’s not.

Suffice it to say, Elon himself wasn’t involved in this scam. We’re still waiting for information about who was running the scam. So, you’re going to have to stay tuned for more information on this topic.

An AI-generated Elon Musk was shilling crypto

We should know how these sorts of scams work by now. A YouTube livestream started, and it starred Mr. Elon Musk; only, it wasn’t him. It was an AI-generated voice masquerading as him. Scammers use this tactic all of the time. They emulate notable figures to push their crypto scams.

Emulating notable figures like Elon Musk, Mr. Beast, MKBHD, etc. is a surefire way to get unsuspecting users to believe in them. In fact, there was a case a few years ago where Arun Maini (AKA Mr. Whostheboss) had his account hacked and used to shill Crypto.

This latest scam wasn’t any different. The account that live-streamed was named @elon.teslastream. It’s been taken down, but it peaked at 10.7K subscribers. That should be the first clue that something was up. The official Tesla YouTube channel sports 2.65 million subscribers.

A screenshot showing an account posing as Tesla with a livestream that uses an AI generated Elon musk to push a crypto scam — From Engadget

It was asking for users to invest their Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Dogecoin to participate in a giveaway. The scam was promising to “automatically send back double the amount of the cryptocurrency [people] deposited.” Yes, you have permission to roll your eyes.

While this was obviously a scam, there were, apparently, upwards of 30,000 viewers in the stream. We’re not sure how many of those were bots and how many were actual human idiots.

These scams aren’t only being presented on YouTube. We’ve seen other reports of this sort of thing happening on Reddit and other platforms. We’re not sure how these platforms plan to combat this, but we know that it’s only going to get worse as time goes on.

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Rafel RAT ransomware attacks target outdated Android phones

Android

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June 25, 2024

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Rafel RAT ransomware attacks target outdated Android phones

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If your Android phone no longer receives security updates, you are at an increased risk of ransomware attacks. Security researchers have discovered several malware campaigns primarily targeting outdated Android devices. It employs an open-source Android malware named “Rafel RAT”. Even flagship models, such as Samsung’s Galaxy S lineup, are vulnerable.

New ransomware campaigns targeting outdated Android phones with Rafel RAT

Rafel RAT is a powerful open-source malware tool with excellent techniques to avoid detection. It provides malicious actors with a remote administration and control toolkit that allows them to perform various malicious activities on an infected device. From data theft and surveillance to device manipulation, it facilitates all kinds of remote attacks, making it a popular choice among threat actors.

Security researchers Antonis Terefos and Bohdan Melnykov of Check Point recently identified over 120 Android malware campaigns using Rafel RAT. Some of the campaigns are run by well-known threat actors, including APT-C-35 (aka DoNot Team, Brainworm, and Origami Elephant). Lesser-known attackers are behind the others, with most of them originating in Pakistan and Iran.

The research firm says most of the victims were located in the United States, China, and Indonesia. However, the malware campaigns also infested Android devices in India, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and several other countries. The attackers primarily targeted devices running Android 11 or older. Those phones have stopped receiving security updates and are vulnerable to known flaws.

According to Check Point, over 87.5% of all affected devices were on Android 11 or an older version. Android 5 and Android 8 devices accounted for 17.9% of attacks each—the most. Some affected devices were on Android 4. This makes us wonder how long people are holding onto their phones. Android 4 came in 2011 and no longer supports Google Play Services, let alone get security updates.

Rafel RAT Android malware ransomware 2

As far as smartphone brands are concerned, it’s a mix of all popular companies. Samsung devices saw the most number of attacks, but this could also be reflective of it being the largest vendor. The Korean firm makes more phones than any other brand and has long been at the top of the pile. Xiaomi, Vivo, and Huawei devices comprised the second-largest group among the targeted victims.

Avoid installing apps from unknown sources

Cybercriminals distribute Rafel RAT through various means. However, in most cases, users download it via malicious APKs disguised as popular social media and messaging apps, including Instagram and WhatsApp. Threat actors also impersonate e-commerce platforms and antivirus apps to distribute the malware. Upon installation, it asks for a wide range of permissions to access everything on the phone.

Rafel RAT Android malware ransomware 3

Attackers can remotely watch it all and decide the next step. Check Point’s analysis revealed that the attackers issued the ransomware command in roughly 10% of the cases. Rafel RAT’s ransomware module encrypts the affected phone’s files using a pre-defined ARS key, giving the attackers full control over the device. They can also remotely change the device’s password to lock the user out.

The research firm says these Rafel RAT Android ransomware campaigns “successfully targeted high-profile organizations, including the military sector.” This is alarming and tells you a lot about the risks associated with using outdated devices and installing apps from unknown sources. You should always download apps from official sources such as the Google Play Store, Samsung Galaxy Store, or the official developer website.

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AI music generators are facing a lawsuit from top music labels

Tech

andreasc

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June 25, 2024

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AI music generators are facing a lawsuit from top music labels

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The war between AI companies and the industries they steal from rages on. AI companies are no strangers to scraping content from actual creators without their consent, and the entities supporting the creators are striking back. Two music generators (Udio and Suno) are facing a lawsuit from top music labels.

As with anything dealing with the law, things are moving slowly. Right now, The New York Times is still in the process of suing OpenAI and Microsoft for lifting copyrighted material from the site. This lawsuit has been going on for several months, and we’re still waiting for the result.

AI has been dragging a knife through several industries like writing and art, and it has its sights set on the film industry. Well, the music industry is not immune to the blade. We’ve seen examples of AI-generated music making headlines. It’s, obviously, a huge smack to the face of anyone who’s made actual music.

Two music generators are being sued by top music labels

The two music generators in question are Suno and Udio. Several top music labels are now suing these companies for their AI music-generating tools. The Recording Industry Association of America announced this lawsuit on Monday.

The labels involved in the lawsuit are Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Records. The lawsuit is asking for a hefty amount of money in compensation. As per the report, it’s asking for $150,000 for each stolen work. That’s a tab that can wrack up quickly depending on how many tracks were lifted.

The lawsuit claims that the tools “spit out” similar works. That’s pretty much how most mainstream AI tools work. Mikey Shulman, Suno AI’s chief executive said that the technology is “designed to generate completely new outputs, not to memorise and regurgitate pre-existing content…but instead of entertaining a good faith discussion, they’ve reverted to their old lawyer-led playbook,” Shulman continued.

However, if this tool is creating “completely new works,” then there wouldn’t be a lawsuit, would there? Companies need to stop trying to convince people that their tools create completely new works. We’ve seen so many examples of tools making content extremely reminiscent of existing works. We’ve seen it from music to art to journalism.

We’re going to have to wait for the outcome of this lawsuit. There’s no telling when to expect the results from the case.

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