The Best Android phone under $500

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The Best Android phone under $500
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Since the Pixel 3a was announced at Google I/O 2019, we’ve looked forward to reviewing the next a-series Pixel every single year. That’s because Google makes the best, cheap smartphone. It uses the same camera (usually) as its flagship smartphone, in a cheaper smartphone. And of course, all of the great software features as well.

Now, over the years, the price has gone up, starting at $349 in 2019 to now being $499 in 2023. Though, we’ve seen quite a few changes, like the addition of 5G, and also let’s not forget about inflation. Even at $499, this is still a really great smartphone. Is it perfect? Of course not. At this price, you’re still making some trade-offs. But are those trade-offs deal breakers? Let’s find out in our review.

Google Pixel 7a Review: Design & Hardware

After getting a redesign last year, so that the Pixel 6a fit in with the Pixel 6 series, the Pixel 7a also gets a slight redesign this year. It’s mostly adding the changes to the camera bar that the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro saw last year. So it looks more in line with the Pixel 7 series.

The model that Google sent to us is the “Snow” model, which is white and silver. The sides and camera bar are silver and made or metal. While the back which is white, is made of plastic. One of the issues that I have with this build quality, is that because the back is plastic, it doesn’t melt into the frame like the glass on the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro do. When holding it in the hand, you can really feel it between the plastic and metal.

Despite housing a 64-megapixel camera this year, over the 12-megapixel camera on every other Pixel a-series, the camera bar is not that much thicker than the Pixel 6a’s. Which is honestly, something I really like about this phone. And something I loved about the Pixel 6a. The camera bar on the flagship models are just so thick and in the way.

On the sides, you’ll see antenna bands all around. With the volume and power button on the right side. Just as Google has always done on the Pixel. Now the power button is not a different color, like it has done with previous Pixels. That’s something I really hope that Google brings back.

That new 90Hz display

The front is, well, rather plain. That’s where you’ll find the 6.1-inch FHD+ 90Hz display. Which is one of the upgrades over the Pixel 6a. After Google received a lot of backlash over having a 60Hz display, they decided to make it 90Hz this year. The bezels are rather thick here, but for a flat display, it’s not to bad. And of course the front-facing camera is right in the center.

The display is good, but not great. This is not an AMOLED display, but rather a gOLED display, which is a cheaper OLED display. This is also not as adaptive as LTPO. It does adapt from 60Hz to 90Hz, but not any lower than 60Hz. That’s still a feature that is saved for mostly higher-end phones.

Google Pixel 7a Review AM AH 09

Let’s talk about brightness. It’s not all that great. Can you use it outside? Sure. But it does lag behind the flagships out there. Which is where I really need to remember that this is a $499 phone and not a $899 phone.

For the price, it’s a really good display. However, if you want a slightly better display, I’d recommend the Pixel 7, which is only $100 more.

Google Pixel 7a Review: Performance

Since Google debuted the Tensor chipset in 2021, on the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, I had pretty high hopes for it. Just comparing it to what Apple has done with the iPhone and making its own chipsets for basically everything it sells. I thought it would allow Google to have more control, push out updates faster, and make things like the camera even better. I was wrong.

Now, I will admit that we are only two generations in so far, but the Tensor G2 is not a great chipset. On the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro reviews, I complained about how it was slow, and how bad battery life was. Especially when comparing it to other chipsets like the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Which took huge leaps forward last year and this year, respectively. But Tensor? Nope, it’s still really slow.

Google Pixel 7a Review AM AH 27

Despite having more RAM in the Pixel 7a, it doesn’t seem to help the Tensor G2 that much. As an example, I opened Twitter, checked my timeline. Then hoped over to my notifications tab. Then went back over to the timeline, and it had to entirely refresh the entire timeline. Why? I have no idea, but it was likely due to the processor and RAM here. The same thing happens on the Pixel 7, but not the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Which leads me to think this is a Tensor thing.

Why is Tensor so slow? Well, Google is focusing more on artificial intelligence and machine learning with its chipsets, versus performance. I don’t need to have the fastest chipset in my smartphone, but I would like one that is not the slowest either.

Google Pixel 7a Review: Battery Life & Charging

And that leads us into the battery life. Pixel had struggled with battery life for years, even dating back to the Nexus days. But with the Pixel 4 and 5 series, it really seemed to have turned a corner. Then, it went Tensor. With the Pixel 6 and Tensor, battery life has really gone down hill on Pixel phones. And it’s borderline atrocious here on the Pixel 7a.

Keep in mind, I’ve only been using this phone for a week, and a couple of those days were travel days to get to Google I/O, but it struggles just to pass six hours of screen on time. That’s pretty weak. After a couple of cycles, I figured, maybe if I used it at 60Hz, it would be better. After all, it is set to 60Hz out of the box. It was better, but not much better.

I wasn’t expecting Galaxy S23 Ultra type of battery life here, but would be nice to see it at least hit 6 hours consistently. Instead of some days not even hitting 5 hours. Though part of this is due to an issue I’m seeing right now, where YouTube runs in the background until your force stop it. So on one of the battery cycles you’ll see below, you’ll see that YouTube was running for over 7 hours.

So fingers crossed that the next monthly update fixes this, or a YouTube app update fixes it.

pixel 7a battery life AH

Now onto charging. It sucks. The Pixel 7a is still using 18W charging, and Google has the nerve to call that “fast charging”. That’s not fast, it’s the opposite of that. Heck, even the iPhone charges faster than that. What’s even stranger is that every Pixel 7 model has different charging speeds.

Google did add wireless charging, but when you see the speed, you’ll wonder why they bothered. Google only added 7.5W wireless charging. Now if you’re just charging wirelessly overnight, then fine that’s going to be plenty fast. But if you need a quick top up during the day, you better plug it in.

Of course, both of these allow Google to keep the BOM (bill of materials) cheaper, so they can sell it for less. But it’s arguably the worst part of the Pixel 7a experience.

Google Pixel 7a Review: Camera

So this year, Google really upgraded the cameras on the Pixel 7a. Not just the main sensor, but every sensor. So now, we have a 64-megapixel main camera, along with a 13-megapixel ultrawide sensor and a 13-megapixel front-facing sensor. Now on paper, it looks like these are better than the Pixel 7. But not so fast. The Pixel 7’s camera sensors are actually physically larger, than these. Which explains the smaller camera bump here. And that also means that it won’t let in as much detail.

How does it stack up? Pretty well, actually. Now that’s not really a surprise, considering how good Google’s computational photography is. Now, can you tell the difference between a photo shot on a Pixel 7a and a Pixel 7? Most people probably won’t. But if you compare them side by side, you’ll likely notice two things. The Pixel 7a has slightly less detail, and the Pixel 7 has a shallower depth of field. Meaning that the Pixel 7 would have more of that natural bokeh in the background.

With the Pixel 7a, Google did bring over quite a few features from the flagship phones. Like Super Res Zoom, which is not new, but now it does work at up to 8x. Before it was only 6x. And that’s thanks to the new sensor. There’s also Magic Eraser, allowing you to remove objects from a photo, and Photo Unblur, which works on older photos too.

I would have to say that this camera setup is the best camera on any phone in this price range. And you can check out our samples of the Pixel 7a camera in the gallery below.

Google Pixel 7a Review: Software

When it comes to software, Google typically nails it on the Pixel phones. Barring any sort of bugs that we’ve seen in recent years, the software is always the best on any Android smartphone. But bugs are still apparent here on the Pixel 7a. Like YouTube continuing to run in the background all day, draining your battery.

Google Pixel 7a Review AM AH 01

Google has some really nifty features on the Pixel 7a, many of which debuted on the Pixel 7 last fall. Like Direct My Call. This is one of my favorite features, as it allows you to call some 1-800 numbers and see the menu options, sometimes before they even are spoken. The only downside, is that this does not work with every number. But places like Home Depot, Comcast and a few others, it does work.

Another great feature is “Hold for Me”, and it does exactly what you think it does. It will have the Google Assistant sit on hold for you, and alert you when someone is ready to take your call. So now you don’t have to sit on hold for hours when you call Comcast or whoever your ISP is.

Clear Calling has also come to the Pixel 7a. This feature basically will drown out all of the background noise, so whoever is on the other end can hear you. If you’re in a bar with loud music, the caller on the other end will hear you just fine. It’s actually pretty incredible how well this works.

Of course, the Pixel 7a is running on Android 13, which is currently the latest version of Android. Though Android 14 is already available in Beta, with the second beta coming out today. The final release won’t be until August/September, however. But the Pixel 7a will get that update. In fact, it’ll get three Android OS updates and five years of security updates. So, the Pixel 7a should see Android 14, 15 and 16 upgrades.

Should you buy the Google Pixel 7a?

This is a tough question for me. Typically, the a-series is always a must-recommend for me, when people ask what phone they should buy. But this year, that question is pretty tough. Why? Because the Pixel 7 exists. The Pixel 7 is only $100 more and it is usually on sale for $499, making it the same price as the Pixel 7a. And for $100 more, you’re getting better cameras, a better display, better battery life, and better charging, along with a few other things. Making that $100 jump well worth it.

As much as I want to love the Pixel 7a, it’s hard to, because of the price increase. If it stayed at $449, I think this would have been a no-brainer for recommending.

In the end, it is your decision, and you have to decide what features are worth it for you to buy it over a Pixel 7. And that could come down to the colors available, and if the retailer or carrier has stock available. The Pixel 7a is a really good phone, it just needs to be priced further away from the Pixel 7.


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Microsoft Patch Tuesday, May 2023

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Microsoft Patch Tuesday, May 2023
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday, May 2023

Microsoft released updates for two zero-day problems and 40 other newly discovered vulnerabilities in its products on Tuesday.

CVE-2023-29336, one of the zero days, is a Windows “elevation of privilege” bug with a low attack complexity, minimal privilege requirements, and no user input. The attack vector for this problem is local, as the SANS Internet Storm Centre notes.

“Once they gain initial access, they will seek administrative or SYSTEM-level permissions. This can allow the attacker to disable security tooling and deploy more attacker tools like Mimikatz that lets them move across the network and gain persistence”, said Kevin Breen, director of cyber threat research at Immersive Labs.

CVE-2023-29336, as reported by Avast, affects devices running Windows 10 and Windows Server 2008, 2012, and 2016.

The Secure Boot Security Feature Bypass issue (CVE-2023-24932), which is being actively exploited by “bootkit” malware known as “BlackLotus,” is the zero-day patch that has attracted the most attention so far. Being able to load malicious software before the operating system even launches makes a bootkit risky.

According to Microsoft, addressing CVE-2023-24932 requires removing boot managers, an irreversible action that may cause problems with specific boot settings. 

An affected boot policy could be installed on a target device by an attacker who has physical access or administrative privileges. Microsoft assigns a CVSS score of merely 6.7 to this problem, classifying it as “Important.”

Patches Remote Code Execution (RCE) Flaws

Additionally, Microsoft fixed five Windows remote code execution (RCE) problems, including two with significantly high CVSS scores.

CVE-2023-24941 affects the Windows Network File System and can be exploited via the network by sending a carefully crafted unauthenticated request. 

Microsoft’s alert also contains mitigation recommendations. This vulnerability has a CVSS of 9.8 – the highest of any bug resolved this month.

Meanwhile, CVE-2023-28283 is a critical vulnerability in the Windows Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) that allows an unauthenticated attacker to execute malicious code on a susceptible device. 

Although the CVSS for this vulnerability is 8.1, Microsoft warns that exploiting the bug may be difficult and unreliable for attackers.

CVE-2023-29325, a flaw in Microsoft Outlook and Explorer that may be used by attackers to remotely install malware, is another vulnerability patched this month (but has yet to be exploited in the wild). 

According to Microsoft, this flaw can be exploited simply by viewing a specially-crafted email in the Outlook Preview Pane.

EHA

The tech giant also resolved CVE-2023-24955, a remote code execution flaw in SharePoint Server that was disclosed by the Star Labs team at the Pwn2Own Vancouver 2023 exploit contest.

The full list of vulnerabilities that were fixed in the May 2023 Patch Tuesday releases can be found here.

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Samsung pushes May update to Galaxy S21 FE, S20 FE & more

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Samsung pushes May update to Galaxy S21 FE, S20 FE & more
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Samsung‘s May 2023 update is now available for the Galaxy S21 FE, Galaxy S20 FE, and Galaxy A73. These phones join dozens of other models in the party, including the Galaxy S23 series, Galaxy S22 series, and all recent foldables. The company will roll out the new SMR (Security Maintenance Release) to more eligible models in the coming days.

The May SMR for the Galaxy S21 FE is currently limited to select Latin American countries. More precisely, the latest update for the last FE phone isn’t available outside Brazil as of this writing. The new firmware build number for the device is G990EXXS5EWD4.

The handset doesn’t seem to be getting anything more than this month’s security fixes, which we will go into detail later in this article. Samsung should expand the rollout to other markets in the coming days.

In the case of the Galaxy S20 FE, Samsung is initially updating the 4G model to the May SMR. The new security update is currently available in Russia with the build number G780GXXU4EWD2, SamMobile reports. Samsung should soon make the update available in other regions while simultaneously expanding the rollout to cover 5G models as well.

It’s unclear if the May update brings any other goodies to the Galaxy S20 FE apart from the latest security fixes. The company hasn’t added the latest changelog to the official update tracker for the phone.

The Galaxy A73, meanwhile, is now picking up a minor update with the May SMR. Once again, Samsung has begun the rollout in Brazil. It comes with firmware version A736BXXS3CWE1 and brings nothing more than the May 2023 security patch to the device.

The OTA (over-the-air) package weighs about 228MB (via). We expect the Korean firm to release this update in more markets soon. The Galaxy A73 wasn’t released in the US. The 2022 mid-range device isn’t getting a successor this year.

The May 2023 update patches several dozen security issues in Galaxy devices

This month’s security update for Samsung Galaxy devices is a pretty big one. It contains patches for more than 70 vulnerabilities across the Galaxy lineup. These include over 50 Android OS flaws that affect devices from other brands as well.

The remaining 20-odd patches are Galaxy-specific. At least six vulnerabilities patched this month were labeled “critical” by Google and Samsung. If you’re using any of the aforementioned Galaxy devices, these security fixes should be available to you in the coming days if they haven’t already. You can check for updates from the Settings app.


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Snapchat My AI vs. ChatGPT

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Snapchat My AI vs. ChatGPT
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Not too long ago, Snapchat released its chatbot My AI to the public, and it’s been in the headlines ever since. While this chatbot is based on ChatGPT, it manages to be its own entity. So, how does My AI compare to ChatGPT? Here’s a comparison between these chatbots to see which one deserves your attention.

If you’re looking for more comparisons, we also have a comparison between Google Bard and Bing AI. It dives into what makes these chatbots different and similar. Also, we have Why Google Bard and Bing AI aren’t proper ChatGPT alternatives. You can read that one here.

Snapchat My AI vs. ChatGPT: Speed

When it comes to speed, My AI is the winner here. ChatGPT has been lapped by several other chatbots including Google Bard. When you type in a query, you’ll see ChatGPT type out each of the words one by one, and the process is a slow one. In the case of My AI, the answer just appears all at once.

For longer answers, you’ll see My AI hesitate for a moment before the answer pops up. Even when it needs to generate longer responses, it takes no more than about 10 seconds. Snapchat’s chatbot is meant to represent a human chatting with you, so it’d be odd seeing all of the words being typed one by one out on My AI.

Snapchat My AI vs. ChatGPT: Conversation Skills

My AI and ChatGPT might be similar, but the former has better people skills. ChatGPT is designed to deliver results in a familiar and humanistic tone. It strives in doing this but, as you can imagine, chatting is My AI’s thing.

ChatGPT is a bit quicker to cut off a conversation than My AI. I started a conversation on both chatbots with “I had a great day today”. Both bots asked how it was great and, after responding that “I had ice cream with my friend”, ChatGPT mentioned that it was great but asked to move on to the next subject. In the case of My AI, it asked what flavor we got. It was more eager to progress the conversation.

There’s another difference in these chatbots’ conversational skills. ChatGPT is really bent on providing tips and advice with all of its answers. This leads to responses that feel rather bloated. I typed “I’m taking up sewing” in both chatbots. My AI responded with “That sounds like a fun and creative hobby! You can make all sorts of cool things with sewing, like clothes, bags, and home decor.”

In ChatGPT’s case, it gave a long list of tips and advice as though I asked for it. That’s not a bad thing, but it just shows that you’re more likely to have a spirited conversation with My AI.

Snapchat My AI vs. ChatGPT: Information

So, ChatGPT isn’t quite the social butterfly, but it excels at being a bookworm. If you’re looking for encyclopedia knowledge, then ChatGPT is the winner. Both chatbots can give you information to questions that you ask, but ChatGPT goes the extra mile.

It’s a lot better at giving you more fleshed-out answers that are more information-rich. When I asked both chatbots why the sky is blue, My AI summed it up in 12 words. ChatGPT gave me several full paragraphs. When I asked why mint makes your mouth cold, much the same happened.

ChatGPT provides more context and it will sometimes include people relevant to the subject in its explanations. My AI’s answers are more concise. It’s like the difference between looking up the definition of a word in the dictionary and just asking your older sibling.

Snapchat My AI vs. ChatGPT: Advice

The story is the same when it comes to giving advice. Again, if you ask My AI for advice on any subject, it will give you an answer that’s short, sweet, and to the point. You’ll get a brief paragraph that reads in a very conversational manner.

As for ChatGPT’s response, it’s a lot more fleshed-out and academic. You’ll get an intro paragraph, a list of tips/steps, and a closing paragraph. ChatGPT wants to cover all of the bases when providing advice.

Snapchat My AI vs. ChatGPT: Written content

One of the most notable features of modern chatbots is the ability to craft written content. Both chatbots can do this. There’s a huge gap in the capabilities between ChatGPT and Google Bard/Bing AI, but not so much with My AI. In fact, ChatGPT and My AI are about neck and neck.

You can use both chatbots to generate all types of content such as stories, eulogies, scripts, code, articles, reviews, poems, song lyrics, and other types of written content. Not only can they both produce this content, but they can do so with a high level of proficiency. If you’re looking to generate written content, then you won’t be let down by any of these chatbots.

So, who won?

The story with chatbots like these is that they’re both so good at what they specialize in that it’s hard to declare an overall winner. My AI is the chatbot you’re more likely to chat with, and that’s its intended purpose. It’s meant to be a friend to chat with when you don’t have anyone to talk to.

This is why its responses are so succinct and colloquial. It’s meant to be your friend, not your personal encyclopedia.

ChatGPT is on the other side of the spectrum. It really goes the extra mile when it comes to delivering you information, extra context, and tips. You’re more likely to use it as a tutor when studying for a test. These are their intended purposes, and that’s what they excel at.


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Apple makes Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for (select) iPads official ahead of May 23 debut

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Apple makes Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for (select) iPads official ahead of May 23 debut
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This may sound a little odd, but if you weren’t very excited about next month’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) prior to yesterday, Apple’s latest big software announcement should make it pretty clear that we’re in for quite a jam-packed event between June 5 and June 9.
That’s because a fairly significant part of the tech giant’s fanbase had been waiting for the official debut of Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro on the world’s most popular tablets for several years now, and if Cupertino decided to drop this highly anticipated news via a press release on a random Tuesday, we can definitely expect bigger things from WWDC 2023.
For the time being, let’s just focus on the announcement at hand, starting with…

Final Cut Pro for iPad

Video creators only have a couple more weeks to wait before they will be able to use quite possibly the most powerful tool in their editing arsenal on the move in exchange for $4.99 a month or $49 a year with a free one-month trial to kick things off the right way.

May 23 is when the App Store will officially welcome this long overdue version of Final Cut Pro, and as you can imagine, there are certain hardware and software limitations to consider before giving the app a try on your trusty old iPad.
Namely, it appears that Final Cut Pro will only work on iPadOS 16.4 and up, which is hardly surprising, while exclusively supporting iPad models powered by the Apple M1 or M2 chip. That includes the iPad Air (2022) in addition to the two latest iPad Pro generations (with both 11 and 12.9-inch screens) but excludes the likes of the “standard” iPad (2022), iPad mini (2021), and iPad Pro (2020).
On the M2-powered 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2022), Final Cut Pro supports a special Apple Pencil feature, allowing users to “quickly skim and preview footage without ever touching the screen” of their industry-leading tablets.

Pretty much all the other capabilities are the same for everyone, combining tools already available for Mac users with an “all-new” touch interface and different new ways to “unleash your creativity” that are “only possible on iPad.”

Those include a new jog wheel aimed at making the video editing process easier than ever, an aptly named Live Drawing functionality that, well, lets you draw directly on top of your video content with an Apple Pencil, as well as machine learning-based “fast cut” features like Scene Removal Mask, Auto Crop, and Voice Isolation. It’s almost like you don’t need a full-blown computer at all anymore, including for…

Creating music with Logic Pro for iPad

Just like Final Cut Pro, this incredibly helpful and extremely powerful audio-focused tool will be available in the App Store at $4.99 a month or $49 a year starting Tuesday, May 23.

The hardware compatibility list is however much more expansive as far as Logic Pro is concerned, including all iPads with an Apple A12 Bionic processor under the hood or “later.” We’re not going to mention each individual model, but suffice to say the all-in-one professional music creation app should work flawlessly on everything from the iPad (2020) to the iPad mini (2019).

That’s surely going to bring the “complete pro music studio” in many more hands than ever before, although it’s definitely worth keeping in mind that Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro licenses for Macs currently set you back $199.99 and $299.99 respectively, which can actually prove more affordable in the long run.

If you prefer to install Logic Pro on your iPad… for obvious portability and hardware affordability reasons, you should note that you’ll get an “all-new” sound browser with dynamic filtering, Multi-Touch gesture support, Plug-In Tiles, “hundreds” of powerful instruments and effects, and other potentially handy features like Beat Breaker, Quick Sampler, and Step Sequencer.
All in all, it certainly sounds like Apple put a lot of thought and effort into optimizing and improving these popular tools for the best iPads out there, so at least at first glance, it looks like this long wait has paid off handsomely for video and music creators.

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WhatsApp Cannot be Trusted, Warns Elon Musk

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WhatsApp Cannot be Trusted, Warns Elon Musk
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After a Twitter engineer posted photos of an Android dashboard showing his WhatsApp microphone being used while he slept, Elon Musk declared that WhatsApp could not be trusted.

A developer for Twitter named Foad Dabiri said that while he was sleeping, the instant messaging app had been using his microphone in the background. According to the screenshot, WhatsApp accessed his microphone in the background from 4 am to 7 am.

Dabiri wrote on Twitter, “WhatsApp has been using the microphone in the background, while I was asleep and since I woke up at 6AM (and that’s just a part of the timeline!) What’s going on?”

Reports say Dabiri seems to have found the problem using the Android 12 privacy dashboard, which allows identifying and limiting an app’s ability to access specific hardware features.

Response from Elon Musk: “WhatsApp cannot be trusted”

Musk, the owner of Twitter, responded by writing: “WhatsApp cannot be trusted,” which led other users to write back by declaring they had deleted the app. 

The fact that Meta owns the chat service raises questions about microphone access. WhatsApp claims that the controversy is a misunderstanding.

Even yet, Musk’s remark might damage WhatsApp’s reputation, given that it wouldn’t be the first time he has disparaged the secure messaging service. 

Musk urged users to switch to the competing messaging service Signal in 2021 after WhatsApp revealed a new privacy policy outlining how it can share user data with Facebook.

After receiving criticism from the public, WhatsApp delayed the policy modification a week later.

An Android Bug Was the Cause of The Problem

“We believe this is a bug on Android that mis-attributes information in their Privacy Dashboard and have asked Google to investigate and remediate,” WhatsApp said in its tweet.

Furthermore, WhatsApp emphasizes that all phone calls and user communications are still end-to-end encrypted on the platform. This means that unless someone has access to the user’s smartphone, nobody—not even WhatsApp itself—can decrypt voice call data.   

WhatsApp added, “Once granted permission, WhatsApp only accesses the mic when a user is making a call or recording a voice note or video—and even then, these communications are protected by end-to-end encryption so WhatsApp cannot hear them”.

Notably, Musk’s platform, Twitter, aims to one day compete with WhatsApp by developing it into a “super” app capable of social media, personal messaging, and banking. This will entail providing phone calls and end-to-end encryption for direct communications.

Musk’s tweet read, “With latest version of app, you can DM reply to any message in the thread (not just most recent) and use any emoji reaction. Release of encrypted DMs V1.0 should happen tomorrow. This will grow in sophistication rapidly. The acid test is that I could not see your DMs even if there was a gun to my head. Coming soon will be voice and video chat from your handle to anyone on this platform, so you can talk to people anywhere in the world without giving them your phone number.”

EHA

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Samsung starts testing Android 14-based One UI 6 for Galaxy devices

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Samsung starts testing Android 14-based One UI 6 for Galaxy devices
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Samsung seems to have begun testing Android 14 for Galaxy devices. Twitter user @tarunvats33 recently spotted the first One UI 6 test build for the Galaxy S23 series on the company’s servers. The Korean firm is also testing the new One UI version for the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4. One UI 6 is Samsung’s custom software based on Android 14.

Samsung is already testing Android 14 for Galaxy devices

Android 14 is still very much in the early stage of development. Google has only released one beta build so far, with a second beta expected anytime now. We should hear more about the next major Android update at the Google I/O annual conference later today. Meanwhile, Samsung isn’t waiting for the second Android 14 beta build to arrive. The world’s largest smartphone maker has already started testing the new Android version for its Galaxy devices, with One UI on top.

The first One UI 6 test build for the Galaxy S23 Ultra has the build number S918BXXU1BWE2. The update type confirms that it’s a One UI update. The build number also gives it away. The fourth to last character indicates whether an update is a major software release. Every Galaxy device arrives with “A” in that place. It changes to B, C, D, and so on with each major update. Here, the fourth to last character is “B”, which indicates that it’s the first major update for the Galaxy S23 Ultra. The latest Samsung flagship debuted with One UI 5.1 (current firmware version S918BXXS1AWD1).

Samsung also appears to be testing One UI 6 on the Galaxy S23+, and probably the base Galaxy S23 as well. Separately, SamMobile spotted One UI 6 test builds for the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 as well. The build numbers for the two foldables are F936BXXU2DWE1 and F721BXXU2DWD7, respectively. “D” in the fourth to last place means One UI 6 will be the third major update for the duo. They debuted with Android 12-based One UI 4.1.1 and have since received updates to Android 13-based One UI 5.0 and One UI 5.1.

The stable One UI 6 update should arrive by October

Note that these One UI 6 builds for the Galaxy S23 series and the two foldables aren’t available to the public. Samsung is currently internally testing the new One UI version. But it beginning the test so early suggests a public beta will begin early too. These devices should get a beta program ahead of others, such as the Galaxy S22 series. We will let you know when the company shares more information. Samsung’s stable Android 14 update with One UI 6 is expected to arrive in October this year.


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Microsoft Bing AI is now open for public testing with tons of new features

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Microsoft Bing AI is now open for public testing with tons of new features
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If you have been on the Bing AI waitlist, Microsoft has good news for you. The Bing AI chatbot is now open to everyone through the Bing browser on Edge.

Bing AI is Microsoft’s initiative to battle Google’s search engine. The chatbot has been quite successful in a very short period of time, and even the “godfather of AI” called it a serious challenge to Google’s core business. Prior to this, users need to stay on a waitlist in order to use the chatbot. However, Microsoft announced that Bing AI is now open for public testing, and users can test it by logging into Bing in the Edge browser or the Bing mobile app.

Microsoft’s AI chatbot is powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4, which is the most powerful language model developed by OpenAI. Besides that, Bing AI will be able to deliver graphs, charts, and formatting in response to a query. Most AI chatbots, including Google Bard, now only deliver text responses.

You can now use Microsoft Bing AI without a waitlist

The Bing Image Creator is also a big part of the company’s efforts to battle Google. As per Microsoft’s announcement, the tool now supports over 100 languages and allows users to search in their native language. Additionally, multi-modal support will be added to Bing Image Creator, allowing users to search the web for related content in a photo.

Another great addition to Bing AI is the ability to access chat history and export them. Microsoft says users can now return to previous chats in Bing and continue their conversation. You can also move your chats to the Edge sidebar for easier access. Likewise, Bing AI lets you share your conversion to social media or export it to a new platform with a fixed format.

Bing AI is also equipped with improved summarization capabilities. The feature makes consuming longer content easier by breaking down and summarizing PDFs, longer-form websites, etc. This feature seems great for students.

Microsoft wants to incorporate third-party plug-ins into Bing AI and make a transition from a product to a platform. The company says third-party plug-ins let users perform various tasks, like making reservations in a restaurant through OpenTable. The Wolfram|Alpha also delivers answers to complex math and science questions.

Finally, Microsoft brings a “sleeker and enhanced” user interface to the Edge browser by adding a streamlined look, rounded corners, organized containers, and semi-transparent visual elements.


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Over 600 GB of Fullerton India’s Data Published on the Dark Web

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Over 600 GB of Fullerton India’s Data Published on the Dark Web
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Fullerton India hacked

A significant Indian lending organization ‘Fullerton India’ was breached at the beginning of April 2023. The LockBit ransomware Darknet blog, where hackers listed the business and have since released all the hacked information, confirms it.

According to reports, on May 3, 2023, the LockBit 3.0 ransomware group exposed more than 600 GB of crucial data belonging to Fullerton, India, and its clients on the dark web.

The hackers gave Fullerton India over a week to negotiate a ransom demand of Rs. 24 crores from them. The business declined to engage in negotiations with the hackers.

Information Disclosed on Dark Web

The released data include loan agreements with individuals and legal entities, the status of customer and organizational accounts, agreements with banks and other financial institutions, and data on international transfers.

Also, financial documents, including sales information and mail correspondence on important transactions with attachments. The personal data of the company’s customers, such as Aadhaar card numbers, their residential and property addresses, phone numbers, cheque numbers, and other sensitive information.

Screenshot of Compromised Customer Data (Account Statement)

Along with the clients’ personally identifiable information (PII), other sensitive data has also been disclosed, including customer IDs, bank account numbers and the dates on which they were opened, Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) information, National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) information, branch codes, and financial transactions, including withdrawals and deposits.

The company said that “Fullerton India has learnt that some unknown entities have claimed to publish company data on illicit websites. Fullerton India cannot confirm these assertions as it is investigating the issue. The company has engaged with global experts to examine the content of the data, allegedly pertaining to it and to significantly enhance its security environment”.

After the data breach was discovered on April 24, the NBFC major temporarily suspended operations.

Press release regarding “malware incident” issued by Fullerton India

LockBit 3.0 demanded a ransom of $29,999,99, or Rs. 24 crores, to erase the compromised data. The hackers also stated that the company could postpone the deadline for $1,000 every day.

However, LockBit is renowned for using different techniques to push on its victims. They initiate a DDoS attack on the victim’s network and maintain it there until the ransom is paid, in addition to threatening to disclose material on it. It’s unclear if hackers also employed that tactic.

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Samsung’s may update reaches Galaxy S22 & Note 20 in the US

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Samsung’s may update reaches Galaxy S22 & Note 20 in the US
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More Samsung Galaxy devices are receiving the May 2023 Android security patch in the US. Following the Galaxy S23 series and the recent foldables, the company has now released the latest security update for the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy Note 20 series. These devices have already received the May SMR (Security Maintenance Release) in some international markets.

As of this writing, the May SMR is only available for the factory-unlocked variants of the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+, and Galaxy S22 Ultra in the US. Samsung has released the update on most networks, including AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, Xfinity Mobile, Cricket Wireless, and more. Unlocked Galaxy S22 units on other networks should also join the party soon. The updated firmware build number for the 2022 Samsung flagships is S90*U1UES2CWD3.

The story follows a similar pattern for the Galaxy Note 20 lineup as well. Samsung is once again beginning with unlocked units. The May SMR for the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra comes with the build number N98*U1UES4HWD7. The rollout appears wider than the Galaxy S22 series. Carrier-locked variants of all of these Galaxy smartphones should get the latest security update in the US within the next few days.

The latest update for the Galaxy S22 series and the Galaxy Note 20 series in the US doesn’t bring anything notable. Well, it contains plenty of security fixes, but no user-facing changes, improvements, or new features. Nonetheless, the security fixes are pretty important too. According to Samsung, the May SMR patches more than 70 vulnerabilities, at least six of which were critical issues. Most of these patches come from Google and other Android OS partners. But 20-odd patches were Galaxy-specific coming directly from Samsung.

Samsung will push the May update to more Galaxy devices in the US

Samsung has been rolling out the May SMR to eligible Galaxy devices since the last week of April. The Galaxy S23 series was the first to pick up the latest security update in the US. The Korean firm recently added the Galaxy Z Fold 4, Galaxy Z Flip 4, Galaxy Z Fold 3, and Galaxy Z Flip 3 to the party. The addition of the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy Note 20 series should be followed by more eligible models in the coming days.

As always, your Galaxy smartphone will notify you once a new OTA (over the air) update is available. If you haven’t received any such notification, you can navigate to Settings > Software update on your phone and tap on Download and install to check for updates manually. If you still don’t see any pending updates, wait a few days and repeat the steps to check again.


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