YouTube is bringing the Community tab to more users

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We’re at a stage where companies are starting to blend video sharing with social media. This is something that YouTube has been working on with its Community tab. It’s been exclusive to certain users for a while, but according to Android Police, that’s going to change. YouTube is going to make it available to more users.

What is the YouTube Community tab?

YouTube started off as a video-sharing platform, and it’s still one today. However, the company is looking to increase how creators can interact with their communities. Sure, this comment section and videos, but the company wanted to push that further.

This is where the community tab comes in. This is a unified location where creators can post text-based updates, pictures, polls, and quizzes. It’s basically like Twitter for YouTube, and it allows people to further communicate and interact with their favorite creators.

It’s coming to more people

The community tab is great, but there’s a slight issue if you’re a smaller Creator. You need to have at least 500 subscribers on your account in order to enable the tab. While that’s not the highest bar to clear, it’s still a bit annoying having to work your way up to that point.

However, YouTube is now removing that restriction. It doesn’t matter if you have 500 subscribers or 5. You are able to sign up for the feature using the YouTube Studio app. You will have to opt into the advanced features in order for it to work.

This is a good move on YouTube, as it’s actually better for smaller creators to have this feature. Larger creators can’t quite interact with their communities as much. They get hundreds of thousands of comments on their posts, and it’s hard to keep up with that.

However, when it comes to smaller creators, it’s a lot easier to keep up with their communities. Engaging with the community is extremely important for smaller creators, so the community tab will make the process so much better.


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Samsung to manufacture some Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chips

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Samsung may manufacture some of Qualcomm’s 2024 flagship smartphone processors. More precisely, the word from the rumor mill is that the Korean firm will manufacture the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 “for Galaxy”. TSMC will get orders for the standard Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. It will be Qualcomm’s first 3nm chip.

Qualcomm may go back to Samsung for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 “for Galaxy”

Qualcomm has been switching back and forth between Samsung and TSMC for manufacturing its smartphone processors over the past several years. It used Samsung’s foundry for the Snapdragon 888+ (5nm) and Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4nm) in 2021. But, in 2022, it switched to TSMC, with the Taiwanese firm manufacturing both the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 last year using its 4nm process node. The Samsung-exclusive “for Galaxy” version of the latter was also manufactured using the same process.

Reports suggested that Samsung’s poor yield rates and issues with process nodes made Qualcomm switch to TSMC last year. Chips made by the Korean firm have been having power and performance issues in recent years. Qualcomm is sticking with the Taiwanese firm for this year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4nm) due to the same reason. But, Samsung has recently improved its yield rates and fabrication process. According to industry insiders, it’s now almost on par with TSMC in 4nm yields.

Moreover, Samsung has also improved its 3nm yields. The company is using the more efficient Gate-All-Around (GAA) transistor architecture in its 3nm chips. It has been sending 3nm samples to chipmakers around the world in a desperate bid to win back some customers it lost to TSMC in recent years.

The latter is sticking with the existing FinFET architecture for one more generation. It appears the plan is working out for the Korean firm. Twitter tipster @Tech_Reve appears certain that Samsung will get orders for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 “for Galaxy” next year.

Google may stick with Samsung for its Tensor G4 next year

Samsung’s foundry struggles have been so huge in recent years that several companies switched to TSMC for manufacturing their chips. Google, which has been taking help from Samsung in designing its custom Tensor processors for the Pixel lineup, is also mulling switching to the Taiwanese firm for next year’s Tensor G4.

However, recent improvements from the Korean behemoth may make Google stick with it. TSMC’s high prices have also been proving to be a stumbling block for the Pixel maker.

Meanwhile, if Samsung does manage to steal some chip customers from TSMC, it may finally close the massive gap with its Taiwanese rival in the foundry market. There are reports that the Korean firm wants to make custom processors for its Galaxy flagships.

If true, it may soon stop using Qualcomm chips, which would mean a loss of potential business opportunities for its foundry division. Plenty could change by the time the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 enters the production stage. So nothing may be set in stone just yet.


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Famous comedian takes over Waze for a new driving experience

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Waze is adding yet another driving experience for drivers who decide to use its navigation app. This time around the company has partnered with famous comedian, actor, writer and producer Hasan Minhaj. The new driving experience is certainly the most entertaining of them all thanks to Hasan’s commentary.

But that’s not all you get if you’re using Waze. The Hasan Minhaj driving experience includes a custom Minivan vehicle and a Hasan-inspired Mood (how drivers appear on the map), Hilarious. These new features are now available from the “Customize your drive” menu.

Just make sure to select the new Hasan Minhaj driving experience and turn on voice directions, car icon, and mood. Also, don’t forget to save your settings, at least until the next driving experience hits the app. The new driving experience is available globally with a voice in English, just like many other similar experiences released by Waze in the past.

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Apple Blocked Over $2 Billion in Fraudulent Transactions

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Apple Blocked

Apple published a report claiming that they prevented around $2 billion of potentially fraudulent transactions in 2022 and rejected around 1.7 million app submissions as they failed to meet the App Store’s High Standard of Privacy.

Apple has been giving more preference to the users’ privacy by creating many rules for applications and giving more data control for its users.

App Store, the application downloading platform for Apple users, was launched in 2008. Over the years, around 1.6 million apps have been in the App Store. The platform has also attracted several developers to create applications for the benefit of the users.

Account Fraud

As per Apple’s report, they have terminated around 802,000 developer accounts that were involved in fraudulent activities in 2021. However, the numbers dropped in half in 2022, with 428,000 suspended accounts.

They have also rejected around 105,000 Apple Developer Program for suspicious account activities preventing the submission of fraudulent apps.

Concerning privacy violations and security issues, Apple blocked around 57,000 apps in 2022. Along with this, Apple has also disabled over 282 million customer accounts relating to abusive activities.

App Review

Every application that is submitted to the App Store is reviewed by the App Review team. During the application development, Xcode scans the application and checks for the requirements to meet the app store.

Source: Apple

The App review team will check for Apple’s standards of quality and safety of the application and ensure they meet the criteria. 

Apple stated that, “On average, the team reviews over 100,000 app submissions a week, with nearly 90 percent of them receiving a review within 24 hours. Having reviewed more than 6.1 million app submissions in 2022, App Review helped more than 185,000 developers publish their very first app on the App Store, and made over 20,000 phone calls to developers to help them diagnose and resolve issues that led to an app submission rejection.”

Ratings and Reviews

Reviews play a major role in the application installation by the user. Several fraud reviews and bot reviews were used on applications to increase their popularity and legitimacy.

In 2022, Apple blocked over 147 million fraudulent ratings and reviews on the App Store 2022, when nearly 1 billion ratings and reviews were processed.

Payment and Credit Card Fund

Apple supports nearly 195 local payment methods and 44 currencies. They claimed they blocked around 714,000 fraudulent accounts blocking nearly $2B transactions in 2022. Stolen credit cards accounted for nearly 3.9 million.

Apple has invested in secure payment technologies like Apple Pay and StoreKit for securing users’ financial information.

They never share the credit card numbers with the merchants, preventing a risk factor in the payment transaction process. Apple has published a complete report on this.

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FBI, GCHQ Unite To Foil Russian Malware Hacking Tool

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A joint advisory from the National Cyber Security Centre has detailed how the UK and its allies have cracked Snake, a Russian malware used by the FSB. Operating as Britain’s foremost intelligence agency, GCHQ worked with the FBI and similar agencies in Canada and Australia to foil one of Russia’s most effective espionage assets for the last two decades.

The joint report comes with a rundown of the technical details of Snake, how it works and how networks can fortify themselves against its attacks. NCSC Director of Operations Paul Chichester said: ‘The advisory lifts the lid on a highly sophisticated espionage tool used by Russian cyber actors.’

Snake, BRICs and Fortuitous Timing

The Snake malware was a favourite of Russia’s Centre 16, a component of the FSB, for over twenty years. It is believed to have been designed in-house by the FSB for long-term intelligence gathering.

While it has been a long time coming, the news dropped amidst chatter concerning the BRICs and their rising economic influence. If the BRICs bloc field a viable alternative, it could create a rival for the U.S. dollar and start a chain reaction of de-dollarisation in other emerging economies.

The power of the dollar relative to other currencies is tracked by the DXY chart, specifically the euro, yen and pound sterling. All three currencies have had a volatile relationship with the USD in the past few months.

Exposing the Snake malware is just a small bout in long and large-scale posturing between Russia and Western powers, with no telling the effect it will have. It does solidify the GCHQ’s reputation as one of the most effective cyber security watchdogs in the world, a necessity as the UK remains the largest growing tech economy in Europe.

Snake’s Origins and Turla Group

While the details aren’t certain, the earliest form of Snake appeared in 2003 under the name Uroboros – the word for imagery where a snake eats its own tail. While the malware network would become widely known as Snake, Uroboros is still used for related malware as is Turla, another name used by the espionage groups that used the malware and are suspected to be state actors or at least subsidised by the state. Turla has gone by many names.

Given Turla’s secrecy and their likely FSB connections, discovering their many names was half the battle. In the joint advisory, authorities identified what they called ‘the Turla family’ which included other malware like Carbon/Cobra and Chinch/ComRAT. Both were derived from Snake’s code base and believed to have been developed by the same conspirators – the FSB and Turla.

Snake’s Targets and Perseus

The Snake malware was evidently one of the FSB’s most effective tools. All devices infected by Snake formed a peer-to-peer network without the knowledge or consent of the device owners, compatible with all popular OS. The FBI has said that Snake targeted over 50 countries, including US journalists, education sectors and NATO members’ computer hardware.

As part of their retaliation efforts, the joint intelligence agencies created a tool dubbed Perseus. It tricked devices infected by Snake into overwriting itself partially, enough to render the malware inert. They stress that computers can still be re-infected. CISA has issued a joint advisory here, which details how the malware works and how networks can protect themselves.

While state security will certainly use this opportunity to protect themselves against Snake malware reinfections, it’s up to individuals to educate themselves on this cyber security breakthrough and shore up defences. Businesses should especially take note of the advisory report and make sure they are protected.

  1. CISA to Start Issuing Early-Stage Ransomware Alerts
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  3. CISA, FBI Warns of Attacks on SATCOM Network Providers
  4. CISA warns of trojanized JavaScript library’s NPM package
  5. FBI warns of drastic implications of outdated medical devices

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Foldable phones aren’t as popular in the US as in other regions

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Foldable phones appear to be a lot more popular in Asia and Europe than in the US. According to noted display industry expert Ross Young, Samsung has sold more Flip and Fold phones in its home country South Korea than in America. That’s despite the US having a five times higher population than Korea. It’s a similar story for other vendors as well.

Samsung is still selling more foldable phones than any other company

Ross Young, who is also the CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC), recently shared the market share of foldable smartphone companies for the first quarter of 2023. Samsung, which has long had a stronghold on this niche, is finally starting the feel the heat of competition. The arrival of new models such as the OPPO Find N2 and Find N2 Flip, coupled with an off-season for the Korean firm, means that its share tumbled to 45 percent. That’s Samsung’s lowest market share since Q2 2021 when Xiaomi launched its first foldable, the Mi MIX Fold.

Riding on the back of its latest foldables, OPPO leapfrogged its compatriot Huawei to the second spot with a market share of 21 percent. Huawei, which launched the Pocket S in November last year, managed to keep a market share of about 20 percent in Q1 2023. These three firms captured pretty much the whole global smartphone market this past quarter. Shipments were down year-on-year (YoY) for the second straight quarter, though. A total of 2.1 million foldable smartphones were shipped globally in the first three months of the year.

Foldable phones market share Q1 2023

Model-wise, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4 was the most popular foldable device in Q1 2023. It accounted for 27 percent of all sales. The Huawei Pocket S (15 percent) was the next favorite, followed by the Galaxy Z Fold 4 (13 percent). The OPPO Find N2 Flip (11 percent) and the Huawei Mate X3 (six percent) make up the top five. With Tecno, Vivo, Google, and others arriving on the scene in recent weeks, this chart may look a lot more diverse in subsequent quarters. The market would probably rebound too. For the record, more than six five million foldables were sold globally in Q3 2022.

The US foldable market is relatively small compared to other regions

Samsung may be the world’s largest foldable smartphone vendor, OPPO and Huawei’s market shares are particularly notable because of their limited presence. The former has just entered Europe and has been selling its foldables mostly in China and a few other Asian countries. The latter, meanwhile, has little to no presence outside China. Samsung is the only company selling foldable phones globally.

Unfortunately for the Korean brand, people in the US don’t seem to be interested in these unconventional devices. Europe is Samsung’s biggest foldable market, followed by South Korea. China and Singapore are among the Asian countries where people have been more quick to adopt folding phones than the rest of the world. It will be interesting to see whether Google’s Pixel Fold drives the US foldable market in the coming months. The company is currently taking pre-orders for its first-gen foldable, with sales beginning in late June.

Foldable phones shipment chart Q1 2023


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Attackers are now using GhostTouch attacks to hack your phone

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It comes as no surprise that threat actors and hackers have always used malware and phishing attacks to infiltrate devices and gain unauthorized access. However, according to new research from China’s Zhejiang University and Germany’s Technical University of Darmstadt, threat actors are now using a new technique called GhostTouch, which exploits electromagnetic signals to mimic gestures like swiping and tapping on the targeted device.

This new technique eliminates the need to install malware and allows threat actors to gain unauthorized access to smartphones, potentially compromising sensitive data, including passwords and banking applications.

As of now, nine smartphone models, including the iPhone SE (2020), Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G, Redmi 8, and Nokia 7.2, have been identified as vulnerable to this exploit.

Public places prone to GhostTouch attacks

While the idea of attackers remotely hacking your phone might sound alarming, it is important to note that threat actors need to be near their victims to carry out the attack. As a result, public places like libraries, cafes, or conference lobbies become the prime targets for such attacks.

Additionally, given that people keep their phones face down in quiet environments, such as the library, threat actors can take advantage of this situation by placing their hacking equipment nearby and emitting electromagnetic signals within a range of 40 mm.

However, it is important to note that these attacks are not inconspicuous. In fact, users will observe their phones seemingly operating on their own. But unfortunately, since the occurrences of glitches where the phone registers false touches are relatively common, many users may not even realize that a hacking attempt has taken place.

How to stay protected

While there is no foolproof solution to safeguard against GhostTouch attacks, users can take several steps to prevent hackers from gaining access. These include implementing robust security mechanisms like PIN codes, swipe patterns, or biometric authentication and refraining from placing their phones face down on tables.


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New Android & Google Device Vulnerability Reward Program

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Google's Device Vulnerability Reward

Google’s Device Vulnerability Reward Program helps the company identify security flaws in its operating system and devices.

To promote additional security research in areas of their products that will have a greater impact and protect the users’ security, Google is launching a new quality rating system for security vulnerability reports.

“We are pleased to announce that we are implementing a new quality rating system for security vulnerability reports to encourage more security research in higher impact areas of our products and ensure the security of our users,” Google.

Based on the level of information given in the report, this system will assign vulnerability reports a High, Medium, or Low-quality rating. Further, Google is raising the incentives for the most critical flaws to $15,000.

“The highest quality and most critical vulnerabilities are now eligible for larger rewards of up to $15,000!” Google said.

Significant Elements of the Report

  • Accurate and detailed description

A report should correctly and completely characterize the vulnerability, including the name and version of the affected device.

A proof-of-concept that successfully illustrates the vulnerability should be included in a report comprising video records, debugging output, or other pertinent data.

A report should contain a step-by-step procedure for reproducing the vulnerability on an eligible device running the most recent version.

A report should include evidence or analysis demonstrating the type of problem and the level of access or execution obtained.

Google also said it would no longer assign a Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) classification to concerns of moderate severity, only to those of critical and high severity.

“Starting March 15th, 2023, Android will no longer assign Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) to the most moderate severity issues. CVEs will continue to be assigned to critical and high-severity vulnerabilities”, Google.

Google believes encouraging researchers to produce high-quality reports would strengthen the overall security community and its ability to take appropriate action.

“We believe that this new system will encourage researchers to provide more detailed reports, which will help us address reported issues more quickly and enable researchers to receive higher bounty rewards,” Google.

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Galaxy Tab S7 FE, S6 Lite & A22 5G bag Samsung’s may update

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A few more Galaxy devices are picking up Samsung‘s May 2023 security update today. The company has released the latest security patch for the Galaxy Tab S7 FE, Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, and Galaxy A22 5G in some markets. A wider rollout should be just around the corner.

The May SMR (Security Maintenance Release) for the Galaxy Tab S7 FE is currently available in Europe and Latin America. The new firmware build number in the former market is T733XXS3CWD1, while that in the latter is T735XXU3CWE1. Users in Europe are only getting this month’s security patch but the update in Latin America brings One UI 5.1 as well. Note that the Galaxy Tab S7 FE has already received the One UI 5.1 update in Europe and most other regions.

For the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, Samsung has begun rolling out the May SMR in its home country South Korea. The update comes with the firmware build number P615NKOS5FWD2 and doesn’t bring any goodies. It’s all about this month’s security fixes. This tablet has also already picked up One UI 5.1 in most markets. The latest security patch should be widely available for it in the coming days. Samsung has yet to release the May SMR for the 2022 refresh of the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite.

The Galaxy A22 5G is another Samsung device that recently started picking up the May SMR. The company has released the update in several Latin American countries, including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad & Tobago, and Uruguay. The updated firmware build number for this mid-range smartphone in the region is A226BRUBS5DWE1 (via). Its 4G-only sibling has yet to receive the latest security patch anywhere.

The May update for these Galaxy devices patches dozens of security flaws

This month’s security update for Samsung’s Galaxy devices contains more than 70 vulnerability patches. These include both Android OS issues and other problems specific to Samsung products. At least six of those were critical security flaws that could allow threat actors to remotely take control of your affected phone or tablet without you knowing about it.

Along with these security fixes, the May update for the Galaxy Tab S7 FE in Latin America also brings tons of new features and improvements that are part of One UI 5.1. If you’re using any of these devices, watch out for a notification about the latest update in the coming days. You can also manually check for new updates from the Settings app.


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How safe is your smartphone?

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In the digital age, the security of our personal data has never been more important. With smartphones playing an integral part in our daily lives, understanding the security features offered by the operating systems that power these devices is essential. Android, the world’s most popular mobile operating system, offers a multitude of security features designed to keep your data safe. This article delves into the security features provided by Android and explores how safe your smartphone really is.

Google Play Protect

Google Play Protect is a key security feature in Android devices. This system continually works in the background to keep your device, data, and apps safe. It automatically scans your device for potentially harmful apps (PHAs) and warns you if it detects anything suspicious.

In addition to scanning your device, Google Play Protect also verifies apps before you download them from the Google Play Store. This proactive approach helps to prevent any threats from entering your device in the first place. It’s a robust system that ensures the apps you download are safe and that your device stays secure.

Biometric Security Features

Biometric security features provide an additional layer of protection for Android devices. These features include fingerprint scanners, facial recognition, and even iris scanners on some devices. They provide a quick and secure way to unlock your device, authenticate payments, or sign-in to apps.

Biometric data is stored securely on your device, and Android uses strong encryption to protect this information. Additionally, Android’s BiometricPrompt API provides developers with a system-wide standard for biometric authentication, ensuring that apps that use biometrics, including banking apps or online casinos, offer a consistent and safe experience.

Encryption and Secure Boot

Android devices use encryption to protect your data, even if your device falls into the wrong hands. When your data is encrypted, it’s transformed into a form that can only be read with the correct decryption key.

Android also uses a feature called secure boot to ensure that your device hasn’t been tampered with. When your device boots up, it performs a series of checks to verify the integrity of the software. If it detects anything abnormal, it won’t boot, keeping your data secure.

Regular Security Updates

Regular security updates are an essential part of keeping Android devices safe. Google releases monthly security updates for Android, which include fixes for any security vulnerabilities that have been discovered.

Manufacturers are responsible for delivering these updates to their devices. Google has worked with manufacturers to ensure that more devices receive these important updates, helping to keep all Android devices safer.

Android’s Open-Source Advantage

Android’s open-source nature is often viewed as a security advantage. Because anyone can view and inspect Android’s source code, it’s continually scrutinized by researchers and developers worldwide. This widespread examination helps to identify and fix potential security issues quickly.

However, this openness can also be a double-edged sword, as it potentially allows malicious actors to find vulnerabilities. That’s why the quick patching of identified vulnerabilities and regular system updates are crucial to maintaining Android’s overall security.

Sandbox Isolation

An often overlooked but crucial Android security feature is the concept of sandboxing. Sandboxing isolates apps from each other, restricting their ability to interact with other apps or access data they aren’t permitted to use.

When you download an app from the Google Play Store, it runs in its own sandbox, separate from other apps on your device. This means that even if an app is compromised, the potential damage is limited because the malicious app can’t access data from other apps or sensitive system resources without explicit permission.

Moreover, Android’s permission system works hand in hand with sandboxing. Apps must request permission to access sensitive data like your contacts, location, or camera, and you have the control to grant or deny these requests. This combination of sandboxing and permission requests provides a strong defence against potential security threats.

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Two-factor authentication, or 2FA, is a vital security feature that Android users can leverage to protect their accounts and personal data. By requiring a second form of identification, in addition to the usual password, 2FA significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access.

In the context of Android, Google facilitates 2FA through prompts sent to your mobile device or via Google Authenticator, an app that generates time-based verification codes. When you try to log in to your Google account from a new device, you’ll need to provide both your password and the code generated by the Authenticator or the prompt on your phone.

Using 2FA on your Android device provides an additional layer of security, especially for critical accounts such as your primary email or Google account. By requiring something you know (your password) and something you have (your phone to receive or generate the 2FA code), it becomes much more challenging for malicious actors to gain unauthorized access to your accounts.

Conclusion

With features like Google Play Protect, biometric security, encryption, secure boot, and regular security updates, Android offers a robust security framework designed to keep your device and data safe. The open-source nature of Android also contributes to its security, despite posing unique challenges.

Whether you’re using your Android device for everyday tasks, managing financial transactions, or enjoying online casinos on MrCasinova.com, it’s crucial to understand these security features. By staying informed and ensuring you’re using an updated device, you can have peace of mind knowing that your Android smartphone is well equipped to protect your data.


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