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Here’s why you might see different prices inside Android apps in the coming weeks

Apps

andreasc

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May 13, 2023

Here’s why you might see different prices inside Android apps in the coming weeks

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Figuring out how much to charge for a product is a daunting task. Generally speaking, every seller tries to hit the perfect sweet spot between a price point that would be competitive in the market they are targeting, but also one that would bring them the most profit.

This conundrum is just as present with in-app purchases, which is probably why Google announced it will be launching a new A/B testing tool for Play Console to help developers find the right price for their in-app products. (via AndroidPolice)

But what is A/B testing? Well, it is quite simple once you understand it. A/B testing allows developers to display different experiences and information to users in order to gather analytic data. Then, after analyzing said data, a decision is made on which approach is more successful at delivering the desired results.

In the case of in-app purchases, this new tool from Google will allow developers to display different prices and get a detailed view of how users respond to the experiment. So, technically, if a $6 price tag is presented on your phone, the person next to you might be asked to pay $12 for the same product/service.

An illustration showing what Google’s A/B testing tool for in-app products would look like.

Furthermore, the developers can get crucial analytic information regarding buyer ratio, orders, new installers, revenue uplift, and average revenue per paying user. These A/B tests can also be rolled out to specific markets, making them targetable to particular areas and groups of people.

Google says price experiments for in-app products will be available in the coming weeks and that developers will be able to manage them directly within Play Console, which will have a new dedicated section under Monetize > Products > Price experiments.

So, what does all of this mean to us average Joes that don’t make apps for a living, though? Well, it just means that we might see some price changes from time to time in the apps we use. This could result in lower or higher price tags, but whatever the case, it might be worth it to note down or take a screenshot of the numbers you are seeing right now (just for reference and for the sake of tracking).

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YouTube is testing ad blocker detection

Malware

andreasc

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May 13, 2023

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We take a look at YouTube’s testing of ad blocking detection and why it might not be popular with users.

YouTube is dipping a toe into the muddy waters of ad-blocker blocking, with ad-blocker using Redditors complaining about a popup that warns “Ad blockers are not allowed on YouTube,” when they visit the site.

The popup message explains that “Ads allow YouTube to stay free for billions of users worldwide,” and invites users who want to be ad-free to take out a YouTube Premium subscription.

Despite the “Ad blockers are not allowed on YouTube” claim, only a select group of individuals currently see this messaging. A YouTube spokesperson confirmed this is currently just a test, though there’s no information with regard to how many people are seeing it or which regions its being seen in:

“We’re running a small experiment globally that urges viewers with ad blockers enabled to allow ads on YouTube or try YouTube premium”.

They also note that ad detection isn’t a new thing, and publishers often ask site visitors to disable ad-blocking tools. Everyone reading this very blog has almost certainly experienced a “Please turn off your ad blocker to view this site” notification on a website at some time.

The big problem is that these messages tend to be unpopular, and can turn visitors away from a site. If the content you want to see or read is available elsewhere, why go to the hassle of altering your settings?

In recent years, many sites have adopted a more cautious popup method in an effort to not aggravate visitors. A typical example might say “Support our content, funded by adverts which are used to pay the writers”. Underneath you’ll be given the option to turn off the blocker, or visit the site without doing so this time around. Whether repeat visitors actually do turn off the blocker on the next visit is something only the site owners could know.

In terms of how this is going down with YouTube users, it’s not great. Here’s a typical reaction from the Reddit post where this test was first revealed:

Seriously, watching a recorded stream as we speak and I’ve been timing it. I got an ad, then four minutes later, another pair of ads, six minutes after that, another pair of unskippable ads. Ridiculous.

Ouch.

Bro with the double ads every minute on videos I don’t knock anyone for using ad block lmao. https://t.co/ivEkm32pvA
— Mutahar (@OrdinaryGamers) May 10, 2023

A big issue for YouTube users is frequency of adverts, but also length. Users are tired of rapid fire short ads which require a constant supply of clicking to skip. They’re also not fans of the long format adverts, which can hit 30 minutes, an hour, or in one extreme case 4 whole hours!

If you stray into the wacky world of content for children, other types of ad are a problem too. The 20 minute+ adverts which are essentially glorified toy adverts dressed up as cartoons can be a pain to have to keep skipping on a television.

As you’d expect, people have already figured out how to bypass or skip the YouTube ad-block testing in the form of tools such as uBlock origin.

While “These videos can only exist with the support of ads” may be a good point, there are very good reasons why so many people now block ads by default in the first place. Those reasons would include scam ads, and malvertising—the delivery of malware via ad content.

Ad networks have been given chances time and time again to clean up the rogues, fix the malware drive-by antics, and shut down the malvertisers. Despite this, the problem refuses to go away and so some of us would like to stay protected until it is.

The sites using those ad networks are ultimately collateral damage. If YouTube takes a hard line on this, it runs the risk of the biggest YouTubers moving elsewhere. Direct funding, Patreons and other methods of revenue generation are out there and they don’t run the risk of alienating fans with advert-related demands.

Blocking ads is a personal choice, and it’s hard to argue in favour of trusting ad networks when bad ads land in front of millions of people on a regular basis. As I said earlier: this isn’t an “us” problem, it’s a “them” problem. People don’t block ads for the sake of it; they do it because they find them to be annoying, intrusive, or potentially dangerous. This is the consequence of years of bad ad practices, and it’s up to the networks behind them to put in some heavy lifting.

Malwarebytes protects against annoying ads and scams while blocking trackers that spy on you.

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Google Pixel 7a vs Google Pixel 6a

Android

andreasc

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May 13, 2023

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The Google Pixel 7a is the company’s brand new mid-range smartphone. This handset got announced during Google I/O 2023, and it does bring a number of improvements over its predecessor. Having said that, in this article, we’ll compare the Google Pixel 7a vs Google Pixel 6a. Some of you are probably wondering whether to upgrade, or to get the Pixel 6a considering its lower price tag.

Well, we’ll try to help you get answers to some of your questions here. We’ll first list their specifications side by side, and will then move to compare them across a number of other categories. You’ll get a comparison between their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance. Having said that, let’s get this show on the road.

Specs

	Google Pixel 7a	Google Pixel 6a
Screen size	6.1-inch fullHD+ flat OLED display (90Hz refresh rate)	6.1-inch fullHD+ OLED HDR display (60Hz)
Screen resolution	2400 x 1080	2400 x 1080
SoC	Google Tensor G2	Google Tensor
RAM	8GB (LPDDR5)	6GB (LPDDR5)
Storage	128GB (UFS 3.1), non-expandable	128GB (UFS 3.1), non-expandable
Rear cameras	64MP (f/1.9 aperture, 26mm lens, 0.8um pixel size, OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF) 13MP (f/2.2 aperture, 120-degree FoV, 1.12um pixel size)	12.2MP (f/1.7 aperture, 27mm lens, 1.4um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF, OIS) 12MP (f/2.2 aperture, 17mm lens, 114-degree FoV, 1.25um pixel size)
Front cameras	13MP (f/2.2 aperture, 20mm lens, 1.12um pixel size)	8MP (f/2.0 aperture, 24mm lens, 1.12um pixel size)
Battery	4,385mAh, non-removable, 20W wired charging, 18W wireless charging Charger not included	4,410mAh, non-removable, 18W wired charging Charger not included
Dimensions	152 x 72.9 x 9mm	152.2 x 71.8 x 8.9mm
Weight	193.5 grams	178 grams
Connectivity	5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C	5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C
Security	In-display fingerprint scanner (optical) Face Unlock	In-display fingerprint scanner (optical)
OS	Android 13	Android 12 (upgradable to Android 13)
Price	$499	$329 (discounted from $449)
Buy	Amazon	Amazon

Google Pixel 7a vs Google Pixel 6a: Design

It is easy to notice that these two phones are related, but there are obvious differences visible as well. They both have a centered display camera hole at the top, and a square-ish design. They also both have a camera visor on the back, but different ones. The one on the Pixel 7a is covered by metal, while the one on the Pixel 6a is covered by glass. They both protrude on the back, but are nowhere near the level of the Pixel 7.

Both phones also include flat displays, with thin bezels. The bottom bezel is thicker than the rest of them on both phones. You will also find a plastic backplate on both of these devices, which is combined with a frame made out of aluminum. The physical keys on both phones sit on the right-hand side. The power/lock button is placed above the volume up and down buttons. A fingerprint scanner is also included in both phones, but it’s not visible, as it sits under the display (an optical one).

The two phones are almost equally tall and thick, but the Pixel 6a is a bit more narrow. The Pixel 7a probably has slightly thicker bezels, hence the difference. It is also lighter, noticeably lighter. It weighs 178 grams, compared to 193.5 grams of the Pixel 7a. Now, both phones do offer IP67 certification for water and dust resistance. Both of them sit really nicely in the hand, but are slippery at the same time.

Google Pixel 7a vs Google Pixel 6a: Display

The Pixel 7a features a 6.1-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) flat OLED display. That panel has a 90Hz refresh rate, and it offers a 20:9 aspect ratio. It is protected by the Gorilla Glass 3. The Pixel 6a, on the other hand, also has a 6.1-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) panel, but it’s different. This is also an OLED display, but it has a 60Hz refresh rate. The aspect ratio is the same, though, as is the Gorilla Glass 3 protection.

Both of these displays look good in general. They offer vivid colors, good viewing angles, and good touch response. The Pixel 7a does get a bit brighter, though, which will be useful outdoors. Also, if you do notice the difference between low and high refresh rates, this will be quite a difference for you. The jump from 60 to 90Hz is quite obvious, especially when you’re scrolling or doing something similar.

Now, as far as display protection goes. The Gorilla Glass 3 is definitely not the best solution. It is quite dated at this point, and we’ve always had issues with it picking up micro-scratches. It’s a shame Google didn’t use newer display protection here, but all those problems can be avoided if you end up using a screen protector, of course. All in all, these displays are not bad at all.

Google Pixel 7a vs Google Pixel 6a: Performance

The Pixel 7 comes with the Google Tensor G2 SoC. That is Google’s latest processor, by the way. It fuels the company’s flagships too. The phone also includes 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and UFS 3.1 flash storage. The Pixel 6a is fueled by the Google Tensor SoC. The phone comes with 6GB of LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 flash storage.

The Tensor G2 is the more powerful processor here, but the difference is not as big as you may think. The extra RAM inside the Pixel 7a does come in handy, but we didn’t really notice any difference in performance because of it. Neither phone is outstanding in keeping apps actively running in the background, even though they’re good at it. The point is, they’re on the same level.

The same can be said about performance. The Pixel 7a may be a bit faster, but the difference is not really that noticeable. In regular, everyday tasks, you will notice the difference in refresh rate more than you will the difference in sheer power. Neither phone is great for gaming, however, even though they can play the vast majority of games perfectly well. If you plan on playing a lot of demanding games on your phone, however, you may want to look elsewhere. Overall, however, the performance is great (and comparable), not counting in gaming, of course.

Google Pixel 7a vs Google Pixel 6a: Battery

There is a 4,385mAh battery inside the Pixel 7a. The Pixel 6a, on the flip side, includes a 4,410mAh battery. Now, the difference in battery capacity is not that big, but we did notice quite a difference in actual performance. The Pixel 7a lingered around 6 hours of screen-on-time most of the time. We’ve seen much better numbers from some other people, so this may be just a bug, or perhaps a rogue app we can’t pinpoint. It should be able to offer much more than that, to be quite honest.

The Pixel 6a offers really good battery life, it can cross 7-7.5 hours of screen-on-time without a problem, even more at times. It all depends on what you’re doing on your device. As per usual, do note that your mileage may vary. You’ll be using different apps, in a different way, in a different place (signal), so… yeah, you could get entirely different numbers than we did.

When charging is concerned, the Pixel 7a supports 21W charging, while the Pixel 6a offers support for 18W wired charging. The Pixel 7a also supports wireless charging, but it’s so slow, it’s not really worth mentioning. Well, it could be useful if you charge your phone overnight. Neither of the two phones comes with a charging brick, unfortunately. If you don’t have a PD3.0 charger, you’ll need to get one.

Google Pixel 7a vs Google Pixel 6a: Cameras

The Pixel 7a features a 64-megapixel main camera, and a 13-megapixel ultrawide camera (120-degree FoV). The Pixel 6a, on the flip side, has a 12.2-megapixel main unit, and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera (114-degree FoV). The hardware is obviously not the same, but when it comes to Google’s camera performance, image processing is quite important. So, are these two phones identical when it comes to camera performance? Well, no, not really.

In the daytime, they are very similar. This goes for both the main and ultrawide cameras. They produce similar-looking images, with similar color balance, and general output. The differences are visible when you’re shooting in HDR conditions, as the Pixel 7a tends to light up the darker areas a bit more. The differences are subtle, however, and some of you may even prefer the Pixel 6a’s output.

In low light, however, the differences are more noticeable. Both phones do a great job, but with a different color profiles. That is not always as noticeable, but it’s there. In some situations, it’s extremely noticeable. In some shots, the color profiles look a lot different. The Pixel 6a tends to provide colder images, which is what we’re used to when it comes to Pixel phones. The Pixel 7a leans towards the warmer side of things, which makes low light images a bit more realistic. Both phones do a great job, though.

Audio

You will find a pair of stereo speakers on both of these phones. Those speakers are good enough on both, but they’re nothing to write home about. Considering these price tags, they’re quite good.

What you will not find on either phone is an audio jack. You will have to use a Type-C port at the bottom for wired audio connections. If you prefer wireless audio, however, Bluetooth 5.3 is included on the Pixel 7a, while the Pixel 6a comes with Bluetooth 5.2.

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OPPO is ditching MariSilicon, cancels mobile SoC plans

Tech

andreasc

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May 13, 2023

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OPPO is ditching MariSilicon, cancels mobile SoC plans

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OPPO was planning on making its own mobile processors, but that won’t happen after all. The company confirmed that it’s working on its custom SoCs way back in 2020, and earlier this year it was reported that the very first product is coming in 2024.

OPPO won’t be making its own processors after all

Why did OPPO decide to make such a drastic move, after years of working on its processors? Well, the reason OPPO shared with the public is… due to the global economy and market uncertainty.

This may not seem like a big deal, but the competition in the market is always good. The more competitors we have, the better it is for the industry as a whole. They push each other to do better, and thus provide us with better products. More competition also brings the prices down.

So, it’s a shame this won’t happen. OPPO has been doing a great job overall for years. Its own NPU turned out to be immensely capable, and so did the MariSilicon Y Bluetooth chip that the company made.

Just to be clear, OPPO is shutting down its ZEKU chip unit, which made MariSilicon chips. So that not only means that we won’t get a proper mobile SoC, but OPPO won’t be making MariSilicon hardware in general anymore. Any products in the pipeline that are meant to use MariSilicon hardware will still use it, though.

Revining this project in the future is not out of the question

It would surely be interesting to see what OPPO can do with a mobile processor. That won’t happen, though, at least not for now. Nothing is stopping OPPO from reviving this project at some point in the future.

The company will focus on some other aspects of the business following this. The aspects that made it so popular in the first place. The company did not elaborate on that, but the smartphone business has been doing great for OPPO.

The company is flying high in China, and some other markets, and it’s constantly expanding. Its foldable smartphones have become quite popular, even though only one launched outside of China, earlier this year.

The OPPO Find N2 Flip launched globally, while its sibling is highly-regarded outside of China, even though it did not launch anywhere else, at least not for now. We’re sure OPPO has interesting plans for the future, despite the news regarding its mobile processors.

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Waze brings its app to all cars with Google built-in, expands support for EV stations

Apps

andreasc

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May 12, 2023

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Waze brings its app to all cars with Google built-in, expands support for EV stations

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If you’re using an electric car, then you might already be aware that Waze launched support for EV charging stations in March. Following the launch of that feature, Waze and Google announced that they’re bringing EV charging stations support to drivers who use Waze in-car with Android Auto, Google built-in or CarPlay.Thanks to this update, drivers will get up-to-date charging station information curated by the Waze Community, so it will make it easier to charge your car and get help finding where or when you’ll come across the next station.

This feature is only available in the United States for now, and Waze confirmed that drivers in the country will see more charging stations on the Waze Map in their local areas in the coming months. Obviously, these will be verified by Waze Community in the United States.

In addition to expanding support for EV charging stations to more drivers, Waze revealed that it’s launching its navigation app for all cars that support Google built-in. Previously only available on Android Auto, Waze is now available on the Google Play Store globally for all cars with Google built-in.

After launching on Renault, Volvo and Polestar vehicles, it’s nice that Waze managed to bring the app to even more drivers who can experience the best of Waze’s real-time navigation without the need for a smartphone.

Of course, the app offers the same benefits as the one that’s been available on Android Auto for quite some time, including real-time reports on traffic and road closures.

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Samsung is readying Book Cover Keyboard for Galaxy Tab S9

Android

andreasc

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May 12, 2023

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Samsung is readying Book Cover Keyboard for Galaxy Tab S9

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Samsung is readying a bunch of new Android tablets. There are rumors about three Galaxy Tab S9 series flagship models and two mid-range models, one or both of which may arrive as the Galaxy Tab S9 FE. While we wait for more details about the latter two, the former three have just had their official keyboard accessories approved by the South Korean regulatory body RRR (Radio Research Agency).

First spotted by GalaxyClub, the RRR recently certified three new Book Cover Keyboards made by Samsung. The listing mentions model numbers EF-DX715, EF-DX815, and EF-DX915 for the three accessories. Based on previous reports, those keyboard accessories are for the Galaxy Tab S9, Galaxy Tab S9+, and Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, respectively. That’s because the model numbers for the keyboards correspond to that for the upcoming three flagship tablets.

For the uninitiated, Samsung is developing the Galaxy Tab S9 with the model number SM-X71*. More precisely, SM-X710 for the global Wi-Fi version, SM-X716B for the global 5G version, and SM-X718U for the US 5G version. Likewise, the Galaxy Tab S9+ bears the model number SM-X810/SM-X716B/SM-X718U depending on the region and connectivity version while the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra has the model number SM-X910/SM-X916B/SM-X918U.

The two mid-range Samsung tablets that appeared on Geekbench last month have the model numbers SM-X51* and SM-X61*. No corresponding keyboard accessories were found for these two models on the RRR’s website. It’s unclear if Samsung doesn’t plan to offer a Book Cover Keyboard for these tablets or if the accessories are still pending approval. It’s also possible that Samsung doesn’t plan to launch them alongside the flagship models. So it isn’t hurrying to obtain regulatory certifications for them. We shall find out soon.

The Galaxy Tab S9 series may debut in July

Samsung may launch the Galaxy Tab S9 series in late July. The company is expected to unveil the new tablets at its next Galaxy Unpacked event. While it usually holds the event in August, reports suggest this year’s event will take place a few weeks earlier. The South Korean firm is also reportedly planning to host the event in its homeland rather than in the US. It made these decisions considering the current global economic situation and other similar factors.

While we wait for the official confirmation on the date and location of Samsung’s next Galaxy Unpacked event, it’s confirmed that the event will be full of hardware announcements. Along with the three flagship tablets, the company will also unveil its latest foldables during this event. We are expecting a couple of new smartwatches as well. Last but not least, Samsung may debut a new pair of TWS earbuds. Stay tuned for more information about these upcoming Galaxy products.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 series Book Cover Keyboard certification South Korea

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Elon Musk Stepping Down as Twitter CEO, NBC exec may replace him

Tech

andreasc

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May 12, 2023

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Elon Musk Stepping Down as Twitter CEO, NBC exec may replace him

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Elon Musk is stepping down as Twitter CEO. The multi-billionaire, who purchased the social network for $44 billion last year, announced on Thursday that he has hired a new CEO for the company. He didn’t name his replacement but said “she” will take over in about six weeks. Reports suggest Linda Yaccarino, the current head of global advertising and partnerships for NBCUniversal, would replace Musk as the new Twitter CEO.

Musk has been Twitter’s CEO since he completed the high-profile privatization of the social network giant in late October last year. In December, he announced that he will step aside as soon as he finds someone to lead the company. It appears he has finally found the right person.

“Excited to announce that I’ve hired a new CEO for X/Twitter. She will be starting in ~6 weeks!” Musk said in a tweet on Thursday. He added that he will assume the role of executive chair and CTO (chief technology officer) at the company. The current Twitter CEO will oversee “product, software & sysops” in his new role.

NBCUniversal’s advertising head could be the new Twitter CEO

Soon after Musk’s tweet, the social network went abuzz with rumors about the next Twitter CEO. All hands are now pointing toward Linda Yaccarino. People familiar with the situation confirmed to The Wall Street Journal that Yaccarino is in talks to replace Elon Musk as Twitter’s new head.

The NBCUniversal executive has reportedly wanted this job for a long time. She recently interviewed Musk at her “Possible” advertising conference in Miami and has been tweeting about NBC’s partnership with Twitter for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Yaccarino is also said to share similar political views as Musk. All in all, the agreement appears done. Perhaps as Musk said, he has already “hired” a new CEO for Twitter.

The reason he didn’t name her in his tweet is that Yaccarino is still with NBC Universal and is currently preparing for the company’s annual Upfront presentation to advertisers coming Monday. A representative for NBCUniversal told the media that Yaccarino is rehearsing for the presentation. She likely preferred to focus on her current job and asked Musk to not name her the new Twitter CEO just yet.

As Musk confirmed, he will not leave Twitter’s leadership roles following the arrival of the new CEO. He will remain the executive chair and CTO of the company. Yaccarino, meanwhile, will probably focus solely on the business side of things.

She joined NBCUniversal in 2011 after spending 20 years at Turner Broadcasting. She has a vast experience in the ad business, something Twitter needs to revive after a chaotic few months early in the Musk era when several advertisers left the platform. Time will tell how Twitter changes under Yaccarino. Well, we first need an official confirmation that she will be the new Twitter CEO. We will let you know when we have more information.

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WhatsApp test the ability to edit sent messages

Apps

andreasc

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May 12, 2023

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WhatsApp test the ability to edit sent messages

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WhatsApp, the popular instant messaging app, has released a new beta version for Android – version 2.23.10.13. This latest update brings several new features and improvements to the app, including the ability to edit sent messages for some select users.

The key feature rolling out with this update would allow users to edit messages they have already sent. This feature has been highly requested by WhatsApp users for some time, as it would give them the ability to correct mistakes or clarify unclear messages that were perhaps sent accidentally.

As reported by WABetaInfo, the feature works by allowing users to tap on a sent message and select the “Edit” option from the top menu. They could then make changes to the message, and the edited version would be visible to all recipients of the original message.

However, there are some limitations to the feature – edited messages will still show a notification that they have been edited, and there will be a limit on how much time users have to edit their messages after they have been sent. The current time limit to edit a message is within 15 minutes of sending it and you cannot edit a message that you sent from a different device. Once edited, the message will show an “edited” label on it to notify other users that the message is no longer the original one.

Image Source – WABetaInfo

Not all users enrolled in the WhatsApp Beta Program are currently able to test this feature, as it appears to be rolling out to only a certain amount of users, suggesting a staged rollout. Hopefully this won’t take long to roll out to the stable version of WhatsApp, as I anticipate it would likely be welcomed by many users. However, it remains to be seen if and when the feature will become widely available to all.

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PoC Disclosed for Five Vulnerabilities to Exploit Netgear Routers

Hacking

andreasc

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May 12, 2023

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PoC Disclosed for Five Vulnerabilities to Exploit Netgear Routers

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As the threats against the Internet of Things are on the rise, several types of research are going on to secure these devices.

As part of this, the Zero Day Initiative (ZDI) conducted a “Pwn2Own” competition in March. Multiple vulnerabilities were found in this competition on products belonging to many technology brands.

NetGear routers were one among the products in which vulnerabilities were reported.

The Cybersecurity solutions firm Claroty had their team82 in this competition. The team researched NetGear RAX30 routers and found five high-severity vulnerabilities that threat actors can exploit, enabling them to conduct pre-authenticated remote code execution, command injection, or authentication bypass.

The research team found a service soap_serverd running on port 5000 (HTTP) and 5043 (HTTPS) as API servers of the router.

These handle SOAP messages about management functionality vulnerable to a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability. All the vulnerabilities found by the research team are listed below.

CVE-2023-27357 – Information Disclosure Vulnerability:

This vulnerability exists as there was no authentication for the “GetInfo” command. The response for this command consists of the device information such as model, serial number, firewall version, VPN version, and much more.

*GetInfo command retrieves Router information.* *Source: Claroty*

CVE-2023-27368: – Buffer Overflow Authentication Bypass Vulnerability

This vulnerability arises as the soap_serverd service does not check the length of the data. In addition to this, the service reads the HTTP headers first and parses them using the sscanf function to extract the method, path, and HTTP version.

Though this lack of length check allows a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability, the HTTP receives a function that runs on port 5000 and checks the length of the HTTP header, which limits us from exploiting it. However, there was a bypass which was discovered by the research team.

CVE-2023-27369 – Buffer Overflow Authentication Bypass Vulnerability

As mentioned earlier, two ports, 5043 (HTTPS or SSL) and 5000 (HTTP), run the soap_serverd service. Therefore, both ports had two different socket read and socket write functions.

In connection with the previous vulnerability (CVE-2023-27368), the SOAP message read by the 5043 port calls a socket read function which does not check how many bytes were read.

This socket read function can conduct a stack overflow by sending a large amount of data to be read, resulting in a stack-based buffer overflow.

CVE-2023-27370 – Bypass to Reset the Admin Password

While setting up the router, the users are requested to create a unique password for authenticating into the router dashboard. Along with this, some security questions must also be set for resetting the password in case the users forget their passwords.

The device configuration stores this information as plain text (base64).

To reset the password, the users need to enter the router’s serial number and answer the security questions previously set.

Using the three vulnerabilities mentioned above, an attacker can bypass the authentication and run the GetConfigInfo command, which returns all the information required for resetting the administrator password.

*The GetConfigInfo command returns all the information.*

CVE-2023-27367 – Authentication Bypass and Command Injection

The telnet service on port 23 is not enabled by default on NetGear routers. A vulnerability was discovered previously, which exists on the libcms_cli module that does not validate user-supplied commands before executing the system call.

The research team used an “open-telnet-magic-packet” to enable port 23 on the router. But still, the Telnet is restricted to specific commands.

They discovered that the TFTP command is not filtered before it is executed, which is connected with CVE-2023-27370. Hence, this TFTP interface can be used to run any command.

These five vulnerabilities are chained, which can exploit the RAX30 to enable remote command execution. Successful exploitation by a threat actor can lead to monitoring the user’s activity, redirecting traffic to malicious websites controlled by the attacker, hijacking an internet connection, or injecting malware into the network traffic.

*Chaining of the five vulnerabilities.* *Source: Clarity*

NETGEAR has released security advisories for these vulnerabilities and requested their customers upgrade their RAX30 routers to fix these vulnerabilities.

Struggling to Apply The Security Patch in Your System? –
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Hands-on with the ASUS ROG Ally

Android

andreasc

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May 12, 2023

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This week ASUS officially launched the ROG Ally, and I’ve been spending the last few days with it, getting a little bit of hands-on time in to test out how it holds up.

The ROG Ally is a handheld gaming PC that runs on Windows 11 proper. Although it’s not the first device of its kind as there are more than a few other options that run on Windows. It is however the latest device in this handheld gaming PC category. And so far, it’s shaping up to be a beast of a machine. There will be a full review of the device coming later but I wanted to give some of my initial thoughts on it.

And I figured this might be especially useful for anyone considering a device like this.

Don’t expect the ROG Ally to have excellent battery life

I’m just going to go straight for the thing that I believe most people are concerned with. The battery life. I won’t mince words here. The battery life isn’t great. In my limited play testing so far, the Ally will often drain the battery to where it dies in no more than two hours. I want to point out though, that I have done literally nothing to try and boost the battery longevity on a single charge. The brightness is about 80%, I have the Ally set to performance mode, and I’m using the 120Hz refresh rate.

The games I have tested so far include Final Fantasy XIV, a little bit of The Ascent, and a very brief check-in with Diablo IV. I’ll be doing some more testing with Diablo IV this weekend. But so far, with these games, the battery tends to die faster than you might want.

You will realistically get somewhere between an hour and a half, and probably two hours if you’re playing more demanding games. Expect that time to lessen a little if you’re playing MMOs or other online multiplayer games.

In short, the battery life is a letdown. But not necessarily unexpected. With better performance than the Steam Deck and a higher resolution and higher refresh rate display, I suspected the battery life would take a bit of a dive. I’m sad to report that my suspicions were correct here.

But it’s not all bad news. You can tweak the performance, wattage and other features to adjust the battery life and get a little more playtime out of the Ally. And you could always plug it in if you want longer play sessions.

There’s no way it should be this quiet

ASUS is using some sort of black magic here to get this thing to stay as quiet as it is when the AMD Z1 Extreme APU and the fans are at full rip. You’re neck deep in the middle of a gameplay session and you’d expect louder fans like on the Steam Deck. But, that just isn’t the case.

They’re not completely silent. But they are much quieter than you would expect. And that is a really good thing to see for a device like this. Especially if you anticipate taking it with you and playing it in public.

Comfort is key, and ASUS mostly nails it here

When it comes to handhelds, I love them all for different reasons. The Switch is so light and easily portable. The Steam Deck has an amazingly ergonomic build that, despite its weight, is super comfortable to hold.

The ROG Ally lies somewhere in the middle. It has some weight shaved off compared to the Steam Deck and is more ergonomic than the Switch. But I still find myself missing those deep concaved sections on the back of the Steam Deck where your fingers sit for access to the remappable keys. I also don’t think that the corners of the device are as uncomfortable as some have found them to be. That doesn’t mean that they won’t be for some people. But for me holding the device felt just fine.

First impression final thoughts

For a first impression, ASUS has made a really good one. The ROG Ally is a great little device that will definitely satisfy your desire to play PC games on the go. I still need to do more testing with it but so far, I think it’s going to give the Steam Deck a run for its money.

If you’re already interested in getting a ROG Ally for yourself, you can find them exclusively through Best Buy.

Pre-order ROG Ally

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