MERCURY, an Iranian nation-state group, has recently been detected by Microsoft’s Threat Intelligence team operating under the guise of a ransomware attack in hybrid environments.
Since 2017, MERCURY has been conducting espionage campaigns against targets in the Middle East, and this state-sponsored group is financially motivated.
In their current ongoing operation, they are actively targeting both on-premises and cloud environments. As a result of the unrecoverable actions, the operation’s primary objectives were destruction and disruption.
The U.S. government has publicly connected MuddyWater (aka MERCURY) to the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS), a government agency in Iran linked to this group.
Other Names of MERCURY
While the cybersecurity community has tracked this group under several names, we have listed them below:-
Boggy Serpens
Cobalt Ulster
Earth Vetala
ITG17
MuddyWater
Seedworm
Static Kitten
TEMP.Zagros
Yellow Nix
Microsoft found that MERCURY partnered with DEV-1084, a known cyber-espionage group, to execute lethal attacks. DEV-1084 acted after MERCURY gained access to the target environment.
Links Between DEV-1084 and MERCURY
Here below, we have mentioned all the key links between DEV-1084 and MERCURY:-
DEV-1084 was observed sending threatening emails from an IP address (146.70.106[.]89) linked to MERCURY.
DEV-1084 used the same VPN provider (MULLVAD VPN), historically used by MERCURY.
DEV-1084 used Rport and a customized version of Ligolo, the tools that MERCURY also used in previous attacks.
DEV-1084 used the vatacloud[.]com domain for command and control (C2) during the incident is the same domain that MERCURY operators control.
Technical Analysis
In Microsoft’s assessment, it has been observed that the MERCURY operators have exploited an unpatched internet-facing device to access the targets. DEV-1084 was then given access by Mercury to carry out the work.
Once the threat actors gain access, they use various tools and techniques to maintain persistence. At the same time, this allows them to maintain access to the compromised devices over an extended period.
After implementing this whole proceeding, the threat actors get the following abilities:-
Installing web shells
Adding a local user account and elevating privileges to the local administrator
Installing legitimate remote access tools, such as RPort, Ligolo, and eHorus
Installing a customized PowerShell script backdoor
Stealing credentials
After compromising the highly privileged credentials, DEV-1084 subsequently exploited it to encrypt on-premise devices and delete large amounts of cloud elements like:-
Server farms
Virtual machines
Storage accounts
Virtual networks
Moreover, the malicious actors ultimately control email inboxes by exploiting the Exchange Web Services. Here, they utilize this access to carry out many search operations.
Through this, they detect the identity of a prominent organization member, enabling them to transmit messages to internal and external addressees.
The above-mentioned actions were estimated to have occurred over approximately three hours between 12:38 am in the morning and 3:21 am in the morning, which is the ending time.
DEV-1084, as of right now, cannot be confirmed to be an autonomous threat actor, nor can there be any concrete evidence to support the claim that it operates alongside other Iranian threat actors.
Yum! Brands, owner of KFC, Pizza Hut, and other fast food chains, was breached in January. It recently found employee data has been compromised.
Upon learning that attackers accessed and siphoned data in January, Yum! Brands, the fast-food chain operator behind The Habit Burger Grill, KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell, has begun sending Notice of Security Breach letters to employees whose data were potentially affected.
“We are writing to provide you with information about a cybersecurity incident involving your personal information that occurred mid-January 2023,” says the breach notice. While the company finds “no evidence of identity theft or fraud” involving the stolen data, it says it is contacting employees “out of an abundance of caution” to provide support and resources they might need.
The notice revealed that employee names, driver’s license numbers, and other ID card numbers are among the data that ransomware attackers took.
According to BleepingComputer, Yum! Brands has yet to provide the number of employees whose data threat actors stole during the attack.
The January ransomware attack
Over three months ago, Yum! Brands said it had experienced a ransomware attack that affected its IT systems, forcing it to close less than 300 restaurant chains in the UK for a day.
“Promptly upon detection of the incident, the Company initiated response protocols, including deploying containment measures such as taking certain systems offline and implementing enhanced monitoring technology,” the company said in a statement. “The Company also initiated an investigation, engaged the services of industry-leading cybersecurity and forensics professionals, and notified Federal law enforcement.”
In its filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in January, Yum! Brands assured investors that although the attack caused a temporary disruption, there would be no negative financial impact.
“While this incident caused temporary disruption, the Company is aware of no other restaurant disruptions and does not expect this event to have a material adverse impact on its business, operations or financial results,” the Form 8-K mentioned.
“…no material adverse effect…”
Yum! Brands continues to believe the ransomware incident would not cause adverse operational or financial effects in the long run.
“While the Company’s response to this incident is ongoing, at this time we do not believe such impact of the incident will ultimately have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition,” the company says in its 2022 annual report to the SEC which it filed on Friday.
The firm has yet to disclose the ransomware group behind the attack.
Detect intrusions. Make it harder for intruders to operate inside your organization by segmenting networks and assigning access rights prudently. Use EDR or MDR to detect unusual activity before an attack occurs.
Stop malicious encryption. Deploy Endpoint Detection and Response software like Malwarebytes EDR that uses multiple different detection techniques to identify ransomware, and ransomware rollback to restore damaged system files.
Create offsite, offline backups. Keep backups offsite and offline, beyond the reach of attackers. Test them regularly to make sure you can restore essential business functions swiftly.
Don’t get attacked twice. Once you’ve isolated the outbreak and stopped the first attack, you must remove every trace of the attackers, their malware, their tools, and their methods of entry, to avoid being attacked again.
Malwarebytes removes all remnants of ransomware and prevents you from getting reinfected. Want to learn more about how we can help protect your business? Get a free trial below.
GeForce NOW isn’t the only cloud gaming service out there, but it is now perhaps the best showcase for the technology, with over 1,500 games, and the recently launched RTX 4080 SuperPODs that Ultimate subscribers have access to. We spent some time early on with the new features to check things out prior to the official rollout on January 19, and have so far loved everything about the upgrade.
With so many available games though, you’d be forgiven for having trouble deciding on what to play. Especially if you’re a newcomer to the service and aren’t sure where to start. Obviously, you’ll want to use GeForce NOW to play the games you already play on a local machine. If you’re already playing them, then you’re probably having fun doing it. And gaming is about fun after all, so you should ultimately play the games you have fun with.
That being said, there are some games available on GeForce NOW that showcase the tech better than others, and we rounded up some of the best options as suggestions for where to start. Also keep in mind that with GeForce NOW you do need to own the game on a compatible platform like Steam, the Epic Games Store, Ubisoft Connect, or GOG. Also worth noting, is that the prices on these games change. Prices listed may not be the current price as some games will be on limited-time sales.
There’s few if any games that really push the limits of what PC gaming can do these days. And that’s precisely why it’s an excellent game to test out GeForce NOW with. In fact it’s one of the best GeForce NOW games with the arrival of the RTX 4080 SuperPODs that launched on January 19.
As long as you’re subscribed to the Ultimate plan, and in my opinion you should be, you’ll get to push this game to the limits. As I have tested it myself, you can crank the graphics all the way up to their absolute maximum. And the game looks and runs great. Cyberpunk 2077 definitely had its rough patches in the early days of its launch. But it’s in a much better spot now and is a wonderful game to behold.
A story that you definitely want to play more than once just to experience the different endings. Although, the combat and build crafting are definitely two of the main reasons to check it out.
If you think you’ll like Cyberpunk 2077, then you will love The Witcher 3. The best part is that if you pick up the game right now, you can get the Complete Edition for $9.99 on GOG (Steam also has it for this price). Which comes with both DLC expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, in addition to the base game. This is normally a $49.99 bundle. Still a good deal, but $10 is a much better deal.
With all of that content, there is hours upon hours of gameplay. With many quests and a vast, sprawling world to explore as Geralt. Plus, the PC version of the game just received all the next-gen upgrades just like PS5 and Xbox Series X. So it’ll look even better with the Ultimate plan.
Destiny 2 is hands down one of the best games out right now not just for its gunplay, but its ever-growing story and the multitudes of activities. As a live service MMO first-person shooter, there’s a lot to dig into. And because it’s multiplayer you can enjoy it with friends. Like any live service game Destiny 2 has its lulls. But overall it’s a really fun game to play and works great on GeForce NOW.
It also runs great on PC as well as on mobile devices, and dedicated devices like the Logitech G Cloud. Giving you tons of options for what screen to play it on. If you’ve never tried Destiny 2 before, definitely give it a shot if you like first-person shooters but also really enjoy rich narrative and multiplayer activities.
Ghostrunner is a perfect example of a game you’d want to try on GeForce NOW. For one, it’s a fast-paced first-person combat game where you play a ninja of sorts. Super-fast reflexes are key to survival in the game. And that means you’re going to want a fast frame rate to ensure there’s no latency with your in-game actions.
It also supports RTX On features for better visuals. Ghostrunner is employs one-hit-one-kill mechanics so there’s definitely a challenge to overcome. But if you can get past the initial hurdle, you’ll be sucked in and hungry for more.
Similar to Ghostrunner in a few ways, Blind Fate: Edo No Yami has both a sort of dystopian, cyberpunk aesthetic and a more challenging style of gameplay. While it’s not one-hit-one-kill, getting through the game won’t be a cakewalk. It’s a souls-like hack and slash which means you will have your work cut out for you.
Aside from that, it also features the RTX On support like Ghostrunner, Witcher 3, and many others on this list. Giving it a good baseline for testing out all the cool features that GeForce NOW has to offer.
As an action adventure game, A Plague Tale: Requiem is rich with story and has a narrative plot that will both intrigue you and feel gut wrenching at times. You play as the siblings Amicia and Hugo, looking for a place to start a new life after fleeing their homeland. You quickly find out however, that it really isn’t so easy thanks to Hugo’s curse. A Plague Tale: Requiem takes you to a fabled island where you just might be able to find a way to save Hugo.
But you’ll certainly have to pay a price. And you’ll soon find that the cost may be harder to live with than you expected. As yet another game with RTX On support, it also looks great as you play through it.
Midnight Suns comes from the geniuses over at Firaxis, the studio behind the wildly popular XCOM and XCOM 2. A major difference between those two games and Midnight Suns though is that this is a tactical RPG. Laden with story elements that XCOM didn’t have as it was more of a strategy game.
Midnight Suns does still carry with it plenty of that tactical gameplay DNA. While you do get to play with some of the most well-known heroes in the Marvel universe, your actual character is a fully customizable super-hero that you create. On your journey to stop Lilith, you can form relationships with some of the other team members, build out your stats and abilities, and introduce upgrades that will help you in later stages.
Combat is done exceptionally well and graphically, some of the fights look quite amazing with all of the ability effects. And, the game is currently on sale till February 9 via the Epic Games Store.
Apex Legends hardly needs an introduction thanks to its wild popularity. That said, it’s one of the few shooters available on GeForce NOW that can support up to 240fps. If you’re subscribed to or sign up for the Ultimate membership, games can run up to 240fps as long as you have a monitor that supports 240Hz.
And with the newly launched RTX 4080 SuperPODs, this is the perfect game to test out those fast frames in the cloud. As a battle royale title you’re going to be going at it with loads of other players in a single match. So you’ll need quick reflexes and the ability to think on your feet.
Most of the games thus far have been more involved titles that are either steeped in action or overflowing with tense combat. LEGO Builder’s Journey features none of that. It’s a much more laid back, and relaxed gameplay experience filled with puzzles and platforming. And it supports RTX On so visuals actually look quite good.
You might think, it’s a LEGO game. How good could can it really look? But check out the trailer and see for yourself. If you’re looking for a more chill gaming experience, this is a good title to jump into. And it’s a great game for anyone no matter the age. Which means you can share it with your kids. It’s definitely one of the best games on GeForce NOW.
Portal is one of the defining PC games from a bygone era. And that’s where Portal with RTX steps in to fill its shoes. To be clear, this is the same Portal that fans have loved since the original. The only difference is that this has updated graphics and visual effects utilizing NVIDIA’s RTX On features. You do however have to own the original Portal to play this version of it. Thankfully, Portal is only $9.99 on Steam. So a pretty cheap game for a great experience.
Alongside the new name for the new streaming service, WBD has also announced pricing. The pricing isn’t that surprising, and is actually pretty competitive. So here’s it shakes up.
There’s going to be three plans for Max: Max Ad-Lite, Max Ad Free and Max Ultimate Ad Free.
Max Ad-Lite will be priced at $9.99. That’s going to get you two concurrent streams, 1080p resolution, no offline downloads and 5.1 surround sound quality. And of course, it is ad-supported.
Max Ad-Free will be priced at $15.99 per month, and will give you basically everything that Max Ad-Lite does, without the ads, and giving you offline downloads. You’re limited to 30 offline downloads, however.
Then there’s Max Ultimate Ad-Free. This one will cost you $19.99 per month, and offer up to four concurrent streams, up to 4K HDR resolution, Dolby Atmos sound quality and up to 100 offline downloads.
All in all, pricing is pretty similar to HBO MAX’s current setup
Surprisingly, the pricing here is actually very similar to what HBO MAX’s plans are currently. With the ad-supported tier being $9.99 and ad-free being $15.99 per month.
Warner Bros Discovery is branching out its ad-free tiers into two different tiers. And I think these pricing tiers are just fine. Not everyone wants nor needs 4K and Dolby Atmos. So including that in their Ultimate plan is fine. At least Max isn’t going to be charging you $15 per month for 480p resolution like Netflix was until recently. The lowest that Max will go is 1080p, which for everyone, is perfectly fine.
None of us like price increases, but this isn’t really an increase. It’s really the addition of a new tier. Not to mention the fact that you are getting all of the Discovery content baked into Max as well. So you’re getting a much larger library for the same price.
One fixed vulnerability is being actively exploited by a ransomware gang and many others were fixed in this month’s Patch Tuesday updates.
It’s Patch Tuesday again. Microsoft and other vendors have released their monthly updates. Among a total of 97 patched vulnerabilities there is one actively exploited zero-day.
Microsoft classifies a vulnerability as a zero-day if it is publicly disclosed or actively exploited with no official fix available. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) database lists publicly disclosed computer security flaws. The actively exploited zero day is listed as CVE-2023-28252.
CVE-2023-28252 is an elevation of privilege (EoP) vulnerability in the Windows Common Log File System (CLFS) driver. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain SYSTEM privileges, which is the highest level of privilege on Windows systems. This is the type of vulnerability that we can expect to see chained with other vulnerabilities. Once an attacker has access, EoP vulnerabilities allow them to exploit that access to the fullest.
CISA has already added the CVE-2023-28252 Windows zero-day to its catalog of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities, which means federal (FCEB) agencies have until May 2, 2023 to patch against it.
Given the reach and simplicity of exploitation, this vulnerability is bound to be very popular among cybercriminals, and so it should be patched as soon as possible. CLFS is present in all Windows versions and so is the vulnerability. Exploitation does not require any user interaction and the vulnerability is already in use by at least one ransomware gang.
Another vulnerability to keep an eye on is CVE-2023-28231, a DHCP Server Service remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability. It is rated as critical with a CVSS score of 8.8 out of 10. Even though the attacker would need access to the network to successfully exploit this vulnerability, Microsoft has it listed as “Exploitation more likely.”
Another one that Microsoft deems more likely to be exploited is CVE-2023-21554, an RCE vulnerability in Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ) with a CVSS score of 9.8 out of 10. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would need to send a specially crafted malicious MSMQ packet to a MSMQ server. This could result in remote code execution on the server side.
A few others we can expect to see, especially in the form of email attachments, are several RCE vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office, Word, and Publisher [2]. All these vulnerabilities require the user to open a malicious file. So this is something we can typically expect to see a lot in phishing campaigns.
Other vendors
Other vendors have synchronized their periodic updates with Microsoft. Here are few major ones that you may find in your environment.
Adobe has released security updates for several products:
Apple released emergency updates for two known-to-be-exploited vulnerabilities.
Cisco released security updates for multiple products.
Malwarebytes removes all remnants of ransomware and prevents you from getting reinfected. Want to learn more about how we can help protect your business? Get a free trial below.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 is one of the best compact smartphones in the market at the moment. Well, ‘compact’ is a relative term in the world of smartphones, but it is smaller than most flagship-grade phones out there. In this article, we’ll pit it against its predecessor. We’ll compare the Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Samsung Galaxy S22. You may find this useful if you plan on upgrading, or are trying to decide whether to get last year’s model, or a new one.
Now, these two phones are quite similar in many ways, but the Galaxy S23 does have several advantages you may be interested in. Samsung did improve some main aspects of the phone this time around. We’ll first list their specifications, and will then compare them across a number of categories. Those categories include design, display, performance, battery, cameras, and audio.
These two devices do look very similar. The main differentiating factor can be found on the back. The Galaxy S22 has a dedicated camera island, which has all three camera sensors in it. That camera island connects to the frame on the side. The Galaxy S23, on the other hand, has three cameras sticking out of its backplate, without a special camera island or anything of the sort. Other than that, the two phones are very similar.
They both combine a metal frame with a glass back, and have rounded corners with rounded display corners. The bezels are very thin on both phones, while both devices also have a display camera hole that is centered. The physical buttons are located on the right-hand side in both cases. The protection on the back is different, though. The Galaxy S23 includes a newer Gorilla Glass Victus 2, while the Galaxy S22 features Gorilla Glass Victus+.
In terms of size, there’s not much difference either. The Galaxy S23 is 0.3mm taller, and 0.3mm wider, but you won’t notice that, as the difference is so minimal. They’re also about the same weight, at 168 grams. Well, the regular Galaxy S22 model is 1 gram lighter, while the mmWave variant weighs 168 grams as the Galaxy S23. That’s really not a difference at all, they feel very similar in the hand, and that goes for the weight too. Both phones do feel quite premium, and they’re quite slippery. If you’re looking for a compact, premium-feeling handset, they’re both ready for the part.
Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Samsung Galaxy S22: Display
Both of these phones include a 6.1-inch fullHD+ (2340 x 1080) Dynamic AMOLED 2X display. That display offers a 120Hz refresh rate on both phones, and the same goes for HDR10+ support. We’re also looking at the same display aspect ratio of 19.5:9 here, and also the same pixel density, of course. Both of those panels are flat, but they are not identical, though. The Galaxy S23 does have two advantages.
The Galaxy S23’s display does get considerably brighter. It goes up to 1,750 nits of peak brightness, while the Galaxy S22’s display can reach 1,300 nits maximum. This can be achieved through adaptive brightness only, though, you can’t go that high via the manual slider. Another advantage that the Galaxy S23 has is display protection. It comes with the Gorilla Glass Victus 2, compared to the Gorilla Glass Victus+ on the Galaxy S22. That’s not exactly a big difference, though.
Both of these displays look great. They’re vivid, sharp, and offer good viewing angles. The touch response is also good, we had no issues with either device. That brightness difference could be a major advantage for some of you, though. If you do spend a lot of time outside, in direct sunlight, you will notice the difference. The Galaxy S22’s panel is plenty bright in general, though.
Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Samsung Galaxy S22: Performance
The Galaxy S23 is the more powerful phone of the two, of course. It’s a generation newer, but it does not only come with a better SoC, but also with newer and faster RAM and storage units, which is not always the case from one generation to the next. The Galaxy S23 includes the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy SoC worldwide, along with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 flash storage (except the 128GB base model, which has UFS 3.1 storage). The Galaxy S22 is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in the US and most markets, while the Exynos 2200 fuels it in Europe. The Galaxy S22 also includes LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 flash storage.
Now, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy is a considerably better SoC than its predecessor. Not only is it more powerful, but it’s way better when it comes to power consumption. It also doesn’t heat up as much. Newer and faster RAM and storage will also help with future-proofing. So, if you do have a choice, getting the Galaxy S23 may be a better idea from a performance standpoint. That’s not the only reason for it, but it is one of the main reasons.
Having said that, both phones do perform well. With the exception of the Exynos 2200 variant of the Galaxy S22, which does tend to stutter more often. The Galaxy S22 with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 can easily keep up with the Galaxy S23 at this point. That is to be expected, as it’s Samsung’s flagship for last year. They both can handle pretty much any game out there, but the Galaxy S23 will provide better performance with the most demanding titles. Slightly better, but still. The Galaxy S23 is definitely the better performer of the two, but that is to be expected.
Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Samsung Galaxy S22: Battery
There is a 3,700mAh battery inside the Galaxy S22, while the Galaxy S23 includes a 3,900mAh unit. That may not seem like a big difference, but when you take the SoC, RAM and storage into account, it does make a difference. The Galaxy S23 actually offers considerably better battery life than its predecessor. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy is better with power consumption, and new RAM and storage do help as well.
The difference can be quite big actually. The Galaxy S23 should be able to go up to 6 hours of screen-on time if you’re not really pushing the device over the edge. Well, 5.5-6 hours of screen-on time. It will all depend on your usage, though. The Galaxy S22, on the flip side, couldn’t really go over the 4.5-hour mark for us, even landing lower than that at times. Your mileage may vary considerably, of course, but for us, the Galaxy S23 provided a lot better battery life, though still not the level of its bigger siblings, not even close.
When the charging is concerned, they’re basically identical. They both support 25W wired, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. Neither phone includes a charger in the box. The Galaxy S22 will charge slightly faster due to the fact it has a smaller battery, but the difference is not that big. It would be nice to see faster charging here, considering that the battery life is not outstanding on either phone, but… there you have it.
Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Samsung Galaxy S22: Cameras
As far as camera hardware is concerned, these two phones are quite similar. They both include a 50-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit (120-degree FoV), and a 10-megapixel telephoto camera (3x optical zoom). The performance is not identical, however. We did notice some improvements with the Galaxy S23 over the Galaxy S22. First of all, the shutter is faster, and that is something you will notice straight away if you’ve used the Galaxy S22.
The pictures are, in some cases, better optimized. That goes for HDR shots, and shots where there’s not a lot of light in the scene. Both phones tend to brighten up low light shots quite a bit and pull plenty of detail from the shadows. Images from both devices are more than sharp enough, and are generally very pleasant. They’re not too saturated, but tend to look a bit processed for effect. That’s what most people prefer either way.
The telephoto and ultrawide cameras do a good job on both phones. Not to the level of some other flagship-grade phones, but still, chances are most people will be happy with the performance. You’re getting a 3x optical zoom on both phones. The video recording is good, but nothing to write home about, that goes for both devices, as there are better phones for shooting videos out there, like the Galaxy S23 Ultra, for example.
Audio
There are stereo speakers included on both of these phones. They are tuned by AKG, and considering the size of both devices, they’re not bad. They sound really good, and are detailed enough. The sound is well-balanced, even though it cannot compete with the loudness of some larger phones, but that is to be expected. The output is loud enough, though. The Galaxy S23 does seem to have an edge in more than one way, though (details, bass and sound stage). It’s worth noting that the difference is minimal, though.
What you will not find on either phone is a 3.5mm headphone jack. You can connect your headphones via the Type-C port, which is included on both phones. If you opt for a wireless connection, Bluetooth 5.3 is supported on the Galaxy S23, while Bluetooth 5.2 support is included with the Galaxy S22.
It’s no secret that in this day and age, smartphone addiction poses a significant threat to children. The constant barrage of notifications, social media updates, and addictive games can make it difficult for children to put their phones down, leading to negative impacts on mental health, relationships, and academic performance. As a result, the parent group UsforThem has launched a campaign urging the UK government to ban smartphones for children under 16 and implement “tobacco-style health warnings” on mobile phone packaging.
The campaign has already gained traction amongst experts and MPs, including school reformer Katharine Birbalsingh, who believes that banning smartphones for children under 16 is necessary.
Birbalsingh argues the law already bans children from engaging in activities like drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, and watching certain films, so it makes sense to also ban smartphones. Additionally, British actress Sophie Winkleman, who also supports the movement, stated that the regular use of phones and social media apps, such as TikTok, hampers children’s ability to learn.
“The internet is a toxic wilderness we’re letting children stumble through without protection. I lived in California and spent time with bigwigs in Silicon Valley, and tellingly they did not let their children anywhere near screens,” said Winkleman.
Limiting children’s smartphone usage with parental controls
While the idea of banning smartphones for children may seem extreme, considering the increasing use of online classes, parents can still limit their children’s use of these devices without resorting to a ban.
Both iOS and Android offer parental control features that allow parents to set limits on their children’s app usage. For instance, Screen Time on iOS and Digital Wellbeing on Android both allow parents to set up usage restrictions, app limits, and content and privacy filter. Moreover, parents can also require approval for app installations and manage in-app purchases. Still, even with these parental management tools, it seems that some feel a ban is a more appropriate measure.
For some people, it’s not enough that their speakers sound good, they also have to look good. Edifier just unveiled its QD35 speaker, and it’s a device that strives to match great audio with great visuals. It’s a speaker with a built-in array of LED lights.
Android Headlines was given the opportunity to review this speaker, and we spent about three weeks testing it out. So, is this speaker worth your money, or is it just a big light show? Let’s find out.
Edifier QD35: Design and build quality
Without a doubt, the design is the most notable aspect of this speaker. The Edifier QD35 is a beautifully-crafted piece of hardware that’s a treat for the eyes as much as it is for the ears.
It almost has the aesthetic of devices from Carl Pei’s Nothing devices. The front of the device is made from transparent plastic, and it lets us see the LED light strips that line the bottom of the speaker and encircle the two drivers.
The lights and the drivers all sit against a reflective backing that resembles circuitry, and it looks stunning when it reflects the LED lights. When the lights are shining, it’s a sight to behold. Edifier really hit a home run with the design of the QD35.
Build quality
The build quality is another area where this speaker shines. When picking it up or touching it, you can feel that it was built using quality materials. The chassis is made from plastic, but it doesn’t feel cheap at all. Picking it up, you can feel a significant heft to it.
There are several buttons on the speaker, and none of them jiggle in their sockets or feel mushy. They’re all clicky and tactile. I have no complaints about the build quality. It’s a $200 speaker that feels like a $200 speaker.
Edifier QD35 sound quality
Now, let’s get down to the sound. As you can see, there are two drivers jutting from this speaker’s chassis. The smaller one is responsible for the higher frequencies and the larger one is for the lower frequencies. This tweeter/woofer combo makes for a great audio experience.
In my testing, it’s been able to produce a pleasantly balanced sound out of the box. It gets the job done with no complaints- but it’s not the greatest, to be honest. However, this is where the EQ presets and the custom equalizer come in handy. When you press the top knob twice, you’ll switch between different EQ modes. There’s a music, cinema, gaming, and custom EQ mode.
Each preset has its own characteristics, but using the custom EQ setting will give you more control over your sound. In order to customize your EQ, you’ll need to download the Edifier Connect app on your device. When you tap on the EQ option, you’ll be able to switch between the modes there too. When you go to the DIY setting, you’ll be able to tailor the sound to your liking.
Custom EQ
The app has a 6-band EQ- the bands are 62Hz, 250Hz, 1KHz, 4KHz, 8KHz, and 16KHz- that lets you tune the sound. When you make the adjustments, you’ll hear them take effect right away.
With a few adjustments to the EQ, the sound really takes on a whole new feeling. The sound quality of this speaker is good out of the box, but can really shine when you make your adjustments.
LDAC
If you want a higher bitrate when you’re listening to your music, you have the option to enable the LDAC audio codec on the speaker. This will give you higher-quality audio, which is great for audiophiles.
When you enable it, you’ll have two options. There’s the option for a sampling rate of 48KHz/44.1KHz. This gives you a high-quality sound with lower latency. However, if you want clearer audio, you can opt for the 96KHz sampling rate. This will have the best audio, but there will be a higher latency.
Edifier QD35: Lights
A huge part of this speaker’s aesthetic is the set of LED lights that sit on the inside of it. The lights reflect off of the glossy plastic back, and it makes for a heck of a show. On the right side of the speaker, there are two knobs. The bottom one adjusts the lights. Pressing it in will cycle through the five preset patterns.
Each pattern gives the speaker a certain personality. Rotating the knob adjusts the brightness of the lights. If you want to turn the lights off completely, you’ll just need to turn the brightness all the way down.
Customizing them
You’ll really see the potential of these lights once you open the Edifier Connect app. In the app, you’ll see unique customizations for each preset, and these customizations go deep. When you tap on the preset, you’ll see a grid of 34 colors that you can assign to the lights.
If you want more granular controls, you can tap on the preset button again to dial in the exact color you want. You can either enter the RGB values or the HEX code. If you want to save that color as a preset, you can press the “+” button on the bottom.
Not only that, but you can also change the speed of the light pattern. Most patterns have some sort of motion to them. Some pulsate and some light individual LEDs to create all types of motion. There’s a button that lets you control how fast the lights move and operate.
Additional light patterns
You can cycle through five patterns using the hardware button, but there are more that you can access in the app. There’s a stationary setting that keeps the lights on and four more that can be accessed in the More section. You, unfortunately, don’t have as many customization options for those, but they’re still nice to have.
Gripes
There are a few gripes that I have with this speaker and their minor at best. For starters, there are only 16 volume levels. This makes it tough to find the right volume at times.
The only other gripe is that you can’t turn off the front display. On the front of the speaker, you’ll see the time along with which EQ mode you’re using. It’d be nice if there was a way to turn it off completely. They’re pretty bright, especially at night.
Conclusion
All in all, Edifier did a knock-out job on the QD35. The sound is well-balanced and very customizable. Also, it’s a beautiful piece of hardware that really catches the eye. For the price of $200, I highly recommend that you pick it up.
Curious about other Edifier products?
If you want to read more AH reviews of Edifier products check these out:
In an interview with BBC, Elon Musk said his experience of owning Twitter has been “quite painful” and like a “rollercoaster.”
The billionaire took over Twitter for $44bn in October last year. Since then, he has been making the headlines for various reasons, including laying off staff or adding new features to the platform. In a recent interview with BBC, Musk talked about his experience as the Twitter owner and the way he’s running the company.
First, Elon Musk said he bought Twitter because a judge would probably force him to complete the purchase after the initial buyout offer. To renew your memory, Musk wanted to withdraw his offer to buy Twitter because he believed the company lied about the number of users. Twitter later tried to sue him because of his withdrawal.
The interesting thing about the interview is Twitter has recently labeled BCC as a government-funded media while it claims it’s a publicly funded network. Musk said he would change the label while he knows “BBC is generally not thrilled about being labeled state media.”
Elon Musk talks about his “painful” experience owning Twitter, defending everything he has done so far
The billionaire added that he has been in a “really quite a stressful situation over the last several months” but never regretted the decision and believed it was the right thing to do. Additionally, everything in the company is going “reasonably well.” Musk also alluded to his habit of sleeping in the office, saying he has a couch in a library “that nobody goes to.”
One of the most controversial decisions by Elon Musk was reducing the Twitter staff from over 8,000 to about 1,500. Musk said he didn’t fire employees in person because it’s impossible to talk to many people face to face. He also believes the decision was not “uncaring” because “if the whole ship sinks, then nobody’s got a job.”
Lastly, the second richest man on the planet says the company is now “roughly breaking even” as advertisers are returning. “We could be profitable, or to be more precise, cash flow positive this quarter if things keep going well. I think almost all advertisers have come back or said they are going to come back.” He added.
NVIDIA’s 40-series cards have been available in a few models since last year, but none of them were the RTX 4070, which the company just announced today alongside its official retail price. Of course, what NVIDIA charges for the MSRP of its in-house card compared to what its partners may charge is another story.
Not to mention the card could make its way to third-party sellers who will charge a premium, as has been the case since the 30-series cards launched a few years ago. But if you’re lucky enough to snag one at its normal price, you’ll be looking at paying a mostly reasonable $599.
Compared to the asking price of GPUs like the RTX 4090, the upcoming 4070 shouldn’t be out of the question for many PC gaming enthusiasts. Sure, it won’t have the performance power of the high-end cards. But if the absolute pinnacle of gaming graphics isn’t your main concern, it should serve to be a great upgrade for consumers who are on older GPUs. It may even be worth upgrading to if you’re on an RTX 3060. Of course that all depends on your personal wants as a gamer.
The RTX 4070 GPU will launch at a $599 price on April 13
Those who have been waiting on the RTX 4070 won’t have to wait much longer to purchase one. As NVIDIA confirms the newest GPU in its 40-series lineup will go on sale on April 13. It’ll be available from select retailers and should be available directly from NVIDIA. Though where you’re able to find one might depend on available stock. And considering the reasonable price, stock may not last long.
In addition to the Founders Edition card, the RTX 4070 will also be available from NVIDIA’s partners. Including PNY, ASUS, Colorful, Gainward, GALAX, GIGABYTE, INNO3D, KFA2, MSI, Palit, and Zotac. Prices for the partner models aren’t mentioned but they should be relatively close to what NVIDIA is offering.
Should you end up buying one of these cards between April 13 and May 8, you’ll get the Overwatch 2 Ultimate Battlepass as a freebie. Which comes with 2,000 Overwatch 2 coins, 20 tier skips and a bunch of other extras. Of course, you could also just sign up for GeForce NOW’s Ultimate tier which gives you RTX 4080 performance in the cloud if a new GPU isn’t in your budget.
