MacStealer could be an infamous stealer in the making, but right now, it needs improvement, according to Malwarebytes expert.
A new macOS malware—called MacStealer—that is capable of stealing various files, cryptocurrency wallets, and details stored in specific browsers like Firefox, Chrome, and Brave, was discovered by security researchers from Uptycs, a cybersecurity company specializing in cloud security. It can also extract the base64-encoded form of the database of Keychain, Apple’s password manager. Users of macOS Catalina (10.5) and versions dependent on Intel M1 and M2 are affected by this malware.
And while MacStealer appears to be the mac malware to watch, it is pretty rudimentary, according to Thomas Reed, Malwarebytes’ director of core technology. “There is no persistence method, and it relies on the user opening the app,” he adds, considering the foreseeable features the developer wants to add to MacStealer in the future.
MacStealer uses channels in Telegram as its command-and-control (C2) center. The malware has been promoted on a dark web forum since the beginning of March. According to the developers, it’s still in the early beta stage, thus lacking a builder and panel. These are also why the developers distribute MacStealer as a malware-as-a-service (MaaS), selling at a low price of $100 and promising more advanced features in the future.
MacStealer arrives to target macOS systems as an unsigned disk image (.DMG) file. Users are manipulated to download and execute this file onto their systems. Once achieved, a bogus password prompts users in an attempt to steal their real password. MacStealer then saves the password in the affected system’s temporary folder (TMP).
The malware then proceeds to collect and save the following also within the TMP folder:
Account passwords, browser cookies, and stored credit card details in Firefox, Chrome, and Brave
MacStealer also compresses everything it stole in a ZIP file and sends it to remote C&C servers for the threat actor to collect later. At the same time, a summary version of the information it stole is sent to pre-configured Telegram channels, alerting the threat actor that new stolen data is available for download.
A data summary of what has been stolen by MacStealer. The threat actors receive this on their personal Telegram bot. (Source: Uptycs)
MacStealer being an unsigned DMG file is also a barrier for anyone, especially beginners, attempting to run the program on a modern mac, said Malwarebytes’ Reed. “Its attempt at phishing for login passwords is not very convincing and would probably only fool a novice user. But such a user is exactly the type who would have trouble opening it.”
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This time around, we’re comparing the very best of Apple vs the best of OPPO. In other words, we’ll be comparing the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max vs OPPO Find X6 Pro. Both of these smartphones are huge, powerful, and expensive. The thing is, they’re very different, though. That not only goes for their design, but internals, and software as well. Before we begin, do note that at the time of writing this article, the OPPO Find X6 Pro was launched in China only. There’s still hope for a global unit, though. We did review it recently, and it turns out it’s an outstanding phone.
We’ll first list the specs of both smartphones, and will then get down to comparing them across a number of categories. We’ll compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, camera performance, and audio output. There’s a lot to talk about here, that’s for sure, so let’s get down to it.
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max vs OPPO Find X6 Pro: Design
Both of these phones are made out of metal and glass. The OPPO Find X6 Pro does come in a vegan leather variant too, on which most of the back is covered by vegan leather, and only a smaller portion with glass. The iPhone 14 Pro Max uses stainless steel for its frame, while the Find X6 Pro utilizes aluminum. Apple’s flagship has flat sides, and it’s also flat on the front and the back. OPPO’s flagship, on the other hand, has plenty of curves, and even its display is curved.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max has uniform bezels, and a pill-shaped cutout on the front. The OPPO Find X6 Pro has extremely thin bezels, and a centered display camera hole. If we flip them around, you’ll notice completely different camera islands. The one on the iPhone 14 Pro Max sits in the top-left corner, and includes three cameras. The OPPO Find X6 Pro’s camera island is centered in the upper portion of the phone’s back, it’s circular, and huge. It also houses three cameras, though.
Both of these smartphones are very large, actually. The Find X6 Pro is a bit taller than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, but also a bit more narrow. It’s also thicker than what Apple has to offer. Apple’s flagship is, however, heavier, considerably heavier, mainly due to its stainless steel frame. If you don’t like large phones, you should stay away from both of them. The iPhone 14 Pro Max is a bit more difficult to handle in one hand as it has flat sides and it’s also wider. They’re both very slippery, and not one-hand friendly at all. They do feel premium in the hand, though. It’s also worth noting that both offer IP68 certification for water and dust resistance.
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max vs OPPO Find X6 Pro: Display
The iPhone 14 Pro Max includes a 6.7-inch QHD+ (2796 x 1290) LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display. This panel is flat, and it supports a 120Hz refresh rate. It actually offers an adaptive refresh rate. It gets up to 2,000 nits of brightness at its peak, and it’s protected by the Ceramic Shield Glass. This display has an aspect ratio of 19.5:9, in case you were wondering.
The OPPO Find X6 Pro, on the other hand, has a 6.82-inch QHD+ (3168 x 1440) LTPO3 AMOLED display. This panel is curved, and it has a 120Hz refresh rate, which is also adaptive. It supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+ content. This panel gets up to 2,500 nits of brightness at its peak. It is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus 2, by the way.
The bottom line is, both of these displays are outstanding. They both also offer great protection, and are two of the brightest display in the market at the moment. The Find X6 Pro’s display does get a bit brighter, though. Both offer great viewing angles, deep blacks, and those vivid AMOLED colors. They’re also more than sharp enough, and the touch response is really good on both panels. These are both premium offerings, that get immensely bright, so you can’t really go wrong with either.
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max vs OPPO Find X6 Pro: Performance
The iPhone 14 Pro Max comes with the Apple A16 Bionic SoC. It also includes 6GB of RAM and NVMe storage. The OPPO Find X6 Pro is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, while it includes up to 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and UFS 4.0 flash storage. They also both include the latest software possible, iOS 16 in the case of the iPhone 14 Pro Max, while the Find X6 Pro comes with Android 13 and ColorOS on top of it.
Both phones do perform admirably, to say the least. It’s a real struggle to get them to slow down, that’s for sure. They fly through regular, everyday tasks, and the same actually goes for gaming. Multitasking is not a problem at all, and the same goes for more processor-intensive tasks too. Image editing, video editing, browsing, consuming multimedia, everything works great.
Even when it comes to gaming, they shine. Both phones can run the most demanding games from their respective app stores (you’ll have to sideload the Play Store on the FInd X6 Pro, but that’s really easy to do). Even Genshin Impact runs great on both smartphones, a game that can really test the performance prowess of phones. You don’t really have to worry about performance on either phone, as long as you remember that the Find X6 Pro is made for the Chinese market, so beware of some software quirks.
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max vs OPPO Find X6 Pro: Battery
The iPhone 14 Pro Max includes a 4,323mAh battery on the inside, while the OPPO Find X6 Pro has a 5,000mAh battery. Apple’s iOS devices usually need smaller batteries than Android phones, and this 4,323mAh unit is actually plenty big for the iPhone 14 Pro Max. They both offer great battery life, actually. Based on our experience, the iPhone 14 Pro Max can usually squeeze you a bit more usage time, but the difference is not that big.
Getting over 8 hours of screen-on-time is possible on both smartphones, with some juice left in the tank. Do note that we didn’t really play games, other than for testing purposes. Both phones have been used quite heavily during our usage, though. Your mileage may differ, though, of course. Your usage will be different, as will the apps you use, and also your signal, all of which affect battery life in different ways.
As far as charging is concerned, it’s not even a competition. The Find X6 Pro blows the iPhone 14 Pro Max out of the water. It supports 100W wired, 50W wireless, and 10W reverse wireless charging. On top of that, it includes a 100W charger in the box. The iPhone 14 Pro Max supports 20W wired, 15W MagSafe wireless, and 7.5W Qi wireless charging. It does not have a charger in the box.
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max vs OPPO Find X6 Pro: Cameras
The iPhone 14 Pro Max is equipped with a 48-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit (120-degree FoV), and a 12-megapixel telephoto camera (3x optical zoom). The OPPO Find X6 Pro has a 50-megapixel main camera (1-inch camera sensor), a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera (110-degree FoV), and a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto unit (2.8x optical zoom, 65mm lens).
Looking strictly at the camera hardware, OPPO is better-equipped, that’s for sure. It has a better camera setup, does that reflect in the end results, though? Well, it all depends on the shooting scenarios, and a number of other factors. Truth be said, most of the time, we did prefer the shots from the OPPO Find X6 Pro. That 1-inch main camera gives out nice, natural bokeh, and makes the shots look more professional. For portrait photography, the telephoto camera is perfect, while the ultrawide camera also did a fantastic job. On top of that, zooming in on objects that are further away is also possible with this setup, and it does a great job due to the fact OPPO opted for an IMX890 sensor here, and did a great job software-wise.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max does a great job balancing out shots, and keeping things consistent across its cameras. The shots end up looking great from all three cameras, most of the time. It does sometimes struggle in tricky HDR situations, though that’s something the Find X6 Pro also tends to do. Those situations are very rare, though. The telephoto camera did a great job, but we preferred what the Find X6 Pro delivered in that regard. The Find X6 Pro tends to provide moodier shots at night, with more emphasis on colors. The iPhone 14 Pro Max leans on the true-to-life side of things. The iPhone 14 Pro Max still wins in the video department, but not by much.
Audio
You will find a set of stereo speakers on each of these devices. Those speakers tend to sound really good. They’re not only loud enough, but more than clear enough, and even throw some bass into the mix. We did prefer what the Find X6 Pro delivered, as the soundstage on it sounded a bit wider, but not by much.
A 3.5mm headphone jack is not included on either phone. You’ll have to use their charging ports in order to hook up your headphones via a wire. If you’d like to go wireless, both phones are equipped with Bluetooth 5.3.
The flip and foldable design industry is becoming more competitive, and the Vivo X Flip will soon be the newest entry. This device will launch in the coming months as the fourth foldable device to Vivo’s name. Details of this device are still unclear at this moment, but its official images have leaked.
This leak leaves little to the imagination regarding the flip smartphone’s cover. Like most other flip devices, this coming entry from Vivo features an impressive cover display. Vivo will be sure to slap some software features on that cover display to make it functional for users.
By doing this, Vivo will make the cover display usable for certain tasks with the device folded. What are the actual specifications of this device, and when will it launch? For now, it is only possible to vouch for this device’s design, and this is everything you need to know.
Vivo X Flip cover design and screen cutout revealed in a recent leak
Popular and reliable tipster Digital Chat Station took to his Weibo account to share an image of this device. The coming Vivo X Flip has been in the shadows for a while now, but it is finally getting ready to make an official appearance. Finally, netizens have a glimpse of what this clamshell folding device will look like ahead of its launch.
The tipster via his Weibo page shared an image of the device in a model’s hand. This image seems to be a promotional piece for the coming device. To support this, the image seemed to be taken during a photo shoot and the model is the popular Wang Ziwen.
Zooming into the image reveals in-depth details about this coming foldable device. The first notable feature that will catch your eye is its cover display which turns out to be larger than that found on the Z Flip 4. It might measure over 3 inches, just like the OPPO Find N2 Flip device.
But unlike the OPPO Find N2 Flip, this clamshell folding device from Vivo brings a landscape-oriented screen. Through this screen, users will be able to control certain widgets and check the time and most notifications. The available image already shows some details that one can see through the landscape-oriented cover display.
With this device, Vivo will stick with its circular camera cutout and also bring an impressive design pattern. The Vivo X Flip will come with a dual rear camera cutout, with the flashlights placed further to the right-hand side. Certainly, this device will come with Zeiss-branded camera lenses for taking incredible images.
Instead of sticking with a plane finish on the back panel, Vivo threw on some texture and patterns. This will help make the device look more attractive, and it might also improve grip. More information on this device’s design and specifications will be made available in the coming weeks.
The primary target of the OpcJacker Crypto malware campaign are unsuspecting users in Iran who were tricked into downloading an archive file that contained the novel Opcjacker malware.
Trend Micro cybersecurity researchers discovered a new malvertising campaign in February 2023 targeting Iranian users and distributing Opcjacker malware. They dubbed the malware Opcjacker due to its opcode configuration design and cryptocurrency-stealing capabilities.
The use of VPNs in malvertising attacks against Iranian users should not be surprising. In October 2022, Iranian hackers were spreading “RatMilad” Android spyware disguised as a VPN app.
The campaign works through a network of fake websites that promote harmless-looking crypto apps and other software. In the newly analyzed sample, malvertisements were hidden inside a genuine VPN app. Users in Iran were tricked into downloading an archive file that contained the novel Opcjacker malware.
The fake website distributing the OpcJacker crypto stealer (Credit: Trend Micro)
How Does the Attack Work?
Malware loads automatically by patching a legit DLL library in an installed program, which loads the next malicious DLL library. This library eventually runs the shellcode that contains the loader and runner of another malicious app. This app is different from Opcjacker as it has been assembled from data chunks stored in files of WAV, CHM, and other formats.
Analyzing Opcjacker
Researchers noted that Opcjacker is a novel and interesting malware. Its configuration file has a custom file format resembling custom virtual machine code that outlines the stealer’s behaviour.
In the configuration file, researchers found numeric hexadecimal identifiers that force the malware to perform certain functions and make it difficult for researchers to identify the malware’s code flow.
“The configuration file format resembles a bytecode written in a custom machine language, where each instruction is parsed, individual opcodes are obtained, and then the specific handler is executed,” researchers wrote in the report.
Opcjacker’s Capabilities and Functionalities
In this campaign, scammers have concealed Opcjacker through a crypter called Babadeda. It uses the configuration file for activating the malware’s data-stealing capabilities, running arbitrary shellcode, and other executables.
The malware’s functions include capturing screenshots, keylogging, loading new modules, stealing private/sensitive user data from browsers, and hijacking cryptocurrency wallets by replacing addresses in the clipboard.
In addition, Opcjacker can deliver next-stage payloads like NetSupport RAT along with an hVNC (hidden virtual network computing) variant to allow the attacker remote access.
The infection chain
Researchers believe the campaign is financially motivated because Opcjacker can steal cryptocurrency. The malware is being distributed in the wild since at least mid-2022 in different malvertising campaigns but it is still evolving and under active development.
Ferrari’s woes seem to be continuing from F1 tracks to their data. And surprisingly, ransomware today encrypts files as fast as a Ferrari V8 goes from 0 to 60 mph.
The current ransomware attack means cybercriminals now have access to confidential client data. Remarkably, this isn’t the first time Ferrari has been the victim of a ransomware attack; in October of last year, critical documents belonging to the brand were leaked online.
A total of 6.99GB of internal data was made public by a ransomware gang, RansomEXX, on its Tor leak site, which included critical documents, datasheets, and repair manuals, amongst other items.
And with the issue at hand, cybercriminals were successful in infiltrating the IT system of the luxury sports car maker, then asked for a ransom in return for the data after encrypting it. Ferrari, though, has put on a brave face and decided not to pay the ransom. Instead, it issued the following letter to its customers.
Despite the communique stating no payment information was compromised, what was compromised was Ferrari’s reputation—a company that has been seen as a symbol of luxury, pride, and exclusivity. In hindsight, this incident paints a worrisome picture of Ferrari’s data security, especially with this being the second attack within 6 months.
A recent survey reveals that 80% of enterprises that have experienced a ransomware attack are bound to experience it multiple times. Ferrari is a glaring example. This incident showcases the need for cybersecurity for all businesses, regardless of industry or size. Even companies as prestigious as Ferrari are not immune to cyber threats and must take proactive steps to protect themselves against cyber attacks.
With Endpoint Central, you can prevent cyberattacks by leveraging its ransomware protection capabilities – a mu. lit-patented reactive solution. Besides providing ransomware detection and mitigation, the module allows seamless recovery of the infected files.
Here is an overview of the ransomware protection capabilities
Detection of suspicious file activity by leveraging behavior analysis and patented technology assisted by machine learning.
Restoration of files upon a single click.
Endpoint security 24×7, even when not connected to the internet.
Zero definition updates, hence no downtime.
Detection accuracy by leveraging patented technology leads to fewer false positives.
Instant alerts on ransomware detection.
Various security solutions, including data loss protection, application control, peripheral device control, browser security, and vulnerability management.
If you’ve recently picked up a new TV, you probably think that the included speakers sound pretty good. Well, you’re wrong. Most TV makers are looking to make their TVs as thin as possible, and therefore the speakers take a hit. So getting a soundbar is definitely important. And we have the best soundbars listed here.
This list contains soundbars from JBL, Samsung, TCL, Sony, Sonos and many others. All of which are really great options.
Best Soundbars
Whether you only have a hundred bucks to spend, or you can afford over a grand, there’s something here for everyone. Of course, the more you spend, the more functionality and the better the sound will be. For instance, there are a couple of Dolby Atmos soundbars on this best of list, however, they are not cheap.
This list gets updated monthly.
Samsung HW-Q990B
One of the best soundbars on the market, period, the Samsung HW-Q990B is a great option here with 11.1.4-channel sound. It comes with the rear speaker kit, as well as a wireless subwoofer. Giving you a really great sound experience here. It also offers up Dolby Atmos. Giving you the best home theater setup available.
On the software side of things, the HW-Q990B offers up AirPlay 2 and Amazon Alexa. Allowing you to control the soundbar with your voice, and instantly play content from your phone onto the soundbar.
The Sonos Ray is a cheaper Dolby Atmos soundbar from the company. It comes in at normally $299, but you can typically find it on sale for around $249. It’s a pretty small soundbar and is really built for TVs that are under 50-inches. But it’ll work for anything.
This is a Sonos speaker, so it has the great sound that you’d expect from the company. It also works with its multi-room audio. So you can sync this with other Sonos speakers around your home.
The JBL Bar 5.1 is what I would call a “simplistic” sound bar. This is because it is a pretty inexpensive one, and doesn’t have a lot of the frills of more expensive soundbars, but it still has plenty of oomf to really shake your living room.
It comes with the soundbar, which is about the same length as a 40-inch TV. And it also has a wireless subwoofer, which is what will really make your house shake. The bass is very deep here. And it provides virtual surround sound. You can upgrade to the JBL Bar 9.1 for full on surround sound though.
This is what we’d call a “no-frills” soundbar. As it doesn’t have all of the latest technology like Chromecast, Dolby Atmos, etc. But it does give you some really great sound for the price.
With the Samsung HW-Q950T soundbar, you’re getting a soundbar, plus a subwoofer and two satellite speakers. For true wireless surround sound. Which is something you’d expect at this price point.
Samsung has included true 3D Surround Sound, along with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, giving you some incredible audio out of this system. It’s a huge upgrade for your TV, and at $1400, it definitely should be.
There is adaptive sound here, which will analyze your content to automatically deliver optimized sound, based on each scene. This is going to allow you to hear speech clearly even at the lowest volume.
Samsung has also included Amazon Alexa, allowing you to use this as an Echo, and play your music on your surround sound system by using your voice.
The TCL Alto 7+ is one of the cheaper soundbars on this list, and one of the only in this price range that comes with a wireless subwoofer. It’s pretty surprising to see this come with a sub-woofer actually.
But the TCL Alto 7+ is pretty impressive, when it comes to sound quality. The bass is nice and deep, without drowning out the mids and highs. It does also have unrestricted IR support, so you can control it through your TV’s remote.
This is a pretty minimal soundbar from TCL, and it doesn’t have a flashy design. It’s also made for smaller TVs, like 32 and 40-inch TVs. Though it will work with others too.
Now this, is our cheapest soundbar on our list. It has a regular price of $129, but it is almost always $98 or less. Normally, soundbars that are under $100 are just crap. But that is not the case with the S100F.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Sony takes audio seriously. After all, they are a record label as well as a movie studio. So they want their content to sound good on their products. Even if they are “cheap”.
This does use HDMI ARC for connecting to your TV. So you can easily control it with your TV at the same time. Which is a really neat feature to have.
The bass one this one isn’t super over-powering like the others on this list. And that mostly comes down to the fact that this does not have a wireless subwoofer available. But it is a huge upgrade over your built-in TV speakers. Even at $100.
The Sonos Beam is one of the more compact soundbars on this list, without sacrificing audio quality. And it is a perfect pick up if you already have Sonos speakers in your home.
With the Beam, you’re getting the choice of either Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant in your home, connected to your TV. This is a smart soundbar. It also works with the other Sonos speakers out there, so you can easily create a wireless surround sound setup, with the Sonos One, or the PLAY:5, or any of the other speakers that Sonos has. Which is a really incredible experience.
Sonos does really well with its sound quality too. With the bass being very bumpy, but not over-powering. And the mids and highs are still crystal clear. There is also an EQ built-in, that you can use to adjust the audio if you wish.
All of that fits into this package that can easily fill a room with sound, and doesn’t even come with a remote. Because it is completely controlled by your TV.
If you have used Bose products over the years, then you know, pretty much what to expect here with the Bose Soundbar 500. This soundbar is a pretty good option for those that want good audio quality, but don’t want a ton of bass in their soundbar.
The sound signature from Bose is very rich, and you can definitely hear that in the Bose Soundbar 500.
Additionally, this soundbar also comes with Amazon Alexa built-in. Making this like a huge Echo smart speaker that you can use to control your smart home speakers and such. It’s a really great all-around soundbar from Bose, which is why it has made it into our best soundbars list.
Sony doesn’t just do cheap soundbars, like another option on this list. It does also do some premium soundbars like the Sony Z9F. This is a really good looking soundbar, with a wireless subwoofer included. It’s a 3.1-channel soundbar, which will provide you with some incredible sound.
It is 4K HDR capable. And it also includes support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, giving you a really incredible sound experience. You can also tune the audio to your liking, so if you want more bass, you can choose to do just that.
Amazon Alexa is built-in, so you can ask Alexa to stream music from Amazon Music Unlimited, Spotify, Apple Music and many other services. In addition to using it for audio from your TV.
Here’s when we get into the fun soundbars on this list, that do more than just offer great sound. The Roku Smart Soundbar is exactly that. You can think of it as a soundbar, with a Roku built-in. That means that it does connect to your TV using HDMI ARC. But with this, you won’t need to buy a Roku, as all of that is inside this soundbar.
It comes with a Roku remote, so you can control it and your TV using this remote. It’s also going to provide some really great sound for your TV. This is a small-ish soundbar, but the sound is definitely not small. It can easily fill your room with sound. And it’s super simple to set up as well.
The Roku Smart Soundbar does also include support for up to 4K HDR. So if you have a 4K HDR TV already, then this is a great addition. As you can watch Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV and more, via your soundbar. Which sounds kinda crazy when you say it out loud. But it’s true.
If you’re invested in the Sonos ecosystem, then the Arc is a really good choice. But then again, why would you buy this over the Beam, which is half the price?
Two reasons. One, this has Dolby Atmos support – the first Sonos product to offer it. And two, it’s a larger speaker, with more audio. Making it better for larger rooms, and larger TVs.
The Sonos Arc can still work with a surround sound setup – using two Sonos One speakers, PLAY:5’s, etc. Which is one of the more compelling reasons to buy the Arc. It also offers up some really deep bass, with crystal clear mids and highs. Like the Beam, the Arc can also be controlled via the Sonos app. So you can adjust the EQ to your liking, and also group speakers together, much easier.
With Dolby Atmos and 3D sound available on the Sonos Arc, it makes it a really great soundbar to pick up. Even though the price is a bit tough to swallow.
It’s worth noting that the Arc is unavailable almost everywhere. Due to the pandemic, and how popular the Arc is, Sonos has had a hard time keeping it on store shelves. Just a heads up.
This is a 5.1.2-channel soundbar with subwoofer from LG. But it can be expanded to 7.1.2-channels, with satellite speakers that are sold separately. Allowing you to expand it if you wish to do so, making it modular. One of the only soundbars on this list to do 7.1.2-channel.
It’s a hi-res audio soundbar, so you’re going to absolutely love the audio that comes out of this one. It also has 570W of power, which is a lot. When we talk about shaking the house with sound, this one can really do it.
In addition to hi-res audio, it also has Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support. So no matter your audio profile of preference, the SN10YG supports it. Giving you a really incredible soundbar and wireless subwoofer setup.
LG has also included the Google Assistant in this soundbar. So you can simply say “OK Google” and have it play your favorite music, turn on your TV and even control your smart home products. To name a few things. There’s also Casting ability available on the SN10YG, giving you the ability to cast music from your smartphone.
Overall, this is probably the best soundbar that you can pick up in 2020, though it is one of the most expensive so it should be. If you really care about audio and are an audiophile, then this is the soundbar to pick up this holiday season.
With the Polk Audio Signa S2, you’re getting a premium soundbar and included wireless subwoofer, without the premium cost.
It includes five powerful full-range drivers, that will deliver beautiful rich sound, with deep bass. It does not have Dolby Atmos, but does have Dolby Digital Decoding which is going to maximize the sound clarity and reduces voice delays.
The Signa S2 does not use HDMI to connect to your TV, instead it uses the optical port. And there is IR support so you can use your TV remote to control the audio on the Signa S2 soundbar.
You can wireless stream music directly from your smartphone, but not via Cast. Polk Audio has their own technology for this. So it’s not quite as good as the other speakers on this list, but at $149, you’re getting a whole lot of sound. And that is definitely good to see.
Twitter’s verification program has been a hot topic of discussion lately, especially since Elon Musk, the CEO of Twitter, announced that the company would be phasing out the legacy verification for all users. However, it looks like Twitter has revised its plans, as the company will now provide free verification to the top 500 advertisers and the top 10,000 organizations.
This move comes as Twitter prepares to discontinue its legacy verification program and launch a new program called Twitter Verification for Organizations. Under this new program, verified companies will have to pay $1,000 per month to maintain their verification status and identify specific accounts as “affiliated.” Moreover, Twitter will also charge $50 for each affiliated account.
“We’ve already seen organizations, including sports teams, news organizations, financial firms, Fortune 500 companies, and nonprofits join Verified Organizations and list their affiliated accounts publicly on their profiles. And starting today, Verified Organizations are available globally. “We are now sending email invitations to approved organizations from the waitlist,” says Twitter.
Improving relations with advertisers
The move is a welcome one for advertisers, as it could help repair strained relationships with Twitter. The platform’s revenue has declined since Musk became CEO, with over 500 advertisers leaving the platform in response to his changes. Therefore, a $1,000 monthly fee could have been the final straw for many advertisers, but if Twitter verifies for free, they won’t have to make that decision.
While Twitter’s decision to charge organizations and businesses for the verification checkmark may offer a new revenue stream to the struggling platform, smaller companies and startups may find it difficult to pay the $1,000 per month fee.
As a result, many businesses and owners have expressed their criticism including, William LeGate, the co-founder of Pillow Fight, who believes the charge is “outlandish” and “meaningless,” as the blue checkmark didn’t even offer significant boosts in engagement.
Regardless if you are looking to make a list, note down a new awesome quote or keep track of all of your favorite recipes, Keep can help you do that with style and ease. Google’s notation app has been around for ten years now, and it keeps getting better.
Now, the app has received a brand new feature, which is exclusive to Android phones with big screens, foldable smartphones and tablets. Namely: multi-instance support. This only makes sense, as the same feature has been added to apps like Sheets and Docs. Not only that, but it would be a total game changer on productivity powerhouses like the best foldable Android phones.
Thanks to this new feature, users on large Android phones of all formfactor and… foldfactor, will be able to run two instances of Keep side-by-side. This will help you transfer items more quickly, keep track of progress and goals or just compare notes.
An example of the feature as seen on Google’s blog.
In order to try out the multi-instanced feature on Keep, you’ll need to do the following:
Open Keep on your Android device
Highlight a note/list through tapping on it and holding
Tap the three dotted menu on the upper right corner
Select “Open in new window”
Voila! Now you should have the previously selected note to the right
Naturally, this leaves you free to select any other note or simply browse through all of your other entries to the right. This is pretty much like multitasking, only with a double instance of Keep itself. You are free to attempt these steps on your own phone or tablet, but if you don’t see the “Open in new window” option, that might be due to one of two things: you are behind on your updates or your phone just ain’t big enough.
The Tor browser guarantees that your communication remains operational through a decentralized network of transfers maintained by volunteers located worldwide.
It safeguards your internet connection from prying eyes by preventing any individual from monitoring the websites you visit, shields your physical location from being disclosed to the websites you browse, and enables access to blocked websites.
Numerous reasons exist for why individuals may seek to share files anonymously, with the most prominent being the case of whistleblowers or political activists striving to avoid persecution.
When a user initiates Tor, it initially passes through the first node in the circuit chosen from a pool of 2500 out of 7000 computers referred to as the “Entry Guard.” These nodes are known for their high uptime and availability.
New Mullvad Browser
A new browser was launched today, featuring an alternative infrastructure that includes a layer of VPN support in place of the Tor network.
With the new Mullvad Browser, anyone can fully utilize the privacy features developed by the Tor Project.
“Mullvad Browser, a free, privacy-preserving web browser to challenge the all-too-prevalent business model of exploiting people’s data for profit,” Torproject said.
Today we announced the Mullvad Browser – built by the Tor Project. A browser allowing anyone to take advantage of the privacy protections of Tor Browser without Tor. 👀 Learn more here: https://t.co/TW9MfXFrK5
This could be another privacy-focused browser that does not require extensions or plugins to bolster its privacy features.
“Our goal was to give users the privacy protections of Tor Browser without Tor. For instance, the Mullvad Browser applies a “hide-in-the-crowd” approach to online privacy by creating a similar fingerprint for all of its users.”
The Mullvad Browser has a default private mode that obstructs third-party trackers and cookies while providing convenient cookie deletion options.
Mullvad aims to handle all of that for you, allowing you to open the browser with the assurance that you are not easily traceable.
“Our mission at the Tor Project is to advance human rights by building technology that protects people’s privacy, provides anonymity and helps them bypass censorship.”
“We want to free the internet from mass surveillance and a VPN alone is not enough to achieve privacy. From our perspective there has been a gap in the market for those who want to run a privacy-focused browser as good as the Tor Project’s but with a VPN instead of the Tor Network,” says Jan Jonsson, CEO at Mullvad VPN.
The Tor Project has released a statement affirming that the Tor Browser will continue to evolve and enhance its capabilities.
We’ve been waiting a few years for a OnePlus-branded tablet to hit the market, and that day is finally near. The OnePlus Pad is official, and the device finally has a pre-order date. The only bit of information we’re waiting for is the price (via XDA developers).
OnePlus announced this device back when it unveiled the OnePlus 11. While we were seeing the “Shape of power”, we were introduced to the powerful OnePlus Pad.
Looking at the specs that OnePlus loaded this tablet with, we can tell that it’s meant for power users. Starting off with the display, we’re looking at an 11.6-inch AMOLED display with a 2880 x 2000 resolution that runs at 144Hz. It will have a peak brightness of 500nits, so you’ll be most comfortable using it inside.
The display has a unique 7:5 aspect ratio that the company is calling the ReadFit Screen. OnePlus says that this is perfect for reading all types of documents and e-books. It’s pretty close to being a square, so we’ll need to see how that looks.
Moving onto the internals, this tablet is powered by the flagship-grade MediaTek Dimensity 9000. This is the company’s answer to the latest Snapdragon processors. That’s backed up by a respectable 12GB of RAM. This means that you should expect great performance.
Keeping the lights on, there’s a large 9510mAh battery. That’s a decent size battery for this tablet, so you should get a lot of work and play done. It supports 67W Super VOOC charging, and the company claims that it’ll get the tablet up to 90% battery on a one-hour charge.
We’re still in the dark on the price
So, you’ll be able to pre-order the OnePlus Pad starting on April 28th. The question is: how much will it cost to pre-order it? It has a sharp display, a large battery, fast charging, a flagship processor, and tons of RAM. With specs like those, we shouldn’t expect it to be light on the wallet.
With those specs, The OnePlus Pad is expected to be an alternative to the best Galaxy Tab S or the latest iPads. So, it may very well be priced accordingly. Or, it could be priced very competitively.
Who knows, maybe the OnePlus Pad could be to the Galaxy Tab what the OnePlus 11 is to the Galaxy S23. The OnePlus 11 heavily undercuts the Galaxy Flagships, making it quite a tempting offering. The OnePlus Pad might do the same thing. We could be looking at a $500 or $600 tablet to contrast the Tab S9 which may possibly start at hundreds of dollars more. We’ll need to wait on more information about this tablet to come out.
