Google Pixel 7 Pro vs OPPO Find X6 Pro

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Google Pixel 7 Pro vs OPPO Find X6 Pro
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The OPPO Find X6 Pro is a brand new camera-centric flagship that continues getting praise left and right. How does it compare to the best of Google, though? Well, that’s what we’re here to find out. We’ll compare the Google Pixel 7 Pro vs OPPO Find X6 Pro. Before we begin, however, do note that the Find X6 Pro launched in China only at the moment of writing this review. We’re still not sure if it’s coming to global markets.

That means that, if you do import it, you’ll have to sideload Google services, which is fairly easy. You’ll also have to deal with software made for the Chinese market, which is a bit different than the global build. You can read more about that in our OPPO Find X6 Pro review. That being said, let’s get this comparison started, shall we?

Specs

Google Pixel 7 ProOPPO Find X6 Pro
Screen size6.7-inch QHD+ curved OLED LTPO display (120Hz refresh rate, 1,500 nits peak brightness)6.82-inch QHD+ LTPO3 AMOLED display (120Hz adaptive refresh rate, curved, 2,500 nits peak brightness)
Screen resolution3120 x 14403168 x 1440
SoCGoogle Tensor G2Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
RAM12GB (LPDDR5)12GB/16GB (LPDDR5X)
Storage128GB/256GB/512GB, non-expandable (UFS 3.1)256GB/512GB, non-expandable (UFS 4.0)
Rear cameras50MP (Samsung ISOCELL GN1 sensor, 1.2um pixel size, f/1.85 aperture, 82-degree FoV)
12MP (ultrawide, 1.25um pixel size, f/2.2 aperture, 125.8-degree FoV, lens correction)
48MP (telephoto, 0.7um pixel size, f/3.5 aperture, 20.6-degree FoV, 5x optical zoom, Super Res Zoom up to 30x)		50MP (f/1.8 aperture, 23mm lens, 1.6um pixel size, multi-directional PDAF, OIS)
50MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 15mm lens, 110-degree FoV, 1.0um pixel size, multi-directional PDAF, OIS)
50MP (periscope telephoto, f/2.6 aperture, 65mm lens, 1.0um pixel size, 2.8x optical zoom, multi-directional PDAF, OIS)
Hasselblad optimization
Front cameras10.8MP (1.22um pixel size, f/2.2 aperture, 92.8-degree FoV, Fixed Focus)32MP (f/2.4 aperture, 21mm lens, 0.8um pixel size, PDAF)
Battery5,000mAh, non-removable, 23W wired charging, 23W wireless charging, reverse wireless charger
Charger not included		5,000mAh, non-removable, 100W wired charging, 50W wireless charging, 10W Wireless PowerShare
Charger included
Dimensions162.9 x 76.6 x 8.9mm164.8 x 76.2 x 9.1 mm
Weight212 grams216 grams
Connectivity5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C
SecurityFace Unlock
In-display fingerprint scanner (optical)		In-display fingerprint scanner (optical)
OSAndroid 13Android 13
ColorOS 13.1
Price$899/$999/$1,099CNY5,999 ($870)+
BuyGoogleChina only

Google Pixel 7 Pro vs OPPO Find X6 Pro: Design

Visually, these two phones do look quite different in comparison. Sure, from the front, they are somewhat similar, but that’s about it. Both devices are made out of metal and glass, though the Find X6 Pro also comes in a vegan leather variant. That model combines vegan leather and glass on the back. You’ll notice a curved display on the front of both phones, and a centered display camera hole too. The bezels are very thin on both devices.

When we flip them around, however, things are fairly different. The Pixel 7 Pro has a camera visor on the back, which is covered by aluminum. That visor connects to the frame on both the left and right sides. Three camera sensors are placed inside it, and it’s fairly different from your regular camera islands. The OPPO Find X6 Pro has a huge, circular camera island on the back, which actually looks quite nice in comparison to some other implementations (from competitors). It also includes three cameras on the inside.

The OPPO Find X6 Pro is slightly taller, while they’re almost the same width, the Pixel 7 Pro is a bit wider. They’re also very similar in terms of thickness, the difference is barely there. The Pixel 7 Pro weighs 212 grams, while the OPPO Find X6 Pro weighs either 216 or 218 grams, depending on the model. The Pixel 7 Pro has the Gorilla Glass Victus on the back, while the OPPO Find X6 Pro includes Gorilla Glass 5. Both phones are fairly slippery, though the vegan leather OPPO Find X6 Pro is noticeably less slippery than the rest. They do feel immensely premium in the hand, and look the part. These are large phones, though, so take that into account.

Google Pixel 7 Pro vs OPPO Find X6 Pro: Display

The Google Pixel 7 Pro features a 6.7-inch QHD+ (3120 x 1440) LTPO AMOLED display. This is a 120Hz display (adaptive refresh rate) which is curved. It supports HDR10+ content, and it goes up to 1,500 nits of brightness at its peak. The display aspect ratio is 19.5:9, and this display is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus.

google pixel 7 pro AM AH 05 1

The OPPO Find X6 Pro, on the other hand, includes a 6.82-inch QHD+ (3168 x 1440) LTPO3 AMOLED display. This panel is curved, and it can project up to 1 billion colors. It also supports Dolby Vision, and HDR10+ content. It also has an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate, and it gets up to 2,500 nits of brightness at its peak. At the moment of writing this article, this is the brightest display on any phone. This panel is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The OPPO Find X6 Pro also has a slightly higher screen-to-body ratio in comparison.

Both displays are great, to be quite honest. They are vivid, have great viewing angles, and are more than sharp enough. The blacks are also quite deep. The OPPO Find X6 Pro does have one major advantage, though, its brightness. If you spend a lot of time under the sun, the Find X6 Pro is definitely the better choice. It’s much easier to see outdoors than the Pixel 7 Pro. It also has better protection, but the difference there is nowhere near as important as the brightness difference is.

Google Pixel 7 Pro vs OPPO Find X6 Pro: Performance

The Pixel 7 Pro is fueled by the Google Tensor G2 SoC, The OPPO Find X6 Pro, on the other hand, comes with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is a more powerful chip, no doubt about it, but the Tensor G2 is also a flagship chip, and nothing to scoff at. That being said, the Find X6 Pro does have faster RAM (LPDDR5X) and storage (UFS 4.0). The Pixel 7 Pro relies on LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 flash storage.

Both smartphones are plenty fast during day-to-day usage, though, and not many people will notice the difference. The OPPO Find X6 Pro is snappier, though. When you use them side by side, that’s something you’ll notice. If you don’t, it really won’t make any difference to you, as both are quite fast. Now, when it comes to gaming, the Find X6 Pro is the phone to go for. The Pixel 7 Pro does a good job, unless we’re talking about a truly demanding game, then you’ll notice some problems on the performance side of things. Google never claimed this is a gaming phone, though, so… there you go. It does great with the vast majority of games, though. Keep in mind that the Find X6 Pro does have a software build made for China, and because of that, the Pixel 7 Pro will probably be more appealing to most of you, from the software side of things.

Google Pixel 7 Pro vs OPPO Find X6 Pro: Battery

Both of these phones pack in a 5,000mAh battery on the inside. Both smartphones do offer good battery life, though not to the insane levels of the Galaxy S23 Ultra and OnePlus 11. During our usage, the Pixel 7 Pro provided around 7 hours of screen-on-time. Most often we were able to go up to 7.5 hours, sometimes a bit more. The OPPO Find X6 Pro was able to break that 8-hour mark, though, and it overall offered better battery life.

It will all depend on what you’re doing with your phones, though. We were using both phones intensively during our usage, though without much gaming. Games were played only for testing purposes. If you’re not a heavy user, you may even be able to get better battery life. It will all depend on what apps you use, how often you use processor-intensive tasks, and what’s your signal like throughout the day.

The Pixel 7 Pro supports 23W wired, 23W wireless, and 5W reverse wireless charging. The OPPO Find X6 Pro supports 100W wired, 50W wireless, and 10W reverse wireless charging. On top of that, the Pixel 7 Pro does not include a charger in the box. The OPPO Find X6 Pro does. Needless to say, the OPPO Find X6 Pro simply crushes the Pixel 7 Pro when it comes to charging. It offers much faster wired and wireless charging, and even its reverse wireless charging is noticeably faster.

Google Pixel 7 Pro vs OPPO Find X6 Pro: Cameras

The Google Pixel 7 Pro includes a 50-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit (126-degree FoV), and a 48-megapixel telephoto camera (5x 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). The OPPO Find X6 Pro has possibly the best camera setup out there right now, while Google relies heavily on software. Which of the two is better? Well, that’s impossible to say. They’re both outstanding camera smartphones, but shoot different photos.

AH OPPO Find X6 Pro KL Hasselblad image 40
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The Pixel 7 Pro shins when it comes to HDR situations, while that’s the area where the Find X6 Pro needs more optimization. The OPPO Find X6 Pro is outstanding when it comes to portrait photography, macro shots, and provides outstanding images in general. It has that natural bokes when you shoot with the main camera, thanks to a huge camera sensor, and the company did a good job optimizing the phone. Depending on the situation and zoom level, its telephoto camera can provide more details, and the ultrawide camera is outstanding.

Both phones provide contrasty images, but OPPO more so than Google. The Find X6 Pro can provide you with those moody shots in the dark, as it’s not afraid to leave dark areas dark, while it still picks up plenty of details. The Pixel 7 Pro tends to brighten up dark shots, so that they look a bit unreal, but great nonetheless. It’s all about what you prefer, to be quite honest. These two are amongst the top 5 best camera smartphones in the market at the moment, without a doubt, if not in the top 3, especially when it comes to stills.

Audio

You will find a set of stereo speakers on both of these phones. Both sets sound good. They’re loud enough, have some bass, and generally have a wide enough sound stage. We did prefer the sound coming from OPPO’s flagship, though, as the audio was a bit clearer.

Neither phone includes a 3.5mm headphone jack, though. For wired connections, you’ll need to use the Type-C port. When it comes to wireless ones, Bluetooth 5.2 is included with the Pixel 7 Pro, while the OPPO Find X6 Pro offers Bluetooth 5.3.


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Google CEO says Bard AI chatbot will soon get upgrades

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Google CEO says Bard AI chatbot will soon get upgrades
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Google CEO Sundar Pichai confirmed that the company’s AI chatbot Bard would soon get upgrades. The Bard upgrades are probably a part of Google’s plan to catch up with Microsoft Bing, which is now running on OpenAI’s GPT-4

Speaking on The New York Times’ Hard Fork podcast, Pichai said developers are currently busy with upgrading Bard, and users will see improvements in the course of next week. “Pretty soon, perhaps as this [podcast] goes live, we will be upgrading Bard to some of our more capable PaLM models, which will bring more capabilities; be it in reasoning, coding, it can answer maths questions better,” Pichai added.

Google has recently opened up its own AI language model PaLM, which is believed to be more powerful than LaMDA. The tech giant says PaLM can better solve coding problems and common-sense reasoning. The Google Bard, however, is now running on a “lightweight and efficient version of LaMDA.” Pichai says it’s like putting a souped-up Civic against more powerful cars in a race.

Google Bard gets an upgrade to compete with Microsoft Bing

Microsoft’s Bing chatbot could outperform Google Bard in many ways and become the most powerful AI chatbot globally. Meanwhile, Google’s CEO says this is because they tried to be very cautious with Bard’s development. “To me, it was important to not put [out] a more capable model before we can fully make sure we can handle it well,” he said.

The AI race has also caused concerns among the world’s tech leaders and university professors. Recently, Elon Musk and many other executives wrote an open letter to warn about the “out of control” AI race. They argued that AI experiments must be halted for at least six months. And AI labs and experts should apply better safety protocols.

Sundar Pichai also alluded to the letter. Saying the topic needs a lot of debate and it’s important to hear the concerns. But Google CEO does not endorse specific regulations for AI and believes the current privacy and health regulations seem enough.

Regarding the AI capabilities for distorting the truth and spreading misinformation, Pichai said they’re not worried about AI safety because “you have to anticipate this and evolve to meet that moment.”


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GM phasing out Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in EVs, with Google’s help

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GM phasing out Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in EVs, with Google’s help
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General Motors (GM) has announced that it will phase out support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in its electric vehicles (EVs) in the coming months. The decision is part of the automaker’s plan to develop its own proprietary infotainment system for its EVs, all with Google’s help.

While Apple CarPlay and Android Auto have become popular choices for in-car entertainment systems in recent years, GM is looking to offer a more seamless experience that is better integrated with its EVs. According to GM, its new system will be faster and more intuitive, offering better integration with the EV’s battery and charging system.

This move by GM has surprised some industry experts who see it as a risky move, considering the popularity of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. However, GM is not the only automaker to develop its own infotainment system. Tesla, for example, has had success with its own proprietary system, which is known for its speed and user-friendly interface.

What replaces CarPlay and Android Auto on GM EVs


The company argues that Android Automotive provides more control over the experience and there are plans to develop new driver assistance technologies that are more tightly integrated with navigation features. The endgame here is that ultimately GM does not want the use of a smartphone to be a requirement in order to use these new technologies, or your type of device (Android vs iOS) to dictate what your experience looks like.GM has been working with Google since 2019 to develop the software foundations for infotainment systems that will be more tightly integrated with other vehicle systems such as GM’s Super Cruise driver assistant. The automaker is accelerating a strategy for its EVs to be platforms for digital subscription services, so don’t be surprised if you’ll eventually end up paying a recurring fee for certain features like you already do with some brands.

GM has also said that it will continue to support CarPlay and Android Auto in its existing models, as well as in some upcoming models. However, the focus for new EVs will be on its own system, which will be tailored to the needs of its customers.

New technologies are in development


In addition to its new infotainment system, GM has also announced that it will be introducing a new suite of features for its EVs, including advanced driver assistance systems and more advanced battery technology. The automaker has said that it plans to invest $27 billion in the development of EVs and autonomous vehicles by 2025, as it looks to compete with the likes of Tesla and other EV manufacturers.GM’s decision to phase out support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in its EVs is a bold move that reflects the automaker’s commitment to developing its own technology solutions for its customers. However, some initial skepticism from consumers is to be expected, especially with the reality of having to pay for more subscription services on the horizon. It will be interesting to see how GM’s new system performs and whether the experience will best that which is currently offered by the popular CarPlay and Android Auto.

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Ukraine Busts Gang for Massive $4.3 Million Phishing Scams

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Ukraine Busts Gang for Massive $4.3 Million Phishing Scams
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The group set up over 100 fake phishing sites targeting users in France, Spain, Poland, the Czech Republic, Portugal, and other European countries.

The Ukrainian Cyber Police recently announced that they had arrested several members of a criminal group accused of stealing over $4.3 million through phishing scams from more than 1,000 victims across Europe.

The group set up over 100 fake phishing sites targeting users in France, Spain, Poland, the Czech Republic, Portugal, and other European countries. The fraudulent websites advertised goods at prices below the market rate. Victims entered their credit card details to pay for the fake orders, which the criminals used to embezzle money from their accounts.

Two Ukrainian-based suspects were detained, who are believed to be organizers of the criminal gang. Ten other cyber criminals involved in the phishing scams were caught by the authorities in other European countries. The Czech Republic Cyber Police cooperated with law enforcement officials for this arrest.

The attackers created two call centres, located in Vinnytsia and Lviv, to support the fraudulent operation. The call centre operators convinced customers to place orders.

As part of an international police operation, the authorities carried out more than 30 searches at the suspects’ residences, call centers, and vehicles, seizing computer equipment, mobile phones, and SIM cards for analysis. 

It is still unknown how the victims arrived at the fraudulent websites. They could have been victims of malvertising, phishing emails, or even direct messages on social media platforms. The stolen information, including credit card details, was used by criminals to buy products online.

Usually, the goods are transferred through a chain of resellers and individuals who assist in hiding the money trail, commonly known as money mules. The police are still investigating the case to identify other members of the group.

According to Cyber Police’s press release, criminal proceedings have been initiated against the perpetrators under Part 4 of Art. 190 (Fraud) and Part 1 of Art. 255 (Creation, management of a criminal community or criminal organization, as well as participation in it) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Those found guilty of the crimes could face up to twelve years in prison with confiscation of property.

  1. Cl0p ransomware group arrested in Ukraine
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  3. Husband-wife ransomware gang arrested in Ukraine
  4. US Sentence Ukrainian for Brute-forcing & selling data
  5. Ukraine busts ransomware gang over $42m laundering

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Top 10 Best Free Play Pass Games On Android

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Top 10 Best Free Play Pass Games On Android
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Android games might not cost as much as console games, but some of them can be a little pricey, which is where free games on Play Pass come in. Many Android games can range from being $.99 to upwards of $15 and more, and that doesn’t quite sit well with some gamers. Also, we’re constantly bombarded with in-app purchases and all sorts of gacha nonsense.

Fortunately, Google has a solution that most gamers should like. It introduced its Play Pass subscription. With this service, you pay $4.99/month and you get no advertisements, free content in-game, and even free games. You’re getting a lot for only $5 every month.

Top 10 Best Free Play Pass Android Games – March 2023

Below is a quick overview of the top 10 best free Play Pass Android games for 2021. Since these are on Play Pass, there are no in-app purchases or download costs.

GameDownload CostIn-app cost (per item)
Lumino CityFreeX
Doors OriginsFreeX
Drag’n’BoomFreeX
SimplePlanesFreeX
TerrariaFreeX
Please Touch The ArtworkFreeX
Monument ValleyFreeX
FRAMED 2FreeX
Very Little NightmaresFreeX
Thimbleweed ParkFreeX

Top 10 Best Free Play Pass Games On Android – March 2023

Below is a bit more information on these games including direct links for easy downloading. All download links go to the app’s Google Play Store listing. Users are always recommended to download apps from Google Play or an authorized app store.

Lumino City

  • Download Cost: Free
  • In-App Cost: No
  • Size: 991MB
  • Google Play Rating: 4.3 stars out of 5

Lumino City is a game that gained a lot of nominations and awards, so you know that you’re in for a good time. This is an aesthetically-pleasing puzzle game that will take you on a journey to find your grandfather. He mysteriously disappeared while you were downstairs.

This is a very well-animated game with great visuals and amazing music. You’re guaranteed to enjoy the overall presentation of this game.

Download Lumino City

Doors Origins

  • Download Cost: Free
  • In-App Cost: No
  • Size: 161MB
  • Google Play Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5

Doors Origins is a visually impressive puzzle game that will really test your brain. At each level, you’re presented with a door with all sorts of objects and mechanisms around it. Each mechanism is a puzzle that needs to be solved. As you solve puzzles, you’ll earn items that you can use to solve even more puzzles.

The point of each stage is to eventually open the door, so it’s like those classic “100 Doors” games. There’s a ton of variety in the puzzles that you’ll solve too. Each door has a certain theme- Davinci, time, the sea, etc.- and most of the puzzles play along with the theme.

This is a very visually appealing game. Each of the doors has its own unique look and aesthetic. Also, the graphics themselves are impressive.

Download Doors Origins

Drag’n’Boom

  • Download Cost: Free
  • In-App Cost: No
  • Size: 40MB
  • Google Play Rating: 4.7 stars out of 5

Drag’n’Boom is like a combination of Angry Birds and those tank battle games. Your character, a dragon, starts off the level on the ground. You drag your finger on the left side of the screen to launch him in the air. While in the air, you can drag to make him lunge in any direction that you want.

Also, you have the ability to shoot fireballs at enemies. You do this by dragging on the right side of the screen. This adds an extra level to the gameplay. As you progress, you’ll be able to unlock more dragons to play with. Also, you can upgrade your fireballs to deal more damage.

Download Drag’n’Boom

SimplePlanes

  • Download Cost: Free
  • In-App Cost: No
  • Size: 136MB
  • Google Play Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5

SimplePlanes is a pretty simple and straightforward simulator that lets you operate planes along with other types of vehicles. You’re allowed to drive cars as well as tanks, but the game revolves around planes.

It’s a sandbox game that allows you to fly planes in different environments. Not only are you allowed to fly them, but you can customize them as well. There’s a workshop that lets you swap out parts and test them out in realtime. If you want to, you can also build your planes from the ground up. It’s a fun game to play if you’re into planes.

Download SimplePlanes

Terraria

  • Download Cost: Free
  • In-App Cost: No
  • Size: 149MB
  • Google Play Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5

Terraria has been a popular survival game for almost a decade, and the company is continuing to support it to this day. There are several comparisons that people make between it and Minecraft, but it managed to maintain its own identity.

You start off in the wild with nothing, and it’s up to you to gather resources to build up your life. You’re able to chop down trees, dig into the ground, mine resources, and more. You’ll use these resources to craft tools and build a shelter.

While you’re building and gathering, you’ll need to be careful about the myriad of enemies that will hunt you down. It’s a great open-world game with infinite possibilities for crafting and discovery.

Download Terraria

Please Touch The Artwork

  • Download Cost: Free
  • In-App Cost: No
  • Size: 86MB
  • Google Play Rating: 4.7 stars out of 5

This is a puzzle game that’s inspired by real works of art. It’s deceptively simple-looking, as you’ll quickly see once you start playing. When you start playing, you’ll see a work of art on the left side of the screen. What you’ll need to do is tap on the canvas on the right in order to mirror that artwork.

As you progress through the game, you’ll see other forms of gameplay as well. There’s a large variety of the styles of gameplay that you’ll experience. This is a very tricky game, so you’ll want to prepare to repeat stages a lot in order to complete them.

Download Please, Touch The Artwork

Monument Valley

  • Download Cost: Free
  • In-App Cost: $1.99
  • Size: 279MB
  • Google Play Rating: 4.8 stars out of 5

Monument Valley has been a popular game on the mobile gaming scene for a while. This is a heavily stylized puzzle game with a pleasing twist. You’ll be moving parts of the land to get them to connect to others. However, this game takes inspiration from classical optical illusions.

The visuals are top-notch, and they’re more than likely to confound your senses. It’s hard to put into words how this works, so you’ll want to look at the trailer to get an idea. It’s well worth the download.

Download Monument Valley

FRAMED 2

  • Download Cost: Free
  • In-App Cost: No
  • Size: 269MB
  • Google Play Rating: 4.1 stars out of 5

FRAMED 2 is the sequel to the popular title FRAMED that launched back in 2015. The gameplay in this installment is similar to what we say in the original. This is a stylized puzzle game that has you playing a fugitive running from the law.

Each level is presented as a page in a comic, and it’s up to you to rearrange the panels so that the events play out in your favor. This game will take some trial and error to get through the levels, but it’s such a fun game that it’s worth it.

Download FRAMED 2

Very Little Nightmares


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Astronauts could soon use 4G on the Moon, thanks to Nokia

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Astronauts could soon use 4G on the Moon, thanks to Nokia
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Nokia plans to make communication between earthlings and astronauts visiting the Moon easy. The Finnish telecommunications giant is preparing to launch a 4G network on Earth’s natural satellite later this year. This will not only boost humanity’s efforts to make lunar discoveries but also pave the way for human presence on the lunar surface.

According to a report from CNBC, Nokia announced its plans to deploy 4G networks on the Moon during this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC), which was held in late February in Barcelona.

SpaceX rocket to ferry Nokia’s equipment to the Moon

If things go as planned, US-based private space company Intuitive Machines will launch its Nova-C lunar lander aboard a SpaceX rocket. The payload will also include Nokia’s antenna-equipped base station. Besides, a solar-powered rover will also accompany the equipment, CNBC cited Nokia principal engineer, Luis Maestro Ruiz De Temino.

Once the hardware reaches the Shackleton crater, an LTE connection will be established between the rover and the lander. While it sounds like the hardware will be used by astronauts for surfing online, in reality, Nokia is aiming to support the next crewed lunar mission, Artemis 1.

The 4G network will enable astronauts to communicate with each other and with mission control. Not just that! The network will also allow them to control the rover remotely and stream and transmit data back to Earth, all in real-time. Nokia believes its technology is capable of lasting through extreme conditions of space.

Nokia claims that the lunar network will “provide critical communication capabilities for many different data transmission applications, including vital command and control functions, remote control of lunar rovers, real-time navigation and streaming of high definition video.”

Finding ice on the Moon with the help of 4G

Using its network, Nokia hopes to help space agencies look for ice on the lunar surface. Much of the Moon’s surface is currently dry, but recent uncrewed missions have discovered ice remnants trapped in craters around the Moon’s poles.

If the mission discovers ice, it can be broken up into hydrogen and oxygen and used as rocket fuel. Moreover, the extracted water can be used for drinking and can also provide breathable oxygen to astronauts who stay on the lunar surface for extended periods. Internet may not be the only thing we’ll need to live on the Moon, it’ll still be a huge leap in humanity’s lunar ambitions.


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How Google stops scammers from ripping you off in the Maps app

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How Google stops scammers from ripping you off in the Maps app
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As the first quarter of 2023 comes to a close, Google released a blog post that points out how it relies on contributions from users to help the more than one billion monthly Google Maps users “navigate and explore the world.” These contributions include videos, ratings, and reviews. But Google says that scammers have been known to post fraudulent content in order to put money in their pockets. The company says it is fighting back using technology that keeps fake content from getting posted on its Maps app.
Google uses machine learning to help it discover patterns that might indicate fraudulent content. Last year, it updated this technology allowing it to find such fake content faster. “For example, our automated systems detected a sudden uptick in Business Profiles with websites that ended in .design or .top — something that would be difficult to spot manually across millions of profiles. Our team of analysts quickly confirmed that these websites were fake — and we were able to remove them and disable the associated accounts quickly,” Google wrote.

Scammers were caught trying to put fake numbers on contributed photos in Google Maps

Google also discovered that scammers were placing fake phone numbers on top of contributed photos in Google Maps. The goal was to get unsuspecting Maps users to call the fake number for a business instead of the legitimate number. You can see how this could lead to fraudulent credit card transactions that might be hard for those duped to challenge.
Google Maps relies on content contributed by consumers - How Google stops scammers from ripping you off in the Maps app

Google Maps relies on content contributed by consumers

Google fought back by employing a machine learning tool that can analyze visual details to help recognize when a contributed photo contains a fake phone number overlaid on top. Using the machine learning tool, Google “blocked the vast majority of these fraudulent and policy-violating images before they were published.”

Last year Google blocked and removed 115 million reviews that violated company policies

Last year, Google blocked or removed more than 115 million reviews that violated company policies. Thanks to its updated models, that was a 20% increase compared to the number it took down in 2021. Also blocked and removed were 200 million photos and 7 million videos because they were low-quality, blurry, or violated Google’s content policies.

In 2021, scammers tried to post 12 million fake Business Profiles which Google was able to block. The number of fake Business Profiles that Google blocked last year rose to 20 million. Google also spotted suspicious activity surrounding more than 185,000 businesses which led it to put more protections in place.

Google also revealed that it filed a lawsuit that stopped a group of scammers that were impersonating Google by making fake telemarketing calls and attempting to sell fake online reviews. The company added “While we’ve made a lot of progress in this area, we know that scammers continue to evolve — and we will too. Our teams will continue working around the clock and investing in the latest technology to keep contributed content on Google Maps authentic, safe and reliable.”

The Google Maps app, as Google pointed out, is counted on by mobile device users to help take them safely from point “A” to point “B.” It also tells you where to eat, sleep, shop, and catch entertainment when users do get to “B.”

Google Maps is always evolving and has become a versatile and important app that some users rely on several times a day (anot just ride share drivers either). If you have an iPhone, you have the choice to use Apple Maps or Google Maps. If you don’t have the latter on your device, you can install it from the App Store by tapping on this link. For some reason if it is not on your Android phone, install it from the Google Play Store by clicking on this link.

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New Cylance Ransomware Targets Linux and Windows, Warn Researchers

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New Cylance Ransomware Targets Linux and Windows, Warn Researchers
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Do not confuse Cylance Ransomware with the Blackberry-owned Cylance cybersecurity company.

The cybersecurity researchers at Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 have discovered a new strain of Cylance Ransomware, which has already claimed several victims. Researchers noticed it early Friday morning, and further probing revealed that it is targeting Linux and Windows devices.

As of now, insufficient information is available about Cylance Ransomware, indicating that it is a relatively recent emergence. The ransom note received by victims was published by Unit 42 which contains the attackers’ email addresses, but surprisingly not the ransom amount. Here is the content of the ransom note:

“All your files are encrypted, and currently unusable, but you need to follow our instructions. Otherwise, you can’t return your data (never. It’s just a business. We absolutely do not care about you and your deals, except getting benefits. If we do not do our work and liabilities – nobody will cooperate with us. It’s not in our interests.”

“To check the ability of returning files, we decrypt one file for free. That is our guarantee. If you will not cooperate with our service – for us, it does not matter. But you will lose time and data, cause just we have the private key. time is more valuable than money.”

It is believed that the amount will be disclosed to the victim when they contact the attacker. The attackers have warned against any attempt to restore or change the files, as it would destroy the private key, which means the data will be lost forever.

New Cylance Ransomware Targets Linux and Windows, Warn Researchers

Attack Methodology

In a tweet, researchers explained that the modus operandi of the ransomware attack involves encrypting files and appending them with a “.Cylance” extension. In addition, a text file titled “Read Me” is added to all encrypted files’ folders. This file contains the attacker’s ransom note.

Who is Distributing Cylance Ransomware?

For your information, Cylance is actually a cybersecurity company owned by BlackBerry Ltd. The company is known for mitigating and preventing ransomware attacks on enterprise organizations. However, why threat actors named the ransomware after this company is unclear, or it could be that they are looking for extra attention or to negatively impact Cylance in the long run.

Although Cylance ransomware is still in its early stages, it will be crucial to monitor its targets and wait for more information from the infosec community. Currently, samples of the ransomware are available on MalwareBazaar, a project by abuse.ch that shares malware samples with the infosec community, AV vendors, and threat intelligence providers.

  1. 95.6% of Malware in 2022 Targeted Windows
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  4. Royal Ransomware: New Threat Uses Google Ads
  5. Alert against AXLocker, Octocrypt, Alice ransomware

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Chinese Hackers Using KEYPLUG Backdoor

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Chinese Hackers Using KEYPLUG Backdoor
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Chinese HackerscKEYPLUG Backdoor

It has been reported by the Recorded Future’s Insikt Group that RedGolf, a Chinese state-sponsored threat actor group, was using a backdoor designed especially for Windows and Linux systems called KEYPLUG to infiltrate networks.

As one of the world’s most prolific threat groups, RedGolf has been active against a variety of industries around the world for many years.

RedGolf Infrastructure & TTPs

There is a history of this group developing and using a variety of custom malware families over the years. It has demonstrated an ability to weaponize newly reported vulnerabilities quickly.

Here below, we have mentioned the recently reported malware families used by this group:-

EHA

The industries and organizations primarily targeted by RedGolf are:-

  • Aviation
  • Automotive
  • Education
  • Government
  • Media
  • Information technology
  • Religious organizations

Apart from this, there are a number of public and zero-day flaws that the RedGolf threat group has historically exploited for the purpose of gaining initial access to internet-facing devices, including:-

KEYPLUG Malware

During 2021 and 2022, RedGolf targeted US state government entities using KEYPLUG, a custom and modular Linux backdoor.

Several KEYPLUG samples and infrastructures that RedGolf used from at least 2021 until 2023 have been identified by Insikt Group.

In a campaign that compromised the security of at least six state governments in the USA, RedGolf heavily used the KEYPLUG platform between May 2021 and February 2022, as first exposed by Google-owned Manidant in March 2022.

KEYPLUG C2, including the following, supports a total of 5 network protocols:-

Technical Analysis

In October 2022, Malwarebytes published information on a separate set of attacks exploiting an unexplored implant dubbed DBoxAgent to use KEYPLUG on government entities in Sri Lanka early in August of that year.

As Recorded Future puts it, these campaigns appear to share a very close connection with RedGolf’s campaign, which was also attributed to Winnti  (aka APT41, Barium, Bronze Atlas, or Wicked Panda).

According to security analysts, the latest RedGolf activity has not yet been associated with any specific victimology.

Due to the overlaps between this action and previously reported cyber espionage campaigns, they believe these activities may be conducted for intelligence purposes instead of financial gain or profit.

Furthermore, it was noted that the hacking group used other tools such as Cobalt Strike and PlugX in addition to the KEYPLUG samples and its operational infrastructure, which is codenamed GhostWolf.

42 IP addresses comprise the GhostWolf infrastructure and are used as commands and controls for the KEYPLUG system.

To gain initial access to targets’ networks, RedGolf will keep demonstrating the operational tempo that will allow it to rapidly exploit vulnerabilities in externally facing enterprise appliances and quickly weaponize those vulnerabilities.

Recommendation

To defend against RedGolf attacks, organizations are required to follow the mitigations recommended by the experts that we have mentioned below:-

  • Ensure that patches are applied regularly.
  • Check access to the devices connected to the networks external to the organization.
  • Identify the command and control infrastructure used by threat actors and block it.
  • To monitor for malware, intrusion detection, and prevention systems need to be configured in a way that they detect malware.

Searching to secure your APIs? – Try Free API Penetration Testing

Related Read:


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Several Moto phones gain Google ARCore support

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Several Moto phones gain Google ARCore support
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AI might be the main buzzword of 2023, but AR is still relevant. Google supports AR developers, and that’s why it adds devices to its ARCore list. Well, according to Android Police, Google added several Moto phones to its ARCore list.

You can develop AR applications for Android devices, but you want to be sure that most of them can run it. This is where the ARCore list comes in. Google will take devices and certify that their hardware is up to par with a certain standard. If the device passes, then you know that it’ll most likely run your application.

Several Moto devices were added to the ARCore list

Motorola hasn’t been gracing the headlines as it did back in the day. The company, like most, is being overshadowed by the likes of Google, Samsung, and Apple. However, that’s nothing new. However, it’s still able to make a bit of a buzz with its new devices.

Google certified six more Moto phones for its ARCore program. This means that these phones’ cameras and motion-tracking are on par. Not only that, but it also means that their processors are powerful enough to handle the load of AR applications.

This list consists of the Motorola Edge (2022), Motorola G32, Motorola Edge 30 Fusion, Motorola Edge Neo, Motorola Edge 30 Ultra, and Motorola Razr (2022). While it seems odd that a person would want to use a foldable phone for AR, it’s on the list.

Along with these Motorola phones, there are other phones on this list, and they include the OnePlus 10T, Oppo F21s Pro 5G, Xiaomi 12T Pro, Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+, and so on.

What’s next for Motorola?

If you’re a Motorola fan, then you should know that the company is working on bringing some new powerful devices to the smartphone market. Right now, we’re following rumors and leaks about the Motorola Edge 40 phones. If you’re interested in knowing more information about these phones, you can click here.


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