Android games are getting popular and people tend to ask why. Android games are simple and quick to operate, requiring little space, but you can also access more complex and sophisticated titles. The pictures and music are constantly clear, allowing users to fully enjoy the visual experience when they go online.
Android smartphones are designed to deliver enjoyment, whether through online games in mobile browsers or online casino apps that give free spins like the Rainbow Riches Casino. Games are easier to build on Android, therefore the brand can provide more games than Apple.
Because of the ease with which apps may be created, they typically launch on Android before iOS. Even gambling sites fall into this category, as Android is more suited to slot and table games than iOS. Online casinos generally create apps first for Android and may choose to skip an Apple app.
Below, you’ll find two brand new Android flagships that are great for gaming, and two older ones.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Now let’s look at the finest Android gaming devices. First, you have the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. This phone is like the Rolls-Royce of gaming phones. What about the screen? Stunning! The power is unmatched. When you’re playing games on this device, you feel like you’re right there in the action.
You won’t get some purist gaming features, like shoulder trigger buttons, but you will get some benefits that other gaming phones may not have. That includes a seven-year warranty on OS upgrades, a superb camera system with a suite of lenses including a primary 200MP sensor, and, of course, all the benefits of the GenAI-powered Galaxy AI.
OnePlus 9 Pro
Then there is the OnePlus 9 Pro. Many people, including myself, believed it to be one of the fastest phones on the market, and it’s still plenty fast. How about the game experience? Like nothing else. Smooth, quick, and simply fantastic. It has a cooling system that prevents it from becoming too hot and has access to intelligent technology.
OnePlus 10T
The outcome is as expected. The OnePlus 10T is powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, which can reach peak CPU speeds of 3.2 GHz while improving CPU power efficiency by 30%. The processor now includes an enhanced Qualcomm Adreno GPU with a 10% higher GPU clock speed and HDR gaming capabilities. All with a 30% boost in GPU power efficiency over the previous Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.
Doing high-end jobs, gaming, and switching between apps is quick and easy. You’ll feel the strength of the 8+ generation 1 every time you use the phone.
There is no throttling or heating issue. Without a doubt, the OnePlus 10T is a performance monster. The HyperBoost Gaming Engine in the OnePlus 10T is new to OnePlus and comes with several features for gamers to enjoy a smoother and more responsive gaming experience, including General Performance Adapter (GPA), Frame Stabilizer, GPU Load Control (GLC), and LSTouch which is a feature gamers love.
GPA Frame Stabilizer on OnePlus 10T lowers frame rate fluctuations when gaming, resulting in a smoother and more reliable gaming experience. The GPU Load Control in the OnePlus 10T is intended to improve graphics rendering efficiency and reduce rendering power consumption while playing mobile games or performing high-performance jobs.
Android devices aren’t just popular for gaming because of their hardware. No, this is the Google Play Store. The game selection is extensive, with variations between games. Whatever you’re into, it’s available. And for those who enjoy the thrill of the casino, they have you covered. There are slot machines, poker tables, and blackjack. And it can access this at any time and from any location.
OnePlus 12
OnePlus has traditionally prioritized performance in its phones, and the OnePlus 12 is no exception. The same Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset seen in the ROG Phone 8 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, as well as a giant twin vapor chamber, large battery, and remarkable 100W fast charging (80W in the US), making this a speedy and capable gaming phone.
OnePlus ignores the latest AI trend and instead concentrates on its performance-optimizing Trinity Engine, which keeps the processor, RAM, and storage all in top shape for as long as possible. HyperTouch and other solutions are available to improve gaming responsiveness specifically and in more general use.
Conclusion
Android gaming is rapidly gaining popularity worldwide, and it’s easy to see why. These games are basic, quick, and take up minimal space. It’s all about enjoyment, and Android smartphones offer. Whether it’s the free spins offered by online casino applications or the ease with which games can be developed for Android, it’s a win-win.
Each of these phones comes with the Google Play Store. It’s the cherry on top of an unending list of games whether you play slots, poker, or blackjack.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ is the most powerful Redmi Note 13 smartphone that the company announced. Well, at least as far as globally available phones are concerned. This smartphone stands in front of four other Redmi Note 13 smartphones. We’ve reviewed the Redmi Note 13 4G and Redmi Note 13 5G, which are technically inferior to this handset. Is the extra cash worth it? Should you get the more powerful variant instead? Well, those are the questions we’re here to help you answer, in our Redmi Note 13 Pro+ review.
In some ways, the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ managed to surprise me. Whenever I’m reviewing budget smartphones, I always have their price at the back of my mind. It’s an aspect that always has to be included in conclusions, that’s for sure. I have plenty to say about this handset, after around 14-15 days of use. So, let’s get to it. We’ll kick things off with the phone’s design, and go from there. You can easily jump to a specific category if you want, though.
If you’ve used larger modern smartphones in the last couple of years, the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ will both look and feel familiar. Xiaomi decided to create a glass + metal slab here, which is quite comfortable in the hand. It has a curved display on the front and a curved glass panel on the back. Those two are proportional and curve into an aluminum frame. The bezels are quite thin, and the display camera hole is included, and it’s centered.
You will notice that all physical buttons sit on the right-hand side of the phone. The power/lock key is placed under the volume up and down buttons. On the back, you’ll spot three cameras in a rather interesting arrangement. The two on the left are larger and are stacked vertically. The third camera sits right next to them. All of them are placed in the top-left corner of the phone, though. Xiaomi’s logo is present on the back too.
It’s ideal in terms of weight
The Redmi Note 13 Pro+ that we reviewed has a white backplate and a metallic silver frame. All global variants seem to combine glass and metal, while in China a variant with a vegan leather backplate is also available. We’re focusing on the unit we actually had the pleasure of using, though, of course. It is quite slippery in the hand, as expected, but also quite comfortable. The phone weighs 204.5 grams, which is not that heavy, especially compared to large flagships these days. There is some heft to the phone, but not that much. It does feel premium, and yet not overbearing, and it doesn’t cut into your hand/finger or anything like that.
This color variant also hides fingerprints effectively
The backplate is glossy, but considering we reviewed the white unit, fingerprints, and smudges were not much of an issue. This phone did a great job of repelling those. The same cannot be said for its frame, though. The Redmi Note 13 Pro+ is IP68 certified for water and dust resistance, by the way. That’s always nice to see on mid-range devices, as it does give you a piece of mind. Overall, Xiaomi did a really good job designing this handset.
A charger is included, as is a case
Considering that many companies don’t include a charger with their phones, you’ll be glad to hear that a charger is included here. Furthermore, you also get a case in the box as well. It’s a nice rubber case, nothing special, but it will get you going until you get something else. I can see people sticking with this case, though, it’s nice and soft, and it does offer a decent amount of protection without being thick. We got a dark gray case in the box, which is not see-through, and chances are the same one is included with other color variants too.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ Review: Display
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ comes with a 6.67-inch CrystalRes AMOLED display. That panel is curved, and it has a centered display camera hole on it. The bezels around it are very thin. The display offers a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, and it supports Dolby Vision. The resolution on offer here is 2712 x 1220, which equals 446 PPI. Needless to say, this display is very sharp. Its brightness goes up to 1,800 nits, and the Gorilla Glass Victus protects the panel. You may also be interested to hear that you’re getting a 1920Hz PWM dimming here, so your eyes are being protected in the process. Three TUV certifications are in motion as well, and the display does support HDR10+ content.
The display is vivid, sharp & comes with a screen protector
Looking at it on paper, this display could just as well be used on a flagship phone. Is it that good? Well, yes, it is. I really don’t have any complaints about this display, especially in this price bracket. You’re getting an excellent display with vivid colors, deep blacks, and very good viewing angles. The touch response has been good for me, aside from something I’ll talk about in the performance section. I’m sure that had more to do with the SoC than the display. While the display is curved, the curve itself is not too aggressive, which is good to see. A plastic screen protector also comes pre-installed, which is always nice to see. You can always remove it if you don’t want it there. I also realized that the display does get bright enough, even in direct sunlight. Not as bright as some flagship phones out there, but… more than bright enough, I’d say.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ Review: Performance
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ is fueled by the MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Ultra. That is one of MediaTek’s best mid-range CPUs, and it’s generally a good performer. It’s backed by the Mali-G610 MC4 GPU. The Redmi Note 13 Pro+ did really well in performance-related benchmarks. It hit 1,097 points in the single-core benchmark on Geekbench 6, and 2,707 in the multi-core test. The phone managed to achieve 3,333 points in the GPU test. When it comes to 3D Mark’s Wildlife Extreme Stress Test, the device had a best loop of 1,182 points. The lowest loop (out of 20) resulted in 1,176 points. The phone did great as it had a stability of 99.5% during this testing. These are not the best results in general, as this is a mid-range CPU, but they’re quite good. The chip also didn’t throttle or anything of the sort.
The performance was very good, only the first post-update day was odd
When it comes to real-life usage, the phone did a really nice job, though I did notice something a bit odd. During the first day, post-HyperOS update, the swipe up to go home gesture was a bit laggy. It was also late to register. That was odd, but it simply fixed itself. Perhaps the system was still sorting things out in the background, or something. In general, the performance was smooth, though I did notice a stutter here and there. It was so rare that it’s not even worth noting, but I did notice it more here than on the Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G. That phone is fueled by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2, though, so… I don’t know. Either way, it wasn’t as noticeable.
It handled multitasking really well, and even gaming
The phone did a great job of jumping between apps, opening them, and doing everything else you’d generally do with your smartphone. It handled multimedia consumption like a champ, the same goes for image processing, browsing, taking pictures, and so on. Other than occasional stutters, the phone did great. Some of you are probably wondering about gaming. Well, this chip is capable enough to handle rather powerful games, even though it’s just a mid-range CPU. Did the phone manage to handle them? Well, yes, though when I ran Genshin Impact, the temperature did go over 100F after an hour or so. The phone was very warm, but not too hot to use or anything like that. I also didn’t notice any problems with the gameplay itself. Do note that the settings weren’t tuned up all the way up, though. I tried to do that, but the lag did follow. You have to keep in mind this is not a gaming phone, and yet it can handle basically any game.
Benchmarks
We’ve talked about benchmarking results in the previous chapter and the results themselves can be seen below, compared to some other devices… including thermals.
Geekbench 6
3D Mark Wildlife Extreme Stress Test
Best loop: 1,182 Lowest loop: 1,176 Stability: 99.5%
Temperature Genshin Impact
Video export test
Export time: 33.17 seconds
Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ Review: Battery
Xiaomi has included a 5,000mAh battery inside the Redmi Note 13 Pro+. That is a good battery size for this handset, that’s for sure. It didn’t exactly shine in our battery drain tests, it was about on par with its closest sibling, the Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G. It did worse than the HONOR Magic6 Lite, though, for example, but that’s understandable considering the mammoth battery size inside the HONOR Magic6 Lite. All that is nice and dandy, but what about actual usage?
The battery life was good, but not great
Well, the battery life was good for me, but not great. I was able to hit the 7-hour screen-on-time mark on several occasions, but when I pushed the phone a bit harder, it hit around 6 hours of screen-on-time. Gaming pushes it further down. So, will the battery life be enough for most of you? Well, yes, as long as you’re not gaming. For transparency’s sake, I did watch TikTok, YouTube, browser plenty, emailed, messaged people, and edited some images on the phone. I also conducted a couple of short calls, and had brief YouTube Music listening sessions. When I fired up some games, that did affect battery life. An hour of Genshin Impact pushed the phone down to 5+ hours of screen-on-time.
It can fully charge in only 25 minutes
If you’re wondering about charging, the phone can charge really fast. So even if you do end up needing a charge during the day, it’s not a problem at all. It supports 120W charging, and a charger does come included in the box. Do note that you’ll need to fire up ‘Boost Charge’ mode in order to reach full charging speed, otherwise the phone charges at 60-80W, which is still plenty fast. What is Boost Charge? Well, your screen needs to be off, essentially, which is not exactly a big deal. Plug it in, and at its full charging speed the phone can fully charge in only 25 minutes.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ Review: Camera
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ includes three cameras on the back and one on the front. A 200-megapixel main camera is used here. It has an f/1.7 aperture, 23mm lens, and it’s a 1/1.4-inch sensor. We’re looking at a 0.56um pixel size here, while omni-directional PDAF is supported, as is OIS. Samsung’s ISOCELL HP3 sensor is used here. The second camera is an 8-megapixel ultrawide unit with an f/2.2 aperture lens and a 120-degree FoV. The third camera is a 2-megapixel macro unit with an f/2.4 aperture.
The main camera is actually great considering the price
So, are the cameras any good? Well, first of all, do keep in mind that we’re looking at these cameras from the perspective of this phone’s price tag, and market position. This is a mid-range phone. That being said, the main camera does a very good job during the day. It offers plenty of detail, good contrast levels, and vivid colors. Also, you won’t really notice that much noise. The only complaint that I had was in regard to the dynamic range. It’s not bad, but it’s not great either. You’ll get a much better dynamic range on the Redmi Note 13 Pro+’s more expensive siblings, the Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Ultra. That is to be expected, though.
There’s no telephoto camera, but 2x performance is admirable
Considering that this phone doesn’t have a telephoto camera, you need to use that main sensor for telephoto shots. 2x shots look almost as good as 1x ones, while you will see the difference at 3x, that’s for sure. At 4x, well, you’ll see a further drop in quality. By that, I mean less detail, more noise, and images that look more artificial than they should be looking. Either way, I wouldn’t go over 3x, while 2x is really good.
The ultrawide camera is good enough during the day
When it comes to ultrawide shots, they’re just fine. There’s nothing great to say about the performance during the day, but the shots do look good. There’s enough detail in them, whiel the colors are also good. The dynamic range is not the best, but then again the same can be said for the main camera too. What we did notice when it comes to the ultrawide shooter is that images can get overexposed, but that’s not surprising.
You’ll likely want to stay away from the macro shooter
When it comes to the macro camera, chances are you’d like to avoid it. You can get a useful shot when the lighting is great, but it’s a 2-megapixel camera after all… so, it’s not the best. For what it’s worth, though, it’s one of the best 2-megapixel macro shooters we’ve handled, and there are many of them out there, unfortunately.
The main camera does great in low-light too
What about low-light performance? Well, first and foremost, the phone will detect low-light scenes on its own, so you don’t really have to do anything but hit the shutter. That’s how it’s supposed to be. You’ll be glad to hear that low-light photos look very good. I was expecting much worse, to be perfectly honest. There’s plenty of detail in them, while the dynamic range is good, and so are the colors. What’s best is that you won’t really get any noise in those shots. Forget about using telephoto in low light, though, well, other than 2x, but you’ll see a drop in quality regardless.
Avoid using secondary camera in low-light situations
You can use ultrawide in low light but be warned that it’ll activate low light mode every time and that the difference in quality is quite noticeable. The images do end up being a bit noisy, and underexposed, but at least there’s enough detail in there. Using the macro camera in low light is not something you should even consider doing. It can offer usable results in great lighting only, it falls apart in low light.
Main camera samples:
Ultrawide camera samples:
Macro camera samples:
Colors sample controlled environment:
The Redmi Note 13 Pro+ does well when it comes to video recording
The Redmi Note 13 Pro+ can shoot 4K videos at 30 fps from the main camera. The ultrawide camera shoots 1080p at 30 fps max. The video content from the main camera actually looks really good, especially for a mid-range smartphone. There’s plenty of detail, and the colors are also very good. If you do end up using a zoom of any type, you’ll see a considerable drop in quality. What’s good is that the phone keeps up good video performance in low light too. You will see a bit of noise, but other than that, it’s all good.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ Review: Software
This handset comes with Android 14 out of the box, and Xiaomi’s MIUI 14 pre-installed. The thing is, the moment you fire up the phone, you’ll likely have a HyperOS update waiting for you. Xiaomi ditched MIUI in favor of HyperOS a while back, and the update started rolling out to the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ a while back. I used HyperOS throughout my review, so that’s the only iteration that I’ll be talking about here.
HyperOS is similar to MIUI 14, but also an improvement at the same time
First and foremost, HyperOS is very similar to MIUI 14, that’s for sure. Xiaomi did ditch the name, but it did not change the essence of its software. Plenty of changes were made under the hood, and HyperOS did feel very responsive and reliable, but when it comes to looks and feel, you can still see MIUI. I have to say that with every iteration of Xiaomi’s software, I do see improvements to the looks of the UI itself. It looks more and more modern, despite the fact there are still some iOS-inspired elements included here.
There are hints of iOS here, still
Let’s just go over those real quick. By default, your apps will be displayed on home screens, without an app drawer. Do note that you can easily change that, however. Also, your quick toggles are in a separate place from your notifications, by default. That’s another nod to iOS, but that’s also something you can easily change. There are a number of such details in HyperOS, but the vast majority of them are customizable, so… you can get away from that look and feel easily, you’ll just have to tinker a bit.
The animations are excellent, and Xiaomi gives you choices
The animations in HyperOS are excellent. Everything is fluid and nice, and you can choose between three styles of animations, depending on how fast you want them to be. The default style was a bit slow for me, so I chose ‘Fast’, which improved things drastically. The point is, you have options. When it comes to general customizations, there are themes to choose from. Do note that you cannot easily change the accent colors in HyperOS, though, the same was the case with MIUI 14 as well. You can download a specific theme, and apply only a specific part of it to try and mess with accent colors, but it’s not as simple as choosing colors. Do note that the system will, however, pick up your wallpaper colors by default. The only problem is the manual color changing of accent colors.
All the features you’d expect are here
The Wallpaper Carousel feature is available for the lock screen if you’d like the phone to change your wallpapers every time you go to the lock screen. You can heavily edit the look of your home screen, which is a new feature of HyperOS. Always On Display (AOD) feature is also available, and it’s customizable… and so on. There are plenty of features you’ll find in HyperOS, and everything works really well, actually. HyperOS felt more responsive and stable than MIUI 14, to me at least, and it did feel different after I’ve been using MIUI 14 on the Redmi Note 13 4G & 5G.
I don’t have much to complain about when it comes to HyperOS, which surprised me a bit
When it comes to straight-up negatives, I don’t really have many to share. Xiaomi’s software finally matured, and it works really, really well. I did have a stutter here and there, and it did freeze on me on one occasion for a couple of seconds, but other than that, nothing out of the ordinary happened. The notifications also arrived in a timely manner, and so on. I can easily recommend HyperOS, that’s for sure.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ Review: Audio
The Redmi Note 13 Pro+ does come with a set of stereo speakers. Xiaomi didn’t really skimp out in this regard either, the sound quality coming from those speakers is very good. The speakers are also more than loud enough. In fact, the secondary speaker at the top has two exit points, which certainly helps. One is top-facing, and the other is front-facing (from the earpiece). We’ve played our own audio tracks in order to test its sound quality, and we were quite impressed for a phone that costs this much.
The sound is well-balanced, and even the bass is good enough
The sound is well-balanced. In general, the sound quality is good, and the vocals are coming through just fine, they’re not overpowered or anything of the sort. On top of that, you’re also getting good bass with that, which is the most impressive part. It is worth noting that Dolby Atmos is present, and enabled by default. We do not recommend turning that off, as the experience is noticeably better when it’s on. You end up getting a richer sound and the speakers end up providing a louder sound.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+: Should you buy it?
Is the Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ worth the money? Well, it all depends on what you’re looking for, but in general, I’d say yes… definitely. This phone is, first and foremost, really well-balanced. It provides all the basics and adds layers to them. It’s very comfortable to use, while it’s not too heavy. It feels like a quality product, has a great display, and a very solid main camera. Its speakers is also praise-worthy at this price range, and so on. Even HyperOS is an improvement over MIUI 14. This is an easy recommendation for me.
You should buy the Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ if you:
…want the best Redmi Note 13 series device …need a good phone but don’t want to break the bank …you need a budget phone that offers good camera performance …display quality and size is important to you …get your phones wet often …don’t want to buy a charger separately …want a large phone that is not too heavy …want to see how MIUI improved via HyperOS
You shouldn’t buy the Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ if you:
…need the very best battery life …want great ultrawide and telephoto cameras …play a lot of demanding games
YubiKey Manager GUI on Windows before version 1.2.6 has a vulnerability that could allow an attacker to escalate privileges.
Due to a limitation in Windows, it requires administrator privileges to interact with FIDO authenticators.
An attacker can exploit this by tricking a user into running the YubiKey Manager GUI with administrator rights.
Once elevated, any web browser windows opened by the program might inherit these privileges, potentially allowing for more impactful browser-based attacks.
The YubiKey Manager GUI on Windows has a vulnerability allowing privilege escalation, in which running the Manager as Administrator opens subsequent browser windows launched by the program with elevated privileges as well.
DocumentRun Free ThreatScan on Your Mailbox
Trustifi’s Advanced threat protection prevents the widest spectrum of sophisticated attacks before they reach a user’s mailbox. Try Trustifi Free Threat Scan with Sophisticated AI-Powered Email Protection .
A local attacker could use it to gain administrator access and perform malicious actions, and some browsers, like Edge, have implemented safeguards against this, highlighting a potential security risk.
Details Of The Issue:
YubiKey Manager GUI, a tool for managing YubiKey features like FIDO, OTP, and PIV, can launch the default browser under certain conditions requiring user interaction and isn’t automatic.
On Windows, interacting with YubiKey’s FIDO functionality requires administrator privileges due to Microsoft’s OS limitations.
Consequently, running it with administrator privileges might also elevate any browser window it opens, depending on the browser, creating a vulnerability for attackers to potentially escalate local attacks and worsen browser-based attacks by exploiting these elevated privileges.
version of YubiKey Manager GUI
The YubiKey Manager GUI versions before 1.2.6 have a security vulnerability on Windows machines that don’t use Edge as the default browser.
The vulnerability arises because Windows requires administrator privileges to interact with FIDO authenticators, and the YubiKey Manager GUI might be running with these elevated permissions on vulnerable systems.
Other operating systems are unaffected, but avoiding running YubiKey Manager GUI with administrative privileges is recommended even on those platforms.
Timeline
Check the application’s “About” menu to confirm the YubiKey Manager GUI version and update to 1.2.6 or later to address this security issue.
Yubico identified a vulnerability in the YubiKey Manager GUI that allows privilege escalation on Windows if run as an administrator. A local attacker could exploit this to gain administrator access and potentially perform malicious actions through browser windows opened by it.
It also recommends updating to the latest version or running the YubiKey Manager GUI as a non-privileged user, including using Microsoft Edge as the default browser due to its built-in protections, wherein vulnerability is rated as high with a CVSS score of 7.7.
Is Your Network Under Attack? - Read CISO’s Guide to Avoiding the Next Breach - Download Free Guide
The notorious hacker IntelBroker claims responsibility for Home Depot’s alleged data breach, exposing employee names, email addresses and departments – No customer data is reported affected!
The notorious IntelBroker hacker has announced a data breach targeting The Home Depot, Inc., a leading multinational home improvement retailer. Claiming to have stolen personal data from over 22,000 employees; the hacker has leaked this information on the cybercrime platform Breach Forums.
IntelBroker on Breach Forums (Screenshot credit: Hackread.com)
The breach, allegedly occurring in April 2024, exclusively involves Home Depot employee data and does not affect the gigantic customer base spanning the United States, China, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.
As seen by Hackread.com, the leaked records contained in an 83 MB CSV file include the following information:
Full names
Departments within Home Depot
Project UCID (universally unique identifier)
Email addresses (Most of them hosted on @homedepot.com)
Screenshot from the leaked records (Credit: Hackread.com)
The Home Depot has been informed, awaiting an official statement from the company.
About IntelBroker Hacker
While Home Depot’s customer base remains unaffected, IntelBroker has recently made headlines for its focus on high-profile targets in the United States. Their most recent alleged cyberattacks include breaching Acuity, Inc., a Federal contractor based in Reston, Virginia, and stealing highly sensitive data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Initially denied by the US government, the data breach was acknowledged ( but yet not verified) on April 3, 2024, when the IntelBroker hacker leaked the entire dataset to verify its authenticity. Consequently, the US Department of Justice has initiated an investigation into the matter.
As for who IntelBroker is, the hacker’s identity and associations remain undisclosed; nevertheless, the United States government has implicated IntelBroker as the alleged culprit in one of the T-Mobile data breaches.
Furthermore, IntelBroker has a history of targeting prominent entities within the United States, with previous breaches affecting institutions such as Los Angeles International Airport, US Department of Defense documents, staffing firm Robert Half, Facebook Marketplace’s database, General Electric’s DARPA-related accesses, Weee! Grocery, and various others.
Meta regularly updates its app with security patches and new features. WhatsApp, one of the most widely used Meta apps, might receive a picture-in-picture feature for videos in a future update.
Continue using WhatsApp without compromising on video viewing
WhatsApp currently offers a picture-in-picture mode, but its functionality is quite limited. The current picture-in-picture mode on WhatsApp only works during video calls. This means you can continue your WhatsApp video calls in a small video window and simultaneously use the app to send messages and other stuff.
However, with the upcoming update, you might be able to continue watching videos on WhatsApp in a small pop-up window while using the app. Similar to video calls, WhatsApp will create a small pop-up window of the video you’re watching, allowing you to continue using other features of the app. This feature is currently in development on WhatsApp Beta for iOS 24.7.10.73.
The in-development feature will only allow you to watch videos within the app itself. This means that the feature will only work when you are using WhatsApp and will stop working when you switch to any other app.
It’ll be interesting to see when or even if WhatsApp will make its picture-in-picture feature compatible with all apps, so that you can watch WhatsApp videos in a small pop-up window not only while using WhatsApp but while using other apps as well.
WhatsApp is a bit late in introducing the picture-in-picture mode
The picture-in-picture mode is one of the most important features for any chat-based application like WhatsApp. Possibly, WhatsApp is a bit late in introducing it.
WhatsApp’s rival, Telegram, already had access to the picture-in-picture feature for a long time. You simply need to tap the relevant icon in the top-right corner of the playing video to activate this feature. However, it’s better late than never; WhatsApp is finally introducing this feature.
In addition to Telegram, this feature is available on different video streaming platforms such as YouTube and Netflix. On these platforms, you simply need to tap the picture-in-picture mode icon to continue watching videos in a small pop-up window while using your device.
Many people use OpenAI’s products for personal use. However, a ton of enterprise companies are also using powerful AI tools. This is something that OpenAI is using to its advantage. According to a new report, the company now lets you finetune the powerful GPT-4 model.
Being able to fine-tune AI models lets users create a highly customized version to suit their needs. If a business needs an AI model specifically designed for its business structure, it can take the AI model and fine-tune it accordingly. In August of last year, OpenAI let users finetune the GPT-3.5 model. Well, the company just made the GPT-4 model available for finetuning. So, users will be able to finetune an even more powerful AI model.
OpenAI now lets you finetune the powerful GPT-4 model
It’s hard to overstate the benefits of having customized models. You’ll be able to train models on the type of data you need specifically. So, the model you’re using will have much more knowledge on the subject you’re training it on.
Through the custom models program, businesses can work directly with OpenAI researchers to train custom GPT-4 models to their specific needs. The companies will then have exclusive access to these models. If you’re interested in signing up for this program, you can go to the official page.
Right now, we’re still trying to navigate this new AI age that we’re in. Technology has proven to be a useful tool for businesses around the world. It helps speed up production and refine tasks. So, OpenAI is seizing the opportunity to help businesses flourish. We only expect OpenAI to come out with more business solutions as the year goes on.
In a groundbreaking Check Point Research (CPR) analysis, vulnerabilities have been uncovered in several popular dating applications, cumulatively boasting over 10 million downloads.
This investigation focused on the inherent risks associated with the use of geolocation data—a feature that, while designed to connect users with potential matches in their vicinity, may compromise their privacy.
Among the scrutinized apps, “Hornet,” a widely used gay dating platform, was found to have significant security flaws that could reveal the exact locations of its users.
CPR’s research highlighted a technique to pinpoint user coordinates using distance information.
Despite Hornet’s efforts to safeguard user privacy by disabling the display of distances, CPR developed a method that achieved location accuracy within 10 meters in controlled experiments.
Following the discovery, Hornet’s developers have taken steps to mitigate these risks, reducing location accuracy to 50 meters.
However, the initial vulnerability posed a substantial privacy risk to its users.
Understanding Geolocation & Possible Dangers
Geolocation technology can pinpoint the real-world geographic location of a device with varying degrees of accuracy.
DocumentRun Free ThreatScan on Your Mailbox
Trustifi’s Advanced threat protection prevents the widest spectrum of sophisticated attacks before they reach a user’s mailbox. Try Trustifi Free Threat Scan with Sophisticated AI-Powered Email Protection .
While this technology offers numerous benefits, it also presents several privacy and security risks, such as unauthorized data access, unintended sharing with third parties, and potential exploitation by malicious actors.
Methodology for Determining Distance
CPR’s methodology involved sorting users by ascending the distance order and using two known distances to estimate the target user’s location.
Estimating the approximate distance to the user based on known distances to neighbors
Additionally, by registering an additional account with controllable coordinates, researchers could refine their search and narrow the distance between the target and the auxiliary account, achieving remarkable precision.
Technique for determining the distance to the user using the positioning of an auxiliary account
Trilateration Methodology
The research utilized a two-step trilateration process, initially identifying two possible candidate locations before selecting the correct solution with information from a third reference point.
This method allowed for an astonishingly high accuracy in determining user locations.
The vulnerabilities discovered in the Hornet dating app underscore the significant privacy risks of exposing user geolocation.
The final location estimate has an error of less than 5 meters
Despite improvements made by Hornet’s developers, the potential for location determination remains.
CPR advises users to exercise caution with app permissions and to disable location services to protect their privacy.
This proactive approach can prevent apps from tracking movements and sharing personal data with external entities, ensuring a safer online dating experience.
Stay updated on Cybersecurity news, Whitepapers, and Infographics. Follow us on LinkedIn & Twitter.
Google’s March 2024 update is seemingly causing network issues restricting users from receiving texts and calls
In a recent report, Android Authority mentioned the March 2024 update is causing this issue. It seems that the network issue is not limited to just one flagship model, but many. Users have complained about issues with receiving calls and texts on the Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, as well as the top-end model Pixel 8 Pro.
A Reddit user (@ShadoutMapes87), pointed out the issue and claimed that all the calls they receive straight go to the voicemail on their Pixel 7 Pro on Verizon. The user further said that texts are coming in batches throughout the day. Pointing in the same direction, several users commented and confirmed that they are also facing similar issues on their Pixel 7 on Verizon.
Android Authority also spotted a long thread on Google Support forums that features complaints relating to network issues on Pixel flagships. Users have talked about how their phone’s screen will not display incoming calls. Additionally, users mentioned that their device neither notifies nor rings for an incoming call. It is worth noting that not only users on a specific carrier or model are facing this issue. Users on other carriers and devices have reported the same problem.
No troubleshooting or April 2024 update seems to be fixing the network issues on flagship Google Pixel phones
Users have tried and tested different troubleshooting methods to fix network issues on the Google Pixel flagship. But, they mentioned all the efforts to fix the issue seemed worthless. The network issue is seemingly affecting users from receiving incoming calls and texts, mostly when they aren’t around their phones. That’s not all, the worst part is that the April 2024 update for Pixel phones also didn’t fix this annoying issue.
All that said, it’s not the first time we have heard of issues on Google’s flagship Pixel series phones. There have been numerous occasions when these devices were criticized in the past for storage issues, scrolling issues, and more.
There’s going to be a pretty sizable shift in sports streaming this fall, when the joint venture sports streaming service with Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros Discovery launches. But that’s not all, as Disney is planning to launch a standalone ESPN streaming service that would replace ESPN Plus, and that’s expected to launch in the Fall of 2025.
This new ESPN streaming service, which Disney is currently calling its “flagship” streamer as it doesn’t have a name it’s using publicly just yet. It can be bundled with Disney Plus and Hulu, of course. However, no pricing has been announced for the new ESPN streaming service.
Disney’s CEO, Bob Iger talked about this service at the annual shareholders meeting, and said that it would have “the full suite of EPSON channels” in the subscription and it would be available “in the fall of 2025”. That’s an excellent time to launch this service, seeing as College Football and the NFL are crucial to ESPN.
This ESPN service will be more than just streaming
Iger also mentioned that the new standalone ESPN streaming service would be more than just streaming content and the various ESPN channels. The service will include sports betting, fantasy sports, and e-commerce. Of course, all of the live sports and studio commentary you’d expect from ESPN will also be available.
Disney believes that the “current and future direct-to-consumer offerings are a clear differentiator for the company in a very competitive landscape.” The company has also said in the past that not everything it owns will make it into the joint venture with Fox and Warner Bros Discovery. This means it’s likely that you’d need to sign up for both. That’s going to get quite pricey, but we don’t have a price on either service just yet. The joint venture is set to launch this fall, while the new standalone ESPN service is next fall.
With the introduction of One UI 6.1, Samsung boosted the user experience in photo editing with its built-in Samsung Photo Editor, by adding a cutting-edge feature known as Generative Edit.
Brace yourselves, as the innovation doesn’t stop; the app’s already versatile tool set receives another boost with an update to the Object Eraser tool (this allows you to remove unwanted objects from an image, if you can believe it – the name isn’t revelatory at all, right?).
Enter the remarkable Magnetic Lasso option (it’s rolling out in the latest “v3.4.21.41” version of the Photo Editor app).
Previously, Object Eraser offered two main options for erasing undesirables from your photos: a tap-to-select feature which, while automatic, often lacked precision in selection and outlining, and a manual outlining method that proved challenging to execute accurately with just finger swipes on a smartphone screen. The results, as expected, were less than ideal, leaving users craving more control and precision.
Enter Magnetic Lasso, Samsung’s solution to these challenges, bridging the gap between ease of use and meticulous control. This feature allows you to draw a rough outline around the object you wish to remove; the Magnetic Lasso then intelligently clings to the edges of the object, ensuring a precise selection without the fuss of perfect outlining.
SamMobile‘s report says this new feature (the Magnetic Lasso) produces far more satisfactory results compared to the original methods on the Galaxy S23.
To delve into this enhanced editing experience, simply navigate to the Object Eraser tool within the Edit > Tools menu of any image in the Gallery. The Magnetic Lasso feature is conveniently enabled by default but can be toggled off if desired. While this version of the Samsung Photo Editor app was initially accessed via APKMirror, it’s anticipated that Samsung will soon commence its rollout through the Galaxy Store, marking another step forward in the realm of mobile photo editing.
