Exynos 2500 to feature Google TPU for improved AI capabilities

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Exynos 2500 to feature Google TPU for improved AI capabilities
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Samsung‘s Exynos 2500 for the Galaxy S25 series could bring improvements in many areas beyond the CPU and GPU. According to an X tipster, the new chipset will feature Google’s TPU (Tensor Processing Unit) for improved AI capabilities. It will also enhance the software-hardware interaction.

Galaxy S25’s Exynos 2500 may use Google TPU to boost AI functions

Samsung has been making Exynos chips for years but its technology has always lagged behind the competition. Its flagship chips have historically underperformed competing solutions from Qualcomm. The performance gap got so wide that it skipped the Exynos 2300 last year, shipping the Galaxy S23 series with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 globally.

The company went back to the drawing board and came back with a much improved Exynos 2400 this year. The chip powers the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ in some markets. However, it still lags behind Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which powers the phones in the rest of the world and Galaxy S24 Ultra globally, in some areas.

Samsung hopes to close the gap next year with the Exynos 2500. It is reportedly making some hardware changes to give the new chip a better fighting chance against Qualcomm’s next-gen offering, presumably called the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. According to @OreXda on X, Samsung will add Google TPU to the mix to boost the AI performance of the new Exynos.

For the past few years, the Korean firm focused on improving its neural and digital signal processors. However, those improvements did not significantly boost the Android ML Layer or Google Mobile Service System App Services. The addition of Google TPU is expected to bring the desired improvement. Time will tell how big of an improvement we are talking about.

The tipster adds that the TPU will get into action when the Google ML API code is detected on the app. It will improve the speed and efficiency of AI functions. Samsung is already working on polishing its One UI software so that the Galaxy AI Model and Android Machine Learning Interface work seamlessly with its devices. Google TPU may help improve software-hardware interaction.

The Galaxy S25 series may not be all-Exynos

Despite all the improvements, Samsung doesn’t plan to go all-Exynos for the Galaxy S25 series. The 2025 flagships will also use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. The company might go the same route as this year—ship the Ultra with the Snapdragon globally and the other two models with the Exynos 2500 in some regions. There is still a long way to go before the new flagships start taking shape.


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Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra confirmed by another credible source

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Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra confirmed by another credible source
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Another credible source has confirmed the existence of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra in Samsung’s pipeline. Noted X tipster Ice Universe recently took to the platform to state that the Korean firm is working on an Ultra foldable this year. Unfortunately, details about its specs and design are unavailable, so it is unclear what differentiates it from the standard version.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra is real, tipster claims

Rumors about Samsung launching three foldables in 2024 have been around for a long time. Alongside the regular Gaalxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6, the company was said to introduce a third new foldable this year. However, there has been confusion about what the third model would offer. Some said it would be a mid-range offering, while others hinted at a more powerful Fold.

Recent developments are inclined towards the latter. The device in question reportedly has a model number SM-S948, which confirms a higher-specced Ultra version. Samsung devices with “8” at the end of their model numbers are usually the beefiest in the lineup—Galaxy S24 Ultra is SM-S928. This means the third foldable will be called the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra.

The same has just been confirmed by tipster Ice Universe, who has an excellent track record of Samsung leaks. However, they couldn’t share further details. What the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra brings to the table is still a mystery. Samsung could offer better cameras, a stronger build with a titanium frame, and other improvements. Maybe it will make room for a built-in S Pen as well.

Considering the lack of information about the Ultra foldable, the device could still be in the early stages of development. The other two upcoming foldables—Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6—have already been subject to numerous leaks. They may go official as early as July. The Ultra version, meanwhile, could arrive a few months later. We should get a clearer picture soon.

The standard version is thinner and lighter

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 will address a few complaints about Samsung’s book-type foldables. The new model is a lot thinner and lighter than its predecessor, the same source revealed earlier today. It weighs 239 grams, down from 253 grams. The device measures 12.1mm in thickness when folded and 5.6mm when unfolded. Samsung has also made it wider, allowing for a wider cover display. Leaks about the new foldables should come more frequently closer to their launch.


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Stability AI’s audio generator can now compose 3 minutes of music

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Stability AI’s audio generator can now compose 3 minutes of music
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Stability AI has launched Stable Audio 2.0, a higher version of the music-generation platform, which allows musicians to create songs that last up to three minutes. The new version is more extensive than its previous edition which limited the duration to 90 seconds. The company has made it available on its website for free so users can test it without hesitation.

Stability AI’s audio generator levels up and now allows up to 3-minute-long audio files

The new system operates mainly by text prompts though users may also submit audio clips for analysis and imitation. However, all the audio files uploaded in this program must be copyright-free, making it impossible to generate copies of existing pieces of music. Ultimately, this instrument serves as an outlet for creative minds who want to produce original compositions or arrange short clips into long ones.

While the extension of song length is an important improvement, there are inherent restrictions in AI-generated music. For instance, despite an initial fascination with machine-created singing voices often become uncanny verging on unknown language, and barely any melodic coherence at best.

These AI vocals were described by The Verge as “soulless and weird”, similar to whale sounds which contributed towards a rather eerie listening experience. Furthermore, Stability AI’s software sometimes glitches like typical AI-produced content that can cause things to suddenly disappear or duplicate.

Stable Audio 2.0 still needs to iron out some flaws before reaching human-level production

Despite these technical idiosyncrasies, the capability of rapid processing by the platform makes it ideal for quick albeit unconventional music productions. Critics point out that AI-generated music loses the sentimental connection and emotional depths found in human music artworks. Music is a way of expressing thoughts and feelings by its originators which is lacking in AI compositions.

Nevertheless, Stability AI’s Stable Audio 2.0 provides room for creative exploration, particularly in sub-genres such as birthday videos or background music for menial tasks. While it may not replace human musicianship, it offers a glimpse into the potential of AI-driven music generation technology and its role in shaping composition and creativity in the future.


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Spotify is getting a price hike and a subscription tier soon

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Spotify is getting a price hike and a subscription tier soon
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The time that considered the pricing menu of Spotify ‘stable’ is long gone. Spotify was able to maintain a reasonable price rate until the company decided to hike prices in July 2023. And by the end of this April, Spotify is once again raising prices. The last time Spotify went from $9.99 to $10.99, and this time the price will range from $1 to $2 a month in the top five markets, including the UK, Australia, and Pakistan. The other two nations are not revealed, but they are more likely Brazil and India.

According to Bloomberg, U.S. users will notice the raised price of Spotify later this year. Currently, Spotify’s premium subscription is available at $11/month, and $15/month for Duo users (for couples who use two accounts for one purchase). Moreover, the family plan for 6 members costs $17/month.

Audiobooks are the reason for Spotify’s price hike

The major reason to alter the prices is to cover the expenses incurred by the Audiobooks. Audiobooks were introduced last year on a trial basis. Currently, there are more than 250,000 audiobooks. Users must have a premium subscription to access audiobooks, and when a user exceeds 15 hours of free audiobooks, a 10-hour top-up is mandatory.

Spotify will introduce subscription tiers

The decision to increase prices is highly based on the ivory tower approach, which considers that all users use audiobooks. And to have a uniform rate for users who don’t listen to audiobooks will not be a fair deal. Therefore, subscription tiers are on the way.

The new subscription tier will hold the current rate at $11/month but without audiobooks. Audiobooks will only be accessible after paying the extra cost.

Recently, Spotify expanded its premium audiobook library to more regions. With this expansion, the number of audiobooks also increased to 250,000 from 200,000 at the end of 2023. This might have added an extra expense for the streaming giant. However, we can’t deny the fact that most of the company’s revenue goes to pay for the licensing fees. Taking these situations into contemplation, Spotify’s decision seems viable.

It is also important to note that it is not Spotify alone who raised prices. This judgment comes after the price revisions from Apple, Amazon, and YouTube Music Premium.


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Google could add Gemini-powered replies in Gmail

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Google could add Gemini-powered replies in Gmail
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With how adamant Google is about Distributing Gemini to all of its services, it should come as no surprise that the company wants to push it into its email application. According to a new report, Google is preparing to add Gemini-powered reply suggestions to Gmail.

The company has been implementing Gemini into several apps, and one of the most recent apps is Google Messages. Now, several users are able to use Gemini as a chatbot in Google messages. Gemini will exist as its own specific text message conversation. There, you’re able to use it just as you would any chatbot. You’re able to ask it questions, generate images, Etc. This feature is still rolling out, so there is a chance that you might not see it just yet.

Google could be preparing to add Gemini-powered suggestions in Gmail

Right now, Google has yet to officially announce this, so you will want to take this news with a grain of salt. We will want to wait until Google officially announces this.

However, with how avid Google is about implementing Gemini in all of its products, it should come as no surprise that the company wants to do this. You can already utilize Gemini within Gmail. You can use it through the Help me write feature. When you start typing an email, you have the option to tap on the little pencil icon. Then, you will type in what kind of email you want it to write for you.

Well, Gemini-powered reply suggestions will help with the other side of emails. Rather than telling you what to send a person, it will tell you what to reply with.

Below, we see a few screenshots. The actual email itself is blurred out, but the suggested replies generated by Gemini are clear. The first screenshot shows some very brief replies, but the second one shows more fleshed-out replies.

Right now, just about every chat and email application has a way of suggesting replies. However, what will set this apart is conversational awareness. Gemini will scan the entire email and gather all the context and needs to formulate a reply. Then, using generative AI, it will generate a reply based on the context.

As with most generative AI tools, you will be able to send feedback. Under the suggestions, we see a “Bad suggestions?” button. This will communicate to Google that it messed up.

At this point, we don’t know when Google plans to roll this new feature out. However, when it does, we expect many people to use it.


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Android’s ‘Find My Device’ network is live for select users

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Android’s ‘Find My Device’ network is live for select users
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Have you ever lost your Android device, leaving you unable to locate it through Android’s Find My Device? Your misplaced device likely couldn’t be located by the feature since it wasn’t connected to the internet then. Fortunately, Google is introducing the Android Find My Device network option. This option will help locate a lost or stolen device even offline.

While the Find My Device network feature was announced in May 2023, the Summer 2023 launch date was indefinitely delayed. The delay occurred as Apple did not have protection against unwanted tracking accessories. Fortunately, that seems to be changing soon, and select users can already see Android’s Find My Device network feature.

Android’s Find My Device network starts going live

Some users have reported a new Find Your Offline Devices option in the Find My Device screen. However, this is only after updating it to the latest beta version of Google Play Services, v24.12.14. Attempting to modify the feature leads to another page with different options for using this feature.

Users can find devices without the network, with the network in high-traffic areas, and with the network in all areas. Furthermore, for users who don’t wish to use this feature, there is also an option to turn it off. Find My Device network is enabled by default and set to find devices with the network in all areas.

This rollout and addition were first pointed out by AssembleDebug on X and validated by many users on Telegram. However, the new feature is rolling out only for selected users. Some users will see it when they open the Find My Device screen; others must wait for its official launch.

How does the ‘Find My Device’ network actually work?

The main advantage the ‘Find My Device’ network provides users is the ability to find the location of an offline device. Previously, the Find My Device feature required the lost or stolen Android device to have an active internet connection before you could locate it.

The Find My Device network will gain access to Google Play Services of all Android phones to find lost devices. This way, the mandatory connection requirement will be removed from the equation. Supported devices include phones, smartwatches, trackers, and headphones.

There will be an option for you to not participate in the network and still be able to locate lost devices by using their stored recent locations. Another option is for your device location information to be accessed only if other devices in the network also detect the lost device.

Lastly, you can allow your device to be used by the Find My Device network even if it is the only device in the network being used to locate the lost device. Regardless of how you set your Android device up in the network, this feature will help many owners of lost or stolen devices.


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The Nest Doorbell (Wired) is suffering from an audio issue

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The Nest Doorbell (Wired) is suffering from an audio issue
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Google’s Nest doorbell is one of the most useful smart home devices a person can own. However, a rule of thumb is that a device is only useful when it works. Several users have reported that the wired Nest doorbell is experiencing a bug that causes the audio to cut out constantly.

The Nest doorbell is a very useful tool for people who want to keep an eye on their front porch. It comes with a camera and a microphone so that the user can look at a camera feed of what’s going on. Also, people can actually have conversations through the doorbell. It comes in a wired and wireless variant. If you’re planning on picking up one of these devices, they retail for $179.99. Both the wired and wireless models cost the same price.

Check out the Nest Doorbell at Amazon

The Nest doorbell is suffering from an audio bug

There are people who can’t quite make it to the door in a timely manner. So, they are likely to have a conversation through the doorbell with the person ringing. People who are doing this will need to have consistent audio in order to have a proper conversation. Well, according to several users, after the latest update, the audio would constantly drop in and out. This is, obviously, very frustrating for the people trying to have a consistent conversation.

The audio will cut in and out, but the video feed would be just fine. So, it’s just an audio bug affecting the Nest Doorbell. According to the reports we have, this is only happening to the wired version of The Nest doorbell. However, that’s just according to the reports. For all we know, there could be people using the wireless version experiencing this issue. The folks at 9To5Google were able to replicate this issue using a wired Nest Doorbell running software version 1.71.

In any case, all users affected are expecting a speedy update from Google. Hopefully, the company will be able to send out an update to affected users quickly.


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Snapdragon X Elite outperformed Intel’s Core Ultra by a huge margin

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Snapdragon X Elite outperformed Intel’s Core Ultra by a huge margin
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Qualcomm shows that its upcoming Arm-based Snapdragon X Elite chip has outperformed Intel’s most capable “Meteor Lake” series chips by a huge margin. Qualcomm’s new platform that is targeting Apple‘s M series chips, is scheduled for a “mid-2024” release. While we are still away from the release, performance numbers of Qualcomm’s new solution for power-efficient Windows computing are building up anticipation.

Previously in October, Qualcomm compared Snapdragon X Elite with Intel’s 13th generation Raptor Lake series chips. It showed Snapdragon X Elite matching the performance of Intel’s powerful i913980HX albeit consuming 70% less power. However, 2024 has offered us a number of really efficient Windows laptops running on Intel’s latest Meteor Lake series Core Ultra chips. So, it’s worth knowing how Qualcomm’s upcoming ARM-based SoC compares to Intel’s latest and best offerings.

Qualcomm compared Snapdragon X Elite with Intel’s Core Ultra 7 155H and Core Ultra 9 185H

The latest revelation from Qualcomm and PCWorld aims to answer just that. Qualcomm has shared the same sort of comparison once again, with two of the latest 14th generation Meteor Lake series Core Ultra chips – the Core Ultra 7 155H and Core Ultra 9 185H. Both of the chips include similar core architecture with a total of 16 cores and a peak turbo frequency of 4.8 and 5.1GHz respectively.

On the other side, the Arm-based Snapdragon X Elite boasts 12 of Qualcomm’s custom-made Oryon CPU cores, thanks to the company’s acquisition of Nuvia. Each of them runs at the same 3.8 GHz.

The numbers indicate a win for Qualcomm

Notably, the devices Qualcomm used to measure the performance of the Core Ultra 7 155H, and Core Ultra 9 185H are – Asus Zenbook 14 OLED, and Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 respectively.

In the single-thread test, Qualcomm says that the Snapdragon X Elite is 54% faster than the Core Ultra 7 155H with the exact same power consumption. And when both the chips perform the same, the Arm-based chip consumes 65% less power. While this is still a synthetic benchmark, the difference is huge and it may result in incredible power-efficient operation for Windows going forward.

Moving on to the multi-thread, the Snapdragon X Elite is again 52% faster than the Core Ultra 7 at the same power, and with the same performance, it consumes 60% less power. It’s very similar to the single-thread performance and means a similar potential outcome for the future.

Speaking of the more powerful Core Ultra 9 185H, it performed only slightly better as compared to Core Ultra 7 in multi-thread. However, the Snapdragon X Elite still outperformed it with 41% faster performance at the same power and 58% less power at the same performance.

For those who are waiting for a graphics test, the Snapdragon X Elite is 36% faster using the UL 3DMark Wild Life Extreme benchmark as compared to the Core Ultra 9 185H at the same power. It consumes 50% less power if the performance is the same.

Qualcomm also claims that its Arm-based offering is capable of outperforming Apple’s M3 chip by 22% on Geekbench 6.2.

Will Snapdragon-powered laptops dominate all of its competition in performance?

Nonetheless, there isn’t a commercially available device with the Snapdragon X Elite chip yet. It indicates two things – firstly we cannot rely solely on the power efficiency to get an idea of the battery life. Secondly, without accounting for the cooling system, we cannot claim that it will perform the best. Manufacturers might focus on lightweight systems with small batteries and cooling with a reasonably good performance. It will surely benefit but may be in a different way.


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Google Search with AI features might come with a fee soon

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Google Search with AI features might come with a fee soon
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Google is thinking about charging a fee for access to features in Search that are powered by generative AI, a new report claims. Currently, Search doesn’t offer any native AI-based features. At least, not features that Google has baked into the core Search product as fully rolled out. However, you can access experimental AI features in Search through the “Search Labs” page.

On this page, you’ll find two toggles for AI-powered features that will let you test these experimental offerings. One feature, called SGE or Search Generative Experience, will give you AI-powered overviews of your chosen topic. Say you’re looking for “Pizza in downtown Seattle.” If you have the SGE toggle enabled, you might end up with an AI-powered overview. These should pop up with every search topic. Some will be automatic while others will have a “generate” button above the results. And they simply give you a more detailed overview of what you were searching for.

Another AI feature called “SGE while browsing” will fill the web pages you’re looking at with AI-powered tools. These pop up in a card panel on the right of the page and will have a generate button for highlighting key points, as well as jump links that take you to a specific section on that page. It’s these kinds of features that Google is reportedly thinking about charging for.

Google Search would remain free to use, while the AI features would have a fee

According to The Financial Times, which first reported on Google’s consideration of tacking a fee onto the AI-powered Search tools, only the AI features would come with a fee. The core Search product, which is currently free, would remain free to use and would still serve up ads since ads are still the primary way Google makes a profit from Search. However, this does come with a caveat. Those who would pay the subscription fee for access to these AI features would still see ads according to the report.

It’s not clear if the number of ads shown would be the same or if they would be lessened as part of the subscription. Google also doesn’t have a price set at the moment. The reason why is that Google has yet to decide on whether or not it should charge for these AI features, people “familiar with Google plans” said. Google also reportedly hasn’t decided on what the charge should be if there were to be one. So right now, there’s no actual charge.

Some AI-powered features may roll out as free over time

Google may end up charging a fee for AI features in Search, but if it does, that doesn’t mean that all AI features will come with a subscription fee. The report states that “people familiar with its thinking” said Google may choose to roll out some AI features for the main free Search product over time. These could end up being the two features you can currently test in the Search Labs section. Or they could be different AI features entirely. Engineers are currently “developing the technology needed to deploy the service but executives have not yet made a final decision on whether or when to launch it.”


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Google patches critical vulnerability for Androids with Qualcomm chips

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Google patches critical vulnerability for Androids with Qualcomm chips
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In April’s update for the Android operating system (OS), Google has patched 28 vulnerabilities, one of which is rated critical for Android devices equipped with Qualcomm chips.

You can find your device’s Android version number, security update level, and Google Play system level in your Settings app. You’ll get notifications when updates are available for you, but you can also check for updates.

If your Android phone is at patch level 2024-04-05 or later then the issues discussed below have been fixed. The updates have been made available for Android 12, 12L and 13. Android partners are notified of all issues at least a month before publication, however, this doesn’t always mean that the patches are available for devices from all vendors.

For most phones it works like this: Under About phone or About device you can tap on Software updates to check if there are new updates available for your device, although there may be slight differences based on the brand, type, and Android version of your device.

The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) database lists publicly disclosed computer security flaws. The Qualcomm CVE is listed as CVE-2023-28582. It has a CVSS score of 9.8 out of 20 and is described as a memory corruption in Data Modem while verifying hello-verify message during the Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) handshake.

The cause of the memory corruption lies in a buffer copy without checking the size of the input. Practically, this means that a remote attacker can cause a buffer overflow during the verification of a DTLS handshake, allowing them to execute code on the affected device.

Another vulnerability highlighted by Google is CVE-2024-23704, an elevation of privilege (EoP) vulnerability in the System component that affects Android 13 and Android 14.

This vulnerability could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional execution privileges needed. Local privilege escalation happens when one user acquires the system rights of another user. This could allow an attacker to access information they shouldn’t have access to, or perform actions at a higher level of permissions.

Pixel users

Google warns Pixel users that there are indications that two high severity vulnerabilities may be under limited, targeted exploitation. These vulnerabilities are:

  • CVE-2024-29745: An information disclosure vulnerability in the bootloader component. Bootloaders are one of the first programs to load and ensure that all relevant operating system data is loaded into the main memory when a device is started.
  • CVE-2024-29748: An elevation of privilege (EoP) vulnerability in the Pixel firmware. Firmware is device-specific software that provides basic machine instructions that allow the hardware to function and communicate with other software running on the device.

On Pixel devices, a security patch level of 2024-04-05 resolves all these security vulnerabilities.

We don’t just report on phone security—we provide it

Cybersecurity risks should never spread beyond a headline. Keep threats off your mobile devices by downloading Malwarebytes for iOS, and Malwarebytes for Android today.


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