Update Chrome now! Google patches possible drive-by vulnerability

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Google has released an update to Chrome which includes seven security fixes. Version 123.0.6312.86/.87 of Chrome for Windows and Mac and 123.0.6312.86 for Linux will roll out over the coming days/weeks.

The easiest way to update Chrome is to allow it to update automatically, which basically uses the same method as outlined below but does not require your attention. But you can end up lagging behind if you never close the browser or if something goes wrong—such as an extension stopping you from updating the browser.

So, it doesn’t hurt to check now and then. And now would be a good time, given the severity of the vulnerability in this patch. My preferred method is to have Chrome open the page chrome://settings/help which you can also find by clicking Settings > About Chrome.

If there is an update available, Chrome will notify you and start downloading it. Then all you have to do is relaunch the browser in order for the update to complete, and for you to be safe from those vulnerabilities.

Chrome is up to date

After the update, the version should be 123.0.6312.86, or later

Technical details

Google never gives out a lot of information about vulnerabilities, for obvious reasons. Access to bug details and links may be kept restricted until a majority of users are updated with a fix.

There is one critical vulnerability that looks like it might be of interest to cybercriminals.

CVE-2024-2883: Use after free (UAF) vulnerability in Angle in Google Chrome prior to 123.0.6312.86 could allow a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page.

Angle is a browser component that deals with WebGL (short for Web Graphics Library) content. WebGL is a JavaScript API for rendering interactive 2D and 3D graphics within any compatible web browser without the use of plug-ins.

UAF is a type of vulnerability that is the result of the incorrect use of dynamic memory during a program’s operation. If, after freeing a memory location, a program does not clear the pointer to that memory, an attacker can use the error to manipulate the program. Referencing memory after it has been freed can cause a program to crash, use unexpected values, or execute code. In this case, when the vulnerability is exploited, it can lead to heap corruption.

Heap corruption occurs when a program modifies the contents of a memory location outside of the memory allocated to the program. The outcome can be relatively benign and cause a memory leak, or it may be fatal and cause a memory fault, usually in the program that causes the corruption.

Chromium vulnerabilities are considered critical if they “allow an attacker to read or write arbitrary resources (including but not limited to the file system, registry, network, etc.) on the underlying platform, with the user’s full privileges.”

So, to sum this up, in this case an attacker could create a specially crafted HTML page–which can be put online as a website–that exploits the vulnerability, potentially leading to a compromised system.

My suggestion: don’t wait for the update, get it now.


We don’t just report on vulnerabilities—we identify them, and prioritize action.

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Tipster says Galaxy S25 Ultra design leaks are false

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One of the best-known tipsters in the business, Ice Universe, reflected on the Galaxy S25 Ultra design leaks, he basically said they’re false. He said that the Galaxy S25 Ultra design is “top secret” at the moment and that the info shared is not real.

Recent Galaxy S25 Ultra design leaks seem to be false

Amongst the rumors he pointed his finger at is a recent one depicting the Galaxy S25 Ultra prototypes. He mentioned some other ones too, and they all come from the same person, PandaFlash X on Twitter.

Ice Universe is no stranger when it comes to calling out inaccurate information. His level of accuracy is extremely high too, so we have no reason to doubt what he’s saying here. It looks like we’ll have to wait a bit longer to get legit Galaxy S25 Ultra info.

The thing is, Samsung is expected to change up the design of the Galaxy S25 series. We do expect the Galaxy S25 Ultra to come with a different look too. What PandaFlash X showed us is basically in line with the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

The design of all three Galaxy S25 devices is a mystery at this point

We still don’t know what will either of the company’s upcoming Galaxy S25 flagships look like. That is not all that surprising as we’re currently at the end of March, and almost 10 months away from the expected launch of those devices.

As we get closer to January next year, more info will follow, that much is certain. We’re not even sure Samsung will announce those devices in January 2025. It is expected, but nothing has been confirmed thus far.

Three phones are expected once again, though. The Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and Galaxy S25 Ultra. It remains to be seen if the difference between them will be as considerable as it was with the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S24 series phones. The ‘Ultra’ always stood out, and not only from the design standpoint.


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The Moon Malware Hacked 6k ASUS Routers to Use for Proxy

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Black Lotus Labs discovered a multi-year campaign by TheMoon malware targeting vulnerable routers and turning them into bots for the Faceless proxy service.

TheMoon bots grew to over 40,000 in early 2024 and enabled Faceless to gain nearly 7,000 new users weekly.

It identified a botnet targeting end-of-life SOHO/IoT devices in late 2023, which is a variant of the previously dormant TheMoon botnet, that infects devices and enrolls them in the Faceless residential proxy service. 

Logical Overview of Faceless Network

Faceless is a successor to the iSocks anonymity service and is popular among cybercriminals for anonymizing their activity, whereas the strong correlation between TheMoon bots and Faceless suggests TheMoon is the main supplier of bots for the Faceless proxy service. 

It mapped the Faceless network and observed a campaign targeting 6,000 ASUS routers within 3 days, while Lumen Technologies blocked traffic to/from Faceless and TheMoon infrastructure and released indicators of compromise to disrupt this operation.

An initial loader exploiting shell availability infects the device and then establishes persistence, sets firewall rules for specific IP ranges, and uses a spoofed NTP request to verify internet connectivity. 

Following a connection attempt to hardcoded IPs and a potential check-in packet, the malware retrieves a secondary payload (worm or proxy) based on instructions from the C2 server. 

Check-in packet from debugger on the left and packet capture on the right
Check-in packet from debugger on the left and packet capture on the right

The Worm Module spreads by exploiting vulnerable web servers and downloading additional modules and the .sox file. Upon execution, it checks for updates, establishes a connection with the Faceless C2 server, and reads Lumen reports.

 The .sox.twn file
 The .sox.twn file

If no update file is found, it uses a hardcoded IP address to connect, and upon receiving the update file, .sox extracts the C2 server address, initiates communication on a random port, and then sends additional scripts to update C2 information or removes traces of the malware, re

The investigation revealed a strong correlation between TheMoon botnet and the Faceless proxy service, where significant overlap between bots communicating with TheMoon and Faceless C2 servers has been observed.

Chart showing the delta between when an infected device communicates with a Moon and Faceless Server
Chart showing the delta between when an infected device communicates with a Moon and Faceless Server

Most new TheMoon bots contacted a Faceless C2 server within 3 days, and both services used the same communication port scheme and founded a Faceless C2 server directly communicating with a TheMoon C2 server, strongly suggesting TheMoon as the primary botnet feeding Faceless.  

Graphic showing the Moon Elf file hosted on a Faceless C2
Graphic showing the Moon Elf file hosted on a Faceless C2

Global Telemetry Analysis – Faceless

The Moon malware infects devices and communicates with its C2 server, as a subset of these devices are enrolled in the Faceless proxy network, where they receive instructions from Faceless C2s and route traffic through an intermediary server before reaching the final destination. 

Longevity of Faceless bots
Longevity of Faceless Bots

The network is particularly useful for bypassing geolocation and IP-based blocking, as analysis shows that while 30,000 bots communicate with TheMoon C2 weekly, only 23,000 connect to Faceless C2s, suggesting some devices interact with TheMoon but not Faceless. 

It has been suspected that the remaining bots might be used for credential stuffing or financial data exfiltration.

Interestingly, some long-lasting connections originate from known threat actor infrastructure, indicating they might be using Faceless for additional anonymity.

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Galaxy Z Fold 5, Flip 5 & S23 start getting One UI 6.1… in the US

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Samsung has started rolling out its One UI 6.1 update to the Galaxy Z Fold 5, Galaxy Z Flip 5, and Galaxy S23. Those of you living in the States will be glad to know that the US is first in line.

Samsung is rolling out One UI 6.1 to a number of Galaxy devices in the US

The update is not yet rolling out to unlocked units, however, at the time of writing this article. Verizon units are first in line, actually. The thing is, this update will spread like wildfire, basically, so you can expect it to roll out via different channels soon.

Just to be clear, the update is rolling out to the entire Galaxy S23 series, not just the vanilla Galaxy S23. The Galaxy S23 FE is expected to join the aforementioned devices soon, as is the Galaxy Tab S9 series. That group of devices is said to be getting the update in he first wave.

This update brings most of the AI features from the Galaxy S24 series

What does One UI 6.1 bring to the table? Well, most of the AI features that debuted on the Galaxy S24 lineup. So, for example, the Circle to Search feature is available in One UI 6.1 to all the devices that get the update.

This is actually Google’s feature which allows you to circle what you want to search and get results based on that. It’s a very intuitive feature, and a very useful one as well.

The camera can now scan and translate text

Thanks to a new camera scan feature, you can use the phone’s camera to translate text. Simply hover it over the text you want to translate, select the text on the display, and there you go.

The Samsung Internet browser can also provide you with a summary of websites. That’s not all, though, it can also translate entire websites for you while keeping them properly formatted. This even works with embedded tweets, for example.

Some AI capabilities also spread to the keyboard

The company also built its AI features into the keyboard. AI translate is available on the keyboard too. There are also different chat styles available from within the keyboard.

Galaxy AI is also available in the gallery, for some heavy editing, if that’s what you require. You can remove subjects, change the background behind your subjects, and so on. There are many options available here. Generative AI wallpapers are also available, and more.

That’s just a taste of what this update brings to the table. It’s quite a hefty AI update, basically.


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Delete these free VPN apps from your Android phone before they turn you into a cybercriminal!

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Have you noticed that there have been far fewer reports about malicious apps wreaking havoc on Android devices in the last couple of months than usual? Unfortunately, that still doesn’t mean Google’s Play Store is free of all security threats, as a widespread new issue originating where we all install our apps from is today coming to light.
Dubbed Proxylib, the malware-spreading operation monitored and documented by Human’s Satori Threat Intelligence researchers over a period of more than nine months in 2023 and early 2024 may have impacted millions of Android users around the world, turning their phones into so-called proxy nodes to conceal various fraudulent online activities.

Did you unwittingly break any laws?

Let us put your biggest concern at ease by stressing that you can’t be prosecuted or accused of anything illegal that may have been done with the help of your phone after you installed one of the 28 apps infected with this new type of malware. 

Unlike other malicious apps discovered in the past, there’s also no reason to believe your bank account, financial information of any sort, or even personal data is in jeopardy this time around. What the bad actors behind the large-scale Proxylib campaign probably managed to do was turn you into unknowing accomplices to a wide range of cybercrimes, which certainly sounds scary and shouldn’t be allowed to happen (especially for months in a row) by Google.

To its credit, the search giant reacted to these hair-raising revelations in the only acceptable way we can think of, removing all the dangerous new apps from its Play Store while also disabling them on devices where they’re already installed. That is, if you have the Google Play Protect functionality enabled, which you absolutely should at all times.

Before listing all the apps you need to delete from your phone if you have Play Protect switched off or if for some reason the tool fails to do its job, it’s important to highlight that a few of these titles have actually returned to Google Play without any trace of malicious code in them. Does that make them safe to use? Theoretically, yes, but we can totally understand if you’ve developed trust issues and would rather install alternatives with a clean security record.

Get rid of the following apps now!

  • Lite VPN
  • Anims Keyboard
  • Blaze Stride
  • Byte Blade VPN
  • Android 12 Launcher (by CaptainDroid)
  • Android 13 Launcher (by CaptainDroid)
  • Android 14 Launcher (by CaptainDroid)
  • CaptainDroid Feeds
  • Free Old Classic Movies (by CaptainDroid)
  • Phone Comparison (by CaptainDroid)
  • Fast Fly VPN
  • Fast Fox VPN
  • Fast Line VPN
  • Funny Char Ging Animation
  • Limo Edges
  • Oko VPN
  • Phone App Launcher
  • Quick Flow VPN
  • Sample VPN
  • Secure Thunder
  • Shine Secure
  • Speed Surf
  • Swift Shield VPN
  • Turbo Track VPN
  • Turbo Tunnel VPN
  • Yellow Flash VPN
  • VPN Ultra
  • Run VPN

As you can easily notice, many of these apps have one key thing in common – free VPN (Virtual Private Network) service. That sounds like a very compelling proposition when some of the best premium VPNs out there are available for anywhere between $3 and $10 a month, so it’s definitely easy to understand how millions and millions of people were duped into joining the Proxylib shenanigans.

These essentially routed traffic from one device through another to conduct advertising fraud and other malicious activities known as password spraying and credential stuffing attacks. Hackers used IP addresses without user approval or notification to hide the true origin of their attacks and make ad money with the help of bots and your very own phones.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg, though, and alas, we can’t really know exactly what cybercrimes your IPs were involved in, for how long, and how much online and personal harm they may have caused between June 2023 and February 2024 and even before the date at which the first Proxylib-carrying app was discovered. 

What we do know is that you should probably pay a few bucks a month if you want a secure and reliable VPN app, and in general, it’s wise to stay away from shady free apps that seem too good to be true.

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2 Chrome Zero-Days Exploited at Pwn2Own 2024: Patch Now

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Google has announced a crucial update to its Chrome browser, addressing several vulnerabilities, including two zero-day exploits showcased at the prestigious Pwn2Own 2024 hacking competition.

The update, which affects Chrome users on Windows, Mac, and Linux, elevates the browser version to 123.0.6312.86/.87 for Windows and Mac, and 123.0.6312.86 for Linux, with the rollout expected to reach users progressively over the coming days and weeks.

Security Fixes and Rewards

Google’s latest security update includes fixes for seven vulnerabilities, with a special emphasis on those discovered by external researchers.

The tech giant has a longstanding tradition of rewarding these contributors for identifying and reporting bugs.

This practice enhances Chrome’s security and fosters a collaborative relationship between the company and the cybersecurity community.

Critical CVE-2024-2883: Use After Free in ANGLE

One of the most critical issues addressed in this update is CVE-2024-2883, a use-after-free vulnerability in ANGLE, a cross-platform graphics engine abstraction layer used by Chrome to improve graphics performance on various platforms.

This vulnerability was reported by Cassidy Kim (@cassidy6564) on March 3, 2024, and has been rewarded with a $10,000 bounty. Use-after-free vulnerabilities can lead to arbitrary code execution, making them particularly dangerous.

High CVE-2024-2885: Use After Free in Dawn

Another significant vulnerability patched in this release is CVE-2024-2885, a high-severity use-after-free issue in Dawn, an open-source and cross-platform implementation of the WebGPU standard.

This bug was reported by an entity known as Fuzz on March 11, 2024.

The severity of this vulnerability underscores the importance of timely updates to mitigate potential risks.

However, the spotlight shines on two high-severity vulnerabilities, CVE-2024-2886 and CVE-2024-2887, unveiled during the Pwn2Own 2024 competition.

CVE-2024-2886, reported by Seunghyun Lee (@0x10n) of KAIST Hacking Lab, is a use-after-free vulnerability in WebCodecs, a component critical for efficient media content encoding and decoding.

CVE-2024-2887, reported by Manfred Paul, involves type confusion in WebAssembly, a binary instruction format for a stack-based virtual machine that enables high-performance applications on the web.

These discoveries at Pwn2Own highlight the event’s role in identifying and mitigating potential threats before they can be exploited maliciously.

Ongoing Security Efforts

Google also acknowledges the contributions of its internal security team, whose ongoing efforts have led to various fixes identified through internal audits, fuzzing, and other initiatives.

The company’s use of tools like AddressSanitizer, MemorySanitizer, UndefinedBehaviorSanitizer, Control Flow Integrity, libFuzzer, and AFL is crucial in detecting and addressing security bugs.

Chrome users are urged to update their browsers immediately to protect against these vulnerabilities.

For those interested in switching release channels or reporting new issues, Google provides resources and a community help forum for assistance and learning about common issues.

Stay updated on Cybersecurity news, Whitepapers, and Infographics. Follow us on LinkedIn & Twitter.


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Samsung Galaxy M55 is official with 120Hz display, Android 14

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Samsung has announced a new smartphone, the Galaxy M55. This is the company’s new budget device, which will be available in specific markets. We’ll talk more about the availability and pricing towards the end of the article.

The Samsung Galaxy M55 sports a familiar design

Now, the design. The Galaxy M55 looks like many of its siblings. It has a flat display on the front, with a centered display camera hole. Its bezels are not thick, but its bottom bezel is thicker than the rest of them.

All the physical buttons sit on the right-hand side, while the back side of the phone is slightly curved on the edges. There are three cameras included on the back. They’re vertically aligned in the top-left corner of the phone’s back.

It includes a flat Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate

The Galaxy M55 features a 6.7-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) Super AMOLED display. It is a flat panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, which offers up to 1,000 nits of brightness.

The Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 SoC fuels this smartphone, while you’re also getting 8GB of RAM. Samsung included 256GB of storage here, which is expandable up to 1TB via a microSD card.

Android 14 comes pre-installed on the device, along with Samsung One UI 6.1. The phone includes a hybrid dual SIM card slot. In other words, you can either use two nano SIM cards, or a nano SIM card and a microSD card combo.

A 5,000mAh battery is also included, and 45W wired charging supported

A 5,000mAh battery sits on the inside of this phone, and 45W wired charging is supported. The phone does include an in-display fingerprint scanner too, and supports Bluetooth 5.3. Dolby Atmos is supported as well.

A 50-megapixel main camera (f/1.8 aperture) is backed by an 8-megapixel ultrawide unit (f/2.2 aperture). A 2-megapixel depth sensor (f/2.4 aperture) also sits on the back of the phone. On the front, you’ll find a 50-megapixel front-facing camera (f/2.2 aperture).

The Samsung Galaxy M55 measures 163.9 x 76.5 x 7.8mm, while it weighs 180 grams. It comes in Dark Blue and Green color variants.

This smartphone was announced in Brazil, for now. It will spread to more markets soon. It is priced at 3,199 Brazilian Real ($640). So, it’s actually quite pricey considering its specs and everything, but there you go.


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Xfinity Mobile introduces cheaper unlimited plans with more data

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Comcast has simplified Xfinity Mobile’s unlimited plans. The company has introduced two new tariffs for consumers to choose from this week – Unlimited and Unlimited Plus. These are simplified versions of the Unlimited Intro, Plus, and Premium plans, which the brand introduced a couple of years ago. The new packs are cheaper and offer higher data than their predecessors.

Xfinity Mobile’s new Unlimited plans start at $40/month for one line with 30GB of data

Xfinity Mobile’s streamlined Unlimited plans now start at just $40 per month for one line. The prices go up to $60, $80, $100, and $120 for two, three, four, and five lines respectively. All these tariffs offer 30GB of monthly 5G+ high-speed data and unlimited mobile hotspots at 3G speeds.

The cheaper Xfinity Mobile Unlimited plan is quite attractive. It kicks off at $40 but falls to just $25 per line with a four-line connection. The pack offers video streaming at 480p over a mobile connection.

Looking for more data? Check out the Xfinity Mobile Unlimited Plus plan

If you are looking for more high-speed premium 5G+ data, then you can opt for the Xfinity Mobile Unlimited Plus plan. This one starts at $50 per month for a single line. You can also opt for two, three, and four lines for $80, $110, and $140 respectively. This pack offers 50GB of monthly premium data and access to HD or 720p video streaming across devices.

You also get a mobile hotspot of 15GB at up to 5G/4G LTE speeds. Post the limit, you get unlimited 3G mobile hotspot data. Both the Xfinity Mobile Unlimited and Unlimited Plus plans offer calls, text, and roaming within the US. The same to and from Canada and Mexico are also included with these tariffs at no extra charge.

The previous Xfinity Mobile Unlimited Intro, Plus, and Premium plans were available starting from $45, $55, and $65 per month respectively. Considering this, you can see that the new simplified unlimited plans can save you between $5 to $15 per line. The full breakdown of the new plans can be seen in the photo below.

xfinity Mobile unlimited plans

The new pricing structure puts Xfinity’s service closer in line with Spectrum Mobile

Notably, the new pricing structure brings Xfinity Mobile’s service closer in line with what the users get with Spectrum Mobile. To compare, Spectrum’s Unlimited and Unlimited Plus monthly plans start at $30 and $40 respectively. However, the price per line stays the same regardless of how many lines you opt for.


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Galaxy Z Fold 6 & Galaxy Z Flip 6 charging info confirmed

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The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 got certified by the 3C authority, and thus their charging info got confirmed. The 3C authority is based in China, as many of you know.

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 & Galaxy Z Flip 6 charging details have been confirmed

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 appeared with the SM-F9560 model number. The ‘Flip’, on the other hand, appeared with the SM-F7410 model number. The EP-TA800 charger (that’s its model number) is made for these devices… even though it won’t ship inside the box.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 charger certification

Why is this important then? Well, that is a 25W charger, so we know what charging speed will the two phones support. That is the same charging speed the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 offer, by the way. So Samsung is not planning to improve in that regard.

When it comes to battery capacities, these certifications did not reveal such info. We do know that both smartphones will feature a dual-cell battery setup, though.

Neither smartphone will charge up particularly fast

Both smartphones should be able to charge halfway in about 30 minutes if you have the right charger. The thing is, a full charge will take considerably longer than that. It will take the Fold almost an hour and a half to reach a full charge, while the Galaxy Z Flip 6 should be able to charge a bit faster.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 will launch in July. July 10 is the rumored date for their arrival. That may seem a bit soon, but there’s a good reason for that. The Summer Olympics start on July 26, which is also a Wednesday, and probably a date that Samsung was aiming for.

In addition to that, both the company’s press event and the Olympics are taking place in the same city, Paris. Well, Samsung still hasn’t confirmed that, but the rumors are pointing in that direction. The Galaxy Ring is expected to arrive alongside the two devices.


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Google Maps will now curate and recommend must-see places

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Google Maps has introduced a bunch of new features to enhance the user experience while navigating locations. One of them uses AI for a curated list of recommendations, letting you know about places you must see. Now, users not only have the ability to make simple searches or take photos but can also access many lists of locations compiled by the community or third-party sources within the app itself.

Google Maps will now list, curate, and recommend the best places to visit in an area

Meanwhile, when you search for a place on Google Maps, you can swipe up for curated lists tailored to your location such as recommendations from The Infatuation, Lonely Planet, The New York Times, or OpenTable. These lists cut across expert-curated restaurants, hidden gems, and iconic sites allowing users to get varied and trustworthy suggestions.

Equally important, Google Maps will have its own curated lists as well such as “Trending,” “Top,” and “Gems” which will help people find places they may want to visit based on general popularity or how frequently fellow members like them. The Maps community will update those lists regularly so that users can always know about the hottest spots in town, some favorites that never fade away, and some local unknowns.

This update also allows users to manually arrange their list items using the drag-and-drop method, unlike before when it was automatic. Moreover, they can share content from their social channels right inside their lists so that others can see what they think.

Google employs AI to identify food and give pricing suggestions

Furthermore, Google is employing AI to improve visual recognition capacity for pictures thus helping the app identify what dish is in the picture and give appropriate information according to the menu such as pricing, and popularity including vegetarian/vegan options.

These updates will be rolled out globally on Android and iOS platforms at the end of this month ensuring seamless personalization during place discovery journeys. By focusing more on curated lists along with AI-driven functionalities, Google Maps wants people to feel confident while navigating through different destinations.


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