Scammers are using AI generated fake obituaries. These deceptive websites appear identical to real memorials, exploiting human emotions to steal personal data, solicit donations for non-existent causes, or infect devices.
Cybersecurity researchers at SecureWorks have discovered an alarming trend in which scammers are leveraging AI (artificial intelligence) to create fake obituary websites. These sites, identical to genuine memorials, exploit human emotions for malicious purposes.
SecureWorks team noticed an uptick in web domains registered with obituary-related keywords, coupled with unusually sophisticated content. Upon closer inspection, the truth emerged: these were not heartfelt tributes but AI-generated fabrications aimed at scamming unsuspected individuals.
The increasing misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) is hardly unexpected. Recent findings indicate that cybercriminals are employing open-source AI technologies to create child abuse material (CSAM). Additionally, the emergence of harmful chatbots such as FraudGPT and WormGPT shows the extent to which AI can be exploited for malicious purposes.
The latest scam operates by creating obituary notices that mimic real ones in detail and sentiment, thanks to AI’s capability to generate human-like text. Visitors to these sites are often led to believe they’re paying respects to a deceased individual, not realizing the information is entirely fake.
The end game of it could be to phish for personal data, solicit donations for non-existent causes, or infect visitors’ devices with malware. Additionally, users are bombarded with fake malware pop-ups and in case the individual is using AdBlock (which they should) are blocked from visiting the site unless they whitelist the scam site.
Source: Secureworks
Nevertheless, the emotional toll of these fake sites cannot be overstated. Families and friends of individuals who have recently passed away may stumble upon these fake notices, experiencing fresh waves of grief and confusion.
Moreover, these scams also have a financial angle—some sites solicit donations for funeral expenses or charitable causes in the deceased’s name, unintentionally funding contributions into the pockets of scammers.
Identifying Fake Obituary Sites
Distinguishing between genuine and fake obituary sites can be challenging, given the sophistication of AI-generated content. However, there are red flags to look for:
Unverified Information: Real obituary notices are usually posted by known funeral homes or are verifiable through local news sources.
Solicitation of Funds: Genuine obituary sites rarely, if ever, ask for donations directly on the page.
Poorly Credentialed Websites: Look at the website’s other content and credibility. A legitimate obituary site will not have advertisements or unrelated content.
Absence of Detailed Personal Stories: While AI can generate convincing summaries, it lacks the personal anecdotes and depth that come from genuine contributions.
One of the best things about owning a Samsung phone is having access to one of the best Android skins on the market, One UI. This is a heavily customizable Android skin that you can tweak to your liking. One way that you can customize your Android phone to suit your interests is by adjusting the call screen. You can actually choose how the call screen looks inside your native Samsung phone app. If you want to know how to customize the call screen for your Galaxy phone, you’ve come to the right place.
We’ll go over the different ways you can customize this aspect of One UI. Samsung’s One UI has been a staple for the company’s devices for years, and it’s proven to be one of the most recognizable. So, there’s a ton that you can do to personalize your Samsung phone experience.
How to customize the call screen on your Samsung phone
The first thing to realize is that, in order to do this, you have to be using the native Samsung phone app. Different apps have different capabilities, and if you’re using a third-party app, you may not have the same capabilities as the Samsung phone app.
If you are using a third-party app, locate the phone app in your app drawer. Once you find it, tap on it. You will then see the option to set the Samsung phone app as your default. Select it and tap the Set as default button.
Once you are in the phone interface, tap on the three-dot menu close to the top of the right side of the screen. It will be right next to the search and filter calls button. In the drop-down menu, tap on the Settings button at the bottom.
You will see the items separated into sections. At the top of the third section, you will see the Call Background button. Once you go there, you will see the call screen customization options.
Customizing the background
Just like with changing your phone wallpaper, you have the option between pre-selected backgrounds and your own custom backgrounds. You will see two sections with the top section showing you the featured backgrounds. As it stands, there should be three featured backgrounds, and two of them should be videos. The one automatically chosen is the still picture.
Tap on one of the featured backgrounds to see a preview of how an incoming call will look with it applied. The first one, at least the first one preloaded on the Galaxy S24+ (Review) that we have at Android headlines, has swirling bluish and purple colors. The first video shows the same aesthetic, but we see the colors actually moving in the background. The second video shows three-dimensional avatars, called AR Emojis, dancing to a song. With that one, you have the option to use that specific song as your ringtone. You can tap on the mute button at the bottom left of the preview to listen to the song.
At the top right of the Featured section, you will see the dark mode option. When you tap on that option, you will see a darker version of the first two backgrounds. You have the option to either enable or disable dark mode. Also, you can set the app to match your phone’s theme.
Custom pictures
In the section below the pre-installed backgrounds, you will see a carousel of the media you have on your phone. You’ll see the media separated into folders, and these will be the folders that you have in your phone. Swipe left to explore the folders to see which images you want to use.
Just like with the pre-installed images, you will see a preview of what your call screen will look like with it applied. On the preview screen, you’re able to move the image around if it’s cropped.
If you choose to add a video, you’ll be able to use videos up to 15 seconds in length. When trying to use a video longer than that, you will have the option to trim it down to 15 seconds. Once you’re finished, tap on the Set as call background button at the bottom to set it as your background.
AR emoji
If you’re looking to add some fun and customizability to your call screen, you can use your AR emoji as your call background. Tap on the three-dot menu at the top right of the screen, and tap on the Create using AR Emoji button. If you already have an AR Emoji created on your phone, you’ll see your screen where you can either select that one or create a new one. If you don’t, then you’ll enter a screen where you can create one.
You can either edit one of the preset emojis, create one using the Emoji camera, or create an emoji from an existing image. When you choose an emoji, you’ll be taken to the Emoji editor there. Here, you can change the characteristics of the Emojis such as their hair, face shape, makeup, eyebrows, eyes, nose shape, skin tone, clothes, Etc. There are tons of options you can use to personalize your emoji.
Once you’ve customized your emoji to your liking, you can tap the save button at the top right of the interface. Next, you will choose what sort of dance you want your emoji to do during the ringtone. There are a ton of dances to choose from, so you may have trouble choosing just one. Along with the dance, you can also choose the background you want for your emoji. You can choose a solid color, or an existing image in your gallery.
Applying the background
Once you’re done, you will see a preview of your masterpiece. Each dance comes with a specific song, and you can choose to use that song as the actual ringtone. If you’re satisfied, tap on the set as call background button, and call it a day.
And, with that, you know how to add a splash of personality to your call background on your Samsung phone. This is just another reason why One UI is one of the best Android skins out there.
Google is finally rolling out Gemini, its conversational AI model, directly into the Google Messages app for select beta testers. This limited rollout confirms previous leaks and APK teardowns promising this integration would arrive soon.
In case you have somehow missed it, Gemini is an advanced large language model (LLM) developed by Google AI. Think of it as a super-smart chatbot capable of understanding natural language and responding in a remarkably helpful way. Gemini can brainstorm ideas, generate text, translate languages, write different kinds of creative content, and answer your questions in an informative way, even if they are open-ended, challenging, or unusual.
Now, as reported by 9to5Google, you can chat with this super helpful bot without ever leaving your Messages app. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as updating your app, as there are some pre-requirements to having a chance of having the feature rolled out to you, such as:
You have to be a Google Messages beta tester. This means that you’d have to sign up to beta test from the Google Messages app link on the Play Store. Once you sign up, your app will be updated, and you’ll now be beta testing features before anyone else gets them.
Use a compatible device, which for now are the Pixel 6 or newer, Pixel Fold, Samsung Galaxy S22 or later, or a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip/Fold.
Have RCS chat features enabled.
Have a personal Google account. This means that it cannot be a Workspace or managed by Family Link account.
Be 18 or older.
Set your phone language to English (or French if in Canada).
Images via 9to5Google
If you meet all the criteria, and you are chosen by the powers that be, you should see a “Gemini” contact option when starting a new chat in Google Messages. However, do know that Gemini in Messages is still in the early rollout phase, and thus it may take a bit longer to get access.
It should be noted that your conversations with Gemini are not end-to-end encrypted, even though they are in RCS. Additionally, chatting with Gemini is a one-on-one experience, which means that it cannot be accessed or forwarded into other conversations.
We all have our expectations of what a $200 phone should do. It should cover the basics: run core apps, make calls, send texts, post to social media, and… well exist. We don’t buy these phones for a mind-blowing experience, we buy them to get us through the day. But, the $200 phone is not what it was years ago. I was given the opportunity to review the Motorola Moto G 5G (2024), and this is a $200 phone that exemplifies that fact.
Since I’ve reviewed several devices across different price points, it’s easy to assume that I know exactly how a phone should perform at every price point. I should know how a $200 phone should perform compared to a $500 phone compared to a $1,300 phone. But, that’s not the case; some phones have the tendency to surprise people, blur lines, and offer value outside of their price bracket.
Regardless, I admit that I had my preconceived notions about this phone going into the review. Putting a $200 phone through its paces doesn’t seem like it’d yield much compared to doing the same for a flagship phone. It’d be like searching for gold in a sandbox versus a gold mine. However, This just means that whatever nuggets of gold you find in the sandbox are that much more significant. So, let’s see how much gold the Moto G 5G (2024) has to offer.
Table of Contents
Moto G 5G (2024) Review: Design
I’ve used cheaper Motorola phones with nice designs in the past, and I always walked away with the impression that Motorola has mastered how to make cheaper phones look good. Be that as it may, I wasn’t prepared for the sight I saw when I unboxed the Moto G 5G.
This phone goes beyond just looking nice; it is breathtaking in my opinion. It foregoes having a flashy and cutting-edge design and, instead, opts for more of an understated and elegant aesthetic. The back of the phone is made from a faux leather material that adds so much character to it. It gives this phone the same type of elegance as a business suit. There’s an air of professionalism to the design.
One thing I like about the design is that the leather material doesn’t cover the full back. The frame of the phone extends about a millimeter into the back. I can’t place my finger on it, but something about that adds to the overall design.
The camera package is a rounded rectangular bump that gradually rises from the back of the phone. It resembles the camera package in the Motorola Edge (2023)(Review). It doesn’t extend from the phone much, but looking at it head-on makes it look more significant. When I tilt the phone on its side, it almost looks like there’s no bump at all.
Looking at the frame takes just a bit of magic out of the overall experience. When I look at the back, I get the feeling that I’m looking at a premium material. It doesn’t matter if it’s not real leather, what matters is that it looks real. It’s the illusion that makes the phone look more premium. However, that illusion doesn’t extend to the frame of the phone; I know that I’m not looking at metal.
The frame is plastic, and it’s not easy to cover that up. It’s easier to fake leather than it is to fake metal. It only subtracts from the premium look of the phone, but it doesn’t take away from the overall look.
Overall
Years ago, one thing I noticed was that many professionals used iPhones, so the iPhone became synonymous with professionalism. I was less likely to see an accountant or doctor sporting the latest Galaxy phone. However, phones like the Moto G 5G (2024) really challenge that notion. More importantly, they break it.
There’s something elegant and professional about this phone’s aesthetic. The understated beauty and overall refinement go hand-in-hand to create a design that’s not just nice for the price; it’s nice in general. I can see any professional wielding this phone and not bat an eye.
Moto G 5G (2024) Review: Build Quality
While I didn’t know what to expect with the design of this phone, I had a pretty good idea of the build quality. Motorola phones in this price range tend to have pretty solid builds. When I first held this phone, I was met with a familiar feeling.
The build quality of the Moto G 5G (2024) is above what you’d expect from a $200 phone. It’s generally solid. This phone feels like it can take a good amount of abuse without giving in. It feels like the company used quality materials. I know that the frame is made from plastic, but it doesn’t feel like a cheap plastic.
One factor that lends to this phone’s nice feeling in the hand is the feeling of density. Phones that are lighter in weight tend to feel cheaper. That is only made worse when a phone is light while being notably thick. That makes it feel hollow. This is one gripe I had with the Tecno Pova 6 Pro.
While the Moto G 5G (2024) definitely has some thickness to it, there’s a satisfying heft to it. This makes the phone feel more dense, and that lends to the overall solid feeling in the hand. I feel secure when using this phone. If it happens to drop, I know that I won’t need to rush to get a new phone.
I bent the phone just a bit from both the front and the back (not enough to cause damage), and I heard only the slightest amount of creaks. Maybe a tiny pop here and there, but it was negligible.
The feeling in the hand is not going to rival the latest iPhone or Galaxy flagship, admittedly. However, for $200, I’m impressed with the overall build quality. Motorola definitely put some thought into making it a sturdy phone. One thing to note is that the screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. So, you might want to get a screen protector, as that’s a pretty old standard of tempered glass.
Moto G 5G (2024) Review: Display
So, the theme of this review has been that the Moto G 5G (2024) has qualities that go beyond what its price would indicate. The display complies with this theme. Be that as it may, I’m pretty conflicted about how I want to sum up this display’s performance. Before we get into that, let’s talk about the display itself.
Brightness
Brightness used to be the downfall of all displays back in the day, whether we’re talking about flagship phone displays or budget phone displays. No matter what phone you had, you’d still need to cover your phone’s display whenever you’re out in the sunlight.
This is a reality that still plagues affordable phones, but the Moto G 5G (2024) has managed to offer some decent brightness for being such an affordable phone. It won’t go up against flagship phones with 1000+ nit displays, but it manages to remain notably visible in bright daylight. I’d place this display at about 900 nits. I feel like that’s about the threshold between a screen with good daylight visibility and bad daylight visibility.
When I’m trying to look at the screen in the sun, I’m met with my reflection more than I’d like, but I think that it’s bright enough to view comfortably. The brightness isn’t this screen’s best quality, but it’s still pretty good.
Colors
When it comes to the color saturation of this screen, I constantly find myself wanting just a bit more. Like the brightness, it’s good, but it’s right on the edge of being exceptional.
Out of the box, this phone’s screen is set to Saturated mode, so you’re seeing how punchy the screen can be right off the bat. This being an LCD display, there’s a limit to how much color can be stuffed into it. So, when I first looked at the display, I knew to expect the colors to be relatively washed out. And they are.
The colors are as punchy as an LCD display on a $200 phone could be, but that’s not to say that they’re bad in any way. I found that warmer colors produce the most pleasing saturation. Reds, oranges, and yellows look nice and punchy. Once the colors cool down, they start to lose some of their luster. At worst, the blues and greens look mundane.
So, pictures and videos of warm sunsets and red flowers will give you the most satisfying saturation. The colors won’t impress as much, but they’re far from offensive.
Contrast
This being an LCD display, there’s also a limit to how much contrast it can have. Getting dark gray areas where there should be blackness is unavoidable. However, I praise this display for offering some nice contrast. Looking at content with a ton of contrast, I’d say that the blacks are pretty dark. They’re the darkest of most LCD displays that I’ve reviewed so far.
Extras
The only extra feature that this display has is the 120Hz refresh rate. This makes the screen very fluid.
Overall
I’m heavily conflicted about how I should place this phone’s display. The Moto G 5G (2024) has a generally nice display as far as budget phones go. However, I’ve reviewed phones such as the Tecno Camon 20/Premier and the Infinix Note 30 Pro. These phones retail for not too much more than the Moto G 5G, but these phones’ displays are absolutely jaw-dropping. Their quality goes far beyond what their prices would indicate. Compared to those screens, the display on the Moto G 5G (2024) looks laughable. There’s just no competition, and they’re in a similar price bracket.
However, those phones aren’t offered in the US market. Most techies know that the US market is heavily missing out on a ton of amazing devices from companies overseas. Displays on sub-$400 phones from companies like Tecno and Infinix give $800+ Samsung phones a run for their money.
So, compared to the phones mentioned above, the display on the Moto G 5G (2024) is mediocre at best. However, if we’re talking about the US and other markets that don’t get those phones, the screen on the Moto G 5G (2024) is genuinely nice. I can enjoy watching content on it.
Moto G 5G (2024) Review: Speakers
My experience with the speakers on cheaper Motorola phones hasn’t been the greatest. They’ve always been average at best. When companies make cuts to bring a phone’s price down, the speakers typically take some of the biggest cuts. I’ve reviewed phones that had stellar displays, great software, and smooth performance, but the speakers would sound extremely dull.
So, reviewing the speakers of one of the most affordable Moto phones I’ve ever reviewed, I didn’t expect stellar results. To test the speakers, I listened to six short pieces of music, and each of them emphasizes one key aspect of speakers: Loudness, Distortion (this uses the same test piece as loudness), Bass, Treble, Balance, and Vocals.
There are a few things to note. Firstly, these speakers come with Dolby Atmos enabled by default, and there’s no way to shut it off. Also, there are a handful of deep customizations you can make to cater your sound to your liking. So, realistically, I won’t be able to cover how they sound with every customization made.
So, I’ll be reviewing the speakers based on the out-of-the-box settings. The software is set to automatically adapt to the type of content that you’re listening to. I’ll base my review on that.
Loudness
This is a pretty powerful set of speakers. When I played the loudness test piece, the sound was loud enough to fill an entire room with sound. I went inside a small closet and put a sound meter about a foot away from it, and the audio peaked at about 87db, so that’s pretty good. If you’re trying to listen to content in your room or outside, these speakers will suit you just fine.
Distortion
When it comes to distortion, I don’t hear the audio quality start to degrade until I reach the top two volume levels. Even at full volume, the audio doesn’t sound all too distorted. You won’t want to listen to these speakers at full volume. However, if you have to, then you won’t really have a bad time doing so.
Bass
This is one area that surprised me. Most of the time, speakers on cheaper phones tend to be a bit flat in the bass department. So, going in, I didn’t really expect these speakers to have much depth. But, they actually surprised me in that department.
The piece that I used to test the bass was a short clip of music that’s extremely immersive and bass-heavy. When I played the piece, I was impressed with just how much depth these speakers were able to produce. I could hear the lower notes sing through clearly.
Not only is there a good amount of bass to the sound, but there’s also a lot of space to it. Sometimes, companies make their speakers bassy without thinking about the sound stage. This is one thing that makes speakers sound cluttered and muddy rather than bassy.
So, I was impressed with how well these speakers produce low tones. They can come in handy when listening to action movies and certain genres of music.
Treble
Sometimes, it’s easy to overlook just how important the treble is when it comes to speakers. The higher tones add clarity and character to the sound, so being able to properly produce them can add to the quality of your speakers.
The speakers on the Moto G 5G (2024) do a commendable job when it comes to the treble. The test piece, as you can imagine, has plenty of high tones, and they all project nicely.
Balance
The intersection of the bass and treble is a very important aspect of music. While they’re important on their own, it’s crucial that they interact with each other nicely. The Balance test piece is a well-balanced piece that pays attention to the lows, mids, and highs. I listened for how the speakers projected these sounds and listened to hear if anything was overpowered.
Overall, I think that these speakers do a fine job of producing a nice and balanced sound. However, I think that the bass does overshadow the treble just a bit. It’s not bad, but you’ll notice just a bit more rumble in your sound.
Immersion
This is one of the most important aspects of the sound if you want to watch content. It’s how much the sound sort of surrounds the ears. With the overall balance, depth, and space that these speakers provide, I’d say that they’re pretty immersive. I listened to the short example piece along with some other music, and I really liked the performance.
Overall
Going in, I had my doubts about these speakers. There are phones that cost twice as much and don’t produce great audio quality. However, I think that these speakers pull their weight and more. They’re definitely higher quality than most of the speakers I review from phones at this price range. Even though I’ve heard better speakers from more expensive phones. I honestly enjoy using these speakers.
Moto G 5G (2024) Review: Performance
The Moto G 5G (2024) has been an overachiever so far, but the performance is an area where this phone starts to show some cracks in the armor. It’s using the Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 SoC. This is a processor that’s hip-deep in the budget phone market, and it shows in a few areas.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not running into a ton of stutters or dropped frames while using it. In fact, instances of these are few and far apart. I think navigating the interface is generally smooth, even with the screen set to 120Hz. So, the software doesn’t slow the processor down to the point where everything freezes.
However, I can tell that the processor struggles, and I see this in less obvious areas. When I tap on an app, there’s a noticeable hesitation before the animation starts. The same thing happens when I tap the home button; it takes just a second for something to happen. When I open the camera, it takes a second or two for the actual viewfinder to load. After tapping a setting, it takes a second before it’s applied.
So, the sluggishness doesn’t happen during animations, which results in dropped frames. It happens in between animations. The sluggishness happens before the app animation happens, during splash screens, etc. Visually, that’s much better. I’d rather wait a second for a smooth and seamless animation than to see a stuttery animation right away.
The only issue is that it still slows down the experience. If you’re using the phone, and everything is taking a bit of time to process, it doesn’t matter where the lag happens, it still happens. Just about every action I perform on the phone takes just a bit of time, and it can be a bit much at times.
Benchmarks
I know that benchmarks aren’t a proper measure of a device’s performance. However, it can be nice to see where a device sits in terms of numbers. Firstly, I ran the Moto G 5G (2024) through Geekbench 6, and it got a single-core score of 849, which is decent for a budget phone.
As for the multi-core score, this phone was able to score 1931. These scores aren’t great, but they definitely get the job done.
Next, I rendered a one-minute video in CapCut in 1080p resolution, and it took quite some time to finish. It took the phone 30.09 seconds to render the video from start to finish. This isn’t great, but it’s not the worst. It was able to outpace the Poco X6 (32.17 seconds) and the HONOR Magic6 Lite (44.66 seconds).
Overall
I’d say that Moto G 5G (2024) is much smoother than most other phones in this price range. Motorola did a great job of optimizing the software to work with the chip. However, we can’t avoid the fact that this is a very budget chip. Optimization can only go so far, and there’s a limit to how far software optimizations can push a chip.
I’ve gotten generally smooth performance, but this phone is no speed demon. You’re going to use the Moto G 5G (2024) for the basics, and that’s what it’s good at.
Moto G 5G (2024) Review: Gaming
When it comes to gaming, this phone surprised me. The Moto G 5G (2024), being a budget-centered phone, isn’t meant to be your pocket gaming console. So, you’re going to have to download apps with the expectation of a sluggish time.
Be that as it may, Motorola was able to create a phone that can handle a fair bit of what the Google Play Store can dish out. It was able to crush Survivor.IO. This is a 2D game that’s not shy about displaying a massive number of sprites on the screen at once. While 2D games aren’t the most graphically intensive games, if a phone hiccups on those, then it sets a dark tone for the rest of the gaming review.
I then moved into some moderately graphically intensive 3D games. Some of the go-to games I use are Dragon Ball Legends and Asphalt 9. Dragon Ball Legends ran like butter; I had no issues with that one, and Asphalt, aside from one slight stutter, it ran smoothly as well. This was with the graphics turned up to full. We all know how intense this game gets during races.
Most phones that I’ve reviewed can play these games without any issues. But, a real test of a phone’s gaming chops is playing games like Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail. This phone has been full of pleasant surprises, but I was not expecting any miracles when it comes to these games… and yet.
Genshin Impact
Okay, so let’s start off with Genshin Impact. Hands down, this is the worst performer of any phone I tested with this game. Usually, I’m able to get somewhat smooth performance by knocking the graphics down to their lowest setting. However, in the case of the Moto G 5G (2024), there was none of that. At the highest setting, this game is unplayable. Nothing about it runs smoothly. That’s to be expected, so I won’t hold that against the phone.
When I cranked the settings all the way down, I still got consistently choppy gameplay. I’d usually recommend getting a game even if it’s a little stuttery, but I can’t in this case. If you’re a Genshin Impact fan, then you’ll want to pass up this phone.
Star Rail
Genshin Impact and Star Rail are some of the best-looking games on the Google Play Store; if a phone is struggling on Genshin, then it’ll struggle on Star Rail. Well, that’s what I THOUGHT. I started up the game and was surprised at how smooth the title animation was. It was much smoother than on the Tecno Pova 6 Pro.
Then, I did my ritual of starting the game and cranking the graphics to their highest settings and expected to watch the gameplay turn into a slideshow. Then, I was met with some decently smooth gameplay. I wasn’t getting a fluid 60FPS or anything, but the game didn’t lock up or drop too many frames. Maybe there’s a hiccup here and there, but it’s not that bad.
Heat performance
While playing games or using it, I never experience any excessive heat. Honestly, the Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 is a very efficient processor, so it was able to keep the temperatures down.
Overall
The performance was night and day compared to Genshin Impact, so I’m a bit conflicted on how to sum up the performance. I’d say that the performance is good for most 2D and low to mid-level 3D games. Once you start to approach more graphically intensive games, your results will vary. You’re not going to want to get this phone for gaming.
Moto G 5G (2024) Review: Camera
There are certain areas where budget smartphones tend to overachieve and deliver an experience that makes you question why you’d buy more expensive phones. Well, the camera department is rarely one of them. Most of the time, no matter how great the screen, performance, speakers, or build quality, the camera quality on affordable phones is laughable.
What makes it worse in this case is that Motorola does not have the best track record for cameras. I haven’t reviewed a Motorola phone whose camera impressed me. The camera on the Moto Edge+ (2022) was lukewarm at best.
So, how is the camera with the Moto G 5G (2024)?
Exposure/Contrast
The camera in the Moto G 5G (2024) leans more toward overexposure. Pictures typically have blown-out highlights in spots. Sunny patches on the ground would turn white. That’s natural for cameras, but it happens more than I’d like. The images, overall, are pretty bright, which can throw off the whole mood of the image.
I’d recommend hopping into the Pro mode and cranking the ISO down a few stops.
In terms of contrast, I don’t know how to properly describe what I’m looking at half the time. Images both lack contrast and have too much contrast if that makes sense. The images have that almost washed-out appearance of a camera that doesn’t have proper dynamic range. It makes it hard to discern what you’re looking at.
However, at the same time, the images have some pretty epic extremes. Bright spots are extremely bright and the dark spots are pitch black, and I mean BLACK. Shadows have the life crushed out of them. I’d take a picture of a tree in the daytime with shadowy areas, but the camera extracts absolutely no information from them. They fall to black so quickly. It’s surreal because, in real life, if you’re standing outside in the sunlight, you’re not going to see completely black areas because of ambient occlusion.
I think that the contrast is completely off with this camera, and that has a negative effect on the final product.
Colors
I might have to get treated for whiplash because of how much the colors flung me back and forth. There are times when the colors look nice, and there are times when they look weird. Sometimes they’re saturated, sometimes they’re washed out; sometimes they’re warm, sometimes they’re cool. I don’t know how to place the colors.
For example, I don’t know what’s going on with the first images of the green bush. There’s this weird tint to it. This wasn’t even close to the color of the scene.
Then, I get pictures like these where the colors are actually pretty nice. I’d say that this is the best one. The yellow of the flower is nicely accentuated and the green in the leaves is nice and juicy. I wish I could say the same thing about the rest of the pictures.
All in all, the colors all have this weird tone to them that just throws the whole scene off. Below are some examples of the worst offenders.
I don’t know what Motorola is doing with its color science, but I think that a software update could clear it up.
Details
Honestly, for as iffy as the camera quality has been so far, the camera is able to capture some nice details. I’m able to zoom into the scene a fair bit before the details get muddy.
Video
When it comes to video, this camera is not taking home any prizes. I think that the color reproduction is better. However, looking back at the footage I took, I found that videos suffer from the same contrast issue that photos do. The shadows are still heavily crushed far beyond what they should be.
However, I think that an aspect of the video recording capabilities is the stabilization. Moving, walking, panning, etc. is incredibly smooth. While walking, I could barely see my steps. I think that this is a great camera when it comes to stabilization.
Let’s talk about my main annoyance
Here’s one thing that annoyed me about the camera interface. Usually, when you see a phone’s camera interface, you know what the camera’s capable of; when you choose the resolution, it tells you. The same thing goes for the video resolution. Yet, For some reason, Motorola decided to treat its users like babies and withhold specs for the sake of simplicity.
For starters, when inside the interface, I don’t know what resolution I’m taking pictures in. In the settings, I’m only presented with Standard and High-Resolution modes. Come on, Motorola, you don’t have to simplify things that much…
Also, there’s no option to change the video resolution. There’s only one video resolution, and it doesn’t tell us what it is. It’s like the company is focusing so much on simplifying everything to make the most user-friendly experience. However, this is the only time I’ve ever seen this amount of babying in a camera interface.
Overall
This is a camera that you’re going to use to take pictures, and that’s it. It has several flaws that put it in the group of good affordable phones with crappy cameras. You won’t choose this camera for its detail, dynamic range, or its color reproduction. Instead, you’re going to use it because it’s there. It performs the job of taking pictures, but it’s not much more.
Moto G 5G (2024) Review: Battery
Motorola doesn’t have the best track record for cameras, but it has a great track record for batteries. Its phones generally have really good battery life, and the Moto G 5G (2024) was able to do a decent job.
Along with using the battery in my daily life, I tested the battery by charging it to 100% and streaming looping video until the battery died. The phone lasted 10 hours and 21 minutes. That’s quite a bit behind most flagship phones; some phones cross the 23-hour mark.
While this phone is far behind those phones, it’s still good enough to last you a day on a single charge. I was able to start the day with a full charge and make it to ben without needing to reach for a charger. If you’re going to be doing a lot of heavy gaming and video-watching, then you’re going to want to plug in before bed.
However, if you’re a moderate user, then you’ll get some serious mileage from this battery. The Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 is an efficient SoC, so the standby time will be great.
Moto G 5G (2024) Review: Software
I sometimes think of Motorola’s My UX as near-stock Android, but the company has really developed a special identity for its software. It has the classic Google Material You aesthetic, but certain bits of the software have been “Motorola-ified”. You’ll mostly notice these elements in the Personalization menu and the animations.
Aside from the visuals, what really characterizes Motorola’s software are the gestures. If you’re familiar with Motorola phones, then you should be familiar with some of the gestures that the company has maintained over the years. Features like the double-chop to activate the flashlight and the triple-finger swipe to take a screenshot are some examples.
I don’t have any complaints about the software. You’ll love it if you’re looking for a near-stock Android experience with a few extra features.
Moto G 5G (2024) Review: Final Verdict
The Moto G 5G (2024) is one of the best kinds of products for reviews to look at. While drooling after the latest and greatest $1000+ beast to hit the scene, we typically turn a judgemental eye to phones that cost under $300. We write them up as cheap slabs that just get us through the day. I admit that this is what I initially thought about this phone. I got the box and said, “Well, here it is…” This was all while using the Galaxy S24+ as my daily driver.
But, phones like the Moto G 5G (2024) exemplify one of the BEST skills that a smartphone OEM can have, being able to craft a solid smartphone experience on a budget. Cherry-picking and juggling compromises in order to create the most optimal experience that a person can have for not too much money. This is the driving force behind the mid-range and budget smartphone markets. Before the whole “smartphone killer” craze, phones under $300 were devices you’d get with the expectation that you’re going to have a bad time; choppy performance, crappy speakers, useless camera, terrible display, etc.
However, The Moto G 5G (2024) is a testament to the fact that times are different. People can buy a phone for less than a quarter of the price of a Galaxy S24 Ultra and still have a generally nice experience. It’s not a flagship phone by any means, but it comes with a beautiful design, solid build quality, a nice display, some surprisingly good speakers, decent performance, good battery performance, and some pretty good gaming chops.
If you’re looking for a phone that performs way better than its price will let on, then you should definitely consider picking up the Moto G 5G (2024).
In an era where AI is getting integrated into as many aspects of technology as possible, Apple has remained relatively quiet about this new technology. For reference, some people had to take the responsibility to count and report how many times Google mentioned “AI” in Google I/O last year.
Apple could unveil plans for an AI App Store during WWDC 2024
Now reports are signaling that the upcoming WWDC event, which is usually held in June, could be Apple’s turn. Apple could potentially announce an ‘AI App Store‘ at WWDC 2024. Analysts speculate that Apple’s strategy might involve creating a dedicated platform for AI applications. This comes after the news of Apple’s potential introduction of AI-powered ads in its App Store.
Ben Reitzes, head of technology research at Melius Research, predicts that Apple could unveil plans for an AI App Store during the conference. It will reportedly offer consumers access to a wide array of AI apps from various vendors.
Reitzes draws parallels between Apple’s history of disruptive innovation and its potential approach to AI. He suggests that, much like Apple did with the iTunes Store and iPhone App Store, the company may collaborate with industry leaders to curate an ecosystem for AI applications. Just as Steve Jobs convinced record labels to embrace digital downloads, Apple could leverage its influence to encourage developers to create and distribute AI apps through its platform.
Apple’s AI App Store could allow developers to showcase their work
Apple will likely offer its own suite of AI services, including enhancements to Siri. Additionally, Reitzes envisions a broader marketplace where third-party developers can also contribute. This aligns with previous reports from analysts like Wedbush, who anticipate the emergence of a separate AI App Store. Such a platform could allow developers to showcase their innovations and users to discover new tools for various purposes.
The concept of an AI App Store isn’t purely speculative. Apple has reportedly engaged in discussions with companies like Chinese tech company Baidu and Google. These were to explore partnerships related to AI services. For instance, Apple has shown interest in Google’s Gemini AI to enhance Siri’s capabilities.
While details remain scarce, analysts expect the event to shed light on how consumers can access AI apps. The conference may serve as a platform for developers to learn about opportunities for contributing to the AI ecosystem and for users to envision the future of AI integration into their daily lives.
Update: The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 are now the latest and greatest chipset from Qualcomm. However, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is still being used in new phones like the OnePlus 12R.
Qualcomm announced its next flagship mobile processor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, at its Snapdragon Tech Summit in Hawaii on November 15, 2022. It’s the new processor that we will see in almost all flagship smartphones launching in 2023. So it’s a pretty important chipset.
In this article, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about this new chipset. Including how powerful it is, how power efficient it is, and so much more. So you’re prepared for when the latest smartphones start rolling out with it next year.
Up to 200MP Photo Campture Up to 108MP single camera @30fps Up to 64+36MP Dual cameras @30fps Up to 36MP triple cameras @30fps Bokeh Engine 2 for Video Capture
240 12MP Photos in one second 3.2 Gigapixels per second 4 stops of dynamic range 8K HDR + 64MP 18-bit RAW 5X Better Night Mode Dedicated Bokeh Engine
Video Capture
8K @ 60fps 4K @ 120fps 720p @ 960fps
8K HDR @ 30fps 4K UHD @ 120fps 720p @ 960fps
Video Playback
8K 60fps Video super resolution Pro Sight Video Capture Computational HDR video capture
8K 4K HDR up to 120fps H.265 and VP9 video decoder 360 degree
First Available
Q4 2022
Q4 2021
What’s new in Snapdragon 8 Gen 2?
There’s quite a bit that’s new with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 this year, though quite a bit of it, users won’t really see. Remember, Qualcomm’s chipsets are more of an entire package, instead of just a chip. Qualcomm is involved in a lot of areas in smartphones, including the modem, the ISP and more.
Snapdragon Smart
This year, Qualcomm’s AI Engine is still included in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. It will provide groundbreaking AI integrated across the entire system. It’s fueled by the Hexagon Processor, which users will be able to experience faster natural language processing with multi-language translation and advanced AI camera features. There’s also a bigger Tensor accelerator this year, for up to 4.35x increased AI performance.
This is also the first Snapdragon mobile platform to support INT4. That is a revolutionary AI precision format. Which is going to provide a 60% performance per watt improvement. That’s going to be great for sustained AI inferencing.
On top of that, there’s the Qualcomm Sensing Hub which does now pack dual AI processors, it also supports intuitive experiecnes that will enable custom wake words. Qualcomm says to expect additional features and tools from the Qualcomm AI Stack. That includes the Qualcomm AI Studio, so developers are able to give new life to next-gen AI apps.
Snapdragon Connect
With the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Qualcomm is debuting an industry-first. And that is support for WiFi 7 on this chipset. That’s part of the new FastConnect 7800 that’s inside the chipset. It also supports Dual Bluetooth connectivity for sustained immersion. There’s also High Band Simultaneous Multi-Link which can enable peak WiFi 7 speeds and performance globally. Now keep in mind, the WiFi 7 standard hasn’t really even been finalized.
Now in terms of the new Snapdragon X70 5G Modem-RF System, it has some upgrades too. Qualcomm claims that it is the most advanced 5G modem on the market. It’s the first Snapdragon platform that supports 5G+5G/4G Dual-SIM Dual-Active. That’s going to allow you to use two 5G SIMs at the same time. The same peak speed is available here, of 10Gbps as well.
Snapdragon Sight
The cameras have always been a big part of the Snapdragon mobile platform, and that’s no different this year. Qualcomm is delivering professional quality camera experiences with its first ever Cognitive ISP. So this new chipset is going to be able to automatically enhance photos and videos in real time with semantic segmentation. That will use AI neural networks to make the camera contextually aware of faces, facial features, hair, clothes, skies and more.
Sony will be working on the first quad digital overlap HDR technology, which will be fine-tuned for Snapdragon. While Samsung’s ISOCELL HP3 image sensor is optimized for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. That’s the first ever 200MP camera. This is also going to be the first Snapdragon mobile platform to support the AV1 codec. That gives it support for video playback up to 8K HDR and 60 frames per second.
Snapdragon Elite Gaming
It couldn’t be a new chipset without some new features for Snapdragon Elite Gaming. Qualcomm is including real time hardware-accelerated ray tracing that delivers life-like light, reflections and illuminations to mobile games. This is thanks to the upgraded Adreno 740 GPU, which can deliver up to 25% faster performance. As well as the upgraded Qualcomm Kryo CPU which enables up to 40% more power efficiency.
This is going to give users better gameplay, and better battery life. Gamers will also be able to experience photorealistic human characters in their games with the world’s first mobile optimized support for Unreal Engine 5 Metahumans Framework on Snapdragon.
Snapdragon Sound
The new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 does touch nearly every aspect of your phone, and that includes the sound. Snapdragon Sound is here to provide premium and immersive music, calls and gaming. It uses spatial audio with dynamic head tracking for complete surround-sound immersion and support for 48kHz lossless music streaming.
This also attributes to gamers, as they will have the lowest-ever latency at just 48ms. To make built-in voice backchannel even better.
Snapdragon Secure
Snapdragon Secure is here to keep your phone safe and sound. It is offering the latest in isolation, cryptography, key management, attestation and more. This is all intricately designed to protect users’ data and privacy.
When can we expect smartphones powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2?
Qualcomm says that we can expect to see the first Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 devices launching before the end of 2022. While we don’t know for sure who that is, Qualcomm prefers to leave that announcement up to their partners. But we do know that Honor is announcing a new foldable on November 23. That’s a little over a week from now.
As for who else is using the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2? Well, Qualcomm confirmed these names:
ASUS
Honor
iQOO
Meizu
Motorola
Nubia
OnePlus
OPPO
RedMagic
Redmi
Sharp
Sony
vivo
Xiaomi
ZTE
We also know from the leaks that Samsung will be using the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the Galaxy S23, which is due to launch early next year. It’s a bit surprising that Samsung’s name isn’t on this slide, but they are definitely using the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.
Google just announced a significant upgrade for its Google Chat app, with the introduction of voice messages on mobile devices. This a highly anticipated feature that has been present in other chat applications for some time.
There are times when typing out a message simply isn’t the most efficient option, and this is where voice messages have come in to fill that gap. Using voice messages, particularly when on the go, offer several advantages. Aside from the obvious time-saving benefits, voice messages can also be extremely helpful when the nuances and tone of the message are important to keep intact. Additionally, for users with limited dexterity or visual impairments, voice messages can be a crucial accessibility tool.
Although a bit late to the party, it’s good to see this feature being added to Chat, but Google isn’t stopping there. The company also promises that transcription for voice messages will also be added and will be rolling out to users in the coming months. This powerful addition will make voice messages searchable and allow for easier consumption by users who prefer reading over listening.
Users will be able to send and receive voice messages to direct messages, group chats, and spaces within the Google Chat Android and iOS apps. The ability to receive voice messages will also work on the web, but sending will not be possible through a browser just yet. There is also a huge caveat: This is a Google Workspace feature that will only be available to paid Enterprise users, specifically those on the Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Essentials Plus, Enterprise Standard, and Enterprise Plus tiers. This makes the feature’s availability very limited, and we hope this eventually trickles down across all accounts.
For the lucky ones who will get this feature, the process will be pretty straightforward: Open a direct message, group chat, or space, tap on the microphone icon, start speaking, and press send. Once sent, voice messages function just like text-based messages, allowing for quotes, reactions, and threaded replies.
The enterprise rollout will happen gradually, with domains on the Rapid Release track getting the feature as early as March 26th, with a two-week window before it reaches all users. The Scheduled Release track will follow on April 15th, with the same two-week window until completion.
The Android 15 Developer Preview 2 is out, and it brings with it three new keyboard features to make using physical keyboards easier. Android has been a smartphone operating system through and through for its entire life. But Google has recently been introducing compatibility and accessibility features to the OS. These features are designed to make using Android with external devices easier and more convenient. The Android 15 Developer Preview 2 gives us a look at three such features that are sure to make work on Android less frustrating.
Three Android 15 keyboard features for physical keyboards
The three new keyboard features introduced in Android 15 are focused around external, physical keyboards. Many users often attach a physical keyboard to their Android device for faster work output. But the OS didn’t ever really provide the same convenience desktop operating systems did. Thus, Google has rectified that by introducing what it thinks are features that will result in more ease of use. The three features are:
Sticky Keys
Anyone who’s used the Windows operating system and gamed on it has probably encountered Sticky Keys. Sticky Keys make it easier to enter keyboard shortcuts. Modifier keys like the CTRL key, once pressed, stay pressed virtually. So the user can press the other keys of a combination without having to physically keep the modifier key pressed. This makes it vastly simpler to enter keyboard shortcuts and combinations. Sticky Keys was enabled on Windows by rapidly pressing the Shift key five times, as many gamers discovered.
Bounce Keys
The second keyboard feature being introduced in Android 15 is Bounce Keys. Bounce Keys, when enabled, ignore repeat presses of a key when done in quick succession. This is most helpful to people with impaired motor skills who may accidentally press the same key multiple times without meaning to.
Slow Keys
Last, we get Slow Keys. Simply put, Slow Keys make it so a key has to be pressed for a specified period of time before it does something. This prevents accidental presses from interrupting a user’s work. The Developer Preview 2 shows that the feature will be configurable to up to five seconds. While Sticky Keys and Bounce Keys were seen in the Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2, Slow Keys are new.
Samsung’s OneUI already has these features
As pointed out by SamMobile, these three features aren’t completely new. Though they’re now being introduced to stock Android, OneUI has had them for a while now. OneUI is Samsung’s own custom UI for Android, seen on the company’s phones and tablets. It has recently seen some changes and has become a truly spectacular experience loved by many.
OneUI is full of thoughtful little touches that enhance a user’s experience. And these three keyboard features already being present in OneUI are a testament to that fact. Nevertheless, the introduction of new keyboard features in Android 15 is excellent news. Especially for those who prefer the look and feel of stock Android.
Microsoft plans to introduce several new AI-powered features to enhance the functionality of Copilot within Microsoft Teams. It will surely improve calls, meetings, and overall collaboration experiences inside the app. The company is also adding a well-known Copilot feature to summarize team meetings.
Microsoft Teams’ in-built Copilot is getting smarter: Boosts collaboration with enhanced AI features
In the coming months, the app will include spoken transcripts and written chats in a single view, thus making it simpler for users to catch up on missed meetings. Moreover, Copilot will get better at writing messages in chat. People only need to add the context for the message and choose a writing style such as a call to action or playful tone.
A newly introduced feature is Intelligent Call Recap for traditional team meetings. It helps note down all conversation minutes during calls automatically. Once it is available, likely within the next quarter, people can access this feature via Teams Premium subscription. It will help users keep up with telephone conversations and review any activity that should follow without having to write manual notes.
All the latest AI improvements contribute towards increased flexibility of Copilot within Teams reflecting how well Microsoft integrates its Office suite with AI. Microsoft also announced hybrid meeting enhancements within Teams, which cater to both remote and in-room participants.
The IntelliFrame feature on Team Rooms will have an automatic camera switching option powered by artificial intelligence. It will opt for the best camera view that guarantees a clear view for virtual participants especially in obstructed meeting room situations.
Microsoft has some new carriers supporting its Teams Phone Mobile feature
Additionally, voice enrollments are provided with a speaker recognition function for any microphone in the Team Rooms to capture accurate transcription during meetings. Lastly, Microsoft extends carrier support for the Team smartphone, which provides a mobile presence across workers on cellular devices.
New partners including AT&T, Odido, Virgin Media O2, and Vodafone UK will offer phone numbers for Teams later this year thus improving flexibility for the platform users. These updates reflect Microsoft’s ongoing use of AI technology in enhancing collaboration and communication experiences and address complications in remote and hybrid work circumstances.
Discover the ShadowRay campaign exploiting CVE-2023-48022 in the Ray AI framework, risking thousands of companies. Attackers hijack resources, mine crypto, and steal data, impacting education, finance, and healthcare. Major users include Uber, Amazon, and Netflix – Urgent patch advised.
Recent revelations from the Oligo research team have shed light on a troubling development in cybersecurity. Dubbed “ShadowRay” by the researchers, it represents the first documented instance of an active attack campaign targeting AI workloads within the widely utilized Ray open-source AI framework.
CVE-2023-48022
The core of the issue lies in a critical vulnerability, known as CVE-2023-48022, which has been a subject of contention and remains unpatched. This vulnerability exposes thousands of companies and their AI infrastructure to exploitation, allowing malicious actors to hijack computing resources and potentially leak sensitive data.
Shockingly, this security vulnerability has been actively exploited for the past seven months, impacting various sectors including education, cryptocurrency, and biopharma.
According to the technical findings stated in Oligo Security’s blog post shared with Hackread.com ahead of publication on Tuesday, the exploit has led to the compromise of numerous Ray servers worldwide.
These compromised machines, some of which have been under attack for over half a year, pose a significant threat to the integrity and security of sensitive data. Attackers have been able to obtain valuable insights from command history stored on these machines, potentially exposing critical production secrets.
“As of now, Oligo has found hundreds of compromised clusters. Each cluster consists of many nodes, which are machines connected to the cluster over the network. Most nodes have GPUs, which are leveraged by attackers for cryptocurrency mining, making this infrastructure an even bigger target for attacks. In other words, attackers choose to compromise these machines not only because they can obtain valuable sensitive information, but because GPUs are very expensive and difficult to obtain, especially these days.”
Oligo Security
Who Uses Ray?
Currently, Ray boasts 30,000 stars on GitHub, indicating a feature enabling users to bookmark repositories of interest or utility, akin to “liking” content on social media platforms.
Furthermore, Ray finds application in production environments across some of the globe’s leading organizations, such as Ant Group, an affiliate company of the Chinese conglomerate Alibaba Group, Uber, Amazon, LinkedIn, Doordash, Netflix, Spotify, Pinterest, and OpenAI, etc.
Expert Weighing In
John Bambenek, President at Bambenek Consulting, emphasized the inherent challenges in defending against such attacks, particularly within AI environments. He highlighted the ongoing struggle to establish robust threat detection mechanisms, noting that the current landscape lacks comprehensive visibility. With attackers increasingly targeting data-rich environments, the need for proactive measures to safeguard AI workloads has never been more pressing.
“AI has been sprung on environments and we are still struggling with getting basic frameworks in place to start detecting threats and attacks. We have pieces, however, there is no way to know if this is the first attack as we still lack a notion of how to get complete visibility. That said, it’s clear attackers know full well this is a blind spot and anything with lots of data will be attractive targets.“
As organizations grapple with the implications of ShadowRay, caution and proactive security measures are important. The Oligo research team has urged all entities utilizing Ray to conduct thorough reviews of their environments, identify any potential vulnerabilities, and remain vigilant for signs of suspicious activity.
In today’s world, where data is incredibly valuable, it’s more crucial than ever to protect against the constantly changing dynamics of cybersecurity threats.
