Researchers at HiddenLayer have unveiled a series of vulnerabilities within Google’s Gemini AI that could allow attackers to manipulate user queries and control the output of the Large Language Models (LLMs).
This revelation has raised concerns over the security and integrity of AI-driven content generation and its implications for misinformation spread and data privacy.
The Gemini suite, Google’s latest foray into the realm of LLMs, comprises three different model sizes: Nano, Pro, and Ultra.
Despite its recent removal from service due to the generation of politically biased content, the vulnerabilities identified by HiddenLayer expose a new dimension of threats that malicious actors could exploit.
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The Vulnerabilities Explained
The research conducted by HiddenLayer highlights several critical issues within the Gemini models, including:
LLM Prompt Leakage: This vulnerability could allow attackers to access sensitive data or system prompts, posing a significant risk to data privacy.
LLM Prompt Leakage
Jailbreaks: By bypassing the models’ safeguards, attackers can manipulate the AI to generate misinformation, especially concerning sensitive topics like elections.
If we ask Gemini Pro to generate our article conventionally, we, unfortunately, get this response
Indirect Injections: Attackers can indirectly manipulate the model’s output through delayed payloads injected via platforms like Google Drive, further complicating the detection and mitigation of such threats.
We can input a few different variants of uncommon tokens to get a reset response
Implications and Concerns
The vulnerabilities within Google’s Gemini AI have far-reaching implications, affecting a wide range of users:
General Public: The potential for generating misinformation directly threatens the public, undermining trust in AI-generated content.
Companies: Businesses utilizing the Gemini API for content generation may be at risk of data leakage, compromising sensitive corporate information.
Governments: The spread of misinformation about geopolitical events could have serious implications for national security and public policy.
Google’s Response and Future Steps
As of the publication of this article, Google has yet to issue a formal response to the findings.
The tech giant previously removed the Gemini suite from service due to concerns over biased content generation. Still, the new vulnerabilities underscore the need for more robust security measures and ethical guidelines in the development and deployment of AI technologies.
The discovery of vulnerabilities within Google’s Gemini AI is a stark reminder of the potential risks associated with LLMs and AI-driven content generation.
As AI continues to evolve and integrate into various aspects of daily life, ensuring the security and integrity of these technologies becomes paramount.
The findings from HiddenLayer highlight the need for ongoing vigilance and prompt a broader discussion of AI’s ethical implications and the measures needed to safeguard against misuse.
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After officially unveiling the Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A35 yesterday, Samsung has started promoting the phones. The company recently posted an unboxing video and short introductory films for the devices on the Samsung India YouTube channel. The mid-range duo will gradually go on sale worldwide over the next few weeks.
Samsung released Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A35 promo videos
Starting with the unboxing video, Samsung has posted one only for the Galaxy A55. As expected, the retail box doesn’t include a charger. You get the phone, a USC-C to C cable, a SIM tray ejector pin, and some paperwork. The handset has a flat front and back, with three rear cameras aligned vertically. Samsung gives you a glass back, aluminum frame, and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ screen protection.
Samsung’s video highlights the IP67 rating of the phone before going into the camera specs. The Galaxy A55 has a 50MP primary rear camera, 12MP ultrawide lens, 5MP macro camera, and 32MP selfie shooter. The video continues to touch the rest of the specs, including the display, eSIM support, battery, new camera features, enhanced gaming performance, Samsung Knox Vault security, and four major Android OS updates.
Apart from the ultrawide camera (8MP), selfie camera (13MP), and a plastic frame, the Galaxy A35 shares everything else with its sibling. And if it isn’t already clear, the two phones sport an identical design too. The Galaxy A55 has a more powerful processor, though. It also comes in up to 12GB RAM, while the Galaxy A35 tops out at 8GB RAM. Storage variants include 128GB and 256GB for both models.
The two introductory films from Samsung for its latest mid-range smartphones focus on the Knox Security platform. The company says the devices give you an “awesome” screen, “awesome” cameras, and long-lasting battery life, all the while ensuring the safety and security of your data. “Awesome is for everyone,” Samsung adds. The company has been using the term “awesome” to describe its A-series phones for a few years.
Pre-orders are now open
Samsung has already started taking pre-orders for the Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A35 in some European countries. It is offering a pair of Galaxy Buds FE for free in a few markets. The company will ship the phones on March 15. A global release is expected to follow, though the release date may vary according to the market. Samsung has yet to announce a US release for either model.
When you look at wireless routers right now, you probably see both WiFi 6 and WiFi 6E. These are very similar generations of WiFi, as you can tell by the name, but there are still some differentiators here that you need to be aware of.
In 2020, the WiFi Alliance announced that WiFi 6 products are now able to use the 6GHz wireless spectrum, which makes WiFi 6E similar to WiFi 6, but with access to higher-spectrum. As a result, you can expect faster internet speeds and lower latency with 6GHz WiFi.
WiFi 6 vs WiFi 6E
When WiFi 6 first became a thing, aka IEEE 802.11ax, it was limited to lower wireless spectrum. At either 2.4GHz or 5GHz. Which is what most routers already support. On 2.4GHz, you’re sharing three channels with yourself, your family, and your neighbors. Which can lead to some severe congestion.
If you’ve ever been knocked off of a call, or experienced very slow internet, that is why. And it’s not just because of what is connected in your home and your neighborhood. As your neighbors that have their networks in range of your home, are also competing for the same bandwidth in the same limited channels.
In April 2020, the FCC voted to open up 6GHz for unlicensed use. That basically means that now WiFi can be used on the 6GHz spectrum, in addition to 5GHz and 2.4GHz. That opens up even more airwaves, so you should have less trouble with bandwidth. This is the biggest spectrum addition to WiFi since 1989.
Obviously, on paper, the jump from 5GHz to 6GHz doesn’t sound like a lot. But it does quadruple the amount of airwaves available for routers and smart devices, which is going to result in less signal interference.
Basically, the difference between WiFi 6 and WiFi 6E is 6GHz. WiFi 6E has all of the same features that WiFi 6 has, but now with 6GHz WiFi, which is going to result in even faster speeds and lower latency.
Which is better?
So, which version of WiFi is better? Well, that’ll be WiFi 6E. While adding 6GHz spectrum to WiFi 6 may not sound like a big deal. It really is. This is going to open up faster speeds. Typically, the higher the spectrum, the faster the speeds but the smaller the coverage. So 2.4GHz is ideal for doorbells, smart lights, and such, as the coverage is more significant. But 5GHz and even 6GHz is better for your laptops and smartphones.
What are some of the benefits of WiFi 6E?
The biggest benefit is the addition of 6GHz for WiFi connectivity. That band is going to allow for speeds over 1Gbps. Along with that, you’re also going to get lower latency. Some WiFi 6E networks are able to provide less than one-millisecond latency, which is very important for gaming, video calls, and even virtual reality. That is going to get rid of the lag that we have all experienced in the past year of working from home.
On top of that, the other big advantage that you will likely notice is the capacity of your network. With homes adding more and more devices to their home network, this is becoming a much bigger deal than in previous years. With these faster speeds and better capacity, homes will be able to have the next-generation computing experiences that we’ve seen at shows like CES and MWC, but inside their home.
For normal people, this means that multiple people can watch 4K Netflix or 4K YouTube without any buffering or being kicked off of the network.
There’s really only one downside to WiFi 6E, and that’s 6GHz WiFi. Because 6GHz is a higher-band, it means that the coverage is not as great. This is why 6GHz is generally better for those devices that need speed over coverage. Like your laptop or your smartphone. Whereas smart home products should stick to 2.4GHz.
How fast is WiFi 6E?
So the theoretical top speed for WiFi 6E is the same as WiFi 6. And that is 9.6Gbps. However, you will likely never, ever see that kind of speed on your WiFi network. Because that is in perfect condition, and that won’t happen at your home.
However, in real-world testing, NETGEAR found that WiFi 6E is about 25% faster than WiFi 6. And that’s where the 6GHz spectrum comes into play. You will likely see up to 2Gbps speeds on WiFi 6E. But again, there are a lot of factors that go into that. For one, your ISP needs to be delivering at least 2Gbps to your home. And currently, many ISPs are not even delivering a single Gigabit, nevermind multi-gigabit connections. That will change in the coming years, though.
Doesn’t 5G use 6GHz too?
So, here is where things get interesting for WiFi 6E.
The FCC didn’t actually open up any new WiFi spectrum for 6E. Instead, it opened up a new “unlicensed” spectrum. This means you don’t need a license to use that spectrum. This also means that other devices could use this same spectrum that WiFi 6E wants to use. And yes, that does include 5G devices.
Carriers like Verizon have been using unlicensed spectrum for its 5G Ultrawide Band network or 5G UWB. The much higher frequencies allow for much faster speeds and lower latency as we’ve explained with 6GHz already. So these mobile networks could use up some of the spectrum that WiFI 6E wants.
But will this really lead to any congestion on WiFi 6E? Probably not. Wireless analyst, Phil Solis has said that “there’s so much spectrum in the 6GHz band that there should be room for both.” He added that “you’re not going to see macrocells using 6GHz”. Basically, while carriers could use this 6GHz spectrum for 5G, they will likely use a much higher spectrum paired with their low-band spectrum for coverage and speeds.
WiFi 6E is basically a “US only” thing
Currently, only the US has approved WiFi 6E to use 6GHz for WiFi. And since that is the main differentiator between WiFi 6 and WiFi 6E, that means that it is only a thing in the US.
For WiFi 6E to take off in other countries, we’ll need to see those countries open up 6GHz as well. In Europe it’ll be very slow going. Each individual country needs to open up 6GHz WiFi, and then the European Commission needs to do it, too. But that could happen very soon.
Because this is really only a thing in the US, it means the adoption of WiFi 6E is going to be slow, too, since gadgets are typically shipped globally.
How to get WiFi 6E?
Like with WiFi 6, you will need new hardware to use WiFi 6E. Even though it is as simple as supporting another spectrum band, routers were not initially designed for WiFi 6E. However, newer routers that were released in late 2020 and later, will support WiFi 6 and WiFi 6E.
Luckily, WiFi 6E devices are also compatible with older versions of WiFi. This is pretty common among technology though, so this isn’t a big surprise. But it does mean that if you connect a device that does not have support for WiFi 6E, you’ll still be able to use it on your network.
Unless, you have bought a very new router, one that launched within the last six months or so, you will likely need a new one. The number of WiFi 6E-compatible routers is actually pretty small at this point. But that number is going to rise in the near future. As more and more people look to adopt WiFi 6E.
WiFi 6E-compatible devices
To take full advantage of WiFi 6E, you’ll need routers that support it, as well as smartphones and laptops too. Here are the latest devices that support WiFi 6E.
Smartphones
Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+, S21 Ultra, S21 FE
Samsung Galaxy S22, S22+, S22 Ultra
Xiaomi Mi 11
OnePlus 9
iPhone 13 series
Google Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro
Routers
ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000
Linksys Hydra Pro 6E
Linksys Velop Atlas Max 6E
ASUS ZenWiFi ET8
Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500
What about WiFi 7?
You may have seen recently that newer smartphones, tablets, and even laptops are launching with support for WiFi 7. It’s an upcoming WiFi standard that isn’t really widely used yet and won’t be for a few years, but it is good to see companies future-proofing our products.
WiFi 7 is going to be able to have extremely high throughput of up to 46Gbps, compared to 9.6Gbps on WiFi 6E and about 6.9Gbps on WiFi 6. It’ll be about 4.8x faster than WiFi 6 and about 13x faster than WiFi 5. Which is going to unlock faster speeds and more scenarios than ever before.
On top of the faster speeds, WiFi 7 will also offer up to 4x lower latency, and up to 5x more network capacity, thanks to 320MHz and MLO.
Should you upgrade to WiFi 6E?
Yes.
If you are looking to replace the router at your home, then yes, it’s a good idea to get a WiFi 6E router. Since it’s not something that you will be replacing all that often, like a smartphone or even a laptop, it’s better to get the best possible router now than to get something that is a bit behind like a regular WiFi 6 router.
Not to mention the fact that the way that technology moves, if you wait for WiFi 6E to get better, you’re going to miss out and WiFi 7 will be nearly here.
So, to future-proof your WiFi network, yes, get a WiFi 6E router now for your home. It’s backward compatible, so you will be able to use older devices that don’t support WiFi 6E with it.
There are advantages to using standalone AI chatbots over cloud-based alternatives such as OpenAI; however, there are also some security risks.
Research shows NextChat, a popular standalone chatbot with over 7500 exposed instances, is vulnerable to a critical SSRF vulnerability (CVE-2023-49785) that allows attackers to access internal systems and data potentially.
User Interface of NextChat
The vulnerability was reported to the vendor in November 2023, but with no patch available after 90 days, technical details are being publicly released.
CVE-2023-49785: A Super SSRF
NextChat, a Javascript application built with Next.js, exposes a critical vulnerability. Its core functionality runs on the client side. A server-side endpoint named “/api/cors” acts as an open proxy that allows anyone to send unauthorized requests to any external server.
Designed to enable saving chat data on WebDAV servers, this endpoint bypasses browser security measures.
Users can exploit it to access unintended resources by crafting requests that the application blindly forwards, as a user could access Google through this loophole.
A critical Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability exists, allowing attackers to gain unauthorized access to internal systems and potentially the entire network. This vulnerability grants attackers the ability to:
Reach any internal HTTP endpoint, including sensitive ones.
Download full responses from the targeted endpoints.
Employ various HTTP methods (POST, PUT, etc.) with custom request bodies.
Manipulate URL parameters through encoding.
Include authorization headers within requests.
If the application is web-accessible, an attacker can potentially compromise the entire internal network connected to the application. While limitations exist in directly injecting specific headers, potential workarounds might exist.
This vulnerability is particularly dangerous due to its extensive access capabilities and potential for sensitive data exfiltration.
Accessing the AWS cloud metadata service to retrieve AWS access keys off an AWS EC2 instance running with IMDSv1 enabled
Reflected XSS:
A specific reflected XSS vulnerability bypasses the need for external resources and the application’s /api/cors endpoint utilizes the fetch method, which allows the data protocol.
An attacker can inject a malicious payload into the data URL encoded in base64, which includes JavaScript code to display an alert with the website’s domain upon reaching the server.
Since the server reflects the data back to the client without proper sanitization, the script executes in the victim’s browser, resulting in a successful XSS attack.
Detection and Mitigation:
A critical vulnerability (CVE-2023-49785) exists in ChatGPT-Next-Web (versions 2.11.2 and prior) that allows attackers full read and write access to internal systems through forged requests.
It can also exploit the application as an open proxy to mask their IP and redirect malicious traffic.
According to the Horizon3ai timeline for vulnerability disclosure:
Nov. 25, 2023: Horizon3 reports security issue to ChatGPT-Next-Web via GitHub vulnerability disclosure process
Nov. 26, 2023: Vendor accepts the report
Dec. 6, 2023: GitHub CNA reserves CVE-2023-49785
Jan. 15, 2024: Horizon3 asks vendors for an update using the GitHub security issue. No response.
Mar. 7, 2024: Horizon3 asks vendors for an update using the GitHub security issue. No response.
Mar. 11, 2024: Public disclosure
Avoid using this software online. If internet exposure is unavoidable, a secure, isolated network without internal resource access is needed. Even in isolation, attackers might use the software as an open proxy to hide malicious traffic targeting other systems.
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MediaTek’s Dimensity 9400 chipset is ready to shake up the high-end Android phone game, building on the success of its predecessor, the Dimensity 9300. The aim of the Dimensity 9400 is to solidify MediaTek in the market with a reported performance increase of about 20% over its predecessor, China Times confirms.
The MediaTek Dimensity 9400 promises a 20% speed jump compared to its predecessor
From its launch in October 2023, the MediaTek Dimensity 9300 has been a key revenue generator for MediaTek, bringing about approximately $1 billion in revenue. To keep this momentum going, MediaTek intends to release the Dimensity 9400 in the second half of 2024, with Vivo rumored to have secured the first batch.
Nevertheless, no figures have gone official on how many chipsets Vivo has ordered and at what price from MediaTek. It represents a major opportunity for both MediaTek and this Chinese phone maker given their partnership. If the Dimensity 9400 turns out to be more economical compared to competitors such as the Snapdragon8 Gen 4 chips, MediaTek may win additional orders from other smartphone manufacturers.
Reports, however, indicate that there is an improvement of around twenty percent in terms of performance for Dimensity 9400. What areas get an upgrade remains unknown. Nevertheless, worries regarding overheating and performance surge issues have become a concern especially because of the Cortex-X5 core mounted into this chipset.
Unlike its predecessors, rumors say that Dimensity 9400 lacks crucial efficiency cores which will likely make it difficult to manage temperatures during stress conditions. So, Vivo will need to implement some software and hardware optimizations to preserve battery life and keep the phone from overheating.
MediaTek’s partnership with Vivo for flagship could be a winning move
Further details about the capabilities and optimization will emerge as MediaTek keeps refining its Dimensity 9400 by working with other partners. Look out for more updates as we get closer to the Dimensity 9400’s debut.
MediaTek intends to challenge established players such as Qualcomm and Samsung by providing high-performance chipsets at competitive prices. Additionally, the inclusion of the Dimensity 9400 into Vivo’s upcoming smartphones may significantly improve the user experience by enabling faster computations, better multitasking capabilities, as well as overall enhanced performance.
As we advance, MediaTek will likely shape the Android smartphone market in the future through innovative moves and partnerships with major manufacturers like Vivo, as consumers demand more from their handheld devices.
Amazon’s Fire TV platform has sort of quietly become one of the biggest streaming platforms in the world. It’s currently number two behind only Roku, which has a similar strategy of selling its hardware as cheaply as possible.
But the real question is, what is Fire TV? Is it better than Android TV, Apple TV, Roku, and the other platforms out there? How can I get it on my TV? We’re going to answer that and a whole lot more in this edition of “Everything You Need To Know!”
What is Fire TV?
Amazon’s Fire TV is a platform for streaming set-top boxes. It is based on Android and runs on the same software as Amazon’s Fire tablets. Fire TV has most of the popular apps, but some Google apps are missing. Surprisingly, YouTube and YouTube TV are available, but Google TV and Google Play Movies & TV are not.
Fire TV is a simple and user-friendly platform, and it receives frequent updates. Amazon offers Fire TV devices at very affordable prices, and sometimes even for free, which is why it has become the second most popular streaming platform, just behind Roku.
What is Fire OS?
As mentioned, Fire OS is the software that Amazon develops for Fire TV and its Fire Tablets. It’s loosely based on Android, though an ancient version of Android.
Fire OS 8: Based on Android 10 and Android 11
Fire OS 7: Based on Android 9
Fire OS 6: Based on Android 7.1
Fire OS 5: Based on Android 5.1
As you can see, the latest version of Fire OS is actually using a version of Android that is about 4 years old at this point, and Amazon doesn’t always use each version of Android. It skipped Android 6.0 Marshmallow and Android 8 Oreo. But that’s fine, because it is just using the backbone of Android, and none of Google’s services – YouTube and YouTube TV are through a carriage agreement with Google, so it’s a bit different.
When you turn on your Fire TV, you won’t really realize that this is running Android. While it does have a similar look and feel to other TV operating systems, it is still very different.
What does the interface look like?
On Fire OS 7, the interface has a pretty significant facelift, which makes it a lot easier to navigate. You’ll start off on the “Home” tab, which will show you different titles that you can watch. Then you can navigate over to Find for searching, and Live for live TV listings.
However, in Fire OS 8, these did change a little bit. Amazon now uses icons for the first few options, for Home, Live, and Saved titles that you can jump to easily. There is also a search icon as well as a list of titles you’ve previously watched. That will be very helpful for those with kids that want to watch the same thing every day.
After those three tabs, you have your apps. Amazon only keeps six apps here, so you’ll want to keep your most used apps there, as it is easier to get to than navigating over to the all apps icon on the far right. Fortunately, these are customizable, so you can change them out whenever you want. I usually keep YouTube TV, YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, MAX, and Peacock in that row.
All the way to the right is the Settings icon, where you’ll find all of the settings of course. At the very top, you’ll see banners for different movies and TV shows you can watch on different apps. Some of these are ads, while others are just titles that are available to you from apps you’ve installed.
It’s a very simple interface actually, and that’s what matters for Fire TV. As it wants to appeal to everyone, and the Android TV interface is a bit busy. Making it tougher for your parents or even grandparents to use. Fire TV is attempting to copy Roku here, and keeping it super simple.
What apps are available?
It’s a fair question to ask since there are always carriage disputes with different platforms. However, Amazon has played nice with everyone and has most of the popular apps available on its platform. These include:
Amazon also has quite a few games on Fire TV, including its own game streaming service Luna. Don’t expect anything crazy here in terms of games on Fire TV, these are mostly easy to play games like Crossy Road and Hill Climb Racing. Nothing really crazy like League of Legends: Wild Rift. Amazon does sell a game controller for Fire TV, but you can also pair your own Bluetooth controller with your Fire TV.
Is there any free content on Fire TV?
While Amazon does not have its own free channel like Roku, there are plenty of apps that offer up free content and are available on Fire TV. Those include Crackle, Pluto TV, and Tubi. Of course, YouTube is also available, and since you’re probably an Amazon Prime subscriber, Prime Video has loads of content to watch too.
What Fire TV devices are available?
Currently, Amazon has two different types of streaming devices for Fire TV. There are four different HDMI sticks and then a set-top box. Fire TV also comes in many different TVs from Toshiba and Insignia, and now Amazon makes its own TVs, too.
They are essentially the same, except for the fact that the two 4K models are, well, 4K capable. The Fire TV Stick 4K Max also more RAM, as well as offering faster WiFi support. These range in price from $30 to $60, so they are still fairly inexpensive.
Amazon Fire TV Cube
The Amazon Fire TV Cube has actually been around for a few years now, and the main thing that it offers is more storage and always-listening Alexa. The Fire TV Sticks do not offer Alexa always-listening. Which some people like, since you have to press the microphone button to actually talk to Alexa.
Amazon Fire TV 4 Series
Amazon also has two lines of its own TVs that have Fire TV built-in. The 4 series is the cheaper line, consisting of 43-, 50-, and 55-inch models. These start at under $300. So they are fantastic to put into a secondary or guest bedroom since they don’t need to be huge.
Amazon Fire TV Omni Series
Then there is the Omni series. This is the more premium line of Amazon’s own TV sets, offered in 43-, 50-, 55-, 65- and 75-inch models. These start at just over $400. However they are on sale quite often. The Omni series offers up Dolby Vision but only on the 65- and 75-inch models. It does have a better panel than the 4 series, so you’ll get a better looking picture, regardless.
Can I get Fire TV built into my TV?
Yes, you sure can. As we highlighted above, Amazon actually makes its own TVs with Fire TV built-in now. But they weren’t the first to do it. There are a number of other manufacturers that also have Fire TV built-in, including Toshiba, Insignia, and Pioneer.
There aren’t as many options as you have with Roku being built-in, but it is possible here, which is really lovely to see.
Should I use Fire TV?
The first thing to do is look at the apps and features you use. If all of the apps that you use are available on Fire TV, and you don’t use Google Assistant (or are okay with using Amazon Alexa), then sure, Fire TV is a great alternative. If you do switch, I’d recommend the Fire TV Stick 4K Max. It’s more expensive, but with the extra horsepower and RAM inside, you will thank me later.
Fire TV is quickly becoming one of the most popular streaming TV platforms in the world, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see it take over Roku very soon.
Samsung‘s newly launched premium mid-range smartphone, the Galaxy A55, may not arrive in the US. The company reportedly hasn’t planned a US release for the phone. It could change its mind later but there aren’t any such signs. The Galaxy A35, which debuted alongside the A55 yesterday, is coming stateside.
Samsung prioritizes Galaxy S23 FE over Galaxy A55 in the US
The Galaxy A55 sits below Samsung’s Galaxy S series flagships on the price ladder. It is a value smartphone with good cameras, a decent chipset, flagship build quality, a premium display, long update support, and more on a budget. Last year’s Galaxy A54, for example, debuted with a price tag of $450, a good value for what it offered.
Samsung sweetened the deal this year by adding an aluminum frame to the Galaxy A55. At a sub-$500 price, the phone would have been an appealing proposition. However, according to a CNET report, the new mid-range device won’t step into the US. The company “will not be carrying the Galaxy A55 5G at this time,” a Samsung representative told the publication.
The Korean behemoth reportedly plans to position a discounted Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 FE as its offerings below the Galaxy S24, which starts at $800. This doesn’t seem like a bad move. The FE model launched with a $600 price tag. If Samsung offers a discount on it, the Galaxy A55 won’t be missed. The Galaxy S23 FE is a substantially better package than the A-series phone.
That said, Samsung can bring the Galaxy A55 to the US anytime if it feels there is a market for the phone. The Galaxy A35, on the other hand, is confirmed to be available stateside from the beginning. “We can confirm that Galaxy A35 5G will be coming to the US market and look forward to sharing more details in the coming weeks,” the Samsung representative said.
A release date for the Galaxy A35 is not yet available
Samsung has yet to reveal a release date for the Galaxy A35 in the US. It hasn’t even announced its release in most markets outside Europe. The company may share the details closer to the market debut of the device. As far as the entry price is concerned, the Galaxy A35 may start at around $400. It uses the Galaxy A54’s Exynos 1380 chipset and the Galaxy A55’s 50MP main camera. The device misses out on an aluminum frame. Stay tuned for its US release.
What is Android TV? In simple terms, it’s Android for your TV. It first launched in 2014 as a sort of replacement for Google TV. Even though Google TV has now been reborn as an extension and possibly replacement for Android TV.
TV operating systems have gone through a significant transition over the last few years. There are still a number of companies using proprietary software, including Samsung and LG. However, a number of TV manufacturers are now opting to employ the help of a third-party operating system.
Android TV is one of those options. One that’s provided by Google. Which is now beginning to transition into Google TV.
Is Android TV the same as Android mobile?
This is an app-based platform. In that sense, it is very similar to the version of Android running on your smartphone.
Android TV users can download and install apps directly from the Google Play Store just like they do on their smartphones. Although not all mobile apps are available for the TV the reason is the user experience.
Android TV 13
At Google I/O in 2022, Android TV 13 was announced. It is not a huge upgrade to Android TV, with really only one user-facing feature being added. Basically, it is improving picture-in-picture, a feature it has had for years. Now it will work better with other apps. Specifically with video chatting apps like Zoom and Google Meet. So you can keep the video going in the corner while you’re watching TV.
Google is also using new APIs that will help apps work better with actual TV hardware. There’s an “AudioManager” API that will allow apps to better anticipate where audio is heading and what playback modes are available. There’s also the “MediaSession” API which allows for Android TV apps to better react to HDMI state changes to pause content or save power.
For accessibility, Android TV 13 is bringing new keyboard layouts for the InputDevice API. This is an API that allows for physical keyboards to better work with Android TV apps. That should be helpful for game developers, specifically. There is also a new system-wide selection that enables audio descriptions across all apps too.
Android TV 14 has not yet launched. Android TV does not follow the same update schedule as mobile Android, seeing as TVs don’t see as many changes, and manufacturers are much slower to update TVs versus phones. However, Google TV has launched with Android 14 already, giving us more reason to think that Android TV itself might be going away in the future.
What is Google TV?
In late 2020, Google debuted the new Chromecast with Google TV, which was the first time that we saw Google TV launch on a device in almost a decade. Google TV was Google’s original entry into the living room space around 2010. Then it was rebranded as Android TV.
Now, Google TV is back, and it is essentially an interface that lives on top of Android TV. In short, it makes it easier to find content to watch on the big screen, with great recommendations across the board for the apps that you have installed.
Google TV still runs on Android TV and is starting to roll out to more devices. But as of right now, it’s only available on the new Chromecast. Sony and other manufacturers have already stated that they will be bringing Google TV on their new TVs and updating their older TVs with it, too.
Are all Android apps available on Android TV?
TVs are not typically designed with touch controls in mind. Unlike your smartphone, there are no swipes, taps, or gestures in use. Instead, TVs mostly rely on the use of a remote control.
Android mobile apps are built from the ground up with touch controls in mind. If those apps were made available on a TV as-is, users would find it difficult to navigate the app. In some cases, impossible.
Due to this, TV apps have to be optimized by developers before becoming available on a platform like Android TV. Optimization ensures all the things you can do with the smartphone version, you can also do with a remote control.
Not all developers have optimized their apps for the TV and therefore not all Android apps are available. The number of optimized apps has grown considerably over the years, but there’s still quite a few missing.
How do I use Android TV
Like your smartphone, it all begins with the home screen. Often referred to as the ‘leanback launcher,’ this is where you’ll find the apps you use most often. As well as recommendations and titles you’ve been watching lately, or typically watch. This appears more filled out when you have a live TV service connected to your Android TV. Like YouTube TV, Pluto TV, Sling TV, etc.
In more recent versions of the platform, apps have been replaced by what Google now refers to as “Channels.”
Technically, nothing has changed as channels are still apps. The difference is simply how they are now displayed. Each app now has its own channel and this allows the user to see more of the app’s content.
One way to understand the difference is to think of the channel design as an app equivalent of an electronic program guide. A way to see what’s currently available to watch. Instead of clicking to launch an app, you can click directly on a TV show or movie and start watching.
The downside of channels is that fewer apps are visible on the home screen at a given time. This might mean the user has to scroll more often to see what else is on – again, like an electronic program guide.
The good news is this is a fairly customizable platform and users do have the option of telling the operating system what apps they prefer or use most often. In other words, you can fairly easily set the home screen to only show your favorite apps and nothing else.
App channel customization
What are the benefits of Android TV?
One of the clearest benefits of Google’s TV platform is the app support. While we just mentioned how there’s a lot of apps still missing, Android TV uses the Google Play Store. This is a great source for apps and every major app that gets released, is also released to the Google Play Store.
This means 1000s of apps are already available and ready to download.
Android TV Google Play Store
Smart home users highly invested in Google Assistant will also find Android TV slots into the ecosystem nicely. Google Assistant is compatible with Android TV and newer versions of the platform actually come with Google Assistant built-in.
This won’t interfere with your existing Google Assistant devices, but instead will provide an additional way you can launch the Assistant.
Google Assistant on Android TV
Using the Assistant on your TV not only provides feedback to questions asked or the ability to control other smart home products, but also allows you to search the TV to find content to watch. As well as adjust some aspects, such as the volume.
What are the problems with Android TV?
As already mentioned, one of the biggest downsides of Android TV is that not all Android apps are optimized for the platform. This includes some fairly major ones. The landscape is always improving but you may want to check if your favorite apps are supported before purchasing an Android TV device.
What might be another downside for some is the ecosystem in general. For example, if you are heavily invested in Amazon and its Alexa ecosystem, then this might not be the best option for you.
A third criticism of the platform is that there are no first-party products available. Google has yet to release its own Android TV device and therefore you will have to buy a product from a third-party. This can result in other issues such as manufacturer support and updates.
How can I get Android TV?
After being officially unveiled during Google I/O 2014, the first consumer-ready device was launched as the Nexus Player. The Nexus Player is no longer available to buy but the platform and number of devices have grown substantially since then.
There are three main ways to get Android TV and will briefly go over the options now.
Through your provider
One of the newer ways to get Android TV is through an operator/provider. For a long time, operators have provided customers with a set-top box. Recently, operators have been upgrading that experience by switching their set-top box over to an Android TV set-top box.
These newer devices might not necessarily look like Android TV as they can be highly customized by the operator, but underneath it’s Android TV.
This is still a fairly new industry switch, but you can expect to see more operators in different parts of the world releasing new devices powered by Google’s TV solution.
Some of the most recent examples in the U.S. include AT&T and its AT&T TV set-top box or Sling TV and its AirTV devices.
Through your actual TV
One of the easiest ways to get Android TV is actually through your TV. Over the last few years, many TV manufacturers have chosen to use Google’s solution to power their latest products.
The benefit of this approach is that there’s no need for any additional hardware. The TV itself runs on the operating system and the setup is minimal.
Some of the TV brands now offering TVs powered by Android TV include Sony, Sharp, Hisense, Philips, and Skyworth.
Through a separate device
The third way is to simply buy a separate streaming device. This way is not that different to the operator method as the most common option is a set-top box. The difference is the set-top box won’t be customized by the operator. Instead, it will run a more generic-looking version of the software.
This also means you won’t have to worry about remaining subscribed to the operator’s service to retain access to the set-top box.
While set-top boxes are a common product, they are not the only option. Over the last few years, Google has been hard at work to bring the platform to new form factors and devices.
This means you can actually get Android TV included in a wide range of devices, like a projector or even a soundbar.
What’s the most popular Android TV devices?
NVIDIA SHIELD TV
Arguably, the most popular device is the NVIDIA SHIELD TV. This is a set-top box that can be easily attached to your TV and requires no additional purchase to use.
Nvidia Shield TV
One of the benefits of NVIDIA’s solution is that it comes with an emphasis on gaming. This is a high-performance set-top box and one that’s very well supported in terms of software and security updates.
The NVIDIA SHIELD TV is available to buy from various retailers including Amazon. The NVIDIA SHIELD TV costs anywhere between $150 and $200 in the U.S.
Find our more about the NVIDIA SHIELD TV by reading our full review.
Xiaomi Mi Box S
The Xiaomi Mi Box S is not as powerful or as feature-rich as the NVIDIA SHIELD TV, but its major selling point is the price. This makes the Mi Box S one of the easiest and cheapest ways to get started with Android TV.
Xiaomi MI Box S
The Xiaomi Mi Box S is available from a number of retailers including Amazon. The Xiaomi Mi Box S costs $69.99 in the U.S.
Find our more about the Xiaomi Mi Box S by reading our full review.
Official vs unofficial Android TV
It is important to note the difference between official and unofficial Android TV as this could impact on the experience.
There are some boxes that are referred to as an ‘Android TV box.’ This is because they do run on Android and they are a box that connects to your TV. However, this is not actually Android TV.
While these boxes do run on Android, they are not using the licensed version of the platform. This also typically means they are not designed to work with apps that have been optimized for the platform.
Official Android TV is a licensed product. Any device using the official version will likely make it clear on the box or in the product description. You can also check what official devices are available by heading over to the official platform website.
Is Android TV the best choice for me?
There are a number of factors that might influence your decision. Arguably, one of the most important is your existing setup. After all, this is a smart TV platform, and making sure it plays nicely with your other smart home devices will ensure the best experience possible. While Android TV is an excellent choice for anyone looking to switch to a streaming device, it’s not the only choice.
Amazon offers a number of devices that run on Fire TV OS making it a better option for those more invested in Alexa. Fire TV devices available from Amazon include TVs, dedicated set-top boxes, and TV sticks.
Then there’s Roku OS. Like Google and Amazon’s solutions, Roku OS is another TV-optimized platform that provides access to many of the same apps and services.
Roku OS is also available to buy as a TV, set-top box, or TV stick.
An infostealer disguised as the Adobe Reader installation has been observed. The file is disseminated in PDF format and prompts users to download and run it.
The fake PDF file, according to AhnLab Security Intelligence Center (ASEC), is written in Portuguese and instructs users to download and install Adobe Reader.
It urges users to download and install malware by informing them that Adobe Reader is needed to open the file.
The Flow Of The Attack
Researchers say the message prompts users to install and download Adobe Reader.
When users click the gray area as seen below, malware is downloaded, and they are redirected to the following message, hxxps://raw.githubusercontent[.]com/fefifojs/reader/main/Reader_Install_Setup.exe
Fake PDF File
“The downloaded file takes the form of the Adobe Reader icon, and its name is set as Reader_Install_Setup.exe.
By taking the disguise of the Adobe Reader installer, it prompts the user to run it”, ASEC researchers shared with Cyber Security News.
Reader_Install_Setup.exe
The downloaded file’s execution procedure has three stages: file creation, DLL Hijacking & UAC Bypass, and Information Leak.
Attack Phases
Following the file creation phase, Reader_Install_Setup.exe uses the following command to launch msdt.exe, a Windows system file, and produces two malicious files.
Running sdiagnhost.exe as administrator is the function of the msdt.exe process that is now running.
Therefore, when the sdiagnhost.exe process loads BluetoothDiagnosticUtil.dll, the malicious DLL file is loaded.
Following the above process, the threat actor can bypass user account control (UAC) by using DLL hijacking.
During the information leak phase, it generates files, including chrome.exe, and conceals them in the generated path.
Chrome.exe collects system and browser information and sends it to the C2 server.
The created chrome.exe is a malicious file associated with the actual Google Chrome browser, and it impersonates the actual browser executable file by using the same icon.
Consequently, users who acquire files from unauthorized sources should exercise extreme caution when dealing with files that ask them to run malware.
With Perimeter81 malware protection, you can block malware, including Trojans, ransomware, spyware, rootkits, worms, and zero-day exploits. All are incredibly harmful and can wreak havoc on your network.
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Google’s upcoming Pixel Fold 2 has leaked quite a few times and this has included everything from rumored display sizes to the potential design of the phone via CAD renders. Although none of those details have been confirmed, it still leaves customers with something to talk about and paints a picture of what to expect when the device officially arrives.
The latest rumor about the device suggests that leaks thus far have gotten the display size of the Pixel Fold 2 all wrong. No definitive size has been confirmed. But rumors from previous leaks had suggested the inside display could be up to 7.9-inches. This was partly based on the fact the inside display size of the original Pixel Fold was 7.6 inches. The cover display, meanwhile, was 5.8 inches. According to leaker Ross Young on X, the inside display on the Pixel Fold 2 will be 8.02 inches in size while the cover display will be 6.29 inches. These are admittedly small differences compared to the first model. But they are larger and will make a difference for the user with slightly more screen real estate.
The Pixel Fold 2’s panel production will start for the new display sizes very soon
Display sizes aren’t the only piece of information that Young offered up. He also notes that production of the panels for these displays will be starting soon. According to Young production begins in April. This timing could make sense if you consider when Google is likely to announce and launch the phone. With the Pixel Fold, Google announced the phone at Google I/O in May of 2023. This preceded the June 27 launch which was nearly two months later.
If the production timing is accurate, then that means it won’t take more than two months to manufacture the displays for these phones. Then again that’s assuming that launch timing follows the original phone. There’s still no guarantee that Google plans to launch the device within the same timeframe. However, there’s also nothing to suggest it won’t.
Outside of the display sizes, Young speaks partly to other, smaller details about the phone screens. One user in the comments asks what the pixels per inch and aspect ratios of the displays are. Specifics aren’t mentioned like they are with display sizes. Young does state that the main display (the inside display) is “close to square.” Young also notes that the cover display is pretty wide just like on the Pixel Fold. You can read more about the Pixel Fold 2 and all of its potential specs and details in our main preview post.
The leaks on the Pixel Fold 2 don’t have the display sizes right. 8.02″ for the foldable display and 6.29″ for the cover display. Panel production starts in April! It is coming.
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