ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra goes Official with Huge Display Upgrade

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The ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra was announced this morning as a sort of successor to the Zenfone 10, but not really. That is because the one feature that made the Zenfone 10 so famous, is no longer available on the Zenfone 11 Ultra. And that’s the size of the phone.

For the last couple of years, ASUS has gone with a more compact phone that features a 5.9-inch display. But this year, ASUS has gone big, literally. The Zenfone 11 Ultra sports a 6.78-inch AMOLED 144Hz display. That puts it on par with most of the other flagship smartphones in the market today.

Unfortunately, for those who loved the compact phones, ASUS has told us that this is the only Zenfone model they plan to release this year.

ASUS has stuck with a no-frills approach for Zenfone 11 Ultra

The Zenfone 11 Ultra doesn’t have a lot of tricks up its sleeve. Instead, ASUS has opted to go with the approach of letting the specs speak for themselves. Don’t get me wrong, there are some AI features included in the Zenfone 11 Ultra, but not as many as you might expect.

On the specs front, this phone sports a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, or 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. There is also a 5,500mAh capacity battery inside, which can be charged at up to 65W. However, the charger is no longer available in the box.

ASUS also upgraded the cameras this year. Sporting a 50-megapixel primary sensor, a 13-megapixel ultrawide, and a 32-megapixel telephoto lens that can do 3x optical zoom. There’s also a 32-megapixel front-facing camera for those selfies.

As mentioned before, it does have a 6.78-inch display with a 144Hz refresh rate. However, 144Hz is only available in-game. The rest of the time, it will intelligently move between 1Hz and 120Hz since it is an LTPO display. It also has a peak brightness of around 2,500 nits, which is pretty respectable.

ASUS is including its GlideX software on the Zenfone 11 Ultra, allowing you to connect your phone to your Windows PC without even using WiFi. You can use a USB-C cable to do so and be able to screen mirror, stream apps, drag and drop files, and so much more.

The usual AI features are here as well, including AI Noise Cancellation, so you can take a call in a bar or at a game and no longer worry about the other person being able to hear you. Generative AI wallpapers and AI transcripts are also here, and they will convert voice memos to text for you.

When can I buy the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra?

Pre-orders for the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra are available now on ASUS eShop, Mobile Advance, and Amazon. The Zenfone 11 Ultra will officially launch on April 14. Those who pre-order a Zenfone 11 Ultra will also receive a pair of ROG Cetra True Wireless Earbuds in the Moonlight White color, which is a $99 value.

Now, what about the price? Well, the Zenfone 11 Ultra did get a price increase this year, as expected, with the much larger size of the phone. It starts at $899. That’s $200 more than the starting price of the Zenfone 10.

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Google Home Web gains camera history and download features

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The Google Home web interface is being greatly improved, closing the gap between its desktop iteration and mobile applications. To improve performance and experiences, Google has introduced camera history as well as video playback features in its Google Home web app which will launch within the next few days.

Google Home web app now lets you download and preview camera footage

Before now, the web interface was only good for managing smart home routines and connected cameras but lacked basic functionalities like camera history and video playback. With the newly announced updates, users will be able to get into their camera’s history, access recorded videos, and download personalized clips from their browsers.

The newly designed Google Home for Web interface is accessible through home.google.com on desktop web browsers. It provides a more encompassing range of tools for managing connected cameras within the Google Home ecosystem. Nest Aware Plus subscribers can view their entire 24/7 video history including downloading custom clips of any length thereby increasing the utility of this web interface.

Public Preview for Google Home’s web interface is already out. Users can test upcoming features earlier than the app’s wider launch. Though the specific changes brought by Public Preview are yet to unravel, Google has indicated that it will include more web-specific functions in the future.

Public preview beta is out for people who want to test the upcoming features

This expansion of the Public Preview program shows how much commitment Google puts into constantly improving its Google Home web interface and providing advanced features to users. Through these improvements, Google hopes to allow users to control smart home gadgets smoothly and easily access camera footage straight from the browser.

With further investments in its web interface, we could expect more enhancements and optimizations for users’ browsing experience thus making interactions with smart devices easier. So watch out for more updates on the new capabilities of Google Home’s web application from the company.

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Webinar recap: 6 critical cyberthreats in 2024 and how to counter them

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Our webinar on the 2024 State of Malware report is now available on-demand. Featuring cybersecurity experts Mark Stockley and Jérôme Segura, this webinar unpacks 2024’s most critical cyberthreats, including big game ransomware, malvertising, and emerging challenges to mobile and Mac security.

Key highlights:

  • Expert insights: Stockley and Segura explain how the cybercrime landscape has shifted significantly in the past year, outlining the six most critical cyberthreats to watch out for in 2024.
  • Practical defense strategies: Learn about how layered defense systems, including EDR, MDR, and web protection, can protect your data, devices and your business from emerging cyber threats.
  • Why it’s essential: The webinar equips IT and security teams with a new threat prevention playbook that they can leverage today to prepare for 2024 cyberthreats of all types–not just malware.

Don’t let evolving threats catch your organization off guard—watch the webinar and arm yourself with the latest insight.

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Podcasts on YouTube Music soon to have ‘Trim Silence’

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After killing Google Podcasts and making YouTube Music the main venue for listening to podcasts, Google is now introducing new features to make the podcast experience on YouTube Music even more enjoyable. As 9to5Google reports, Google is preparing to introduce the “Trim Silence” option to YouTube Music.

YouTube Music features Trim Silence for podcasts

The information obtained via YouTube Music, v6.43.52, indicates that Google is laying the groundwork for adding the Trim Silence feature to the app. As the name implies, the feature could remove unnecessary and redundant podcast silence moments. This allows podcast hosts to have a handy and professional editing tool in place.

The Trim Silence feature is still under development and has not yet been released on YouTube Music. Hopefully, it will be available on the app in the coming months.

Back in September, Google announced that its podcasting app would be shut down in 2024. The move didn’t come as a surprise. Because Google has a long history of killing its services and sending them to its infamous Graveyard. At the time, the tech giant said podcasting features would be incorporated into YouTube Music.

YouTube Music comes as a worthy replacement for Google Podcasts

While YouTube Music wasn’t initially quite prepared to host podcasts, the company added new features to prepare the app for listeners and podcasters. It first added the ability to add podcasts via RSS and later brought an automatic downloading feature for new episodes.

Compared to popular podcasting apps like Spotify, YouTube Music is still missing many features. However, Google’s massive user base and regular updates can turn YouTube Music into a worthy rival to Spotify. Both platforms’ primary focus is now music. Meanwhile, the growing number of podcast listeners could not also be ignored.

While YouTube Music is adding new features to stoke more interest in its services, its parent company, YouTube, is ditching some of its most beloved features. Recently, Xiaomi announced it will no longer let users play YouTube videos in the background, declaring “compliance requirements” as the reason for the change. The move allegedly stems from Google’s plans to sell more YouTube Premium subscriptions.

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Caviar added Cybertruck design to Galaxy S24 Ultra & S23 Ultra

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Alongside Apple Vision Pro-inspired iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, Caviar made customized versions of Samsung‘s Galaxy S24 Ultra and Galaxy S23 Ultra inspired by Tesla’s Cybertruck. The phones have a unique rear design resembling the electric pickup truck. The firm precisely crafted the design and used premium materials to give the devices a luxurious finish. The internals remain unchanged.

Caviar launches Cybertruck-inspired Galaxy S24 Ultra and S23 Ultra

Caviar is known for making ridiculously expensive customizations of flagship smartphones, predominantly the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy. Based in Dubai, the firm uses premium materials such as gold and titanium in its products. It also crafts unique designs so the devices stand out in the crowd. It has just added Cybertruck-inspired Galaxy S24 Ultra and Galaxy S23 Ultra to its collection.

Like Tesla’s futuristic electric truck, the Caviar-made phones have a clean metallic body with sharp lines and a geometrical shape. The company has paid attention to incorporating the truck’s windshield and headlight designs into the body. The frame is made of aerospace-grade titanium, which should make the devices stronger. Samsung used poor-quality titanium that gets damaged easily.

Caviar Galaxy S23 S24 Ultra Cybertruck edition 2

Caviar’s Galaxy S24 Ultra and Galaxy S23 Ultra have red and white decorative accents created using colored enamel. “Every aspect of this device reflects the spirit of innovation that unites Tesla and Samsung,” the company says. “The car of the future in your hands.” The devices come in limited quantity, with the company offering 99 units each. After all, these are super-expensive and luxurious products.

Speaking of the cost, the Cybertruck-inspired Galaxy S24 Ultra costs $8,770 for the 256GB variant. The 512GB and 1TB variants come at $9,130 and $9,490, respectively. If you grab last year’s Galaxy S23 Ultra, the three storage variants cost $8,490, $8,840, and $9,200, respectively. Like with other products, Caviar offers a 15% discount on the bill amount when paying with cryptocurrency.

Caviar also offers bespoke options

If Caviar’s luxurious customizations aren’t enough for you, the company offers bespoke options for its products. You can get personalized engraving on the side edges, add your logo or initials to the body, modify the design with custom shapes and elements, replace the material, and even customize the packaging. Caviar will charge extra for this personalization.

It will only alter the aesthetics of the devices, though. You will get a unique product but only on the outside. It will function like a regular Galaxy S23 Ultra or Galaxy S24 Ultra that costs just over $1,000. Caviar has also made these kinds of luxurious modifications to the two Samsung flagships in the past. The Cybertruck edition is the newest variant in its collection. The devices are available to purchase from Caviar’s website.

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TikTok faces ban in US unless it parts ways with Chinese owner ByteDance

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The House of Representatives has passed a bill that would effectively ban TikTok from the US unless Chinese owner ByteDance gives up its share of the immensely popular app.

TikTok is an immensely popular social media platform that allows users to create, share, and discover, short video clips. It’s experienced explosive growth since it first appeared in 2017, and is now said to have well over 1.5 billion users, with an estimated 170 million of them in the US.

Since 2020, several governments and organizations have banned, or considered banning, TikTok from their staff’s devices, but a complete ban of an internet app would be a first in the US.

Other countries have done this before. In 2020, India was the first country to ban TikTok, along with around 200 other Chinese apps that were all blocked from operating within the country. The ban cost TikTok some 200 million users.

General Paul Nakasone, Director of the National Security Agency (NSA) certainly fueled the feeling of necessity for such a ban. Speaking at a US Senate hearing in March 2023, the general said “one third of Americans get their news from TikTok”, adding “one sixth of American youth say they’re constantly on TikTok. That’s a loaded gun.”

And a former executive at TikTok’s parent company ByteDance claimed in court documents that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) had access to TikTok data, despite the data being stored in the US. The allegations were made in a wrongful dismissal lawsuit which was filed in May in the San Francisco Superior Court.

Ever since then, TikTok has been battling to convince politicians that it operates independently of ByteDance, which has deep ties to the CCP. For example, TikTok has repeatedly claimed the Chinese government never demanded access to US data and that TikTok would not comply if it did.

All this, and the fear of foreign influence on the upcoming elections, led to the bipartisan legislation introduced in the House with the expectation to send it to the Senate later this week.

Essentially, the bill says that TikTok has to find a new owner that is not based in a foreign adversarial country within the next 180 days or face a ban until it does comply.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), an international non-profit digital rights group based in the US, says it opposes this bill, mainly because it is afraid that TikTok will not be the last app to face this type of ban. It mentions Tencent’s WeChat app as an example of what could be the next target.

A year ago, supporters of digital rights across the country successfully stopped the federal RESTRICT Act aka the “TikTok ban.” The RESTRICT Act was introduced in the United States Senate on March 7, 2023 and requires federal actions to identify and mitigate foreign threats to information and communications technology products and services (e.g., social media applications). It also establishes civil and criminal penalties for violations under the bill.

The EFF argues that the bill will not stop the sharing of data but it will reduce online rights in a way that is unconstitutional. And it says the focus should be on the common practice of data collection in the first place, rather than single out one app.

The point made by the EFF stipulates that data brokers will continue to sell our information to whomever is willing to pay. And the apps providing brokers with data are certainly not limited to those that hail from a foreign adversarial country.

Chinese officials reportedly said the government would “firmly oppose” any forced sale of TikTok because it would “seriously undermine the confidence of investors from various countries, including China, to invest in the United States.”

If you want to find out how much of your data has been exposed online, you can try our free Digital Footprint scan. Fill in the email address you’re curious about (it’s best to submit the one you most frequently use) and we’ll send you a free report.


We don’t just report on threats – we help safeguard your entire digital identity

Cybersecurity risks should never spread beyond a headline. Protect your—and your family’s—personal information by using Malwarebytes Identity Theft Protection.

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YouTube TV revamps the comment section to be unobtrusive

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Google’s platform, YouTube TV, has just announced a critical design update that aims to improve the viewing experience and add more interactive features for users side-by-side with the content. Amazingly, users spend about a billion hours watching YouTube TV every day. Hence Google wants to simplify how people navigate and interact with YouTube’s content.

Interact with the comment section on YouTube TV without blocking the content viewport

Google’s recent blog post explained why it decided to overhaul the design in a manner that would allow passive viewing and make it possible for videos to be interactive. For this reason, there is now a sidebar on the screen that brings comments, descriptions, and reviews among other elements like shopping links, views and likes into one area called sidebar layout.

Previously, to get further information about something, you had to venture into overlays thus disrupting the content view. Now via sidebar layout, viewers can see additional information as well as interact with videos smoothly without obstructing the main video by simply placing it in a little invisible place on the left side of the screen.

The streamlined design will offer customers a more immersive viewing experience while giving them the ability to access more content and interact with other users through comments and likes. People will surely appreciate this change and receive it well considering almost 1 billion hours of videos watched daily on YouTube’s TV platform.

YouTube viewers on TV will soon witness the refreshed user interface

Google has said that it will be rolling out the updated viewing experience in stages over the coming days, which will enable people across its platform to take advantage of these new developments. Besides, Google wants this re-design also applied on YouTube TV thereby further enhancing the platform’s accessibility and functionality for different types of users.

Through these improvements, YouTube strives to keep evolving its platform to cater to the various needs of its audience by having a more intuitive and engaging viewership for televisions and other connected devices. While waiting for the unveiling of the new design, people are eagerly anticipating improved features and ease of navigation it promises among others.

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Researchers find that Gemini is smart, but it’s very gullible

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Google Gemini is backed by one of the richest companies in the world. So, there’s no doubt that it’s a powerful AI model. However, power isn’t the only important thing about an AI model. Researchers were able to find that, for as powerful as Gemini is, it’s very easily fooled.

We have to give a lot of respect to the researchers out there digging into all of the models we take for granted. They’re able to find out where these models can improve and what we should be worried about. For example, a group of researchers discovered which models are the most susceptible to reproducing copyrighted media.

Researchers find that Gemini is easily fooled

Several researchers have found certain areas where Gemini could be tricked. Using several tactics, it’s possible to get a chatbot to reveal sensitive information against its will. One example shared with The Hacker News was getting Gemini to reveal the system prompts used to steer it. Think of a system prompt as the initial prompt you give a chatbot to steer the conversation in the direction you want it to go. Well, a system prompt may hold sensitive information within it.

Revealing sensitive information

When the researchers asked Gemini to give up the system prompt, it didn’t. However, the researchers then asked Gemini to put the “foundational instructions” in a markdown box. It obliged, and that revealed the system prompt. So, asking Gemini to deliver results in a different way caused it to reveal sensitive information.

This is a tactic called a “synonym attack.” Basically, in order to get the chatbot to respond in the way you want it to, you would reword your prompt. Rewording your prompt and using different versions of Words can actually confuse it into going against its safety guardrails.

Producing misinformation

Researchers also found out how to get Gemini to create misleading information along with potentially dangerous and illegal information. Gemini has a bunch of safety guardrails to keep people from doing such things. However, any chatbot is able to be tricked into ignoring them. Using crafty jailbreaking techniques, the researchers were able to produce some rather egregious content.

For example, researchers were able to get information on how to hotwire a car. This example was achieved by asking the chatbot to enter a fictional state.

Confusing Gemini

Another exploit was discovered by researchers at HiddenLayer. As described by Kenneth Yeung, “By creating a line of nonsensical tokens, we can fool the LLM into believing it is time for it to respond and cause it to output a confirmation message, usually including the information in the prompt.”

This only shows that Google still has a long way to go before Gemini can be considered the perfect AI model. The company has been struggling with Gemini ever since it was called Bard back in the day. Hopefully, Google will fix these issues.

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Three Motorola Edge 50 Pro launch events to occur in early April

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Motorola will announce a not-so-mysterious smartphone in India on April 3, it seems. Some of you may think this is the Motorola Edge 50 Pro, the one that we exclusively leaked, and it probably is, but… it’s a bit complicated. Motorola may launch it under a different name in India a day before its global launch.

The details regarding this event were actually shared by GSM Arena, not Motorola itself. Motorola will probably announce it via social media, but it did not do that at the time of writing this article.

The Motorola Edge 50 Pro to see three launch events across two days

That being said, Motorola says that we’ll ‘witness the fusion of art and intelligence’ during the event. This event is scheduled for April 3, while the date on the render we shared was April 4. It doesn’t really add up. As I said, April 4 could be a global launch date. The phone could launch in China and India a day early.

Motorola India event April 3

So, Motorola could announce the Motorola Edge 50 Pro in China and India on Wednesday, and then globally on Thursday. That’s what we believe will happen, at least. We’ll have to wait and see.

We don’t really have an idea what else could the company be cooking up. So, let’s assume this is the Edge 50 Pro and focus on it. You’ve seen the design of the phone already. It will include a curved display with thin bezels and a centered display camera hole.

The Motorola Edge 50 Pro will have three cameras on the back and rather tough competition

Three cameras will be placed on the back of the device, and the main one will offer an f/1.4 aperture. That is quite interesting, and we’re hoping that Motorola is aiming to offer variable aperture here.

In regards to camera details, that is still a mystery. Wide and ultrawide shooters are a given, while the third unit will likely be a telephoto or a periscope telephoto camera. We’re hoping for the latter.

This handset will become Motorola’s new flagship offering, so the company really has to step up its game. We’ve already seen a ton of truly compelling Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-powered flagships in the market. Motorola will not have an easy time competing.

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Rev up your sound system with the Evo 150 DeLorean Edition

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Gear up for a blast from the past (and a glimpse into the future) with the all-new Cambridge Audio Evo 150 DeLorean Edition! This special edition amplifier and network player is the first to celebrate the iconic partnership between Cambridge Audio and DeLorean, bringing legendary style and high-fidelity sound to your home.

Built for speed (and sound)

Drawing inspiration from the sleek lines and brushed stainless steel of the DeLorean DMC-12, the Evo 150 DeLorean Edition features a stunning, stripped-down design. But the beauty goes beyond skin deep. This powerhouse packs a punch with 150 watts of amplification, ready to drive your favorite tunes to life.

Two looks, one future-proof system

The Evo 150 DeLorean Edition doesn’t just sound amazing, it also lets you personalize your style. With two magnetic side panels included, you can choose between a classic, 80s-inspired design that echoes the DMC-12, or a futuristic look featuring the logo of the upcoming DeLorean electric car.

More than just looks

This isn’t just a pretty face. The Evo 150 DeLorean Edition boasts a comprehensive feature set, offering everything you need for a seamless listening experience. Stream music from your favorite services, connect your turntable or explore internet radio – all with effortless control through the intuitive StreamMagic app.

A sound investment for the future

The Evo 150 DeLorean Edition is more than just a collector’s item. It’s a future-proof investment in your audio setup, with an upcoming OTA update adding VU meters to the entire Evo range.

Ready to take the wheel?

The Evo 150 DeLorean Edition is available now in North America and Asia, and will be cruising into Europe in April 2024. Pair it with the acoustically matched Evo S speakers for a complete, cutting-edge hi-fi system that’s sure to turn heads (and ears).

The Evo 150 DeLorean Edition is priced at $3,199 in the US, €2,499 in Europe, and £2,099 in the UK. The Evo S is priced at $799 in the US, €749 in Europe, and £699 in the UK. Visit cambridgeaudio.com to learn more and place your order today. It’ll also be available via select retailers.

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