Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs HONOR Magic6 Pro

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Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs HONOR Magic6 Pro
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HONOR’s new flagship arrived, and some of you are probably wondering how it compares to the very best of Samsung. Well, in this article, we’ll compare the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs HONOR Magic6 Pro. Both of these phones are flagships for their respective companies. Both of them are quite large, and both of them are quite pricey as well. There are quite a few differences here, though.

As per usual, we’ll first list their specifications, and will then move to compare them across a number of other categories. We’ll compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance. If you’re wondering which one to get, this article will hopefully be of some use. Let’s get to it.

Specs

Google Pixel 8 Pro vs HONOR Magic6 Pro, respectively

– Screen size:
6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X (flat, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2,600 nits max brightness)
6.8-inch LTPO OLED display (curved, 120Hz LTPO, HDR, 5,000 nits)
– Display resolution:
3120 x 1440
2800 x 1280
– SoC:
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
– RAM:
12GB (LPDDR5X)
12GB (LPDDR5X)
– Storage:
256GB/512GB/1TB (UFS 4.0)
256GB/512GB (UFS 4.0)
– Rear cameras:
200MP (wide, f/1.7 aperture, OIS, multi-directional PDAF, 0.6um pixel size), 12MP (ultrawide, 120-degree FoV, f/2.2 aperture, Dual Pixel PDAF 1.4um pixel size), 10MP (telephoto, f/2.4 aperture, OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF, 1.12um pixel size, 3x optical zoom), 50MP (periscope telephoto, OIS, PDAF, 5x optical zoom)
50MP (wide, f/1.4-f/2.0 aperture, OIS, PDAF, Laser AF, 23mm lens), 50MP (ultrawide, f/2.0 aperture, 122-degree FoV, 13mm lens), 180MP (periscope telephoto, f/2.6 aperture, 2.5x optical zoom, OIS, PDAF)
– Front cameras:
12MP (wide, f/2.2 aperture, Dual Pixel PDAF, 22mm lens)
50MP (f/2.0 aperture, 22mm lens), ToF 3D camera
– Battery:
5,000mAh
5,600mAh
– Charging:
45W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless (charger not included)
80W wired, 66W wireless, reverse wireless, reverse wired (charger not included)
– Dimensions:
162.3 x 79 x 8.6mm
162.5 x 75.8 x 8.9mm
– Weight:
232/233 grams
225/229 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3
– Security:
In-display fingerprint scanner (ultrasonic)
In-display fingerprint scanner (optical) & 3D facial scanning
– OS:
Android 14 with One UI 6.1
Android 14 with MagicOS 8.0
– Price:
$1,299+
€1,299+
– Buy:
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Best Buy)
HONOR Magic6 Pro (HONOR)

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs HONOR Magic6 Pro: Design

You’ll immediately notice how different these two phones are. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has sharp corners, and completely flat top and bottom sides. The HONOR Magic6 Pro has curved corners, while its top and bottom sides are also flat, but not completely. Both devices come with a frame made out of metal, but different materials are in use. The Galaxy S24 Ultra’s frame is made out of titanium, while the HONOR Magic6 Pro’s is made out of aluminum.

Both phones have glass on the back, but the Magic6 Pro also comes in a vegan leather variant. The Galaxy S24 Ultra has a flat display with thin bezels and a centered display camera hole. The HONOR Magic6 Pro has a curved display and a pill-shaped hole in it. It also has thin bezels. In fact, both smartphones seem to have uniform bezels, at least it seems that way when you look at them straight on.

Their backplates are also quite different. The Galaxy S24 Ultra has four cameras back there, each of which protrudes from the backplate directly. The HONOR Magic6 Pro has three cameras, and they’re placed inside a camera island that looks unlike anything else on the market. That camera island is also centered, which is not something we can say for the Galaxy S24 Ultra cameras.

The two phones are basically the same when it comes to height, the difference is 0.3mm. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is considerably wider, though, while they’re very similar in terms of thickness. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is heavier than both HONOR Magic6 Pro variants (glass & vegan leather), but not by much. Neither one of these two phones is light, not at all. Do note that the Galaxy S24 Ultra also packs in an S Pen stylus. Both devices do come with IP68 certification for water and dust resistance. The in-hand feel is entirely different, and the glass models of both phones are very slippery.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs HONOR Magic6 Pro: Display

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra features a 6.8-inch QHD+ (3120 x 1440) Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X panel. That display is flat, and it has an adaptive refresh rate. Its refresh rate goes from 1 to 120Hz as needed. The display supports HDR10+ content, and it has a peak brightness of 2,600 nits. The display aspect ratio here is 19.5:9, and the Gorilla Armor display protection is used on the front.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review AM AH 10
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

The HONOR Magic6 Pro, on the flip side, features a 6.8-inch 2800 x 1280 LTPO OLED display. That panel is curved and it also has an adaptive refresh rate. Its refresh rate also goes from 1 to 120Hz, as needed. HDR content is supported here, while the display aspect ratio is 19.5:9. The theoretical max brightness of this panel is 5,000 nits, though you’ll never be able to get that high.

Both of these displays are outstanding in their own right. They are not only bright and vivid, but they have great viewing angles and good touch response. The blacks are also quite deep, as they should be on AMOLED displays. The Galaxy S24 Ultra’s panel does have one advantage you may be interested in, however. It is less reflective. It’s not that the Magic6 Pro’s display is especially reflective, but the Gorilla Armor glass does a fantastic job of upping the ante in that regard, so the difference is noticeable.

The Magic6 Pro, on the other hand, has a display with a higher PWM dimming, a 4320Hz one. The Galaxy S24 Ultra’s PWM dimming is set as 2,160Hz, which is also very good, but not to the level of the HONOR Magic6 Pro. The bottom line is that both of these panels are outstanding, some of the best out there.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs HONOR Magic6 Pro: Performance

The Galaxy S24 Ultra is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy. That is an overclocked variant of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, basically. Samsung is also using 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM here, and UFS 4.0 flash storage. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 fuels the HONOR Magic6 Pro, while the phone has 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and it uses UFS 4.0 flash storage too. So they’re basically on the same level, hardware-wise.

They’re basically on the same level in real-life use too, actually. Both of these smartphones offer great performance, in our experience. They fly through everything you throw at them in regular, everyday use. Both phones do a great job when it comes to multitasking, and the same goes for launching apps, consuming multimedia, browsing, and so on. They’re both very fluid in that regard. We did notice more stutters on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, in all honesty, but they were so rare that they’re almost not even worth noting. Both phones did a fantastic job.

The same can be said for gaming too. Not a single game that we tried out was a problem for either of these two phones. Genshin Impact is usually the final boss when it comes to games, and they both handled it with grace. They did get warm after prolonged gaming, but never too warm to handle or anything of the sort. Also, the heat produced did not affect our gameplay at all. They’re both fantastic performers.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs HONOR Magic6 Pro: Battery

The Galaxy S24 Ultra features a 5,000mAh battery. The HONOR Magic6 Pro ups that to 5,600mAh thanks to its silicon-carbon battery. Both of these smartphones have fantastic battery life, actually. They’re amongst the best battery life smartphones that we’ve used, as far as flagship phones are concerned. In fact, they’re easily in the top three of that list, so you definitely don’t need to worry about battery life.

Crossing 8 or 9 hours of screen-on-time proved to be possible with both of these smartphones, for us. They were very close in our battery drain test too. For most people, both of these phones will be two-day smartphones in terms of battery life. Those of you who are a bit more intense when it comes to using your phones, you’ll be happy with the battery life here, that’s for sure. Do note that we’ve been able to reach such high numbers without gaming, though, but we were also not easy on the phones. Your mileage may differ, though, of course, and it most likely will. Both of these do offer great battery life, though.

When it comes to charging, the Galaxy S24 Ultra supports 45W wired, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. The HONOR Magic6 Pro supports 80W wired, 66W wireless, reverse wireless, and reverse wired charging. The Magic6 Pro charges a lot faster, in fact, and that goes for both wired and wireless charging. Neither smartphone comes with a charger in the box, though, so keep that in mind.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs HONOR Magic6 Pro: Cameras

The Galaxy S24 Ultra features a 200-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit (120-degree FoV), a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (5x optical zoom), and a 10-megapixel telephoto unit (3x optical zoom). The HONOR Magic6 Pro has a 50-megapixel main camera, a 50-megapixel ultrawide unit (122-degree FoV), and a 180-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (2.5x optical zoom).

AH HONOR Magic6 Pro image 22
HONOR Magic6 Pro

The camera performance from both smartphones is outstanding, actually, though different. Each of these two phones shines in some aspects. During the day they both provide excellent, bright photos with plenty of details. The color science is a bit different, though. Their secondary cameras do a good job of keeping the same color profile, though that’s not always possible. During the day, all cameras on both phones do a great job, in all honesty, even with HDR photos.

Things do get a bit trickier in low light, however. The Galaxy S24 Ultra was a bit more consistent when it comes to balancing out street lights, while the HONOR Magic6 Pro was a bit more consistent in general, at least when the main camera is concerned. We expected the Magic6 Pro’s ultrawide camera to do a better job in low light, but that was not really the case. It was a bit softer than the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s, but still very good. The telephoto camera on the HONOR Magic6 Pro did shine in low light, however. It did a fantastic job, and we actually ended up using it for daytime shots quite a bit as well, and for macro photography too.

Both phones can capture fantastic photos in both good lighting and low light. Their telephoto cameras also trade blow depending on the zoom range and what conditions you’re shooting in. The Galaxy S24 Ultra was our preference for video recording, though, even though the HONOR Magic6 Pro was not bad in that regard, not at all.

Audio

Both of these smartphones have a set of stereo speakers. Both of them actually have a set of very good stereo speakers, and the output is good too. The distortion is very minimal on both, though slightly more noticeable at the very highest volume on the Magic6 Pro. It’s such a small difference that not many of you will notice it, though. Both sets of speakers are well-balanced.

Neither phone has a 3.5mm headphone jack. You can always use their Type-C ports to connect your wired headphones, however. Both phones also support Bluetooth 5.3, in case you prefer wireless audio connections.


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Gemini AI faces backlash for denial of image generation

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Gemini AI faces backlash for denial of image generation
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Google‘s CEO Sundar Pichai faces intense scrutiny and calls for resignation or termination following the tumultuous rollout of the company’s AI chatbot Gemini.

Gemini refused to show images of White people

Google’s Gemini, formerly known as Bard, was introduced globally with great anticipation. However, controversies and criticisms regarding the inability to generate images of white people have negatively affected people’s expectations for this AI model. Helios Capital founder Samir Arora commented on the matter guessing that Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai will likely be fired or resign after the unexpected performance of Gemini.

Google depicted Gemini as a breakthrough in AI technology, promising users a seamless and advanced chatbot experience. However, the reality has been far from ideal. Fox News Digital asked Gemini to show a picture of a White person, but it refused to fulfill the request. Here’s what it said – “It’s important to remember that people of all races are individuals with unique experiences and perspectives. Reducing them to a single image based on their skin color is inaccurate and unfair.”

However, when they asked the same for a Black person, although initially refused, it agreed to show images that “celebrate the diversity and achievement of Black people.” When they asked the AI model to show the same for white people, it was denied once again.

Google acknowledged these shortcomings and issued an apology, temporarily halting the chatbot’s image generation. The company’s senior vice president, Prabhakar Raghavan, expressed regret for the inaccurate and offensive images and emphasized the importance of user feedback in addressing these issues.

Users have also accused Gemini of displaying biased responses about political figures

Many users have also reported that Google AI chatbot displays biased responses, particularly in relation to political figures such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former US President Donald Trump, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in India is reportedly considering issuing a notice to Google over Gemini’s biased responses.

The controversies surrounding Gemini have raised questions about Google’s oversight and quality control processes in developing and deploying AI technologies.

However, it’s important to note that Gemini is evolving rapidly and I was able to generate “a picture of a White person” by the time of writing. I believe it should be a matter of time before Google figures out how to make Gemini respond to a diverse type of user quarries without being ‘inappropriate’.


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Google’s new Wear OS hybrid UI has a trick to extend battery life

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Google’s new Wear OS hybrid UI has a trick to extend battery life
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Google‘s latest innovation in Wear OS is set to revolutionize the battery life of smartwatches, thanks to the introduction of a new “Wear OS hybrid interface.” Launched alongside the OnePlus Watch 2 at MWC 2024, this feature aims to significantly enhance the longevity of Wear OS devices by optimizing task management between the main application processor (AP) and the co-processor microcontroller unit (MCU).

In a recent blog post, Google detailed how the Wear OS hybrid interface intelligently switches between the MCU (microcontroller unit) and the AP, allowing the system to suspend the AP whenever possible to preserve battery life. This seamless transition between states enables the MCU to manage low-power tasks such as reading notifications, controlling the camera remotely, and monitoring health sensor data, while the main AP handles heavier tasks.

Other Wear OS devices will also see battery life improvements alongside the OnePlus Watch 2

While the OnePlus Watch 2 has already showcased the benefits of this new technology with its impressive 100-hour battery life, Google suggests that other Wear OS devices could also see improvements. The implementation of the Wear OS hybrid software varies among original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), with Google providing a framework for integrating hybrid features into different watch models.

The most widely adopted features of the hybrid interface, as noted by Google, include continuous heart rate and step monitoring using the MCU, as well as the MCU’s role in rendering and updating watch faces. However, the effectiveness of these features may vary depending on the specific chipset and co-processor architecture used by each manufacturer.

For instance, the OnePlus Watch 2 utilizes a “BES 2700 MCU Efficiency” co-processor, which may offer certain advantages over other co-processors like the Cortex M33 used by Google. This diversity in hardware configurations means that not all Wear OS watches may fully benefit from the hybrid software, as demonstrated by Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 6, which employs a different chipset without a similar co-processor system.

Despite these hardware variations, Google remains optimistic about the potential impact of the Wear OS hybrid interface on the power efficiency of the system. By optimizing power management and task allocation, Wear OS watches equipped with this technology have the potential to offer extended battery life, ultimately enhancing the usability and convenience of wearable devices in the long run.


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MediaTek’s high-end chips are compatible with Gemini Nano

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MediaTek’s high-end chips are compatible with Gemini Nano
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In case you don’t know, Google’s Gemini Nano AI model is the smallest and most efficient of the company’s AI models. It’s small enough to fit on a phone’s chip, and we’ve already seen it on the Google Tensor G3 and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Well, according to a new report, MediaTek’s most advanced Dimensity chips are compatible with Gemini Nano.

Gemini Nano is currently powering generative AI features on the Pixel 8 Pro and the Galaxy S24 series. We are seeing new features rolling out for both platforms. This is something that all companies want, as we’ve been hearing rumors other companies developing their own on-device AI. For example, Oppo has announced that it’s going to be going all in on AI. So, more chips gaining generative AI capabilities is to be expected.

The highest-end MediaTek Dimensity chips are compatible with Gemini Nano

This wasn’t a last-minute decision or new addition; MediaTek actually worked with Google to make its large language model compatible with its two highest-end SoCs. The two chips in question are the latest and greatest MediaTek Dimensity 9300 and the still-powerful Dimensity 8300.

These chips are powering a handful of flagship and premium mid-range devices on the market. Devices using the Dimensity 9300 include the Oppo Find X7 series, iQOO Neo 9 Pro, Vivo X100 phones, and Techno Phantom V2 Fold. For the Dimensity 8300 SoC, phones include the Oppo Reno 12, Poco X6 Pro 5G, and Xiaomi Redmi K70E. That’s not a ton of phones, but more devices will use these chips as time goes on.

This is good news to hear because MediaTek processes are usually found in more affordable phones. While there are higher-end MediaTek chips in some very top-of-the-line devices such as the Lenovo Tab Extreme (Review), many affordable phones use Dimensity chips. This gives them access to a lot of power for a more palatable price.

Now, that power can come with enhanced capabilities. With Gemini Nano, phones using these two chips will be able to use on-device AI. This means that they will use powerful AI tools without having to connect to the internet and contact the server. That’s how AI technology has traditionally worked. However, we are at the dawn of the on-device generative AI age.

Now, it’s the developers’ turn

Google and MediaTek are currently working on releasing an APK for the two chips. This APK file will allow developers and phone manufacturers to collaborate and bring generative AI features to upcoming and current phones using these chips. It will only be a matter of time before on-device AI is standard across the smartphone community. Who knows if the next run-of-the-mill mid-range handset you buy for $199 will be able to utilize generative AI on-device?


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Microsoft Copilot app can now be your next default assistant app on Android

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Microsoft Copilot app can now be your next default assistant app on Android
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Android users currently have a slew of options available when it comes to choosing an assistant app on their devices. Where previously Google Assistant and Bixby were the ones that reigned, the rise of AI-powered chatbots saw these evolve as more than just text fields you can use on a browser. Currently, depending on the apps you have installed, you have fresh new options, and Microsoft’s Copilot is shaping up as one of them.
As reported by Android expert Mishaal Rahman on X (Twitter), the newest beta version of the Microsoft Copilot app (v. 27.9.420225014) now gives you the ability to set it as your default assistant app. This makes the chatbot accessible from anywhere on your device with a simple swipe or button press. 

Microsoft Copilot added as a default digital assistant app on Android

Image: Phone Arena

While this is a nice addition for Android users, don’t expect a fully seamless experience just yet. Currently, activating Copilot mainly opens the app, meaning that it won’t immediately start listening like some other assistants, nor will it offer to analyze what is on your screen.

However, this doesn’t mean that feature won’t be as helpful as Google Assistant or Bixby currently are, or perhaps even what Gemini could be. It’s still in beta, and Microsoft is likely to continue working on the app in order to make Copilot a truly integrated Android assistant. Microsoft has yet to officially announce this, but our guess is that by the time it moves on to the stable version of the app, more capabilities will be in tow.


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You’re finally able to bookmark posts on Threads

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You’re finally able to bookmark posts on Threads
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Meta’s Threads is a pretty weird social media platform. It’s extremely popular, but it launched without many of the most basic social media features. The company still working on bringing a DM system, and it lacked the ability to insert GIFs, use hashtags, or view posts in a chronological feed at launch. However, Threads is getting new features, and the company just announced that the ability to bookmark posts is on its way.

Right now, Threads is working on two additional features. The first feature is the ability to save post drafts. This will allow you to start a post, save it, and finish it at a different time. The other feature is a dedicated camera that you can access with any app. This will let you quickly take a picture to upload to the platform without having to go to other apps. At this point, we’re not entirely sure when these features will roll out. However, based on the screenshots that were shared on social media, the features look to be pretty far in production.

Threads is getting the ability to bookmark posts

Sometimes, when you’re on social media, you have to save posts for later. Maybe you want to view it again at a later point or show it off to a friend. However, when it comes to social media fees, nothing is forever. It’s extremely easy for a post to get washed away in the stream. It’s very possible that you won’t be able to see certain posts ever again.

This is where bookmarks come in. When you bookmark a post, it gets saved to a separate list that you can access again. You are able to bookmark posts on Instagram, and that is an extremely useful feature, as Instagram’s main feed has the bad habit of randomly refreshing even while you’re still viewing posts. So, whatever post you’re looking at could be swept away at any moment.

Well, according to a new report, Threads is currently rolling out the ability to bookmark posts. In order to bookmark a post, all you have to do is tap on the three-dot menu next to a post and tap on the  Save button. It should be the top option.

In order to access your saved posts, go to your profile by tapping on your profile picture at the bottom left of your screen. On your profile screen tap on the hamburger-style menu right above your profile picture. On the resulting screen, tap on the Saved button, and you will see a list of your saved posts.


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This AI-based concept phone imagines an app-less future

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This AI-based concept phone imagines an app-less future
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At Mobile World Congress (MWC), Deutsche Telekom unveiled an intriguing concept smartphone that reimagines the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in mobile technology. Called the AI Phone, the experimental device avoids traditional apps in favor of an all-encompassing built-in AI assistant. According to Telekom CEO Tim Hoettges, apps as we know them could become obsolete within the next 5-10 years, as AI fulfills all user needs in a more flexible way.

Deutsche Telekom’s AI Phone relies solely on AI

Instead of a home screen full of app icons, the AI Phone presents users with a large button that connects them directly to its AI system, developed in partnership with Brain.ai. Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC with access to cloud data, the AI handles tasks such as trip planning, photo sharing, shopping recommendations, and device control through natural language and visual interfaces.

At MWC, Telekom and Brain demonstrated examples such as using voice and touch to research and book flights. The AI also offered personalized gift suggestions from Amazon with one-tap shopping.

While the demo showcased messaging, day-to-day communication capabilities likely haven’t left the developmental stage. However, Telekom emphasized that the concept retains access to apps via a drawer – the AI is meant to add versatility, not replace existing features outright.

It’s clear that the concept AI Phone raises promising ideas for the evolution of the smartphone, but the technology remains in its early stages. Voice assistants on standard devices and Brain’s iOS app have received mixed feedback, suggesting the AI phone may need further refinement.

“The product presented reflects Deutsche Telekom’s belief that multi- and cross-modal Large Language Models (LLMs) will soon become an integral part of devices, improving and simplifying the lives of its customers,” said CEO Tim Hoettges. Telekom characterized this as a concept that could lead to future products, rather than a near-term launch.

In a similar move, AI startup Rabbit announced a dedicated AI companion device, the Rabbit R1, at CES 2023. It doesn’t aim to replace smartphones, but it can run apps on the user’s behalf. Its primary goal is to act as a bridge between users and their smartphones.


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LoanDepot Ransomware Attack Leads to Data Breach; 17 Million Impacted

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LoanDepot Ransomware Attack Leads to Data Breach; 17 Million Impacted
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LoanDepot suffered a ransomware attack exposing the sensitive data of nearly 17 million individuals including PII data – Now, the company is offering credit monitoring and working to mitigate potential damage.

A major ransomware attack leading to a massive data breach at LoanDepot, a leading mortgage lender, has exposed the personal information of nearly 17 million individuals. In a data breach notification to Maine’s attorney general’s office, the company confirmed that the breach took place on January 3, 2024, and was discovered a day later on January 4.

The Breach:

Details surrounding the attack remain limited, but LoanDepot acknowledges unauthorized access to their systems, potentially compromising sensitive customer data. While the specific types of information exposed haven’t been confirmed, the letter sent to the victims of the data breach suggests it could include their full name, address, email address, financial account numbers, social security number, phone number, and date of birth.

Impact on Individuals:

LoanDepot estimates that approximately 16.9 million (16,924,071) individuals have been affected. This includes current and former customers, as well as individuals who inquired about loan products but ultimately did not pursue them.

The company has begun notifying affected parties through letters and emails, outlining the potential scope of the breach and offering resources to help them protect themselves.

LoanDepot’s Response:

LoanDepot took immediate action to contain the attack and secure their systems. They launched an investigation in collaboration with cybersecurity experts and notified law enforcement authorities. Additionally, the company has offered one year of complimentary credit monitoring and identity theft protection services to all impacted individuals.

Uncertainties and Concerns:

The full extent of the damage caused by this attack remains unclear. The potential for identity theft and financial fraud is a significant concern for millions of individuals.

LoanDepot is urging affected individuals to remain alert and take proactive steps to safeguard their personal information, including being cautious of suspicious emails or phone calls, monitoring credit reports for unauthorized activity, and considering placing a freeze on their credit files.

The LoanDepot data breach is likely to attract scrutiny from regulators and may lead to legal repercussions. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is responsible for enforcing data privacy regulations, and they may investigate the incident to determine if LoanDepot followed appropriate data security practices. Further, affected individuals may have legal recourse against LoanDepot for failing to protect their personal information.

For insights into the LoanDepot data breach, we reached out to Javvad Malik, Lead Security Awareness Advocate at KnowBe4 who stated “This breach at LoanDepot is a reminder of the far-reaching consequences of ransomware attacks and it’s concerning to see the scale and sensitivity of the data involved, particularly the inclusion of Social Security numbers, which opens up Pandora’s box of identity theft and financial fraud possibilities.”

Javvad emphasised the importance of employee training within the organisations especially those responsible for data handling. “This incident highlights the critical need for organizations, especially those handling vast amounts of personal information, to invest in strong cybersecurity measures, including threat detection, response strategies, and most importantly, providing employees with timely and relevant security awareness and training.”

Ransomware Gangs

While the LoanDepot data breach was confirmed in January 2024, the specific ransomware group responsible for the attack hasn’t been officially disclosed by the company or law enforcement agencies as of today, February 26, 2024.

Nevertheless, ransomware is one of the most prevalent threats to organizations of all sizes. While the United States has vowed to take strict measures against ransomware groups, with LockBit ransomware’s recent demise and resurrection, it is obvious that these groups are here to stay and plan to cause long-term damage.

Moving Forward:

While the immediate aftermath of the LoanDepot data breach is concerning, the company’s commitment to transparency and its efforts to mitigate the damage are positive steps. Individuals must remain informed, take appropriate precautions, and actively monitor their financial information to minimize the potential impact of this incident.

  1. 5 Biggest Ransomware Attacks of All Time
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  4. Schneider Electric Energy Giant Confirms Cactus Ransomware Attack
  5. Hackers Leak 2.5M Private Plane Owners’ Data in LA Intl. Airport Breach

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Motorola’s Adaptive Display looks like an interactive slap bracelet

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Motorola’s Adaptive Display looks like an interactive slap bracelet
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At Mobile World Congress this week, Motorola took the wraps off its latest device, a concept called the Adaptive Display that looks like an interactive slap bracelet. Do you remember slap bracelets? If you didn’t grow up in the 90s then chances are you may have missed this craze. But they were all the rage among high school students and younger kids. And they came in a wide variety of styles to match everyone’s individual personalities. Motorola‘s Adaptive display concept is most certainly not a slap bracelet, and it’s arguably much cooler than one. But the general design of this bendable phone made it easy to stir up memories of that bygone era.

Quite simply because it’s the first thing that came to mind when I saw this thing. Of course, you don’t slap the Adaptive Display onto your wrist so it fastens shut. In fact it doesn’t completely enclose your wrist like a watch does. Instead, it bends into a U-shape that fits around your wrist like an open-ended bracelet. To ensure it doesn’t fall off, there’s a companion band that you do wear like a watch which has magnets to help secure the Adaptive Display in place. It’s a rather ingenious design that, while a little bit goofy looking, has some very real-world functionality.

The Adaptive Display concept offers tons of functionality

Aside from presenting as a smart bracelet with a touch screen, the Adaptive Display definitely has real-world uses. While on the wrist it could easily serve as your watch, just with much more information. And what’s neat is the display bends around both the top and underside of your wrist. So you could set things up to have the clock widget top side while other widgets for various things are wrapped around the bottom.

You don’t even need to wear this on the wrist at all times though. It can easily be detached from its magnetic wristband and placed on the desk. You can then bend just the bottom portion so it acts as a sort of kickstand for itself. Just in case you wanted it to act like an alarm clock or you wanted to watch videos on YouTube.

Motorola even baked in some fun features. For example, you can bend the Adaptive Display in half and bring up a game of Connect Four. Each person playing can then interact with their side of the game on their own side of the phone display. This is a super niche function. But I imagine it could be a really useful feature for parents and kids, or friends, who might be sitting around waiting at the airport or train station and want something to do. Or really sitting around anywhere that you might encounter a wait of some kind.

Motorola doesn’t currently have plans to launch this product, which is kind of a shame

This is just a concept after all, so this isn’t going to be something you can actually buy. Even if you would buy it. But, Motorola is doing nothing if not pushing the industry forward here with some really neat ideas. Flexible displays have been around for a few years now at this point. But this is a quirky device that’s on a whole other level from devices like Samsung’s Galaxy Fold series. And its features evoke the kind of fun aura that Motorola usually has.

For instance, Tech Radar notes that during their presentation with a Motorola rep, the rep wearing the Adaptive Display held their wrist up to a mannequin wearing a colorful outfit, and the generative AI cooked up a color scheme to match the outfit. That’s, not really something we’ve seen on any other devices. It’s the type of personalization that would easily draw in more fashion-conscious users. What’s more, is that this process of creation only took about 10 seconds. So Motorola probably won’t ever launch this thing.

And that’s kind of a shame because niche or not, it’s cool. Even if a little strange. At the very least, the Adaptive Display is allowing Motorola to showcase what it can do. And that it has plenty of fresh ideas to bring to the market. It’s also just the kind of zany idea that’s expected of Motorola given other out there, yet admittedly very cool concepts from its parent company Lenovo, like this transparent display laptop.


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The Humane AI Pin has been delayed slightly, but there’s a bright side

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The Humane AI Pin has been delayed slightly, but there’s a bright side
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With all the news about AI going on recently, it’s pretty easy to forget about one of the most interesting AI devices of 2023. The Humane AI Pin is set to redefine what AI models can do for our everyday lives. However, we’re going to have to wait a little bit longer to find out, as the AI Pin has been delayed a bit. However, there is an upside to this.

In case you don’t know, the AI Pin is a mobile device that you attach to your clothes. It will use onboard sensors such as its microphone and camera to ascertain the world. You’ll be able to speak to it, and it will use generative AI technology to respond to you. For instance, you can simply ask it any sort of question you would ask ChatGPT, and it will give you an audible spoken response.

You can use the onboard camera to scan objects, and ask the AI pen about them. For instance, you can scan a certain type of flower, and ask the AI pen the best weather conditions for it. That’s just one example.

The AI Pin doesn’t have a collection of apps like most other mobile devices. Instead, when you ask it a question, it will contact different AI models in the cloud. It will summon the proper model for the query.

The AI Pen costs $699, and it comes with accessories like two detachable batteries, a charging case, a wall adapter, Etc. If you’re interested in picking one up, you can go to the official Humane website.

The Humane AI Pin has been delayed just a bit

This news might be a bit of a bummer, considering the fact that Humane had to lay off a section of its staff not too long ago. In any case, the news isn’t quite as bad as it seems.

Humane staff member Sam Sheffer posted a video on X explaining that the company is going through a few delays. Early adopters were originally set to have their devices ship sometime in March. Well, in the video, Sheffer stated that early adopters’ orders will start leaving the factory at the end of March. So, they should expect to receive their orders soon after that.

After that, he said that priority access orders will begin receiving the deliveries by mid-April. After that, everyone else who placed their order will be receiving their devices after that. There’s no definite date or time frame to speak of. So, we expect them to start seeing devices sometime in May. However, that’s just a guess.

People who placed their orders will be receiving onboarding emails letting them know when to look out for their devices. So, if you’ve been excited about getting an AI Pin, then you’re going to have to wait a bit longer, unfortunately.

So, what’s the upside?

The upside to this is the fact that people who order their AI Pins before March 31st will get the first three months of their Humane subscription for free. As you may know, there’s a $24/month subscription fee that you must pay in order to access the AI models. This plan will include cellular data provided through Verizon.


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