Tax season is here, so are scammers

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Tax season is here, so are scammers
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The Internal Revenue Service has announced that the 2024 tax filing season has officially begun, with an expected 146 million individual tax returns to be filed. While it is costly and complex for the IRS to process so many digital and paper documents, it can also be a headache for many Americans.

Unsurprisingly, this is also the time of year where we see an increase in tax-related scams. From unsolicited phone calls claiming you owe money to the IRS to bogus tech support with your accounting software, fraudsters are just one step away from robbing you.

In this blog post, we will focus on the dangers of looking for assistance online and the numerous malicious ads trying to reel you in.

Calling the IRS

People will often go on Google to search for a phone or contact number for a business they are trying to get in touch with. Scammers are very well aware of this and will purchase ads to appear at the top of the search results.

Sometimes, somewhere in the fine prints such advertisers will say they are merely a third-party company providing services. But most people don’t read the fine print, and besides, the tactics used here are generally high deceiving.

A search for ‘IRS support’ returns the following ad claiming to be the “IRS Support Line”:

The website tied to this ad is shown with the corresponding advertiser (left), while a different website from a different advertiser is seen (right). Both have the same template. Which one is the real one? Are any of these identities even real?

A testimonial mentioning the aforementioned website seen in the ad claims that it existed back in 2016 while whois records show the domain name was only created in 2023. To add insult to injury, the same testimonial was also used to promote a different domain. Did the same person prepare their taxes on two different sites in 2016, when neither of them actually existed yet?

Tax software

There are a number of programs to help you file your taxes. As intuitive as they can be, it is quite common for people to have a problem with the software itself or a specific question related to taxes.

Scammers buy ads on search engines that often show before the product’s official website. Those ads are extremely misleading for the average user who’s looking for assistance.

One technique they use to bypass ad validation checks is using special or similar-looking characters in the particular brand they are impersonating.

Victims end up on the phone with someone in a large call center, typically located in a foreign country. While the pitch varies, a common scam consists of selling expensive support plans, such as in this example below which is for the first advert seen earlier:

AI-assisted taxes

AI has been all the rage in the past year or so. We are seeing a number of dubious services advertised online that claim to give quick answers after paying a small fee.

With AI comes a lot of potential for abuse and scammers are already leveraging this tool to automate a lot of interactions that seem human-like. It becomes less human when two different sites with a different expert assistant answer the exact same way.

We did not investigate these services fully, so we won’t be showing their full name. However, please beware that they are highly suspicious.

Avoiding scams

These days it has become increasingly difficult to navigate online without being exposed to a scam. People have become accustomed to trust their search engine and naturally follow the different paths laid in front of them.

While some websites look obviously fake to someone, they may fool someone else. At the same time, the tools to build convincing schemes are readily available to anyone for free.

  • Before calling a number, ensure that it is legitimate by visiting the official site directly.
  • Beware of unsolicited phone calls or emails, especially those that ask you to act immediately.
  • Beware of impersonators which may hide behind sponsored results and instead click on organic search results.
  • Always check the website you visit by looking at the address bar. If in doubt, close the page and open a new one.
  • If a website asks you for a small fee upfront it likely is trying to get your credit card to sell you more expensive services.
  • Use security software that blocks phishing domains and other scam sites. Malwarebytes Premium does this, leaving your computer and financial assets protected.

We don’t just report on threats—we remove them

Cybersecurity risks should never spread beyond a headline. Keep threats off your devices by downloading Malwarebytes today.


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Apple shipped most phones in 2023, but less than in 2022

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Apple shipped most phones in 2023, but less than in 2022
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Canalys has released its data for 2023. It turns out that Apple was the number one smartphone manufacturer last year. Apple shipped most phones in 2023, though the shipments were lower than in 2022.

Apple managed to ship most phones in 2023, it trumped even Samsung

Also, based on the released info, Apple has the same market share as Samsung in 2023, though Samsung was crushed in the fourth quarter of the year. That information got released too. So let’s take a look at Q4 first, and then we’ll switch over to 2023 as a whole.

Apple shipped out 78.1 million smartphones in Q4 last year, while Samsung managed to push 53.5 million out the door. Their market shares were 24% and 17%, respectively. Apple grew 7% YoY, while Samsung’s shipments declined by 8%.

Canalys smartphone market share Q4 2023

Xiaomi managed to take third place with 41 million smartphones shipped. The company actually grew 23% YoY in Q4 2023. Transsion took fourth place (the company behind TECNO), with 28.5 million smartphones shipped, and a growth of 65%. Vivo is fifth-placed with 23.9 million sold smartphones. All the other OEMs were holding 30% of the market in Q4 2023.

Both Apple & Samsung have seen a decline compared to 2022

Now, things are a bit different when we look at 2023 as a whole. Apple sits on top with 229.2 million smartphones sold, compared to 225.4 million Samsung managed to rake in. Both companies are holding 20% of the market. Both of them declined compared to 2022, though Samsung more than Apple (13% decline compared to 1%).

Canalys smartphone market share full year 2023

Xiaomi is third-placed with 146.4 million smartphones sold, and 13% of the market. The company declined 4% compared to 2022. OPPO is fourth-placed with 100.7 million sales and 9% of the market. OPPO also declined YoY, by 11%.

Transsion is fifth-placed for the entire 2023, as the company sold 92.6 million smartphones, and grabbed 8% of the market. Transsion actually managed to grow by 27% YoY. All the other smartphone OEMs sold 347.9 million smartphones together and grabbed 30% of the market.


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Google Bard can now generate images, and it’s free!

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Google Bard can now generate images, and it’s free!
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Right now, everyone’s a little iffy on the fate of Google Bard. On the same day that we got the news that Google could rename Bard to Gemini, we also got the news that Bard can now generate images. What’s also interesting about this is the fact that it’s free to use for everyone.

Image generation is nothing new, as we’ve already been exposed to generators such as DALL-E, Stable Diffusion, MidJourney, and about 25 million more across the internet. However, Google has been pretty behind the times when it comes to unveiling an image generator. We heard about the image-generating capabilities coming to Gemini Ultra, but that’s still unreleased.  Also, it will require a monthly fee to use. So, this is good news for people looking to see Google’s flavor of generative AI.

Google Bard can now generate images.

This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, as we’ve known about Google’s plans to launch an image generator for well over a year. The company first unveiled Imagen back in May of 2022. Back then, image generation was much less advanced than nowadays with tons of uncanny features, inaccurate lighting, missing reflections, and we can’t forget those messed up hands. Modern image generators still mess up on hands, but they’ve evolved to a point where artists are at risk of losing work.

So, in order to add more fuel to the fire, Google announced that Bard can now generate images. This came as a bit of a surprise. We know that Bard is currently being powered by Gemini Pro, and that model was not announced to have image generation capabilities.

Using this feature

So, one thing to note is that the Bard image generator is available for a limited selection of markets at the moment. There’s a chance that you will not have access to the feature in your area.

To use it, all you have to do is tell Bard to make an image for you and then describe the image. It’s as simple as that. Just like with any other image generator, there’s a limit to what you can generate. While trying to generate an image of a warrior, we were told that Bard could not create it. So, anything dealing with violence, sexual content, child abuse, etc., we’ll be swiftly blocked.

The images generated look really high-quality compared to other image generators. They look realistic with that classic “AI-generated look” to them. Also, the hands look pretty decent.

Bard generates two images at a time. Under the images, you’ll see a Generate more button. This will generate two more images. After that, however, you’ll have to enter the prompt again to get more variations on it.

You can use this on your desktop browser, and you can also use it on your phone’s mobile browser. When you tap on the image, you will have the option to download a full-resolution version of the picture. The images download at a 1536 x 1536 resolution.


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Pixel 5a gets Android 14 QPR2 Beta 3.2 with bug fixes

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Pixel 5a gets Android 14 QPR2 Beta 3.2 with bug fixes
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A week after rolling out Android 14 QPR2 Beta 3.1 to Pixel devices, Google has released Beta 3.2. The latest build is exclusive to the Pixel 5a. It fixes issues “that caused the device to boot slowly and the user interface to lag or freeze.” There is no new release for other models.

Google releases a new Android 14 QPR2 beta update for the Pixel 5a

QPR2 is the second Android 14-based quarterly platform release, aka feature drop, for Pixels. It is expected to arrive in March (QPR1 rolled out in December 2023). Ahead of that, Google is testing the new features among interested users through a public beta program. It is available for the Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 7a, Pixel Fold, Pixel Tablet, Pixel 8, and Pixel 8 Pro.

The first Android 14 QPR2 beta came in mid-November last year. Google has since released four more beta updates for the aforementioned Pixels (Beta 1.1, Beta 2, Beta 3, and Beta 3.1). The last one came a week ago, fixing several bugs present in the previous builds. The company has now followed up with another beta update specifically for the Pixel 5a to fix a few more bugs.

The Android 14 QPR2 Beta 3.2 for the Pixel 5a comes with the firmware build number AP11.231215.010. The Google Play Services version and the security patch level remain unchanged—23.45.23 and January 2024, respectively. Google says all eligible Pixel 5a units enrolled in the beta program will get the update over the air (OTA). You can also manually check for updates from the Settings app.

Note that this update only fixes the bugs stated above. Other known issues from Beta 3.1 remain unfixed. Those include the Assistant At a Glance widget occasionally displaying the weather information for the wrong location. There may be some unknown issues too. Google may release another beta build before rolling out the stable QPR2 update to the Pixel family.

This might be the penultimate feature update for the Pixel 5a

The Pixel 5a is the oldest phone that Google supports currently. Released in August 2021, it is also the last phone to be powered by a third-party processor (Snapdragon 765G). All newer models use Google’s custom Tensor chips. The company guarantees feature updates for the Pixel 5a until August this year. This essentially means it won’t get Android 15. However, we expect the device to receive two more feature drops, i.e. QPR2 and QPR3. Stay tuned for the stable QPR2 rollout.


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Nothing confirms Phone (2a), wallpapers available for download

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Nothing confirms Phone (2a), wallpapers available for download
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Nothing has officially confirmed that the Nothing Phone (2a) is on the way. The company hasn’t revealed the launch date but says the device is “coming” to let you “see the world through fresh eyes.” Rumors suggest it will debut at MWC 2024 in Barcelona at the end of this month. You can already download its official wallpapers in high resolution.

Nothing Phone (2a) will be a mid-range phone

Rumors about the Nothing Phone (2a) first surfaced at the end of November 2023. Over the past couple of months, the device has been subject to numerous leaks, revealing some of its key specs. Based on the available information, it appears to be a mid-range handset, more like a sequel to the Phone (1) than the Phone (2). Akis Evangelidis, co-founder and head of marketing at Nothing, has just confirmed that.

Evangelidis briefly talked about the Nothing Phone (2a) during the company’s first Nothing Community Update of 2024. He said last year’s Phone (2) was aimed at the flagship segment. While the device delivered to the firm’s expectations, its asking price may have been a bit too high for some people. With the Phone (2a), it aims to strike a balance of performance and affordability.

According to Evangelidis, the upcoming handset may not give you the latest and greatest specs but you will get improved “core smartphone functionalities” along with Nothing’s “unique and innovative hardware and software.” He compared the Phone (2a) directly with the Phone (1). The Nothing executive said the new model will double down on the core user needs such as performance and camera.

“It delivers on a clear upgrade compared to the Phone (1) on every single front,” Evangelidis assured. At the same time, you will also get some of the most loved features of the Phone (2). All of this hints at a premium mid-range smartphone with no compromise on Nothing’s specialties, i.e. the Glyph Interface, transparent back, and design. We should learn more about it soon.

Leaked specs and wallpapers

While Nothing hasn’t officially announced the specs of the Phone (2a), leaks have revealed that it will feature a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with an FHD+ resolution (1084×2412 pixels) and a 120Hz refresh rate. MediaTek’s Dimensity 7200 chipset will reportedly power the device, paired with 8GB/12GB RAM and 128GB/256GB storage. Its battery capacity is not known but the phone is said to boast 45W charging speed.

Nothing reportedly doesn’t plan to change the camera hardware from the previous two models. The Phone (2a) might get the same 50MP+50MP dual camera setup at the back and a 32MP selfie camera. The handset will run Android 14-based Nothing OS 2.5 out of the box and could get three years of Android OS upgrades. The device could come in White and Black colors with a price tag of around $400.

With Nothig officially starting to tease the Phone (2a), it might not be long before the device breaks cover. In the meantime, you can download the stock wallpapers for the phone. The company will ship the device with seven stock wallpapers named Ambra, Azunim White, Nexul, Orbique, Rubrane Black, Ruxe, and Virmar. You can download them all in the original quality from the button at the end of this article (images in the gallery below are compressed).

DOWNLOAD NOTHING PHONE (2A) WALLPAPERS


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Bixby has a new look!

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Bixby has a new look!
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Launched back in 2017, Samsung Bixby has been… well, it’s been there. This is the Korean giant’s AI-powered voice assistant, and it’s been pushing it aggressively to Galaxy users. Despite being one of the most laughed-at voice assistants, Samsung is still supporting Bixby. In fact, Bixby just got a new look, and it makes the platform look a bit more three-dimensional.

Yes, even with all of Samsung’s new Galaxy AI features, the company has not forgotten about Bixby. When a company adopts a new generative AI platform, people tend to wonder about their voice assistants. This pertains mostly to Google, as a company has been pushing Bard aggressively while picking off features from Assistant. Now that Google could be renaming Bard, who knows what Google’s doing?

So, we wondered if Samsung had plans to get rid of Bixby and welcome Galaxy AI as its main AI product. However, Samsung itself said that Bixby is not going anywhere. It’s going to coexist alongside Galaxy AI. This is good news for people who don’t want to switch up.

Bixby is getting a new look

If you recall, Bixby has always had a pretty minimalistic look. When you summoned the voice assistant, you would see a small card appear at the bottom of the screen. You’d also see a small pill-shaped UI element appear. This would expand and contract based on your voice input. It’s a way of letting you know that it’s listening.

Then, after you say your command, you’d see a translucent card pop up with your results. The cards had this translucent look to them that blurred whatever was behind them

New look

Now, Bixby has a new look, and it makes things seem a bit more three-dimensional. What you’ll notice at first is the absence of the pill-shaped UI element. Instead, you will see an element pop up that’s shaped closer to the Bixby logo. It’s a circle with a corner at the top left. In it, you’ll see this very nice wavy animation within the icon. Because of the lighting, the icon looks like a three-dimensional orb.

When you speak into it, the results still pop up in translucent cards. However, the old cards had a slightly bluish tint to them. With the new Bixby, the cards are flat gray. That feels like a bit of a step back, but this is just opinionated.

Overall, the new Bixby has a nice aesthetic to it. But it doesn’t stray too far from what Samsung has established previously.


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Pawn Storm APT Launch Hash Relay Attacks on Govt Departments

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Pawn Storm APT Launch Hash Relay Attacks on Govt Departments
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In the analysis by Trendmicro, they dissect the recent maneuvers of this advanced persistent threat (APT) actor, shedding light on its unyielding repetition of tactics and the intricate dance between its seemingly unsophisticated campaigns and the concealed sophistication within.

Known by aliases APT28 and Forest Blizzard, Pawn Storm’s resilience echoes through a decade-long saga of relentless cyber intrusions. 

While some may dismiss its aged phishing techniques, these campaigns, often targeting hundreds simultaneously, provide a nuanced understanding of the threat actor’s evolving infrastructure and more advanced exploits hidden beneath the surface.

Document
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Navigating the Noise – Net-NTLMv2 Hash Relay Attacks*

From April 2022 to November 2023, Pawn Storm orchestrated extensive Net-NTLMv2 hash relay attacks, creating peaks of activity against government entities in foreign affairs, energy, defense, and transportation. 

Is this relentless assault a mere display of noise or cost-efficient automation of brute-force attempts targeting global networks of governments and defense industries?

Trend Micro said that Pawn Storm employs a sophisticated array of anonymization tools, including VPN services, Tor, and compromised EdgeOS routers.

This cloak of anonymity extends to its spear-phishing emails, originating from compromised email accounts accessed through Tor or VPN exit nodes. 

The cyber chessboard expands with the integration of free services and URL shorteners, adding layers to its elusive presence.

Vulnerability Exploitation – CVE-2023-23397 Unveiled

March 2023 witnessed the exploitation of the critical Outlook vulnerability CVE-2023-23397 by Pawn Storm. 

Delivered through spear-phishing emails, this flaw allowed the attacker to launch Net-NTLMv2 hash relay attacks, persistently targeting Microsoft Exchange Servers within victim organizations. 

The chessboard evolves with the intricate moves of exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities.

In a revelation of subtlety, Pawn Storm deployed a streamlined information stealer in October 2022. 

This malicious attachment, devoid of a command-and-control server, autonomously exfiltrated data from embassies and high-profile targets. 

Spear phishing email
Spear phishing email

Spear-phishing email sent by Pawn Storm in October 2022 with a malicious attachment that installs a simple information stealer without a C&C server

The crude exterior conceals a methodical approach, with the stolen information discreetly uploaded to free file-sharing services, evading attribution.

Pawn Storm’s legacy extends beyond two decades, embodying both aggression and determination.

Its strategic evolution, from brute-force assaults to the deployment of zero-day vulnerabilities, challenges defenders to decipher the intricate moves on this digital chessboard. 

For network defenders seeking to fortify their defenses, the appendix offers an extensive list of indicators. 

Despite Pawn Storm’s use of shared IP addresses, the relatively slow changes in its tactics serve as a beacon for detecting the initial stages of compromise. 


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It looks like Threads is making a comeback

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It looks like Threads is making a comeback
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Instagram Threads was the fastest-growing social media platform on the planet… until it wasn’t. Obviously, user interest dropped off significantly since its peak, as people logged on to find a barren wasteland of an app. However, it appears that Threads is making a comeback.

In case you don’t remember, Threads launched back in July 2023, and user engagement exploded. Within a few weeks, Threads had achieved over 100 million users. This was the perfect time for Threads to launch, as that was a moment in time when Elon Musk was making some of his worst decisions regarding Twitter at the time. Remember the rate limits? Also, remember when you couldn’t see posts when not logged in?

This was a perfect storm that Meta needed to boost Threads to the stratosphere. However, what goes up must come down; Threads’ user engagement dropped off significantly afterward. It had lost more than 50% of its user base as people cracked into the app, used it, and then forgot about it. But, Meta was not worried about this, as the company seemed to know what it was doing. This is Meta we’re talking about, the company that owns two of the most popular social media websites in the world. We can trust that it knows what it’s doing.

Well, it looks like Threads is making a comeback

While there was this huge drop-off, Meta was confident Threads’ fortunes would turn. And, it appears that this is happening. According to some new reports, Threads has been regaining some momentum in terms of app downloads and active users. In fact, Threads was actually able to break the top 10 most downloaded apps in December 2023.

On the Google Play Store, the app saw 16 million downloads (8th most downloaded app of the month). On the iOS App Store, it saw 12 million (4th most downloaded). This means that it was able to outperform other apps such as Snapchat, Spotify, telegram, and X. Across both app stores, it totaled 28 million downloads, and it was the 6th most downloaded app.

In fact, December was the first time that the app was able to crack the top 10 since last August. So, the app is regaining steam that it had lost.

Another indicator that Threads is making a comeback is that CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated that Threads was at just under 100 million users in October. Since then, the company has unveiled additional features to make using Threads even better. Currently, Threads is working on bringing DMS to the platform, and it may have a way of doing so.

X is having some trouble

On the other side of the social media pond, we have Elon Musk’s X. This app’s numbers were not so hot in December 2023. It was the 36th most downloaded app across both stores. It totaled 9 million downloads with 6 million of them being from the Google Play Store, and the remaining 3 million being from iOS. So, X was able to gain about 33% as many downloads as Threads.

As time goes on, Threads is going to introduce more features. However, in the case of X, we can’t really be confident that the company is going to unveil any changes that people will like. Under Elon Musk’s rule, many of the changes we’ve experienced have been controversial and infuriating. So, we’re just going to have to see how these companies plan to perform in 2024.


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Samsung to launch refreshed Galaxy Watch 4 & Tab S6 Lite soon

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Samsung to launch refreshed Galaxy Watch 4 & Tab S6 Lite soon
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Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy Watch 7 series alongside new foldables in the second half of 2024. But it might launch another watch before that. The company is said to be readying a refreshed version of the Galaxy Watch 4 from 2021. It also reportedly has a refreshed Galaxy Tab S6 Lite in the pipeline.

Samsung to relaunch the Galaxy Watch 4 later this year

The Galaxy Watch 4 series debuted in August 2021 as the first smartwatch powered by the rebuilt Wear OS (previous models ran Tizen). The watches shipped with Wear OS 3-based One UI 4 Watch. Samsung has since updated them to One UI 5 Watch based on Wear OS 4, which debuted with the Galaxy Watch 6 series last year.

Almost three years later, the Galaxy Watch 4 lineup is still on sale. Samsung is selling the watches at heavily discounted prices and is seeing strong demand for them. It appears the demand is strong enough for the company to launch a refreshed version. Details are scarce but a Galaxy Watch 4 (2024) is “definitely coming” this year, reliable tipster Roland Quandt claims.

There is no word yet on its launch date, pricing, and specs. If we are to guess, the refreshed Galaxy Watch 4 could arrive before the Galaxy Watch 7 series. It might feature a newer processor and run Wear OS 4-based One UI 5 Watch out of the box. Samsung might price it slightly lower than the current prices of the Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 6 series.

If this rumor turns out to be true, which is highly likely considering Quandt’s track record of Samsung leaks, we should hear more about the Galaxy Watch 4 (2024) in the coming months. In the meantime, the original version might see more price drops. The Korean firm may or may not discontinue it before releasing the refreshed version. We will let you know when we have more information.

The Galaxy Tab S6 Lite to get a second refresh

Samsung launched the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite in April 2020 with Android 10 onboard. In May 2022, it introduced a refreshed version of the tablet with a more powerful processor and Android 12. The same source claims that the device will soon get a second refresh.

Once again, we are short on details. We expect Samsung to add 5G connectivity to the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2024), possibly powered by a newer chip. The new model should also run Android 14 out of the box. The rest of the specs might remain unchanged. Both of these refreshed Galaxy devices could debut within the next few months.


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Shopify has your back if you want to try the AI magic with a new image editor

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Shopify has your back if you want to try the AI magic with a new image editor
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Back in ancient times, supermarkets used to hand out paper brochures with the week’s top offers. Naturally, you didn’t pay much attention to the product image – you focused on the price.

It’s only after you try to sell something online – and you need a cool product photo – that you realize there’s a thing called “product photography” and the eggs, ham or pineapple images didn’t just materialize out of thin air on the brochure’s pages.

See, the better photo an offer has, the higher the chances for a successful deal.

That’s why Shopify introduces a new tool to help out all who are selling products online. It’s an AI image editor that should aid users in creating more appealing and attractive images for their offers.

Moving beyond the product-on-a-rug aesthetic can be challenging, and you’ll be surprised to see just how much money big companies spend on setting up dedicated product photography studios with expensive backdrops. Not to mention the cameras, lenses and manpower a brand has to invest in.

Most people don’t have anything close to that, most people just have their iPhones and their bedrooms (via Android Headlines).

The way Shopify’s AI editor will operate is you’ll upload an image of your product, and suggest certain edits that can be made to it. For example, if you have a picture of a pair of headphones, and you want to look like they are in the sky, you can upload the image and ask the AI to generate a background of the sky. Just like other image generators, this tool has different visual styles.


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