Apple Removed VPN Services from the Russian AppStore

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Apple Removed VPN Services from the Russian AppStore
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Apple has removed several prominent VPN service apps from the Russian division of the App Store.

The affected apps include Proton VPN, Red Shield VPN, NordVPN, and Le VPN.

This action comes in response to complaints from Roskomnadzor, Russia’s federal executive body responsible for overseeing the media and telecommunications.

VPN Services Targeted

According to the Zona Media reports, the removal of these VPN services is part of a broader effort by Roskomnadzor to tighten control over internet usage within the country.

Over the past few years, the agency has blocked more than a dozen VPN services, including Cloudflare WARP, Opera VPN, and others.

In the spring of 2022, Roskomnadzor escalated its efforts by banning entire protocols used for VPNs.

This crackdown aims to prevent Russian citizens from bypassing government-imposed internet restrictions and accessing blocked content.

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Developers Respond

Representatives from Red Shield and Le VPN have publicly shared the notifications they received from the App Store.

The notifications cited complaints from Roskomnadzor and suggested that the developers contact the Russian agency directly.

In response, Red Shield has advised its users to change their Apple ID country to continue installing and updating the app.

This workaround highlights the lengths to which both developers and users must go to maintain access to these essential privacy tools.

Experts who spoke to Mediazona believe that circumventing these blockages will become increasingly difficult.

The removal of VPN services from the App Store is a significant blow to internet freedom in Russia, as VPNs are crucial for users seeking to protect their privacy and access uncensored information.

As Roskomnadzor continues to tighten its grip, the digital landscape in Russia is becoming more restrictive, posing challenges for both developers and users striving to maintain open access to the global internet.

This development marks another chapter in the ongoing struggle between digital freedom and governmental control, with implications for the future of internet usage in Russia.

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Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim may launch in Q4 with bigger displays, better specs

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Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim may launch in Q4 with bigger displays, better specs
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Samsung may not launch it at Unpacked on July 10, but the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim appears very much in the company’s pipeline. A new report from Korea says the slimmer Fold will arrive in the fourth quarter. Unlike the regular model, it may see a more limited release. It will feature bigger displays and lack S Pen support.

Samsung to launch the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim later this year

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 goes official alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and a bunch of other products on July 10. Leaks have already revealed a lot about the device. It is thinner, shorter, wider, and lighter than the 2023 model. The upcoming foldable is only 5.6mm thick when unfolded, down from 6.1mm. When folded, it measures 12.1mm against the Fold 5’s 13.4mm. Samsung has also cut the weight by 14 grams, with the new model weighing just 239 grams.

However, Samsung’s new Fold is still bulky when pitted against some Chinese foldables. The region has already seen foldable smartphones with a sub-10mm thickness when folded—the HONOR Magic V2 is 9.9mm thick. The Korean firm plans to tackle those with a Slim version of the Galaxy Z Fold 6. We don’t yet have the dimensions of the upcoming foldable, but Samsung has allegedly removed the S Pen digitizer to reduce its thickness.

Additionally, the company has made it larger, likely to slim down some internal components such as batteries without reducing their capacities. A bigger body means the screens are bigger too. The inner folding display will reportedly measure 8.0 inches, while the cover display measures 6.5 inches. The regular Galaxy Z Fold 6 has a 7.6-inch folding display and a 6.3-inch cover display. The Slim is also said to be lighter than the standard version.

It could be a China-only foldable

According to the Korean media, Samsung plans to release the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim in China later this year. A previous leak said it could arrive as the Samsung W25 in the country. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 was the Samsung W24, so maybe the company won’t release the regular Fold 6 in China. We should get a confirmation soon. We are also awaiting more details on the availability of the Slim in other markets.

As far as specs are concerned, the Slim version will reportedly pack better internals than the regular Galaxy Z Fold 6. That’s another hint that Samsung doesn’t plan to bring the latter to China. The company has already completed the development of the device and placed orders for components. It could enter mass production soon. Samsung plans to release 400,000-500,000 units of the foldable by the end of the year. Stay tuned for more leaks about the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim.


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5nm Huawei Kirin SoC could be more powerful than you think

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5nm Huawei Kirin SoC could be more powerful than you think
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As many of you know, SMIC and Huawei are preparing to release a new Kirin SoC, a 5nm one, and it could end up being more powerful than you think. This information comes from jasonwill.

Huawei’s 5nm Kirin SoC which is coming later this year will be quite powerful, it seems

On X, he said that the “next-gen Huawei Kirin flagship chip will undoubtedly have a higher overall performance than the SD8gen2”. He’s, of course, talking about the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC here.

He even hinted that the actual experience with the chip could match those of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Qualcomm’s current-gen flagship, which is a 4nm chip. These are all huge promises, but it remains to be seen.

Truth be said, even with Huawei’s current-gen flagship Kirin chip, the Kirin 9010, which runs inside the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra, we did not have any problems. Sure, it’s not as powerful as Qualcomm’s offerings, but the phone it’s running inside of works great.

That chip will debut inside the Huawei Mate 70 series

Huawei and SMIC will be able to produce this 5nm processor, which is tipped to come later this year. It will debut inside the Huawei Mate 70 series. Past that, however, Huawei is hitting a roadblock.

The US ban and a ton of sanctions placed on Huawei’s back make the company unable to produce 4nm and 3nm chips. It remains to be seen what will Huawei do in order to circumvent that, however. The company managed to do a lot with limited resources, so… it remains to be seen.

Huawei is also expected to launch Android-free HarmonyOS NEXT OS later this year. That OS is coming to global devices too, but we’re not sure when will that happen. Huawei already has tons of developers on board, so… let’s see what will happen. A huge change is coming, though.

We’re not sure if HarmonyOS NEXT will debut on the Huawei P80 series globally next year or not. It sure is a possibility, though.


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Major ISP Accused of Mass Malware Attack on Customers

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Major ISP Accused of Mass Malware Attack on Customers
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A major South Korean ISP is accused of installing malware on over 600,000 customers’ PCs to curb torrent traffic raising concerns about user privacy and ethical business practices by ISPs.

A major South Korean internet service provider (ISP) is facing accusations of installing malware on over 600,000 customers’ PCs. The incident, first reported by the Korean news agency JTBC, targeted users of Webhard, a popular file-sharing service in the country.

Reportedly, Webhard customers began experiencing issues in May 2020, including slow transfer speeds, corrupted files, and even disabled computers. Initially, Webhard was suspected of wrongdoing, leading to a surge in user complaints.

However, an in-depth investigation by JTBC reportedly found evidence that one of the country’s leading ISPs, KT (formerly Korea Telecom) was actively deploying malware onto subscribers’ computers via dedicated teams in malware development, distribution, operation, and wiretapping sections. 

This malware specifically targeted Webhard users, interfering with their file transfers and causing the reported issues. The exact method of distribution remains unclear, but a systematic approach by KT is evident from the widespread impact of this tactic. 

The motivations behind KT’s alleged actions are supposedly related to curbing torrent traffic on their network. TorrentFreak reports that filesharing in South Korea remains popular, with Web Hard Drive (Webhard) services being particularly popular. 

Webhard offers dedicated web seeds and relies on the BitTorrent-enabled peer-to-peer file sharing-based ‘Grid System,’ which ISPs criticize due to the costliness of high bandwidth usage associated with torrent transfers.

For your information, Webhard and KT have conflicts with the Grid Service. While Webhard claims it saves billions of Korean Won by allowing users to use peer-to-peer services for data storage/transfer, KT argues that this practice strains their network. Both companies went to court, which ruled in KT’s favour. However, instead of blocking IP addresses, KT installed malware on Grid Service users, causing problems for users.

The news has sparked outrage in South Korea for violating customer trust and potentially exposing users to malware. The Gyeonggi Southern Police Agency has seized KT’s data center and headquarters, suspecting potential violations of the Communications Secrets Protection Act and the Information and Communications Network Act. Depending on the findings, KT could face legal repercussions for its actions.

ISP and Malware

This is not the first time an ISP has been accused of installing malware on its customers’ devices. In June 2022, Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG) reported that ISPs in Italy and Kazakhstan were assisting spyware vendors in installing malware to target mobile users on both iOS and Android.

Nevertheless, this incident highlights the importance of transparent and ethical practices by ISPs. Customers deserve to have control over their internet usage and be protected from malicious software. Although it can put a strain on an ISP’s bandwidth, resorting to malware to tackle this issue is a highly unethical and potentially illegal tactic.

  1. Yahoo built software to secretly scan user emails for the NSA
  2. Indian ISP Hathway Hacked: Hacker Leaks 4 Million User Data
  3. Flaws in ISP gateways let attackers remotely tap internet traffic

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‘RockYou2024’: Nearly 10 billion passwords leaked online

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‘RockYou2024’: Nearly 10 billion passwords leaked online
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On a popular hacking form, a user has leaked a file that contains 9,948,575,739 unique plaintext passwords. The list appears to be a compilation of passwords that were obtained during several old and more recent data breaches.

The list is referred to as RockYou2024 because of its filename, rockyou.txt.

To cybercriminals the list has some value because it contains real-world passwords. This means if an attacker tried this list of passwords to try to break into an account (known as a brute force attack) they’s be more likely to get in than just trying a list of any old letters and words. However, it’s highly unlikely that there are any services or websites that would allow anyone to try such an enormous number of passwords, so it’s really only useful to attackers who have stolen a password database and are trying to crack its passwords offline, on their own computer.

Another possible use for cybercriminals is to combine the list with data from other breaches, such as combinations of usernames and passwords, which could get results if the password has been reused. If the cybercriminals also have a list that contains hashed passwords, they could even try to match the hash values of the passwords.

Having the actual password makes an attack a lot easier than when you’re trying a pass-the-hash attack, where an attacker tries to authenticate to a remote server or service by using the hash of a user’s password. However, this only works on services that are vulnerable to pass-the-hash attacks, instead of requiring the associated plaintext password as is normally the case.

To cut a long story short, if you don’t reuse passwords and never use “simple” passwords, like single words, then this release should not concern you. If you use multi-factor authentication (MFA), and you should everywhere you can, there’s also no reason to worry about this.

Malwarebytes has a free tool for you to find out how much of your personal data has been exposed online. Submit your email address (it’s best to give the one you most frequently use) to our free Digital Footprint scan and we’ll give you a report and recommendations.

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 identity protection.


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Galaxy S24 Ultra’s August camera update detailed early

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Galaxy S24 Ultra’s August camera update detailed early
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Samsung‘s Galaxy S24 Ultra may get a major new update for the Galaxy S24 Ultra next month. A reliable industry insider claims the new flagship will receive huge camera improvements in August. The update may also bring new AI features from One UI 6.1.1. The other two Galaxy S24 models should also pick up a similar update.

Galaxy S24 Ultra to get major camera update in August

The Galaxy S24 series, particularly the Ultra model, has excellent cameras. The new Samsung flagships produce amazing photos and videos in every shooting condition. However, users have reported pesky processing issues affecting the image quality. Samsung has already released a couple of camera updates for the phones, but there is still room for improvement.

There have been rumors about the Galaxy S24 trio getting another big camera update in June, but that didn’t happen. It appears the July update won’t bring anything either. However, the August update for the phones may be a big one, if tipster Ice Universe is accurate. They took to X to share some insider information about the upcoming software release.

According to them, the August update for the Galaxy S24 Ultra will bring white balance, over-processing, overexposure, HDR, video zoom, and facial feature improvements. The tipster also shared a few camera samples comparing the image quality before and after the update. However, they quickly deleted the photos, possibly because those samples weren’t supposed to be posted online.

Nonetheless, we saw those samples on X and could notice obvious improvements in some areas. The upcoming Galaxy S24 Ultra update may be the biggest yet. The tipster says the software build they shared samples from doesn’t contain zoom and night mode improvements beyond 10X magnification, one of the major issues users have reported. Hopefully, Samsung will fix things before the rollout.

AI features from One UI 6.1.1 may also be part of the package

Samsung will introduce One UI 6.1.1 with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 later this week. While the Galaxy S24 series won’t get the new One UI version, the new AI features are expected to trickle down to the flagship lineup. It’s unclear whether the company will bundle those with the camera fixes or if it will roll out a separate update later. Expect more details in the coming weeks as Samsung prepares to unveil the new foldables. The launch event is scheduled for this Wednesday, July 10.


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YouTube Music starts testing prompt-based AI-generated radio stations

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YouTube Music starts testing prompt-based AI-generated radio stations
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Generative AI has been making its way into every tech we use, and there are countless more ways for it to make our lives easier and more fun. One such way that YouTube Music is now exploring is letting it create a custom radio for you based on a prompt.

When the feature is on your device/app/account, you can tap on “Ask for music any way you like”, which will appear in your Home feed. There’s also the existing “Start radio” button.


When you tap on it, you’ll be greeted with a chat-based UI that has a field at the bottom for you to “Ask for music”. It launches as a fullscreen UI with an “Experiment” badge in the top right.

You can also enter a prompt via voice, and you also get suggested prompts. Yep, it works pretty straightforward as any other generative AI chat would.


When you pick a prompt, YouTube Music will generate a radio station, and your prompt is used as the name. You also get a description of the station.

However, this seems to be a very limited experiment so far, and not many users have access to it at the moment. It’s unfortunate that not a lot of us get to play with this feature, as it will be great for describing the vibe of music you want and then just moving on with your life while enjoying some nice music. Hopefully, the feature will get approved for official launch and we’ll have it sooner rather than later.

Izzy, a tech enthusiast and a key part of the PhoneArena team, specializes in delivering the latest mobile tech news and finding the best tech deals. Her interests extend to cybersecurity, phone design innovations, and camera capabilities. Outside her professional life, Izzy, a literature master’s degree holder, enjoys reading, painting, and learning languages. She’s also a personal growth advocate, believing in the power of experience and gratitude. Whether it’s walking her Chihuahua or singing her heart out, Izzy embraces life with passion and curiosity.


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Egyptian Health Department Data Breach: 120,000 Users’ Data Exposed

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Egyptian Health Department Data Breach: 120,000 Users’ Data Exposed
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The Egyptian Health Department (EHD) has reported a data breach affecting 121,995 individuals, including one resident of Maine.

The breach, which occurred on December 21, 2023, was discovered on the same day and has since raised serious concerns about data security within healthcare organizations.

Details of the Breach

The breach was identified as an external system hack, compromising sensitive personal information.

According to Joseph Fusz, Of Counsel at Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP, the breach exposed names and other personal identifiers.

Fusz, who represents the EHD, confirmed that the breach notification was submitted to the relevant authorities, and affected individuals were informed via written communication on July 2, 2024.

The compromised data includes a combination of personal identifiers, which could be used for identity theft.

In response, the EHD has offered all affected individuals 12 months of credit monitoring services through TransUnion, aiming to mitigate the risk of identity theft and provide some reassurance to those impacted.

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Response and Measures

The EHD has taken immediate steps to address the breach and prevent future incidents.

This includes a thorough review of their cybersecurity protocols and the implementation of enhanced security measures.

While the breach has highlighted vulnerabilities, it also underscores the importance of robust cybersecurity frameworks within healthcare organizations.

Joseph Fusz emphasized the EHD’s commitment to protecting patient information and ensuring such incidents do not recur.

“We are working diligently to understand the full scope of the breach and to implement measures that will safeguard against future attacks,” Fusz stated.

The breach has understandably caused concern among the affected individuals, particularly regarding the potential misuse of their personal information.

The EHD’s offer of credit monitoring services is crucial in providing some level of protection and peace of mind.

Residents are urged to remain vigilant and monitor their financial statements for any unusual activity.

The EHD has also set up a dedicated helpline to assist those affected and provide guidance on how to protect their personal information.

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Xiaomi MIX Fold 4 & MIX Flip will launch this month: Confirmed

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Xiaomi MIX Fold 4 & MIX Flip will launch this month: Confirmed
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Xiaomi will launch the MIX Fold 4 and MIX Flip this month, it has been confirmed. This confirmation comes from Lei Jun, Xiaomi’s CEO, so it’s clear as day.

The Xiaomi MIX Fold 4 & MIX Flip will launch this month

Lei Jun confirmed it via a post on X. Interestingly enough, the post was about Xiaomi’s next-gen smart factory in Changping, Beijing. Lei Jun says that the factory is now operational and that the two aforementioned foldables will be manufactured there.

Xiaomi MIX Fold 4 and MIX Flip launch confirmation

He also added that Xiaomi invested CNY2.4 billion into this 81,000sqm factory. The factory is capable of producing 10 million flagship smartphones a year. Yes, it will be focused on flagship phones, it seems.

The Xiaomi MIX Fold 4 will become the company’s fourth-gen book-style foldable. The Xiaomi MIX Flip, on the other hand, will be the first of its kind. Xiaomi did not launch a flip phone just yet, the MIX Flip will be the first.

We still don’t know the launch date, though

Even though Lei Jun announced that the two foldables are coming this month, he did not say when exactly. The launch date will likely be revealed soon, though. The launch event will take place in China.

The Xiaomi MIX Flip is likely coming to global markets, as several sources confirmed it. The Xiaomi MIX Fold 4, on the other hand, well… the jury is still out on that one. One source said it’ll launch globally, the other denied it. It remains to be seen. One thing is for sure, it’s about time Xiaomi offers its book-style foldable to consumers outside of its homeland.

Both of these smartphones will be quite powerful, by the way. It’s possible that both will be equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, though the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 could be thrown into the mix too… maybe for the MIX Flip. Nothing is set in stone just yet, but the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is a more likely option for both phones.


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Play Store working on an easier way for you to view form-factor ratings for apps

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Play Store working on an easier way for you to view form-factor ratings for apps
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There’s no arguing that getting an accurate idea of what an app is and how it’s rated before downloading it to your phone is important. Also, it’s important how much an app is fitting for different form factors: we have phones, tablets, and even fancy foldables these days. We don’t want a weird-looking app on a tablet now, do we? And the Play Store is already doing a pretty good job of offering you such info.
But Google is working on making those ratings even more accessible. The folks at Android Authority and leaker AssembleDebug have found hidden in version 41.7.16-31 of the Play Store a useful tweak that Google is currently working on. It’s a small but welcome change that will make viewing form-factor ratings easier.

Right now, you have separate chips for various form factors, and you can tap on each to view the rating. However, the app ratings will be displayed inside these chips (so no need for tapping one each), if this feature becomes official. As you can see on the second screenshot, the rating is right there next to the form factor so you get an instant idea of how this app will look on a different type of device.Google is working on other improvements as well, like automatically opening newly installed apps. All of this is aimed at making your life easier and saving you time, and I value this.

Personally, I’d love to not have to tap, scroll, and look around endlessly on my phone (we all have lives to live!) so if something saves me time, even if it’s just a few seconds, I welcome it. After all, a second here and a second there can amount to a lot of time overall, don’t you think?

Izzy, a tech enthusiast and a key part of the PhoneArena team, specializes in delivering the latest mobile tech news and finding the best tech deals. Her interests extend to cybersecurity, phone design innovations, and camera capabilities. Outside her professional life, Izzy, a literature master’s degree holder, enjoys reading, painting, and learning languages. She’s also a personal growth advocate, believing in the power of experience and gratitude. Whether it’s walking her Chihuahua or singing her heart out, Izzy embraces life with passion and curiosity.


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