Samsung may not bring all Galaxy S24 AI features to older models

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Samsung may not bring all Galaxy S24 AI features to older models
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Samsung will introduce some groundbreaking new AI features with the Galaxy S24 series next week. The upcoming flagships can translate audio calls in real time, expand photos, move or remove objects from photos and videos, and do much more. These features are part of Galaxy AI in One UI 6.1, the company’s updated custom software. While older Galaxy models will receive the One UI 6.1 update, they may not get all new AI features.

Older Galaxy flagships to miss out on most new Galaxy AI features

New Galaxy flagships usually debut an updated version of Samsung’s One UI. Last year, the Galaxy S23 series introduced One UI 5.1, while the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 brought One UI 5.1.1. The Galaxy S24 lineup will ship with One UI 6.1. The Korean firm pushes the new versions to older models a few weeks after release. It will be no different this time around, as there is already evidence of Samsung testing One UI 6.1 for several devices.

However, unlike in the past, most of the new features of One UI 6.1 may not make it into the likes of the Galaxy S23 and others. Particularly the new AI features that Samsung has developed for the Galaxy S24. Sources have told SamMobile that the company will only port a select few AI features to older models. The publications can’t confirm the features that are coming, but it appears most will remain exclusive to the new flagships.

This is likely due to the limitations of the chips powering the Galaxy S23, Galaxy Z Fold 5, Galaxy Z Flip 5, and other Samsung phones that will receive One UI 6.1. The Exynos 2400 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processors for the Galaxy S24 have superior AI processing capabilities thanks to improved NPU and other changes. They are built with the next generation of mobile AI applications in mind. Older chips may not be capable of handling some new AI features.

Galaxy AI doesn’t completely work offline

While Samsung has built Galaxy AI into the Galaxy S24’s system, some features don’t work offline. For example, the new AI-powered photo and video editing tools work via the cloud and require an active internet connection. Leaks have also suggested that users will get the option to select their generative AI model for some tasks. The options include ChatGPT and Samsung’s in-house solution powered by Samsung Gauss. The Galaxy S24 series arrives on January 17, so it won’t be long before we have all the official details.


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Samsung wows CES 2024 attendees with transparent MicroLED display

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Samsung wows CES 2024 attendees with transparent MicroLED display
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Samsung brought something truly unique to CES 2024 in Las Vegas. Samsung showed off its transparent MicroLED display. This is also a world’s first, it seems.

Samsung grabbed plenty of attention with its transparent MicroLED display

Samsung actually placed this display next to its transparent OLED and Transparent LCD models, just to highlight the difference here, and how much better the MicroLED tech is. The MicroLED is significantly brighter, but it also has a fully frameless design and a transparent glass panel. It looks truly unique.

As long as you’re not looking at this display from the side, the content on it looks like a hologram. That’s at least what my colleague told me after seeing this technology with his own eyes. You can actually see it for yourself below the article, as Samsung’s video has been embedded.

When it comes to thickness, it measures only around 1cm

To make things even better, the TV itself is only about a centimeter thick. In other words, it’s really thin. All that helps make the content look like it’s just floating in the air. You can achieve the effect of a hologram with this.

If you’ve been looking forward to getting this display, perhaps, don’t. Why? Well, Samsung’s current-gen MicroLED TVs are unbelievably pricey. A model from 2022 with a 110-inch display costs $150,000. Just to be clear, that’s a regular MicroLED TV, not a transparent one.

It is not available yet, but if it does, it’ll be extremely expensive

So, if these transparent MicroLED TVs ever become available, they’ll be extremely expensive. With time, chances are they’ll become cheaper and cheaper, but don’t hold your breath. It will take quite some time for that to happen.

That’s all the info that we could muster thus far. So, to sum up. This is a transparent, frameless TV that is considerably brighter than its OLED and LCD brethren. Considering that it’s brighter, it will be less impacted by ambient light. That’s also something Samsung emphasized. It will be interesting to see a truly premium price tag for this TV, that’s for sure.


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Soon, you’ll be able to paint your WhatsApp any color you like, so long it’s green, blue, white, pink or purple

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Soon, you’ll be able to paint your WhatsApp any color you like, so long it’s green, blue, white, pink or purple
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The latest WhatsApp beta for iOS 24.1.10.70 hints there’ll be a fussless way for users to change the WhatsApp theme and choose between five distinct colors:
  1. Green
  2. Blue
  3. White (not snow-white, so your eyeballs wouldn’t burst)
  4. Pink
  5. Purple

This is the latest report from the super-informative WABetaInfo platform and while they’re positive the theme-picking feature will be available in the future, it’s not specified when it’s going to be rolled out to the masses.Back when the WhatsApp beta for iOS 23.21.1.70 update was a thing, WABetaInfo shared that it was about to bring a new interface for the app with new colors and icons. The update introduced a new green tint color, but not everybody was on board with it and they preferred the familiar old blue color. That’s why now the engineers are working on multiple colors, not just the green-or-blue option.

Per the screenshot, WhatsApp will eventually introduce a new section where choosing between green, blue, white (kind of), pink, and purple as a main branding color will be possible.

With a set of five available options, users can select a main branding color that “resonates with their personality or simply makes the app more visually appealing to them”, states the report and adds that “another key advantage is the potential for improved accessibility”. For example, for certain users with visual impairments or specific color preferences based on personal comfort, the ability to change the main branding color can make the app definitely more user-friendly.

What’s more, WABetaInfo even has some information about the distant future: “WhatsApp might have plans to expand this customization feature by introducing the ability to change the bubble color in the distant future. In our opinion, this move will take personalization to a whole new level, allowing users to infuse their digital conversations with a touch of their unique style”.


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Water Curupira Hackers Launch Pikabot Malware Attack Windows

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Water Curupira Hackers Launch Pikabot Malware Attack Windows
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Pikabot is a loader malware that is active in spam campaigns and has been used by the threat group Water Curupira, which has been paused from June to September 2023 after Qakbot’s takedown. 

However, the surge in Pikabot phishing campaigns was noted recently in Q4 2023, post-Qakbot’s takedown, suggesting it is a potential replacement.

Recently, the cybersecurity researchers at Trend Micro discovered that Water Curupira hackers have been actively launching Pikabot Malware attacks on Windows machines.

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Water Curupira Hackers Pikabot Malware

The phishing operations of Pikabot deploy the following two key things for unauthorized remote access:-

Water Curupira, which is known for Cobalt Strike backdoors, has shifted exclusively to Pikabot post-DarkGate and IcedID campaigns in Q3 2023. 

The Pikabot malware gains initial access via spam emails, mirroring Qakbot’s behavior.

Infection chain
Infection chain (Source – Trend Micro)

Threat actors use thread-hijacking in emails to mimic legitimate threads for deception. They craft messages with original content in which they urge recipients to open the following types of attachments, with varying file names and passwords:-

  • Password-protected ZIP
  • Password-protected PDF 

All the emails appear authentic, increasing the likelihood of victims interacting with malicious links or attachments.

The attached archive holds an obfuscated JS file that is more than 100 KB in size, when executed it attempts conditional commands via cmd.exe. 

If it is unsuccessful, the script echoes, pings, and downloads the Pikabot payload using Curl.exe. Another chain deploys password-protected archives with an IMG file that executes the LNK file, which triggers the rundll32.exe to run Pikabot DLL. 

The PDF-based attack in Q4 2023 tricks victims with OneDrive disguise, delivering malicious JS files. The latter variant employs array manipulation and obfuscation for Pikabot payload retrieval using the following things:-

  • Multiple URLs
  • Dynamic directory creation
Malicious PDF file disguised to look like a OneDrive attachment
Malicious PDF file disguised to look like a OneDrive attachment (Source – Trend Micro)

Security analysis of the DLL file reveals a 32-bit sample with 1515 exports. The ‘Limit’ export decrypts and executes shellcode, which checks for debugging with Windows API calls. 

The shellcode decrypts another DLL for anti-analysis routines and loads encrypted PNG images containing the core module. The Pikabot injects the core module into a suspended process using indirect system calls and resolves necessary APIs through hash values after decryption. 

While the runtime decryption of strings and language checks are performed before execution stops for specific system languages like:-

  • Russian (Russia)
  • Ukrainian (Ukraine)

Here below, we have mentioned all the processes created by the malware to gather additional information:-

  • whoami.exe /all
  • ipconfig.exe /all
  • netstat.exe -aon

Water Curupira shifts to Pikabot by dropping backdoors like Cobalt Strike, which is linked to Black Basta ransomware. 

The clusters of Cobalt Strike beacons and more than 70 C&C domains that are observed in campaigns by this threat actor show the association with dangerous ransomware, Black Basta.

Recommendations

Here below we have mentioned all the recommendations:-

  • Make sure to hover over links to check their destination.
  • Always verify the sender’s identity.
  • Confirm the legitimacy of emails from known companies before opening attachments.
  • Always keep the OS and software updated with the latest updates or patches.
  • Back up crucial data regularly to an external and secure location.

IoCs

IoCs (Source - Trend Micro)
IoCs (Source – Trend Micro)
IoCs-1 (Source - Trend Micro)
IoCs-1 (Source – Trend Micro)
IoCs-2
IoCs-2 (Source – Trend Micro)
IoCs-3 (Source - Trend Micro)
IoCs-3 (Source – Trend Micro)

Try Kelltron’s cost-effective penetration testing services for free to assess and evaluate the security posture of digital systems


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Huawei P70 series could include all-new Kirin 9010 SoC

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Huawei P70 series could include all-new Kirin 9010 SoC
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Huawei’s upcoming flagships could include an all-new processor. I’m talking about the Huawei P70 series smartphones, of course, and the chip in question is the Kirin 9010.

This information comes from a Chinese tipster that goes by the name ‘Smart PIkachu’. He shared the information via Weibo. The tipster believes Huawei won’t use the Kirin 9000s inside its new flagships.

The upcoming Huawei P70 smartphones could utilize an all-new Kirin 9010 processor

The thing is, the Kirin 9010 could be just a modified version of the Kirin 9000s. The naming schemes are way too similar for it to be on a completely new level. At this point, we can only guess, though.

The Kirin 9000s is a 7nm processor, and it fuels the Huawei Mate 60 flagship series. It also comes inside the Huawei Mate X5 book-style foldable that Huawei announced in its home market.

We still didn’t see the Kirin 9000s outside of China. So all eyes will be focused on the Huawei P70 series once it arrives. The launch of the Kirin 9000s managed to surprise pretty much everyone, and the US will be paying special attention to the Huawei P70 launch.

The company is expected to announce three smartphones as part of its flagship series

That being said, if the company ends up following last year’s lineup, we’ll get three phones. The Huawei P70, P70 Pro, and P70 Art are expected to launch.

As a reminder, the Huawei P60 series became official towards the end of March last year. Their global launch followed in May last year. So, Huawei will either stick to a similar release cycle or use MWC 2024 at the end of February to showcase its new flagships. That’s always a possibility.

We have great expectations for the Huawei P70 series camera. That especially goes for the Huawei P70 Pro and Huawei P70 Art. Huawei will allegedly use a much better ultrawide camera this time around, and the camera hardware is expected to become better in general.

Huawei’s smartphones are still at the top of the food chain. Huawei’s last flagships are actually using a 10-stop variable aperture setup. Something similar is expected with the Huawei P70 too, actually.


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Microsoft Rolls Out January Patch Tuesday With 49 Bug Fixes

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Microsoft Rolls Out January Patch Tuesday With 49 Bug Fixes
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This week marked the arrival of first monthly scheduled updates from Microsoft for the year 2024. With January Patch Tuesday update bundle, Microsoft addressed 49 different vulnerabilities, including two critical severity issues.

First Patch Tuesday Arrives From Microsoft For January 2024

The first update bundle for the year 2024 is a rather modest one, addressing 49 vulnerabilities only. Yet, it includes some significant security patches for users’ systems globally.

The most noteworthy mentions with January Patch Tuesday include two critical bug fixes. These include,

  • CVE-2024-20674 (CVSS 9.0): A security feature bypass affecting Windows Kerberos that allowed impersonation to an unauthenticated MiTM attacker. Exploiting the flaw merely required local network spoofing or MiTM attack and sending a maliciously crafted Kerberos message to the target machine.
  • CVE-2024-20700 (CVSS 7.8): A remote code execution vulnerability affecting Windows Hyper-V. Despite being an RCE, the vulnerability received a lesser severity score, presumably due to the requirements necessary to exploit the flaw. Microsoft stated in its advisory that exploiting this vulnerability required the attacker to gain access to the restricted network and win a race condition.

Another important mention that marginally escaped the critical severity category is CVE-2024-21318 (CVSS 8.8). The Redmond giant described it as an important severity remote code execution vulnerability affecting the Microsoft SharePoint Server. An authenticated attacker with Site Owner privileges could exploit the flaw to inject and execute arbitrary codes in the context of SharePoint Server.

Alongside these three and the other 46 important-severity vulnerabilities, this month’s update bundle also included four Chromium bug fixes. As described, all of these were remote code execution flaws that attained a high-severity rating. While not belonging to Microsoft, the tech giant still included these patches in its Patch Tuesday updates to ensure prompt patching for user devices.

Although the updates would reach all eligible systems automatically, users should still manually check their devices for the updates to receive the fixes in time.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments.


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HONOR intros MagicOS 8.0, industry’s first ‘intent-based UI’

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HONOR intros MagicOS 8.0, industry’s first ‘intent-based UI’
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HONOR has just announced a new version of its Android UI, MagicOS 8.0. The company did in China, but the company did share the info in English with us. So most of what we’ll say will likely apply to the global version of MagicOS 8.0 too.

MagicOS 8.0 comes with “fully integrated platform-level AI”

The company says that MagicOS 8.0 comes with “fully integrated platform-level AI and the industry’s first to feature a revolutionary intent-based user interface (IUI)”. HONOR says that MagicOS 8.0 delivers “comprehensive improvements” in four different areas. Those areas are: smart connectivity, performance, privacy and security, and visual aesthetics.

During this event, HONOR also introduced MagicLM. That is HONOR’s proprietary on-device large language model with seven billion parameters. It is working “within MagicOS” in order to improve the platform-level AI’s ability to understand your (user’s) intentions and thus provide the best experience possible.

George Zhao, the CEO of HONOR, said the following: “From the industry’s first AI smartphone supporting MagicLive to the official debut of platform-level AI with MagicOS 7.0, HONOR has innovated with ecosystem partners over the past few years. Now, MagicOS 8.0 and MagicLM represent a significant milestone in HONOR’s on-device AI endeavors, and are a significant step towards bringing next-generation human-device interaction and ecosystem to users”.

HONOR’s MagicOS 8.0 renders services according to user intentions

HONOR says that thanks to these changes, MagicOS 8.0 renders services according to user intentions, instead of action upon requests. The IUI on MagicOS 8.0 is supposed to be able to “interpret language, images, gestures and eye movements to understand a user’s intent and offer services proactively”.

Along with MagicOS 8.0, HONOR also introduced ‘Magic Portal’. That is an intent-based shortcut recommendation feature. It will allow users to “seamlessly switch and access services between apps and devices with a simple swipe”.

In China, Magic Portal will be debuting with support for over 100 popular apps across different categories. It remains to be seen what will that support look like globally.

HONOR also added that the newly-announced MagicLM has been tweaked in collaboration with Qualcomm, so that it runs smoothly on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which fuels the company’s new flagship smartphone, the HONOR Magic6 Pro.

HONOR’s MagicRing now offers 500% improved speed, and supports eight transmission channels

With MagicOS 8.0, MagicRing now supports connections from point-to-point networks to fully connected networks, with 25% better power efficiency and 500% improved speed, says HONOR. It also supports eight transmission channels.

HONOR obviously focused on talking about AI and under-the-hood improvements with MagicOS 8.0. We wonder if we’ll get any front-end features to play with. MagicOS 7 was not exactly the most feature-packed Android OS. Let’s hope HONOR worked on the front-end experience as well, perhaps even tweaked the UI a bit.


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Research roadblock: TikTok withdraws key tool following negative report

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Research roadblock: TikTok withdraws key tool following negative report
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One of the most popular apps in the world, TikTok, has been facing ongoing criticism and even calls for its ban. The Chinese app’s latest move is now again raising eyebrows.

TikTok recently yanked a tool used by researchers to study hashtag popularity on its app. This move, reported by The New York Times (via Engadget), came after researchers criticized the company in a report based on the tool’s data.


The tool, known as Creative Center, was a rare public method for tracking hashtag popularity. It offered data to advertisers and others. Researchers at Rutgers’ Network Contagion Institute utilized its search function to track “sensitive” hashtags related to Chinese government interests. The comparison between TikTok and Instagram led to the conclusion that many “sensitive” topics were significantly less represented on TikTok.

 
Following the report, TikTok quietly removed the search feature from Creative Center. The company cited misuse of the tool, saying that “unfortunately, some individuals and organizations have misused the Center’s search function to draw inaccurate conclusions, so we are changing some of the features to ensure it is used for its intended purpose.”


This move adds to the growing tension between social media companies and researchers delving into topics like misinformation. TikTok, like Meta and X (former Twitter), has faced challenges with researchers studying content spread.


The move to cut off this tool raises questions about TikTok’s willingness to collaborate with researchers, particularly amid increased scrutiny over its content policies and handling issues related to the Israel-Hamas war, for example. The lack of transparency has researchers concerned about the company’s approach.


The pressure has even sparked discussions in Washington about potentially banning the app or forcing its sale to an American company—though the latter seems unlikely. TikTok defended itself, asserting that the Chinese government has no influence over the app and criticizing the research for using a “flawed methodology.”


The broader conversation also involves the transparency of social media platforms. Experts argue for regulations requiring platforms to share data with external researchers, emphasizing the need to avoid leaving transparency decisions solely in the hands of platforms.


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The latest rules For crypto apps on the Android store

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The latest rules For crypto apps on the Android store
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Crypto and blockchain developers are always pushing the boundaries of what we can do with digital assets and oftentimes, apps based around this technology are launched. Users of popular app stores like the Google Play Store can download these apps to enjoy. They can be a way to look for new cryptocurrencies and new ways of earning and spending these tokens.

But if you’ve been following the news around crypto apps and app stores, you’ll know that the has been some back-and-forth regarding the rules developers have to follow to have their apps approved. Some of these rules have been so stringent that developers would rather pull their apps from the Play Store entirely. What are the current rules for crypto apps on the Andriod store? Some of them are as follows:

Crypto Mining

Mining is one of the popular ways for crypto lovers to get their hands on new tokens and involves validating transactions on the blockchain network. Crypto mining is usually done through mining hardware, desktop, and even mobile applications.

Apps image 83943893849

But while all these are popular, the Google Play Store does not allow crypto mining apps to be listed. Instead, it allows for apps that manage mining activities remotely such as apps for mining pools that let users check the status of their miners.

Crypto Trading

The Play Store allows apps that facilitate crypto trading such as crypto exchanges to operate. However, there are some requirements for this. All of these transactions need to be conducted through ‘certified services in regulated jurisdictions,” as per the store’s guidelines. On top of this, the app has to comply with the regulations of the various countries that it targets and operates in.

These apps also cannot be published in regions where crypto or crypto trading is prohibited by the government. To ensure compliance, Google might ask app developers to show proof of licensing and compliance.

Earning Tokenized Assets

Many apps these days allow people to earn digital assets for participating in challenges, games, and much more. The good news is that the Google Play Store allows these types of apps to be listed. At the same time, Google requires complete transparency when these apps are being listed in the store. Developers have to declare the presence of these tokenized assets in the Financial Features declaration form on the App Content page in Play Console.

If an asset within an app is a tokenised asset, it must be stated clearly and developers are also not allowed to glamorize or promote potential earnings from these activities.

NFTs

NFTs within apps were previously a major bone of contention for the app store but there seem to be clearer guidelines now. Gambling apps that incorporate NFTs need to fill an application to that effect. Non-gambling apps that have NFTs need to ensure that no money is paid to buy NFTs of unknown value. Additionally, the NFTs being given have to be used for the enhancement of the gaming experience for players. Google also says that “NFTs must not be used to wager or stake in exchange for the opportunity to win prizes of real-world monetary value.”


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