Samsung’s Q2 2024 profits exceed forecasts with 1,450% increase

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Samsung’s Q2 2024 profits exceed forecasts with 1,450% increase
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For the second quarter running, Samsung‘s earnings surpassed industry estimates. The company expects to earn a profit of around KRW 10.4 trillion (approx. $7.5 billion) in Q2 2024. That’s a staggering 1,450% or 15.5-fold YoY (year-on-year) profit increase from the same period last year. Industry analysts estimated it to make between KRW 8.5 trillion and KRW 8.8 trillion this past quarter.

Samsung rides on the AI boom as Q2 2024 profit sees magical growth

Samsung had a forgettable financial performance in 2023. Its annual profit declined 85% due to a drop in chip demand and prices. The company’s semiconductor division suffered its first losses in 14 years. But the AI boom has helped Samsung turn the tide. It’s the world’s largest maker of memory chips and is benefitting from a high demand for these chips as companies set out to establish AI data centers.

In the first quarter of 2024, Samsung’s profit increased 933% YoY. It took home KRW 6.61 trillion, up from KRW 0.64 trillion in Q1 2023. The Q2 performance was even better. In its earnings estimate, the company projected a consolidated sales revenue of KRW 74 trillion and an operating profit of KRW 10.4 trillion. The Korean conglomerate managed a profit of only KRW 0.67 trillion in Q2 2023.

Samsung hasn’t published the full Q2 2024 earnings and profit report yet. It will come later this month, detailing the financial performance of each business division and the outlook for the rest of the year. However, industry estimates suggest nearly 60% of its second-quarter profit comes from the semiconductor division. The unit has always been Samsung’s cash cow until last year’s massive price decline.

It will be interesting to see how Samsung’s smartphone division faired this past quarter. Despite selling more phones than anyone else, the unit doesn’t contribute a lot to the company’s profit. Competition is high in the Android space, leaving little room to increase the profit margin. That said, the Galaxy S24 series has been in high demand, so Samsung may have benefitted from it.

Samsung still has scope for growth in the AI chip market

The AI boom has just begun, and Samsung is already reaping the fruits. It still has scope for growth in the AI chip market. Its compatriot SK Hynix is a leader in the high bandwidth memory (HBM) segment, an area where Samsung can improve. It has sought approval for its advanced HBM solutions from Nvidia, the world’s biggest AI chip brand. Samsung’s outlook for the AI chip market for the second half of 2024 should be an interesting read. We will let you know when it shares its full Q2 2024 earnings report.


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Ticketmaster hackers release stolen ticket barcodes for Taylor Swift Eras Tour

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Ticketmaster hackers release stolen ticket barcodes for Taylor Swift Eras Tour
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The cybercriminals who claimed responsibility for the Ticketmaster data breach say they’ve stolen 440,000 tickets for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.

As proof, an entity using the handle Sp1d3rHunters, a merger of Sp1d3r and ShinyHunters who are both aliases associated with the breach, leaked 170k barcodes for free for Taylor Swift’s ERAS Tour.

In a post on the infamous stolen data site BreachForums, Sp1d3rHunters is offering many thousands of tickets for upcoming Taylor Swift concerts in three cities in the US: Miami, New Orleans, and Indianapolis.

Sp1d3rHunters offering free Taylor Swift tickets
Post by Sp1d3rHunters

The post includes a link to a free tutorial on how to make your own printable barcode tickets.

It also includes a threat to Ticketmaster:

“Pay us $2million USD or we leak all 680M of your users information and 30million more event barcodes including:

more Taylor Swift events, P!nk, Sting, Sporting events F1 Formula Racing, MLB, NFL and thousands more events.”

This is the second release of data from the breach, after the cybercriminals–then posting under the name Sp1d3r–gave away one million records including full details (name, address, email, and phone) of Ticketmaster customers.

For Ticketmaster, the release of free Taylor Swift tickets could turn out to be a costly affair. It’s not just the value of the tickets that’s at stake. The company will also need to reissue the tickets to their rightful owners, as well as no doubt deal with more than the expected number of visitors to those concerts, leading to the need to employ extra security staff. All that and we’ve not yet touched on the reputational damage, which already is substantial but is likely to grow even more.

Even though it may be tempting, we would advise against trying to use these “free tickets.” Given the timeframe until the events, Ticketmaster should have enough time and opportunity to invalidate the stolen tickets, and you are likely to receive exactly what you paid for: nothing.

Swifties should also be wary of phishing attempts that will undoubtedly try to capitalize on the news that “free tickets” are available.

Check your exposure

While matters are still unclear how much information was involved, it’s likely you’ve had other personal information exposed online in previous data breaches. You can check what personal information of yours has been exposed with our Digital Footprint portal. Just enter your email address (it’s best to submit the one you most frequently use) to our free Digital Footprint scan and we’ll give you a report.

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

Cybersecurity risks should never spread beyond a headline. Protect your—and your family’s—personal information by using identity protection.


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The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro could offer truly amazing audio

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The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro could offer truly amazing audio
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The tech world is abuzz with news about the upcoming Galaxy products that Samsung is going to announce during its next Unpacked event. Among the devices, we know that the Korean giant’s going to announce a pair of new (and familiar) earbuds. Well, according to a new report, the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro might bring a lossless audio codec.

There’s some controversy surrounding Samsung’s upcoming earbuds. The base Galaxy Buds 3 aren’t a major issue, but the pro versions might stir the pot a bit. They look shockingly (and annoyingly) similar to Apple’s AirPods. This is pretty upsetting, as Samsung used to be the company that always stood against Apple. Now, it’s taking far too many notes from its book.

In any case, we’ll see these earbuds along with Samsung’s other exciting devices during the next Unpacked event. It’s going down on July 10th.

The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro could use a lossless audio codec

Samsung’s flagship earbuds typically have some of the best audio for consumer-grade Bluetooth earbuds. They’re not going to dethrone earbuds from audiophile companies like the Campfire Audio Fathom.

However, it’s not only about the hardware. One thing that dictates how good a pair of earbuds will sound is the codec. This is the bit of technology that compresses the audio signal to send from your device to your earbuds. Some codecs are better than others, and they allow for more data to be sent. As such, codecs like these allow for more detailed audio.

According to a new report, the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro will use a near-lossless audio codec. The report points to a max audio quality of 24-bit/96kHz. The previous Galaxy Buds used a codec with 24-bit/48kHz. So, this new codec will double the sample rate of the old one. That’s great to hear because you’ll be able to hear the audio with much more detail.

It doesn’t matter how high-quality the music file is if your earbuds’ codec is squeezing all of the data out of the audio signal. It’s like watching a 4K video on a 1080p display.

We don’t know what codec the company’s going to use. Qualcomm has its aptX Lossless codec, but we don’t believe that this is what Samsung is using. The company might be using a proprietary codec this time around. In any case, it’s great to see an improvement in the audio quality department.


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HONOR Magic V3 latest leak brings several real-life images

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HONOR Magic V3 latest leak brings several real-life images
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HONOR will launch the Magic V3 this month as its latest foldable premium flagship. The device will seek to repeat the success of the Magic V2, one of the most impressive devices in its segment. Now, a new leak of the HONOR Magic V3 includes multiple real-life images of the device in all its colors.

The images leaked on Weibo show the HONOR Magic V3 in blue, red, and white colors. The Magic V2 surprised in its day for its extreme thinness for a foldable smartphone. Especially considering it was full of flagship specs everywhere. Well, rumors suggest that the company wants to surpass this milestone. Multiple reports claim that the HONOR Magic V3 will be even thinner than its predecessor.

HONOR Magic V3 may be the thinnest foldable in the world

For reference, the Magic V2 had dimensions of 156,7 x 74,1 x 9,99 mm in the “folded” state. When unfolded, the device boasted a thinness of only 4,7 mm. If the Magic V3 really beats these figures, then it will probably be the thinnest foldable smartphone in the world. That said, it is possible that the Xiaomi Mix Fold 4 will surpass this milestone in the near future.

 

The HONOR Magic V3 is expected to be announced at an event on July 12 in China. The device will share the spotlight with other important products. The company will also reveal the Magic Vs3, the Magic Pad 2, and the MagicBook Art 14.

Some leaked key specs

Regarding its specs, the Magic V3 is said to be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip. It will integrate a battery with more than 5,000 mAh and support for 66W fast charging (wired). Its predecessor did not support wireless charging, and the same could happen with the new model.

As for photography, it is said that the device will maintain the same sensors as the Magic V2. However, it will now support 3.5x optical zoom instead of just 2.5x. Improvements in image quality on the software side are also expected. The Magic V3 will have 16 GB of RAM, although it is not known if it will be available in variants with more or less memory. However, multiple storage options are expected.

Lastly, the HONOR Magic V3 will also be available on the global market, but not instantly. Audiences outside of China will probably have to wait at least a month after the original release.


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Pixel 8a iFixit parts for DIY repairs are now available

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Pixel 8a iFixit parts for DIY repairs are now available
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Google appears to be doing better than Samsung when it comes to offering DIY repair parts through iFixit for Pixel devices. The company has continued its collaboration with the alternative repair solution provider for this year’s budget Pixel phone. The Pixel 8a iFixit parts for DIY (Do it yourself) repairs are now available to buy. You can now fix your damaged Pixel 8a (review) all by yourself at your home using the original spare parts from iFixit.

The Pixel 8a iFixit parts are available starting from $3.99

The repair site iFixit has started selling genuine Pixel 8a spare parts in less than two months after the phone’s launch. In comparison, the iFixit repair parts for the Pixel 8 flagship duo went on sale nearly three months after their unveiling. The partnership between the companies provides access to genuine parts for the entire Pixel 8 series.

The iFixit store is selling the Pixel 8a DIY repair parts starting from $3.99. The phone’s genuine adhesive for the screen, display enclosure, back cover, battery, logic board cover, front camera cable, and LED flash unit are being offered for $3.99. The price of the display cable bracket, front camera copper foil, rear camera tape, thermal pads, and camera housing is the same.

The replacement screen is the most expensive part at $102.99

The Pixel 8a’s genuine screen replacement is the most expensive part at $102.99. You can also get the complete kit with the replacement screen and repair tools for $109.99. The phone’s battery replacement costs $32.99, while the rear cover will set you back by $39.99.

Furthermore, iFixit is also selling replacement parts for both the front and rear cameras for the Pixel 8a. The phone’s ultra-wide rear lens costs $29.99, while the wide-angle camera is being offered for $59.99. If you want to replace the selfie camera, then you can get the spare lens by paying $29.99.

After purchasing a replacement part, you can follow the official iFixit Google Pixel 8a repair guides to fix your device. The detailed guides for most of the Pixel 8a DIY repairs are available on iFixit’s website.


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iOS 18 adds a higher level of security to one of the most overlooked native apps

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iOS 18 adds a higher level of security to one of the most overlooked native apps
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You probably know by now that iOS 18 will be adding new features to apps like Safari, Notes, Mail, Photos, Siri, Messages, Maps, and more. Changes are also in store for the Home Screen, Lock Screen, and Control Center. The next iteration of iOS is also making a change to one app that no one ever thinks about using and this is the Contacts app. When was the last time that you consciously made the decision to open the Contacts app on your phone?
With iOS 18 installed, the Contacts app will be more secure. For example, every time you install a new app and it requests access to your contacts list, Apple will allow you to decide which connections the new app can view. This prevents your contacts from potentially having their data stolen. Some of the information that might be in your Contacts app includes birth dates, anniversary dates, email addresses, and more. This information, if stolen, could be used by attackers to guess passwords and passcodes or to open fraudulent accounts.
iOS 18 will make the Contacts app more secure|Image credit-Apple - iOS 18 adds a higher level of security to one of the most overlooked native apps

iOS 18 will make the Contacts app more secure|Image credit-Apple

But with iOS 18, Apple will allow users to limit the connections available to third-party apps. Apple iPhone users will be able to choose to give third-party apps “full access” to their contacts (which means all of their contacts) or to select specific contacts that the iPhone users will allow third-party apps to access. Apple notes, “iOS 18 puts users in control by letting them choose to share only specific contacts with an app. In addition, developers now have a way to seamlessly connect third-party accessories with iPhone without letting an app see all the other devices on a user’s network, keeping a user’s devices private and making pairing seamless.”

iOS 18 developer beta 2 is currently available and the public beta is expected to launch sometime this month. The decision to install the beta on your iPhone is up to you. If you do plan to install the beta, keep in mind that it is unstable. Some apps may not work like they should, and battery life will drop. Make sure you back up your data before installing the beta. Of course, there is no pressure on iPhone owners to install the beta. They can wait until September which is when we expect the stable version of iOS 18 to be disseminated.


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Google Photos crosses 10 billion downloads mark on the Play Store

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Google Photos crosses 10 billion downloads mark on the Play Store
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Google Photos has just crossed a major milestone on the Google Play Store. The app has surpassed the 10 billion downloads mark on the default app store for Android devices. Google Photos is the latest app from the house of the search engine giant to achieve the 10 billion users milestone. The previous Google app to accomplish this goal was Drive, which it achieved in early 2024

It took nine years for Google Photos to cross the 10 billion downloads mark

After being introduced in 2015, it took Google Photos nine years to cross the 10 billion downloads mark on the Play Store. Thanks to a user-friendly interface, a number of unique features, and cloud integration, the app quickly gained popularity on mobile devices. Google Photos was downloaded by more than 1 billion Android users in 2017, two years after launching.

After 2017, Google Photos was pre-installed on almost every Android smartphone that was sold. The app began maintaining over one billion active users in July 2019. By the end of 2020, Google Photos crossed the 5 billion downloads mark on the Google Play Store. In recent years, it has become the main photo-management application on Android smartphones and tablets.

Many OEMs like Samsung, OnePlus, and Xiaomi also ship their devices with another pre-installed gallery application. However, the smorgasbord of features and an ample amount of free storage still make Google Photos a popular choice among users. Despite the free storage policy change that came into effect in 2021, Google Photos continues to capture a fair share of the photo-management app segment.

Google Photos is the 10th app from Google to hit the 10 billion users milestone

Notably, Google Photos is the 10th application from Google to cross the 10 billion users milestone on Android devices. It has joined Chrome, Gmail, Maps, YouTube, the Google app, and Drive. Several core Android services like Play Services, Speech Services, and the Android Accessibility Suite are also in the same club.

Google continues to drive more users towards the Google Photos app by introducing new features from time to time. The app has already received Gemini AI-powered features like Magic Editor and Magic Eraser earlier in May. More AI-based functionalities are expected to be released for the popular media app in the coming weeks.


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OpenAI was hacked last year, but kept it a secret

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OpenAI was hacked last year, but kept it a secret
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No company is safe from hackers. It seems that we get news about some sort of security breach every week, and it’s not slowing down. Apparently, OpenAI was hacked last year, but the company kept it a secret. The company had a reason, but it’s not a great reason.

OpenAI is no stranger to hacks. Not too long ago, the company was hit with a massive attack which left the service down multiple times over the course of weeks. It’s a major company that’s in the public eye, and that comes with certain consequences. We’ve seen major breaches in the past couple of years. Microsoft is currently dealing with a Russian hack, T-Mobile was hacked several times over the past few years, and we can’t forget about the massive Rockstar Games hack. That’s only a handful of the torrent of hacks that companies have had to go through over the past few years.

OpenAI was hacked, and it kept it a secret

Typically, we don’t hear about security breaches until months after the fact. In the case of this OpenAI hack, it happened more than a year ago. Early last year, a threat actor was able to steal some sensitive information from a private forum where employees talked about the latest models.

We don’t know who the threat actor was and we don’t know who blew the whistle on it. The New York Times states that two people who are close to the matter came forth. What we can tell is that the hacker was only able to scrape data from the conversations and they weren’t able to steal fundamental data like source codes or anything like that.

OpenAI didn’t say anything because…

This happened over a year ago, and the company chose to keep its finger to its lips on it. According to the source, OpenAI didn’t report this because there was no customer information stolen. As such, it didn’t reveal the hack to the public or to the FBI.

While it’s good news that there was no customer information stolen, it’s still pretty shady that the company didn’t report it. It doesn’t matter if a hacker steals information about ChatGPT’s source code or information about what snacks are in the company kitchen; information is still stolen.

Now is NOT the time for OpenAI to be slippery about security breaches. The government is pushing for more transparency from AI companies. We won’t be surprised if the company faces some sort of repercussions because of its secrecy.


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Pixel 9 series to get a much-needed fingerprint sensor upgrade

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Pixel 9 series to get a much-needed fingerprint sensor upgrade
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The Pixel 9 series may fix a significant drawback of Google smartphones. The next-gen Pixels will reportedly feature an ultrasonic under-display fingerprint sensor, letting go of the suboptimal optical sensor for good. The entire Pixel 9 lineup will get this important QoL (quality of life) upgrade.

Google to upgrade the Pixel 9 to an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor

Google arrived at the under-display fingerprint sensor scene later than the competition. The Pixel 6 (2021) was the first model to upgrade from the traditional rear-mounted capacitive sensors. However, unlike some rivals, the company chose to use an optical solution rather than an ultrasonic one—Samsung moved from a rear-mounted capacitive sensor to an under-display ultrasonic sensor with the Galaxy S10 series in 2019.

That’s not to say that optical sensors aren’t outright poor. They are slower, less accurate, and more sensitive to moisture or dirt than ultrasonic sensors. However, the Pixel 6’s fingerprint recognition had some severe reliability issues that likely originated from the Goodix-sourced hardware. Google addressed the problem to some extent via software updates and further improved things with the Pixel 7 and Pixel 8 series.

But all this while, it stuck to an optical sensor. The much-needed jump to an ultrasonic sensor might finally come this year. Android Authority has learned that the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL will all feature an ultrasonic under-display fingerprint sensor. While Goodix recently launched its own ultrasonic sensor, Google isn’t relying on the firm anymore. The Pixel 9 series will use Qualcomm’s 3D Sonic Gen 2 (QFS4008) sensor.

This is the same fingerprint-sensing hardware as the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. It’s tried and tested and is incredibly fast and reliable. Of course, it isn’t a day-night gap over optical sensors. However, existing Pixel users upgrading to the Pixel 9 may feel the difference. The bottom line is an ultrasonic under-display fingerprint sensor is always better than an optical sensor. So, kudos to Google for finally making the switch.

The Pixel Fold 2 won’t get this upgrade

Google has confirmed that the Pixel 9 series will debut on August 13. The Pixel Fold 2 should accompany the flagship trio. However, it may not get the upgraded fingerprint sensor. Like Samsung’s foldables, Google will equip its second-gen Fold with a side-mounted sensor embedded into the power button. The new Google foldable is said to feature Samsung’s M14 OLED display, the same as the Pixel 9 series. It is the best smartphone display yet, better than the Galaxy S24 Ultra.


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