ASUS has now confirmed the official ROG Phone 8 release date via its ROG social channels. There’s still no confirmation on what the phone will cost, when it will be purchasable, or what regions it will be available in at launch. But it’s now clear the official launch is close because ASUS is beginning to ramp up the hype train for its next gaming smartphone. ASUS is not alone in this, as many other brands tend to tease devices leading up to an announcement.
So far the company has confirmed the ROG Phone 8’s existence but it hasn’t officially announced or revealed the phone. But it has recently teased on its ROG Global account on X that mobile gamers will be able to see the phone in all its glory in early January. ASUS is also beginning to tease some of the phone’s specifications. And the most recent tease is one change that users of past devices will certainly appreciate. An IP68 rating. Over on the official ROG Weibo account, ASUS confirms the ROG Phone 8 will have an IP68 rating.
This will be a first for the ROG Phone series and ensures the phone will be water and dust-resistant at a standard that is common with most flagships these days.
The ASUS ROG Phone 8 has a release date of January 8
There are a few interesting things about the release date worth mentioning. Firstly, ASUS appears to be releasing new ROG Phones earlier and earlier. With past iterations, the phone would launch in late Summer. Then last year ASUS had the ROG Phone 7 series out by late April. This year it seems to be aiming for mid-to-late January following the January 8 announcement.
The other interesting detail is the date itself. It’s probably no confidence that the “8th” is the date ASUS will announce the ROG Phone 8. The company is clearly playing off the numerical value here. ASUS is also teasing an edgeless frame for the phone this time around. Opting for a punch hole style front-facing camera instead of placing one within the bezels.
As Wccftech points out this has a drawback. The ROG Phone 8 will not have dual front-facing stereo speakers. It will still provide stereo audio but the bottom front-facing speaker will now be on the bottom of the device where the charging port is.
While not confirmed by ASUS most other specs and features have leaked
Much is already known about what the ROG Phone 8 will look like and what sorts of specs it will have. Thanks to recent leaks that appear to bare all. Some of the biggest changes are a more subtle design that takes away many of the flashy gamer-centric stylings. Such as the back ROG Vision display that had become a part of the phone with the ROG Phone 5 series. It’s also going to have a flat display and one model will reportedly come with up to 24GB of RAM.
The leak also shows off the new AeroActive Cooler which appears to be slightly more compact than past versions.
Here we go again. The McAfee Mobile Research Team (via BGR) has discovered 25 apps that contained the Xamalicious malware. Some of these apps were installed directly from the Google Play Store and Google removed them even before McAfee publicly disclosed their names. Most Xamalicious-infected apps are found in the following categories: games, health, horoscope, and productivity.
If you don’t believe that Apple is against sideloading for security reasons and simply doesn’t want to miss out on collecting the 30% Apple Tax, read this slowly. While Google did remove the Xamalicious-infected apps from the Play Store, McAfee says that most of the apps are still available on third-party Android app stores. Going back to comments made by the late Steve Jobs, Apple has made it clear that allowing apps to be sideloaded takes these apps out of Apple’s purview preventing it from keeping infected apps out of your iPhone. End of sermon.
This Android app infected with Xamalicious malware has been installed over 10,000 times
Apps infected with the Xamalicious malware use “social engineering” to gain accessibility privileges allowing the user’s device to communicate with a command-and-control server all without the device owner knowing. At that point, a second payload is downloaded to the phone that will “take full control of the device and potentially perform fraudulent actions such as clicking on ads, installing apps among other actions financially motivated without user consent.”
While the infected apps are no longer available in the Play Store, if you’ve already installed the apps you need to uninstall them immediately. The 13 apps removed from the Google Play Store include:
Essential Horoscope for Android – 100,000 downloads
3D Skin Editor for PE Minecraft – 100,000 downloads
Logo Maker Pro – 100,000 downloads
Auto Click Repeater – 10,000 downloads
Count Easy Calorie Calculator – 10,000 downloads
Sound Volume Extender – 5,000 downloads
LetterLink – 1,000 downloads
NUMEROLOGY: PERSONAL HOROSCOPE &NUMBER PREDICTIONS – 1,000 downloads
Three of the apps have been installed over 100,000 times and two have over 10,000 installs. So do yourself a favor and go through your apps and make sure that you don’t have any of these titles on your Android phone. You might have malware on your Android handset if you notice that your phone is running hot at inappropriate times and your battery is draining too fast.
The Xamalicious malware is used to turn your phone into a money making device for cyber-criminals. Don’t let this happen to your phone. All you have to do is scan the list of apps installed on your Android device for the 13 titles listed above. If there’s a match, uninstall those apps immediately.
I’ve been lucky to try a few RIG gaming headsets over the last couple of years and the 900 Max HX is the company’s latest gaming headset to grace my ears. It’s RIG’s most premium offering and with a price of $249.99, that’s not likely to be lost on anyone. While I have generally enjoyed my time with other RIG headsets, it was clear that they were budget offerings that couldn’t hold a candle to what I’m usually used to. That’s not the fault of RIG of course. I’ve been spoiled by the likes of the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless and Logitech G Pro X.
And it’s hard for headsets in the same price range to compete with those. Let alone some meant for entry-level budgets. So I thought, what a great opportunity to see what RIG has up its sleeve in the high-end gaming headset space. How does its premium model compare to those that are less than half the price? Thankfully RIG sent this over for me to find out and I have to say, I wasn’t disappointed. At least, not in the sound quality. But we’ll get more into what I didn’t like later on. Let’s dive into the RIG 900 Max HX to see how it stacks up to the competition and if it’s worth your hard-earned money. Especially at this price.
RIG 900 Max HX Review: Design
I was never terribly fond of the design of other RIG headsets. That’s not to say they were bad by any means. On the contrary, they’re perfectly fine. I just prefer something that looks a little higher quality. RIG has certainly provided that here with the 900 Max HX. With past headsets I’ve tried from this brand, the entire frame was made of plastic. And while RIG prides itself on the durability of its headsets, the all-plastic build just wasn’t my favorite.
For the 900 Max HX though, RIG has turned things up a bit and added in a metal headband. It’s actually quite a nice design that incorporates the stainless steel band for the top portion of the headset. Which as one would have it, is the part of the headset that is going to flex the most. When you pull the ears away from your head to pull the headset off, the top part of the band is what’s getting the most stress. RIG is increasing the durability by using the stainless steel here. Not only does it look nicer, but it makes me feel better about the longevity of its structure after months and months of repeated daily use.
As someone who plays games just about every day for a few hours to wind down, sometimes all day on the weekends, I use my headsets a lot. So they need to be able to stand up to daily wear and tear. Rest assured, I treat the headsets with care and don’t just haphazardly rip them off my head. But I have had headsets before that don’t hold up well to constantly taking them on and off. Which I tend to do. This has never been a worry for me with the RIG 900 Max HX. That’s a good thing considering this headset’s high cost.
The comfort factor
I’m just going to come out and say it. I honestly didn’t find these to be as comfortable as I was hoping for a gaming headset that costs $250. But, this is also a bit nuanced. The headset as a whole is not uncomfortable. Just one particular part. The earcups. They’re soft and fairly breathable. So there was never an issue for me with them getting too warm after a few hours of use and making my ears sweat.
The issue for me is that after 30-45 minutes of wearing these, the earcups start to feel itchy and I’m constantly having to readjust them or pull them off to scratch my ears or the side of my head. There were a few occasions when it was so uncomfortable for me that I just ended up swapping to another headset. Not everyone is going to have this issue. And particularly I think anyone with slightly smaller ears might be fine with these earcups. However, mine are a little bigger and I think this had an impact.
There’s also a potentially easy fix here. You could swap out the earcups for a different pair. Something aftermarket maybe that’s made from a different material. I think this would solve the problem for comfort for me personally so I would expect it to do the trick for others. That being said, the headset is already $250 so I feel like this isn’t something you should have to do. But if you really like this headset and don’t find the earcups comfortable, this is one avenue you could take. The earcups do come right off pretty easily too. So you can pop them off in just a few seconds and put on new ones.
RIG 900 Max HX Review: Sound Quality
This is really where the headset shines. I think the Dolby Atmos is doing some of the heavy lifting here. But even without that turned on these sound better than the RIG 600 Pro I tested just a couple of months ago. So already we’re off to a good start on the sound quality.
For me, this almost makes up for the discomfort I have because of the earcups. These provide decent bass with nice mids and highs for clearer voice and detailed sound. When using these on PC, you most certainly want to use the Dolby Atmos. This really makes your games sound more alive and does well to sort of put you in the role of the character you’re playing. The nice thing is you get the Dolby Atmos for headsets free with this purchase. You’ll need the Dolby Access app installed to use it, but this normally has a $14.99 lifetime purchase cost. Something that isn’t needed when you buy this headset.
After turning this on and playing a few hours of Destiny 2, it was like I was living my Guardian’s life and fighting back against the enemies of humanity as if I were there. The Dolby Atmos really helps amp things up for movies and TV shows too. In short, use it when you can. You’ll get Dolby Atmos on the Xbox Series X|S as well. So if you primarily play on the Xbox console, this is also a must with the Xbox version of the same Dolby Access app. PS5 also supports Dolby Atmos now so it should work on PS5 as well, but there’s no Dolby Access app for PS5 so you won’t be able to configure anything.
Outside of the Dolby Atmos, the RIG 900 Max HX provides decent sound no matter what you’re playing. I used these for all kinds of different game types and didn’t really have many complaints about the headset concerning the game type or genre. Some of the titles I checked out include Final Fantasy XIV, Destiny 2, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, Final Fantasy XVI, and Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty.
It sounded pretty good with all of these games and I don’t think anyone would be discontent with the sound. However, these don’t pick up on subtle sounds like footsteps as easily as other headsets I have used. This will really only matter though if you pay attention to these kinds of audibles. For me personally, the audibles are a big part of how I react to situations in first-person shooter games. So I prefer a headset that will give the best clarity for those kinds of more subtle sounds.
In games like Modern Warfare III, footsteps play a big role in discerning where your enemy is and can give you an advantage. These pick up on them but they just weren’t as good as other high-end options like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless or the Logitech G Pro X 2. If this kind of detail isn’t a big thing in your games or you simply don’t rely on it as much as I do, then you’ll find the sound quality with these to be more than suitable.
RIG 900 Max HX Review: Microphone Quality
One of the main complaints I had about the RIG 600 Pro was the microphone quality. I think it was a bad design that hampered the experience. When in use, I was pretty consistently told that I sounded rather quiet. Like I was too far away from the mic. And that started to make perfect sense because the mic was pretty short. So it just wasn’t picking my voice up as easily. Unless I raised my voice to speak louder. In doing that though I could end up causing other issues. Like disturbing others in the home or coming across too loud over the mic.
Thankfully RIG made the microphone on the 900 Max HX a little longer this time around. It’s still shorter by a good measure than other headsets I use almost daily. But it is longer than the last RIG headset I tested and the microphone sound quality is better for it. I most certainly come off louder than before and that makes a noticeable difference when playing games where communication is a big part of the game. Say you’re playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and you’re trying to call out to your teammates where the enemy just killed you.
In situations like these I never really worried about whether or not my teammates would understand me since my voice was coming through nice and clear. The noise suppression helps with this and overall, I think the microphone quality is perfectly fine. This is something I was hoping for, but not expecting, given my past experiences with the RIG 600 Pro.
The microphone is once again a flip-down boom arm only this time it doesn’t fold into the construction of the left ear cup. It’s not as aesthetically pleasing but because of this RIG also likely had more room to make the boom longer to be closer to your mouth when speaking. It also keeps the flip-to-mute feature which I thoroughly enjoy because of its ease of use.
And of course, like any other headset, you’ll get an audible tone in your ear when the mic is muted and unmuted. Though this isn’t exactly as necessary since it’s pretty obvious which is which. Up for muted and down for unmuted. Still, it’s a nice touch for the confirmation.
RIG 900 Max HX Review: Connectivity
On the surface the connectivity in the RIG 900 Max HX is fine. But you’ll find that if you dig a little bit deeper there are some small drawbacks. I do love a wireless headset because I just don’t like the feeling of the cable from wired headsets brushing up against my arm while I play. So right off the bat I already like the RIG 900 Max HX because it provides me with a solution to this weird little pet peeve I have concerning gaming headsets.
You can connect the headset to your PC or console using either Bluetooth or the included 2.4GHz USB adapter. And if you’re using the adapter, you can plug it into your PC or console directly or you can plug the base station in instead. If you opt for plugging in the base station, there’s a little USB slot for you to plug in the adapter. Both of these methods should allow you to use the headset wirelessly with your chosen platform. Only I seemed to have some inconsistency when trying to connect wirelessly with the adapter in the base station as opposed to a direct connection.
When trying to use it on PS5, the headset would connect just fine with the direct adapter plugin. But not so much when I plugged the adapter into the base station. I never really had this problem when using it on PC. Also worth noting is that sometimes the headset would randomly disconnect and the reconnect a second or so later.
The base station also only has one USB-C port on the back so you can’t connect it to two or three platforms at once. Like you can with the Astro A50 X. So you’re going to be removing the adapter from the base station or one platform’s port and moving it to another at some point.
You could also forego all of this and just connect using Bluetooth if you’d like. But you do get a low-latency connection if you use the dongle. So this is what I would recommend. The reason you might want to use Bluetooth however is for the multi-source connection. You can connect it to the PS5 for example using the adapter, but then to your phone as well using Bluetooth.
There’s no multi-source audio mixing
The only real issue I found here is that the 900 Max HX doesn’t have multi-source audio mixing. Meaning you can’t listen to audio from two different sources at the same time.
This is a big thing for me since I like to use Discord for voice chat when playing games on PS5. I can just connect my Arctis Nova Pro Wireless headset to my phone using Bluetooth for voice chat. Then to the PS5 using the direct base station plugin. This lets me independently control the volume for both the game audio and chat audio separately.
And more importantly, it lets me hear both at the same time. The RIG 900 Max HX unfortunately doesn’t allow this. It does however let you bounce between sources. So connecting to two is still viable if you want to use the headset for taking a call should it come in while you’re playing.
No wired connectivity support
Another weird trait is that the headset has no wired connectivity support at all. If your battery dies, you simply have to plug the headset in or place it on the base station to charge. I simply find it odd that there’s no option to plug the headset in and use it wired. I have done this on many occasions with other headsets when the battery gets low. Because it allows for continued use of the headset and charges the battery at the same time.
While not a deal breaker, this is something that would have me considering other headsets if I were looking at buying this one from RIG. I play games quite often so the batteries on my headsets get ample usage. When I’m using something other than the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless and the battery is almost dead, I sometimes just plug the headset into the source with the included cable because I want to keep playing. It would have been nice to see that here with the 900 Max HX. Especially given the $250 price tag.
RIG 900 Max HX Review: Battery Life
One area where the headset shines is in the battery life department. It’s by no means the longest-lasting battery of any headset. However, I could easily get upwards of 50 hours out of it before needing to plug it in. Which for me is about a week’s worth of usage. This battery life is consistent as well. Some of the other headsets I’ve tested are lucky to last for 30 hours. So RIG is really stepping it up here with the battery longevity.
That being said, you can make it so you never have to worry about battery life. All you have to do is simply remember to place it on the base station when you’re done. At 50 hours of battery consistently, you’re probably never going to go through the battery and drain it all the way in one sitting. So, at the end of your gaming session, just place it on the base station. Half of its intended use is to give you a place to park the headset when you’re not using it. It serves as a display piece and a way to charge the headset.
Then by the next time you pick it up to play, the battery will no doubt be fully charged. You might be able to kill the battery if you use this while away from home. At this point, it’s nice to know that you won’t need to plug it in for 50 hours. But in almost every other scenario you’ll never really worry about whether it’s fully charged or not. Or if it’s going to shut off on you in the middle of a session. Because you can use the base station. It’s a neat little luxury that not many headsets offer.
RIG 900 Max HX Review: Sound Customization via the App
Just like with the RIG 600 Pro you get a bit of sound customization here thanks to the RIG 900 Navigator app. The app is also how you’ll initiate software updates to the headset when they’re available. So be sure to check in on it regularly just in case. The nice thing about this being a mobile app is that any sound adjustments you make will translate to mobile use. If customization was through PC software you would generally only get those adjustments on PC.
With the Navigator app you can tweak quite a few things including microphone gain. This is where you’ll turn if you want to amplify the sound of your voice to make it sound louder if you come across as a little quieter than you wanted. You can even turn on mic monitoring so you can see how you sound. I used this for testing during the initial setup since I was having issues with the 600 Pro being too quiet for people I was talking to. I usually leave this off since I don’t want to hear myself speaking. But it comes in handy when you want to test the level of your voice before hopping into a chat.
There’s also an EQ tab for honing in on a personalized sound profile for your games or other entertainment. A lot of the time I just used the preset FPS setting that’s in the app as this sounded the best to me. But you can set up your own profiles if you want to and adjust the EQ manually.
Or you can select a preset and then drag the EQ points around to your liking. The one downside to the app is that you have to be using the headset in Bluetooth mode to use the app. This means if you want to customize the audio in any way before playing a game, you’ll need to connect the headset to the phone with Bluetooth and adjust the audio first. Even if you have the headset in Dual Mode the app won’t recognize the headset. This is another minor thing that won’t be a deal breaker. But it is odd and kind of a hassle if you use the app. More so if you swap between sound profiles from game to game.
Should You Buy The RIG 900 Max HX?
While I don’t love this headset, the main reason for that is that there’s just some tough competition out there for it. $250 is not cheap for a gaming headset. And when you’re spending that kind of money, you want to be sure you’re going to love what you buy. That being said, I can still easily recommend this for multiple reasons. For one, the base station it comes with is a nice thing to have. Not many gaming headsets have these. You can for example find it with the Astro A50 but you’ll typically need to spend $299 for those. And you’ll spend even more if you go for the Astro A50 X.
With the RIG 900 Max HX you get the base station for less money. And if you hate plugging in your headset or swapping out batteries, the base station eliminates the need for either. The Dolby Atmos is also an excellent audio enhancement for any games you’re playing. At the end of the day, the RIG 900 Max HX is a solid gaming headset that is worth the money spent. It isn’t the only option out there in this price range. But it certainly sets itself apart. And anyone who buys it shouldn’t be disappointed.
You should buy the RIG 900 Max HX if:
You want great quality sound with Dolby Atmos support and lifetime access to the feature
The charging base station is something you want
A durable headset is important
You shouldn’t buy the RIG 900 Max HX if:
True simultaneous audio source mixing is something you’re looking for
WhatsApp is one of those platforms that always has some sort of new change or feature on the way. Now, there are some new changes on the way to the web client that will switch up the visuals just a bit. According to a new report, WhatsApp is working on a new sidebar for the web client along with improving the dark theme.
When it comes to the changes with the dark theme for the platform, it looks like the company is going to make it closer to what we see in the Android version of the platform. Right now, the platform has a dark mode that turns the background a dark gray look. This could make the interface less straining to look at when all of the lights are off.
Well, the company is going to make a slight change to the dark theme. This change is going to make the web version look more like the Android version of WhatsApp. The Android is a bit darker compared to the web version currently. With this change, WhatsApp will look a bit more consistent across its platforms.
WhatsApp is working on a new sidebar for the web client
The web version of WhatsApp is also getting a new sidebar. This looks similar to what you get in the Windows version. The interface will have a bar on the side with several icons that will let you navigate to other parts of the UI.
In the screenshot below, we see the Chats tab open with the bar on the side. This change will also make WhatsApp more consistent across all of its platforms. At the moment, we don’t know when WhatsApp is going to push the update to the public, but it seems that it’s well underway. So, it shouldn’t be too much longer before you see it.
Long story short, Japan’s Fair Trade Commission is said to be working on new regulation that would make it mandatory for Apple to allow sideloading on iOS.
Apple has long been resisting the enabling of sideloading on iOS ever since the platform’s birth in 2007, but it’s beginning to look more and more like the end of an era is coming.
First, it was the EU, which ruled that Apple has until March 2024 to allow users to sideload apps on their iPhones. Sideloading basically means that you can download and install apps from other places than Apple’s App Store, such as third-party application stores or from the web. Certain code within iOS 17 beta versions has already been found that looks like proof Apple is working on allowing sideloading.
However, based on the code, it appears Apple is preparing to geo-target the feature, meaning it’ll probably enable it only in those markets which are forcing it to do it. So far this is the EU, but a new report from Nikkei Asia says that Japan’s FTC is also preparing a similar law.
The new set of rules prepared by Japan’s regulators actually cover a number of areas, like app stores, payments systems and search engines. Along with allowing users to install apps on their iPhones from wherever they wish, it’s also expected that third-party payment systems will have to be allowed, meaning Apple’s cut from sales and in-app purchases could see a reduction.
All of these regulations will be in effect for both Apple and Google, and while Google has traditionally allowed users to sideload apps, their in-app purchase revenue might also take a hit.
Sideloading is extremely easy to do on all other major platforms like Windows, MacOS and Android. However, iOS was conceived as a very tightly integrated platform from the very beginning, which allowed Apple to build an insanely rich and lucrative app economy.
And while the days of milking that cow as hard as possible may be coming to an end, this certainly won’t present a catastrophe to Apple’s business. In a way, it’d be just the next logical step in the evolution of iOS, which has been getting more and more open with time. Sure, Apple has been trying to control the pace of this opening as much as possible, but hey, even if these new rules out of the EU and potentially Japan might be a bitter pill to swallow for the tech behemoth, hopefully Tim Cook and company will manage to find some sort of silver lining and use this moment as an opportunity to further enhance user experience.
If not, well, users will be able to get their apps from wherever they wish, and potentially pay cheaper in-app purchases, so that’s still a win in our book. What remains to be seen if US regulators would, at some point, engage in similar action.
Meetings without paper have become a reality thanks to advanced technologies. Digital tools help companies be more efficient while staying focused on their daily routine. Instead of traditional table books and paper documents, all the necessary board materials are stored and accessible via a secure digital platform, known as table management software.
What are paperless council meetings?
A digital meeting refers to a business gathering conducted electronically, eliminating the need for traditional paper documents. In such meetings, organizers can instantly access, examine, and annotate meeting materials, agendas, and presentations on their electronic devices.
Embracing paperless council meetings contributes to sustainability by reducing paper waste and diminishing the energy consumption linked to printing, storing, and distributing physical documents. Additionally, the shift to paperless board meetings boosts the overall efficiency of meeting processes and cultivates enhanced communication among directors.
Why should you enhance Collaboration and Decision-Making with Virtual Board Portals?
Here are the top 7 reasons to switch to paperless meeting software:
Save time for board members
One of the greatest advantages of smart board software is that directors can use it to exchange relevant updates and documents and study them to prepare for a board meeting.
Then, once the event starts, they can go directly to conversation and decision-making. No endless updates, no boring reports. Only collaboration and fruitful discussions.
Reduce expenses related to each board meeting
The management of the board of directors is impossible without good budget management. As we’ve mentioned before, traditional meetings can be rather expensive. If you consider board software pricing, you will at least reduce the expenses related to printing all those paper copies that directors need to discuss.
If you decide to organize a virtual event, expenses will decrease considerably because you will not have to cover the travel of directors. Instead of paying for office space, accommodation, and travel, you will only have to support a paperless board meeting solution.
Improve the efficiency of board meetings
The simple fact that the boards of directors do not need to go through updates at the beginning of the meeting already means that they will not be tired before they start discussing. Therefore, they can think clearly because they are not tired of listening to reports.
In addition, advice portals allow directors to create meeting agendas so that everyone can propose ideas before they take place. The paperless meeting solution provides members with different tools such as votes and polls that can improve the decision-making process.
Improve collaboration between board members and employees.
Most consulting portal providers allow users to integrate this software with other business tools. According to the knowa board portal overview, this makes it easy to connect the consulting portal to the applications that employees use to synchronize the flow of undocumented documents and thus control the progress of tasks.
According to Nicholas Cooper – CEO of board-rooms.co.uk: “Moving to paperless meetings with this software creates a fluid and centralized workspace for managers, allowing them to stay in touch with employees even without office space”.
Make access to information easy
The paperless meeting management software can be accessed from any device and location, as long as a user has an Internet connection. This means that directors will not encounter delays or problems simply because they cannot receive a printed document. All the information downloaded from the digital board meeting portal is easy to access and members can study it even on the go.
Protect company data
Data leaks are not a joke. They are expensive and can to the company’s reputation once customers have realized that their sensitive data has been exposed. It is therefore crucial for a company to protect its information, and the board portal solution is perfect for this. This software allows you to hold paperless board meetings while keeping company documents reliably protected.
Criminals can’t access a board of directors portal because suppliers secure their servers and their customers’ repositories by encryption. For the benefit of board members and better protection, administrators can use additional security features such as two-factor authentication.
Make your advice flexible
Are the directors of your board located in different countries? Is anyone currently on a business trip? No problem, you can move on to paperless meetings by simply organizing the online event using videoconferencing software and a board portal.
Technology enables us to be flexible and focus less on office space. Take advantage of this opportunity to hold a virtual board meeting, even if some participants cannot physically attend.
Conclusion
Board meetings are electronic meetings of board directors, also known as paperless board meetings. During paperless meetings, directors can access, review, and annotate documents, agendas, and presentations in real-time using an Internet connection and their electronic devices.
Organizing paperless board meetings improves the efficiency of meetings and communication between leaders. It is one of the most efficient methods for Better Collaboration and Decision-Making.
Samsung‘s December security update is available for Galaxy A53 and Galaxy A32 5G users in the US. The latest security patch has been already released for the former in international markets but the rollout for the latter has begun stateside. A few other A-series phones also recently picked up this month’s update.
Galaxy A53 grabs December update in the US
The December SMR (Security Maintenance Release) is available for the carrier-locked version of the Galaxy A53 in the US. The premium mid-range smartphone is getting the update with the firmware build number A536USQS8DWL2. The rollout began a few days back and should soon reach all eligible units, including the unlocked version. Samsung has already updated the device to the December security patch in several other markets.
For the Galaxy A32 5G, the Korean firm is beginning in the US. The aging mid-range phone is picking up the December SMR with the build number A326USQSCDWL1 for carrier-locked units. A wider rollout shouldn’t be too far away for this model either. The international model of the device has yet to receive the update. Samsung might expand its coverage to other regions over the next few days.
The company’s official changelogs confirm that neither phone is getting anything more than this month’s security fixes with the latest update. The December security release for Galaxy devices is a big one. It contains fixes for more than 60 vulnerabilities. Several of those were critical security flaws in Android OS. You can check for new updates through the system Settings app on your Android-powered Samsung phone.
The latest security update is available for more Galaxy devices
Over the past few days, Samsung has also released the December SMR for the Galaxy A73 and Galaxy A52s. Neither model was sold in the US but users in other markets should receive the update soon. The new build numbers for the duo are A736BXXS6DWL2 and A528BXXS5FWL4, respectively. Unsurprisingly, neither phone is picking up additional goodies. They recently received the Android 14-based One UI 6.0 update.
The Galaxy A53 is also coming fresh from the Android 14 update. The Galaxy A32 5G, meanwhile, hasn’t received it and likely won’t. It debuted with Android 11 and picked up updates to Android 12 and Android 13. It is unclear whether Samsung plans to push a third major Android OS upgrade to the three-year-old phone. If the device gets Android 14, we will let you know as soon as the rollout begins.
MediaTek and TSMC have reportedly joined forces to develop the Dimensity 9400, the company’s upcoming 3nm System-on-Chip (SoC). Building on their successful partnership in creating the 3nm SoC, which boasts a remarkable 32 percent improvement in power efficiency compared to its predecessors, both companies are gearing up for the launch of their first joint product.
While the exact name of the chipset has not been officially confirmed, speculation points towards it being named the Dimensity 9400. MediaTek’s CEO, Rick Tsai, recently shed light on this collaboration, emphasizing the strategic alliance’s focus on optimizing efficiency for the upcoming chipset. With the absence of low-power cores similar to the Dimensity 9300, the partnership aims to address potential power draw challenges, possibly leveraging AI and neural cores for specific tasks.
The collaboration for the 3nm Dimensity 9400 reportedly goes beyond just the fabrication
As MediaTek and TSMC extend collaboration on ultra-low power technology, industry insiders anticipate a significant improvement in performance and, especially, power efficiency. The upcoming 3nm SoC from MediaTek will hopefully continue its success trajectory, with the Dimensity 9300 already acclaimed as the most powerful smartphone chipset currently available.
CEO Rick Tsai’s optimistic outlook for 2024 underscores the impact of the artificial intelligence (AI) boom on MediaTek’s fortunes. With MediaTek offering chips tailored for the AI category, next year promises to be a positive turning point for the company.
Rumors surrounding the 3nm Dimensity 9400 suggest a CPU cluster configuration featuring a Cortex-X5 paired with an unnamed CPU design, ensuring unparalleled multi-core performance. Despite the absence of efficiency cores in the Dimensity 9400, a close-knit collaboration between TSMC and MediaTek may mitigate potential power draw challenges. However, Qualcomm will also adopt TSMC’s 3nm fabrication process and may even go for a deeper collaboration like MediaTek as well.
As the race for superior silicon intensifies, both MediaTek and Qualcomm will introduce their cutting-edge SoCs in the coming year, setting the stage for an intriguing showdown in the world of mobile chipsets.
Pixel users have enjoyed a feature where they’d see the weather forecast after dismissing their morning alarms for a few months now. It’s a nice way to start off your day, but the company doesn’t seem to be happy with the presentation. According to a new report, the weather in the Google Clock app is getting a nice revamp.
We’ve also heard about this feature a while before it actually launched. When you dismiss your alarm in the morning, you’ll immediately see a brief forecast of the current day and the next day. This feature is only for Pixel users, so most of the Android smartphone market is left in the dust. We’re not sure if the company is planning on bringing it to more phones in the future.
Weather in the Google Clock app is getting a revamp
As useful as this feature is, Google just doesn’t think that it’s pretty enough. This is why it’s getting a pretty major facelift. This change will look familiar to you if you’re used to setting up Pixel phones all the time. You’ll see large and bubbly animations of shapes in the background. This matches Google’s Pixel aesthetic that stock Android is now known for.
On top of the shapes, you’ll see the forecast for the day. On the top left of the screen, you’ll see the current conditions. A bit lower in the UI and to the right, you’ll see the projected conditions for the day. At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see the Okay thanks button to dismiss it.
So, this is a nice and convenient feature to have for your app. There’s only one little issue. This is a situation where an app loses some function for the sake of fashion. The older version would show you the forecast for the current day and the next day. After the revamp, it only shows you the conditions for the current day.
So, you’ll need to go to the Weather app to see the conditions for future days.
Microsoft Copilot, the AI companion chatbot designed to collaborate with people on creative tasks, is now sporting its own dedicated app on Android. Powered by GPT-4 and DALL-E 3, this free app stands ready to unleash its creative and informative powers on your smartphone.
Spotted by eagle-eyed users, the Copilot app quietly landed on December 19th on the Google Play Store, offering a streamlined experience for AI enthusiasts. Currently, there is no listing on iOS for this app, however, Bing for iOS is still an option.
While no logins are required, anonymous users face a daily limit of five prompts and shorter responses, which can be unlocked by signing in with your Microsoft account. Signing in does grant unlimited queries and opens the door to image generation, turning your phone into a mini-art studio powered by DALL-E 3.
Image credit: Microsoft via Google Play Store
While Copilot’s functionality might seem familiar, it’s more than just Bing AI in disguise. This app ditches the web search clutter, focusing solely on AI-powered interaction. Ask complex questions, get simplified explanations, or have Copilot whip up creative text of any kind – it’s all at your fingertips. And the best part? It understands text, image, and even voice prompts, making interaction natural and intuitive.
The Microsoft Copilot app running on a Google Pixel device with GPT-4 toggle turned on
Microsoft’s been on a mission to integrate this AI powerhouse everywhere, from Windows 11 to Bing. This dedicated app could be the next step in its evolution, positioning Copilot as a standalone digital assistant that thrives beyond the confines of web browsers.
Offering this app for free, while bundling GPT-4 and DALL-E 3, is a bold move by Microsoft. Currently, using the free version of OpenAI’s ChatGPT only grants you access to the GPT-3.5 model, and will cost you $20/month to upgrade to the Plus plan that unlocks GPT-4 and DALL-E.
So, if you’re looking for a taste of next-generation AI on your phone, look no further than Microsoft’s Copilot app. It’s free, it’s powerful, and it’s just getting started. The future of AI assistance is here, and it’s fitting right in your pocket.
