If you’re using Google Discover frequently, chances are you’re also liking stories as you go along. That way you’re not only showing appreciation for the ones you like, but you also help Google adjust to your interests. Well, Google Discover now has a new capability, it now shows you all the articles you’ve liked, which was not the case thus far.
You can now see your liked articles in Google Discover
When I say liked, I mean ‘hearted’, as there’s a heart next to an article, not a like button, technically. In any case, this feature is now accessible both via the Google app, and a specific URL.
If you want to access it via the Google app, fire it up. Once you do, tap the ‘Saved’ option in the bottom-right corner. There are three tabs down there, you want to tap the most-right one. Once a new page opens, you’ll see three tabs at the top of the page, including the ‘Liked’ one.
The ‘Liked’ tab is the middle one, as it sits in between the ‘Saved’ and ‘Followed’ tabs. In that liked tab, you’ll see all your liked stories, chronologically.
There are two ways to access this new section
If you don’t want to use the Google app, you can also access the same feature through google.com/interests/liked URL. Do note that once you do, the UI won’t look as nice as it does in the Google app, though.
Now, the other two tabs, the ‘Saved’ and ‘Followed’ ones, also show info based on your interests. If you’ve bookmarked any Discover articles, they’ll pop up in the ‘Saved’ tab. The ‘Followed’ tab shows “searches you’re following”.
There you go. If you do bookmark or like articles in Discover frequently, these new additions may prove to be useful for you. You can simply access all that content now, and it’s only a tap or two away.
Google AI Support Assistant chatbot has been quietly released on Google Help pages. The search titan’s new artificial intelligence-powered assistant currently offers help with select Google products. The company’s latest AI-powered feature arrived soon after it introduced Gemini, its next-generation foundation model, earlier this month.
Google AI Support Assistant currently offers help with select products like Maps & Play Store
It appears that Google has released the AI support chatbot on its help pages in the beta version. At the time of writing this post, this feature seems to be only available for select Google Products. These products include the Google Play Store, Google Maps, Messages, and Account. Whenever a user visits the support page for these products, a new “Need help?” icon appears towards the bottom-right corner.
Taking Google Maps as an example, you can hit the “Need help?” icon to get additional help from AI Support Assistant. The assistant will show you some automatically generated queries to help you around the navigation, offline maps, and more. When you click on one of these questions, the AI support assistant will show you the best possible solution. It will also show you a link to the blog post dedicated to that particular query.
The users can also type their own questions after clicking the “Something else” option from the available suggestions. After hitting the enter button, the AI support assistant will search for the best possible resolution to your query. The same functionality is provided for the other Google products including Account, Play Store, and Messages, at least for now.
AI Support Assistant for Google products is still learning
The support pages for Google products note that the “AI is still learning”, and it may show inaccurate results. “human reviewers may process your help guide conversations for quality purposes”, mention the support pages.
Also, the responses to queries from the new feature aren’t instantaneous and could take a few seconds to compile the results. Google is expected to release the full fledged AI Support Assistant for all of its products in the near future.
OnePlus has already confirmed the global launch date for the OnePlus 12 and OnePlus 12R. The OnePlus 12 already launched in China, but the OnePlus 12R did not. Well, now we know when will the initial OnePlus 12R launch take place, as the date has surfaced.
The initial OnePlus 12R launch date has just been revealed
This information has been shared by Max Jambor, one of the most well-known tipsters out there. When it comes to OnePlus, he’s usually spot on. He was the first that revealed two OnePlus 12 phones are coming, for example.
That being said, the OnePlus 12R will launch on January 4, in China. The thing is, it won’t be called the OnePlus 12R in China. It will be called the OnePlus Ace 3, but that is the same phone as the OnePlus 12R.
OnePlus has been rebranding the ‘Ace’ series into ‘R’ series phones for years now. The thing is, the ‘R’ series phone were exclusive to India thus far. This is the first time we’ll see a OnePlus R phone outside of China.
The device will launch in both the US and Europe
The OnePlus 12R is coming to both the US and Europe, in case you were wondering. It will be inferior to the OnePlus 12, as expected. It will, however, offer plenty of power, and hopefully have a truly appealing price tag.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is expected to fuel the device, while a large 120Hz AMOLED display will be used. The phone will utilize plenty of RAM and storage, and have a rather beefy battery with 100W charging support. Yes, a charger will be included in the package.
Android 14 is expected to come out of the box, with OnePlus’ OxygenOS skin on top of it. A 50-megapixel main camera will be backed by an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera, and a 2-megapixel macro camera.
Nokia feature phones have long been celebrated for their durability, with numerous stories highlighting their resilience. Additionally, there have been cases of Apple Watches and iPhones playing major roles in life-saving situations. This time around, the iPhone X is the start of the show, as it saved an Israeli soldier’s life by dodging a bullet in the warzone. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Rabi Shai Graucher presented the soldier and his unit with brand-new iPhones as a token of appreciation and recognition for their service.
iPhone X saves soldier’s life by blocking a bullet
According to a post shared on X (formerly, Twitter), an iPhone X dodged a bullet and saved an Israeli soldier’s life. Apple Insider saw the post and noted that it could be an iPhone X, due to its vertical camera bump.
The video featured an iPhone with a sturdy case and a clear back. A bullet pierced the phone and case but lost its force, sparing its user from serious injury. Apple products have saved lives before, but it remains uncertain if Apple will discuss the iPhone’s bullet resistance.
Apple rates iPhones against dust, water, and extreme temperatures. However, the company has never publicly confirmed that iPhones are bulletproof.
Israeli PM & Rabbi Shai Graucher gifted new iPhones to soldiers
Subsequently, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Rabbi Shai Graucher paid a visit to soldiers and the unit in the hospital. That’s when they also presented the latest iPhone 15 models to them.
It’s worth noting that such tales of phones acting as protective shields in critical situations aren’t entirely unprecedented. Phone Arena recalls past occurrences, including instances where a Moto G5 housed in an Incredible Hulk case proved to be a lifesaver, as well as another involving the HTC EVO 3D. Now, the iPhone X has etched its name onto this list of devices that have unexpectedly shielded individuals from harm.
The 8220 Gang is exploiting multiple vulnerabilities, including the Oracle WebLogic Server vulnerability, to propagate cryptojacking malware in the Americas, Europe, and Africa.
Imperva Threat Research has discovered undocumented activity from a hacker group known as the 8220 gang. This group is known for mass malware deployment using an ever-evolving arsenal of TTPs. The 8220 gang mainly targets Windows and Linux web servers with cryptojacking malware.
The 8220 gang, believed to be of Chinese origins, was first identified in 2017 by Cisco Talos when it targeted Drupal, Hadoop YARN, and Apache Struts2 applications for propagating cryptojacking malware. the group exploited Confluence and Log4j vulnerabilities, and recently, Trend Micro found them leveraging Oracle WebLogic vulnerability (CVE-2017-3506) to infect systems.
According to Imperva’s blog post, the 8220 gang is also exploiting CVE-2020-14883, a Remote Code Execution vulnerability in the Oracle WebLogic Server, to spread malware. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute code using a gadget chain. It is often chained with CVE-2020-14882 (authentication bypass vulnerability) or leaked/weak/stolen credentials. The gang uses two gadget chains; one loads an XML file, and the other executes commands on the OS.
Credit: Imperva
Driven by financial motives, this gang uses simple exploits to target vulnerabilities and exploit easy targets. Despite their unsophisticated nature, they constantly evolve their tactics to evade detection. Attributing attacks to this group is straightforward due to their use of traceable IoCs and TTPs, frequently reusing the same IP addresses, web servers, payloads, and attack tools.
The 8220 gang uses various methods to target Linux hosts, including cURL, wget, lwp-download, python urllib, and a custom bash function. They also use a PowerShell WebClient command on Windows to execute a downloaded script.
In another variation, they use a gadget chain to run Java code without an externally hosted XML file. The injected Java code evaluates whether the OS is Windows or Linux and executes the appropriate command strings. The downloaded files are executed, infecting the exploited hosts with known AgentTesla, rhajk, and nasqa malware variants.
According to Imperva researchers, the 8220 gang appears to be an opportunistic group because of its target selection, which includes healthcare, telecommunications, and financial services.
It mainly targets organizations in the United States, South Africa, Spain, Columbia, and Mexico. Moreover, the gang prefers using custom tools written in Python in their attack campaigns, and the attacking IPs are associated with known hosting companies.
Imperva is urging organizations to maintain security. Enterprises should patch their applications and implement multiple security measures to protect against falling victim to such groups.
One of the most prominent tipsters out there, Ice Universe, just revealed more Samsung Galaxy S24 info. He revealed the Galaxy S24 dimensions, and compared them to the iPhone 15 Pro. The weight of the phone is also included in this package.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 dimensions have been revealed
The Samsung Galaxy S24 will measure 147 x 70.6 x 7.6mm, and it will weigh 168 grams. The iPhone 15 Pro measures 146.6 x 70.6 x 8.25mm, while it weighs 187 grams.
So, the Galaxy S24 will be slightly taller, and a bit thinner than its competitor, while the two phones will be the same in terms of width. Samsung’s vanilla flagship will also be lighter than Apple’s offering, noticeably so.
One thing to note is that the Galaxy S24 will have a slightly larger display. It will pack in a 6.2-inch panel, compared to a 6.1-inch display on the iPhone 15 Pro. That could also suggest that the Galaxy S24 will have slightly thinner bezels, as it’s less than 1mm taller than the iPhone 15 Pro, and they’re the same in terms of width.
Considering how thin the bezels are on Apple’s handset, that’s great to see. Even if they end up being the same thickness, the Galaxy S24 will still look great from the front.
The phone will have uniform bezels, and a centered hole punch
Speaking of which, the Galaxy S24 will have thin, uniform bezels, and a centered display camera hole. In fact, it’ll look very similar to the Galaxy S23, as Samsung is not looking to make major design changes to its lineup.
That being said, we’ve recently shared a ton of official Galaxy S24 renders, in all colors. In addition to that, some Galaxy S24 series specs got confirmed via a leaked promo image.
That leak confirmed that the Galaxy S24 will be fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC. It also confirmed that it’ll pack 8GB of RAM, and include a 4,000mAh battery. A 50-megapixel main camera will be on offer, and the phone will be capable of 3x optical zoom with its telephoto camera.
Samsung has launched two new ISOCELL Vizion sensors tailored for robotics and XR (extended reality) applications. The ISOCELL Vizion 63D and ISOCELL Vizion 931 will bring enhanced visual capabilities to the next generation of high-tech products such as the company’s upcoming XR headset. The new sensors will make their way into non-Samsung products too.
Samsung debuts new ISOCELL Vizion sensors
The ISOCELL Vizion 63D is a time-of-flight (ToF) sensor that can accurately measure the depth and distance of an object. It uses the principle of echolocation that bats use to navigate in the dark. The sensor measures the time taken by the emitted light to travel to and from an object. It can also measure the phase shift between emitted and reflected light to create a 3D image of the object’s surroundings.
Thanks to the added capabilities, Samsung’s ISOCELL Vizion 63D qualifies as an indirect ToF (iToF) sensor. The company claims “exceptional accuracy and clarity” of its 3D sensing and depth measurement. This makes the sensor ideal for industrial robots, XR devices, and facial authentication systems “where high-resolution and precise depth measuring are crucial.”
The new ISOCELL Vision sensor comes with an integrated depth-sensing hardware image signal processor (ISP)—it is the industry’s first such solution. Thanks to this innovative one-chip design, it reduces power consumption by 40 percent compared to the previous-gen ISOCELL Vizion 33D. It can process images at up to 60fps in QVGA resolution (320×240 pixels) and achieves a maximum of 640×480 pixels resolution.
The ISOCELL Vizion 63D has an optical format of 1/6.4 inches and features the industry’s smallest 3.5μm pixels. The product also boasts backside scattering technology (BST) for enhanced light absorption. It offers the highest level of quantum efficiency, reaching 38 percent at an infrared light wavelength of 940nm. “This enables enhanced light sensitivity and reduced noise, resulting in sharper image quality with minimal motion blur,” Samsung explains.
The ISOCELL Vizion 931 can capture the entire scene at once
Samsung’s second new ISOCELL Vizion product is a global shutter image sensor that can capture the entire scene at once. While the traditional rolling shutter sensors scan a scene line by line from top to bottom before capturing it, the ISOCELL Vizion 931 does that at once, similar to how human eyes see. This allows for sharp, undistorted images of moving objects. The sensor is ideal for motion-tracking in XR devices, gaming systems, robots, and drones.
In XR applications, Samsung’s ISOCELL Vizion 931 can enable rapid and effective iris recognition, eye tracking, and facial and gesture detection. Thanks to a 640 x 640 pixels resolution (VGA or Video Graphics Array) in a small form factor, it captures crisp images of rapid movements without the “jello effect.” The sensor delivers an industry-leading quantum efficiency of 60 percent at 850nm infrared light wavelength.
Samsung says this was made possible by the use of an insulation layer between pixels, which helps in light absorption. Called Front Deep Trench Isolation (FDTI), the solution works alongside the BST method used in the ISOCELL Vizion 63D. The ISOCELL Vizion 931 can seamlessly connect up to four cameras to the application processor with minimal wiring.
“Engineered with state-of-the-art sensor technologies, Samsung’s ISOCELL Vizion 63D and ISOCELL Vizion 931 will be essential in facilitating machine vision for future high-tech applications like robotics and extended reality (XR),” said Haechang Lee, an Executive Vice President at Samsung. The Korean behemoth has already provided samples of the new ISOCELL Vizion products to OEMs worldwide.
In the dynamic realm of IT, HCL Technologies, the Noida-based juggernaut, recently found itself navigating choppy digital waters.
The revelation of a targeted ransomware incident within an isolated cloud environment created industry ripples, yet the company’s adept response and ongoing investigation project a resolute stance amidst macro headwinds.
As disclosed through an exchange filing, HCLTech confirmed a targeted attack within a specific cloud environment linked to one of its projects.
Notably, the company emphasized the incident’s isolation, stating that “no impact observed on the overall HCLTech network.”
This assurance underscores the efficacy of their security measures in curtailing the threat and averting a broader network compromise.
HCLTech’s swift response reinforces its commitment to data protection and cybersecurity, designated as “a top priority.”
In collaboration with stakeholders, the ongoing investigation showcases a proactive approach to discerning the root cause and implementing requisite remedial actions.
This decisive response instills confidence in their ability to adeptly manage such challenges.
Market Amidst Macroeconomic Maelstrom:
This incident unfolds against the challenging backdrop of the IT services landscape, buffeted by sustained macroeconomic headwinds impacting technology spending.
This context amplifies the significance of HCLTech’s recent endeavors to diversify offerings and expand its global footprint.
New delivery centers in Romania, a contract extension with Husqvarna Group, and a deal with the Department of Transport and Planning in Victoria, Australia, underscore dedication to expansion amid uncertainty.
Exiting the UKJV partnership with State Street Corporation through a $170 million buy-out further highlights a focus on portfolio optimization.
A Resilient Course Ahead:
While the isolated cloud attack is a stark reminder of ever-present cyber threats, HCLTech’s swift response and proactive risk mitigation instill confidence in navigating this turbulent landscape.
Sustained emphasis on cybersecurity, strategic expansions, and portfolio optimization position HCLTech resiliently amid the unpredictable currents of the IT services sector.
Observing how HCLTech leverages its agility and resilience in the ever-evolving IT services landscape becomes intriguing as the investigation unfolds and macro headwinds persist.
The company’s adaptability and innovation will undoubtedly shape its success amidst the unpredictable dynamics of the coming years.
The HONOR Magic6 series is right around the corner. Plenty of info surfaced already, but we do have something new to share with you. The HONOR Magic6 Pro seemingly appeared in a hands-on image.
The HONOR Magic6 Pro appears in a hands-on photo for the first time
This is the first real-life image of the device that we get to see. You can see that picture below this paragraph. It goes hand-in-hand with the previously leaked render of the HONOR Magic6 Porsche Edition, so chances are it’s accurate. That Porsche Edition variant does look a bit different, but close enough so that we can assume this is the real deal. Even an LED flash is in the same spot.
Now, you’ll notice that the HONOR Magic6 Pro looks very similar to the HONOR Magic5 Pro. The trio of camera sensors inside the camera island has similar positions, while other sensors have been re-arranged a bit, as is the trim around the camera island.
It will support 100x camera zoom
Another thing you’ll notice right in the middle of the camera island is the zoom info. It says 100x zoom, which will be the furthest this phone will be able to zoom in.
Glass will be used on the back of this phone, and this seems to be a gray variant of the device. It is highly reflective, so it is possible that it will look different in different lighting scenarios.
The HONOR Magic6 Lite already launched, while the HONOR Magic6 and Magic6 Pro are expected to arrive in Q1 2024. Two Porsche Edition models are also tipped to arrive.
Blazing fast wired & wireless charging is also expected
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 will fuel the HONOR Magic6 Pro. The device will be equipped with high-end specs in general, including LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 flash storage. A 120Hz LTPO panel is also expected, along with a large battery, and blazing fast wired and wireless charging.
Threat actors engage in cyberespionage to gain the following advantages:-
Strategic
Political
Economic
Military
Hackers do so by stealing the following key things from the targeted organizations or nations:-
Confidential data
Intellectual property
Classified information
Cybersecurity researchers at ESET recently identified that new OilRig downloaders are abusing Microsoft Cloud APIs for C&C communications.
Cyberespionage group OilRig, active since 2014, targets Middle Eastern governments and diverse industries.
Notable campaigns include DNSpionage (2018-2019) and HardPass (2019-2020) using LinkedIn. Updates in 2021 include DanBot and new backdoors (Shark, Milan, Marlin).
In 2022-2023, focused attacks on Israeli entities with Solar and Mango backdoors. In 2023, PowerExchange and MrPerfectionManager were used for mailbox credential harvesting and exfiltration in the Middle East.
OilRig Downloaders Abusing Microsoft Cloud
In Feb 2022, OilRig researchers found ODAgent, a new C#/.NET downloader using Microsoft OneDrive API. Unlike Marlin, ODAgent focuses on downloading, executing, and exfiltrating files.
It hit an Israeli manufacturing company linked to prior OilRig attacks with SC5k and OilCheck. Throughout 2022, OilRig deployed new downloaders in familiar targets of an Israeli governmental network, like:-
OilBooster
SC5k v1
SC5k v2
Shark
Another SC5k (v3) surfaced in an Israeli healthcare organization, a previous victim. SC5k evolves, complicating payload retrieval (SC5k v2) and adding new exfiltration features (SC5k v3). Despite similarities, these downloaders differ in:-
Implementation
Complexity
Tactics over time
Timeline of OilRig’s downloaders (Source – ESET)
OilRig targets limited Israel-based entities with downloaders that were previously attacked by other OilRig tools. The cloud-based downloaders seamlessly blend into normal network traffic, especially in Office 365 environments.
SC5k, at runtime, connects to a remote Exchange server via EWS API, obtaining payloads and commands from a shared email account with the attacker. SC5k variations exist, accessing Exchange servers through hardcoded URLs and credentials.
SC5k logs into the remote server that reads emails in the Drafts directory for payloads and exfiltrates files by creating new drafts. While the drafts have <victimID>, enabling one account for multiple victims.
SC5k distinguishes between operator and malware-created drafts using file extensions (v1/v2) or email properties (v3). With fake “from addresses” to maintain stealth, the email drafts serve diverse purposes like:-
Command execution
Payload retrieval
File exfiltration
In 2022 and 2023, OilRig unveiled tools like OilCheck and SC5k, exploiting legitimate cloud-based email service APIs for C&C communication.
OilCheck, discovered in April 2022, diverges from SC5k by using Microsoft Graph API instead of EWS API. OilCheck crafts API requests manually.
Two other OilRig backdoors opt for email-based C&C to exfiltrate data:-
MrPerfectionManager (Feb 2023)
PowerExchange (Oct 2023)
Unlike HTTP/DNS, OilRig adopts cloud services for stealth, shifting away from traditional protocols. SC5k and OilCheck employ shared Exchange accounts, using email drafts for communication, ensuring a covert approach.
However, apart from this, OilRig continues to experiment with alternative protocols, hiding its malicious activities.
In 2022, OilRig unveiled new downloaders exclusively for Israeli targets, persistently hitting the same ones.
All these lightweight yet potent tools opt for cloud service accounts, differing from internal infrastructure use seen in MrPerfectionManager and PowerExchange:-
SC5k
OilBooster
ODAgent
OilCheck
OilRig’s shift to cloud-based C&C channels signifies an ongoing strategy to hide their malicious activities and network infrastructure.
