Snapchat+ now lets users generate and share AI-generated images

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Snapchat+ now lets users generate and share AI-generated images
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Snapchat is advancing its AI game. Snapchat Plus subscribers can now leverage AI to generate images with the help of prompts and share them with friends. To utilize this feature, subscribers can simply tap the AI button located on the toolbar on the right side of the camera interface. This action opens a window where users can input a text prompt or select from pre-made options such as “a dog dancing in the space” or “a busy cat in suit.” At the time of writing, it is a Snapchat+ exclusive, available to users at $3.99 per month.

Snapchat gears up the AI game, enables the generating and editing of images

Snapchat users already know the power of generative AI. The app’s My AI suite already offers features like a free ChatGPT chatbot and AI-generated Dreams selfies and Bitmoji backgrounds. Now, with the latest update, Snapchat+ subscribers can take it even further by extending images with a simple click, suggests The Verge. This zoom-out feature makes the app even more practical. For example, if you have a close-up photo of your pet but want to capture more of the scene, just click the crop button and then the Extend button at the bottom.

Additional features include letting users generate fantastical portraits with friends! Just pick a friend on the Dreams page, click Done, and share the generated portrait featuring you both. Snapchat+ subscribers receive one pack of eight Dreams selfies monthly, while non-subscribers get a free trial pack. Additional packs are available for all users at $0.99 each.

In related news, Snapchat’s aggressive investment in AI seems to be paying dividends now. The company noted a surge in its subscriber base from 5 million in September to a whopping 7 million today. The company’s boss Evan Spiegel has set ten million subscribers as the company’s “medium-term goal”, reported TIME (via Engadget) and the company is getting closer to it.


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Meta will battle misinformation by fact-checking content on Threads

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Meta will battle misinformation by fact-checking content on Threads
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Meta’s freshest addition, Threads, was released earlier this summer, and now it’s gearing up for a European launch. This social media app, born as a response to Elon Musk’s X, is consistently rolling out updates and features. One such addition is “Tags,” aiming to simplify how users categorize and discover content. But the latest move from Threads is an effort to step up content moderation on the platform.As per Engadged reports, Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, shared that the company is developing a fact-checking program. While the details of the program are yet to be laid out, Mosseri mentions that Threads will “match fact-check ratings from Facebook or Instagram to Threads.”

Presently, Threads doesn’t allow fact-checkers to rate content directly. Instead, when something is flagged as false on Instagram or Facebook, those fact-checker ratings will spill over onto Threads. Mosseri’s vision is for fact-checking partners to have the ability to review and rate misinformation within the app.

This fact-checking program is anticipated to roll out early next year. Meta explains that third-party fact-checking partners will identify and review content circulating on Threads. Users will have the autonomy to adjust the default level of “demotions on fact-checked content” in their feeds—increasing, lowering, or maintaining it. If a user decides to see less sensitive content on Instagram, these preferences will carry over to their Threads view.

Social media platforms are under pressure to fortify their defenses against the spread of misinformation. The introduction of a fact-checking system aligns with recent moves by Meta, such as blocking certain words “previously linked” to misinformation on the platform when introducing a search tool.

While offering a fact-checking feature is a notable move, it doesn’t necessarily mean Threads is gunning to be the new hub for digital news. Elon Musk’s X, on the other hand, has set its sights on that goal, marking a year since Elon Musk ascended the Twitter throne.


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Sophos Firewall Code Injection Flaw: Let Attackers Execute Code

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Sophos Firewall Code Injection Flaw: Let Attackers Execute Code
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A critical security flaw has been discovered in the Sophos Firewall User Portal and Webadmin, allowing hackers to execute malicious code remotely.

The vulnerability enables attackers to inject harmful code into the software, which if exploited, can result in a complete takeover of the system and data theft.

The Sophos updated their firewalls to a new version in order to detect new exploit attempts against the older version. This RCE vulnerability has a score of Critical (9.8).

Sophos said that “vulnerable devices are running end-of-life (EOL) firmware. We immediately developed a patch for certain EOL firmware versions, which was automatically applied to the 99% of affected organizations that have “accept hotfix” turned on”.

Sophos Firewall v19.0 MR1 (19.0.1) and older, which was released in 2022, has become outdated. As a result, the firmware on every vulnerable device has reached its end-of-life (EOL).

This means that these devices will no longer receive updates or support, leaving them open to potential security risks and vulnerabilities.

It is important to note that attackers have been on the lookout for firmware and end-of-life (EOL) devices from various technology vendors.

This particular vulnerability has been exploited with the purpose of targeting a specific group of companies, mostly located in South Asia, as reported by Sophos.

Web admin Portals

It is crucial for organizations to take steps to ensure the security of their User Portal and Web admin, by preventing their exposure to the Wide Area Network (WAN).

For remote access and management, it is advisable to utilize either VPN or Sophos Central (which is the recommended choice). To adhere to device access best practices, it is recommended by Sophos to disable WAN access to the User Portal and Webadmin.

The hotfix installation is automatically enabled by default. Follow these steps to confirm this setting:

  • Go to Backup & firmware > Firmware > Hotfix.
  • Turn on Allow automatic installation of hotfixes.
  • Click Apply.

If hotfixes are enabled, but you are not getting them, check the connectivity requirements for the Up2Date component on Sophos Firewall: Default services.

To verify the hotfix
To verify the hotfix

It is crucial for organizations to stay vigilant and take necessary measures to protect their systems and data from potential attacks.


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Fact-checking is coming to Threads app next year

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Fact-checking is coming to Threads app next year
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Meta’s Threads social media network will arrive to the EU tomorrow. That much has been confirmed. As we’re waiting for that to happen, the Head of Instagram just confirmed something very interesting. Fact-checking is coming to Threads next year.

Fact-checking is coming to Threads next year, the company’s Head just confirmed

The company wants to moderate user-generated content on Threads, for a good reason. He said that Threads currently “match fact-check ratings from Facebook or Instagram to Threads”, but that’s not good enough.

Adam Mosseri said that Threads’ goal is “for fact-checking partners to have the ability to review and rate misinformation on the app”. He promised to share more information in the near future.

Adam Mosseri did not give us an expected time of arrival for the feature, though. He simply said next year, so… who knows. Perhaps we’ll get an ETA soon, when the company shares more information about the project.

Threads launched back in July, and grew immensely

Having said that, since the original launch back in July, Threads managed to attract plenty of users. In only 7 hours 10 million people started using the platform, which doubles after 12 hours. In October, it was announced that almost 100 million users are using the platform.

Needless to say, Threads grew pretty quickly, and Elon Musk’s X controversy definitely had something to do with that. At the time of launch, Twitter/X was a particularly hot topic.

Now, getting all those users is one thing, keeping them is something entirely different. Meta is doing everything it can to do that, however, as new features keep on coming. The company recently rolled out ‘tags’ to Threads, its own version of hashtags.

The EU launch will take place tomorrow

Threads did not launch in the EU from the get-go, as already mentioned. Regulatory problems are the reason why, but that will change tomorrow. Chances are that Threads’ usage numbers will grow quite a bit following the EU launch, though it would probably have more of an effect if it happened back in July.


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Google updates Location History, adds new controls to Maps

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Google updates Location History, adds new controls to Maps
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Google has just announced plans to introduce new controls to its Maps app, as well as a couple of helpful features for Location History. Many of these upcoming features are meant to provide users with more control over managing location data.

Currently, Maps users with Location History enabled on their devices have their Timeline saved on Google servers, but that’s about to change. Google announced that in order to give users more control over their data, their Timelines will be saved right on their device.

The new change comes with all the benefits that Maps users currently have, including the ability to delete all or part of their information at any time or disable the setting completely.

In addition to saving Timeline on devices, users who turn on Location History for the first time will have the auto-delete control set to three months by default. Previously, this option was set to 18 months, which was a very long time without deleting what many people consider very sensitive data.

Google updates Location History, adds new controls to Maps

The new changes to Location History will be rolled out gradually through the next year on Android and iOS. More importantly, you’ll be notified when this update is available for you.

As far as Maps goes, Google announced that you’ll soon be able to see all your recent activity on the app related to a certain location in one place. It will allow you to delete your searches, directions, visits, and shares very easily. This feature will be rolling out on Android and iOS in the coming weeks.

Finally, Google is adding new blue dot controls to Maps, which will allow users to see whether their Location History or Timeline settings are turned on and if they’ve given Maps access to their device’s location. Just like the previous feature, this one will be rolled out in the coming weeks on Android and iOS.

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34 Vulnerabilities & Critical 0-Day Fixed

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34 Vulnerabilities & Critical 0-Day Fixed
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Microsoft has released their patches for December 2023 as part of their Patch Tuesday. In this release, they have patched more than 34 vulnerabilities and one zero-day.

Among the 34 vulnerabilities patched, there were 4 Critical severity vulnerabilities and 30 were termed as Important by Microsoft.

There were 5 Spoofing vulnerabilities, 5 Denial of Service vulnerabilities, 6 Information Disclosure vulnerabilities, 8 Remote code execution vulnerabilities, and 10 Elevation of Privilege vulnerabilities.

However, 3 RCEs and 1 Spoofing vulnerability were marked as Critical by Microsoft.

Zero-Day Fixed 

CVE-2023-20588: Division-by-zero error on AMD processors

This was a non-Microsoft vulnerability that existed in AMD processors. Threat actors can exploit this vulnerability and potentially retrieve sensitive data that can be used for malicious purposes. The severity for this vulnerability was given as 5.5 (Medium). 

This vulnerability was known to be reported to AMD in August 2023, but the company only provided mitigation steps instead of patching this. However, Microsoft has acted upon this and released patches to fix this vulnerability.

Critical Vulnerabilities

According to the updates from Microsoft, four of the critical severity vulnerabilities were CVE-2023-35630 (Remote Code Execution), CVE-2023-35628 (Remote Code Execution), CVE-2023-35641 (Remote Code Execution), and CVE-2023-36019 (Spoofing).

The RCEs existed in several Microsoft products, including Microsoft Windows Server (2012, 2008, 2016, 2019, 2022), Windows 10, Windows 11, and others.

The spoofing vulnerability existed in two of Microsoft’s products: Azure Logic Apps and Microsoft Power Platform. 

As for the Remote Code execution vulnerabilities, the other 5 were marked as “Important” by Microsoft. Microsoft has released security patches for all the affected Microsoft Products.

A complete list of patches and vulnerabilities has been released by Microsoft, which provides detailed information about the products that were affected and their patched versions. 

Users of these Microsoft products are recommended to upgrade to the latest versions to prevent threat actors from exploiting these vulnerabilities.


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Google Chrome gets new design for bookmarks on Android

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Google Chrome gets new design for bookmarks on Android
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Google has decided to redesign the bookmarks bar in Chrome for Android. Do note that this is not an upcoming change, but one that is already rolling out. We’re seeing the change already, and chances are you are too, or will soon.

Google Chrome gets a new design for its bookmarks bar on Android

What’s different? Well, now you get big image previews for links you’ve saved, and the same goes for folders they’re placed in. You can check out the two images below, to get a better idea of what it looks like.

Do note that you’ll need Chrome 120 for Android in order to get this feature. The folders are now blue-colored in the UI, for your general bookmarks folder, and image previews. Favicons are a thing of the past.

This change does mean you’ll see fewer bookmarks on the screen at once, but it sure does look better. Also, plenty of bookmarks can fit on the display still, it’s just not as many as before.

Chances are most people will like this change

I actually really like this change, as these large image previews are really useful. I can spot what I’m looking for quicker, that’s for sure. Recognizing a picture is sometimes easier than looking for a title.

That is basically the only change. You can still see additional options on the right side for each link you’ve saved. That menu is still presented by three dots which are aligned, vertically, which is something we’re used to.

Another thing worth noting is that this change is not yet visible on iOS. Chrome for iOS will likely get the change soon, but Chrome for Android is first in line. Google is no stranger to rolling out some features to iOS first, so now things are reversed.

That’s pretty much it. Make sure you update your Chrome for Android to version 120, and you’ll be able to enjoy this feature with the rest of us.


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Early iPhone 16 prototypes show us a familiar design

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Early iPhone 16 prototypes show us a familiar design
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Early iPhone 16 prototypes have surfaced, and they do show us a familiar design. This information comes from MacRumors, as they managed to get their hands on the information regarding these devices.

Early iPhone 16 prototypes point to a familiar design

It seems like the images shown in the gallery below have been created based on that info. Unsurprisingly, Apple won’t change all that much when it comes to the iPhone 16 design. That at least goes for the vanilla model(s).

First and foremost, the phone is referred to as ‘DeLorean’ internally. If you check out the yellow-colored morel, you’ll notice a different camera layout on the back. Well, different in the way that both cameras are a part of the camera unit, creating a pill-shaped module. This reminds us of the iPhone X design, actually.

That model also has the “earliest known button design”. It has an Action Button, and a unified volume button. The Pink-colored device has an Action Button, and a pair of separate mechanical volume buttons.

The black-colored model likely represents the final design, or something close to it

The black-colored iPhone has the largest Action Button, and a new rumored Capture Button as well. MacRumors said that the black-colored model represents the most realistic look at the phone yet. That is the device that they’re expecting to launch, pretty much.

The Apple iPhone 16 will switch to a vertical camera arrangement, says the source. The device will utilize mechanical buttons, don’t expect solid-state buttons to be a part of the offering here. The Capture Button sure is a possibility, but nothing is guaranteed yet.

That button is tipped to utilize a force sensor in addition to “tact-switching” functionality. We’re not sure what the latter is meant to do, though.

The front side design won’t be surprising either

Now, if you check out the image below this paragraph, you’ll see the front sides of these three models. As expected, a pill-shaped camera cutout is placed at the top, while the bezels are uniform all around. A flat display will be included on the iPhone 16.

iPhone 16 prototypes MacRumors 5

You can also expect a Type-C USB port on the iPhone 16, of course. The device will launch in September next year, almost certainly, alongside the iPhone 16 Pro series.


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Leaks reveal more AI features for Samsung’s Galaxy S24 series

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Leaks reveal more AI features for Samsung’s Galaxy S24 series
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A few days back, a major leak revealed several AI features that Samsung will introduce with the Galaxy S24 series. Fresh leaks have now confirmed a few more, including a new tool that lets you quickly make an internet search for anything on the screen.

Galaxy S24 uses AI in search, voice recorder, and more

According to X tipster Ahmed Qwaider, the Galaxy S24 series will introduce a new “circle search” feature. The source says it allows you to search for anything on the screen by simply making a circle around it. Details are scarce but it appears the tool uses AI to identify the object or text you circled and accordingly run an internet search via the device’s default search engine.

Additionally, Samsung‘s stock voice recorder for Galaxy devices will use AI to identify and tag up to ten different voices. This can be helpful when recording large meetings. You can quickly determine who said what. On top of this, the app can give you transcriptions of all recorded voices and summarize them. If needed, you can also translate the recordings.

Google’s Pixel 8 phones already offer a similar feature. However, it requires an active internet connection. Samsung’s Galaxy AI, on the other hand, is said to be an on-device AI solution. All data processing happens locally on the device. This likely means limitations for certain functions, such as translation. You may be able to translate text only between a select few languages. Translations may not always be accurate either.

Thankfully, Samsung will give you an option to connect to the internet for improved accuracy and more language support. A screenshot posted by @Tim_tom_0 on X shows that you can switch between on-device AI and online LLM (Large Language Model) for Galaxy AI’s translation tool. The Korean firm also lets you use third-party generative AI tools such as Google’s PaLM2, OpenAI’s GPT4, and Gecko.

Samsung Galaxy S24 AI features leak 1

Samsung uses AI to organize screenshots and recommend actions

Samsung’s AI features for the Galaxy S24 series are found pretty much everywhere. When taking screenshots or capturing screen recordings, the devices use AI to detect its content—identify if it is a coupon, airline ticket, a planned schedule, or anything else—and recommend appropriate actions. AI also helps organize screenshots with appropriate categories in the gallery.

With the Galaxy S24, you can also generate articles based on text prompts or titles. The feature will then summarize the article and highlight key points. This tool is likely available within Samsung Notes. Elsewhere, the context menu for a selected text in any text field lets you quickly translate it. The devices also let you quickly change the tone of the text. You can select between professional, casual, social posts, polite, witty, and emotional tones.

All of these features will be part of Samsung’s One UI 6.1 custom software for Galaxy devices. The company will push One UI 6.1 to other devices following the launch of the Galaxy S24 series. However, some new AI features may remain exclusive to the latest flagships. The Korean firm is expected to unveil the new phones on January 17, 2024. Sales may begin later that month.


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Warner Bros Discovery podcasts get a new home at Spotify’s Megaphone

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Warner Bros Discovery podcasts get a new home at Spotify’s Megaphone
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Spotify will host Warner Bros Discovery’s podcasts at Spotify’s enterprise podcast platform – Megaphone, a new report says (via Reuters).

Here’s the official announcement from Warner Bros.:

Today, Spotify and Warner Bros. Discovery announced a new podcast distribution and monetization partnership across the legacy entertainment company’s portfolio of brands. Spotify’s enterprise podcast platform, Megaphone, will host and distribute Warner Bros. Discovery’s expansive slate of must-listen shows. Additionally, Spotify will serve as one of Warner Bros. Discovery’s podcast monetization partners via its audio-first advertising marketplace, the Spotify Audience Network.

There’s an abundance of Warner Bros. Discovery-produced podcasts, such as All There Is with Anderson Cooper, Chasing Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta, The Assignment with Audie Cornish, The Official Game of Thrones Podcast: House of the Dragon, Succession Podcast, The Plot Thickens, The Steam Room, and more.

The Official Game of Thrones Podcast: House of the Dragon unpacks and discusses everything Game of Thrones for casual and die-hard fans alike, starting with the new HBO Original series, House of the Dragon. Hosts are Jason Concepcion and Greta Johnsen, who weekly share insights, answer fan questions, get exclusive interviews with the cast and crew, and more.

That’s not the first time Spotify and Warner Bros. have teamed up to deliver podcasts to fans.

In the summer of 2020, the two giants partnered to offer comics fans exclusive DC Comics podcasts.


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