The yellow color variant of Samsung‘s Galaxy S24 Ultra will reportedly feature a golden frame. The revelation came from noted tipster Ice Universe. The source shared a concept image of the device to show what it looks like from the front. The phone will also come in black, gray, violet, green, blue, and orange colors.
Samsung is readying a golden Galaxy S24 Ultra
Samsung usually offers its flagship phones in a host of colors, though some are limited to select markets or its online shop. For the 2024 lineup, the company is readying at least seven color options for the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Among those is a yellow variant, which we have seen in concept images in the past.
We now have confirmation that the device will feature a golden frame. The image shared by the tipster shows a sleek Galaxy S24 Ultra with symmetrical display bezels. The same source reports that the design looks “great” in real life, better than what leaked renders have suggested. The punch hole cutout for the selfie camera is smaller and sits a little lower than the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra “real mobile phone looks great, better than I expected,” the tipster said in a recent post on X. They have been very critical of Samsung’s flagship designs in recent years, particularly the display bezels. So the company seems to have done a great job this time around. While it’s impossible to please everyone, the new flagship may not disappoint many with its design.
Only the Ultra model may have a titanium frame
As usual, Samsung will launch three flagship smartphones next year. The Galaxy S24 Ultra will be accompanied by the base Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+. All three models are expected to come in a wide range of colors. However, only the Ultra mode may feature a titanium frame. The Korean media reports that Samsung doesn’t plan to equip the other two models with a titanium frame in 2024.
Like the 2023 models, the base Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ will feature an aluminum frame. The company may upgrade them to titanium in the future. Since titanium is harder to cut and finish, it’s costlier to make than aluminum frames, which reportedly cost less than $20 each. It remains to be seen if Samsung will absorb this cost and reduce its profit margin or pass it to consumers, increasing the price of the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The new flagships arrive in January 2024.
Most Android smartphones these days have both light and dark modes. Many of you probably prefer having one during the day, one the other when the sun sets. Well, we stumbled upon an app that you may be interested in, if you belong to that group, the app’s name is Dual Wallpaper.
The Dual Wallpaper app can change your wallpapers automatically
This app changes the wallpapers for you, based on your theme. So when your theme changes to light mode, a new wallpaper will appear, the same goes when it flips into dark mode.
You can, of course, set which wallpapers you’d like to be representative of which mode. That way, you’ll always have the exact layout you want. You won’t need to worry about bright wallpapers during the night.
Now, if you do not change your themes, but would still like for the app to change your wallpaper, that’s also possible. You can set a time schedule for the change to occur.
In regards to wallpapers, you can either choose your own, or set plain color gradients from within the app. Dual Wallpaper allows you to use a color picker to select the colors you prefer.
It doesn’t include ads, and it’s completely free
This application is completely free and it doesn’t include ads. That is something many of you will know how to appreciate. On top of that, the app’s design is very nice. It looks clean, and quite straightforward, and it works great.
Chances are you won’t be spending much time in the app, though, but still, it’s nice to see nice UI designs. Once you set everything as you like it, the only time you’ll come back is when you want to change the wallpaper(s) or the schedule you’ve chosen.
Take a look at the gallery below to see some images of the app’s UI. If you’re interested in checking it out, we’ve included the download link below. It will take you directly to the app’s Google Play Store listing.
The holidays are just around the corner, and that means it’s time to start thinking about gifts for the people on your list. If you’re looking for the perfect gift for the tech-lover in your life, a new smartphone is a great option.
There are so many great smartphones on the market right now, so it can be tough to decide which one is the right one. That’s why we’ve put together this gift guide of the best smartphones to buy this holiday season. Whether you’re looking for a phone with a great camera, a long-lasting battery, or a powerful processor, we’ve got you covered. So sit back, relax, and let us help you find the perfect smartphone for your loved one.
Best flip phone: Motorola Razr (2023)
Motorola Razr (2023)
The Motorola Razr offers the iconic flip-phone factor at a cheaper price point
The Motorola Razr (2023) is the cheapest foldable to land in the US, with a MSRP of $699. It comes in a slew of colors including Summer Lilac, Cherry Blossom, Sage Green, and Vanilla Cream. Motorola has outfitted the Razr (2023) with a vegan leather back, which feels really good in the hand, and provides plenty of grip. Meaning, you won’t need to worry about dropping this one.
Motorola has included a 6.9-inch 22:9 aspect ratio display here, which is powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It runs pretty well, as we detailed in our Motorola Razr (2023) review back in October. In fact, it’s very impressive at this price point. We’ve tested many smartphones at this price and many of them are pretty lacking in performance.
On the camera-front, Motorola has included a 64-megapixel main sensor and a 13-megapixel ultra-wide camera. These aren’t the best cameras in the world, but they do get the job done. They are to the right of the front display, which is more of a ticker display. This small display will show you the time, date, battery percentage and even your notifications. There are a few other apps that work here too, including Spotify controls, and a timer.
Motorola has included both face unlock and a fingerprint sensor here. The fingerprint sensor is inside the power button, making it super easy to unlock the phone, since you can do it all in one motion. Face Unlock is not as secure as a fingerprint, so you can’t use it for authenticating apps, but you can use it for unlocking the phone.
If you have someone on your holiday shopping list this year that really likes foldables, but can’t afford the more expensive book-style foldable, then the Motorola Razr (2023) is a really good option.
If you’re not sold on the Motorola Razr (2023), another good option is the Galaxy Z Flip 5 from Samsung. It’s a bit more expensive at $999 (often discounted to $899 or even $799), but it is a much better phone – hence the higher price. It sports a 6.7-inch FHD+ 120Hz display, along with a 3.6-inch front display, which can run full Android apps. Making it easier to use as a flip phone, instead of having to open it all the time.
A compact phone that’s just as powerful as the big boys
The ASUS Zenfone 10 is such a great phone in so many aspects. It’s perfect for those on your holiday shopping list that want a smaller phone, but don’t necessarily want a lower-end phone. ASUS has made a small phone that performs well, has great battery life and good cameras. And it’s just $699.
Zenfone 10 sports a 5.9-inch 144Hz AMOLED display. This is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Somehow, ASUS was able to put a 4,300mAh capacity battery into this small frame. Which is rather impressive.
When we reviewed the Zenfone 10 earlier this year, we were impressed by the battery life, the quality of the display. The cameras on the Zenfone 10 are just good, not great. ASUS has included a 50-megapixel main sensor, and a 13-megapixel ultra-wide sensor here. They provide good photos, but this phone won’t be the camera of the year.
ASUS has chosen to take a more stock Android approach to the Zenfone 10. Giving us what is basically AOSP, with a few additions included. This includes making the Quick Settings better, than what Google has done with them. Instead of having huge buttons, limiting the number of Quick Settings on each page, you can opt for ASUS’ option, which makes them smaller rounded buttons once again. Giving you more Quick Settings faster. After all these are supposed to be “quick”.
Starting at $699, the Zenfone 10 is in a pretty packed price point, but this might be the best $700 you can spend on a smartphone this year. It’s just such a good all around phone.
While the ASUS Zenfone 10 is a really great smartphone to pick up this holiday season, another good, small phone is the iPhone 15. This year, Apple made quite a few changes to the iPhone 15 this year that makes it such a good device. It is a bit larger, with a 6.1-inch display, which is still 60Hz. But it does also sport the A16 Bionic chipset with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It also got a brand new camera in the 48-megapixel main camera. Which is really incredible, and does give iPhone 15 users the ability to have zoom without telephoto. Battery life is also quite good here, not quite as good as the ASUS Zenfone 10, but it’ll get you through the day with ease.
Google has brought together the best camera, best software and the most advanced AI into a single phone
The new Pixel 8 Pro from Google has a lot going for it. On the spec sheet, things haven’t changed a whole lot over the last two-generations. But one thing has become a major upgrade for the Pixel 8 Pro this year. That is the display. On the Pixel 8 Pro, Google has added its Super Actua Display, which allows it to hit a peak brightness of 2,400 nits. That’s one of the brightest displays on a phone yet.
Google Pixel 8 Pro did get a price increase this year, however, all of the upgrades make it worth the $999 price tag. Not only did the display get a major upgrade, so did the cameras. While the wide and telephoto sensors were upgraded in recent years, the ultrawide finally got a nice upgrade. It’s now a 48-megapixel sensor, which makes those macro shots look a whole lot better.
But that’s not the whole story for the Pixel 8 Pro camera. Google has also added in lots of AI features, as it tends to do. Like Magic Editor. With Magic Editor, you’re able to really change up how your photo looks. Not only by removing people and objects, but you can also change how the sky looks, create a really cool and artistic portrait from a selfie, and so much more. All thanks to AI. Including AI Wallpapers. If you’re always looking for a good wallpaper for your phone, then this is a great feature for you. Users are able to generate wallpapers by giving the AI a few prompts. It’s a tad limited right now, but Google is continuing to add more options all the time.
Google has outfitted the Pixel 8 Pro with a 6.7-inch QHD+ display, the Tensor G3 processor, with 12GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Now there are options to get 256GB, 512GB and even 1TB of storage here, as well. And it comes in three stunning colors. That’s Obsidian, Porcelain and Bay.
Google’s Pixel 8 is a great alternative to the Pixel 8 Pro. It’s a smaller phone, but does lack the telephoto camera. Other than that, it’s pretty much identical, but at a cheaper price of $699. The Pixel 8 does have a 6.2-inch FHD+ 120Hz display, powered by Google’s Tensor G3 processor, which is what helps with all of the fancy AI tricks that the Pixel 8 series have. And just like with the Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel 8 also gets seven years of updates. Meaning it’ll get Android 21, which is pretty insane to think about.
Best battery life smartphone: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is a two-day phone for most people
Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra is arguably one of the best smartphones released in 2023, and anyone that opens one up on Christmas Day will be forever grateful. As we said in our review of the Galaxy S23 Ultra, it’s almost a perfect phone. And it’s not crazy overpriced either, with a MSRP of $1,199.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra has a 6.8-inch QHD+ 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED display, powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage on-board. It’s also powered by a massive 5,000mAh capacity battery. Which helps it have such epic battery life. It’s among the best smartphones we’ve reviewed this year, in terms of the battery life.
But that’s not the only place that the Galaxy S23 Ultra excels. The camera setup on this phone is truly goated. Samsung has equipped it with a 200-megapixel main camera. Which is able to pixel-bin down to a 12.5-megapixel image. That means that you will get a ton of details in every photo, but you can also take photos at 50-megapixels, 100-megapixels and even 200-megapixels, for some truly large files. Samsung has also included a 12-megapixel ultra-wide, 10-megapixel 3x optical zoom and a 10-megapixel 10x optical zoom lens here. All of which provide some truly incredible pictures.
Samsung did launch the Galaxy S23 Ultra with Android 13, but it is expected to get Android 14 and One UI 6, basically any day now. Samsung has already pushed out a number of beta Android 14 updates to it. So the final release should be any day now. And it will still get three more OS updates, and four more years of security updates.
Finally, Samsung does offer the Galaxy S23 Ultra in a slew of colors. This includes phantom black, green, cream, lavender and graphite. Over at Samsung’s website, you can get the Galaxy S23 Ultra in three exclusive colors, which are lime, sky blue and red.
If you’re looking to spend less money, but still get fantastic battery life, we have to mention the Motorola Edge+ (2023). This phone is $799 and has a massive 5,100mAh capacity battery inside. It is also powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, so you know it’s going to be a power-sipping smartphone. Motorola has also outfitted it with a 6.67-inch FHD+ 165Hz display here, as well as some pretty impressive cameras. That’s a 50-megapixel main camera, 50-megapixel ultrawide and a 12-megapixel telephoto.
OnePlus’ first foldable hit the market and quickly became the best
2023 really seemed to be the year of the foldable. This year, we saw a good number of foldables hitting the market, including some competition for Samsung in the space, in the US. The OnePlus Open is the first foldable under the OnePlus name, but not the first for its parent-company BBK. And OnePlus seemed to have learned from all the mistakes of its competitors, before releasing the Open. When we reviewed it in October, we awarded it an “Editor’s Choice” award.
The OnePlus Open is a tad cheaper than the competition, coming in at $1,699 MSRP. OnePlus does offer some good trade-in offers too for this OnePlus Open, which are valid throughout its lifetime. So you can definitely get it for $1,499 or less.
With the OnePlus Open, many reviewers were ecstatic about it for a couple of reasons. First up is the displays. On the front, it sports a 6.31-inch 2K display, and the inside has a 7.6-inch 2K display. Both of which get very bright, up to 2,800 nits peak brightness. Which is the brightest of any smartphone on the market today.
The other big reason why reviewers loved the Open is the cameras. Many foldables don’t have the same flagship cameras as their non-foldable brothers. Not the OnePlus Open. In fact, these aren’t just flagship-level cameras, but perhaps the best cameras on a phone so far. OnePlus has included a 48-megapixel wide sensor, which is also a physically larger sensor than what most phones have. There’s also a 48-megapixel ultra-wide here, along with a 64-megapixel 3x optical zoom sensor. Not that zoom sensor is so large, that OnePlus is able to do 6x lossless zoom. And up to 125x digital zoom.
This is all powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. That’s more RAM and double the storage of competitors that are $100 more expensive. And finally, inside there is a 4,805mAh capacity battery that does a good job of keeping it going all day long.
If there’s someone on your shopping list this holiday season that is dying for a foldable, this is the one to get.
If you want a foldable from a company with a bit more experience, then the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is the best bet. It is the company’s fifth book-style foldable at this point, so they’ve been around the block a few times. Samsung has equipped this phone with a 6.2-inch front display and a 7.6-inch main display, both of which are 120Hz. The front display is pretty narrow, making you want to use the bigger main display most of the time. It also has a 4400mAh capacity battery which keeps it running all day and then some. And it’s priced at just $1,799.
While browsing apps, we’ve come across a rather interesting one in the Google Play Store. The Charge Meter app basically tells you how fast your Android phone is charging based on the charger you have plugged in.
The Charge Meter app lets you know how fast your phone is charging
All you have to do is open the app, and plug in the device, and voila. This way you can test which charger charges your phone fastest, and also see if some of them are functioning as intended.
Needless to say, by doing this, you can get rid of some chargers that may not be up to par anymore, or are simply broken. Charge Meter shares a number of charging stats with you.
What other uses does it have? Well, I said that it shares a ton of charging info, and that includes some useful battery info in general. This app can measure real-life battery capacity for you. The app can also look up the discharge speed and battery consumption per app.
It has a number of other stats too
It can also show you the remaining charge time, and the remaining use time. Charge Meter has the ability to display the battery temperature, and can track live charge usage of apps.
Now, do note that the app comes with the light theme as default, but you can change that to the dark theme. The thing is, you’ll need a premium version for that. That feature is locked behind a paywall.
The same goes for picture-in-picture mode for minimized viewing, and home screen widgets. If you decide to go premium, the ads will disappear too. They are included in the free version, as expected.
The app’s UI is very simple, and easy to use. You’ll simply see a ton of stats on the display, and be able to access more of them by tapping on offered, main stats. You can check out what the UI looks like via the gallery below.
Samsung will use an overclocked version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in its Galaxy S24 series. A Geekbench listing has revealed that the Samsung-exclusive chip will have its prime CPU core clocked at a higher speed than the standard version. It will also feature a faster GPU.
The Galaxy S24 series will feature an overclocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Qualcomm recently unveiled the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. It’s an octa-core processor featuring one ARM Cortex-X4 prime CPU core clocked at 3.30GHz, three Cortex-A720 mid-cores at 3.15GHz, two more Cortex-A720 mid-cores at 2.96GHz, and two Cortex-A520 efficiency cores at 2.27GHz. Benchmark listings for the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra so far featured this chipset.
However, the Ultra model recently popped up on Geekbench with a Qualcomm chipset having a peak speed of 2.40GHz. A closer look reveals that it’s none other than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 with an overclocked prime CPU core. The other seven cores operate at the same speed as the standard version. This confirms Samsung’s next-gen flagships will use the overclocked processor.
Rumors have also hinted at a faster or overclocked GPU for the Galaxy S24’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Qualcomm hasn’t officially confirmed the GPU speed of its latest flagship chipset. However, the Galaxy version is reportedly clocked at 1,000MHz or 1GHz. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 has a GPU speed of 680MHz, so that’s a massive GPU boost we are looking at here.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra featuring this boosted chipset scored 2,148 and 6,618 in single-core and multi-core tests on Geekbench v6, respectively. Interestingly, the scores are lower than what the phone achieved with the standard Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (2,234 and 6,807). This is another confirmation that early benchmark scores aren’t a true measure of the chipset’s capabilities or a phone’s real-world performance.
The 2024 Samsung flagships will also use Exynos 2400
This isn’t the first time Samsung is getting an exclusive, overclocked version of the latest Qualcomm chipset. The company used an overclocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the Galaxy S23 series this year. However, while the 2023 flagships feature the same processor globally, it isn’t the case with the Galaxy S24 lineup.
Samsung’s 2024 flagships will also use the company’s in-house Exynos 2400 processor. Particularly, the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ will ship with the Exynos chip in Europe, India, Africa, and a few other markets. They will get the overclocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the US and China. The Galaxy S24 Ultra will ship with the Snapdragon chip globally. The devices are expected to go official on January 17, 2024.
Google has restructured its voice assistant team to meet the expectations, unfortunately resulting in another layoff. The company has not revealed the exact number of affected employees. However, internal documents suggest the number of those individual contributors to be around 20.
According to Insider, employees who were working as independent contributors on Google’s Assistant team received notifications on Monday. It informed them about their roles being eliminated.
With the announcement of Assistant with Bard, also some employees from the Google Bard team were transferred to the Assistant team. But interestingly, soon after their transfer, Google lays them off from the assistant team. Of particular note is that one of the affected employees is currently on maternity leave, and another is battling cancer.
The 60-day period to find new roles inside Google to avoid layoff
Those impacted by these recent layoffs have been given a 60-day period to find new roles within the company. Otherwise, they will have to face termination. Google appears to be implementing these layoffs as part of the company’s strategic business objectives.
A spokesperson for Google provided a statement, saying, “In order to optimize our team structures around our highest priorities, we’ve reorganized our team to best support our strategic business objectives.”
This latest round of layoffs follows Google’s earlier announcement of a restructuring plan this year. It included the layoff of 12,000 employees and strategic cuts across different divisions. These divisions include Google News and its health-focused subsidiary, Verily. The recent layoffs in the voice assistant team are another example of Google’s ongoing efforts to streamline its operations and refocus its workforce on key business goals.
The layoff within Google’s voice assistant team including the previous one is a reminder of the challenges that tech companies sometimes face as they adapt to changing market conditions and attempt to stay competitive in this rapidly growing industry.
You’re not always going to be able to make it to the office for your business meeting. Sometimes, you have to join a meeting on the way to the office. Well, for times like those, Google Meet has a new mode to help you with your on-the-go meetings, according to a new report.
The new On-the-go mode is coming to Google Meet
If you need to catch a meeting in the cab or while shuffling to the office, you’re likely to join the meeting on your phone. It’s possible to do that, but the experience could stand to be more streamlined and safe. That’s where this new mode comes in.
When the app detects that you’re in motion, you’ll see a little 3-2-1 countdown pop up. There’s a Not now button that will cancel it. however, if the countdown reaches 0, the mode will start automatically. If the mode turns on when you don’t want it to, there’s a button at the top of the UI that will let you revert back to regular mode.
With the mode activated, there will be some changes that are user-facing and some that aren’t. Starting off, the interface will completely change. You won’t see the video feed, you’ll only see your profile picture and a show presentation button right below it.
You’ll also see some rather large buttons under that. There’s a huge Mute button with a Raise hand, Audio on/off, and Exit call button. They’re all large, so they’re much easier to see. This is just in case you’re catching the meeting while you’re driving. When you’re driving, you want to avoid as many distractions as possible.
As for the change that’s not user-facing, the app will restrict the bandwidth. If you’re on the go, you’re most likely using your phone’s data. Restricting the bandwidth will reduce the data that you’re using on your phone plan.
This feature is now rolling out to the public, so you should see it in the app soon. Make sure that your app is fully updated.
A few weeks ago, the Moto Unplugged app became available on the Razr device, and it’s now making its way to the Razr Plus. This is possible thanks to a new update that is rolling out to Motorola’s clamshell folding device. In addition to this long-awaited app, Motorola is also making the Moto Connect app available for Razr Plus users.
Due to the slight software difference between the Razr and the Razr Plus, one gets some features earlier than the other. This new productivity app that is rolling out to the Razr Plus has been available on the Razr for a while. Users of the Razr got this update a few weeks ago, leaving the more expensive device behind.
Finally, users of the more expensive option are getting a vital feature that users of the less expensive device have been enjoying. The update bringing this feature also packs bug fixes and stability improvements for the Razr Plus device. Here’s everything you need to know about the Moto Unplugged app that is now available on the Razr Plus foldable device.
Details on the Moto Unplugged app that is making its way to the Motorola Razr Plus smartphone
The Moto Unplugged app comes standard on the Motorola Razr smartphone. As for the more expensive and feature-packed Motorola Razr Plus, this device didn’t launch with this app. However, Motorola has been working to bring this app to their more expensive clamshell folding device.
Users of the Motorola Razr Plus were disappointed to learn that the last update for their device didn’t bring this app. Well, the new update that is now rolling out not only brings this app but also other impressive features. The new update also brings software improvements to the Motorola Razr Plus.
As for the Moto Unplugged app, this is an app that helps users focus at certain times of the day. It’s quite similar to Focus Mode on Android, which also limits app usage at certain set times of the day. With this app coming to Motorola’s more expensive foldable device, users can block or limit notifications from distracting apps.
This is a productivity app that tons of users will come to love once they try it on their devices. Another app that this update is bringing to the Razr Plus is the Moto Connect app. Yet again, this is another productivity app that users who own an external monitor will come to love.
The Moto Connect app uses Motorola’s Ready For to connect the Razr Plus to an external display. From this display, users can operate their device without having to touch the device. So, editing files on your device with an external monitor is possible without having to send the file to other devices.
To spice things up Motorola also throws on some UI tweaks to this update. If you use the Moto Razr Plus smartphone, you are set to get this update soon. Head over to your system update page in settings and install this update to get more productive on your clamshell folding device.
Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, is working on a fix to the cross-app posting feature. This feature helps users of the Threads app to publish their posts on the platform to Facebook and Instagram without the option to opt-out. Recent reports point out that this feature will get some necessary changes, helping Thread users choose how their posts get shared.
At the moment, the update that will bring this change is still in the pipeline, but some users are already able to access it. Once available, it will permit users to decide whether they want their Threads app posts on other Meta platforms. Those who want their posts promoted to other Meta platforms will be able to pick the platforms they want the posts to reach.
Surprisingly, some Threads app users aren’t even aware that Meta publishes their posts on Facebook and Instagram. Cross-app posting has been available on the Threads app for quite a while now. At the moment, users can’t decide whether they want Threads posts to be published on other Meta-owned platforms, but that is coming to an end.
Threads app users will soon have control over cross-app posting to other Meta-owned social media platforms
Alessandro Paluzzi, a reverse software engineer, took to his X page to share details on Threads’ cross-app posting. From his post, it became clear to netizens that the cross-app posting feature on Threads is getting some necessary improvements. This improvement will give users the ability to choose whether they want the posts on Threads to get to other Meta-owned platforms.
Also, Threads users will be able to pick between Facebook and Instagram for post sharing. With this improvement, users will have more control over which Meta platforms their Threads posts get to. Alessandro Paluzzi noted this change under the “Suggesting posts on other apps” section of the app.
This section is currently unavailable to users but will become available with a coming update. The update that will bring this section to the Threads app is the same update that will fix the cross-app posting issue. At the moment, there is no information on when this update will become available, but users can expect it anytime soon.
Meta came up with the cross-app posting feature to help promote Threads using other platforms. However, taking the ability to control this feature away from users is not the ideal way to go. Users who have been having issues with cross-app posting can now rest assured, knowing that a fix is coming.
An analysis of the sample data shared by the hackers revealed, among other details, personal and insurance-related information belonging to three GRU agents.
Since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, both nations have experienced a series of non-stop large-scale cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure, personal data of unsuspecting users, as well as sensitive military and banking information. Additionally, hacktivists from both sides are engaging in these attacks aligned with their respective causes.
During the ongoing conflict, a significant aspect often overlooked is the involvement of hackers motivated by financial gain. These actors, driven by profit, engage in hacking and selling data. In a recent cybersecurity incident tied to financial motivations, a threat actor targeted Rosgosstrakh (Russian: Росгосстрах), Russia’s second-largest insurance company after SOGAZ, successfully stealing a substantial amount of customer and sensitive financial data.
The individual known by the alias “Apathy” has announced intentions to sell the hacked data. Notably, the Rosgosstrakh data has emerged on well-known Breach Forums, with a price tag set at $50,000 in Bitcoin (BTC) or Monero (XMR) cryptocurrency for the extensive collection of information.
What’s in the leaked data?
The compromised data includes full access to the investment and life insurance department records dating back to 2010. The breach, which has put approximately 3 million bank statements at risk, has also compromised data on 730,000 individuals, with approximately 80,000 individuals’ Russian Social Security Numbers (SNILS) and 45,000 individuals’ complete bank routing information now in jeopardy.
The breach also includes access to all life insurance policies and contracts, as well as associated attachments such as passports and scanned documents of public officials or their immediate relatives.
The hacker additionally intends to offer prospective buyers a “full buyout” by providing complete access to Rosgosstrakh’s internal Web User Interface (UI). A full buyout refers to the complete purchase or acquisition of all rights and ownership of a product, service, or asset.
(GRU DATA) Data of Russian Military Intelligence Agents
Hackread.com has examined the sample data shared by the hacker on Breach Forums. However, another party that obtained a portion of the data from the hacker is Maia Arson Crimew, a Swiss security researcher and hacker.
Crimew disclosed acquiring an extensive 22GB of JSON data in plain-text format. The complete database comprises a staggering 400GB of data.
In a blog post, Crimew revealed their analysis of the dataset, uncovering information attributed to three GRU agents. The GRU, an entity within the Russian Armed Forces, functions as a military foreign intelligence agency situated in Russia.
Crimew’s findings contained comprehensive details about the agents, featuring their full names, dates of birth, phone numbers, email addresses, passport numbers, and specifics related to insurance coverage, particularly life insurance information.
Conclusion
Rosgosstrakh is a large and well-established company, yet it was vulnerable to a cyberattack. This demonstrates that no organization is immune to cyber threats. The Rosgosstrakh data breach is a serious incident that has exposed the personal and financial information of a large number of individuals.
It is also worth noting that the data breach could have implications for the Russian government. The fact that the data includes information on Russian military intelligence agents could be used by foreign governments to gain an advantage over Russia. Additionally, the breach could damage Russia’s reputation and make it more difficult for Russian companies to do business internationally.
