Samsung’s Exynos 2500 could redefine mobile GPU standards

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In 2019, Samsung teamed up with AMD for mobile GPUs based on the latter’s Radeon graphics technology primarily used for computer graphics. They have so far only made two custom solutions for Exynos processors, including the Xclipse 940 GPU for the newly announced Exynos 2400. The Korean firm is confident that the new chip will deliver a better GPU performance than competitors. It appears Samsung will take things up a notch with the Exynos 2500.

The Exynos 2500 might feature a much-improved GPU

Samsung’s Exynos processors have long struggled to compete head-on against Qualcomm’s Snapdragon solutions. The chips had performance, efficiency, and thermal issues when the company used custom Mongoose CPU cores, and the switch to stock ARM cores hardly fixed anything. There have been some improvements, but flagship Exynos chips continue to underperform competing Snapdragon SoCs.

In the meantime, the Korean firm joined hands with AMD for custom GPUs. The Exynos 2200, which powered the Galaxy S22 series last year, featured the first custom solution. Samsung didn’t launch an Exynos 2300 and used the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 on the Galaxy S23 series globally. It’s now back with the Exynos 2400 for the Galaxy S24. The company says its Xclipse 940 GPU, based on AMD’s RDNA 3 architecture, brings a major performance boost.

With the Exynos 2500, Samsung will reportedly upgrade to the RDNA 4 GPU architecture. It will also feature the latest LPDDR5T mobile DRAM technology. X tipster Revegnus suggests AMD’s expertise in graphics solutions may finally come to the fore with the next-gen Exynos processor. “I didn’t have high expectations for the Exynos 2400,” the tipster said. “Samsung brought in GPU talents primarily for the 2500, not the 2400.”

The source is referring to Samsung’s recent hiring for its GPU team. Most notably, the Korean firm roped in Zhao Guo, co-founder of Chinese fabless semiconductor company Biren Technology, earlier this year. Guo previously worked with Qualcomm. Samsung has also hired a few more semiconductor experts who previously worked with Qualcomm and TSMC. It remains to be seen what the company comes up with next year.

The next-gen Exynos chip will be a 3nm solution

The Exynos 2400 is a 4nm chip. Samsung has begun 3nm mass production but has yet to apply the advanced process node to mobile SoCs. It will make the jump next year with the Exynos 2500. A company executive recently confirmed the plan. Like the latest solution, the next-gen Exynos chip will also feature a deca-core CPU (ten cores). More information about the Exynos 2500 should surface online in the coming months.


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Porsche to integrate Google services in its vehicles

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Porsche and Google signed a new agreement that lets the German automaker integrate Google services in its vehicles. According to the company’s announcement, the integration includes Google Maps, Google Assistant, and many other apps currently available through the Play Store.

Many automakers worldwide are now turning to tech firms to benefit from their apps and technology. You can now find Android Auto and Apple CarPlay in almost every vehicle in the market. The deeper collaboration between tech companies and automakers could benefit customers in many ways. For example, it lets them run mobile apps on their vehicle’s infotainment system.

As a leading and cutting-edge car manufacturer, Porsche is collaborating with Google for a deeper integration of Google services into its vehicles. The German company says Google services for navigation, speech, and app ecosystem will come to future vehicle generations. These vehicles will enter the production line in the middle of the decade.

Google and Porsche expand their partnership in navigation, speech, and app ecosystem

Porsche further added that no change will be made to the user interface of the company’s Communication Management (PCM) system. Additionally, customers will receive online updates to keep the PCM system updated. Porsche described its partnership with Google as “a long-term venture.”

Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG, says their customers now want a “seamless digital experience” besides timeless design and exceptional performance of Porsche vehicles. “This blended ecosystem results from the integration of platforms and apps that customers know from their end devices,” Blume added.

Porsche also noted Google’s app ecosystem isn’t the only ecosystem that is about to come to the company’s vehicles. The statement continues that ecosystems from different providers that are relevant for customers will integrate into Porsche cars via standardized interfaces and platforms. So, it won’t be far-fetched to see Porsche signing a similar agreement with Apple.

Hiroshi Lockheimer, SVP of Platforms and Ecosystems at Google, stated the partnership lets drivers access the latest Google technologies and services. Lockheimer added this could happen through an infotainment experience built on Android and found on Porsche cars.


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Samsung reports significant profit surge in Q3 2023

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Samsung suffered steep profit declines in the first half of 2023, with its semiconductor division reporting its first losses in 14 years. The second half of the year has begun on a more positive note for the company. The Korean firm has just published its earnings report for Q3 2023, and its profit has increased substantially.

Samsung posted its best quarter profit of the year in Q3 2023

According to Samsung’s earnings report, its total consolidated revenue for the past quarter was KRW 67.40 trillion (roughly $50 billion). The revenue has increased over 12% from the second quarter of the year when it made KRW 60.01 trillion. It is still down 12.22% from the third quarter of 2022, though. The Korean behemoth generated a revenue of KRW 76.78 trillion between July and September last year.

While that’s a notable year-over-year (YoY) drop in revenue, profit has been Samsung’s bigger problem this year. It took home only KRW 640 billion and KRW 670 billion in the first two quarters of 2023, respectively. That’s a profit margin of just 1%. In the third quarter, its profit margin increased to 3.6%. The company posted a profit of KRW 2.43 trillion ($1.8 billion) this past quarter.

The figure is still down a whopping 77% from the same period last year. Samsung posted an operating profit of KRW 10.85 trillion during the period. Its profit this year is far off the 2022 levels, but the company appears to be on the right track in recent months. The Galaxy S23 series has sold better than 2022 models. Samsung’s losses from the semiconductor division also narrowed in Q3, helping it post a higher profit than Q2.

Samsung says its Device Solutions (DS) Division, which houses the semiconductor unit, suffered an operating loss of KRW 3.75 trillion in the third quarter. It reported losses of KRW 4.58 trillion and KRW 4.36 trillion in the previous two quarters, respectively. The memory business benefitted from increased demand for high-value products, which effectively increased the average selling price (ASP).

80% of Samsung’s profit came from the display business

Samsung’s mobile display business posted “solid results” this past quarter. With an operating profit of KRW 1.94 trillion, it accounted for 80% of the company’s total profit during the period. Sales of both mobile displays and large display panels grew in Q3.

Samsung is expecting this trend to continue in the fourth quarter. It supplied displays for Apple’s iPhone 15 series and Google’s Pixel 8 series. The new Pixels also feature a Samsung-manufactured Tensor G3 processor. The Korean firm designed its CPU as well. It remains to be seen whether the company manages to post a healthier operating profit in the year-ending quarter.


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Apple unveiled an M3 version of the iMac that’s 2x faster

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Apple’s “Scary Fast” event was held with a focus on Mac devices and faster M3 chips. One of the products that was unveiled at this event is a refreshed 24-inch iMac with an M3 chip. The company claims the new chip is 2x faster than M1.

Apple’s in-house M-series chips are known for their incredible performance and seamless integration with the company’s devices. The iMac lineup with M1 chips launched in 2021, and they’re still among the best PCs you can buy. The product is now refreshed with a new M3 chip that features an eight-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU. It also supports 24GB of RAM, 2TB storage, and Wi-Fi 6E.

The new M3 chip can run Safari or Microsoft Excel up to 30% faster. Additionally, iMac with M3 chip is now a great fit for content creators as it allows for up to 12 streams of 4K video. The refreshed 24-inch iMac is now available in seven colors: green, silver, yellow, orange, pink, blue, and purple.

Apple has refreshed its 24-inch iMac lineup with a new M3 processor

As for the design, the iMac gets no makeover and still preserves that sleek and slim look of 2021. Other aspects of the device, like a 4.5K Retina display, 1080p camera, and color-matched accessories with a Lightning cable, are also preserved. A faster and optimized chip is everything that a 24-inch iMac gets for its late 2023 refresh cycle.

To meet the tech firms’ net zero goals, Apple uses more recycled materials in producing M3 iMacs. For example, the device’s stand is now made of 100% recycled aluminum, and the circuit boards are also made from 100% recycled gold.

The 24-inch iMac with M3 chips and an eight-core CPU cost you around $1,299. The price soars to $1,499 for the 10-core chip. The pre-order also starts today, while the product shipment starts on November 7.

Apple showcased more new products at its “Scary Fast” event, including an entry-level MacBook Pro without a touch bar and a new lineup of M3 chips. The company’s M3 chips lineup now consists of M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips. Apple says the new M3 chips are the first personal computer chips made with the 3-nanometer process.


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Google app on Android and iOS adds a new useful notification feed

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Per 9to5Google, the Google app on Android and iOS have a new useful feature that will allow users to check the history of all notifications that they received from Google during the day. You might not realize it but the Google app disseminates many notifications including sports scores, weather conditions, stock updates, your personal travel information, the word of the day, viewing recommendations, and more.
If you see a bell icon on the Android version of the Google app in the upper right corner next to your profile picture, it means that the feature is available to you. A badge on the icon will show the number of unread notifications you have. The notifications feed has been spotted on version 14.43 of the Android version of the Google app. That version is currently in beta so if you’re not a beta tester for the Google app, you might not have this feature right now.

It isn’t clear how the notification feed will appear on your screen, or if you will have multiple options to choose from. A photo showing the feed indicates that reverse chronological order will be at least one option with the oldest notification at the top of the screen and the most recent notification at the bottom. Each notification has a three-dot icon that when tapped, will allow you to choose: Delete, Don’t get notifications like this, and Send feedback. 

This feature will come in handy if you accidentally clear a notification without reading it. Or you can put the kibosh on receiving a particular annoying notification that repeats constantly by using the “Don’t get notifications like this” option. Interestingly, while the feature is not on my Pixel 6 Pro running Android 14 QPR1 Beta 2, it is on my iPhone 15 Pro Max with iOS 17.1 installed.

That’s right, iPhone users have the first crack at this feature. On the iPhone, you’ll find the notifications tab on the bottom bar. It’s a bell icon at the far right of the bar with a badge telling you how many unread notifications you have. Tap on it to review your Google notification history.


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Ransomware gang steals 1.3TB of data from Sabre

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Ransomware gang Dunghill Leak has claimed responsibility for a cyber attack against travel booking company Sabre.

Dunghill claimed in a post on its dark web data leaks site that it had stolen 1.3 terabytes of data from Sabre, including corporate financial information, passenger turnover and ticket sales data and personal employee information.

The ransomware gang validated its claims by sharing a portion of the stolen data, promising that the rest of the data will be “available soon”. Via the supplied screenshots of the data, it was found that the employee information allegedly stolen includes employee email addresses, work locations, names, nationalities, passport and visa numbers and even certain employee’s US I-9 forms. Of the passports supplied, many of them were confirmed to be of current Sabre employees, including a vice president. 

Sabre has said it is investigating the group’s claims of a cyber attack. Sabre spokesperson Heidi Castle told technology news site TechCrunch: “Sabre is aware of the claims of a data exfiltration made by the threat group and we are currently investigating to determine their validity.”

It is not currently known when or how the data breach took place, however the screenshots supplied by Dunghill imply that it occurred around July 2022.

What is ransomware?

Ransomware is a type of malicious software which after infecting a device, encrypts the data on it. This means that the owner/user of the device is unable to access any of the data held on it. Malicious actors are then easily able to extort ransomware victims as they will demand payment from them to de-encrypt the files and allow them to access them safely once again. 

This can cause a large amount of disruption both to individuals and to businesses, as it completely halts business processes until the ransomware is removed, whether this is through taking the device offline or paying the ransom. Ransomware can also spread across at network, impacting all devices used by a company or organization. 

This can incur high costs in both lost revenue and ransom payments. In 2022, there were 493.33 million ransomware attempts worldwide, with the average cost of a ransomware attack at US$4.54m. 



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WhatsApp Channels finally offers message editing; with a catch

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WhatsApp continues to enhance its Channels feature launched back in September, which helps you stay updated on specific topics and companies of your interest. Now the latest update introduces message editing in WhatsApp Channels (originally called ‘updates’). It offers users more control over their posts. Here’s what you need to know about this new feature.

While other social media and messaging platforms have supported message editing for some time, WhatsApp has yet to implement this feature in Channels. However, the company has now addressed this gap, allowing users to edit individual messages posted in Channels.

Message editing in WhatsApp Channels

As of the latest update, when companies or accounts post messages in Channels, they have up to 30 days to edit the content within each message, reports Android Police. Messages that have been altered after the fact will display an indicator next to their timestamp, providing transparency about when the message was edited. This not only ensures clarity but also prevents users from modifying messages after they’ve been seen by others.

Editing messages in Channels is a straightforward process. On Android, you can tap and hold the Channel message (update) you want to edit. When the three-dot menu appears, tap it and select “Edit.” When you finish editing, tap the checkmark. The process is similar to the app on a browser. Hover over the message you want to edit to reveal a downward-facing caret. In the dropdown, you’ll find the “Edit” option.

However, it comes with a catch

There are a couple of important points to remember about this feature. Firstly, when an account edits a message in a channel, users who follow that channel won’t receive a notification that the message was altered. It ensures that edited messages don’t disrupt users’ notifications. But it doesn’t guarantee that the users will get to know that there’s a change in the previously conveyed information. 

Secondly, this update only allows the editing of text content in messages; it doesn’t apply to photos, videos, or other types of media or files.

Message editing in WhatsApp Channels
Source: WhatsApp

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TikTok and DistroKid streaming partnership brings indie music

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To bring indie music streaming to users, TikTok is partnering up with DistroKid. This is an independent digital music distribution service that gives musicians a platform to promote their music. DistroKid offers distribution services not too unlike that of Spotify, the main figure dominating the music streaming industry.

Now, TikTok is working with DistroKid to bring indie music streaming to the video-sharing brand’s music platform. If you aren’t already aware, TikTok has a music streaming platform, but it isn’t as extensive as the competition offers. But with this partnership with DistroKid TikTok will be able to attract more indie artists to their music streaming platform.

This partnership will not only bring indie music on DistroKid to the video-sharing app but also CapCut for easy access for usage. The music streaming service is currently available to users in certain regions of the world. So TikTok users who are planning on promoting their songs using the music platform will be able to reach listeners in these regions.

Users will be able to explore more music with the TikTok and DistroKid music streaming partnership

Most musicians looking to break into major streaming platforms rely on DistroKid a lot. This is a result of the fact that DistroKid is a music distribution platform that lets users push their music to streaming platforms. Many love its services because it doesn’t take royalties that the streaming platforms pay musicians for their music.

Lots of upcoming voices rely on this service since they don’t have a record label to help promote their music. Now, TikTok is partnering with this music distribution service to help users push their songs onto its music streaming platform. This will help grow TikTok Music and also bring a lot of upcoming talent to the platform, hence giving them the platform they need to shine.

Previously, users could use DistroKid to upload their music to TikTok’s library. This made it easy for the songs to be found by those searching for sounds for their next video. However, with this new partnership, independent musicians can push their songs to the TikTok Music platform for streaming.

It will also permit them to push their music to CapCut for easy access to content creators while editing videos. Users of the TikTok Music platform will be able to find these independent artists and stream their songs, helping them to grow. The musicians will also get their music noticed by brands and businesses so that they can be used for adverts.

This TikTok and DistroKid partnership will help independent musicians grow their brand. It’ll also help grow the TikTok Music platform with the influx of young talent. If you are a young and upcoming music talent, you can consider putting your music out on the TikTok Music platform with DistroKid to reach a wider audience.


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DDoS attacks hit Czech ministries, pro-Russia group allegedly behind them

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Multiple Czech Republic government websites were disrupted earlier this week due to a denial-of-service (DDoS) attack. The police force and Prague Airport websites were also disrupted as a result of the cyber attack.

The sites were down for around two hours on Tuesday, October 24.

The website of the Crimea Platform, an international summit taking place in Prague, was also attacked.

Several sources allege that a pro-Russian group is behind the cyber attacks, with cyber security firm GenDigital claiming pro-Russian hackers NoName057 are the perpetrators.

Support for Ukraine a likely motive, sources say

The attacks began at midday, disrupting access to the websites of the interior ministry and the lower and upper houses of parliament for around two hours. The police force and Prague Airport websites were also offline until approximately 2pm. Most of the sites regained functionality after this time, but the government website was still largely inaccessible.

Later that afternoon the Czech government confirmed that no data had been stolen.

There was no impact on flights arriving or leaving Prague Airport, however according to a post by NoName057 on X, the portal for purchasing tickets had crashed.


Post by NoName057 on October 24, via X


Vít Rakušan, the Czech Republic’s Interior Minister, said that Russian state-sponsored hackers were the main suspects.

During the Crimea Platform summit, which was taking place in Prague at the time of the attacks, Czech government officials highlighted the country’s support for Ukraine in the ongoing war with Russia, a possible motivation for the attacks according to sources.

Who are NoName057?

NoName057 is a pro-Russian hacker group that first declared itself in March 2022 after launching DDoS attacks against media outlets in Ukraine. It has since claimed responsibility for a number of cyber-attacks on government agencies and media in the US and Europe.

In June this year, the group announced it was behind an attack on the official website of The Port of Rotterdam, the biggest port in Europe.

In the same month, Swiss government websites were taken offline after a series of DDoS attacks ahead of a video address by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. NoName057 were later revealed to be responsible.
At least five Italian banks had their websites flooded with huge amounts of junk data after Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s visit to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv earlier this year.

The group primarily uses encrypted messaging service Telegram (and more recently, X), to claim responsibility for their cyber attacks, as well as make threats against entities it believes to be enemies of Russia.

Watch CS Talks: Russia’s impact on the global threat landscape



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Hidden features in OnePlus Open: a Flex Cam alternative and more

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OnePlus Open AM AH 02

The OnePlus Open has attracted significant attention with its impressive foldable design and capabilities. But some of them were not even mentioned by the company. A Redditor has found and reported some of its hidden features in the OnePlus Open (via Android Authority) that utilize the advantage of having a hinge and enhance the user experience.

While the OnePlus Open may lack certain features like wireless charging and a solid IPX8 rating, it has surprised its users with some extra features beyond those that the company claimed to deliver. These modes include ‘tent mode’, ‘clamshell mode,’ and ‘tabletop mode’. These features further solidify the OnePlus Open’s position as a strong competitor in the swiftly evolving foldable category. Not to mention, the OnePlus Open has secured a strong position alongside the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and the Google Pixel Fold.

Folks at AA confirmed the ‘Tent mode’ to be a functional feature, while the ‘clamshell mode’ seemed to be at least a bit trickier to activate. It may simply require some experimentation or the feature might have not been polished yet. This might be a reason why they didn’t talk about these features that much at launch. But it’s good to see some new ones that will most likely get the required polish in a given time.

Discovering the hidden features in the OnePlus Open

Normally if you’re watching a video on YouTube or Netflix on the cover screen of a foldable and slightly open it, the video playback will shift to the inner screen.

However, when you position the OnePlus Open like a tent (image below) on a surface or place it with the cover screen propped up on a table (clamshell mode), the phone’s sensors recognize this configuration. As a result, the video playback shifts back to the cover screen. It enables you to become hands-free while you enjoy your show. You can also adjust the angle of the display by changing the hinge angle, thanks to the OnePlus Open’s hinge that stays firm in the semi-folded position. It does this at almost any angle you might use the phone.

Moreover, the OnePlus Open offers a ‘tabletop mode’ for specific apps like the Camera app. By partially opening the phone and placing it on a table, users can capture easy selfies. The upper half of the cover screen serves as the viewfinder, while the lower half provides convenient access to camera controls. However, this implementation isn’t completely new. We have seen this feature in Samsung’s foldable in the name of ‘FlexCam’. Additionally, OnePlus’s Oxygen OS includes the Open Canvas feature, which brings a unique way to manage apps on screen for multitasking on its foldable phone.

OnePlus Open Tent Mode
OnePlus Open Clamshell Mode
OnePlus Open Tabletop Mode
OnePlus Open Tent Mode
OnePlus Open Clamshell Mode
OnePlus Open Tabletop Mode

 

The post Hidden features in OnePlus Open: a Flex Cam alternative and more appeared first on Android Headlines.


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