Pixel phones have gained a new ‘Call Screen’ trick

andreasc
-
0
Pixel phones have gained a new ‘Call Screen’ trick
[ad_1]

Pixel phones will now reportedly ask whoever’s calling if the call is urgent. Giving Android users another way to ensure they aren’t interrupted during whatever it is they’re doing. This neat new trick is part of the Call Screen feature on Google’s Pixel phones including its most recently released devices with the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.

There are a lot of reasons to want a Pixel phone. But Call Screen is certainly one of the more useful reasons. Everyone hates spam calls and thanks to the generative AI on a Pixel device, Call Screen can take care of these by simply making it so you never even have to notice they’re there. Google is even set to improve the feature by adding more contextual responses for certain types of calls.

The Pixel Call Screen feature will now ask your contacts if calls are urgent

Call Screen would already make it possible to screen and filter out calls from both spam and unknown numbers. But sometimes you get calls from friends or family and you just don’t want to be bothered. Or you’re currently busy and you’d rather take the call later. With the new Call Screen trick the phone can ask your contacts if a call is urgent so you know if it’s a call that you really should pick up right away.

The feature was spotted by Mishaal Rahman over on X (via Android Police) where he notes that a new “ask if urgent” chip from Google Assistant pops up on the screen when a contact calls in. The ask if urgent chip may only show up for contacts. Although it hasn’t been confirmed if this is the case. It’s also unclear if all Pixel phone users will be able to see this new chip. But it does appear that it has been rolling out prior to the last few days. So if you don’t notice it yet, it could pop up between now and the coming weeks.

Pixel Ask If Urgent Feature


[ad_2]
Source link

ANC is coming to more affordable AirPods next year: Report

andreasc
-
0
ANC is coming to more affordable AirPods next year: Report
[ad_1]

According to recent reports, ANC capability is coming to more affordable AirPods next year. This upgrade will come as a result of an update that Apple is planning to make to the entire AirPods line-up. With this update, the more affordable or regular options that’ll launch next year will feature ANC to users.

The reports go on to point out that by next year Apple will launch new versions of the AirPods and following this will be the AirPod Max. These coming products will bring improvements to the wireless audio product line that Apple has to offer. For the regular AirPods, the launch next year will usher in its 4th generation and this will be a milestone for the product.

Following it will be the AirPod Max, and next year’s launch will bring the 2nd generation for users around the world. The introduction of ANC on the regular AirPods will be among the biggest improvements that the products will see. If you haven’t noticed yet, the more affordable or regular AirPods have never launched with ANC as a feature.

Apple’s product launch next year will bring ANC to the more affordable AirPods

Currently, most Apple buyers are picking the older 2nd generation AirPods over the more recent 3rd generation entry. This is not only because the older generation is more affordable, but also because there is no substantial audio improvement. Although Apple stepped up on the audio quality of the more recent 3rd generation AirPod most buyers don’t place any value on the upgrade.

This might be a result of the lack of ANC on the 3rd generation entries. Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) is an audio device technology that helps to reduce background noise while in use. With this feature, users can enjoy streaming their music or making calls without having to battle with noise from the background.

Over the years, the more affordable or regular AirPods have left out this feature. Apple has limited ANC to the more affordable and premium AirPod Pro and Max entries. But all of that is about to change with next year’s launch of Apple audio products.

While the reports of ANC coming to more affordable AirPods aren’t official, they come from a reliable source. For this reason, netizens can hold the reports as being credible and expect these upgrades. This will make the coming 4th generation AirPods a worthy purchase, as it’ll improve users’ audio experience.

Joining the 4th generation AirPods next year might be the 2nd generation AirPod Max. The available reports also point out that a year after these launches, the AirPod Pro will receive a refresh. More details on this as well as official statements will become available to netizens in the coming weeks.


[ad_2]
Source link

You can access Pixel Watch 2 quick settings from the AOD

andreasc
-
0
You can access Pixel Watch 2 quick settings from the AOD
[ad_1]

The Pixel Watch 2 does a great many things and one of those things is allowing you to access quick settings from the always-on-display (AOD). This really puts the “quick” in quick settings because you can drag this menu down faster and more conveniently.

And after all, a smartwatch should be about convenience. This is a neat trick that not all smartwatches are capable of. And although minor, it helps set the Pixel Watch 2 apart from other smartwatches. This really only comes in useful if you don’t use the tilt-to-wake feature. Because if you do then the AOD goes away as soon as you lift your wrist. If you have this turned off however, then you would normally need to lift your wrist and tap the screen to proceed with unlocking it to access the quick settings menu.

Sure it may only shave off a second or two. But it’s an added level of convenience that improves the user experience. And that’s never a bad thing.

The Pixel Watch 2 AOD lets you swipe for access to more than just quick settings

Even quicker access to quick settings is certainly useful but you can access more than that from the AOD on the Pixel Watch 2. As 9To5Google points out you can also access your left most and right most tiles. You access tiles of course by swiping left or right on the display. Whereas you swipe down to get to quick settings.

And surprise, surprise, swiping up will bring up your notifications. And you can access these from the AOD too. Perhaps in-time Google will expand the access from the AOD to more features or apps. But for now this is what you can get to without having to tap the display on the watch first. Either way it makes for a useful method of seeing any incoming messages or emails. If you’ve got a Pixel Watch 2 you should be able to try this for yourself right away.


[ad_2]
Source link

Samsung says Exynos 2400 has better GPU than competition

andreasc
-
0
Samsung says Exynos 2400 has better GPU than competition
[ad_1]

Samsung seems confident about the Exynos 2400, particularly its GPU. The company says the new Exynos chip has a better GPU than competing solutions. It didn’t name any rivals, but we all know that Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is its direct competition. These two chips will power Samsung’s Galaxy S24 flagships next year.

Samsung has high hopes for the GPU performance of the Exynos 2400

After exclusively using a Snapdragon chip in the Galaxy S23 series, Samsung is returning to its usual dual-chip strategy for the Galaxy S24. The 2024 flagships will use the Exynos 2400 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, depending on the market and model. The Galaxy S24 Ultra will ship with the Qualcomm processor globally, while the other two models will feature the Exynos solution in Europe and a few other markets.

Considering Exynos’ past, there are concerns about the performance of the Exynos 2400 compared to the new Snapdragon. Early benchmarks have shown varying results and haven’t helped clear things up. However, Samsung seems confident that its latest flagship SoC will give Qualcomm’s alternative a run for its money. It particularly has high hopes for the chip’s GPU.

“It will do well because it has better GPU performance than competitors,” said Park Yong-in, President of Samsung’s System LSI division (semiconductor), about the Exynos 2400 (via). Park was speaking to reporters after the Semiconductor Expo 2023 keynote at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, earlier today. The senior Samsung executive didn’t share more information about the new chip.

Samsung has already revealed that the Galaxy S24’s Exynos chipset has a 1.7x faster CPU and 14.7x faster NPU than the Exynos 2200, which powered the Galaxy S22 series last year. The company hasn’t shared these numbers for the GPU but said the chip will bring improved ray tracing over the Xclipse 920 GPU of the previous generation. Time will tell how it stacks up against the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

The Exynos 2500 will be a 3nm chip

Samsung has made the Exynos 2400 using its 4nm process node. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is a 4nm chip too. Next year, both companies are expected to upgrade to the 3nm architecture. Park may have just confirmed that, at least for the next-gen Exynos. He said the company will “soon” apply the Gate All Around (GAA) 3nm process to the Exynos lineup.

The Samsung executive didn’t mention Exynos 2500, but he is likely talking about the 2024 flagship processor here. The Korean media recently reported that the Galaxy Watch 7’s Exynos chip will be a 3nm solution too. The Exynos 2500 should come a few months after it. We should hear more about the 2024 Exynos lineup after Samsung unveils the Galaxy S24 series in January.


[ad_2]
Source link

Google Wallet brings ride history and more in a new update

andreasc
-
0
Google Wallet brings ride history and more in a new update
[ad_1]

Google Wallet has been getting a lot of love from the company lately. We’ve been seeing new features hit the platform over the past few weeks, and we’re still waiting for the announced revamp to finally land. Google just announced a new update for Google Wallet that will bring features like ride history and more.

Right now, Google is looking to make Google Wallet a replacement for your actual wallet. This involves letting you add a myriad of digital cards. While the list of supported cards is already vast, consisting of thousands of cards, it doesn’t have everything. This is why the company now lets you scan the barcodes of different cards to add to your wallet. It’s a way of adding cards that aren’t on the pre-populated list.

Google Wallet is getting ride history and more

Sometimes, we just need to see some insights to get a picture of our habits. This is one reason why Google Wallet is bringing a ride history feature. As you can imagine, you’ll be able to get insight into the trips you’ve taken to get a snapshot of where you’ve been.

That’s not the only insight that the company is bringing. Google Wallet will also show you insights into your savings. The app will keep track of how much money you’ve saved from time-based fare caps.

Both sets of data will be on one page. When you access the page, you’ll see what transit authority you used, what cards you used to pay for fairs, and the insights below. First, you’ll see how much money you’ve saved. Right under that, you’ll see the ride history.

Next, you’ll receive real-time ride updates. The app will receive updates on your ride as the trip goes on. This is a great way to keep in the loop about what’s going on with your ride.

These features are going to be rolling out later this year with Brighton and Hove support in The UK. It will expand to other cities early next year.

There’s a new card

If you use ORCA transportation, then you’re in luck, Soon, people in the Seattle and Puget Sound area will be able to add this card to their wallet.


[ad_2]
Source link

iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2 Beta 1 gets seeded to developers

andreasc
-
0
iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2 Beta 1 gets seeded to developers
[ad_1]

Just a day after Apple released iOS 17.1 and iPadOS 17.1, the first betas for iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2 are now available. This update is expected to be a larger update than iOS 17.1 was, and we’re expecting to see the stable build coming out some time next month – likely ahead of Thanksgiving.

If you’re looking to get your hands on iOS 17.2 ahead of the public release, you can do so by heading into the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad. Head to General and then Software Updates. From there, you can select which beta platform you want to be on – Public Beta or Developer Beta. And you’ll see the update available shortly.

Keep in mind that this is the first beta, so it’s likely not going to be all that stable. Though it is likely to be more stable than the first betas of iOS 17 were, since this is a point update. So if you decide to update on your main device, do keep that in mind. Luckily, it is pretty easy to revert back to iOS 17.1.

What’s new in iOS 17.2?

In iOS 17.2, the biggest change we’ve seen so far is the much-anticipated Journal app being added. This app was announced at WWDC as coming later this year, and after it did not appear in iOS 17.1, many of us thought it would come in iOS 17.2, and sure enough here it is.

Many developers are still digging through iOS 17.2 to see what’s new, but there are a few options that are supposed to be coming in a future iOS 17 release. Like the ability to use stickers as a tapback reaction in messages, or an arrow to catch up on missed messages in conversations, and of course the ability to have a favorite songs playlist in Apple Music.

We’ll have to wait and see what other changes are uncovered in this beta.


[ad_2]
Source link

Hong Kong residents targeted in malvertising campaigns for WhatsApp, Telegram

andreasc
-
0
Hong Kong residents targeted in malvertising campaigns for WhatsApp, Telegram
[ad_1]

Ads on Google for popular communication apps are used as a lure to compromise the devices of people from Hong Kong.

Malvertising is a powerful malware or scam delivery mechanism that makes it easy to target specific geographies or even users. A recent article from the South China Morning Post discussed an increase in malicious webpages for the popular WhatsApp communication tool, driven via malicious Google ads. The paper described how these ads appeared to be exclusively targeted at people from Hong Kong and have caused losses of about USD$300K last month.

We started investigating this situation and were able to identify what may be a similar campaign. The decoy sites we saw used a similar page than the web version of WhatsApp to trick victims into scanning a QR code to link their new device. Instead, it wasn’t the user’s device that was added to the WhatsApp account, but rather the threat actor’s.

We also found another campaign using an ad for messaging tool Telegram, to lure victims into downloading a malicious version of the program. Again, this attack was targeted at residents of Hong Kong.

We have reported the malicious ads to Google and worked with partners to take down the infrastructure used in these campaigns.

Malicious WhatsApp ad leads to QR code page

Just like the South China Morning Post stated that users were seeing malicious ads for WhatsApp, we were able to find one immediately after switching our online profile to use a Hong Kong IP address:

The text of the ad reads as follows (translated from Chinese):

WhatsApp New Version – WhatsApp Official Authorization

We are constantly updating and launching various fun and interesting functions as well as safe and reliable communication applications. Welcome to download and experience it. The cross-platform application brings you a reliable experience, and you can send private messages to your friends at any time.

Clicking on the ad leads to a convincing lookalike site in Chinese that pretends to be WhatsApp Web:

What’s interesting, and works well as a lure, is the fact that WhatsApp is not just a mobile phone app, but does indeed have a web version for computers as well. The real domain for it is hosted at web.whatsapp.com and also uses a QR code to add a linked device to your account. What this means is that you can use WhatsApp on your PC or Mac after you scan the QR code and authorize that new device from your phone.

The issue here is that the QR code you are scanning is from a malicious site that has nothing to do with WhatsApp:

The domain used to generate those QR codes (lawrencework[.]com) was registered just two days ago. A search on urlscan.io reveals that it is associated with several other fake WhatsApp pages. We tested the QR code by adding it from a burner phone with a brand new WhatsApp account without any previous linked devices. A few seconds later, we saw a new device was added (Google Chrome running on Mac OS):

While we could not get more information (IP address, geolocation) about this new device, we knew it was not ours. When you link a new device to your WhatsApp account, the saved chat history is synced to it. This means that an attacker can essentially read your entire past and future conversations and has access to your saved contacts.

Telegram ad links to malware

The second ad we saw related to this campaign was using Telegram as a lure. We know it is related to the above WhatsApp attack because the ad is from the same advertiser.

The text of the ad reads as follows (translated from Chinese):

telegram official website – telegram Chinese version – telegram download Telegram Chinese version is a Telegram client specially developed for Chinese users. Welcome to the Chinese channel, a new era of information, delivering more exciting information

It links to a Google Docs page pretending to be a download site:

Telegram instant messaging – simple, fast, secure and syncs across all your devices. It is one of the most downloaded apps in the world, with over 500 million active users. The latest official Telegram Chinese computer version TG-Chinese version: Click to download TG-PC: Click to download

The two links (identical) download an MSI installer from the following URL:

kolunite.oss-ap-southeast-7.aliyuncs[.]com/HIP-THH-19-1.msi

This installer has been injected with malware, which we can see once we execute it:

Targeted malvertising and motives

These two campaigns abusing the WhatsApp and Telegram brands could be used for a variety of reasons. We did not investigate further what the ultimate ploy was, although both lead to data theft, impersonation and malware. The threat actor could use any private information from past conversations, phish the victim’s contacts and much more.

This was our first foray into malvertising attacks targeted at Hong Kong. Given that this special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China has a long history of tensions with Beijing, we could not help but think that malvertising campaigns such as these could be used for political reasons, although we saw no evidence of it.

Linking additional devices via QR code is a useful feature but it can also easily be abused. It’s important to be cautious when scanning QR codes by verifying which site is issuing those. It’s a good idea to periodically check which devices have access to your accounts, and revoke any that you don’t recognize.

Thanks to Nathan Collier for the assist with the QR code scanning on Android.

Indicators of Compromise

Malicious WhatsApp domains

uaa.vvg2rt[.]top
wss.f8ddcc[.]com

QR code hostname

119srv[.]lawrencework[.]com

Telegram MSI URL

kolunite.oss-ap-southeast-7.aliyuncs[.]com/HIP-THH-19-1.msi

Telegram MSI

36d11b18d3345ff743f7b003d10a0820c8c1661dd7dc279434e436de798c3a4b

[ad_2]
Source link

X (formerly Twitter) is bringing voice and video calling to Android

andreasc
-
0
X (formerly Twitter) is bringing voice and video calling to Android
[ad_1]

Right now, we’re all wondering what’s going on with X (formerly Twitter). Just about every decision that Elon Musk made caused the platform to go into a tailspin, and it doesn’t seem to be getting better. Now, X is preparing to bring voice and video calling to Android soon.

X is a social media platform that stands apart from other platforms on the internet. Other platforms have much more robust ways of contacting people, while X only has DMs. While lack of communication methods is far from X’s biggest problem, it’s something that people really want to be addressed.

Well, X is coming out with voice and video calling for Android

We all know how this goes; a new feature comes out for our favorite social media sites, and it lands on iOS first. The voice and video calling feature was available on iOS at first, and the company is planning on bringing it to Android soon.

X hasn’t announced this officially, but a how-to page for this feature was discovered, and it pointed to the Android version coming soon. When it eventually lands, you’ll want to make sure that your app is fully updated.

If you’re excited about using X to phone your friends, just know that you’ll need an X Premium subscription. This should come as no surprise, as just about every feature that Musk introduced went straight to paying customers.

However, you won’t need to be a premium member to receive calls. You only need to pay if you want to initiate a call. If you want to call a person, they need to have sent a message to you first. This is good, as it eliminates the possibility of being called by complete strangers. Also, you can control who can call you from the Direct Messages settings.

This feature might be great for some users who are on Twitter a lot, but we’re not sure is a major release. There are about 1,000 other methods to make and receive calls. In any case, it’s still a nice feature to have.


[ad_2]
Source link

Preventing Apple From Creating Its Own Search Engine!

andreasc
-
0
Preventing Apple From Creating Its Own Search Engine!
[ad_1]

It’s been pretty well-known that Google pays Apple billions per year to remain the default search engine on iPhone and iPad. Now, thanks to the ongoing US vs Google trial, we now know a bit more about this deal.

In 2021, Google paid Apple “around $18 billion” according to a new report out of the New York Times. Over the years, we’ve heard educated guesses of this deal being between $10 billion and $20 billion per year, and it seems like those guesses were pretty much spot on.

But remaining the default search engine isn’t the whole story for this deal. Paying Apple $18 billion per year also kept Apple from building its own search engine. Apple’s head of AI, John Giannandrea, who used to be a Google executive, testified in the trial. Giannandrea stated that Apple had considered everything from buying Bing to building its own search engine. But Apple was ultimately worried about competing with Google and losing this deal. And who could blame them? Apple is making $18 billion a year for doing absolutely nothing but selling more iPhones.

Apple was worried Google would crush Safari

Microsoft’s CEO, Satya Nadella also testified in the trial, and added another reason for Apple to keep this deal in place. And that is, what Google might do if the deal went away. Google has a ton of popular products, across many platforms. And Google could use its mega-popular apps like Gmail, Maps and YouTube to promote Chrome and the Google app. Thus taking them away from Safari.

This would not only crush Safari, but also make any future deal with a search engine, far less valuable. So this deal with Google is mutually beneficial, but it was also a bit of a peace treaty. Apparently the Android team didn’t get that message, as they continue to go after Apple for not adding RCS support.

This deal between Google and Apple has become a centerpiece of the trial so far. The Justice Department has argued that it amounts to an anticompetitive monopoly. This is only helped by the fact that witness after witness has testified that any search engine with access to Apple’s massive market share would immediately become a power player. Hence why Bing and DuckDuckGo really wanted to get this deal with Apple.

Google’s portion of the trial will begin next week, and we expect to see the company’s attorneys spending the next few weeks making their case, and defending this deal with Apple.


[ad_2]
Source link

Firefox Memory Corruption Flaw Let Attacker Execute Code

andreasc
-
0
Firefox Memory Corruption Flaw Let Attacker Execute Code
[ad_1]

Mozilla Firefox 119 was released with updates for 11 vulnerabilities, including three issues of high severity, seven issues of moderate severity, and one issue of low severity.

Particularly, the browser update also fixes several memory safety flaws that are classified as CVE-2023-5730 and CVE-2023-5731, which could allow an attacker to run arbitrary code.

High-Severity Issues Addressed

The security flaw tracked as CVE-2023-5721, Queued up rendering, might have allowed websites to clickjack.

Due to an insufficient activation delay, certain browser prompts and dialogues might be triggered or rejected accidentally by the user. The issue was reported by Kelsey Gilbert.

The subsequent high-severity vulnerability is identified as CVE-2023-5730. Memory safety issues have been fixed in Thunderbird 115.4.1, Firefox 119, and Firefox ESR 115.4.

“Some of these bugs showed evidence of memory corruption and we presume that with enough effort some of these could have been exploited to run arbitrary code”, Mozilla said.

The issue was reported by Jed Davis, Andrew McCreight, Randell Jesup, and the Mozilla Fuzzing Team.

Additionally, the issue tracked as CVE-2023-5731, Memory safety bugs fixed in Firefox 119.

Mozilla stated that this memory corruption lets attackers run arbitrary code.

Moderate and Low Severity Issues Fixes

Patches for seven moderate-severity flaws that resulted in the bypass of download protections (CVE-2023-5727), crashes (CVE-2023-5724), unexpected errors (CVE-2023-5723), the opening of arbitrary URLs (CVE-2023-5725), and obscured full-screen notifications (CVE-2023-5729) were also included in Firefox 119.

A low severity flaw tracked as CVE-2023-5729, the Fullscreen notification dialog could have been obscured by WebAuthn prompts, has been fixed.

Along with Firefox 119, Mozilla also announced the release of Thunderbird 115.4.1 and Firefox ESR 115.4, which include updates for eight vulnerabilities, including CVE-2023-5721 and CVE-2023-5730.

Mozilla has no disclosure about any of these vulnerabilities being used in malicious activities.

Protect yourself from vulnerabilities using Patch Manager Plus to patch over 850 third-party applications quickly. Try a free trial to ensure 100% security.


[ad_2]
Source link
1...785786787...1,480Page 786 of 1,480