Epic gears up for antitrust trial with Google, witness list revealed

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Epic gears up for antitrust trial with Google, witness list revealed
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In January this year, a judge in the Northern District of California finally set a trial date for Fortnite maker Epic Games’ antitrust case against Google. The trial for the epic legal battle begins on November 6, which is less than a month away now. Ahead of that, the court has released a tentative list of witnesses who may testify next month. Epic “will or might call” as many as 53 witnesses, including the Google CEO and Android co-founder.

Google CEO and other top executives to testify in the Epic antitrust case

This list of witnesses who may appear in court to testify in this antitrust case mostly includes executives and leaders from Google and Epic Games. While all of them may not be called to testify, most of them may have to head to the court sometime next month. One of the biggest names on the list is Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google and Alphabet. The company’s CFO Ruth Porat will also testify, and so will the CEO of Epic Games, Tim Sweeney.

Android co-founders Andy Rubin, Nick Sears, and Rich Miner are also on the list. That’s despite Rubin and Sears having no association with Google for almost a decade. Rubin left the company in 2014 following allegations of sexual misconduct. He reportedly took a $90 million payout to exit Google. Epic says it “may call” him to testify, so it’s unclear whether we will see Rubin in court.

Sears, who left Google in 2013, is also on Epic’s list of witnesses. Miner, on the other hand, features on the list provided by Google. Note that Miner still works at the company. Other prominent names on the lists include former Open Handset Alliance head Eric Chu and Activision CFO Armin Zerza. You can see this official filing (via The Verge) from Thursday, October 5 for more details about the witnesses who may testify in the case.

Epic has already lost a similar battle against Apple

Epic’s battle against Google and Apple began in 2020 after the latter two companies kicked Fortnite out of their respective app store for using a third-party payment option. The game maker challenged the decision and sued the two for anti-competitive practices.

Apple has mostly won the battle already, with a court ruling only one decision in favor of Epic. A district judge ordered it to permit third-party payment options in iOS apps. The company has asked the Supreme Court to review this ruling, while Epic has asked for a review of the whole case. While the Supreme Court has yet to take up either petition, Epic’s antitrust case against Google is nearing a hearing. We will keep you posted on the outcome of all these legal battles.


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Google confirms emoji reactions are coming to Gmail in October

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Google confirms emoji reactions are coming to Gmail in October
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After a report last month that claimed Gmail will eventually get emoji reactions, Google confirmed today that the said feature will be coming to its email app in October.

Starting this month, if you have a personal Gmail account, you should start seeing a smiley face icon pop up below your messages both on mobile and desktop.

With the latest version of Gmail, you’ll be able to click on the smiley face icon and then select an emoji from the menu to send it, or you can choose one if another recipient already responded with an emoji that you like.

It’s a simple, convenient and fun way to reply to your emails, especially when you don’t have time to write more elaborate walls of text. Keep in mind though that if you use another email client, you will receive emoji reactions as separate emails.

If you have an Android phone or tablet, here is how you can add emoji reactions to your emails in Gmail:
  • Open the Gmail app.
  • Open a message you want to reply to.
  • Below the message, tap Add emoji reaction.
  • From the picker, select an emoji you want to use.
  • To display more emoji, select More .
  • The emoji you select appears at the bottom of the email.

Google confirms emoji reactions are coming to Gmail in October

In order to remove an emoji reaction, you’ll have to check your “Undo Send” settings in Gmail. By default, you have from 5 up to 30 seconds to remove an emoji reaction after you add it, but you can change the amount of time from the “Settings.”
According to Google, the new feature will be rolled out in wave, so be patient if you don’t see it right away: “be on the lookout for emoji reactions in your inbox in the coming weeks.”

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Chinese Android-based Devices come pre-installed With Firmware

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Chinese Android-based Devices come pre-installed With Firmware
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The Trojan War’s famous horse trick inspired the term for cyberattacks, where a user unwittingly downloads a file that causes harm when opened.

HUMAN’s Satori Team unveils BADBOX, a cryptic and intricate network of fraud schemes, mirroring the Trojan Horse’s hidden danger.

BADBOX is a worldwide network of consumer products that hides firmware backdoors in hardware supply chains. They also infiltrate homes and offices, linking to a command-and-control server, leading to various fraudulent activities.

BADBOX has left a significant mark, infecting over 74,000 Android devices globally, including U.S. public schools.

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Chinese Android Devices With Backdoor

Chinese manufacturers implant Triada-based firmware backdoors in various Android devices during production. 

This malware grants extensive access, allowing cybercriminals to intercept payments and manipulate text messages, making it a potent tool.

PEACHPIT comprises 39 Android, iOS, and CTV apps tied to a fake SSP. They manipulated device details and generated 4 billion ad requests daily, infecting 121,000 Android and 159,000 iOS devices, with iOS devices only affected by downloadable PEACHPIT apps.

BADBOX’s residential proxy module makes devices part of a global proxy network, potentially exposing users to cybercriminal activity. It enables the creation of WhatsApp and Gmail accounts, evading detection, and may be used for various malicious purposes.

The infected devices connect to C2 servers, injecting modules for diverse fraud types, including:-

  • Ad fraud
  • Residential proxy nodes
  • Fake accounts
  • Unauthorized code installation

While a hidden WebView module in PEACHPIT generates fake ad requests to finance the operation.

In mid-2022, HUMAN’s Satori Team investigated an Android app showing suspicious behavior, leading to the discovery of related apps connecting to the flyermobi[.]com domain. 

A separate researcher, Daniel Milisic, also noticed a T95 box connecting to flyermobi, sparking interest in this device.

T95 Android TV box
T95 Android TV box (Source – HumanSecurity)

To avoid suspicion, T95 devices appear as typical TV streaming units, making them an ideal line for the scheme. 

The generic nature of these devices allows anyone to customize and distribute them. Possessing a T95 helped Satori researchers reverse-engineer its communications.

Other off-brand, BADBOX-infected devices
Other off-brand, BADBOX-infected devices (Source – HumanSecurity)

Corejava, at the heart of BADBOX, is a well-covered topic. Satori’s examination revealed libandroid_runtime.so modifications, a vital Android OS component, to support BADBOX’s malicious features.”

Decrypting libandroid_runtime.so, Satori uncovered the com.jar APK, which connects to a C2 server upon T95 device boot-up for further instructions.

The BADBOX-infected device connects to C2, receives proxy and data feed addresses, and acts as a proxy between them. If a connection times out, C2 sends a request to a server that triggers a 404 error and closes the proxy link.

Recommendations

Here below we have mentioned all the recommendations:-

  • Avoid off-brand devices, as they lack Play Protect certification.
  • Users should verify their device’s certification status.
  • Stay cautious with clone apps and know the source of your downloads.
  • If your device acts strangely, consider a factory reset to remove compromised apps.

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


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UK Power and Data Manufacturer Volex Hit by Cyberattack

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UK Power and Data Manufacturer Volex Hit by Cyberattack
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AIM-listed British power and data transmission products manufacturer Volex PLC is the latest victim of a cyberattack.

KEY FINDINGS

  • A UK-based critical power and data transmission products manufacturer, Volex PLC, has suffered a security breach.
  • The company claims there’s no evidence of a ‘material financial impact.’
  • The attack resulted from attackers gaining unauthorized access to some of its IT systems and data.
  • Volex claims it responded quickly to mitigate the attack and implemented an incident response plan.
  • Part of the plan is to ensure all its websites remain operational and global production systems stay unaffected.
  • The company has consulted cybersecurity experts to investigate the incident.

AIM-listed British power and data transmission products manufacturer Volex PLC is the latest victim of a cyberattack. The incident resulted from unknown threat actor(s) gaining unauthorized access to some of the company’s IT systems and data at several global sites. 

However, Volex claims that attackers could not access financial data, and the incident had no material financial impact. Still, as noticed by London-based City AM publication, the company’s shares dropped around 4% on Monday morning. 

The 131-year-old Volex has employed unnamed third-party cybersecurity specialist consultants to investigate the root cause and extent of damage caused by the attack. The company stated in its Notice of Cyber Incident that multiple global sites of Volex were targeted in this data breach.  

Volex explained that it responded immediately and took action to keep its websites operational. The company implemented an incident response plan so that global production levels experience minimal disruption and uninterrupted trading with its suppliers and customers is ensured.

However, when checked at 13:25:26 UTC, the Volex website was offline, displaying a Cloudflare page. Nevertheless, at the time of writing, the website has been restored and is available for visitors.

UK Power and Data Manufacturer Volex Hit by Cyberattack
Screenshot: Hackread.com)

“On becoming aware of the incident, the Group enacted its established IT security protocols and took immediate steps to stop the unauthorized access to its systems and data. Specialist, third party consultants have been engaged to investigate the nature and extent of the incident and to implement the incident response plan.”

It is worth noting that the company has footprints in 24 countries and owns 27 production sites. Europe, North America, and Asia are its primary trading markets.

We will update our readers as soon as Volex releases an update.

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Here’s the OnePlus Open’s crease compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 5

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Here’s the OnePlus Open’s crease compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 5
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Foldable phones have come a LONG way since they were being offed by grains of sand. However, one problem has persisted, the dreadful crease. Companies (well most companies) are working on reducing the crease. A new video shows the OnePlus Open’s crease compared to the crease in the Galaxy Z Fold 5, according to 9To5Google.

Right now, we’re all following rumors about the OnePlus Open. This device is expected to get an unveiling in just a couple of days, and fans are excited about it. It’s slated to be a powerful device and maybe one to give the latest foldables from Samsung and Google a run for their money.

The OnePlus Open’s crease was compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 5’s crease

Trimming down the crease is one of the biggest challenges for OEMs making foldable phones. Different companies have been able to do a great job at this, but it’s still an uphill battle. Ironically, the most popular foldable phone company, Samsung, has been notorious for having sizable creases in its phones. Other companies have been able to surpass Samsung with their decreased creases.

Now, we have a new opponent here to challenge Samsung. According to 9To5Google, a new video just surfaced showing the Galaxy Z Fold 5 next to another device. Is this device the upcoming OnePlus Open? Well, yes and no. What we’re looking at is the Oppo Find N3. However, the Oppo Find N3 and the OnePlus Open are pretty much the same device.

OnePlus and Oppo have been extremely close over the years, and they merged back in 2021. Some of OnePlus’ devices are just Oppo phones rebranded for a different market. This is pretty much the case with the OnePlus Open. This phone is being launched in close proximity to the Oppo Find N3.

The video speaks volumes

Looking at the video, it’s clear that both the Oppo Find N3 and the OnePlus Open will have a much shallower crease than what we see with the Galaxy. The crease on the latter is a deeper groove. By contrast, we see that the Oppo’s crease isn’t as deep, and it looks to be spread further across the screen. This could mean a more gentle slope inward. You should be less likely to feel the crease when using this phone.

It looks like Oppo redid the hinge to bend a much larger section of the phone’s screen. This is something that other companies have done, making a tear-drop hinge for the screen. This way, when the phone is closed, instead of closing flat, the screen will still remain in a relatively open position near the center.


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We could get slidable phones next year if these companies have their way

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We could get slidable phones next year if these companies have their way
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So far, it seems that the foldable has pretty much been perfected. So it’s time to look forward to our next Sci-Fi-fueled innovation which is the slidable phone. This technology has been in the works for some time, but two Chinese companies are looking to bring it in the near future. According to a tweet from @tech_reve, companies like Vivo and Transsion are working on bringing slidable phones.

Most people in the smartphone world should know what Vivo is. This is a large Chinese smartphone company that makes a wide range of devices including premium flagships. This includes the Vivo X Fold 2 from earlier this year.

The other company is a large parent company called Transsion. It owns the companies Tecno, Infinix, and Itel. Tecno has also come out with several foldable phones.

Transsion and Vivo are working on bringing slidable phones next year

Right now, we don’t have too much information on what phones to expect from these companies. What we know is that they’re trying to take the flexible screen phone to the next step and have some user-facing devices out to the public as early as next year.

The two companies aren’t working together to manufacture a phone. Rather, it seems that several Chinese companies are looking to get the jump on the slidable phone market. Right now, Samsung has the foldable phone market by the neck, and it’s hard for any company to steal market share.

So, rather than keep struggling with the market hoping for some change, we’re seeing companies try to beat Samsung to a different market. Over the years, we’ve seen Samsung file numerous patents pertaining to slidable phones, so we know that the company is working on the tech as well.

As for these rumored phones, Samsung Display is listed as one of the suppliers that might supply the displays. The other company is called CSOT. So, it looks like these companies are serious about this technology. We’ll need to wait a bit until we see anything solid. For all we know, we might see something from these companies during CES or MWC next year.


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Threads to bring Trending Topics, an accidental screenshot shows

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Threads to bring Trending Topics, an accidental screenshot shows
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Remember Threads? In the Meta vs Twitter (sorry, sorry – X) tussle, Zuckerberg and co. didn’t land any fatal blows. Threads, however, has not given in despite losing a huge percentage (close to 75%, according to some reports) of its initial US users, and continues to update and improve its platform.Threads, launched in July, might soon introduce Trending Topics and, moreover, we get to see what it could look like (via 9to5Mac).

As the title suggests, this alleged Trending Topics feature will help users find hot posts on even hotter and viral topics on the platform at the given moment.

There is no official Meta confirmation on the Trending Topics yet, but a haphazard Meta employee managed to accidentally post a now-deleted screenshot of the feature on a phone. An app developer by the name of Willian Max was fast enough to make a screenshot before it disappeared.

“Just to be clear: I’m not a “leaker” or anything like that. I simply follow many engineers and employees working at Meta, and one of them accidentally posted a screenshot that was meant to be private. Fortunately for us, I happened to see it at the right moment. I will not disclose who posted the screenshot for obvious reasons”, Max says.
If that is the final look of the feature, it sure is minimalistic – there’s a search bar at the top of the screen. A list of trending topics at the moment, with the number of total posts on each of the most commented topics. For example, at the time of the screenshot, the most viral and talked about thing was Drake’s new album, For All the Dogs. On a side note: on it, there’s a song about Android and iPhone…

It’s not clear when (and if) this feature will be rolled out to Threads, but there’s another thing coming down the road that’s bound to happen sometime in the coming three months – the ability to remove your Threads account without deleting your Instagram account as well. As you probably know by now, the two are superglued together and until now, those who wished to opt out of Threads had to kiss their Instagram account, too.

Meta’s chief privacy officer for product, Michel Protti, says:

Technically, it was extremely challenging to allow deletion of a separate Threads account without also deleting your overall Instagram account out of the gate. So, we paid particular attention to ensuring the user could still exercise their deletion rights, by deactivating the account to sort of hide all content, setting it to private or deleting individual threads.


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Video Surveillance Camera Vulnerability to Disable Alarms

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Video Surveillance Camera Vulnerability to Disable Alarms
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Pablo Martínez, a member of the Red Team at cybersecurity firm Entelgy Innotec Security, has uncovered significant vulnerabilities in low-cost video surveillance cameras available for purchase on popular online platforms. 

His findings shed light on serious security concerns surrounding these budget-friendly devices.

Martínez’s investigation revealed a critical vulnerability that allows users to reset their passwords while bypassing essential security checks. 

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This flaw opens the door for unauthorized individuals to change the camera’s password, gain access to admin-level privileges, disable alarms, delete stored images, and even view the camera’s live stream. 

The vulnerability is associated with a QR Captcha that users scan through a mobile app to confirm their password recovery, making it a crucial entry point for attackers.

To formalize the existence of this vulnerability, Pablo Martínez has registered it as a CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures), a widely recognized resource certifying its presence. 

CVEs are maintained by Mitre and serve as a way to inform manufacturers about vulnerabilities while listing them publicly with unique identifiers.

In addition to the password-related vulnerability, Martínez discovered that the examined camera, originating from China, was transmitting data to servers located in China. 

This discovery raises concerns about data security and privacy implications for users of these affordable surveillance devices.

Martínez’s primary goal is to raise awareness about the potential risks associated with low-quality electronic products and IoT hardware. In his recent research, he demonstrated that it took less than half an hour to identify multiple security flaws in the device he tested.

Pablo Martínez’s findings serve as a stark reminder of the importance of scrutinizing the security of IoT devices and electronic products, even those available at lower costs, to safeguard users’ privacy and data integrity.

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


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Facebook’s Official Page Hacked; Demand Release of Pakistani PM Imran Khan

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Facebook’s Official Page Hacked; Demand Release of Pakistani PM Imran Khan
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Facebook’s official page was hacked on Facebook after bizarre posts, including demands for the release of ex-Pakistani PM Imran Khan, filled its timeline.

  • Facebook’s official page was apparently hacked on Friday, 6th October 2023.
  • Social media users were shocked to see Facebook posting strange messages.
  • One of the many weird messages was the hacker demanding the release of ex-PAK prime minister Imran Khan.
  • Mr Khan was arrested in early August 2023.
  • Whether it was a prank or the page was actually hacked, it raises serious concerns over the security of Facebook accounts and pages.

Hacking of user accounts and pages on social media is nothing new. Even high-profile personalities, including politicians and celebrities, have experienced page compromises, with scammers posting messages in their names.

However, a rare event occurred on October 6th, 2023, when Facebook users were stunned to see strange posts emanating from Facebook’s official page. What made these posts truly bizarre was their focus on criticizing the BCCI (Board of Cricket Control India) for not granting visas to Pakistani cricket fans for the ICC World Cup matches.

The highlight of this supposed prank was a post demanding the release of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, alongside another post stating, “Release Zuck.”

At 10.40 pm this post appeared on Facebook’s official page: “No idea why I suddenly have access to post stuff on Facebook. Or have I got it completely wrong and I’m not posting as Facebook UK?”

This was followed by another post that read: “Let me take this opportunity to let & know they have completely botched the event by not issuing visas to people who wanted to watch Cricket World Cup in person.”

Here are multiple screenshots shared by an X (previously Twitter) user about the Facebook page hack:

Facebook's Official Page Hacked; Demand Release of Pakistani PM Imran Khan

According to DailyMail who first reported the incident, several posts appeared before Facebook realized the issue and responded. The social network promptly deleted all the posts and issued an official statement to notify users that the page had been compromised. Simultaneously, the platform launched an investigation into the incident and took steps to enhance the page’s security.

By 11.30 pm, Facebook’s official page was disabled. However, until then, thousands of users had seen these posts.

In February 2014, an Egyptian hacker managed to remove Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook timeline cover photo from his account using a private exploit.

We will update our readers as Facebook shares further details on this incident.

Meanwhile, take a moment to reexamine the security of your profile on social media because this incident is a reminder that no platform or organization is safe from cyberattacks. So, users must prefer strong passwords, ideally with 2FA, and avoid using the same password for different accounts.

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Galaxy S24 Ultra is highly efficient & powerful thanks to Snapdragon

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Galaxy S24 Ultra is highly efficient & powerful thanks to Snapdragon
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Last week, Samsung announced the Exynos 2400 chipset for the Galaxy S24 series, However, rumors are that the new chip won’t power the Ultra model. The Korean firm plans to ship it with a customized version of Qualcomm’s next-gen flagship processor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. We might have a clue about why the company is doing this.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 may bring impressive power efficiency to the Galaxy S24 Ultra

According to tipster Revegnus, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 offers a 30 percent better power efficiency compared to Apple’s A17 Pro that is found inside the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. While it’s already an impressive lead for two chips of the same year, there’s more to the story. Apple’s solution is a 3nm processor, while Qualcomm is sticking to the 4nm process (both using TSMC’s fab).

The new Snapdragon consuming less power than the A17 Pro despite being a generation old in terms of the fabrication process is a pretty big deal. With Samsung’s optimization, the Galaxy S24 Ultra might deliver unprecedented power efficiency. We have already seen a notable increase in battery life with the Galaxy S23 series, which uses the “For Galaxy” version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 globally.

Along with efficiency gains, the Snapdragon 8 gen 3 will offer performance improvements too. The same source reports that the “For Galaxy” version of the chip used in the Galaxy S24 Ultra currently delivers single-core scores of more than 2,300 on Geekbench 6. The multi-core scores top 7,300. Samsung could further optimize the chip and its Galaxy software before the new flagships arrive on the market.

It isn’t looking good for the Exynos 2400

Since Samsung will use the Exynos 2400 on the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ in some markets (these models will get the new Snapdragon chip in the US), it’s supposed to match the performance of its Snapdragon counterpart. However, early benchmark scores haven’t been promising. The Exynos 2400 struggled to beat Qualcomm’s previous-gen Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in a GPU test.

Of course, there’s still some time for Samsung to tweak things. The company bringing back Exynos to its flagship smartphones suggests it’s confident about the changes it has made. Reviews of the Galaxy S23 FE and the Pixel 8 series (which uses the Tensor G3 processor based on Samsung’s Exynos solutions) confirm that the Korean firm has fixed the heating issues up to some extent. Time will tell whether the improvements are big enough for Samsung to win back the trust of its fans. The Galaxy S24 series may go official in January 2024.


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