After months of leaks and rumors, Samsung‘s new budget and mid-range tablets are finally nearing their launch. Official teasers are now live for both the Galaxy Tab S9 FE series and the Galaxy Tab A9 series. The former tablets have appeared on the Indian e-commerce website Flipkart along with a price bracket, though a launch date is missing. The latter lineup, on the other hand, has banners on Amazon India complete with a launch date.
Flipkart has confirmed that the Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ will be available for purchase during its “The Big Billion Days” sale event, which kicks off tomorrow, September 27. The platform will gradually unlock the deals over the next week, so it’s unclear when the new Samsung tablet will be official. However, we can see that it will have a launch price of ₹3_,__9, i.e. somewhere between ₹30,009 (roughly $360) and ₹39,999 (roughly $480).
This pricing should be for the base variant of the tablet, which comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The higher-end variant (12GB+256GB) will cost more. However, the price is nowhere close to the previously rumored figure of ₹63,000 for the 6GB+128GB Galaxy Tab S9 FE (not the Plus model). We still don’t have a pricing for the base model. The launch date for these tablets is also missing from this retail listing.
However, earlier leaks have suggested an October 4 launch of the new Fan Edition (FE) tablets, as well as the Galaxy S23 FE, Galaxy Buds FE, and the Galaxy SmartTag 2. Flipkart’s sales event will still be around then, so the reported launch date might be accurate. Samsung is already teasing the new FE phone on the e-commerce website, while leaks have revealed its key specs. We will let you know when we have more details.
The Galaxy Tab A9 series to debut on October 5
If these devices don’t go official on October 4, Samsung may take the wraps off them the following day. Amazon India has confirmed an October 5 launch of the Galaxy Tab A9 series. The e-commerce giant is also gearing up to launch its “Great Indian Festival” sale event in the coming days.
As of this writing, Samsung hasn’t officially announced the launch of any of these Galaxy products. It’s unclear if the Galaxy Tab S9 FE, Galaxy Tab A9, Galaxy S23 FE, Galaxy Buds FE, and Galaxy SmartTag 2 will launch globally next month or if it will be an India-only launch initially. We shall find out soon.
The iPhone 15 Pro is the latest flagship from Apple that got a bunch of improvements over its predecessors, including a titanium frame. Apple claims this frame makes the phone lighter and more resistant to damage. However, a drop test conducted by Sam Kohl proves otherwise.
Sam Kohl’s drop test consists of an iPhone 15 Pro and an iPhone 14 Pro. While you might expect the 15 Pro to be more durable, the iPhone 14 Pro leaves better results in the test. The phone has also left disappointing results in battery tests.
iPhone 14 Pro is seemingly more durable than iPhone 15 Pro
In one of the tests, Kohl dropped an iPhone 15 Pro and an iPhone 14 Pro on concrete floors from different heights. Both phones are dropped simultaneously. The results were quite surprising. The iPhone 15 Pro’s black glass and camera lens were shattered. Meanwhile, the iPhone 14 Pro just got minor damage.
In another test, Kohl dropped both phones from a height of about 15 feet. Surprisingly, the iPhone 15 Pro screen was severely damaged and left entirely non-functional. The phone’s back also shattered. On the other hand, the iPhone 14 Pro still worked great and has no damage.
After dropping phones from a height of 20 feet, the iPhone 15 Pro was completely wrecked, and its life was over. The camera and surroundings turned into pieces, and the screen no longer worked. The back of the iPhone 14 Pro was also damaged, and the screen was scratched, but the device still works well.
Besides the titanium frame, the iPhone 15 Pro has curved edges. These edges make it easier to hold the phone but might make it more vulnerable to damage. The new design has caused the screen to have more contact with the ground. Thus, it absorbs more damage in case of dropping from a height. Meanwhile, the iPhone 14 Pro has flat edges that can absorb the damage and protect the screen.
While the tech giant brags about titanium frame on the iPhone 15 Pro, the results prove the device is less resistant than its predecessor. During the experiment, Kohl dropped both phones 15 times and the iPhone 14 Pro left better results in general.
So, you’re in charge of setting up the next big conference for the company, and you want to make sure that it goes off without a hitch. Sure, you can set up the meeting on the day, but why not just schedule it ahead of time? You can schedule that meeting in Google Meet and have more time to prepare.
But how do you do it? Here’s a handy guide to show you how to schedule a meeting in Google Meet. It’s a pretty simple and straightforward process.
How to schedule a meeting in Google Meet
Before we start, you’ll want to have the Google Meet app installed on your device if you’re planning on using it on the go. When you open the app and sign in, you’ll see a pretty barebones screen. There’s a search bar at the top of the interface with the list of calls you’ve made under that.
At the very bottom of the screen, you’ll see the New button. When you tap on it, you’ll be taken to the screen where you’ll customize your meeting. At the top of the UI, you’ll see some options. Tap on the Schedule in Google Calendar option.
From this point, you’ll be transported to Google Calendar. It will be on the New Event screen where you can enter the details of the meeting.
Setting up time
So, if you’re used to using Google Calendar, then setting up the meeting should be a piece of cake. At the top of the screen, you’ll see the text field where you’ll enter the name of the meeting. Make sure to give it a short, sweet, and distinctive name. That you can recognize when looking at your calendar.
The next section will show you all of the accounts you want this event on. This only applies to the Google accounts that you have on your device, it doesn’t refer to the people who you’re trying to invite. Tap on it to choose which accounts you want the event to be visible on.
Under that, you’ll start choosing when you want the meeting to happen. Toggle the All-day switch if you want the event to show up at the top of the day on the calendar. Since we’re talking about a meeting that starts at a specific time, you might want to leave that off.
Under that, you’ll pick the start and end time of the meeting. First, you’ll choose the date of the meeting. Tap on the date to do that. To the right of the date, choose the time that you want it to start. Under that, you’ll do the same thing for the end time of the meeting.
Next, choose the time zone that you’ll be in when you hold the meeting. This is extremely important because most companies have meetings with people across time zones or across countries.
Lastly, you’ll want to choose if this is going to be a recurring meeting. Maybe you have meetings on a weekly or monthly basis.
Adding people
The next section is where you’re going to be adding attendees for the meeting. Tap on the Add People text. When you do that, you’ll see a list of people who are in your circle of contacts. Just tap on their names to add them to your list.
If there are a ton of people on the list of available contacts, you can use the search bar on the top of the UI to type in the names of people you want. That makes things much easier. When you’ve added all the people, you can tap on the Done button at the top of the screen.
If you’re wondering if the meeting clashes with any of your colleagues’ schedules, tap on the View Schedules button below the people. It will lower the UI to show the day of the meeting. It will show you if you or any of the other people have something scheduled during the time of the meeting. When you’re done, just swipe up on the lowered schedule screen.
The next section will let you add the location of the meeting. You’ll be able to type in the location where the meeting will take place. This section is optional, however.
Setting up the notification
The last thing you want to do is forget about this meeting. This is why you should set up some notifications to sound off before the meeting happens. Under the location, you’ll see a section with some pre-set notifications. You’ll see one notification 10 minutes before the event and at the time. If that’s not enough time, don’t worry.
Tap on the “X” icon on the right of the notification if you want to delete it. Then, tap on the Add notification to set up a new notification. When you do that, you’ll see a popup with six options: At time of the event, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, and one day before the time of the meeting.
Under those options, you’ll see the Custom button. This will let you do two things. Firstly, it will let you choose how many minutes, hours, days, or weeks before the event you want the notification. Secondly, it will let you choose if you want a Google Calendar notification or an email. Feel free to add as many notifications as you think you’ll need.
If you choose to get a Google Calendar notification, then you’ll be notified on all devices with that account logged in.
Adding the final bits
Now, it’s time to finish this up. If you’re into color coding, then you’ll like this next step. You’ll be able to choose the color that you want the meeting to be on the calendar. You have your choice between 12 color options for the event.
Under that, you can add a description of the meeting. You’ll use this if you want to be more descriptive. You can say what you want to discuss, what you want to accomplish, or other notes like “The CEO will be attending, so no phones!”
Lastly, you can attach any files you want to the event. You’re able to add pictures, videos, audio files, or documents from your Google Drive (Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc.). You can paste notes to keep in mind during the meeting or other information that you think will be helpful.
Sharing options
You have a couple of sharing options when you’re setting up your meeting. If you want to have the meeting open to people you didn’t directly invite, you can share it with others.
The top option will make it so that only people with a Google account can see your event. The second option will make it so that anyone can view it, regardless of whether they have a Google account. Lastly, the bottom option will block the event from being shared.
Once you press the Save button on the top right of the screen, you’ll be asked if you want to send the event to the contacts.
When the people tap on the event, they’ll see who set up the meeting, the title, description, files, and the link to the actual meeting. They’ll also receive the same notifications that you set when setting up the event.
With that said, you can now go and schedule your meetings.
Apple also announced macOS Sonoma back at WWDC in June, along with updates to iOS, iPad OS and watchOS. But macOS, like usual, took a bit longer to come out. macOS Sonoma is finally available outside of the beta channel today, to all Mac owners.
Apple says that it is compatible 2019 or later iMac models, the iMac Pro, 2018 or later Mac Mini’s, 2018 or later MacBook Pro and 2019 or later Mac Pro and Mac Studio. Basically anything from 2018 and newer is still supported, which is a bit interesting, since that lines up with the iPhone, but Macs usually get support for a longer time.
You can download the update today by heading into System Settings and tapping on Update. It should be about a 4.5GB update, or if you’re already on the beta but not the RC, about 1.45GB in size. Surprisingly, a bit smaller than previous macOS updates, which is honestly great to see.
What’s new in macOS Sonoma?
So what’s new with macOS Sonoma? Well, the big thing is iOS widgets. Yes, you can bring over your widgets from your iPhone or iPad onto your Mac. It’s a pretty interesting way to do things, as you can now control your HomeKit enabled devices from your Mac, instead of having to reach over for your phone. Among other things.
Apple has also brought over the hugely popular Apple TV screensavers to the Mac. So now you get some nice looking, cinematic screensavers when you step away from your computer. There’s also a new Game Mode for Macs with Apple Silicon. This is going to prioritize gams on the CPU and GPU for smoother performance.
Safari also allows you to save any website as a web app. Which can now live in your dock, and you don’t even need to have Safari open for them to work. This is a really nice feature for myself, as I have Twitter (or rather X Pro) saved as a web app, and in my dock.
Samsung‘s newest premium mid-range smartphone, the Galaxy A54 5G, is now getting a new software update. The company is pushing the September security patch to the device. The update doesn’t seem to bring any other goodies, with the Korean firm likely keeping all new features and improvements for the Android 14-based One UI 6.0 update.
The latest update for the Galaxy A54 5G is rolling out with the firmware build number A546BXXS5AWI3 in Europe and A546EXXS5AWI3 in Asia and Latin America. A global rollout should be just around the corner. The build number may vary in some countries but the changelog is the same globally. Samsung is only pushing the September SMR (Security Maintenance Release) to the phone.
This month’s SMR for Galaxy devices is a pretty big one. It contains as many as 35 Galaxy-specific vulnerability patches, which is more than what Samsung pushes through most other monthly security releases. As usual, the vulnerabilities exist across various system apps, services, and components, including Samsung Keyboard, Dual Messenger, Knox AI, One UI Home, and Settings.
Additionally, the September SMP patches 23 Android OS vulnerabilities, with the fixes coming either from Google or the vendor of the compromised third-party device component. The Android maker has labeled four of these flaws as critical security vulnerabilities, potentially allowing threat actors to remotely gain access to an affected phone. The new update for the Galaxy A54 also patches four Exynos flaws.
The Galaxy A54 5G will soon get the Android 14 update
Samsung launched the Galaxy A54 5G in March this year with Android 13 onboard. The device is eligible for four major Android OS updates. The first of those will arrive soon. The Korean firm is readying the Android 14-based One UI 6.0 update for the phone. It recently opened a public One UI 6.0 beta program for the Galaxy A54 5G. The stable update is expected to arrive in November or December this year. We will let you know when the rollout begins.
In the meantime, if you’re using the new Samsung mid-ranger and haven’t received the September SMR, your wait shouldn’t be much longer now. You can now be on the lookout for a notification about the OTA (over-the-air) update. Galaxy devices also let you manually check for new updates from the Settings app. Navigate to the Software update menu and tap on Download and install. If you don’t find any updates today, check again later.
Samsung‘s newest premium mid-range smartphone, the Galaxy A54 5G, is now getting a new software update. The company is pushing the September security patch to the device. The update doesn’t seem to bring any other goodies, with the Korean firm likely keeping all new features and improvements for the Android 14-based One UI 6.0 update.
The latest update for the Galaxy A54 5G is rolling out with the firmware build number A546BXXS5AWI3 in Europe and A546EXXS5AWI3 in Asia and Latin America. A global rollout should be just around the corner. The build number may vary in some countries but the changelog is the same globally. Samsung is only pushing the September SMR (Security Maintenance Release) to the phone.
This month’s SMR for Galaxy devices is a pretty big one. It contains as many as 35 Galaxy-specific vulnerability patches, which is more than what Samsung pushes through most other monthly security releases. As usual, the vulnerabilities exist across various system apps, services, and components, including Samsung Keyboard, Dual Messenger, Knox AI, One UI Home, and Settings.
Additionally, the September SMP patches 23 Android OS vulnerabilities, with the fixes coming either from Google or the vendor of the compromised third-party device component. The Android maker has labeled four of these flaws as critical security vulnerabilities, potentially allowing threat actors to remotely gain access to an affected phone. The new update for the Galaxy A54 also patches four Exynos flaws.
The Galaxy A54 5G will soon get the Android 14 update
Samsung launched the Galaxy A54 5G in March this year with Android 13 onboard. The device is eligible for four major Android OS updates. The first of those will arrive soon. The Korean firm is readying the Android 14-based One UI 6.0 update for the phone. It recently opened a public One UI 6.0 beta program for the Galaxy A54 5G. The stable update is expected to arrive in November or December this year. We will let you know when the rollout begins.
In the meantime, if you’re using the new Samsung mid-ranger and haven’t received the September SMR, your wait shouldn’t be much longer now. You can now be on the lookout for a notification about the OTA (over-the-air) update. Galaxy devices also let you manually check for new updates from the Settings app. Navigate to the Software update menu and tap on Download and install. If you don’t find any updates today, check again later.
Microsoft reportedly plans to remove some of the Surface products from its lineup, according to XDA Developers. The decision was made after the company concluded that these products weren’t profitable.
The Surface department at Microsoft has undergone serious changes. Windows and Surface chief Panos Panay left the company a few days ago after nearly 19 years while he was appointed to the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) two years ago. Microsoft executives Pavan Davuluri, Mikhail Parakhin, and Yusuf Mehdi are now in charge of the Surface department.
The sudden departure of this senior executive had fueled whispers of massive changes at Microsoft. Now, sources report that the Redmond tech giant wants to ditch some “experimental” Surface products.
While Microsoft firmly confirms it’s committed to launching Surface products, the reports suggest that Surface Duo, Surface Studio, and Surface Headphones are more likely to be removed from the company’s lineup. Of course, the products aren’t officially canceled yet, but they will no longer get new product launches. In other words, they’re no longer a priority for Microsoft.
Microsoft to remove ‘experimental’ Surface products from its lineup
This week, Microsoft held its Surface Event to introduce Surface Laptop Go 3, Surface Laptop Studio 2, Surface Hub 3, and other AI-driven initiatives. This proves Microsoft keeps the Surface brand alive, but the strategy will change.
Back in January, Microsoft confirmed that Surface sales plunged, and they expect the decline to continue. Again, in April’s report, the company said its Surface revenue has dropped by 30%. However, the company didn’t mention which Surface products are falling behind in sales. The collapse of the Surface business will make the Redmond tech firm want to narrow its focus and develop products that drive sales.
The impacted Surface products failed to meet the company and customer’s demand for various reasons. For example, the Surface Duo had many build quality issues and software bugs. The Surface Studio also had a mind-blowing price tag that automatically led customers to rival products like the Apple iMac. It remains to be seen if Microsoft’s decision could impact its declining Surface business.
A very clever and complex phishing campaign uses organizations in the hospitality industry to get customers’ credit card information.
Staff in the hospitality industry are trained to accommodate their guests, and when they have a few years of experience under their belt you can be sure they’ll have received some extraordinary requests.
Which is something that clever cybercriminals are taking advantage of. Researchers at Perception Point recently documented a sophisticated phishing campaign targeting hotels and travel agencies.
The campaign raised alarm because of the clever scheme deployed to trick staff into installing an information stealer. This part of the campaign is made up out of highly targeted attacks.
The first stage of the attack typically sees the attackers send a query about a booking or make a reservation. The bookings will always have low or no cancellation costs so the attackers can minimize their investment.
Once the attackers receive a response, they’ll come up with a persuasive reason for the hotel staff to print or study something ahead of their arrival. Examples include medical records for a child or an important map they would like to print out for their elderly parents.
To add a touch of legitimacy and to evade detection, they even provide the hotel representative with a password to unlock these so-called “important files.”
Image courtesy of Perception Point
In reality, the document contains malware hosted on a file sharing platform, such as Google Drive. The file is encrypted but is decrypted when the victim enters the password. The main executable file often has a misleading icon, such as one that makes it look like a pdf. Once the victim double-clicks on the file, the information stealer (or InfoStealer) is then unleashed.
The second step in this attack targets the customers, and was discovered by Akamai researchers.
After the InfoStealer is executed on the original target’s (hotel/travel agent’s) systems, the attacker then begins messaging legitimate customers. The message used in this campaign contains a link to what it says is an additional card verification step. In reality, the link triggers an executable on the victim’s machine which gathers information about the browser and presents the recipient with several security validation questions.
Once the victim passes the tests, they are forwarded to a credit card phishing site masquerading as a Booking.com payment page.
Tips for hospitality organizations
Besides having adequate up-to-date real-time protection on your systems, there are some general tips that can keep you out of trouble.
Always confirm the identity of anyone requesting sensitive information or access to internal systems.
Educate your team so they know how to recognize phishing attempts and where to report potential threats.
Invest in an email security solution which makes it harder for phishing emails and unknown malware to reach the intended target.
Never click on unsolicited links.
Be cautious of messages that create a sense of urgency or threaten negative consequences if you don’t take immediate action.
Tips for consumers
These phishing schemes are exceptionally well thought out and tailored so victims are more likely to click. Still, there are some red flags that can help you prevent falling victim.
Double check unexpected communications which ask for additional payments or payment details. There is no harm in asking for clarification or confirmation.
Inspect links before you click on them to see whether they lead to where you expect.
Do not send information that the booked accommodation should already have or shouldn’t need at all.
Be suspicious of urgent or threatening messages asking for immediate action.
Identity theft victims
If you suspect you are a victim of credit card identity theft, the FTC recommends you contact your bank or credit card company to cancel your card and request a new one. If you get a new card, don’t forget to update any automatic payments with your new card number.
To find out if you are a victim:
Review your transactions regularly to make sure no one has misused your card, and consider credit monitoring.
If you find fraudulent charges, call your bank’s fraud department to alert them.
When you’re hanging out with your friends, it’s easy to share your favorite music with them. However, in this connected age, it’s not always possible to be around other people. This is why Spotify just revealed a new feature called Jams that will let you share your music while separated.
If you’re considering paying for a Spotify premium plan, then you might want to think about the rumored “Supremium tier”. This is a tier that’s been in the works for some time. The main draw to this plan is the high-quality lossless audio. According to reports, this plan will give you 24-bit lossless audio. It will be a great addition for audiophiles who want the most from their music.
Spotify announces its new Jams feature
People like to be the DJ during their hangout sessions. That’s easy to do if everyone’s all in the same room together. However, if you’re all across town or across the country, then that could lead to some complications. This is something that Spotify wants to solve.
Spotify revealed a new feature called Jams, and it could let you be the DJ for your friends even if you’re separated. it allows you to create a real-time jam session with other people on the app. If you’re a Spotify Premium user, you’ll be able to create a room and invite other people to be involved. They’ll all be able to listen to the same music in a massive jam session.
When you invite people, the app will analyze your listening preferences and your guests’ preferences to choose a queue of songs for you all to listen to. The app will inform you of who contributed each track, so you’ll be able to know other people’s listening preferences.
While you need a premium membership to start a listening session, you can still join if you have the free version. Judging from the announcement, we’re not sure if you’ll be able to choose the specific track that people will hear.
The feature is now rolling out. If you don’t see it, then make sure that your app is fully updated. If you still don’t see it, you’ll want to wait just a bit.
Out of the four Apple iPhone 15 models, two might see a reduction in their prices. This information is coming from an Apple analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo in his latest written report. From the report, it is clear that the new smartphone lineup from Apple is performing well in terms of sales.
Mainly, the impressive sales are seen in the Pro Max and Plus entries. As for the Pro and base models in the series, their sales are not as impressive as the other two models. From the looks of things, buyers are after the larger 6.7-inch screen models instead of the smaller 6.1-inch entries.
This isn’t how Apple planned that sales would turn out as there was more attention on the Pro Max, Pro, and the base model. As for the iPhone 15 Plus, Apple didn’t expect sales to be as impressive as they currently are. This turn of events might make Apple reconsider the pricing of the iPhone 15 Pro and base model, and even possibly make it more affordable.
Apple fans might see the reduction of two iPhone 15 models due to falling expectations
From Kuo’s analysis and forecasts, the iPhone 15 series will see massive sales in Q4 2023. From his analysis, the sale of the iPhone 15 Pro Max will clock 35 million units. So far, its impressive sales performance might mean that Kuo’s analysis is accurate.
However, the sale of the iPhone 15 Plus isn’t something that Apple saw coming. Right from its production stage, Apple didn’t make many Plus models available. This is because they felt that users might not be interested in it as they would be the Pro models and the base model.
So far, sales have shown the opposite to be the case as buyers are going for the Plus, leaving out the base model. The Pro model also seems to not be on the shopping list of most Apple fans, as they opt for the Pro Max and the Plus. This might be a result of their appealing large screen sizes, measuring 6.7 inches.
To cater to the poor sales the pro and base iPhone 15 models are facing, Apple might have to take some majors. Kuo analyses that these majors might include reducing the price of these devices or reducing their production order. A reduction in the price of these devices will see a ton of fans rushing to get one for themselves, hence boosting sales.
The decision to take any of the steps Kuo outlines is solely Apple’s to make. In the coming weeks, netizens might see the company try to boost the sales of these two iPhone 15 models that are underperforming in sales. To learn more about the iPhone 15 series and all the devices’ features, as well as pricing, click on this link.
