Google Photos is a great platform to store photos and videos to share with others. However, there are those pictures that you just don’t want to share with others; for this, you have the locked folder. According to 9To5Google, Google will let you sync your locked folder across different devices.
In case you don’t know what the locked folder is, it’s a secret folder for your media. When you put an item in the locked folder, you’ll need to enter a password or draw a pattern to see it.
When you move a photo or video to the locked folder, you also won’t be able to access it on your device. So, you won’t see the locked media in any gallery app on your phone. If you want it to be visible, you’ll need to move it out of the locked folder.
Google Photos will let you sync your locked folder across devices
The locked folder is neat, but there’s one issue; you can only access your files on one device. People use different devices, and it’s possible to find yourself in need of your locked media on another device.
According to the report, some people are seeing a new prompt when in the Google Photos app. It reads “Back up Locked Folder. Keep photos hidden across devices”. The popup will then give you the option to enable it or refuse it. When you enable it, your phone will back up photos to the cloud so that you can access them on other devices. When you’re in your locked folder, you’ll see a little cloud icon in one of the corners. This will let you enable and disable the backup feature.
Since you enable the locked folder sync on a per-device basis, you’ll need to enable it on your device if you want to see the media. If you disable the feature after media was already backed up, you’ll still be able to see that content. You just won’t be able to see any new content that’ll be uploaded.
Also, it looks like the locked folder is coming to Google Photos for the desktop. The button for it will appear under the Trash option. However, if you want to use this feature, you’ll need to enable 2FA.
Apple launched four iPhone 15 models quite recently. We’ve already compared the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, two smaller handsets. Well, it’s time to pay some attention to the big boys now. In this article, we’ll compare the Apple iPhone 15 Plus vs iPhone 15 Pro Max. Do note that the comparison is based on the information Apple provided, and initial hands-ons. We did not get a chance to review either device, nobody has at the time of writing this article.
That being said, we’ll first list the specs of both phones, and will then compare their designs, displays, and much more. Both of these phones are truly large, and both have been noticeably upgraded compared to their predecessors. In fact, many would say that the ‘Plus’ got a more significant upgrade. We’ll let you be the judge of that, and do hope this comparison will help you make a purchasing decision.
Specs
Apple iPhone 15 Plus vs iPhone 15 Pro Max, respectively
– Screen size: 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display (60Hz, HDR, 2,000 nits) 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion (120Hz, HDR, 2,000 nits) – Display resolution: 2796 x 1290 – SoC: Apple A16 Bionic Apple A17 Pro – RAM: 6GB 8GB – Storage: 128GB/256GB/512GB 256GB/512GB/1TB – Rear cameras: 48MP (f/1.6 aperture, sensor-shift OIS), 12MP (ultrawide, f/2.4 aperture) 48MP (f/1.78 aperture, second-gen sensor-shift OIS), 12MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, macro photography), 12MP (telephoto, f/2.8 aperture, 5x optical zoom) – Front cameras: 12MP (f/1.9 aperture) + TrueDepth 12MP (f/1.9 aperture) + TrueDepth – Battery: N/A – Charging: 20W wired, 15W wireless (charger not included) – Dimensions (unfolded): 160.9 x 77.8 x 7.8mm 159.9 x 76.7 x 8.25mm – Weight: 201 grams 221 grams – Connectivity: 5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3 – Security: Advanced facial scanning – OS: iOS 17 – Price: $899 $1,199 – Buy: N/A (coming September 15)
Apple iPhone 15 Plus vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Design
Both of these phones do look quite similar to their predecessors, but there are some differences. The iPhone 15 Plus has slightly thinner bezels, while it also received a Dynamic Island. The iPhone 15 Pro Max has noticeably thinner bezels, even thinner than the ‘Plus’, while it also has a Titanium frame now. Both smartphones include a Type-C port at the bottom now, and both have a changed frame which now feels better in the hand. The edges are not as sharp as they used to be. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is also considerably lighter than its predecessor, but noticeably heavier than the iPhone 15 Plus. Both phones cross the 200-gram level, however.
The two phones are quite similar in terms of dimensions. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is slightly narrower and shorter, while it’s also a bit thicker. From the front, they look almost identical, but the Pro Max has thinner bezels. On the back, you’ll notice an extra camera on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. That model also has an Action Button on the left, while the iPhone 15 Plus includes a mute switch.
Both smartphones fit a lot better in the hand than their predecessors. They’re more comfortable to hold and use. What’s especially noticeable is the lighter body of the ‘Pro Max’ model. You’ll also be glad to hear that both smartphones come with IP68 certification for water and dust resistance. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the only one that supports USB 3.0 transfer speeds, but you’ll need to get a new cable for that. The included one supports 2.0 only.
Apple iPhone 15 Plus vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Display
Both of these devices include 6.7-inch panels, but they’re not the same. Truth be said, both are flat, and both are Super Retina XDR OLED displays with a 2796 x 1290 pixels resolution. The thing is, the iPhone 15 Pro Max comes with a ProMotion display. In other words, it supports a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, while the iPhone 15 Plus is limited to a 60Hz display, unfortunately.
Both displays go all the way up to 2,000 nits when it comes to peak brightness. Both offer great contrast ratio, and very good touch response. The viewing angles are also really good on both, at least based on initial hands-ons. A Dynamic Island is present on both displays, as you can see, and it seems to be the same on both of them. 3D facial scanning tech is hidden in it, as is the phone’s front-facing camera.
So, what are the advantages of the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s display? Well, the refresh rate we’ve mentioned, and it also offers the Always-On Display (AOD) functionality. That is something the iPhone 15 Plus does not support. Other than that, these two panels are basically on the same level.
Apple iPhone 15 Plus vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Performance
The iPhone 15 Plus is fueled by the Apple A16 Bionic processor. That is the same processor that sits inside the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. The phone also comes with 6GB of RAM. The iPhone 15 Pro Max, on the other hand, includes the brand new Apple A17 Pro chip. Apple also placed 8GB of RAM inside of this phone. So, on paper, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the more powerful phone, of course.
That is a 6-core CPU, which includes a 6-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine. The Apple A16 Bonic has a similar setup, but it has a 5-core GPU. The day-to-day performance difference won’t exactly be noticeable, but the new chip can run more powerful games, which Apple announced during its keynote. That part actually managed to surprise quite a few people. We’ll have to wait until the review, but this chip does look quite promising, and we’re expecting big things from it.
Apple iPhone 15 Plus vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Battery
What about their batteries? Well, we don’t have any battery info at this point. Apple also didn’t really boast about the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s battery life during the keynote. What it did mention is that the iPhone 15 series offers all-day battery life, referring to the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. We do hope that Apple made some improvements in that regard, though, as the iPhone 14 Pro models weren’t exactly great in the battery life department.
Charging is a different story, though, that info we do have. Both smartphones support 20W wired, and 15W wireless charging. MagSafe and Qi wireless charging are supported, and Qi2 will be as well. Apple says that you can charge up both phones to 50% in about 35 minutes. Reaching a full charge will take a lot more than that. Also, a charger is not included in the box with either of the two phones. You do get a Type-C to Type-C cable, though.
Apple iPhone 15 Plus vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Cameras
The iPhone 15 Plus got a considerable camera upgrade this year. It jumped from a 12-megapixel main camera to a 48-megapixel camera, as it basically got the iPhone 14 Pro’s setup. That main camera has an f/1.6 aperture, and sensor-shift OIS is also a part of the package. There is also a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera (f/2.4 aperture) included on the back.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max also has a 48-megapixel main camera, but with a larger sensor and a second-gen sensor-shift OIS. That camera has an f/1.78 aperture. The second camera on the back is a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera (f/2.2 aperture). The ‘Pro Max’ also has a third camera back there, a 12-megapixel telephoto unit (f/2.8 aperture), with an optical zoom of up to 5x, which is a first for an iPhone.
We can’t really judge the performance of these cameras just yet, but we do know they also come with some interesting improvements. You’ll be able to change the focus of an image after you take it, without manually going to ‘Portrait Mode’. Apple also has a new coating for light reflections on the Pro Max, which should result in better low-light images and video. All in all, both setups do look promising, but especially the one on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Audio
Apple didn’t really focus on audio at all during its keynote. What we do know, however, is that both smartphones have stereo speakers. They both support Dolby Atmos, and Spatial Audio playback. The audio output will likely be similar to what their predecessors offer.
Neither phone has a 3.5mm headphone jack. You’ll have to use their Type-C ports for wired audio connections. If you prefer wireless, however, do note that both smartphones support Bluetooth 5.3.
Google has reportedly settled a lawsuit in California court that alleged the company was using deceptive location data practices with users. The complaint was filed on September 14, 2023, and accuses Google of using deceptive practices to track, store, and use location data of consumers for targeted advertising without consent.
The complaint was filed by California’s Attorney General Nicklas Akers. It states that Google basically tricked users into consenting to having their location data tracked 24/7 outside of the Google Maps app. This practice went on from 2014 to 2018 according to the complaint. It also notes that Google would “show users a deceptive prompt” to allow location history under the guise of enhancing the Google Maps experience. The enhancement was said to be for storing location data to improve search suggestions and recommended routes.
This prompt would pop up in the Maps app when users would launch it. And at the bottom of the prompt was a big blue button that you could tap that said “yes I’m in.” Tapping yes is what would give consent to Google to use the location data that was gathered. Only that was never mentioned to users. And it wasn’t periodically, it was all the time.
Google agrees to pay $93 million for location data lawsuit, but admits no wrongdoing
Google has agreed to pay $93 million to the state of California to settle this complaint. This also comes after it settled with 40 other states for around $391 million back in November of 2022. Of course, part of the settlement agreement is that Google doesn’t admit any faults. So the company gets to walk away with its integrity intact. Settling was probably a smart choice. Today is day three of Google’s antitrust case with the DOJ.
And settling this lawsuit means it can clear its plate for the weeks ahead in its ongoing trial. In addition to paying the $93 million, Google has agreed to show more information to users about location data tracking. This includes providing additional transparency about tracking, as well as disclosing that location data may be used for targeted ads. So, Google is still to going to track the data of Californians and use it for advertising. It just has to tell them about it now.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo announced the company won’t release its new iPad models before the year’s end. Instead, new Apple iPad lineup will arrive in 2024.
Apple’s Tuesday Wonderlust event was held with no surprise or unprecedented product launch for fans. The tech giant revealed its iPhone 15 series along with the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2. While some rumors already pointed to a possible iPad launch, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said Apple has no plan to reveal a new iPad in its Tuesday event. However, if you’re waiting for a new iPad, you should probably wait until 2024.
Do you want a new Apple iPad? Wait until 2024 to get a new iPad Air and iPad Pro
Gurman also added Apple is working on a new iPad Air with high specifications. The iPad Air got a refresh in early 2022, and its successor is “coming soonish,” according to Gurman. Additionally, he said “major” new iPad Pros will come in 2024 with M3 processors and OLED screens. The latest iPad Pro was refreshed in October 2022.
All evidence suggests that 2024 will be a special year for Apple fans, and the company is cooking up some high-performing devices for the year. Last week, Ming-Chi Kuo stated that the new MacBook lineup with M3 chips won’t land in 2023.
So far, we know Apple plans to launch its new iPad lineup in 2024. But the company might also reveal a new MacBook lineup simultaneously. We all like to see a joint event to announce the new iPad and MacBook lineup.
In July, it was reported that Samsung is developing a foldable display technology for Apple. Many companies now have foldable smartphones in their lineup, but Apple still hasn’t shown any interest in launching a foldable iPhone. However, that report noted that the Samsung-made foldable display for Apple might be used in a laptop instead of a smartphone. A new iPad or MacBook with a foldable display in 2024 might be plausible. Samsung currently produces OLED displays for all four iPhone 15 models.
AI chatbots are vulnerable to security flaws that can be exploited by threat actors to jailbreak them.
Jailbreaking AI chatbots can allow cybercriminals to create uncensored content, generate phishing emails, and carry out other malicious activities.
Cybercriminals are increasingly using AI chatbots to evade security measures and carry out their attacks.
AI security is still in its early stages, but researchers are working to develop effective strategies to protect AI chatbots from exploitation.
Users can protect themselves from AI chatbot jailbreaking by being aware of the risks and taking steps to mitigate them, such as using only trusted chatbots and being careful about the information they share with them.
We have been witnessing the rise and rise of AI-powered chatbots. Advanced AI-based language tools like ChatGPT have improved our conversational capabilities tremendously by offering vast datasets and generating a coherent response against every query.
However, the latest research reveals that these chatbots are prone to security flaws, which threat actors can exploit to jailbreak them and evade all ethical guidelines and security mechanisms implemented by organizations.
Research conducted by WormGPT fame cybersecurity firm SlashNext and shared with Hackread.com on Tuesday, 12 September 2023, potential dangers of vulnerable chatbots were revealed. Researchers noted that jailbreaking chatbots can allow cybercriminals to create uncensored content and have devastating negative consequences.
Threat Actors Exploiting AI Chatbots
SlashNext researchers claim to have discovered multiple actors bragging on discussion forums about successful jailbreaks on AI chatbots and writing phishing emails. In addition, various threat actors are selling AI bots that appear to be custom LLMs (large language models).
However, these aren’t custom LLMs but jailbroken versions of widely used chatbots like ChatGPT and other AI tools. Using these tools instead of exploiting a chatbot is more advantageous for cybercriminals because their identities remain undisclosed so, attackers can keep exploiting AI-generated content for fulfilling their nefarious objectives.
The screenshot shows a successful jailbreak of ChatGPT using the Anarchy method (Credit: SlashNext)
How it all Started?
AI manipulating tools have been surfacing one after another lately, allowing cybercriminals to pull off phishing and other scams convincingly. This trend gained momentum with tools like WormGPT, discovered in July 2023. Another subscription-based tool, FraudGPT, surfaced on the Dark Web in July 2023. So far, many different variants have emerged, such as EscapeGPT, BadGPT, DarkGPT, and Black Hat GPT, forcing the cybersecurity community to take notice of the impending havoc.
Still, researchers agree that most exploited tools don’t use custom LLM, except for WormGPT. Instead, these use interfaces that connect to public chatbots’ jailbroken versions hidden through a wrapper. This means cybercriminals can exploit jailbroken versions of language models like OpenGPT and present them as custom LLMs. Some tools offer unauthenticated access if users can make payments in cryptocurrency. This allows users to exploit AI-generated content easily while maintaining anonymity.
A hacker forum discussing jailbreak AI chatbots (Credit: SlashNext)
What is AI Chatbot Jailbreaking?
Chatbot jailbreaking refers to exploiting the inherent weaknesses in the chatbot’s prompting mechanism and forcing the AI to ignore the built-in safety measures and guidelines whenever a user issues a command to trigger unrestricted code.
Hence, the chatbot will generate an output that doesn’t comply with its built-in restrictions/censorship. Jailbreak prompts are there to unlock the chatbot’s full potential. For instance, the Anarchy method uses a commanding tone to enable an unrestricted mode in ChatGPT and many other AI chatbots.
What to Do About AI Chatbot Jailbreaking?
SlashNext noted that cybercriminals are continually working to evade chatbots’ safety features. This looming threat can only be mitigated with “responsible innovation and enhancing safeguards.”
“AI security is still in its early stages as researchers explore effective strategies to fortify chatbots against those seeking to exploit them. The goal is to develop chatbots that can resist attempts to compromise their safety while continuing to provide valuable services to users,” researchers concluded.
A newly discovered, actively exploited critical security flaw has put millions of internet users in danger. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2023-4863, affects some of the best web browsers, including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge, as well as other apps like Telegram, Signal, and 1Password. It allows attackers to remotely take control of a system, and launch a more devastating attack.
This security flaw is caused by a heap buffer overflow vulnerability. It’s a type of security issue where a program/app doesn’t manage memory well and allows overwriting of important system data. If an attacker knows that a program has this vulnerability, they can exploit it to replace system data with specially crafted malicious data that allows them to gain unauthorized access to the system and steal critical information or cause other forms of damage.
In this case, the vulnerability exists in the WebP codec (libwebp). WebP is a Google-developed modern image format with efficient compression capabilities. It’s one of the most widely used image formats on the internet. “If this codec has a heap buffer overflow, an attacker might be able to craft a malicious WebP image that, when viewed, exploits this vulnerability to harm your computer or steal information,” Alex Ivanovs of Stack Diary explains.
Attackers are actively exploiting this critical security flaw
Ivanovs has provided a detailed technical explanation of the issue here. He noted that it’s a massive security threat because it involves the WebP image format. To make matters worse, the vulnerability was falsely marked as “Chrome-only” by some organizations. This led to misinformation and more grave security risks. In reality, the issue exists on every software program or app that uses libwebp to render WebP images.
Along with the aforementioned apps, this vulnerability also affects Affinity, Gimp, Inkscape, LibreOffice, Thunderbird, ffmpeg, Honeyview, and “many, many Android applications as well as cross-platform apps built with Flutter,” Ivanovs states. He added that the Apple Security Engineering and Architecture (SEAR) team discovered and reported the vulnerability in collaboration with The Citizen Lab at The University of Toronto’s Munk School on September 6, 2023.
Google has already confirmed the existence of an exploit for the vulnerability in the wild. This emphasizes the urgency of the situation. If you’re using any of the apps mentioned in this article, you should update them to the latest version immediately. It’s always advisable to keep apps updated. This reduces the risk of security exploitations and keeps your device more secure.
With the Apple Watch Series 9 available for pre-order and its launch on the horizon, you’re going to want to consider your options for bands and we’ve rounded up some of the best options out there. Whether you want something for a more professional look or something more comfortable. There are lots of good choices.
We think it’s perfectly acceptable to have multiple bands for different occasions. A sport band for exercise, something made of textile for casual wear, and either metal or leather for work or more formal/dressy activities. Of course it’s perfectly fine if you only ever use one band too. But if you like to swap them now and then, these are the best ones you can find based on some of our own personal testing.
Most of these bands will support the Apple Watch Series 9 in either 41mm or the 45mm. So no mater which size you choose, nearly every band on this list will fit. With that being said, check out all of our recommendations below.
MobyFox Star Wars – Smartwatch Band – Ahsoka Tano Lightsaber
First, we love MobyFox bands because they have tons of officially licensed products. We love this band specifically because Star Wars is awesome and it’s based on Ahsoka Tano. And it just seemed fitting given the show is currently airing on Disney+ each week and it’s one of the best Star Wars series to date.
As for the band outside of the officially licensed design, it comes with a buckle closure and is made from high-grade silicone that’s both sweat and UV resistant. Best of all it comes with matching watch faces. What’s not to like? Plus, the package includes two sets of connectors. One that would fit the 41mm and one that would fit the 45mm. It’s a band that any jedi would be proud to wear. If they had Apple watches in that universe.
While expensive, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better metal link band for your Apple Watch Series 9, making this one of your best options for metal bands. Built from grade 2 titanium, this band has a magnetic clasp making it super easy to secure on your wrist and take it off when ready. It’s also DLC scratch resistant. Though we’d definitely recommend trying to be careful with expensive accessories like this one, it’s nice to know that scratches are less likely to happen if you accidentally bang the band up against stuff.
You can get this band in both silver and black colors and it comes with a tool for removing links if you need to adjust the size a bit.
This is one of Apple’s new bands coming to the market alongside the launch of the Watch Series 9 and one of the best bands you can get for it. FineWoven is a completely new textile that Apple created as it’s now going to stop producing leather products. So this will serve as a sort of replacement to leather bands from the company.
It comes in three different colors and is supposed to feel like soft suede (a type of leather). Aside from the comfort and nice feel, it also looks great and the magnetic clasp will make it super easy to put on and take off. If you’re looking for an official Apple band, this is our personal favorite. Especially since it fits both watch sizes and has a few color options. You can pre-order the band now and it’ll officially release on September 22, which is when it should ship by.
While the FineWoven band from Apple is very nice, and one of the best bands for the Watch Series 9, we know there are some that will still prefer a genuine leather band for their Apple Watch. And we don’t blame you. We love leather accessories too and one of the best options for the Apple Watch Series 9 comes from Bullstrap.
The fine-grain Italian leather will be soft and supple for quality comfort and it looks quite good. On top of that, since this is genuine leather it will end up with a nice patina over time. Subtly changing the look of the leather as it ages. This particular band from Bullstrap comes in multiple colors including Sienna (our favorite), Black, Classic, Dune, Matte Black, Ocean, and Terra. If you want a nice leather band for the Watch Series 9, consider this one.
A tried and true classic band for the Apple Watch (including the Series 9), is the sport band. It’s been around since the beginning and it just might be the perfect band for all your more active stuff. Whether that’s weight training, running, swimming, yoga, hiking, cycling, and even just strolling around town. The Sport Band is a comfortable band made from custom high-performance fluoroelastomer that will be sweat and UV resistant and it can go with just about anything.
It also comes in tons of colors so there’s probably more versatility here when it comes to personalization than any other band on the list. This is probably the band we’d go with for exercise and if we just wanted something universal that can go from the gym to the office without breaking a sweat.
Similar to the Titanium band from Nomad, this Aluminum model has the same classy look and feel with that great magnetic clasp system for easy on and off wear. And because it’s aluminum and not titanium, it’s $100 cheaper so instead of $300, you pay $200.
That’s still expensive for a watch band of course. But, if you like Nomad’s stuff this is a nice alternative to the titanium band since it’s less expensive and has the same features and design. This model comes in silver and space gray. It’s much lighter band than you’d expect for being made of metal and it’s incredibly slim too. And we love the matte finish on it to match the Apple Watch case.
This was primarily designed for use with the Apple Watch Ultra, which is a 49mm watch case. However, Apple has designed it so that it will also fit the 45mm Apple Watches. Unfortunately, this band will not fit the 41mm. But if you’re going for the 45mm size, this is an excellent option.
It comes in six different colors making it one of the better options on here for personalization. Those colors include Indigo, Starlight, Orange, Green, Blue, and Olive. This is designed to be a more rugged textile material so it should be a perfect fit if you go hiking a lot. But it also looks quite stylish so even if you just appreciate the design, it’s a nice option for everyday wear as it’s comfortable too.
Like the Alpine Loop band above, the Apple Sport Loop band comes in multiple colors which include Storm Blue, (PRODUCT) RED, Elderberry, Midnight, and Starlight. The nice thing is that you can get this one in sizes that fit both the 45mm and the 41mm. Which is great because this is one of our favorite looking bands on the list and it’s comfortable to wear.
It’s an excellent band for casual everyday wear thanks the breathable, lightweight textile material. This also makes it a great band option if you want one to wear while you sleep.
If you weren’t a fan of the leather band design listed above from Bullstrap, Nomad makes tons of great leather accessories too, including bands that will fit the Apple Watch Series 9. This leather band is made from genuine Horween leather and comes in two colors. Rustic Brown, and Black. Rustic Brown will come with silver hardware and the Black band will come with black hardware.
Horween leather is American made and just like the Bullstrap band this will end up with a really nice looking patina over time. And that’s one of the reasons why we love this band a lot. Even if you love the Bullstrap band, this is a great band to add to the collection as well.
Rounding out our list is the Milanese Loop band from Apple. There’s just something about the sleek look of the micro-woven metal mesh that really looks great with just about any outfit. It’s metal so it lends itself well to both professional settings and more formal outings. It’s slim design also makes it great for just everyday casual wear too. We would however recommend against wearing it for active stuff. You definitely don’t want to be wearing a metal smartwatch band while exercising.
You can get this band in Silver, Gold, and Graphite color options so there’s one to match most of the case colors for the Watch Series 9. And like the Magnetic Link band, this has a magnetic clasp to fasten securely and easily.
Threads by Instagram, the Meta app launched back in July, continues on its pursuit to dethrone its competition — namely X, formerly known as Twitter. In its newest rollout of features, the app is implementing notifications for threads you want to keep an eye out.
The new feature was made public today via a post on the platform, announcing that users can now turn on notifications to follow a thread for 24 hours. This is a feature that is meant exclusively for the mobile apps, and not for the web client.
The news was simultaneously shared by Instagram boss, Adam Mosseri, adding that this hasn’t been the only feature rolled out to the platform this week. On the web, you can also now quote other posts, which was not possible when Threads first rolled out its web client.
To follow a thread and get notified when someone replies to it, you will just need to tap the bell in the top right of a thread. When someone does reply, you’ll get a notification in your activity tab.
If you are concerned about privacy, you’ll be glad to know that there will be no need to follow the account whose thread you are following, and there will be no way for others to know that you are. Additionally, you will be able to turn the notification off anytime you like by tapping the same bell icon again.
This is the latest in a string of new features the platform has been rapidly deploying to its user base in order to combat its decline in daily active users. One of the most notable releases recently being keyword search, a glaring omission on the platform when it originally launched. I am excited to see what Threads rolls out next from the long list of features they have stated are in their roadmap.
This week marked the release of the monthly scheduled security fixes from Microsoft. With the September Patch Tuesday update bundle, Microsoft addressed 59 vulnerabilities across different products, including two zero-days.
Two Zero-Day Vulnerabilities Received Patches
The most important updates released this month include two zero-day fixes.
The first is an information disclosure vulnerability in Microsoft Word (CVE-2023-36761). According to Microsoft’s advisory, the vulnerability exploits the Preview Pane as the attack vector, disclosing NTLM hashes to an attacker without user interaction. The tech giant marked this flaw as an important severity issue (CVSS 6.2) and confirmed detecting active exploitation of this flaw in the wild.
The second zero-day vulnerability (CVE-2023-36802) exists in the Microsoft Streaming Service Proxy. Exploiting this vulnerability allows attackers to gain elevated privileges on the target systems, including SYSTEM privileges. While Microsoft confirmed public disclosure of the vulnerability prior to patching, it also assured detecting no active exploitation.
Other Patch Tuesday Fixes From Microsoft For September 2023
In addition to the two zero-days, the September update bundle includes fixes for five critical security issues. Among these, the following four vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution.
CVE-2023-38148 (CVSS 8.8) – a vulnerability affecting the Internet Connection Sharing (ICS). An attacker may exploit the flaw for ICS-enabled systems by sending maliciously crafted network packets to the ICS service to target systems on the same network segment.
CVE-2023-36792, CVE-2023-36793, and CVE-2023-36796 (CVSS 7.8) – An attacker with local access to the target machine may exploit these vulnerabilities in the Visual Studio to execute arbitrary codes. Exploiting the flaws merely requires tricking the victim user into opening a maliciously crafted package file.
The fifth critical vulnerability includes CVE-2023-29332 (CVSS 7.5) – a privilege escalation vulnerability affecting the Microsoft Azure Kubernetes Service. Microsoft deemed it an easily exploitable flaw, allowing a remote adversary to gain Cluster Administrator privileges.
Besides, the tech giant addressed 51 important severity vulnerabilities affecting the .Net Framework, 3D Builder, 3D Viewer, Azure DevOps Server, DHCP Server, Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft Office, Outlook, SharePoint, Windows Defender, and Windows Kernel, among others. Moreover, the tech giant also addressed a moderate severity spoofing vulnerability in Microsoft Office (CVE-2023-41764; CVSS 5.5).
While these updates will reach all eligible systems automatically, users should still check for system updates manually to ensure timely patches.
WhatsApp Channels are now available to everyone around the world. The company has announced that the new broadcasting feature is rolling out to users in over 150 countries. It has been testing the feature amongst a small group of users for the past few months.
Channels on WhatsApp work the same way as in Telegram, which has had the feature for a long time now. You can follow brands, organizations, sports teams, creators, and other influential people or groups on the app to receive updates from them. They can broadcast their new creations, the latest news, and other information to their followers through the channels. Instagram added a similar feature earlier this year.
WhatsApp shows your followed channels under the Updates tab, which replaces Status in the bottom navigation bar. Statuses appear in a horizontal bar at the top, with channels listed vertically under them. At the bottom, you’ll find another horizontal carousel of recommended channels. You can follow channels directly from there or tap the “See all” button to find more or manually search a channel. Despite this massive overhaul of the Status tab, the floating pen and camera buttons aren’t going anywhere.
WhatsApp Channels are getting some new features as well
Along with a wider rollout, WhatsApp has also added new features to Channels. An enhanced directory now lets you find channels that may be more relevant to you. The app now recommends you a list of channels that are filtered based on your country. You can also manually select a country to find popular channels from that country. Additionally, WhatsApp lets you filter the lists based on popularity, activity, and more.
WhatsApp added reactions to Channels in the beta version of the app in July. The feature is now available to everyone. You can see a count of total reactions in a broadcasted message. However, other followers cannot see your reaction. WhatsApp lets you forward messages from channels to other people and groups in the messaging app. Forwarded messages will include a link back to the channel.
Additionally, WhatsApp plans to add an edit feature to channels. Admins can edit messages for up to 30 days after sending them, the company says. Messages are automatically deleted from WhatsApp servers after that. Other planned features include the ability to create a channel for everyone. “This is just the beginning, and we’ll continue to add more features and expand Channels based on feedback we get from users,” WhatsApp said in a press release.
