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Apple Intelligence might use Gemini in the near future

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andreasc

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July 1, 2024

Apple Intelligence might use Gemini in the near future

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Apple Intelligence is locked and loaded and ready to revolutionize the AI landscape. We all know that the technology will tap OpenAI’s GPT-4o when it needs access to more powerful AI. While GPT-4o is a powerful model, Apple doesn’t want to stop there. According to a new report, it looks like Apple Intelligence could also use Google’s Gemini in the near future.

We know iOS as the walled garden with the tallest walls. As such, we expected the company to keep its AI restricted to its models. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case. For the time being, it looks like it wants iOS 18 to be a hub to access multiple AI models. It’s been in talks with companies like Meta, Anthropic, and Perplexity AI along with Google and OpenAI. Recent reports stated that the deal with Meta has fallen through due to security concerns.

Apple Intelligence could gain access to Gemini in the near future

We’ve known that Apple was open to using Google’s AI for some time. We even knew about this news before its deal with OpenAI. At first, it seemed like Apple wanted to integrate Gemini Nano into the iPhone, but its own models are good enough. We expect iOS to use Gemini just like it uses GPT-4o. When it needs to access a more powerful model, it will connect to the internet and tap Gemini.

What makes Apple Intelligence different is the fact that it asks permission to connect to other models. This is something that offers superior transparency compared to Pixel and Galaxy phones. When using an iPhone, you know when Apple is reaching out; there’s no guessing.

With Galaxy AI, it’s not clear which features work on-device and which ones have to contact other models. So, you don’t know what’s happening with your data. The same thing goes for Pixel phones.

Time will tell

Right now, we don’t know when iOS will bring this functionality but reports state that it will happen this Fall. Apple Intelligence isn’t out at the moment, so there’s a chance that the company will implement it before the official launch. When this happens, people should have the ability to choose which model to use. We’ll just have to see.

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Australian Man Arrested for “Evil Twin” Wi-Fi Scam Targeting Travelers

Hacking

andreasc

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July 1, 2024

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Australian Man Arrested for “Evil Twin” Wi-Fi Scam Targeting Travelers

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An Australian man faces charges for setting up fake Wi-Fi networks (“evil twins”) to steal data from unsuspecting travelers at airports. These networks mimic real airport or airline Wi-Fi, tricking users into connecting and exposing logins, browsing history, and more.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) have arrested a 42-year-old man from Western Australia for allegedly setting up fake Wi-Fi networks to steal personal data from unsuspecting travelers. This cybercrime tactic, known as an “evil twin,” is often highlighted when discussing the dangers of using public Wi-Fi.

What is an Evil Twin Scam?

An “evil twin” scam, involves creating Wi-Fi network names that mimic legitimate airport or airline Wi-Fi hotspots. When users connect to these fake networks, their personal information, such as login credentials and browsing data, can be intercepted by malicious third parties including cybercriminals, scammers and spies.

The Investigation and Arrest

According to The AFP’s press release, the investigation began in April 2024 after a concerned airline employee reported a suspicious Wi-Fi network identified on a domestic flight. Following the tip from the airline, AFP investigators discreetly monitored the suspect and his activities.

On his return to Perth Airport from an interstate flight in April, the man’s luggage was searched, revealing a portable wireless access device, a laptop, and a mobile phone. The man used that portable device to create the fake Wi-Fi networks.

These networks would likely have been given names similar to those offered by airports or airlines, tricking unsuspecting travelers into connecting. Once connected, the suspect could potentially steal a variety of data, including:

Browsing history
Personal information entered on websites
Login credentials for email, social media accounts, and banking services

Further examination of these devices, along with a search warrant executed at the man’s residence. Based on the evidence, the AFP arrested the man at his home in May 2024. He is facing multiple cybercrime charges, including unauthorized access to restricted data and creating fake access points.

Protecting Yourself from Evil Twin Scams

The AFP has used this case to highlight the dangers of unsecured Wi-Fi networks and the importance of practising good cyber hygiene when traveling. They advise travelers to:

Avoid unencrypted networks: Look for Wi-Fi networks that are encrypted (indicated by a padlock symbol next to the network name).
Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN): A VPN encrypts your internet traffic, making it more difficult for hackers to intercept your data.
Be wary of network names: Don’t connect to networks with generic names or names that differ slightly from legitimate airport or airline Wi-Fi.
Disable automatic Wi-Fi connection: On your devices, disable the automatic connection to Wi-Fi networks to avoid connecting to untrusted networks unintentionally.

Wireless Router security: How to set up a WiFi router securely

WiFi software management firm exposed millions of users’ data

Emotet Trojan now exploits WiFi networks to infect nearby devices

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Personal data stolen from unsuspecting airport visitors and plane passengers in “evil twin” attacks, man charged

Malware

andreasc

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July 1, 2024

0

Personal data stolen from unsuspecting airport visitors and plane passengers in “evil twin” attacks, man charged

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The Australian Federal Police (AFP) have charged a man for setting up fake free WiFi access points in order to steal personal data from people.

The crime was discovered when an airline reported a suspicious WiFi network identified by its employees during a domestic flight. When the alleged perpetrator landed at Perth airport, his bags were searched and authorities found a portable wireless access device, a laptop, and a mobile phone in his hand luggage.

The police say that the man, 42, used a portable wireless access device to create ‘evil twin’ free WiFi networks; so called because criminals set up free WiFi access points that mimic the name of legitimate public WiFi networks.

When people tried to connect their devices to the free WiFi networks, they were taken to a fake webpage requiring them to sign in using their email or social media logins. Those details were then allegedly saved to the man’s devices.

The email and password details harvested could then be used to access more personal information, including bank accounts, emails and messages, photos and videos, and more.

AFP cybercrime investigators have identified data relating to the use of the alleged fraudulent WiFi pages at airports in Perth, Melbourne and Adelaide, on domestic flights, and at locations linked to the man’s previous employment.

The investigation is ongoing but the man can expect to face nine charges for the alleged cybercrime offences.

‘Evil twin’ attacks are a type of “machine-in-the-middle” attack, where all traffic is routed through a server under the attacker’s control, giving them access to all of the submitted information.

Cybercriminals favour places where people expect to have free WiFi, such as airports, planes, coffee, shops, and libraries. The attacker finds the legitimate network name—known as the SSID (service set identifier)—and creates an access point with the same name.

Access points and wireless router networks broadcast their SSIDs to identify themselves, but the identifiers are not unique. Your device can connect to any SSID if the network has no security options enabled, and it will not be able to differentiate between the legitimate and the fake one.

Evil twin attacks are based on the fact that when two networks have the same SSID and security settings, your device will either connect to the one with the strongest signal or the one it sees first.

How to stay safe from evil twin attacks

There are a few things you can do to protect yourself against this kind of attack.

Firstly, do not allow your device to auto-connect to public or unsecure networks. See below on how to turn this off.
Look out for unexpected behavior. To connect to a free WiFi network, you shouldn’t have to enter any personal details—such as logging in through an email or social media account.
Install a trusted VPN to encrypt the traffic regardless of the network you are using, and even when you’re not visiting websites that HTTPS (Hypertext transfer protocol secure) which encrypts the traffic between a browser and the website.
And my personal favorite: Use your own personal hotspot. I use a portable 5G Mifi router, which provides me with reliable high-speed WiFi throughout my domestic journeys.

How to disable auto-connect

When you’re travelling it may be safer to disable auto-connect on Wi-Fi altogether.

On Android it works roughly like this (steps may be slightly different depending on your Android version, device type, and vendor):

Settings > Network & Internet (or Connections) > Wi-Fi > Wi-Fi preferences (or Advanced). Toggle off Connect to public networks.

On iOS you can disable auto-connect by doing this:

Settings > Wi-Fi. Tap the (i) next to the network name and then toggle off Auto-Join.

We don’t just report on threats – we help safeguard your entire digital identity

Cybersecurity risks should never spread beyond a headline. Protect your—and your family’s—personal information by using identity protection.

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Xiaomi MIX 5 to feature under-display camera & ceramic build

Android

andreasc

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July 1, 2024

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Xiaomi MIX 5 to feature under-display camera & ceramic build

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The Xiaomi MIX 5 sure sounds exciting based on the latest rumor. This information comes from Digital Chat Station, one of the best-known Chinese tipsters. He claims that the Xiaomi MIX 5 will not only include an under-display camera, but ceramic build too.

The Xiaomi MIX 5 is said to include an under-display camera & ceramic build

That is basically everything he shared, but it’s enough to get us excited. The sheer fact an under-display camera will be included is nice to hear. That means we won’t have to deal with a display camera hole.

It remains to be seen what selfies will look like. People who will aim to get this phone likely won’t care, at least not that much. That’s a tradeoff many are willing to make just to get rid of the display camera hole.

Ceramic, on the other hand, is a nice touch too. It will make the phone more premium and more scratch-resistant. There’s one downside, though, and that’s heft. The phone will be heavier than it would be with a glass build.

It will likely include the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 if it arrives in 2025

Now, a prototype of the Xiaomi MIX 5 was spotted a while back on Geekbench 6. The phone is codenamed ‘Suiren’, and the prototype included the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC. That phone is not expected to arrive before 2025, so chances are it will have an upgraded SoC.

That is basically everything we know about the Xiaomi MIX 5 thus far. Not much information surfaced. We do expect Xiaomi to offer a really compelling design for this device, though, as was the case in the past.

We don’t even know when to expect this phone in 2025. No specific timeframe was given, and Xiaomi has its plate full of device launches as it is. In addition to its regular flagship smartphones, the company’s foldables are in focus now.

Xiaomi is expected to launch its first flip phone this year, in addition to introducing the Xiaomi MIX Fold 4. The Xiaomi 15 series is also coming this year, at least the Xiaomi 15 and Xiaomi 15 Pro models. The ‘Ultra’ variant will likely follow next year.

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Galaxy Unpacked billboards spark excitement for Z Flip 6, Z Fold 6

Tech

andreasc

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July 1, 2024

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Galaxy Unpacked billboards spark excitement for Z Flip 6, Z Fold 6

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If you have been following the latest tech coverage lately, then you probably know that Samsung is hosting its next Unpacked event on July 10. At the event, the South Korean tech giant is expected to unveil its next-generation of foldable smartphones – the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Galaxy Z Fold 6. Just a few days ahead of the event, the company has now sparked excitement around the new foldables with giant Galaxy Unpacked billboards.

Samsung is hyping upcoming products with massive Galaxy Unpacked billboards across the world

A little over a week ahead of the launch, Samsung has started hyping its upcoming products with massive Galaxy Unpacked billboards. The company has placed these giant digital advertising billboards in major markets across the world. The Galaxy Unpacked event’s billboards started displaying at prominent places in cities like New York, Dubai, London, Bangkok, Warsaw, Tokyo, and Seoul.

On the billboards, Samsung is hyping the launch of the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Z Fold 6 foldable smartphones. The advertising panels are creating excitement around the event with the “Galaxy AI is Here” messaging. The upcoming foldable phones will flaunt the Galaxy AI features, which debuted on the Galaxy S24 series earlier this year. These advertising boards will appear in other cities as well before the event unfolds next week.

Samsung could also launch new earbuds, smartwatches, and the Galaxy Ring next week

Besides the new Galaxy Z series foldable phones, Samsung could also launch its new earbuds, smartwatches, and the Galaxy Ring. The brand is expected to unveil the Galaxy Buds 3 and the Buds 3 Pro as its next-gen audio products. In the smartwatch category, we expect the Galaxy Watch 7 and the Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra or Galaxy Watch Ultra.

The Galaxy Ring will be one of the biggest highlights of the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event. The company already showcased the next-gen wearable device many times earlier this year. Now, it will finally commercially launch the product at the upcoming event. Ahead of the launch, the Galaxy Ring’s health features were leaked recently. It appears that the smart ring will share health features with the Galaxy Watch series devices.

Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event will take place in Paris, France on July 10, ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics. The event will be live-streamed on the company’s website. We will also bring you updates from the event, so stay tuned to Android Headlines for the latest coverage.

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New Snowblind Android Malware Emerges As A Potent Datastealer

Hacking

andreasc

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July 1, 2024

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New Snowblind Android Malware Emerges As A Potent Datastealer

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Researchers discovered a new Android malware, “Snowblind”, running active campaigns since early 2024. This malware exhibits advanced capabilities to bypass security systems on the target devices and steal data.

Snowblind Android Malware Bypasses Security To Steal Data

Security firm Promon shared details about a recently spotted in their latest post, warning Android users. As revealed, their researchers discovered Snowblind, an Android malware, running active campaigns since the beginning of this year.

Specifically, the researchers noticed the malware targeting users in Southeast Asia. Describing its technicalities, the researchers stated that the malware targets Android apps based on the Linux kernel feature “seccomp”. This feature lets the Android system to sandbox applications and restrict the system calls they make.

While seccomp otherwise prevents attacks from malicious apps, Snowblind is different in that it exploits seccomp to attack apps. This enables the malware to bypass this major security feature and compromise apps. Next, it also evades anti-tampering checks as it repackages the target apps. For this, it adds an additional native library into the app, which loads prior to the anti-tampering code, thus bypassing the security check.

Ultimately, the malware gains persistence on the target device, targeting apps and manipulating system calls. It may even steal data from the device, including login credentials and financial information, and hijack user sessions.

The researchers have shared the following video demonstrating the Snowblind attack.

Users Must Remain Wary

Given that Snowblind’s attack strategy involving seccomp exploitation is relatively new, the researchers fear that not many antimalware solutions might have deployed adequate protection against the threat. Yet, given that they have deployed the protection mechanism within their own antimalware tool, users may expect to witness the same with the other security providers too.

Besides, users may easily avoid the threat by following security best practices. That includes downloading apps from official and trusted sources only, double-checking the developer information to verify the apps’ genuineness even when downloading from the Google Play Store, and equipping their devices with robust anti-malware solutions to prevent known threats.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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Pixel 9 to feature industry’s best OLED displays, better than Galaxy S24

Android

andreasc

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July 1, 2024

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Pixel 9 to feature industry’s best OLED displays, better than Galaxy S24

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For reasons best known to Google, the Pixel 9 series is set to launch two months earlier than the Pixel 8. The new Pixels will go official on August 13. Leaks have already revealed plenty about the upcoming Google phones, and there’s no stopping the leaks. A Korean news outlet just revealed an interesting piece of information about the Pixel 9’s display. The Samsung-made screens are allegedly better than the ones found on the Galaxy S24 series.

Google’s Pixel 9 has a better display than Samsung’s Galaxy S24

Like previous models, the Pixel 9 series will feature OLED displays made by Samsung (the Korean firm makes smartphone displays for many vendors, including Apple’s iPhones). It was expected to use the same OLED technology as the Galaxy S24, its latest flagship. However, according to the Korean publication ETnews, that isn’t the case. The new Pixels get an upgraded OLED display technology, making their screens technically better than the Samsung flagships.

The publication says the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel Fold 2 will all feature M14 OLED displays. The “M number” is an indicator of the quality of materials used in the display setup. The higher this value, the better is the screen in terms of brightness, longevity, efficiency, and overall quality. The Galaxy S24 series has M13 OLED screens, the most advanced smartphone display technology yet. The new Pixels will take things up a notch.

Theoretically, this upgrade means the Pixel 9’s screen would be brighter, more power efficient, and longer-lasting than the Galaxy S24. It’s not a massive gap, but an upgrade, nonetheless. Certainly not the biggest USP for the new Pixels, though. There are rumors of a camera hardware upgrade, but the biggest talking point could be Google’s AI features. The company is expected to introduce a wide range of on-device and cloud-based AI features. The whole industry is riding an AI train and Google can’t miss it. Stay tuned for more Pixel 9 leaks and rumors.

Apple’s next iPhones will also feature M14 OLED displays from Samsung

The publication adds that Samsung will supply M14 OLED displays to Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max later this year. The base iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16+, meanwhile, will feature two-generation-old M12 OLED screens. The new iPhones should arrive in September. Samsung’s next flagships, the Galaxy S25 series, will follow in January 2025, likely with M12 OLED screens. Or maybe the company will introduce something newer, time will tell.

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Time has also struck a deal with OpenAI

Tech

andreasc

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July 1, 2024

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Well, another one bites the dust… OpenAI is striking deals with companies to gain access to their content legally. Several major publications and parent companies are striking deals with OpenAI, and that worries a lot of the community. According to a new report, Time has just made a deal with OpenAI to grant the company more than a century’s worth of information.

We didn’t see this coming, but we kinda did. With the threat of AI looming over several industries, we thought the journalism industry would put up more of a fight. We assumed that The New York Times would be the flagship leading a fleet of companies against the march of AI. However, some HEAVY players have folded and made deals that serve up their content to ChatGPT on a silver platter.

These companies include The Associated Press, Axel Springer (owns Business Insider), News Corp, Vox Media (Owns The Verge), The Atlantic, and more. So, the New York Times is the black sheep of the group with its lawsuit.

Time just struck a multi-year deal with OpenAI

Another major player in the news industry has taken the money and ran, Time. This is a company that, on March 3rd this year, celebrated its 101st birthday. Since it made a deal, it will make all or most of its backlog of news available to OpenAI. Time is a company that’s been around long enough to report on the Great Depression and the Second World War. So, you know that it’s giving up a TON of data.

Deals like these involve money changing hands. For example, the deal with News Corp saw OpenAI paying it $250 million over five years. However, we don’t know how much money Time is getting for this deal and how long it’s going to last.

Spreading the love

This story isn’t all gray skies and spilled milk. According to Time, this isn’t a move to pad the company’s wallet. Time has been looking for a way to expose its content to a broader audience. It wants to spread it to a younger and more diverse reader base. That’s something that any publication would want to do.

As the deal goes, ChatGPT will be able to surface Time’s content in its responses. Along with that, ChatGPT will also post links back to the original article. So, this is a move that will, ostensibly, improve traffic to the site. Time gets a ton of traffic from Google, but with AI Overviews, the company might be looking for other avenues for traffic.

We’ll just have to see if people will actually want to go to the original source. Let’s not BS ourselves, most people go to ChatGPT to avoid going to different sources. Why read a whole article to find the answer to a question when the answer is given to you?

In any case, this is the way the world is going to operate, apparently. Let’s just hope that these companies know what they’re doing.

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Busted for book club? Why cops want to see what you’re reading, with Sarah Lamdan (Lock and Code S05E14)

Malware

andreasc

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July 1, 2024

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Busted for book club? Why cops want to see what you’re reading, with Sarah Lamdan (Lock and Code S05E14)

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This week on the Lock and Code podcast…

More than 20 years ago, a law that the United States would eventually use to justify the warrantless collection of Americans’ phone call records actually started out as a warning sign against an entirely different target: Libraries.

Not two months after terrorists attacked the United States on September 11, 2001, Congress responded with the passage of The USA Patriot Act. Originally championed as a tool to fight terrorism, The Patriot Act, as introduced, allowed the FBI to request “any tangible things” from businesses, organizations, and people during investigations into alleged terrorist activity. Those “tangible things,” the law said, included “books, records, papers, documents, and other items.”

Or, to put it a different way: things you’d find in a library and records of the things you’d check out from a library. The concern around this language was so strong that this section of the USA Patriot Act got a new moniker amongst the public: “The library provision.”

The Patriot Act passed, and years later, the public was told that, all along, the US government wasn’t interested in library records.

But those government assurances are old.

What remains true is that libraries and librarians want to maintain the privacy of your records. And what also remains true is that the government looks anywhere it can for information to aid investigations into national security, terrorism, human trafficking, illegal immigration, and more.

What’s changed, however, is that companies that libraries have relied on for published materials and collections—Thomson Reuters, Reed Elsevier, Lexis Nexis—have reimagined themselves as big data companies. And they’ve lined up to provide newly collected data to the government, particularly to agencies like Immigrations and Customers Enforcement, or ICE.

There are many layers to this data web, and libraries are seemingly stuck in the middle.

Today, on the Lock and Code podcast with host Davd Ruiz, we speak with Sarah Lamdan, deputy director Office of Intellectual Freedom at the American Library Association, about library privacy in the digital age, whether police are legitimately interested in what the public is reading, and how a small number of major publishing companies suddenly started aiding the work of government surveillance:

“Because to me, these companies were information providers. These companies were library vendors. They’re companies that we work with because they published science journals and they published court reporters. I did not know them as surveillance companies.”

Tune in today to listen to the full conversation.

Show notes and credits:

Intro Music: “Spellbound” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Outro Music: “Good God” by Wowa (unminus.com)

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Apple Intelligence could gain access to Gemini in the near future

Time will tell

What is an Evil Twin Scam?

The Investigation and Arrest

Protecting Yourself from Evil Twin Scams

RELATED TOPICS

How to stay safe from evil twin attacks

How to disable auto-connect

The Xiaomi MIX 5 is said to include an under-display camera & ceramic build

It will likely include the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 if it arrives in 2025

Samsung is hyping upcoming products with massive Galaxy Unpacked billboards across the world

Samsung could also launch new earbuds, smartwatches, and the Galaxy Ring next week

Snowblind Android Malware Bypasses Security To Steal Data

Users Must Remain Wary

Google’s Pixel 9 has a better display than Samsung’s Galaxy S24

Apple’s next iPhones will also feature M14 OLED displays from Samsung

Time just struck a multi-year deal with OpenAI

Spreading the love