New functionalities regarding browsing tracks in the latest YouTube Music for Wear OS update. Finally, there’s the option to dive in an album playlist through your smartwatch and cherry-pick that one track that gives you the goose pimples!
The update was spotted by 9to5Google. The new functionalities are being rolled out with YTM (YouTube Music) version 6.15 for Wear OS, so make sure to check your watch’s app version and promptly update, if you’re not happy with the current functionalities.
Before the v. 6.15 update, smartwatch users had to put up with the following UI – when selecting an album (or playlist) in YouTube Music on Wear OS, the app would take them to a stripped-down page with two options – buttons for “Download” or “Play”. So, for example, if you wanted to listen to the last song from a given album – like Bob Dylan’s 2017 Triplicate which consists of 30 tracks – you’d be hitting that “Next” button… a lot.Now, instead of mad skipping, the v. 6.15 update allows users to see the playlist as listed songs with the option to navigate, select and play whatever you choose to. There’s also a design tweak – when you enter an album/playlist, the tracklist will appear over a blurred artwork background.
When selecting a song from a playlist, your queue becomes that playlist, similar to YouTube Music on a smartphone.
Things are slightly different when it comes to selecting a track from an album – it basically starts a “radio” mode, so the next song will not be from the album that you were just browsing, but a random one. If you want to play an entire album, you should hit the new shuffle button, which replaced “Play” as part of this update.
The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are coming in a couple of months, and some interesting info just surfaced. According to Mishaal Rahman, the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro could be eSIM-only devices… at least in some markets.
At least some Pixel 8 & Pixel 8 Pro units could actually be eSIM only
He noticed something very interesting in the CAD-based renders @OnLeaks shared. Those renders surfaced a while back, but this detail managed to escape pretty much everyone.
Mishaal Rahman noticed that SIM card slot trays are missing on the left side of the devices. The Pixel 6 and 7 series featured those lots in CAD-based renders, but that’s not the case for the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.
Do note this info with a grain of salt, though. Why? Well, Mishaal talked to Steve (the person behind the @OnLeaks account). He said that “sometimes his CADs don’t include every detail, so instead of taking a guess and being wrong, he’ll ignore those missing details”.
The Pixel 8 Pro that surfaced had a SIM card tray
On top of that, in a video that @Za_Raczke leaked, of the Pixel 8 Pro, there seems to be a SIM card tray on the left side. That doesn’t confirm that one will be available in all markets, though, so we’ll have to wait and see.
As you all know by now, the iPhone 14 units, all of them, are eSIM only in the US. That’s not the case in almost every other market, though, as eSIM is still not as popular. In Europe, for example, models with SIM card slots are being sold.
Misaal says that it would make sense for Google to ditch SIM card slots in the US, though. Not only did Apple already do it, but Google has been working on making it possible to transfer eSIMs between devices, and on top of that, convert a pSIM to an eSIM.
If these new features get announced by the company with the Pixel 8 series, it would make sense for the devices to be eSIM only, at least in the US.
Threat actors are always on the lookout for new ways to infiltrate your devices and gain unauthorized access. Now, according to a report from security firm Zimperium, a prominent participant in the ‘App Defense Alliance,’ hackers have found a new way to discretely spread malware on devices by using a novel compression technique on APK files, which effectively makes the malware invisible to conventional security measures.
The new technique was first reported by Joe Security, who discovered that an APK managed to remain inscrutable to analysis, all while seamlessly executing on Android devices. This is because, unlike traditional malware that triggers recognizable alarm bells, the new tactics allow hackers to remain in uncharted territory for both antivirus programs and cybersecurity experts. One such tactic involves using filenames that exceed the 256-character limit, deliberately causing crashes in various analysis tools. Additionally, hackers also manipulate the AndroidManifest.xml files and employ malformed String Pools to disrupt tools that handle Android XML files.
Moreover, to make matters worse, the report also discovered a staggering 3,300 APKs, which are presently employing these novel anti-analysis techniques. And although most of these APKs are corrupted beyond a point where Android can load them, a subset of 71 malicious APKs has been proven to operate seamlessly on Android OS versions 9 (API 28) and later.
Not on the Play Store
Although the new type of malware could wreak havoc for Android users, the report highlights that none of the applications exploiting this new APK compression technique has breached Google’s Play Store. As a result, users who refrain from sideloading apps – that is, installing applications from sources outside the official Play Store – are presently safe.
Nonetheless, this report once again highlights the importance of maintaining caution while downloading things directly from the internet. However, in situations where external app sources are unavoidable, users should perform antivirus scans on their devices and refrain from granting unnecessary permissions to apps.
Meta is trying hard to bring as many users as possible back to Threads, and the best thing to do that is to add all the features they requested. Having the app available on all major platforms is another way to regain many of the users that stopped using Threads after a few weeks.
Currently, Threads is available on Android and iOS, but Meta is still missing a web version. Although Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, said one week ago that the company is already working on a web version of Threads, he didn’t say when we can expect it.
Over the weekend, he reiterated the fact that Meta is testing a web version of Threads internally, which should be launched early this week. According to Mosseri, the app is “a little bit buggy right now, you don’t want it just yet.” He went on to say that “as soon as it is ready, we will share it with everybody else.”
However, people familiar with Meta’s plans told Wall Street Journal that the company plans to launch the web version of Threads early this week. But there’s a catch though, as the source added that the launch plans aren’t final and could change.
After rushing the mobile version of Threads, which led to over half of the initial users dropping the app due to important features missing, including a web version of the app, it looks like Meta wants to avoid releasing yet another unfinished product.
Despite rolling out dozens of new features for Threads on Android and iOS, Meta’s app still has a lot of things to improve before the app can actually compete with Twitter.
Launching the web version of Threads will be just another step toward closing the gap between Meta’s micro-blogging app and the competition, which includes multiple apps at the moment, not just Twitter (i.e. Mastodon, Bluesky).
The Google Pixel 8 series is coming in October, most likely, and along with the devices we’ll get a Google Camera UI revamp, it seems. This information has been revealed by Android Authority, and a bunch of screenshots also got shared. So, we can take a closer look at the new UI.
This information has been shared by an “anonymous source inside Google”, says Android Authority. Regarding the change itself, it’s not all that surprising, as the Google Camera UI has been mostly unchanged since the Pixel 4 launched back in 2019.
The Pixel 8 series will bring a Google Camera UI revamp
In the new UI, photo and video modes will be more clearly separated. They were both a part of a carousel of modes you could switch between, but that will change. There will be a separate switch between photo and video modes below the carousel itself. Then, based on your choice, the carousel will change too. You can see all that in the two images below.
Google will also swap the location of the camera switch button with the gallery preview button. Also, the settings pop-up will now appear if you swipe from the bottom up, not the other way around, as was the case before. You can, alternatively, of course, tap the settings icon too.
The company will also rearrange some camera modes too. The ‘Motion’ tab will be separated into ‘Long Exposure’ and ‘Action Pan’. Google wants to make them easier to spot.
The ‘Cinematic Pan’, on the other hand, will become simply ‘Pan’.
Another thing you’ll notice is the fact the old stabilization modes are gone. Those options will be placed in the pop-up menu. You’ll be able to choose between standard, active, and locked.
The Pixel 8 & Pixel 8 Pro camera specs also surfaced a while back
That is basically it as far as the camera UI is concerned. The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro camera specs have also been revealed by Android Authority in the past, in case you’re interested in checking those out. Both the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are expected to arrive in October, but Google did not reveal the launch date yet.
Do you remember back in the day when most of the best phones on the market didn’t have dark modes? The mode, which aims to preserve your eyesight while improving your device’s power consumption (and thus, battery) was so wildly successful that it eventually made its way to basically everything we own.(Please, shout out below if you have a fridge or washing machine with a dark mode. I’m betting that one exists!)
But there is still an ongoing debate regarding the dark factor of the mode: how dark exactly should it be? Well, I see the sides as follows:
Aesthetics dictates a lighter tone, around charcoal and gravel-gray, as to reduce eye-strain and improve readability through reducing maximum contrast
Optimization requires absolute black, the kind that AMOLED displays love, which would improve your device’s battery
Well, Google says: why not both? Or at least, this is how I view the news that Google Play’s dark theme got just a bit darker. It’s not lite-black. It’s not pitch-black. It’s in between. But it’s also just a test for now.
So, after checking the comparison above, you can certainly notice how the image on the right is just a splash darker than the one on the left. Would this change effectively help to cater to both camps?
Technically, yes. Version 37.0.22-29 brings a darker tint, so in theory that should mean a very slight and most likely hardly noticeable improvement in the battery department. That being said, the move to not overexpose things through plastering the background in jet black will certainly please that part of the crowd, which finds high-contrasted areas difficult to view.
So, win-win? Maybe. This change may be just a test or an implementation, which is part of the Big G’s updated design guidance. Something similar did happen to Chrome and YouTube recently, so the latter may very well be the case.
Could the Big G be doing this in preparation for the upcoming Pixel 8 series of flagships? Probably not, but it’s always worth it to remember to be hyped about something cool in the smartphone world!
Personally, I’m a big fan of buttons and letting people choose their colors, but hey — what do I know? I’m just a dark mode fan, who wants to see a consumer appliance with a screen that also has the option.
Researchers detected numerous security vulnerabilities in Ivanti Avalanche EMM, allowing remote code execution attacks from unauthenticated adversaries. Ivanti patched the flaws following the bug report; hence, users must update their systems with the latest releases to receive the patches.
Ivanti Avalanche EMM Vulnerabilities
According to a recent report from Tenable, their researchers found two different vulnerabilities affecting Ivanti Avalanche.
Ivanti Avalanche is a dedicated Enterprise Mobile Device Management (EMM) solution, offering its customers to manage wireless settings across the network.
Specifically, the researchers observed two critical-severity buffer overflow vulnerabilities affecting the WLAvalancheService.exe (version 6.4.0.0 and older). The service used a “fixed-size stack-based buffer to store converted binary data from a hex string.” Hence, the first vulnerability would allow an unauthenticated, remote adversary to specify a long hex string that could trigger a buffer overflow.
Then, the next vulnerability appeared during data type 9 item processing, when the service used a fixed-size stack-based buffer to store and convert user-supplied data to an integer using atoll(). A remote adversary could trigger buffer overflow via a long type 9 item, without authentication.
Both issues received a CVE ID CVE-2023-32560 and a CVSS score of 9.8. In their post, the researchers shared the vulnerable scripts, demonstrating the exploits.
Ivanti Patched The Flaws
Tenable researchers discovered and reported the vulnerabilities in early April 2023. Almost after a week, Ivanti confirmed receiving the report and started working on a fix upon receiving the PoC script.
While Tenable set the initial disclosure period as the standard 90 days, Ivanti explained that it would take longer to deploy a patch. Consequently, both parties agreed upon extending the disclosure window, and Ivanti confirmed August 2023 as the patch release month.
Finally, the vendors released the fix with Avalanche 6.4.1, following which, Tenable disclosed the initial advisory.
Recently, Ivanti made it to the news following back-to-back zero-day fiascos in its EPMM that went under attack.
Google, or more specifically, YouTube won the rights to host NFL Sunday Ticket for the next seven years. YouTube is paying the NFL about $2 billion per year for these rights, and YouTube is going all out with promoting it, providing discounts and different plans that you can subscribe to. Now in this article, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube, and help you decide if you should subscribe or not.
What is NFL Sunday Ticket?
First off, let’s talk about what NFL Sunday Ticket actually is. It first debuted in 1994, and DIRECTV had the rights to it the entire time until the 2023 season. It’s a premium sports package that broadcasts NFL games in every market. But it does not include local or nationally broadcast NFL games.
Because the NFL has deals with NBC, FOX and CBS across the country for games, NFL Sunday Ticket has to be more expensive, so that they don’t cut out their partners. Which will explain why NFL Sunday Ticket is so expensive.
In addition to getting every single NFL game this season, you will also get unlimited simultaneous streams at home for NFL Sunday Ticket.
How much is NFL Sunday Ticket?
Google is actually doing something really smart here. They are offering NFL Sunday Ticket with YouTube TV and without YouTube TV. You can also subscribe to it directly through YouTube Primetime channels. Of course, the cost for NFL Sunday Ticket is lower with YouTube TV – but then you also need to factor in the $72.99/month for YouTube TV which does include over 100 channels.
The pricing for NFL Sunday Ticket with YouTube TV is as follows. For NFL Sunday Ticket and YouTube TV, it’s $349. For NFL Sunday Ticket with NFL RedZone and YouTube TV, it’s $389.
Without YouTube TV, NFL Sunday Ticket is going to cost you $449 for the season. Or NFL Sunday Ticket and NFL RedZone will cost you $489 for the season.
YouTube has also announced monthly pricing for NFL Sunday Ticket, but it seems to only be for YouTube TV. It’ll cost you $99.75/month for four months. Which makes it more expensive than just paying for it all at once.
Why is it so much more expensive than when DIRECTV had NFL Sunday Ticket?
When DIRECTV had NFL Sunday Ticket, it cost $294 for the season. Now we’re seeing it cost $349 for the season with YouTube TV, or $449 without. Which sounds like it’s more expensive, but with DIRECTV you had to have satellite, which was definitely way more than $72.99. So all things considered, it’s really not that much more expensive.
But part of the reason for this is, YouTube is paying the NFL $2 billion per year for the rights to NFL Sunday Ticket. And obviously, Google needs to recoup that cost somehow. DIRECTV was paying $1.5 billion pear year and losing $800 million per year for NFL Sunday Ticket.
YouTube has said that they will be experimenting with different pricing plans and options in the future. In fact, they just announced a new student plan (pricing has not yet been announced), which is just the start of that.
Does NFL Sunday Ticket include local games?
NFL Sunday Ticket does not include local games, nor nationally broadcast games. Which is why the bundle with YouTube TV is a pretty good option. That is because you will get local and nationally broadcast games with YouTube TV. And you can also record them to watch later with unlimited cloud DVR included.
YouTube TV does have ESPN, NBC, FOX and CBS which covers all of the channels that local and national games are part of. It also has the NFL Network, which has the occasional NFL game – typically around Christmas and New Years. Some Thursday night games are on Prime Video, which is not part of YouTube TV.
So the bottom line here is, if you want local games too, then you’re going to want to get YouTube TV plus NFL Sunday Ticket.
Does YouTube TV offer multiview for NFL Sunday Ticket?
YouTube TV actually announced Multiview earlier this year and began testing it during the NCAA March Madness. This was in preparation for NFL Sunday Ticket.
With Multiview, you’ll be able to watch, two, three or four games at the same time. Subscribers will be able to choose from a bunch of options for multiview, and you’ll also be able to add games to multiview on your own. So if there’s a couple of games you want to watch at the same time, you can do just that.
NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube will include live chat
Much like a live stream on YouTube, NFL Sunday Ticket is also including live chat – which can be toggled on and off. Since this will only be for those that subscribe to NFL Sunday Ticket, the chat should hopefully not be full of spam, and not move as fast as with some YouTube live streams.
YouTube is also going to utilize Shorts for NFL Sunday Ticket. By adding real-time NFL highlights to YouTube Shorts, which likely won’t be limited to just NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers.
YouTube’s popular “catch up with key plays” feature will be available too
YouTube TV has a pretty popular feature that allows you to catch up with key plays for different games in different sports. And that feature will be available on NFL Sunday Ticket on both YouTube and YouTube TV.
This will kind of speed up the game to the part that you started watching. So you can ensure that you do not miss any big plays, or anything else important that happened in the game.
Are pre-season and post-season games included?
Yes, both pre-season and post-season games are included in NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV – but not on YouTube. Technically, they are only included in YouTube TV because they are on the channels included in YouTube TV. But nonethless, you an see them while subscribed to NFL Sunday Ticket.
The security update is obviously phony but looks authentic that can deceive users into installing Flubot malware on their devices.
New Zealand’s Computer Emergency Response Team (Cert NZ) has issued a new warning involving the spread and infection of the infamous Flubot malware known for its password stealing capabilities.
According to authorities, the threat actors are now trying to trick users into believing that their devices are infected with Flubot malware by displaying a fake security warning message.
The warning is obviously phony that may become a reality if the recipient of this message clicks on the Install Security Update button that’s part of the message.
Flubot Strikes Again
CERT NZ released an advisory to warn users about a deceptive text message that reads: “Android has detected that your device has been infected.” The message contains further instructions on how to install a security update to remove the malware.
However, when the recipient clicks on the install security update button, this action triggers the Flubot infection. CERT NZ also mentioned that Flubot malware message is targeting Android phones, and the content of these messages is constantly changing.
For instance, previously, the message was supposedly sent by a courier company, alerting users to click on an enclosed URL or download an app to know parcel delivery details.
Flubot Looking to Steal Banking Information
According to New Zealand’s Telecommunications Forum’s chief executive, Paul Brislen, the payload resends the text through the users’ address book. Additionally, it asks for banking information.
“Needless to say at a time when everyone is using courier delivery services, this has the potential to cause a lot of damage,” Brislen said.
Threat Actors Also Using Your Photos to Install Flubot
In addition to fake text messages from the courier service, the Flubot banking trojan is tricking Android users into downloading malicious software in the disguise of fake Flubot deleting the app or upload photos of the victims as well. A fake text is sent to random Android users stating that the recipient’s photos have been uploaded.
Flubot against Android smartphones
Flubot malware was initially observed in Spain in late 2020 and within months its infection was found spreading Android devices globally including Australian banks.
However, in March 2021, the malware was caught with additional capabilities including mimicking popular apps like FedEx, DHL, Correos, and Chrome to steal user data.
How to Stay Protected?
Since threat actors continually update their attack tactics, CERT NZ urges users not to fall prey to this scam and forward the texts to 7727 before deleting the message.
“Given that the wording of these texts has changed within a short timeframe, it is likely the wording will change again. Be wary of any suspicious text messages you receive, asking you to click on a link, and forward any new suspicious texts to 7726.” advisory from CERT NZ read.
Forwarding them to 7726 helps CERT NZ and the Department of Internal Affairs to permanently shut down the links provided in the message and contact users who have been infected by the app.
It is important to note that only Android users can be targeted with these fake texts, while iOS devices may receive the message but won’t get infected with Flubot.
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Back in November 2005, Microsoft launched the Xbox 360, and this system was a fan favorite among users. If you had an online connection, then you were most likely downloading games right to your system. You’re still able to do that today, but all good things must come to an end. Microsoft announced that the Xbox 360 store will close next year.
That’s hard to hear, but you have to admit that was a heck of a run. That becomes even clearer when you consider that Nintendo shut down the Wii U e-shop, and that console came out in 2012. If you still have your Xbox 360, and you want to swoop up some more games, you can still do it.
The Xbox 360 store will close next year
It’s hard seeing the doors close on a nearly 20-year-old legacy. However, seeing as there have been two more Xboxes since the 360, it’s no surprise that the company is soon to pull the plug. You will no longer be able to buy games from the storefront. Not only will you lose the ability to buy new games, but you also won’t be able to download DLC for them.
In the announcement, Microsoft stated that on July 29th, 2023, the company will close the Xbox 360’s storefront. So, the clock is ticking, but you’re not running out of time just yet. That’s still 11 months away from now, so you have plenty of time to scoop up more games.
This change doesn’t only affect games. If you enjoy streaming movies and TV shows on your Xbox 360, there’s bad news. When the date comes, the app will no longer function on your console. So, even if you have the app on your system, you won’t be able to stream your content.
After the date
After the date passes, you won’t be cut off from the system altogether. Of course, you’ll still be able to play the games that you’ve purchased. If you downloaded a game, but you deleted it, you’ll still be able to redownload it after the death date. That’s a neat addition.
Now, what about multiplayer games? Well, even when the storefront is gone, you’ll still be able to play online multiplayer games. You’ll be able to play them for as long as the individual developers keep the servers up.
This will mark the end of a nearly 20-year-old legacy, but it was bound to happen. If you’re looking to collect as many games as you can, you have 11 months to do so.
