Hot Live Tech Updates and News from all over Internet

TV maker Hisense held an event in NYC this week to announce its new partnership with the National Basketball Association. Along with the NBA sponsorship news, the event gave the company a chance to announce that they are now the number two TV brand in North America based on unit share according to data supplied by the Circana retail tracking service. Hisense has made great strides in the North American TV market over the past few years, heightening its visibility with a lineup of affordable QLED sets. Last year’s U8H series , the first model with mini-LED backlighting to arrive from the company, impressed us with its high brightness and rich contrast, earning a spot on our list of the best 4K TVs and best 120 Hz TVs for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S . Mini-LED in general has given QLED tech a shot in the arm, with top new Mini-LED backlit TVs like the Samsung QN95C starting to rival the best OLED TVs when it comes to performance aspects like shadow detail and black uniformity. As it pr...

ChromeOS has been getting plenty of upgrades to its video editing since 2022, and now it's getting even more from Google Photos.  According to a new Google support page post , Google Photos will be empowering the best Chromebooks everywhere with even more new features. Jumping off from Chromebook’s Gallery app integration in 2022 , Google Photos has added more support for Gallery and Files by allowing you to “seamlessly” use photos and images saved on the Chromebook and edit them in Google Photos.  Another major edit comes in the form of revamped movie creation tools on the Photos app, which lets you create a movie from scratch using a suggested theme. After you choose a theme from the Photos app, as well as the people or pets you want to be included in the movie, the video editor uses video clips and photos you have stored that match that theme and strings them together into a custom movie. If you want a more hands-on approach instead, Google Photos has a search feature t...

Plus: Microsoft Outlook and Android patch serious flaws, Chrome and Firefox get fixes, and much more. from Security Latest https://ift.tt/vUjA7SY

TechRadar Pro has reached out to Giga Computing, the enterprise arm of Gigabyte, to clarify a statement found in a recent press release announcing new AMD Ryzen-based servers that alludes to the launch of the next generation of Ryzen CPU in 2023.  Towards the end of the document, one can read how, "Even though these new products are entry-level servers, CPU support does not end here and the AM5 platform is supported until at least 2025." "The next generation of AMD Ryzen desktop processors that will come out later this year will also be supported on this AM5 platform, so customers who purchase these servers today have the opportunity to upgrade to the Ryzen 7000 series successor." Simple mistake? In an email, Gigabyte spokespeson Liam Quinn confirmed the wording was a mistake,  and that the company “do not know when the Ryzen 7000 successor will be released”, adding it will “make a comment on the press release to clarify but keep our original wording”. OEMs ...

A Manhattan grand jury has issued the first-ever indictment of a former US president. Buckle up for whatever happens next. from Security Latest https://ift.tt/AgukEcG

Deepfake photos are fast approaching the point where many can’t tell the difference between them and real images. It’s a lesson AI image generator Midjourney learned the hard way when some used its platform to create several recent images, including several fakes of former US President Donald Trump being arrested. After the images went viral, many thought they were real, sparking conversations and controversy based on completely fabricated information. According to The Washington Post and reported on by The Verge , these deepfakes became so widespread, they prompted Midjourney to halt free trials on March 28. However, when TechRadar reached out to Midjourney CEO and founder David Holz for clarification, he insisted that there was a different reason for the halt: “Users signing up for multiple free trial accounts was bringing down the service for paid users so that's why we temporarily halted free trials.” This correlates with a previous statement Holz made to The Verge concerni...

Having recently impressed us with their mid-range FiiO M11S portable digital audio player, Chinese audio firm FiiO is back with a decidedly high-end offering for its next on-the-go device. The new M15S portable player comes packed with two desktop-grade ES9038PRO digital-to-analog converters, with individual DAC chips dedicated to the left and right stereo channels. Each chip makes use of four D/A converters for what FiiO claim to be extremely high-quality decoding, with the device able to support playback of audio files up to 384kHz/DSD256.  The new M15S also supports MQA, allowing listeners to directly stream TIDAL Masters as well as MQA files stored locally, while further Hi-Res audio options come in the form of aptX HD Bluetooth, alongside LDAC and LHDC wireless codecs.  There's onboard 2.4GHz/5GHz Wi-Fi allowing for support of Apple AirPlay and DLNA streaming, as well as compatibility with the increasingly popular multi-room music software platform Roon. (Ima...

Criminals have been discovered distributing fake Tor browsers that are designed to steal cryptocurrency, and so far, have been quite successful, raking in roughly $400,000 in various tokens from unsuspecting victims, experts have warned Cybersecurity researchers from Kaspersky are warning users to watch out for Tor browser installers from third-party stores.  They’ve spotted one such executable sitting in a password-protected RAR archive which, when extracted and installed, monitors the Windows clipboard for cryptocurrency wallets. If it spots one, it will replace it with one controlled by the attacker.  Complicated addresses When a person tries to send funds from one address to another, they would usually copy and paste the recipient’s address, as these are a long string of seemingly random characters which are almost impossible to remember. If the malware replaces the copied address with a different one, chances are the victim won’t see the difference and will just ...

An increasing number of states are passing age-verification laws. It’s not clear how they’ll work. from Security Latest https://ift.tt/ztkN2Jy

Siri’s 11-year reign may be drawing to a close as a new generative AI rival called Perplexity has just landed on the Apple App Store. Note that Perplexity is not based on ChatGPT and has its own AI. However, it does function in a similar manner to ChatGPT. You ask it a question, like who designed the Golden Gate Bridge, and it’ll churn out a response in a few seconds. From there, you can either type in a follow-up question, use the voice command feature to verbally ask questions, or choose one from the generated selection. Responses can then be shared via a messaging app or social media platform. It’ll even save “your thread history so you can pick up where you left off,” according to the App Store listing . But unlike ChatGPT, Perplexity actually provides the sources it used to generate content. Underneath, you will see citations from Wikipedia, local news sites, and national newspapers like NPR accompanied by a brief piece of text providing context.  To use Perplexity, you wi...

Investment bank Goldman Sachs has echoed the fears of worker around the world that generative AI, like ChatGPT and Google Bard, could very soon replace our jobs. Despite the technology having a respectably healthy effect on global GDP, the bank's report highlights that 300 million jobs are at risk, and that “significant disruption” is on the horizon as artificial intelligence becomes more accurate. Some hope is portrayed in the mention that generative AI can ultimately boost workers’ productivity , making the news more of a shift in work patterns rather than total redundancy, however how the world adapts to AI remains pivotal to the livelihood of millions. Will AI take my job? As we have come to expect, AI’s effects are far-felt, extending to an estimated two-thirds of US and European jobs, with office and administrative support, and legal both likely to be heaviest affected. Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance; installation, maintenance, and repair; and construction...

Cybersecurity researchers have shared details on a North Korean state-sponsored hacking group that’s been operating in the shadows for five years now.  Called APT43, the group was seen targeting governments, and high-profile individuals in the West (the US, Europe), but also in its neighborhood (Japan, South Korea). The findings were shared by experts from Mandiant, which described APT43 as a “moderately sophisticated” group that mostly goes after sensitive information, but sometimes also is just after money, with stolen funds usually going to fund additional cybercrime operations. Laundering cryptos When stealing money, APT43 mostly targets cryptocurrencies. The researchers spotted the group using fake crypto investment apps for Android, tricking people interested in crypto loans, and stealing their funds, which are later laundered through hash rental and cloud mining services. When stealing sensitive information, it mostly targets government and military agencies from Nort...

Apple WWDC 2023 is official, with the start date for the weeklong event set for June 5, 2023. Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference is the company's major industry event, normally chock full of panels and tech demos for Apple software developers to learn about new changes to OS features and the underlying programming languages, but occassionally we do get product announcements during the event. "WWDC is one of our favorite times of the year at Apple because it’s an opportunity to connect with the talented developers from around the globe who make this community so extraordinary,” Susan Prescott, Apple’s VP of Worldwide Developer Relations, said in a statement announcing the event . “WWDC23 is going to be our biggest and most exciting yet, and we can’t wait to see many of you online and in person at this very special event! The event will be online for all registered developers, with a special in-person event on June 5 at Apple Park in Cupertino, California. Last year...

There are a handful of big names in gaming phones, with the likes of the Asus ROG Phone line, the Xiaomi Black Shark line, and the Lenovo Legion line regularly featuring in our best gaming phones guide. But one of them probably won’t ever feature again. Following rumors that Lenovo was ending its Legion gaming phone line, the company confirmed as much in a statement to Android Authority , with a Lenovo spokesperson saying: “Lenovo is discontinuing its Android-based Legion mobile gaming phones as part of a wider business transformation and gaming portfolio consolidation. “As a leader in gaming devices and solutions, Lenovo is committed to advancing the gaming category across form factors, as well as focusing on where it can bring the most value to the global gaming community.” That wording technically leaves open the possibility that Lenovo could still make gaming phones without Legion branding, or that don't run Android, but that seems unlikely. More likely, we simply won’t se...

It’s not long until The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is released (May 12) and after months of speculation, Nintendo has finally announced a console to celebrate the upcoming Breath of the Wild sequel… and I, for one, think it’s absolutely beautiful. At the end of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom demonstration , we were given a sneak peak at this console – and I’m tempted to upgrade now that pre-orders have opened in Australia (where I’m located, though it looks like pre-orders are also open in the US and UK too). Following the Pokémon Scarlet & Violet or Splatoon 3 Nintendo Switch OLED consoles is no easy feat – both delivered great designs that stayed true to the respective franchises. But there’s just something special about Zelda-themed consoles that stands out above the rest, so much so that I’ve been living with the regret of never grabbing the golden Nintendo 3DS XL that came out alongside the re-release of Majora’s Mask back in 2015. Gold is a ma...

A slide deck allegedly from an Intel presentation, has been leaked on Twitter showing what appears to be the next generation of Xeon processors, Intel’s server and workstation products.  Of particular interest is a slide titled "Granite Rapids-AP on Birch Stream-AP" that refers to a CPU with a whopping 120 cores, twice the number in Intel’s top of the range processor, the Xeon Platinum 8490H CPU , a $17,000 monster with 60 cores and a TDP of 350W. These 120 cores will reach a TDP of 500W and will require a new socket called BR with 7529 pins. The leak suggests that the cores used will be Redwood Cove “Performance” ones as opposed to Efficient ones that will fit another product category called Sierra Forrest. Both Granite Rapids and Sierra Forest are expected to launch after Emerald Rapids, the follow up to the current Sapphire Rapids, scheduled for later this year. Too little, too late? Xeon processors based on Sierra Forest may end up having a much higher core count...

Apple has released iOS 16.4 and is urging iPhone users, particularly those with older devices, to update immediately to benefit from some important security fixes Despite the seemingly unassuming update number (16.x, rather than 16.x.x), this update has patched 32 known security flaws that have been plaguing iOS 16 users for some time, making it a vital update even if you’re not chasing the latest features. Among the patched vulnerabilites is a fix for a WebKit type confusion issue that hackers could use trigger OS crashes and gain code execution on compromised iOS and iPadOS devices. iOS 16.4 security update If successful, anyone utilizing the flaw could then be able to execute arbitrary code, most likely by tricking the victims into opening malicious web pages. "Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited," Apple describes the zero-day. "Apple is awa...

After suffering through multiple delays , Apple Pay Later is finally touching down as it begins rolling out to randomly selected users across the United States. Originally, the service was supposed to launch alongside iOS 16 back in September 2022, but developers ran into a variety of “technical setbacks” . Apple Pay Later allows people to apply for loans from $50 up to $1,000 to purchase whatever they want while avoiding paying the full price up-front. From there, users will pay off that amount in four separate payments across six weeks with no interest or extra fees slapped on top. $1,000 is a decent chunk of change, however, it's not a guarantee. Eligibility depends on your credit score; a history with low numbers will qualify for smaller loans.  The feature will have its home in the Apple Wallet which comes with a detailed calendar that'll notify you of upcoming payments. If you're having a hard time paying, Apple will work with you to make up a new plan. And if yo...

Apple Music Classical has made its long-awaited debut in the App Store – and for Apple Music subscribers, the app is an exciting new way to explore the world's biggest classical music catalog. Right now, Apple Music Classical is exclusive to the iPhone, but the company says an Android app is "coming soon". If you're an Apple Music subscriber ($10.99 / £10.99 / AU$12.99 a month). you can download the app right now for free from the App Store . But should you download Apple Music Classical and how good use it? And why on earth has Apple made a separate app, rather than bundling all of this classical goodness into its existing Apple Music app? We've answered all of these questions and more in this guide to Apple's unique app, which gives Apple Music a unique advantage in its battle with Spotify and the best music streaming services . Apple Music Classical release date and price Apple Music Classical is available to download now in any country where Apple ...

Marvel has seemingly leaked the release date for Secret Invasion on Disney Plus. The studio, which has suffered from its fair share of bad press in recent days, appears to have accidentally confirmed Secret Invasion 's launch date. As revealed on Reddit – and later confirmed by many news outlets – the Marvel TV series is apparently due to arrive on June 21, 2023. Initially, Secret Invasion was expected to be released on Disney Plus in Q1 2023. However, in light of some release schedule tweaking on Marvel's part, the spy thriller show's launch was given a more generic 'coming soon' placeholder on the official Disney Plus Originals website. That was the case until yesterday (March 27), anyway. Overnight, the series' Disney Plus landing page was updated with its new release date.  Secret Invasion is seemingly set to arrive in June (Image credit: Disney Plus) Realizing their error, Marvel and Disney have now removed the launch date and any mentio...

It's time for your daily dose of Quordle hints. And you might need them - because this popular online game takes the Wordle format and quadruples the difficulty. So if you already find yourself searching for Wordle hints , you'll probably need some for Quordle too.  I'm a Quordle and Wordle fanatic who's been playing since December 2021, so I can definitely help you solve Quordle today and improve your game for tomorrow. Read on for my Quordle hints to game #428 and bookmark this page so you can easily return.  SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.  Quordle today (game #428) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today? • The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4 *. * Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).  Quordle today (game #428) - hint #2 - total vowels Wh...

Legitimate Microsoft SharePoint notifications are fooling even the most tech-savvy workers as threat actors look to set up phishing scams to target more businesses, security experts have warned. A report from Kaspersky detected more than 1,600 malicious notifications between December 2022 and February 2023 as cybercriminals targeted businesses in Austria, France, India, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, and the US. However, despite the misleading email notifications, there are some clear signs to help businesses detect potential scam activity. SharePoint phishing scams Legitimate emails of shared files are received by companies using Microsoft 365’s online collaboration tools , with no dubious link in sight, helping emails to bypass the security filters that typically prevent users from receiving such emails. The shared OneNote file then contains another notification of a file that has been shared, this time to a file like a PDF . Read more ...