gizmosure

Author: Ashlyn Fernandes

  • Facebook bug exposes photos of 6.8 million users

    Facebook bug exposes photos of 6.8 million users

    Facebook has officially announced that a bug on its network has exposed photos of 6.8 million users without their consent. The social network states that a photo API bug gave third-party app developers access to users’ photos they may not have publically shared.

    “Photos that users started to upload to Facebook but did not post could have been accessed, along with images posted to Facebook Stories. We’re sorry this happened,” wrote Tomer Bar, an engineering director at Facebook, in a blog post.

    According to Facebook, photos could have been accessed by 1500 apps created by 876 developers as a result of this bug. Next week, the company plans to offer tools for app developers which will allow them to find users that may have been impacted by the bug.

    Besides, the company added it will notify users who may been affected by the bug through a Facebook notification that will redirect them to the Help Centre. You can find a mock-up of that notification in the image below:

    facebook bug

    “Currently, we believe this may have affected up to 6.8 million users and up to 1,500 apps built by 876 developers. The only apps affected by this bug were ones that Facebook approved to access the photos API and that individuals had authorized to access their photos,” further explained Facebook.

    Facebook added that the bug was live for 12 days from September 13th to September 25th. The company said it discovered the bug on September 25th, and informed the Office of Data Protection Commissioner (IDPC) on November 22nd.

    As to why they waited so long to disclose the bug, Facebook reportedly said that it took time to investigate the issue and find out how many users were affected.

    For now, Facebook recommends users to log into any apps with which they might’ve shared their Facebook photos with to find out which photos they’ve gained access.

  • Intel unveils next-generation Sunny Cove microprocessor architecture

    Intel unveils next-generation Sunny Cove microprocessor architecture

    Intel has announced its next-generation microprocessor architecture, dubbed as Sunny Cove. According to the company, this new architecture is designed to improve performance per clock as well as power efficiency for general computing tasks. The new Sunny Cove architecture is built using a 10nm process, and the next-generation Core and Xeon processors will be built around it.

    Intel claims Sunny Cove architecture can execute more instructions in parallel, with new algorithms to reduce latency, as well as increased key buffer and cache sizes to optimize heavy workloads.

    The company also unveiled the new Gen 11 integrated graphics, claimed to offer up to 2x performace improvements over Gen 9 graphics coupled with Skylake-based chipsets. Besides, Gen 11 graphics are also equipped to support 4K video streams and 8K content creation, even under restrained power environments. They also feature Intel’s Adaptive Sync technology for a smooth and immersive gaming experience. Besides, Intel also announced its plan to provide a discrete graphics processor by 2020, but did not reveal any further details.

    Finally, Intel also announced the use of 3D stacking of logic chips. The company touts it as an industry first technology, which essentially allows logic-on-logic integration between layers. Put simply, 3D stacking of logic chips would allow manufacturers to pack the processor into much tighter spaces, thereby freeing up area for other PC components.

    Intel’s had a rough year so far. They’ve had to fire their former CEO, Brian Krzanich, over violating the company’s policies. Besides, Intel has also been hit by low sales numbers compared to its rivals. Not to mention, they’ve been stuck with the Skylake microarchitecture since 2015. That said, it appears the company has finally come up with something new and exciting for its next-generation processors with Sunny Cove.

  • New McLaren 720S Spider goes official

    New McLaren 720S Spider goes official

    After the Senna and Speedtail, Mclaren has announced the refreshed 720S Spider convertible.  The company has essentially reduced the overall weight of the car, as the newly introduced convertible weighs in at just 2937 lbs (1332 kg). With this weight reduction, the latest iteration of the coupe zips from 0-62 mph (100kph) in just 2.9 seconds.

    Besides, the McLaren 720S Spider needs a time of 7.9 seconds to reach 124 mph (200kph) from standstill. As far as top speed goes, the coupe reaches a maximum speed of 212 mph ( 341 kph) without the roof. And with the roof folded down, it can still attain an impressive top speed of 202 mph ( 325 kph).

    Under the hood, the 2019 McLaren 720S Spider gets powered by a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 engine that churns out 710 horsepower and 770Nm of torque to the 20-inch rear tyres via a 7-speed SSG transmission. It also offers three driving modes – Comfort, Sport, and Track.

    As expected, McLaren will offer its latest convertible coupe in Performance and Luxury variants. In addition, buyers have a choice to choose from 23 colors, which include Belize Blue, Aztec Gold, as well as a SuperNova Silver color variant ( hommage to the orginal 12C).

    As far as pricing and availabilty goes, McLaren has already started accepting orders for the 720S Spider for $315,000. While shipping for the new convertible is slated to begin in March 2019. The car will rival the likes of Ferrari 488 Spider when it officially hits the road.

  • Qualcomm unveils Snapdragon 8cx chipset, world’s first 7nm PC platform

    Qualcomm unveils Snapdragon 8cx chipset, world’s first 7nm PC platform

    Qualcomm has announced its Snapdragon 8cx compute chipset with 8-core Kyro CPU and Adreno 680 GPU. It’s the world’s first 7nm PC platform with support for DrectX 12 API. The company claims that Qualcomm’s Adreno 680 GPU offers 2x performance improvement and 60 percent improved power efficiency over its predecessor.

    “Together with the Qualcomm Kryo 495 CPU, our fastest yet, the Snapdragon 8cx is designed to deliver amazing graphics, powerful productivity, and multi-day battery life,” further added Qualcomm.

    The Snapdragon 8cx chipset also offers support for multi-gigabit LTE thanks to the integrated X24 LTE modem capable of churning out download speeds of up to 2Gbps.

    The chipset also comes with full hypervisor support, along with advanced crypto-security and Windows 10 Enterprise support, which allows users to properly secure sensitive information such as passwords, log-ins, and more.

    Besides, the Snapdragon 8cx also offers immersive graphics performance and HW accelaration for advanced video formats, with support for 4K HDR playback at 120 frames-per-second. In addition, the 8cx also supports high-fidelity and true surround sound using Qualcomm’s Aqstic Audio technology.

    Finally, the new chipset also comes with support for Microsoft’s DirectX 12 API along with advanced location features such as Low Power Geofencing and Tracking, Pedestrian Navigation, as Sensor-aided navigation.

  • Leak shows Samsung’s first smartphone with a notch

    Leak shows Samsung’s first smartphone with a notch

    While Samsung promised not to offer a notch on its smartphones, well, beaucse, everyone does it. However, it appears the South Korean giant is prepping its first phone with a notch. According to a report by 91mobiles, the company’s first phone with a notch is purportedly called the Galaxy M20.

    That said, the leak suggests the handset will a have a rather tiny notch, something similar to a tear-drop styled notch as oppsed to the rather chunky notch found on the iPhone X or Google Pixel 3 XL.

    So what is Samsung’s reason to add a notch? The report suggests the company is trying to make the notch as tiny as possible on the Galaxy M20. The notch would essentially hide the front-facing camera. Besides, it would allow the company to reduce the handset’s top and bottom bezels, essentially giving users more screen real estate to fiddle with.

    In terms of specs, the Galaxy M20 is rumored to feature a 6-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080×2340 pixels. Under the hood, the smartphone is expected to get powered by Exynos 7 octa-core processor bundled with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of built-in storage.

    More details about the Galaxy M20 are expected to surface in the coming weeks as we near its official release. Key sources indicate that the handset is likley to release early next year, possibly a month before Samsung unveils the Galaxy S10 series.

    Samsung is apparently trying its hand at all kinds of design elements for its upcoming handsets. The Korean giant also plans to release the Galaxy F foldable phone next year, alongside a 5G variant of its upcoming flagship.

  • Samsung plans to bring in-display fingerprint sensor to smartwatches

    Samsung plans to bring in-display fingerprint sensor to smartwatches

    We’ve heard of Samsung’s plans to bring an in-display fingerprint sensor to its upcoming smartphones. However, it appears the Korean manufacturer wants to bring the feature to its smartwatches as well. According to a recently discovered patent filing, Samsung is exploring the possibility of integrating the fingerprint sensor within the display of its future smartwatches. Now, this would essentially allow users to unlock the smartwatch by placing their finger on the screen.

    Going by the patent filing, Samsung wants to use a technology dubbed as Force Touch, which suggests that users would have to press the screen to unlock the smartwatch. Besides, the patent also suggests that only a certain area of the screen would require Force Touch, and not the entire screen. And in case this reaches mass production, the South Korean manufacturer also indicated that technology will support, capactive, resistive, infrared, as well as ultrasonic sensors.

    in-display

    Not to mention, Samsung will likely use an ultrasonic sensor on the upcoming Galaxy S10 series. However, there’s still consfusion whether all models of the upcoming flagship would get this technology, or will it be reserved for top-end variants of the handset.

    Samsung is expceted to unveil the Galaxy S10 series in February 2019. Numerous leaks in the second half of 2018 have tipped that Samsung is betting big on perfecting optical in-display fingerprint technology. This suggests that upcoming Samsung phones would likely come equipped with this feature. As for the upcoming Samsung smartwatch to feature this technology, it could be the next-generation Galaxy Watch. However, it’s still early come to any conclsuions, as Samsung will need to perfect this technology before its enters mass production.

  • New Android Auto update will roll out soon, here’s what’s new

    New Android Auto update will roll out soon, here’s what’s new

    The latest Android Auto update has officially arrived. As expected, the update brings new features and enhances the old ones to make your ride simpler and more personal. The update makes the user interface less cluttered and reduces the risk of distraction while driving.

    To begin with, the new Android Auto update improves search and media browsing features so that drivers can access content more easily. Media Content is now visible more clearly on the screen so you can view and browse content easily.

    Besides, the layout now displays bigger album art images so you can easily view what you want to play. Hence, you don’t have to spend a lot of time fiddling the screen to find what songs you want to listen. Popular streaming apps such as Spotify, iHeartRadio, Pocket Casts, Google Play Music, and Google Play Books are also available. And thanks to Google Assistant, you can also use voice search.

    android auto

    Talking about messaging, you get the ability to launch WhatsApp, Messages, and Hangouts right from the Android Auto display. Group Messages and Visual Message previews are also available, however, they can only be viewed when the car isn’t moving. Also, you’ll need to activate the feature first within the Settings menu.

    Google has also expanded messaging support in the new Android Auto update with support for MMS and RCS ( rich communication services).

    The new Android Auto update is expected to roll out in the next few days. In the meantime, make sure to watch out for an OTA alert or head over to the PlayStore to check if the latest update is available for download.

  • Company claims its software allows anyone to bypass iPhone passcode

    Company claims its software allows anyone to bypass iPhone passcode

    Hacking into iPhones is always a hot topic, and now a company called DriveSavers claims that anyone can hack into an iPhone using its software, even if it’s guarded by a long passcode. The company which specializes in data recovery services, touts that its software has a success rate of 100 percent.

    “Utilizing new technology, we have a 100% success rate with unlocking and recovering data from passcode-protected smartphones of every make, model and operating system with any length passcode, including phones and tablets with more complicated passcodes of six digits or more,” explains DriveSafe.

    For now, it’s unclear how the company’s software allows anyone to easily hack into an iPhone, despite being passcode protected. Interestingly, DriveSavers says this service is offered to consumers at a very affordable price. The company says customers can get in touch with the them for more information about pricing and other details.

    That said, the company also has safety protocols so that its services aren’t misused. DriveSavers says its software won’t unlock an iPhone if you aren’t the owner. In fact, it runs a detailed background check to make sure only the owner of an iPhone is able to unlock the device using its software.

    “We attempt to validate the legal right to access the data during all phases of the recovery process. This starts with the information gathered during the intake process. We also have a legal authorization form requiring specific information identifying the right to the data,” the company says.

    Though, it’s still unclear right now how the software works. Besides, one can’t even be sure whether the solution has a 100 percent rate of success.

    Apple is yet to provide an official statement regarding the matter, though there’s a high possibilty the company is already looking into this software to avoid potential misuse and exploits. Hence, we won’t be surpised if Apple rolls out a patch for the same in the next iOS update.

    DriveSavers also claims its software can hack into Android smartphones as well, such as handsets from BlackBerry, LG, Samsung, as well as Windows PCs.

  • Black Friday 2018: Microsoft announces huge discounts on several Surface variants

    Black Friday 2018: Microsoft announces huge discounts on several Surface variants

    Microsoft has announced major Black Friday discounts for several Surface variants, including the latest Surface Go model. These deals include lucrative offers for the Surface Laptop 2, Surface Pro 6, Surface Pro, and the Surface Go. Besides, Microsoft is also offering attractive discounts on special bundles which include several accessories.

    To begin with, Microsoft is offering a bundle which inlcudes the Surface Pro 6 and a Type Cover, giving buyers a chance to save up to $330. Meanwhile, the Surface Pro bundle with Platinum Type Cover is available at a discount of $310.

    Besides, Microsoft has also announced price cuts for the Surface Go launched earlier this year.  It sports a compact design and is the cheapest Surface model to date, featuring a 10-inch display, Intel Pentium Gold processor, and up to 8GB of RAM. The Surface Go with 54GB of storage is available at $349, down $50 from the original price. While the Surface Go with 128GB is also available at a discount of $50.

    Finally, Microsoft has also announced huge Black Friday discounts for the Surface Laptop 2. You can get a discount of up to $300 by purchasing the device via the company’s official store. Not to mention, Microsoft has announced other Black Friday discounts for a range of products as well. For more information on Surface deals on the Microsoft Store, head over to the source link below.

  • Instagram working on a redesigned profile page

    Instagram working on a redesigned profile page

    Instagram plans to introduce new changes to its platform, this time concerning a user’s profile page. The Facebook-owned social media platform has announced that users might soon see changes to icons and buttons, as well as navigation between tabs. That said, it isn’t as big a change compared to the recently introduced redesigned Explore tab, or changes in algorithmic feed.

    Instagram said in a blog post that icons that users see above the grid displaying photos could change to words. However, the grid’s layout won’t change a bit. Once this change is implemented, a user’s profile could move to the right hand corner, while the username would moved to the top of the page in bigger fonts.

    “Over the next several weeks, you may see features re-arranged at the top of your profile including changes to icons, buttons and the way you navigate between tabs, which we hope will make profiles easier and cleaner to use. The photos and videos you’ve shared on your grid won’t change,” Instagram explained in a blog post.

    Besides, this change would reduce focus on follower counts as they’ll appear in a much smaller font and won’t show at the top. The ‘Message’ and ‘Follow’ buttons are placed next to each other, and users can see their mutual followers when they tap on the Following tab.

    Not to mention, grids, texts, and tagged photos icons will show up as text. In addition, business accounts will get a new ‘Shop tab’ along with buttons such as Call and Start Order. You can see the potential changes coming to our profile in the photo below:

    instagram
    Potential changes arriving on your Instagram profile

    Instagram has implemented several major changes to its platform in October and November. Earlier, the company introduced a new daily usage tracking dashboard called Your Activity.

    Besides, it also introduced three new shopping features along with a new nametag feature, something similar to Snapchat’s Snap Codes. Instagram is working on making its platform more authentic instead of focusing on numbers.

    The platform has finally stepped up to crack down fake followers and likes, and uses machine learning to tackle follows and likes from fake apps and accounts.

  • OnePlus 6 gets a $100 discount ahead of Black Friday

    OnePlus 6 gets a $100 discount ahead of Black Friday

    OnePlus just announced its latest flagship the OnePlus 6T, succeding the OnePlus 6 that was launched earlier this year. However, the OnePlus 6 is still considered a great Android smartphone which you can get for a an attractive dispcunt from its orginal $529 starting price. The discount comes ahead of Black Friday sales that begin on November 23.

    OnePlus has oficially tweeted that it’ll offer a $100 discount on the OnePlus 6 starting 3am ET on November 20. The handset will now cost $429 for the base 64GB storage model. No to mention, the top-end model of handset with more memory and storage also gets a $100 discount.

    If you’re planning to buy the OnePlus 6T, you’ll get improvements for that extra money such as the in-screen fingerprint scanner, a slighlt larger display, a bigger battery, and minor camera upgrades. However, it does not get the classic 3.5mm jack.

    With that said, there’s not much to distingusih the latest OnePlus 6T from its previous iteration. Both smartphones come with Dash Charge and dual-rear cameras. Even software-wise, there’s not much differnce on the OnePlus 6T from its predecessor. It also gets powered by the latest Snpdragon 845 processor. All in all, the OnePlus 6 is still a top performer, even compared to the latest OnePlus 6T.

    OnePlus 6 Specs:

    Display: 6.28-inch, AMOLED, 19:9, 2280 x 1080, 401ppi
    Hardware: Snapdragon845, 6/8GB RAM, 64/128/256GB storage, 3300mAh with Dash Charge
    Camera: 16MP/20MP rear, 16MP front

  • New 2020 Toyota Corolla sedan goes official

    New 2020 Toyota Corolla sedan goes official

    Toyota has introduced the 12th generation of its Corolla sedan. While last few generations have been minor upgrades, the latest iteration of the Corolla sedan invokes a breadth of fresh air thanks to a sharper design and improved features.

    It’s inspired by Toyota’s New Global Architecture Platform, also known as TNGA. The platform has been the foundation of company’s other products such as Prius, Avalaon, Camry, and C-HR

    The interiors of the 2020 Corolla sedan are rather similar to its hatchback counterpart. Though it turns out to be good thing given that car’s premium material quality and design.

    The base L model sports a 7.0-inch touchscreen display, while all other variants come with an 8.0-inch Toyota Entune touchscreen infotainment system with Amazon Alexa and Apple CarPlay support. Unfortunately, Android Auto support hasn’t been added. Buyers also have the option to go for a dual-tone leather upholstery, with a few different color combinations.

    Just like its predecessor, several active-safety features are standard across all models. These include adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, lane-keeping assist, and automated emergency braking. That said, Blind-spot monitoring will be optional.

    Under the hood, the L, LE, and XLE variants of the 2020 Corolla sedan get powered by the same 1.8-liter four-cylinder gas engine found on last year’s model. However, the engine has been tuned to offer better mileage and performance.

    The sportier XSE and SE variants, however, come fitted with a new 2.0-liter Dynamic-Force inline four-cylinder engine, which churns out 169 horsepower and 151 lb-ft. of torque. There’s a CVT and a six-speed manual transmission option as well. The latter also comes with larger 18-inch wheels and tires.

    The 2020 Toyota Corolla sedan is expected to go on sale early next year, with a starting price tag of less than $20,000. However, Toyota hasn’t revealed exactly when it arrives in the market happen next year, nor confirmed pricing at the time of writing.

    Toyota also announced that there will be a Corolla Hybrid for the first time, adding that more details would be revealed when the car officially debuts in LA.

  • Google Play Store hit with another Trojan-ridden app

    Google Play Store hit with another Trojan-ridden app

    Yet another malicious call recording application has been discovered on Google’s PlayStore by malware researcher Lukas Stefanko. The app, called Simple Call Recorder published by FreahApps Group, already had over 5000 installs and has been available on the PlayStore since November 30, 2017.

    Despite being a normal call recording app, Simple Call Recorder tricked users into donwloading an additional app impersonating as a flash player update, explained malware researcher Lukas Stefanko. Once installed, the malicious app compromised and infected the device by asking the user to install a fake flash player update.

    “After install and launch, Simple Call Recorder decrypts additional binary file carried in assets and dynamically loads it. This behaviour is typical for the most Android threats these days. This Trojanized app contains call recording functionality and malicious code responsible for downloading and installing additional app,” explained malware researcher Lukas Stefanko in a blog post.

    Interestingly, the Simple Call Recorder application has been on the Play Store for almost over a year, which happens to be a really long time before being found and then finally removed.

    It’s also worth noting that this isn’t the first time malware reseracher Stefanko has found a Trojanized Android app on the Google Play Store. Back in September, he found a Trojan-ridden banking app which also disguized itself as a functional phone call recording app and stole banking information from compromised Android devices.

    Surprisingly, even this one lasted on the PlayStore for quite long and witnessed over 10,000 installs. The app was capable of stealing banking credentials even when SMS two-factor authentication was activated.

    Besides, malware reseracher Stefanko also found 29 other malicious Android apps from August unitl early October 2018 in the Google Play store, which also masked themselves as authentic banking apps and used phishing forms to collect a user’s personal banking information. Fianlly, Stefanko suggests that if an Android app asks you to download Flash Player from servers besides Adobe, it should be taken as a warning sign as the app is most likely infected.