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An odd new phishing scam is using blank images to scam users – and you may not even realize it, experts have claimed.

The format, which researchers at email security company Avanan (opens in new tab) describe as ‘blank image’, consists of threat actors embedding empty .svg files encoded with Base64 inside HTML attachments, which allows them to avoid URL redirect detection.

Apple has recently expanded its smart speaker lineup with the second-generation HomePod. The new HomePod comes with a similar-looking design to its predecessor, a new processor, smart home capabilities and much more. With the release of iOS 16.3 and macOS 13.2 (expected to release to the public soon), Apple introduced the Advanced Data Protection feature for iCloud. This feature uses end-to-end encryption to provide Apple’s highest level of cloud data security. According to a report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, a bug may cause some issues with HomePod smart speakers when Advanced Data Protection for iCloud is enabled. The company has now published a new support document explaining what to do if users face this HomePod issue.
Advanced Data Protection for iCloud: Minimum requirements
To use this iCloud feature, all the devices logged into a particular Apple ID need to be updated with the latest software version. It is also applicable to HomePod speakers that have to run at least HomePod software 16.2.
How is the HomePod issue affecting users
Gurman claims that a bug in the Home app is preventing HomePods running older versions of the software from being updated when iCloud’s latest end-to-end encryption feature is turned on. This means users who buy a HomePod that ships with an OS older than 16.2 won’t be able to set it up. Even setting up the new HomePod will need to be updated with the latest version of the software.
How to resolve this issue
Apple’s support document explains what HomePod users can do if they face this issue. HomePod mini users can connect it to a Mac with a USB-C cable and update it through Finder (or iTunes on a PC). Select the HomePod option in the Finder sidebar and click on the Restore HomePod option. This will update the speaker to the latest software, after which users can set it up seamlessly.
Meanwhile, the first-generation HomePod (2018) and the latest HomePod (2023) aren’t equipped with a USB-C port. This is why Apple has included a fix for this issue with iOS 16.3 which is expected to be soon rolled out widely for all users.
The new version of iOS will allow the owners of these smart speakers to temporarily turn off the Advanced Data Protection to update the HomePod software. However, the company suggests users who temporarily turn off Advanced Data Protection turn it back on immediately after their HomePod software is updated. Apple has outlined the steps to turn off Advanced Data Protection in iCloud settings on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac::
Go to the Settings or System Settings option
– Tap your name, then tap iCloud.
– Scroll to Advanced Data Protection and turn off Advanced Data Protection.
– If you receive an error message when you previously tried to set up your HomePod, you may need to reset your HomePod.
– Then set up your HomePod.
– Update your HomePod to the latest software using the Home app.
– Turn on Advanced Data Protection in iCloud settings on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac the same you disabled it

Last year, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri made it clear that the social media platform wasn’t a “square photo-sharing app” and that the focus would be on videos. This didn’t go down well with a lot of photographers who felt that Instagram was pushing videos, Reels or more of video content in some form. Now, Mosseri has acknowledged that. In a question asked on his Instagram Stories, Moses said that focus on photos had gone down. “I think we were overfocussed on video in 2022 and pushed ranking too far and basically showed too many videos and not enough photos,” he said. We definitely have a number of photographers who have been upset.”

Photos to be an important part of Instagram

Mosseri said that the social media platform will continue to “lean” into videos but it still values photos. “Photos will always be a part of Instagram,” he said.
He also explained that Instagram has attempted to strike the right balance between photos and videos. “We’ve since balanced, so things like how often someone likes photos versus videos and how often someone comments on photos versus videos are roughly equal, which is a good sign that things are balanced,” he said.
He also said that if people see more video content on Instagram then that’s because videos are “what’s driving overall engagement more.”
Photos, however, will always be an important part of Instagram, Mosseri reiterated. “There are always going to be people who love and are interested in finding photos on Instagram and elsewhere. And I want to make sure that we’re very clear about that,” he added.
Instagram has focused — and invested — heavily in Reels in order to take on the stiff competition that has emerged from TikTok in the last couple of years. Even Mark Zuckerberg, CEO, Meta, had admitted that TikTok’s dominance had made the company make quite a few changes.

It looks like ChatGPT’s rising popularity has sent Google into alert mode. As per a report in The New York Times, Google CEO Sundar Pichai sent a special meeting invitation to founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, where the trio reportedly discussed the AI chatbot’s rise.
There have been arguments about the threat OpenAI’s ChatGPT poses to Google’s search engine – if not now, then in the future. An earlier report by The New York Times suggested that Google had declared ‘Code Red’ and assigned more minds to its AI strategy. With the co-founders apparently getting involved, the tech giant seems to be taking things very seriously indeed.

What Google’s co-founders discussed with its top executives
After stepping away from their daily roles at the company back in 2019, Brin and Page had only checked in on the company occasionally, without interfering in its plans. However, the latest internal conference revolved around the duo reviewing the search giant’s AI plans and pitching new ideas.
The source mentions Google’s former research director D Sivakumar giving his opinion on the AI challenges the Sundar Pichai-led firm faces, “This is a moment of significant vulnerability for Google … ChatGPT has put a stake in the ground, saying, ‘Here’s what a compelling new search experience could look like.’” But, at the same time, he firmly expressed his trust in the search giant overcoming competition from AI chatbots. Sivakumar revealed that Google had persevered through such scenarios before and that it could deploy new AI features of its own for doing the same again.

Google may demo an AI-enabled version of its search engine in 2023
Reportedly, an internal slideshow suggests Google could announce as many as 20 new products this year alongside an AI variant of Google Search. The company is also looking to opt for a fast-track review process, the ‘Green Lane’ initiative, to ensure the AI features are ready as per schedule. It may even let the AI teams review their own work to ‘recalibrate’ the risk involved.
For the anticipated AI demo, Google is apparently looking to minimise misinformation, improve accuracy, and ensure safety by blocking specific words.
Also watch

Several high-profile app developers have been embroiled in a bitter dispute with Apple over its App Store policies. Epic Games — developer of the popular game Fortnite — is in the midst of a legal battle over Apple charging commission from app developers and not allowing in-app purchases. Elon Musk even ‘threatened’ to go to war with Apple — that turned out to be quite a damp squib. And now Spotify and eight other companies have penned a letter where they called Apple a harmful company.
Complaint to the European Union Commission
According to a report by Macrumors, the letter was signed by CEOs of Basecamp, Deezer, Proton, Schibsted, Spotify, European Publishers Council (EPC), France Digitale, and News Media Europe. In the letter addressed to EU Commission’s president Margrethe Vestager, the companies said, “For years, Apple has imposed unfair restrictions on our businesses. These restrictions hamper our development and harm European consumers. They include the tying of the App Store to Apple’s proprietary payment system, with its excessive commissions for app developers; the creation of artificial obstacles that prevent our businesses from freely communicating with our customers; restrictions to developers’ access to data of their own users; and capricious changes to terms and conditions.”
The companies further accused Apple of profiting from its monopolistic practices. “Apple benefits from a monopoly position over its mobile ecosystem and extracts exorbitant rents from app developers who have no choice but to remain on the App Store to reach European consumers,” the letter noted.
The companies called EU to take “urgent” action to end “Apple’s abusive behaviours.” A new Digital Markets Act has been passed by the EU and the companies said that the “EU has the opportunity to take the lead, but it must act fast, as every day that passes is a loss for innovation and for the welfare of European consumers.”

October 28 was the day when Elon Musk officially became the new owner of Twitter. Since then there have been wholesale changes — none bigger than the number of people that work at Twitter. According to a report by CNBC, Twitter now has just 1,300 full-time employees.

Twitter 2.0: Drastic reduction in headcount

The report says that before Musk bought Twitter, the total headcount was 7,500. Twitter now has less than 550 engineers working for it. Twitter’s trust and safety team — responsible for keeping users ‘safe’ — now has less than 20 full-time employees working.
Interestingly, the report mentions that internal records suggest that Twitter still has 1,400 ‘non-working’ employees. These are employees who continue to be paid by Twitter but don’t execute their responsibilities. The report suggests many of these non-working employees are those who resigned when Musk asked them to sign a pledge, which involved “extreme hardcore” work and long working hours at the company.
Musk also got almost 130 employees from Tesla and SpaceX — his other two companies — to work at Twitter.

Twitter’s revenue troubles

According to a report by The Information, Twitter’s daily revenue on January 17 was 40% lower than the same day a year ago. It was also reported that more than 500 of Twitter’s top advertisers have put a halt on spending on Twitter since Musk’s takeover.
However, as per Musk, it’s not all doom and gloom. A report by Axios revealed that Twitter has secured content sponsorship deals with more than three dozen news outlets, media companies and sports leagues in the first half of this year.
Still, the reduction in the headcount is likely to have an impact on the social media platform, according to an engineer who recently left the company. The CNBC report mentions that the engineer said “the company’s code base is massive, and it requires knowledge of different platforms and programming languages to maintain different parts of Twitter.” With fewer employees, it may be an uphill battle to maintain Twitter reliably, said the former engineer.

The big game is just weeks away, which means Super Bowl TV deals are going strong with some of the best offers available on massive displays from Best Buy, Samsung, Walmart, and more. To help you find all the lowest prices in one place, we’ve rounded up the best Super Bowl TV deals available online.

Retailers typically offer record-low prices on massive displays from brands like LG, Sony, and Samsung. If you’re looking to snag a discount on a big-screen TV, the Super Bowl TV deals event is a fantastic time to do it, and we’ll be rounding up all the best TVs with a range of features, sizes, and prices to meet all your football viewing needs.

We’ve split our Super Bowl TV sales selection into three categories: the outright best TVs for watching the Super Bowl, the best mid-range TVs, and the best budget TVs. We’ve included a range of different sizes in each category, and we’ve also picked a standout model for our Super Bowl TV deal of the day. Today’s top bargain is the highly-rated Amazon Omni Series 75-inch 4K TV on sale for just $799.99 (opens in new tab) (was $1,049.99).

The Super Bowl LVII falls on February 12 this year, and we’ll be updating this guide with all the best TV deals leading up to the big game, so make sure to bookmark this page for all the latest offers.

The best Super Bowl TV sales

Today’s best Super Bowl TV deal

The best Super Bowl TV deals 2023

The LG C2 OLED is ranked as TechRadar’s best TV, and for a good reason. It has everything you’d want in your dream TV, including a stunning OLED display powered by LG’s latest a9 Gen5 AI processor, which delivers deep contrast and excellent brightness. You’re also getting virtual surround sound, smart capabilities, voice control, and an extremely thin design that all results in a premium home cinema setup for watching this year’s big game.

See more of our top picks for the best Super Bowl TV deals.

We’ll level with you: this weekend is not a particularly great one for new things to watch on streaming services. While the likes of The Last of Us, Vikings: Valhalla and The Menu got January off to a great start, the next few days are decidedly less interesting on the entertainment front.  

That’s not to say there aren’t any new movies and TV shows to stream, but when our list of recommendations is topped by That ’90s Show on Netflix and Violent Night on Peacock, it’s hard to get excited about spending the weekend on the couch. Trip to the cinema, anyone?

T-Mobile has warned millions of its customers that a threat actor used an Application Programming Interface (API) to gain access to some of their sensitive data. 

In a warning published on the company’s website, T-Mobile tried to play down the importance of the incident, saying some “basic customer information (nearly all of which is the type widely available in marketing databases or directories)” was obtained.

The wait is over, because Google Meet users will now be able to join Zoom calls straight from their own devices without needing to install the Zoom client.

Initially announced last October and destined for a late 2022 launch, Google has finally announced that users will now be able to join Zoom calls from compatible devices. Specifically, Zoom Meetings from Google Meet hardware devices, and Google Meet meetings from Zoom Rooms.