A critical flaw in Windows-powered datacenters and applications, which Microsoft fixed in mid-2022, remains unpatched in almost all vulnerable endpoints, putting countless users at risk of different malware, or even ransomware, attacks.
Cybersecurity researchers from Akamai published a proof-of-concept (PoC) for the flaw, and determined the high percentage of yet unfixed devices.
The vulnerability Akamai is referring to is CVE-2022-34689, a Windows CryptoAPI spoofing vulnerability that allows threat actors to authenticate, or sign code, as the targeted certificate. In other words, threat actors can use the flaw to pretend to be another app or OS and have those apps run without raising any alarms.
Ignoring the patch
“We found that fewer than one percent of visible devices in data centers are patched, rendering the rest unprotected from exploitation of this vulnerability,” Akamai researchers said.
Speaking to The Register, the researchers confirmed that 99% of endpoints were unpatched, but that doesn’t necessarily have to mean they’re vulnerable – there still needs to be a vulnerable app for the attackers to exploit.
The flaw was given a 7.5 severity score, and labeled as “critical”. Microsoft released a patch in October 2022, but few users have applied it yet.
“So far, we found that old versions of Chrome (v48 and earlier) and Chromium-based applications can be exploited,” the researchers said. “We believe there are more vulnerable targets in the wild and our research is still ongoing.”
When Microsoft originally patched the flaw, it said that there was no evidence of the vulnerability being exploited in the wild. However, now with the PoC publicly available, it’s safe to assume that different threat actors will start hunting for vulnerable endpoints (opens in new tab). After all, the methodology has been given to them on a silver platter, all they need to do is find a victim.
Mini-LED displays have seen a surge in popularity the past couple of years as the next big thing after OLEDs. Not one to ignore consumer demand, Samsung is preparing a global launch for its first flat screen mini-LED gaming monitor: the 43-inch version of Odyssey Neo G7.
Up until this point, the company has stuck to placing the mini-LED tech on curved displays like the original Neo G7 and the Odyssey Neo G9. While curved monitors offer reduced eye strain and greater immersion for games, they tend to be pretty expensive and prone to annoying glare.
Although the price tag for the new Neo G7 model (opens in new tab) is still unknown, Samsung is directly addressing glare by outfitting it with a Matte Display. This feature will allow the monitor to reduce the amount of light reflected on the screen, “minimizing distractions during… intense gaming sessions”.
The 43-inch Neo G7 isn’t as capable or powerful as the Neo G9, but it’s still no slouch. You’re looking at a 4K monitor (3,840 x 2,160 pixels) sporting Samsung’s own Quantum Matrix Technology for improved brightness plus certifications for VESA Display HDR600 and HDR 10 Plus. Translated into plain English, the display will showcase deep, rich blacks, and expressive colors in a high amount of detail.
It also has a 144Hz refresh rate for fast response times – vitally important for intense gameplay. Support for AMD FreeSync Premium Pro is present to deal with common PC gaming problems like “stuttering, input latency, and screen tearing”. However, this feature only works on Radeon Rx 200 and later GPUs.
Customization
Regarding customization, the 43-inch Neo G7 has Flex Move Screen that allows users to “shrink” the screen display down to 20 inches and lower the aspect ratio from 21:9 to 16:9.
The difference between the two sizes comes down to a matter of preference, in all honesty. Some players might prefer a 20-inch screen, as not all games, especially older titles, look good or work well in an ultrawide aspect ratio like 21:9. There’s also Samsung Game Bar, a quick menu of sorts allowing players to adjust the Neo G7’s settings on the fly without having to leave the game. You can tweak things like the screen ratio and high dynamic range, as well as enable Game Picture mode.
As mentioned earlier, Samsung has yet to reveal the official price tag and announce a specific launch date other than sometimes in Q1 2023 (so within the next few months or so). You can, however, send an inquiry to Samsung asking for more information, which we did.
If the company informs us of the price tag, we’ll be sure to update this story with the new info. Considering it’s a 4K monitor with high-performing features, it’ll be pricey for sure, but probably not as expensive as the Neo G9.
Demand for Mini-LED
The demand for Mini-LED displays is slated to grow exponentially within the next decade. According to Straits Research (opens in new tab), the Mini-LED market is “projected to reach $1.24 billion by 2030.” Various companies across the tech industry have already been making moves by working on new Mini-LED products like Lenovo’s upcoming ThinkBook 16p to Hisense’s U8H TV.
If you’re wondering what the difference is between Mini-LED and OLED screens, another high-quality image standard, check out TechRadar’s analysis from last year. We compared the two standards and found that Mini-LED displays may be the better buy in the long term.
Microsoft has announced a power purchase agreement (PPA) in South Korea that will see it add up to 2.5 gigawatts of solar power in its efforts to rely solely on renewable energy by 2030.
The company has long been dedicated to using clean energy but it has changed the way it has aimed to meet its targets over the years. While it initially began purchasing renewable energy credits designed to offset its carbon emissions, it has now shifted its focus to PPAs that will see it deliver clean energy to many of its operations.
The Register (opens in new tab) reports that the company has 200 offices and 60 cloud regions, all of which demand a huge amount of energy.
Microsoft solar energy
While the plan to install up to 2.5 gigawatts of energy may sound like a responsible move for anybody familiar with their own home’s energy usage, for something as large as a data center, some believe that it’s no more than a token gesture, while others think that any progress is good progress.
Data centers have long faced scrutiny for the amount of energy used, and while many chip manufacturers have focused on delivering more power efficient models, our growing Internet presence has seen our need for cloud storage increase drastically.
According to The Register’s report, the company had already signed PPAs for renewable energy in the region of 10 gigawatts by the end of last year, with claims that it had been working simultaneously on reducing emissions.
Besides Microsoft’s own operations, it has also reported that a significant amount of the emissions related with the company come from external sources, such as the purchase, sales, transportation of goods and services, leaving very little that the company can do besides piling on the pressure to third parties.
Artificial intelligence has made its way to Shutterstock, the popular stock photo company has revealed.
The text-to-image AI generator is available now on the website – accessible under the Image dropdown menu. Users can add written prompts, with the AI delivering “larger-than-life, ethically created visuals ready for licensing,” according to Shutterstock.
The launch comes as artists and rival stock image site Getty Images prepare to take legal action against generative AI studio Stability AI.
Art-ificial intelligence
Shutterstock are hailing the new generative AI tool, powered by OpenAI, as easy to use and accessible to all.
Users can create unique images based on a single word or longer phrases – although when we tested out the tool, we found it’s best not to get too complex with prompts. It is technically still in beta, after all, while the company has confirmed its belief that users shouldn’t need to “learn how to write long, complex prompts to benefit from this technology.”
Once created, users are free to refine images using a photo editor or via the site’s Create tool, an image editor built for those without experience in graphic design software.
The key audience is businesses and organizations, with Shutterstock highlighting its potential use in content marketing campaigns. However, keenly aware of the controversies surrounding the use of artificial intelligence in art – and, presumably, in a bid to swerve accusations of copyright theft – the firm is promising to take an ethical approach.
Noting that it’s the first to support a “responsible AI-generation model,” the Adobe Stock alternative will pay artists for any contributions used to generate the images.
The commitment tracks with comments made when the initiative was first revealed back in October 2022, when Shutterstock made clear its intention to protect the IP rights of the platforms artists, photographers, and creators.
“Our easy-to-use generative platform will transform the way people tell their stories – you no longer have to be a design expert or have access to a creative team to create exceptional work. Our tools are built on an ethical approach and on a library of assets that represents the diverse world we live in, and we ensure that the artists whose works contributed to the development of these models are recognized and rewarded,” said Paul Hennessy, Shutterstock CEO.
You can try out the generator now but you’ll need a subscription to download any images. Click here (opens in new tab).
New data has named Kinsta (opens in new tab), Liquid Web (opens in new tab), and WP Engine (opens in new tab) as the most reliable WordPress hosting providers based on a study that analyzed historical data on all downtime events for each service.
StatusGator (opens in new tab), the data monitoring tool found that on average, WordPress hosting (opens in new tab) providers have 11 hours and six minutes of downtime per year.
This comes as WordPress, the open-source content management system (CMS (opens in new tab)), prepares to celebrate its 20th anniversary this year.
20 years of WordPress
WordPress was released on May 27, 2003, by its founders, Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little, as a fork of b2/cafelog.
In a tweet (opens in new tab) posted on January 25, 2023, WordPress co-founder, Mike Little said: “20 years ago today, I commented on Matt’s blog & kicked off the project that became WordPress. Now WordPress powers over 43% of most popular domains. It is made by a worldwide community of thousands of contributors & millions of users.”
Matt Mullenweg says he was so lucky that Mike had left that comment, describing that moment in 2003 as “the butterfly effect”.
The official anniversary date for WordPress’ launch is May 27, 2023, and the platform is planning a number of events during the first of the year to celebrate.
In the study looking into WordPress services, StatusGator listed Flywheel (opens in new tab), Cloudways (opens in new tab), Hostinger (opens in new tab) and DreamHost (opens in new tab) in the top seven most reliable WordPress hosts.
Based on the results, Liquid Web has the fewest hosting-related downtimes at 0.6 per year, while Hostinger has the most at 36.0 per year, and some providers, such as GoDaddy (opens in new tab), Anchor Host, and HostPress, were found to not make their downtimes public.
In order to produce the findings, StatusGator divided certain downtime events into critical and non critical sections with shared hosting (opens in new tab), VPS (opens in new tab), data center, dedicated servers (opens in new tab) and DNS (opens in new tab) falling into the critical hosting-related downtime category.
The non critical downtime observed include email, help centers and live chat (opens in new tab) support, cPanel, as well as billing and subscription services.
Check out our list of the best web hosting (opens in new tab) services out there
Marvel fans, assemble! After years of confusion, a new book is finally ready to explain all about the increasingly complex Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) timeline.
Succinctly titled – wait for it – Marvel Studios’ The Marvel Cinematic Universe: An Official Timeline, the visual guide will lay down the law on where every Marvel movie and Disney Plus show falls on the MCU timeline. Even better, we don’t have to wait long to get our hands on it. The Official Timeline book will arrive on digital and physical store shelves in September 2023.
Per Marvel.com (opens in new tab), the book will be the number one source for fans and filmmakers alike, with the guide helping MCU aficionados to “connect the dots and truly understand the web of interconnections” between Marvel’s growing catalog of films (some of which are the best superhero movies ever made) and TV shows.
Additionally, it’ll answer the biggest questions fans have had about the MCU since Avengers: Endgame, well, ended and the Multiverse Saga – comprising Marvel Phase 4, Marvel Phase 5, and Marvel Phase 6 – begins. Those being: what’s happened in the MCU so far, where it happened and, most crucial of all, when those events occurred.
Ms Marvel’s timeline placement is currently unknown. (Image credit: Marvel Studios)
Until Endgame’s arrival in April 2019, the MCU timeline was extremely easy to follow. Events in Marvel’s cinematic juggernaut, which began with 2008’s Iron Man, played out in chronological order – well, save for a couple of films, such as Captain America (set in 1942) and Captain Marvel (set in the 1990s). That meant fans could follow the MCU’s overarching narrative in real time, as each film’s story took place in the year they were set.
Endgame upended that. The last Avengers movie jumped five years into the future from its predecessor – Avengers: Infinity War – meaning Endgame takes place in 2023. Since then, every MCU film and TV show that’s launched in theaters or on Disney Plus has had a timeline question mark hanging over it, with fans unsure where the fit into the equation.
Thanks to comments made by their showrunners, writers, and directors, some projects, such as WandaVision and Spider-Man: No Way Home, have been easy to place on the Marvel timeline. Others, however, aren’t so obvious. TV series, such as Loki exist in a space outside of the main timeline, while productions including Ms Marvel haven’t received an official place on the timeline. Even Ms Marvel’s co-creator/producer Sana Amanat couldn’t tell anyone where her show falls in proceedings.
Thankfully, Marvel’s latest tome is set to reveal where all of its movies and shows will fit on the MCU timeline. If nothing else, it’ll be music to our ears and allow us to give you the definitive rundown on the timeline in our Marvel movies in order hub.
Analysis: A not-so-secret problem
Will Marvel release another volume for Phase 5 and 6 projects? (Image credit: Marvel Studios)
The main issue Marvel will have post-September is that nobody will know where its Phase 5 and Phase 6 movies and TV series will sit on the MCU timeline.
Meanwhile, Secret Invasion, Loki season 2, and Ironheart‘s solo series will all debut on Disney Plus sometime this year. Throw in the rest of Marvel’s Phase 5 slate, as well as its forthcoming Phase 6 line-up, and fans will be in the dark about where these projects fall on the timeline soon enough. Essentially, we’ll all be back at square one again.
Will Marvel release a second volume to explain where its Phase 5 and Phase 6 movies and shows fit on it? You would hope so, but we suspect a book of that nature is someway off being released. Regardless, we’ll be picking up a copy of The Marvel Cinematic Universe: An Official Timeline when it launches later this year – and we imagine you will, too.
Razer has launched its Steam Deck competitor handheld device, the Razer Edge, in two versions: the WiFi model and the 5G model. The Edge is an Android-based gaming handheld and, according to Razer, the “world’s first dedicated 5G handheld console.”
The Razer Edge is powered by the Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 and features a 6.8-inch AMOLED display with 2,400 x 1,080 FHD+ resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate. It also comes bundled with the Razer Kishi V2 Pro, which includes Razer’s ‘HyperSense’ haptic feedback and a 3.5mm audio port. It’s also compatible with Nvidia GeForce Now, including the recently-launched RTX 4080 Ultimate subscription tier, which we went hands-on with and found to be quite excellent.
Its 5G version is in partnership with Verizon and is sold both on its online store and in-store Verizon locations. Meanwhile, the WiFi version can be purchased through Razer stores and Razer’s online store for $399.99. The Edge is currently only available in the US.
Razer previously showcased the Razer Edge at RazerCon in 2022 and at CES 2023, receiving plenty of accolades at both events. This isn’t the first time Razer has released a gaming tablet, either. Back in 2013, the company launched a Windows 8-based gaming handheld also called the Razer Edge, though with a much heftier price tag.
In today’s ever-changing business landscape, making sure your company stays secure from the latest cyber-threats and risks is paramount. Having the right security protection in place can quite literally be the difference between success and bankruptcy, and you need to be sure you can rely on the systems operating at all times.
However, several high-profile recent incidents (opens in new tab) have shown that even some of the most well-known security providers can suffer attacks – so if you are considering how to shore up your business’ safeguards, it might be time for a change.
Passwords have long been a security sore point for many of us, a necessary evil that somehow remains a vital part of staying safe online. We all know the importance of having strong and unique passwords that are changed regularly, but with so many other pressures impacting our everyday lives, shouldn’t there be an easier way?
1Password (opens in new tab) is one of the leading password manager platforms on the market today, offering customers a secure and robust service they can trust to keep their details safe.
The company prides itself on offering a more robust security model that goes beyond simple passwords, utilizing dual-key encryption for an extra level of protection.
This model requires a combination of two keys to open, neither of which is ever seen or kept on record by 1Password. Both keys are required, including the second “secret” key, a 128-bit, machine-generated code that’s mathematically infeasible to crack. Without both these keys, an attacker can’t access your account – and even if they were to get their hands on a copy of your vault, they would be unable to get entry to it.
In order to boost security even further, 1Password also utilizes a Secure Remote Password (SRP) login approach. This means that when a user tries to sign in, 1Password does not send your password to a server, where it could be intercepted or stolen, but instead uses the SRP protocol to authenticate your login details, keeping your vault protected.
Everything in your vault is also kept safe by extra layers of protection, as 1Password doesn’t just encrypt your documents and items, but extends the service to metadata such as website URLs, vault names – so outside hackers are unable to even see what is inside.
Don’t just take our word for it – 1Password invests significantly in outside verification, both through third-party security audits and the industry’s largest bug bounty program. It also makes its approach to security public, so customers can review the findings and determine for themselves. For those users who aren’t security experts just yet, the company also provides guidance and schooling on key lessons to take, even if it’s just reasserting why strong passwords are a must-have.
So if you feel the time is right for a change, then check out 1Password today (opens in new tab) as your ideal business companion.
The company’s 1Password Teams Starter Pack allows small businesses to secure up to 10 people for a flat monthly price of $19.95. For businesses with more than 10 employees, it offers a Business plan at $7.99 per user monthly – and every 1Password plan comes with a 14 day free trial so you can make sure it has everything you need.
Not that it needed confirming, but Netflix has officially been crowned as the world’s biggest streamer in 2022.
Per new data compiled by audience engagement company Nielsen (via Variety (opens in new tab)), Netflix dominated the streaming landscape last year, with 11 of the 15 most-watched shows of 2022 originating on the world’s best streaming service.
Surprising no one, Stranger Things took top spot, with the megahit supernatural horror series amassing 52 billion minutes streamed over the last 12 months. That success was largely down to the show’s fourth season, which debuted in May 2022 and kept Netflix afloat amid a turbulent year.
In our Stranger Things season 4 review, we said the show “makes good on its promise by delivering an absorbing, action-packed, and horror-fueled entry that’s bursting with revelations aplenty”.
Some of the best Netflix shows helped the streamer to stay well ahead of its rivals, too. Cocomelon (third), Ozark (fourth), 12th-placed Wednesday – which became the third most-viewed show in Netflix’s history – and Cobra Kai (14th) are Netflix originals that contributed to its unparalleled success. Netflix was also buoyed by third-party licensed series, including NCIS (second) and Seinfeld (10th).
Stranger Things season 4 was the most-streamed show in the US in 2022. (Image credit: Netflix)
Netflix’s dominance is further underlined by the fact that only one other streaming service – Disney Plus – features in Nielsen’s data. Three Disney-owned productions made it onto the list, with Encanto (fifth), Bluey (eighth), and The Simpsons (15th) muscling in on Netflix’s turf. Criminal Minds, which is available on multiple platforms, is the only non-exclusive streaming show to break into Nielsen’s top 15 list.
With Netflix adding 7.66 million new subscribers to its fanbase in Q4 2022, and confirmation of how popular its TV slate is, the streamer’s executive team can sleep a bit easier at night – or so it seems.
Analysis: the streamer showdown isn’t over
HBO Max’s The Last of Us is drawing in plenty of viewers. (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)
On the surface, Netflix might appear to be the dominant force in the streaming industry. However, there’s one big qualifier in Nielsen’s data that suggests it isn’t telling the full story: Nielsen’s data only accounts for US households, and not the streamer’s global reach.
The smart money suggests that Netflix’s most successful shows – in the US, that is – will be just as popular in other territories. The likes of Stranger Things 4 and Wednesday have been global hits, so there’s reason to believe that Nielsen’s data is a genuine barometer of which TV series were worldwide successes.
Well, mostly anyway. Non-Netflix originals, including NCIS and Seinfeld, aren’t available on Netflix outside of the US. On a hypothetical global Nielsen rankings list, they’d surely feature further down the list, if not at all.
Still, such arguments will be of scant consolation to Netflix’s biggest rivals, such as HBO Max, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and even Apple TV Plus. The US is the single biggest market for movies and TV shows globally, and the fact that, outside of Disney, there isn’t one original series from the other streamers on Nielsen’s list is sure to reflect poorly on Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), Amazon, and Apple among others.
Invincible season 2 arrives on Prime Video later this year. (Image credit: Amazon Studios)
It’s not for a lack of trying, however. House of the Dragon brought in almost 10 million viewers when it premiered on HBO and HBO Max in August 2022. Meanwhile, The Rings of Power season 1 became the most-watched Prime Video show of all time in September 2022. Even with these huge numbers, neither show could crack Nielsen’s top 10 TV show rankings list for the last 12 months.
Of course, these streamers’ fortunes could change in 2023. The Last of Us, which launched in January 2023 is pulling in big numbers on HBO and HBO Max already, while Invincible season 2 will finally arrive on Prime Video in late 2023. Apple TV Plus’ 2023 slate, too, means it could become a major contender before the year is out, while Disney Plus’ forthcoming slate of Marvel and Star Wars shows means it can never be ruled out.
Netflix might be king of the streamers in the US right now, but it certainly can’t rest on its laurels, and the problems it dealt with last year are proof that it can’t take its eye off the ball. If it does, it might not dominate Nielsen’s TV show rankings this time next year.
While the Dead Space remake is bringing general improvements across the board, making for a modern, smooth experience with luscious ray-traced lighting, Sony wants you to know the sci-fi horror game will play a little bit better on PS5.
It all comes down to the DualSense controller on PS5 and how its unique technologies, such as haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, are used to make Dead Space even more immersive. The PlayStation Blog (opens in new tab) details all the different ways the game uses the console’s hardware, but I’m most excited about what this will mean for dismembering Necromorphs aboard the USG Ishimura.
By utilizing the DualSense’s adaptive triggers, the remake does justice to Dead Space’s iconic Plasma Cutter. That’s because, through localized vibrations, you’ll feel the kinetic nature of the plasma energy round surging in the trigger before you unleash the full force of the beam. After you fire, the triggers quickly re-engage, so you can charge another shot and fire at the enemy Slashers, Hunters, and Wheezers.
If there’s anything to know about this space survival game, precision is key above panic. True to the genre’s nature, you aren’t ever flush with ammo, meaning you must carefully choose when to fire your shots and what limb to aim for. That’s because bullets (largely) don’t work to slow the horrors that stalk the decking of the spaceship you’re exploring Dead Space.
(Image credit: EA / Motive )
The more traditional weapons in Dead Space are getting the full treatment of the PS5 controller hardware, too. The Pulse Rifle, a largely straightforward automatic weapon, features precise weight and recoil through a mixture of haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. This is reflected in the weapon sway, the suitably heavy kick with each round, and how the gun feels after each bullet leaves the chamber. It’s the blunt sledgehammer of Isaac Clarke’s arsenal, after all, lacking the surgical precision of the engineer’s more technical inventory. I’m glad to hear that it’s as chaotic in the remake as in the original game.
Haptic feedback is just as important to the experience as triggers, especially when it comes to Issac’s suit and other instruments of survival. One of the smaller touches I’m looking forward to is the zero gravity and air locker moments. That’s because you’ll not only be able to feel the atmosphere evaporate as those hanger doors open through the PS5 controller but there is also a surging weight to Clarke’s boots magnetizing to the steel of the ship as well.
Your Kinesis and Statis tools have received the same DualSense treatment. Vincent Wang, senior Brand Manager at Motive, says you’ll get “real-time feedback” when slowing down environmental items and enemies or throwing things around. Dead Space isn’t the first PS5 horror title to utilize this tech in this fashion, the game’s spiritual successor, The Callisto Protocol, adds an extra layer of violence thanks to the PS5 controller. In that deep-space horror game, you have a tool called a GRP that lets you levitate objects and throw them around the environment. There, too, you can feel energy surging in the device and the weight changes of objects you pick up.
Tomb of the Mutilated
(Image credit: EA / Motive )
Most delectably, EA Motive has completely redesigned how you’re able to dismember the various undead creatures in the game’s corridors and crawlspaces. A look at the Dismemberment & Body Destruction Tech Demo reveals what’s in store for the nasties you’ll encounter, and it isn’t good news for them.
Just as the rig on your character’s back displays his health, Statis and Kinesis reserves, the Necromorphs also have their in-world way of showing information, too. It’s much less high-tech, but as you deal damage to your enemies, you’ll see bones break off and layers of rotten flesh rip away brutally. This primes you to dynamically see where weak spots for prime dismemberment are in real-time without needing an elaborate HUD or anything that breaks the immersion.
Necros can even be reduced to a mess of skeletal remains only to continue their undead assault in a weakened state. It’s new to the world of Dead Space, and should go the extra creepy mile to make you feel even more vulnerable in the doomed mission to find your girlfriend and make it out alive. Remember to stomp the bloody hell out of those corpses, because they could only be mostly dead, and I can’t wait to see what surprises are around the corner when the game launches on 27 January.
