Archives 2023

WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature for its desktop users. The Meta-owned platform is now allowing users to share photos, videos, and text directly to Status. As reported by WABetaInfo, the feature is available for some beta testers.
According to the report, the recent update introduces a feature that allows users to share photos, videos, and text directly from the web client, streamlining the process of posting updates.It’s noteworthy that this functionality is presently accessible to a select group of users who had previously enrolled in the official beta program for the web client, offering them exclusive access to certain beta features.
The inclusion of status updates on WhatsApp Web eliminates the need for users to toggle between their mobile devices and computers when sharing moments. This synchronisation between the mobile and web versions in terms of status updates is anticipated to provide a seamless and uniform user experience. This enhancement is expected to facilitate easier connectivity with contacts, ensuring a more cohesive and user-friendly interaction across both platforms.
WhatsApp rolls out new chat filter feature
WhatsApp has introduced a new chat filtering feature aimed at assisting users in organising their conversations according to their preferences. According to WABetaInfo, the messaging application now incorporates a feature that allows users to categorise their chats using selected filters. Currently undergoing testing, this functionality is available to a restricted group of beta testers and is anticipated to be released to all users in the near future.

Asus’ upcoming gaming smartphone, tagged as the ROG Phone 8 series, is said to get several upgrades, one of which also includes a new design and appearance. The new smartphones are expected to be first revealed at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show 2024 (CES 2024) in Las Vegas. Still, Asus will also see an official launch in China on 16 January 2024. Apart from packing in some exciting hardware, the new smartphones are now also confirmed to pack an IP68 rating, which has never been possible on previous models for various reasons.

According to a post on the brand’s official handle on Chinese microblogging platform Weibo, the phone is now confirmed to have an IP68 rating for both dust and water resistance. This would bring the new smartphones on par with devices from Samsung, which has been offering an IP68 rating for several years. Asus’s ROG Phone 8 series is also said to go with a flat display with thin bezels on all sides and a camera embedded into a hole-punch cavity at the top.

The new design, as per previously leaked renders, appears very different from past models, with a noticeably chunky camera module protruding from what appears to be a reasonably slim device for a gaming smartphone. The rear panel, as per the latest teaser, appears to have a dual-tone finish and flattened sides rounded on the previous model.

As for the IP68 rating on the upcoming ROG Phone 8 series, it is expected to turn the phone into a proper premium offering, bringing it on par with regular smartphones from premium brands. And, IP68 rating means that the phone is protected from dust and water and can withstand immersion up to a certain depth. What remains to be seen is whether Asus has also included wireless charging, which would be another premium smartphone feature.

There’s good enough reason for Asus to offer a solid IP rating on its latest smartphone, as the price of gaming smartphones keeps rising with every passing year. The Asus ROG Phone 7 was priced at Rs. 74,999 in India, while the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate was launched at Rs. 99,999, both of which are well in line with premium camera-centric offerings from Samsung, OnePlus, Oppo and Vivo.

As per recently leaked specifications, the ROG Phone 8 series will have a 6.78-inch, full-HD+ AMOLED panel with Corning Gorilla Victus protection. The display is expected to offer a maximum refresh rate of 165Hz and support HDR10. Inside, there’s a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC. The standard ROG Phone 8 will be offered with 12GB RAM and 256GB of storage, while the Pro model is said to get 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. The phones are said to get a triple rear camera setup. It is said to offer a 5,500mAh battery and offer Quick Charge 5.0 support.

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After struggling in the last few years, the global chip market may see a turnaround in 2024. According to a new report, the global semiconductor sales market will recover in 2024 with an annual growth rate of 20 per cent. The semiconductor industry is expected to usher in a new wave of growth, according to IDC’s latest research. Semiconductor products comprise logic integrated circuits (IC), analog IC, microprocessor and microcontroller IC, and memories.
The growth drivers for the market are said to be the exploding global demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC), coupled with the stabilising demand for smartphones, personal computers, infrastructure, and resilient growth in automotive.
“Memory manufacturers’ strict control of supply and output has led to increasing prices from the start of November, and the demand for AI across all major applications will drive the overall semiconductor sales market to recover in 2024,” said Galen Zeng, Senior Research Manager, Semiconductor Research, IDC Asia/Pacific. Adding a tinge of positivity, Zeng said that the semiconductor supply chain, including design, manufacturing, packaging, and testing, will bid farewell to the downturn in 2023.
With the advancement of semiconductor technology, it is expected that more AI functions will be integrated into personal devices starting in 2024. Report forecasts AI smartphones, AI PCs, and AI wearable devices to be gradually launched into the market. “It is expected that there will be more innovative applications for personal devices after the introduction of AI, which will positively stimulate the increase in demand for semiconductors and advanced packaging,” the IDC report predicted.
Auto industry boost
In the auto space, which too suffered due to delay and bottlenecks in the chip supply chain during Covid-19 pandemic, there are greenshoots and growth drivers. “Overall, more and more automotive electronics will rely on chips, which means the demand for semiconductors will be long-term and steady,” said the report. The report says that although the growth of the automotive market has remained resilient, the trend of automotive intelligence and electrification is clear and an important driver for the future semiconductor market.
ADAS or Advanced Driver Assistance Systems accounts for the largest share of the automotive semiconductor market, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.8 per cent by 2027. The number accounts for 30 per cent of the automotive semiconductor market in that year.
Infotainment accounts for the second largest share of the automotive semiconductor market, with a CAGR of 14.6 per cent by 2027, accounting for 20 per cent of the market in that year, driven by automotive intelligence and connectivity.

The crypto sector, which currently holds a market cap of $1.66 trillion (roughly Rs. 138,06,635 crore, is no new hotspot for cyber criminals to lurk around. With new tools and applications, notorious cyber actors often find their way into crypto protocols only to steal these digital assets. One such latest tool being used by these hackers is called the ‘drainer’. Recent reports from research platforms have shown that these drainers are being promoted via advertisements on Google and X.

Over ten thousand phishing websites have been identified to be using the ‘MS Drainer’ — many of which are surfacing as ads on Google and X, said a report by Bleeping Computer.

With the use of this drainer, crypto hackers have reportedly been able to rob 63,210 victims so far and have managed to get away with a stolen wealth of $59 million (roughly Rs. 490 crores) between March and November this year.

What is a ‘Drainer’?

A drainer is essentially a smart contract that is whipped up with malicious coding to target crypto protocols. A complete suite designed for phishing, these drainer tools can help their deployers get sneaky access into the target’s crypto wallet.

These drainers are enveloped in phishing websites, that appear to be legitimate. Once unsuspecting crypto community members click on these phishing websites, these drainers can enter crypto wallets linked to the victim’s identity.

This lets the hacker process unauthorised transactions and transfers the victim’s asset into any other wallet.

The source code to design these drainer toolkits is being sold for $1,500 (roughly Rs. 1.24 lakh) by somebody who goes by the name of ‘Pakulichev’ or ‘PhishLab’, said the report by Bleeping Computers.

Advertisements to Lookout and Beware of

On Google, advertisements that may be hidden phishing websites could be around keywords like Zapper, Lido, Stargate, Defillama, Orbiter Finance, and Radiant. On X (formerly Twitter), these drainer ads are even more widespread, luring users via fake NFT and token drop announcements, among other tactics.

Time and again, these tech giants have been informed about malicious crypto ads swarming on their platforms.

In April this year, ScamSniffer, a cyber security service claimed that crypto investors have lost up to $4 million (roughly Rs. 35 crores) by engaging with hoax links, sprawled all over the web. This information was extracted from analysing Google Ads data.

Back in October 2022, Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao called Google out for not getting rid of scam sites from search results, thus exposing people to financial exploits daily.

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Your next visit for a Pollution Certificate for your vehicle will also entail a video shoot. According to new guidelines, the PUC (pollution under check) centres at fuel stations across the country will now have to shoot a small video clip while checking pollution levels of vehicles and upload the same on the central government’s VAHAN portal while issuing the certificate. VAHAN portal is the national register for e-services offered by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
Officials said that this has been done following a number of complaints that some PUC centres were issuing Pollution certificates without even checking the vehicles. These complaints, said officials, were received from all states forcing the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to make the shooting of the video and uploading it on the VAHAN portal compulsory. They added that the National Informatics Centre (NIC) has made the necessary changes in the VAHAN portal to facilitate this. NIC has given access to all PUC centres across the country of the portal to upload videos.
What the rules say
According to Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, every vehicle is required to have a valid PUC certificate after the expiry of a one-year period from the date of its registration. The validity is one year for four-wheeler BS-IV compliant vehicles and three months for others.
Delhi first state to implement the new video guidelines
Delhi is first among all states and Union territories to adopt this video system guidelines completely. “All PUC centres in the capital have started shooting video clips of about 10 seconds duration while checking the pollution levels of all two-wheelers, cars and passenger and commercial vehicles. This video is simultaneously uploaded on the portal,” said an official. The other states and Union territories are expected to follow in the coming days.

Vivo is all set to launch its next generation flagship smartphone series in India. The company has confirmed that it will launch the Vivo X100 series in the country next month. The company has now started sending out invites for the launch of Vivo X100 series.
Vivo X100 series launch date revealed
Vivo X100 series consists of two smartphones — Vivo X100 and Vivo X100 Pro+.The company has now revealed that it will launch both the smartphones in India on January 4, 2024. “Mark your calendars to witness xtreme imagination and experience the next level of imaging with the all-new vivo X100 series in India. Catch the virtual launch on Thursday, January 4th, 2024, at 12 noon,” reads the invite.
The Chinese smartphone maker has already launched the smartphones in China and is expected to launch the same variants in India.
Vivo X100, Vivo X100 Pro+: Specifications, features, and more
Both editions of the Vivo X100 showcase identical 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED displays, featuring a resolution of 1260p and a variable refresh rate spanning from 1 to 120Hz. These displays boast a peak brightness of 3,000 nits and utilize 2,160Hz PWM dimming. Notably, both phones are equipped with in-display fingerprint sensors and house a 32MP front-facing camera within the punch-hole cutout. Additionally, both models carry an IP68 rating, ensuring protection against dust and water.
Powering these devices is MediaTek’s Dimensity 9300 chipset. The Vivo X100 offers two storage configurations – 12GB+256GB and 16GB+512GB, while the X100 Pro is exclusively available in a 16GB+512GB configuration. The X100 Pro distinguishes itself with a larger 5,400mAh battery compared to the 5,000mAh capacity of the X100. Charging capabilities differ, with the Vivo X100 Pro supporting 100W wired and 50W wireless charging, while the X100 features support for 120W wired charging. Both phones come with the FunTouchOS 14 skin pre-installed on top of Android 14.
Concerning camera specifications, the X100 Pro is equipped with a 50MP 1-inch IMX989 sensor, a 50M 100mm f/2.5 floating periscope telephoto lens, and a 50MP 15mm ultra-wide camera. This camera system is Zeiss APO certified and harnesses the power of Vivo’s new 6nm V3 imaging chip.
On the other hand, the Vivo X100 features a 50MP 1/1.49-inch main camera, accompanied by a 64MP 70mm f/2.6 telephoto camera and the same 50MP 15mm ultrawide camera found on the X100 Pro. While this camera setup also incorporates Zeiss lenses, it utilizes the last-gen V2 imaging chip.

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