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In an unprecedented move for the company, Apple has confirmed it has a new iPhone coming in 2020. It's not all good news though; the company has confirmed it'll be out later in the year than it has previously "launched" its flagship phones.
Apple didn’t specifically call the device the iPhone 12, but this has essentially confirmed the new iPhone range we expected to launch in September will be delayed until at least some point later in 2020.
When will you be able to buy yourself a brand new iPhone? Plus, when will the company be unveiling its new devices? Those are two different things, and below we're going to try and give you the best answers to those questions we have so far.
During Apple’s Q3 2020 earning call, Apple CFO Luca Maestri specifically referred to a new iPhone and clarified that the company is expecting its launch to be delayed in 2020 when compared to previous years.
Maestri said, “As you know, last year we started selling iPhones in late September. This year, we expect supply to be available a few weeks later.”
This is unheard of as Apple has never previously commented on the existence of a new iPhone, but the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the company’s financials – and future financials with an iPhone 12 delay on the horizon – have changed things a little.
Later, Maestri clarified “I said in my remarks that a year ago we launched new iPhone in late September. And I said that this year, the supply of the new product will be a few weeks later than that.”
That may seem simple at first, but Apple’s terminology here has been very specifically chosen and it may not impact the time that you get to see the company unveil the iPhone 12 range announced on stage.
September 8 was the best guess for the iPhone 12 announcement. That was leaked by an established tipster called ihacktu, and it matches what we’ve previously seen from the company is other years.
Typically, Apple announces its new iPhone on a Tuesday at the start of September. It's usually the first or second week of the year. It then often puts the device on sale 10 days after that, with pre-orders happening in that period between announcement and on sale.
Maestri’s wording is specifically about the time you can buy the new iPhone.
He referred to “the supply of the new product”, which means this is Apple specifically commenting about the on-sale date of the new iPhone 12. That doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll see the iPhone 12 announced any later in the year.
We’ve seen a similar situation with the iPhone X in 2017. The handset was designed to be a reinvention of Apple’s devices and it launched on September 12 alongside the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, but wasn’t on sale until November 3 of the same year.
Apple never publicly commented on why that phone came out later, but it’s thought it was to do with supply chain issues where Apple wasn’t able to get one element of the device for the manufacturing process to take place.
That’s similar to the effect that the iPhone 12 is sure to suffer this year. That's owing to factories and manufacturing plants around the world closing and reopening throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
Apple may also want to delay the release of the phone to try and coincide with the end of the pandemic. Apple stores across the US are currently shut, and in other countries many are having to limit the amount of customers.
A new iPhone often brings a fervor of excitement in physical stores as well as online sales, so it may be the company wishes to limit that impact by pushing the release date of its phones back a few weeks.
It may change the date you can buy the new iPhone 12 series, but it's not certain that this means it'll change the time when it’s announced.
If Apple follows a similar schedule to 2017 with the iPhone X, the company may decide to keep an early September event for unveiling its new iPhone. Instead, the delay would impact when you're able to buy the product, not when you find out about it.
It seems the phones will be delayed until October at the earliest. If Tuesday, September 8 for an announcement is correct, then that would mean we would have expected the devices to go on sale on September 18 in a normal iPhone cycle.
Maestri’s terminology of “a few” weeks suggests that is pushed back by at least three weeks. That likely means you won’t be able to buy the phone until October 9, or perhaps even later in the year.
None of this is certain. This is all conjecture that we’re able to suggest based on previous iPhone launches and Apple's specific way of announcing this, but these are strange times with the world trying to cope with Covid-19.
September is still a month away, so things may even change within Apple HQ to see a longer delay. We likely won't know more until we hear directly from Apple on its plans for an event in September, if it's set to happen.
If it does happen, we'll be sure to be one of the first to let you know.
OLOy MD4U322616DJDA 64GB DDR4 RAM - $180.00 at Amazon
(£229.99/roughly AU$250)
Sister publication Tom's Hardware has drawn our attention to this seriously cheap 64GB RAM module from a company called OLOy. Upgrading to a dual channel setup is a great way to instantly improve performance, so grab it while you can!View Deal
We've never come across OLOy-branded memory before, but the two-year-old company is said to have consistently delivered some of the cheapest RAM modules on the market.
An investigation carried out by our sister publication Tom's Hardware earlier this year found that the company used industry standard ICs.
“We liked the OLOy WarHawk memory we tested, because of its great overclocking capability and high speeds. In all of our tests the WarHawk either kept pace with or outright bested competitors such as the Adata Spectrix D80 and Patriot Viper Steel," wrote Thomas Sodestrom.
Amazon is selling a 64GB kit called the OLOy MD4U322616DJDA (two 32GB DDR4 RAM 2666MHz, CL16-18-18-36, 288-pin, PC4 21000) for $180/£229.99/around AU$250 - that’s a 5% discount on the suggested retail price (and 10% less than at Newegg).
It's only available in black and doesn’t have any fancy RGB lights, but the memory chips are covered with nice looking heatsinks and the memory modules come with a lifetime warranty.
Overclocking with these is likely to be hit and miss, but compatibility - both with AMD and Intel platforms - is almost certainly guaranteed.
Adding memory, especially in pairs, means that you can instantaneously improve your system performance, particularly if you are upgrading from less than 16GB capacity on a single memory slot. Moving to what experts call a dual channel setup will improve the total amount of memory bandwidth available to your system and make everything feel much snappier.
The creators of the TrickBot have once again updated their malware with new functionality and now it can target Linux devices through its new DNS command and control tool Anchor_DNS.
While TrickBot originally started out as a banking trojan, the malware has evolved to perform other malicious behaviors including spreading laterally through a network, stealing saved credentials in browsers, stealing cookies, checking a device's screen resolution and now infecting Linux as well as Windows devices.
TrickBot is also malware-as-a-service and cybercriminals rent access to it in order to infiltrate networks and steal valuable data. Once this is done, they then use it to deploy ransomware such as Ryuk and Conti in order to encrypt devices on the network as the final stage of their attack.
At the end of last year, SentinelOne and NTT reported that a new TrickBot framework called anchor uses DNS to communicate with its C&C servers. Anchor_DNS is used to launch attacks against high-value and high-impact targets that posses valuable financial information. The TrickBot Anchor can also be used as a backdoor in APT-like campaigns which target both point-of-sale and financial systems.
Up until now, Anchor has been a Windows malware but Stage 2 Security researcher Waylon Grange discovered a new sample which shows that Anchor_DNS has been ported to a new Linux backdoor version called 'Anchor_Linux'.
In addition to acting as a backdoor that can be used to drop and run malware on Linux devices, the malware also contains and embedded Windows TrickBot executable that can be used to infect Windows machines on the same network.
Once copied to a Windows device, Anchor_Linux then configures itself as a Windows service. After configuration, the malware is tarted on the Windows host and it connects back to an attacker's C&C server where it receives commands to execute.
The fact that TrickBot has been ported to Linux is especially worrying since many IoT devices including routers, VPN devices and NAS devices run on Linux. Concerned Linux users can find out if they have been infected by looking for a log file at /tmp/anchor.log on their systems. If this file is found, users should perform a complete audit of their systems to search for the Anchor_Linux malware.
Via BleepingComputer
As countries around the world started providing Covid-19 contact tracing apps to their citizens, cybercriminals used this to their advantage to distribute Android malware, according to a new report from EclecticIQ and ThreatFabric.
Researchers from both companies as well others identified malicious Android apps that were disguised as the official contact tracing applications for Colombia, India, Singapore and Indonesia. Surprisingly, the sample from India was released just 13 days after the official Indian contact tracing app was made available on the Google Play Store.
After analyzing the samples, EclecticIQ and ThreatFabric found they used the commodity and open source malware SpyMax, SpyNote and Aymth. The attackers also repackaged applications with Metasploit to give them remote access trojan capabilities.
To distribute their malicious contact tracing apps, the cybercriminals relied on phishing links that were designed to trick users into installing their apps.
Based on the findings of EclecticIQ and ThreatFabric's report, it is almost certain that threat actors will continue to use commodity and open source-based malware disguised as legitimate contact tracing apps for financial gain.
The low barrier to entry provided by these tools combined with the continued rollout of contact tracing apps by countries around the world, presents a continued financial opportunity for cybercriminals into the near future.
Cyber threat intelligence specialist at ElecticIQ's Fusion Center, Peter Ferguson explained in a press release that users should only download Covid-19 contact tracing apps from official app stores, saying:
"Users should never download contact tracing android applications from links sent to them or from third party stores. If they are interested in downloading their nation's contact tracing application, they should use the official site or the Google Play Store."
Throughout the pandemic, cybercriminals have repeatedly tried to capitalize on the disruption it has caused worldwide by using Covid-19 as a lure to trick users into installing malware on their devices. They will likely continue to launch similar campaigns because of how successful they've been so far. This means that businesses and consumers need to remain vigilant when it comes to Covid-19-related threats and scams.
The Canon EOS R5 hasn't exactly had an easy ride since its launch a few weeks ago, with overheating criticism recently followed up by speculation that shipments have been delayed or that it could even be recalled. But Canon has poured cold water on these rumors with some official statements.
We asked Canon Australia and Canon UK for an official response to reports from Canon Rumors and EOSHD that it could delay the second shipment of Canon EOS R5 cameras, or even recall the mirrorless hybrid for a hardware fix, as speculated by Petapixel.
A Canon Australia spokesperson told us that it "can confirm that there have been no delays in local shipment, with the first local pre-order consumers collecting their EOS R5 units from local retailers starting from yesterday".
The spokesperson also went further, stating: "The EOS R5 has already started to ship in some countries – Australia is 100% one of them. Locally, we do have a lot of stock on back-order, however, due to the high number of pre-orders made. Any future timelines on shipping have no connection to speculation of overheating – we are simply working in the parameters of a supply chain affected by the global pandemic.”
While that doesn't specifically quell rumors that the second batch of EOS R5s could be delayed until November, it does suggest that any potential delays would be down to the knock-on effects of the pandemic, rather than any possible recall.
We're still waiting for a response from Canon UK, although a separate statement from Canon USA appears to have been issued to PetaPixel – it says: "Orders of the EOS R5 are scheduled to be delivered as initially stated at launch. The first set of cameras shipped from our warehouses this week. We eagerly await the content that will be produced by talented creatives using this camera to be shared with the world."
Again, this doesn't specifically address rumors, fueled by speculation from EOSHD about German retailers not receiving their EOS R5 allocations, that the camera's second shipment could be delayed. But it does at least suggest that early orders are being fulfilled and that no recall is currently being planned.
So where does this leave the Canon EOS R5? We'll no doubt get further clarification from Canon in the coming days or weeks, but despite the speculation nothing much has changed. The EOS R5 is currently out of stock (or 'backordered') in Canon's US, Australia and UK stores, and there are no dates yet for when the next units will be available.
Any speculation that the full-frame mirrorless flagship could be recalled also remains just that. Canon issued a statement that openly clarified the heat-related limitations of the EOS R5, and its need for 'recovery times' when pushed to its limits.
Such heat-related restrictions are also nothing new for cameras, particularly full-frame models with the EOS R5's video powers, which is why external recorders like the Atomos Ninja have become a common feature of filming setups.
We're in the process of testing the Canon EOS R5, so will be able to give our verdict on its relative strengths for video and stills soon. It also seems likely, as Canon Rumors has suggested, that a firmware update addressing the camera's heat management will be en route too.
Until then, we'll make sure we bring you any more official updates from Canon on when its mirrorless flagship is likely to be shipping again or available to order.
Honor will launch three new products in India today – Honor 9A, Honor 9S, and Honor MagicBook 15. The two smartphones have already debuted globally, and it is expected that India variants will come with the same specifications.
Honor 9A will come with a triple rear camera setup whereas Honor 9S will sport a single camera at the back. Both the smartphones will come with AppGallery instead of Google Play Store.
The launch event will kick off at 2 pm today. You can visit the company's YouTube page to watch the livestream. You can also click on the webcast link embedded below.
Less than 24 hours for the HONOR Unlock launch!! We can't keep calm
Give us a shout-out if you're excited too!! pic.twitter.com/arDFyVh5nl— Honor India (@HiHonorIndia) July 30, 2020
Going by the variant launched in Russia, the Honor 9A phone is powered by a huge 5,000 mAh battery along with 3 GB RAM and 64 GB expandable storage. The device has a display screen of 6.3-inch (16 cm) with 1600 x 720 pixel resolution for crystal clear visual experience. It comes with a fingerprint reader and has an 8 MP front camera for selfies. The device has a 13 MP main sensor, a 5 MP secondary camera and a 2 MP sensor at the back. The Honor 9A runs on Android 10 with Magic UI 3.1.1.
One of its most attractive features is its NFC support. It also comes with Huawei Histen 6.0 and Smart PA audio system.
As per the Flipkart teaser, Honor 9S will offer 2 GB RAM and an expandable memory of 32 GB. It is likely to on Android 10 and supports Magic UI 3.1. The smartphone is expected to sport a 5.45-inch (13.84 cm) screen that has a resolution of 1440 x 720 pixels.
In terms of camera specs, Honor 9S might come with a single 8 MP rear camera with autofocus feature. It is likely to sport a 5 MP selfie camera. An LED flash has also found its place at the back.
As per the global variant, MagicBook 15 runs on an AMD Ryzen 7 3700U CPU that uses AMD Radeon Vega 8 graphics. Further, the laptop has PCIe SSD storage with up to 16 GB DDR4 RAM.
The MagicBook 15 features a 15.6-inch 'Full View' display and offers an 87 percent screen-to-body ratio.
Honor says that the laptop has an 11 percent increase in the trackpad size and the thickness of the laptops has been reduced by 62 cm. Around the display, the laptop has 4.8mm thin bezels and the silver variant comes with a cool blue chamfer along the edges of the lid.
The MagicBook 15 also comes with 56 W battery and Type-C charging. The power button on the laptop doubles as a biometric authenticator.
Only one specific kind of mitochondrial DNA usually exists in a cell, based on where in the body the cells are and what the cell does. Now, researchers at the Centro Nacional de Investigadores Cardiovasculares (CNIC) know why. The study has identified the mechanism of 'competition' between different kinds of mitochondrial genomes in the same cell, at the end of which only one kind remains.
According to the National Human Genome Research Institute, mitochondria are membrane-bound cell organelles, commonly called "powerhouses of the cells" since it generates most of the chemical energy needed to power the biochemical reactions in cells. These have their own chromosomes, which are mostly inherited from the mother's DNA.
In the study, scientists found that cells use a process of selection of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), based on how it affects metabolism in the cell. mtDNA can be influenced, found scientists, by "differences in gene function, the action of drugs, or dietary changes".
"The study establishes that the selection of an mtDNA variant depends on the cell type and not the tissue, as was thought previously," Dr Ana Victoria Lechuga-Vieco, first author on the study, said in a news release. She further explained that the preference of a cell for a specific mtDNA variant depends on the cell's metabolic programming, nuclear genes that have subtle effects on metabolism, and in-cell processes that only allow high-quality mitochondrial DNA. The recent study shows that this mechanism was a process of "functional selection".
The study compiled data and findings collected over 5 years from tests conducted in many labs across Europe. The analyses shows that cells can analyze which mtDNA genome would be best suited for the metabolic needs of a specific cell type. This process of the cell selecting mtDNA can vary from one cell type to another.
The findings of the study was published in the journal Science Advances on 29 July 2020.
Realme launched the new Realme 6i smartphone in India last week. Today, 31 July, the smartphone will be available for purchase for the first time.
The highlight of the smartphone includes its 4,300 mAh battery that supports 30 W flash charge, a MediaTek Helio G90T chipset and a 6.5-inch 90 Hz display.
Realme 6i is part of the Realme 6 series, which already includes Realme 6 (Review) and Realme 6 Pro (Review).
Realme 6i will be available for purchase on 31 July at 12 pm on Flipkart and Realme.com.
The smartphone comes in two variants: A 4 GB RAM + 64 GB internal storage variant, which priced at Rs 12,999, and a 6 GB RAM + 64 GB internal storage variant that will cost you Rs 14,999.
The smartphone comes in Lunar White and Eclipse Black colour variants.
(Also read: Realme 6i and all upcoming Realme phones will not feature any of the 59 Chinese apps banned in India)
Realme 6i is powered by Mediatek Helio G90T chipset, it features a 6.5-inch FHD+ LCD display with a 90 Hz refresh rate. The smartphone offers up to 6 GB RAM and 64 GB of internal storage.
It comes with Android 10-based Realme UI out-of-the-box.
Realme 6i is fuelled by a 4,300 mAh battery with 30W Flash Charge support.
In terms of camera, Realme 6i sports a quad-camera setup on the back, with a 48 MP primary camera with an f/1.8 aperture, an 8 MP ultra-wide lens, and two 2 MP depth and macro sensors. For selfies, the Realme 6i features a 16 MP selfie camera.
Click Frenzy’s Julove sales may be over but Amazon is keeping the sales period alive by slashing the price of the Bose QuietComfort 35 II to just AU$349.
The QuietComfort 35 II is among the best noise-canceling headphones you can find. This stylish and comfortable set of headphones also incorporates Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, allowing you to hear your messages without having to dig through your pocket or bag.
Battery life is amazing, too, with an impressive 20 hours of playback with noise cancellation turned on and listening set to medium sound level.
Currently discounted by AU$150.95, you can grab a pair of these headphones in White, Black or Rose Gold through Bose's official Amazon store.
Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones II | AU$349 (RRP AU$499.95; save AU$150.95)
The Bose QuietComfort 35 II is one of the best noise-cancelling headphones on the market and is currently on sale for a staggering 30% off. These headphones are incredibly comfortable and give you a sense of serenity by blocking out the outside hustle and bustle as you listen to your favourite tunes – they also have Google Assistance and Amazon Alexa support built-in for extra functionality. Grab yours today through Amazon in White, Black or Rose Gold and save AU$150.95. View Deal
As announced by Oppo earlier this month, the company will be launching the Reno 4 Pro in India today.
In June, Oppo launched the Reno 4 and Reno 4 Pro in China. In India, currently only the higher model – Reno 4 Pro – is expected to be revealed.
The Oppo Reno 4 Pro launch event will kick off at 12 pm today. Oppo will be livestreaming the event on its official YouTube page. The webcast link is embedded below.
At the time of teasing the launch, Oppo also revealed that the Reno 4 Pro will feature a "3D Borderless Sense Screen and 90Hz Refresh Rate". As per the image teased, Oppo Reno 4 Pro will feature a punch-hole camera that sits on the top left corner of the display.
Block your calendars because the #Reno4Pro is here! Launching on 31st July with a 3D Borderless Sense Screen & 90Hz Refresh Rate! Get ready to #SenseTheInfinite #TrueBorderlessExperience
Know more: https://t.co/AeGcmkgCq0 pic.twitter.com/g06rkN5Fvu— OPPO India (@oppomobileindia) July 20, 2020
As per the China variant, the Oppo Reno4 Pro will sport a 6.55-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. It will house an in-display fingerprint sensor and a punch-hole camera. It will be powered by Snapdragon 765G SoC and will offer up to 12 GB RAM and up to 256 GB of internal storage.
In terms of camera, Oppo Reno4 Pro will come with a triple rear camera setup at the back that houses a 48 MP primary sensor, a 12 MP ultra-wide-angle lens and a 13 MP telephoto lens. For selfies, it might come with a 32 MP front camera.
Oppo Reno4 Pro will be equipped with a 4,000 mAh battery that supports 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 fast charging.
98-inch Xiaomi Redmi Smart TV MAX - 19,999 Yuan from Mi
(roughly $2,800/£2,200/AU$4,000)
This absurdly large display from Xiaomi is actually rather affordable, given its size. The screen is about as large as a double bed, with viewable dimensions of 2190 x 1255mm. It's only available in China for now, but watch this space.View Deal
Meet the Redmi Smart TV MAX, a 98-inch TV that comes with its own white glove VIP installation service. Available at 19,999 Yuan (that’s about US$2,800, £2,200, AU$4,000), this absurdly massive display is actually not all that expensive.
The next cheapest 98-inch display on the market is the ViewSonic IFP9850, a touchscreen monitor that costs about three times more.
The bad news is that you currently can’t buy the Redmi Smart TV MAX unless you live in China. However, given the exceptional popularity of this 98-inch set, we wouldn’t be surprised if Xiaomi began selling it in other countries too.
The TV is roughly equivalent in size to four 50-inch displays placed side by side - about the same proportions as a double bed. The viewable dimensions of the screen are a whopping 2190 x 1255mm and the set probably weighs more than 100kg, which makes it problematic to install.
Picture-wise, it's a 4K display with (unsurprisingly) the worst pixel density on the market (45ppi). It covers 85% of the NTSC colour space, backed by 192 local dimming zones with direct LED backlighting, 60Hz Motion Estimation and Compensation and other quality tweaking technologies.
It features four speakers in total (plus Dolby and DTS decoding), only three HDMI ports, an SPDIF output and a built-in Android box that runs on an 8-core processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB onboard storage.
Microsoft is discounting the ultra-premium Surface Book 3 for the first time – and the offer is available for this weekend only, starting today (July 31) and ending August 3. While the discount across all configurations is only 15%, it’s a decent chunk of change off on a brand-new machine nonetheless.
Straight out of the box, the Surface Book 3 is a beautiful laptop and tablet hybrid. In our review, we found the detachable keyboard to be one of the most comfortable ones we’ve used for quite some time, and the touchscreen display is gorgeous.
The device comes in 13- and 15-inch variants, and we found the screen to be bright and vivid. All told, the Surface Book 3 is a great choice if you want a portable machine to binge watch your favourite TV shows or movies.
That said, if you’re looking for excellent speakers to listen to music on your 2-in-1, you may want to look elsewhere.
When it comes to specs, the Surface Book 3 is available with Intel’s latest 10th-gen processors – either i5 or i7. System memory is available up to 32GB, while solid-state storage goes up to a whopping 1TB.
Some configurations also have the choice of an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti graphics card, which opens this versatile device up to creators looking to do some design work, or some light gaming when the work day is done.
If that sounds like the kind of device you’re after, the Surface Book 3 is now discounted directly from its maker for this weekend only, so don’t delay. The sale will be ending on August 3.
Microsoft Surface Book 3 | from AU$2,251.65 (15% off, save up to AU$713.85)
It's the first time this laptop has been discounted in Australia since it launched in May. So if you want a new device to do some design work at the desk or cosy up with on the couch, this Surface Book 3 is worth checking out. This 2-in-1 has a comfortable detachable keyboard and a touchscreen display so you can get the most out of it no matter where you are. Several configurations are available, and each model is discounted by 15%, with savings of up to AU$713.85 on offer. Available directly from Microsoft until August 3.View Deal
Google has added a slew of party games like Jeopardy! and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? for the Nest Hub Max and other smart displays.
The games are part of a new update for Google Assistant rolled out to the public on Thursday and accessible by saying the phrase, “Hey Google, let’s play a game”.
Besides the game show staples, you can find the mobile phone phenomenon Trivia Crack and Escape the Room, alongside Dustin from Stranger Things, a spin-off game from Netflix.
So why is Google releasing games on its Nest Hub Max and other smart displays? They help demonstrate Google Assistant’s new Continuous Match mode that allows you to have an on-going conversation with the assistant – and most have a freemium model that asks you to buy in-game items for a few bucks, so there’s a financial incentive too.
Admittedly, not all the new games are great and can be a bit rough around the edges, but Google says they’re just the first of many more games expected to arrive by the end of the year.
These mobile games are entertaining for a few minutes at a time, but wouldn't it be nice if Google enabled Stadia streaming on the Nest Hub Max?
While Google has made no announcement as to when we'll start seeing Stadia on more devices in the future, the service did just get a new feature a few days ago in the form of streaming on 4G/5G connections. That was something Google had promised for months, and now it's finally available in beta on most Android phones.
Of course, if you're waiting for new Google devices, we just learned that the Google Pixel 4a could be launching as early as August 3 thanks to an easy-to-crack puzzle.
In addition to protecting your privacy and blocking unwanted tracking online, one of the best reasons to use a VPN is to receive discounts you normally wouldn't.
By using a VPN while shopping online, you can save thousands when purchasing airline tickets and other items by changing your IP address to one in a different country. This is because airlines use local pricing, so a ticket in one country may be much cheaper than a ticket for the same flight in a different country.
However, some users have abused this trick to purchase games from a different country which has led the PC gaming giant Valve to update the account settings in its digital game store Steam. Steam also uses local pricing so buying a new PC game from Costa Rica for instance might cost $40 or $50 while purchasing the same game in the US would cost $60.
In a recent post on Twitter, SteamDB explained how Valve's new changes will prevent users from buying games while connected to a VPN server outside their home country, saying;
“Valve has recently made changing your store country more strict, which requires completing a purchase using a payment method from that country. This should hinder the ability of using VPNs to buy games cheaper.”
Going forward, Steam will now monitor which country is specified in a user's account settings and only show prices in that country's currency.
If a user moves to a new country or stays abroad for an extended period of time, they can only change their country setting after completing a purchase using a payment method from their new location. While this will certainly prevent users from pulling one over on Valve, it could potentially make life difficult for expats living abroad as obtaining a local bank account can sometimes be difficult.
In a support document on its website, Valve explains that using a VPN to disguise your location is against its ToS and could lead to restrictions being placed on your Steam account:
“No, using a proxy or VPN to disguise your location is strictly against the Steam Terms of Service and may result in restrictions on your Steam account. If you attempt to redeem a region restricted game and your location is inconsistent with your past Steam activity, a warning will appear.”
While you won't be able to use a VPN while shopping on Steam anymore, PC gamers can still benefit from the added security, ability to bypass geo-restrictions and other benefits that these services provide. If you don't have a VPN yet, we recommend checking out our complete list of the best gaming VPNs to find one that suits your needs.
Via GameIndustry.biz
Security researchers from Claroty have discovered multiple vulnerabilities that could be exploited to allow unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code while analyzing a number of popular remote access solutions used for Industrial Control Systems (ICS).
The vulnerabilities the researchers found affect VPN implementations that are used to provide remote access to operational technology (OT) networks.
Following Claroty's discovery and reporting of a critical vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2020-14511, in Moxa's EDR-G902 and EDR-G903 secure routers, the team then discovered that products from Secomea and HMS Networks also had severe flaws that could be exploited to gain full access to an organization's internal network without authentication.
Organizations utilize remote access servers to manage secure connections from outside their local networks. However, if an attacker manages to gain access to them, they can view internal traffic and even reach hosts on the network. In a report on its findings, Claroty provided further insight on why vulnerable remote access servers pose such a severe risk to organizations, saying:
“Vulnerable remote access servers can serve as highly effective attack surfaces for threat actors targeting VPNs. These tools allow clients to connect through an encrypted tunnel to a server. The server then forwards the communication into the internal network. This means the server is a critical asset in the network—as it has one “leg” in the internet, accessible to all, and one ”leg” in the secured, internal network—beyond all perimeter security measures. Thus, gaining access to it allows attackers to not only view internal traffic but also communicate as if they were a legitimate host within the network.”
Secomea GateManager is a widely used ICS remote access server that is deployed by organizations around the world. However, Sharon Brizinov and Tal Keren from the Claroty Research Team discovered that it contained multiple security flaws including a critical vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2020-14500, that affects the GateManager component.
If exploited, this bug could allow an attacker to achieve remote code execution without any authentication and grant them full access to a customer's internal network as well as the ability to decrypt all traffic that passes through the VPN. Thankfully though, Claroty notified Secomea of the issue and the firm issued a patch on July 10 to address the vulnerabilities.
Claroty also discovered a vulnerability that could lead to remote code execution in HMS Networks' eWon VPN. eWon allows remote clients to connect to it using a proprietary VPN client called eCatcher. Brizinov discovered that a vulnerability in eCatcher, tracked as CVE-2020-14498, could allow unauthenticated remote code execution. Just as it did with Secomea, Claroty informed HMS Networks of its discovery and the firm released a patch to address the bug on July 14.
Via BleepingComputer
One of the world's most iconic TV franchises is getting rebooted this year, with Muppets Now available to stream today on Disney Plus. The Muppets date all the way back to the 1950s and everyone's favorite vaudeville cartoon puppets became pop culture icons in the mid-to-late 70s , when the eponymous Muppet Show became a TV sensation. Will Muppets Now follow suit? Find out by following our guide as we explain how to watch Muppets Now online with Disney Plus.
Muppets Now is available to watch on Disney Plus from Friday, July 31 and new episodes will be released until the season 1 finale in September. Check out Disney Plus and start streaming today.
Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear and Gonzo have since been subject to all manner of spin-offs, revivals, and even something called 'diversification initiatives' over the years - an example of which apparently are concerts at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and London's O2 Arena. Still, however ill-treated they've been at times by overzealous marketing reps, there's no denying they're one of TV's all-time greatest creations
The release date for Muppets Now on Disney Plus is Friday, July 31 - the same day you can watch Beyonce's Black is King for the first time - and it will be available everywhere the streaming service. That means the US, UK, most of Europe, Australia, and Canada are all covered, as are many other countries.
Unlike some streaming-only shows that drop all their episodes at once, the new Muppets series will use a traditional weekly release schedule - meaning the season 1 finale is provisionally due to land on Friday, September 4.
Where the Muppet Show spoofed on 70s television mainstays like Ed Sullivan and Sonny & Cher, Muppets Now is expected to take aim at YouTube, reality TV, and other very 2020 institutions. Read on for full details of how to watch Muppets Now and stream the new show online. Spoiler alert: all you need is a great value Disney Plus subscription.
Get 2-months FREE Disney Plus with this deal
Since its initial November 2019 launch, Disney Plus has been rolled out across great swathes of the world. It’s available in the United States, the UK, much of mainland Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, and most recently Japan, with the Nordics and Brazil next for their Disney fix. New customers just need to head to the Disney Plus website to subscribe.
At just $6.99 / £5.99 / €6.99 a month, it’s a fantastically priced service. Not only do you have the entire Disney back catalogue – perfect for young kids and nostalgic adults – but a haul of films from 20th Century Studios, the entire Star Wars saga, Pixar’s animated movies, and all 30 seasons of The Simpsons. Meanwhile, Disney Plus had broadened its appeal with more adult content, including the smash-hit musical Hamilton and documentaries like Rogue Trip from National Geographic.
You’ll save 15% (that’s two months FREE a year) with an annual subscription. But the TV devouring media-fiends among you might be tempted by the combined ESPN+, Hulu and Disney Plus bundle at the low price of $12.99. That's three streaming services for the price of a Netflix standard plan and a truly great deal.
Internet service providers are in a constant battle, trying to convince customers to switch to (and stay with) their network. That’s resulted in a bunch of ISPs offering excellent discounts to new subscribers, with many lasting up to six months – sometimes an entire year. Below, you’ll find our top picks.
But choosing an internet provider can be tricky, so we’re laying out the best NBN plans where you can save a decent chunk of change. Some of our recommendations come with a no lock-in contract, so you’ll be able to bounce before the price increases without facing a fee.
Tangerine offers up some of the cheapest NBN plans across the speed tiers. Its NBN50 plan offers new customers a AU$10 discount each month for their first six months – saving AU$60 in total. That’ll get you unlimited data with typical evening speeds of 42Mbps, and with no lock-in contract, you’re free to leave anytime before the price jumps up. To sweeten the deal, there’s no set-up fee, and Tangerine offers a 14-day risk-free trial. You’ll need your own modem though, or you can pay an extra AU$119.90 to get one included. Need something faster? Tangerine has an NBN100 plan for AU$74.90 over the first half-year.
Total minimum cost is AU$59.90View Deal
Enthusiast-favourite Internode is serving up its NBN50 plan for a budget ISP price. Make the switch and you’ll get a AU$20 discount every month for your first six months, bringing it a smidge under AU$60 each time. It’s a six-month contract, so if you decide to leave early, you’ll need to pay a AU$40 break fee. If you decide to stay past six months, the price will bump up to AU$79.99. Internode promises speeds of 42.8Mbps in the busy evening periods, and if you need a modem, you can throw one in for an extra AU$59.95. You’ll have the option of adding a Fetch Entertainment bundle as well. NBN100 plans are available at AU$99.99 a month, though unfortunately without a discount.
Total minimum cost is AU$359.94View Deal
If you’re happy to commit to a year-long contract, then this NBN50 plan from Belong is offering a AU$60 discount on your first year. While it’s powered by Telstra, Belong’s typical evening speeds are a little behind the rest, but only marginally so at 40Mbps. To even the playing field though, there’s no set-up fee, and you’ll get the modem for free if you commit to a contract for 12 months. If you want to break the contract, you’ll need to pay an early exit fee which starts at AU$240 and decreases by AU$20 each billing cycle. Belong’s also giving out AU$80 worth of free mobile credit to new sign-ups. It’s not discounted, but Belong also has NBN100 plans for AU$95 a month.
Total minimum cost is AU$780View Deal
Superloop is offering a killer deal on its NBN50 plan, saving you AU$60 on your first six months when you make the switch. This provider promises evening speeds of 44.4Mbps – not quite leaps and bounds ahead of the competition – but one of the best in its speed tier. On top of that, there’s no lock-in contracts, no set-up fees and Australian-based support seven days a week. You can bring your own modem, or you can opt to pick one up for an additional AU$99.95. To save on your first six months, be sure to enter the code Whistleout10FOR6. If 100Mbps is more your speed, Superloop has also discounted the first half-year to AU$79.95 per month for NBN100.
Total minimum cost is AU$68.95View Deal
Many more Australian ISPs are currently offering special NBN deals – click here to check out a wider selection.
OnePlus smartphones may soon get the always-on display feature. OnePlus founder and CEO Pete Lau teased the much-awaited feature on his Twitter.
The tweet hints at the screen technology appearing in OxygenOS 11. Lau, however, did not provide other details including the date when it will be available. The image shared by Lau shows an analog clock and the caption says, "11 'on display'."
11 "on display." 😉 pic.twitter.com/Y2prOL8Nge
— Pete Lau (@PeteLau) July 28, 2020
However, it is not clear from Lau’s tweet whether 11 hints at OxygenOS 11 or Android 11.
In March, OnePlus said that always-on display was the top request within their community co-creation platform called IDEAS. The company has confirmed that the OS Product team is working on introducing the feature to its phones through upcoming software updates.
The feature was earlier present only in the initial units of the OnePlus 6 (Review), but was gradually removed as it impacted battery life. Since then, the company has shied from bringing AOD support to its phones.
The smartphones manufactured by OnePlus currently support an ambient display mode that shows basic contextual information the moment the phone is lifted or the screen is tapped. The screen goes off when the device is not being used.
With the always-on display, users would be able to see any information that they receive on their phone without even touching it.
A report by Android Authority says that always-on display technology has been available from major smartphone makers for years, including on recent devices like the Galaxy S20 series.
Meanwhile, after launching OnePlus Nord this month the company is reportedly working on another 'affordable' smartphone which will likely be called the OnePlus Nord Lite.
The phone is expected to launch in India soon and is likely to come powered with a new Snapdragon 690 5G chipset. The possibility of the new smartphone was hinted in a code snippet in the latest version of OxygenOS 10.5.
So far, researchers have found no evidence to suggest that life once existed on the surface of Mars. But recent findings have pointed to the possibility of life below the planet's surface.
While the conditions for life are considered less harsh and traces of water have also been found, the subsurface has yet to be fully-explored.
Astrophysicist and research scientist Dimitra Atri at the Center for Space Science at New York University, Abu Dhabi, is of the belief that the subsurface would be a more suitable candidate to support Martian life.
In a study published in the journal Scientific Reports, Atri has argued that continuous bombardment by galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) could easily provide the energy required to stimulate organic activity.
The research scholar studied the effect on the environment of the Red Planet's subsurface when GCRs are continuously emitted. In a thermodynamic process called the chemical disequilibrium, the study revealed the radiation could act as major catalysts in developing life-generating conditions.
Atri has argued that the GCRs will induce a certain chemical reaction that can create metabolic energy and host living organisms. The process will be quite similar to the chemical and radiation environments seen on Earth.
"It is exciting to contemplate that life could survive in such a harsh environment, as few as two meters below the surface of Mars," added Atri.
Interestingly, the study also suggests ways by which life could be detected by scientists in future missions to Mars.
Space agencies have plans of exploring the untouched subsurface of Mars, as per a report in the Independent.
A rover as part of the ExoMars mission, jointly handled by the European Space Agency and the Roscosmos, was supposed to be launched but had to be delayed for technical reasons. Now the rover will be sent in two years’ time.
Atri is of the strong opinion that the ExoMars rover will be able to detect life beneath the surface.
AMD has revealed that its first GPU designed specifically for computing and based on CDNA architecture will become available later this year. Being developed primarily for artificial intelligence and high-performance computing (HPC) applications, the new Radeon Instinct will compete against Nvidia’s recently launched A100 GPU based on the Ampere architecture.
Having realized early enough that GPUs for AI and HPC require support for features and instructions that are not necessarily needed by consumers, Nvidia has launched several datacenter-specific GPUs that have been adopted by hundreds AI and HPC-oriented machines. To that end, the multi-billion dollar GPU computing market is largely dominated by Nvidia today.
AMD released its first datacenter GPU — the GCN-based Vega II — back in late 2018 and while the unit has not been as successful as parts from Nvidia, it is currently used by multiple cloud service providers and HPC customers.
AMD’s next attempt on the server GPU front embraces its new CDNA architecture that is tailored primarily for AI as well as HPC and therefore promises to be a better fit for respective customers. AMD expects to launch its first CDNA-based Radeon Instinct MI100 GPU in the second half of the year.
“We expect [datacenter GPU] revenue to increase in the second half of the year, as additional cloud-based visual computing wins ramp and we launch our new CDNA data center GPU architecture optimized for next generation exascale and machine learning workloads,” said Lisa Su, chief executive of AMD.
AMD’s first CDNA GPU reportedly derives from the Vega II (GCN 1.5) processor, features new vector ALUs, Bfloat16 support, and is codenamed Arcturus. The company does not project its first CDNA GPU to significantly contribute to its revenues in 2020. AMD says that its datacenter GPUs will become a significant growth opportunity in 2021 and beyond, which is not surprising as such processors will be used in the upcoming Frontier and El Capitan supercomputers.
“We see [datacenter GPUs] as a multi-year opportunity, but it is not a big revenue contributor here in 2020,” said Su. “But we see growth opportunity as we go into 2021 and beyond.”