Elon Musk-owned Twitter will ease its accounts suspension policy from Wednesday (1 February).
The company informed about the changes that will come into effect on its Twitter Safety account last week. This comes as the microblogging site has already started lifting the ban on several accounts suspended previously.
What is Twitter’s new account suspension policy? Whose accounts have been restored since Musk took over the company? Let’s take a closer look.
Revisions in Twitter’s suspension policy
Starting 1 February, Twitter will take “less severe actions” against accounts that violate its rules.
This includes limiting the reach of such tweets or asking the user to take down the tweet before allowing them to get back to the site.
Only those accounts will be suspended from now on that engage in “severe or ongoing, repeat violations” of the company’s policy.
“Severe violations include but are not limited to: engaging in illegal content or activity, inciting or threatening violence or harm, privacy violations, platform manipulation or spam, and engaging in targeted harassment of our users,” Twitter said.
Moreover, anyone can now appeal an account suspension which will be “evaluated under our new criteria for reinstatement”, the company announced on 28 January.
In December last year, Twitter said it had identified various policies where the permanent suspension was a “disproportionate action” for breaking its rules. It said it has started reinstating such accounts that were suspended for violation.
In its statement on Saturday (28 January), the company claimed that it did not “reinstate accounts that engaged in illegal activity, threats of harm or violence, large-scale spam and platform manipulation, or when there was no recent appeal to have the account reinstated”.
We did not reinstate accounts that engaged in illegal activity, threats of harm or violence, large-scale spam and platform manipulation, or when there was no recent appeal to have the account reinstated.
— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) January 28, 2023
The Verge noted that this stands in contrast with the company recently restoring former US president Donald Trump’s account which Twitter had permanently banned in 2021 citing “the risk of further incitement of violence.”
ALSO READ: Is Elon Musk planning to increase Twitter’s character limit to 4,000?
Accounts restored since Musk’s takeover
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Musk who calls himself a “free speech absolutist” has maintained that he believes that all content allowed by law should be permitted on Twitter, reported AFP.
Last November, he said Twitter will begin restoring most of the previously banned accounts.
“The people have spoken. Amnesty begins next week. Vox Populi, Vox Dei,” Musk had tweeted on 25 November.
The people have spoken.
Accounts who doxxed my location will have their suspension lifted now. https://t.co/MFdXbEQFCe
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 17, 2022
The development had come after he held a poll on Twitter asking his followers if he should grant “general amnesty to suspended accounts, provided that they have not broken the law or engaged in egregious spam.”
Twitter had already reinstated Trump’s account six days before Musk’s amnesty tweet. Musk had run a poll where users – by a thin majority – voted for the former US president’s account to be brought back.
However, Trump has not posted on Twitter and had said earlier he does not see “any reason” to return to the platform.
The site had suspended the Republican leader’s account in the aftermath of the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol.
So far, Twitter has lifted the ban on several high-profile accounts including Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut, controversial British-American former kickboxer Andrew Tate, US comedian Kathy Griffin, Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson, MyPillow founder Mike Lindell and The Babylon Bee.
Twitter also reinstated the account of “prominent white nationalist” Nick Fuentes last week, only to ban it again within a day, noted Insider.
Last October, Musk – who took over Twitter the same month – had also welcomed the restoration of the account of Ye, the rapper earlier known as Kanye West.
However, Ye’s account was again suspended in December for flouting the platform’s rules against incitement to violence. The controversial artist had shared a picture that showed a swastika symbol inside a Star of David.
Replying to a user who said “Elon Fix Kanye Please”, Musk wrote last month, “I tried my best. Despite that, he again violated our rule against incitement to violence. Account will be suspended”.
In December, Musk was widely criticised for suspending accounts of a group of tech journalists for publishing publicly available data about his private jet’s movements. He re-platformed these accounts a day later after carrying out a poll where 58.7 per cent of the polls voted in favour.
Meanwhile, a recent report by Bloomberg has claimed that the Twitter CEO personally ordered the suspension of a left-leaning activist, Chad Loder, last November.
Citing a leaked internal Twitter message, Bloomberg claimed on 27 January that it has seen a screenshot of the note which read, “Suspension: direct request from Elon Musk”.
As per Independent, the accounts of many left-leaning activists and commentators have been suspended since Musk took over.
“Since the acquisition, the company’s only actions have been to silence critics of Elon, to expose journalists and others to harm, and to violate basic ethical standards and privacy laws,” a former Twitter executive was quoted as saying by Bloomberg.
With inputs from agencies
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Your Gmail account will soon look a little bit different as the company finally rolls out its long-expected makeover to all users.
In a bid to offer users a more complete Google Workspace experience, the updated Gmail will now provide not just email services, but video conferencing and chat options, all in a single location.
Users won't have to do anything to activate the new-look Gmail, which will be updated by default over the next few days to users across the world in a bid to help modernize the platform.
In a Google Workspace update post, the company has confirmed that the new look "will become the standard experience for Gmail, with no option to revert to the original UI".
News of the facelift was first announced in February 2022, as part of a move to bring other Google Workspace services such as Chat and Meet closer to Gmail.
Most Gmail users were able to try out the new look service in November 2022, but retained the option to revert back to the "original view" at any time.
From today, this will no longer be possible, with users fixed to the new design - although Google does note that users can change their Gmail theme, inbox type, and more through the quick settings menu.
The change may seem quite drastic to some Gmail users, who will still see emails displayed front and centre, but shifted significantly over to the right-hand side of the display to make way for a new sidebar on the left side that contains quick links to Chat, Spaces and Meet, shifting your email folders and label options over slightly.
Away from the more integrated links with Meet and Chat, users will also see a new right sidebar which has shortcuts to other Google services like Calendar, Tasks, and Keep, without them having to open up extra tabs or windows.
The company adds that you'll also see all your notifications in one place, with bubbles flagging when you have a new message or chat to engage with.
It will be available to all Google Workspace user accounts (except Google Workspace Essentials customers) as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan has joined the cast of Invincible – and fans already think they know who he'll play in the hit Prime Video series.
Taking to Instagram yesterday (January 29), Morgan uploaded an image of himself leaning on Invincible volumes 2 and 3. Coupled with the photograph's caption, Morgan revealed he'll be part of Invincible season 2. Or, at the very least, he'll be voicing a character in season 3, which is being developed alongside the Prime Video show's next entry.
Invincible's official Twitter account also uploaded a screenshot of Morgan's Instagram image, before drolly suggesting there was "nothing else to see here". If Morgan's own social media post wasn't enough to confirm his involvement, the subsequent Twitter post was.
Morgan's hiring comes less than two weeks after Invincible season 2's first teaser and launch window were released. The self-aware trailer, which made fun of how long it was taking to complete work on the series' next instalment, revealed season 2 would arrive in late 2023. Those announcements came two days shy of Invincible's 20th anniversary, with the first comic issue having been released on January 22, 2003. As of right now – publicly, anyway – Amazon Studios hasn't secretly renewed Invincible for a fourth season, either.
Interestingly, Morgan's addition to Invincible's cast takes the show's roster of Walking Dead alumni to nine. Most of those actors, including Lauren Cohan and Lennie James have only appeared in cameo roles. However, Steven Yeun (Mark Grayson/Invincible), Ross Marquand (Rudy Connors and The Immortal), and Khary Payton (Black Sansom) portray main and supporting cast members in the series.
Morgan's role hasn't been disclosed, but Invincible fans already have a great idea about which character he'll voice on the show: Conquest.
In the comics, Conquest is one of Mark Grayson's most formidable foes. Like Omni-Man and Mark, Conquest is a Viltrumite – and one who revels fighting and killing those who oppose the Viltrumite Empire. He's an elderly, battle-scarred warrior, but he's also one of the most powerful Viltrumites to ever live, so he's not something to trifle with.
He would be perfect for Conquest. pic.twitter.com/ulL5mceYNbJanuary 29, 2023
Morgan would make a fantastic Conquest, in my view. The actor brought real menace and malice to Negan, The Walking Dead's most iconic antagonist, in the TV adaptation. Negan might be viewed as more of an anti-hero these days (in the TV series, anyway), but Morgan's swaggering, callous portrayal of Negan makes him a perfect fit to play someone as psychotic as Conquest.
It's unclear, though, if Conquest will be introduced as early as Invincible season 2. Conquest didn't make his comics debut until issue 61, which was released in April 2009. Invincible's first season only covered the first 13 issues of the graphic novels – if season 2 follows a similar trajectory, it'll only cover issues 14-26, meaning it'll be a long time before Conquest arrives on the small screen.
A more likely character for Morgan to voice would be Grand Regent Thragg, the comic series' primary villain and a recurring antagonist throughout. Thragg wasn't revealed in Invincible season 1, but he debuted in issue 11, which was released in April 2004. If Invincible's second season picks up some loose plot threads and character introductions from issues 1 through 13, Thragg could appear in the show's next outing and officially bring Morgan into the voice acting fold.
Please cast Jeffrey Dean Morgan to voice as Grand Regent Thragg! pic.twitter.com/Xji8lUYobIJanuary 29, 2023
Regardless of who Morgan will play, the countdown is one to the return of one of the best Prime Video shows of all-time. It's going to be a longer wait for Invincible season 2 than we hoped, but it'll be worth it. In the meantime, go and read our review of Invincible season 1 (if you're yet to watch the series) and read up on why Invincible season 1’s finale shows how Amazon should handle seasons 2 and 3.
For other Prime Video coverage, check out the best Prime Video movies around and find out more about Morgan's casting in The Boys season 4.
The Google Play Store has been home to a growing number of suspicious activities in recent months, new research has found.
A study by Dr.Web found a large number of fake apps and trojans designed to subscribe victims to paid services, as well as an alarming rate of spyware.
The report details the increasing number of apps that have been added to the company’s antivirus database, illustrating the caution that Android users should take when browsing the Play Store.
Among the most significant types of dodgy Android apps in recent months is a rewards-based setup.
Dr.Web says that users are incentivized to complete various tasks, like installing, launching, and using other programs and games to receive a ‘virtual reward’. These tokens can then supposedly be cashed in for real money or credit.
To be able to access rewards of true monetary value, users have been needing to collect “millions” of rewards, and that’s before spending a lot of time, effort, and other resources trying to gain access to any tokens.
Among the most noteworthy apps highlighted by the report is ‘Lucky Step-Walking Tracker’, totalling more than 10 million downloads with an average of 4.2 stars across 643,000 reviews.
Also mentioned are ‘Lucky Habit: health tracker’ (5 million downloads, 193,000 reviews at 3.6 stars), and ‘WalkingJoy’ (5 million downloads, 227,000 reviews at 3.9 stars). None of these apps explicitly detail in their respective Play Store descriptions that they offer financial incentives to users for completing tasks, though they were found to reward users for reaching certain milestones (like following healthy habits or walking a certain amount of steps) and for watching ads, some of which promising to speed up the token unlocking process.
‘Lucky Step-Walking Tracker’ has since removed the functionality, rendering rewards virtually pointless. Moreover, all three apps were found to share the same server, indicating a common developer, thus rewards may be pulled for the other two at any point.
Dr.Web recommends that Android users install its Android antivirus protection, though a more general rule of thumb indicates that users should remain savvy when browsing online marketplaces.
The DualSense Edge is the debut of Sony’s ‘Pro’ controller, which is a potentially exciting prospect for PS5 players. But there's a lot to answer in terms of what separates it from the standard DualSense Wireless Controller, and whether or not it has been worth the anticipation in the lead up to it's release.
Compared to the regular DualSense wireless controller, the DualSense Edge offers upgraded features. The DualSense has been highly praised for its bespoke features with the PS5, including its haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. The Edge has some big shoes to fill alongside it's bigger price tag to justify.
The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller and the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 are both impeccably designed for the Xbox Series X and Series S, so having an advanced controller for the PS5 is long overdue. But if you’re looking for alternative ways to enhance your gaming experience, it’s worth checking out the best accessories for PS5, too.
Retailing at $199.99 / £209.99 / AU$339.95, the pad launched globally on January 26, 2023. That's about a month before PSVR 2.
It puts DualSense Edge above Microsoft's Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, which retails for $179.99 / £159.99 / AU$249.95. With Sony having pushing up the price of the PS5, we're not surprised that accessories have followed suit. The DualSense costs $69.99 /£59.99/ AU$109.95, while the Xbox Wireless Controller comes in slightly cheaper at $59.99 / £54.99 / AU$74.99.
Across the UK, US, and Europe, DualSense Edge and replaceable stick module pre-orders were exclusive to the PlayStation Direct store. However, this will later be offered to "other participating retailers" on February 23, though no companies have been detailed.
The DualSense Edge's silhouette is practically identical to the standard controller. But that's by no means a bad thing. The DualSense is already a slickly designed, comfortable pad that didn't need much refinement in the first place.
Its aesthetic differences are more apparent. The central touchpad is a clean matte black, emblazoned with PlayStation's square, circle, cross and triangle iconography. The d-pad and face buttons have also been changed to black, from the original's white. What we've got holds a striking contrast from the standard white DualSense controller.
The bottom of the controller, which houses the mic, PS button and analog sticks is now a glossier black. The sticks themselves, triggers, as well as the back of the controller, all look to have a more sturdy and textured grip, too.
By far the DualSense's biggest drawback is its meager battery life. Often clocking in anywhere between 4-10 hours from a single charge, it falls well short of the pads on competing systems.
It's bad news for those who were expecting a higher battery life, though, as Sony has confirmed the DualSense Edge's battery life will be "moderately shorter" than the base pad. No concrete numbers were given, but expect your Edge to last anywhere between 3-9 hours at the very worst based on Sony's statement.
It's something that Sony should've been keen on improving over the DualSense, even if it was to be just a marginal improvement of a few hours. By comparison, Xbox's Elite Series 2 packs a battery life of around 35-40 hours on a single charge. It seems like the Edge won't only fall short of this, but even further than the regular DualSense did.
The DualSense Edge might look the part, but its worth as a pro-standard pad will be judged on its features. For the most part, it looks like Sony is pulling out all the stops in this regard.
As you'd expect, the Edge is going to be highly modular. The sticks, stick caps and back paddles can all be swapped out and adjusted based on your personal preferences. Control layout and sensitivity are also fully customizable. Not only will players be able to fully customize their button layouts, they can also adjust stick deadzones, as well as trigger travel distance and sensitivity.
All this can be done, on the fly, from the controller itself. A dedicated Fn (function) button will bring up a separate UI that lets players customize their controller settings at a moment's notice. Additionally, you'll also be able to save profiles for when you'll need them most. Switching from Demon's Souls to Gran Turismo 7? Profile switching will ensure your control setup is good to go no matter what game you're playing.
You can expect all the DualSense's best features to return. Haptic feedback, adaptive triggers and motion controls are all present and accounted for when it comes to the Edge. Lastly, everything come bundled in an included carrying case, and you can charge the controller via USB connection while it’s stored inside.
The DualSense Edge is intended to build upon the DualSense 5 and make good players into great players. This advanced controller is said to host the most ergonomic design to make gaming for long periods comfortable while aiding gameplay to ensure you’re performing your best. So, if you’re a competitive player, then the DualSense Edge is worth experimenting with to aid your gameplay and ensure you’re making the most of your console.
The DualSense battery life spans between 4-10 hours, which can be off-putting for players sitting down to play intensive games for hours at a time. However, Sony has since confirmed the Edge's battery life to be "moderately shorter." That could mean its battery life will drop to as low as 3 hours on a full charge.
The official release of the OnePlus 11 5G smartphone and OnePlus Buds Pro 2 TWS earbuds is still a good 10 days away. While we are bound by a non-disclosure agreement at the moment when it comes to sharing our opinion and other insights on the upcoming OnePlus products, we are officially allowed to show you what the products look like, as well as their packaging.
So we thought, why make you wait for ten days or even let you fall prey to random rumours and leaks that are floating around the internet. Here’s a small collection of images of the OnePlus 11 5G as well as the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 that will give you a fair idea about their design and aesthetics. We will bring you more details and reviews of these products soon after their launch on 7th February 2023.
OnePlus 11 5G: First look
A minimalist red OnePlus box is a popular visual for most of their phones, and that remains a constant here.
Let’s take a quick peek at what’s inside the box. Though we cannot elaborate, things are pretty self-explanatory.
We got a black variant for review with a Sandstone Black matte glass back.
A familiar feature that went missing in the OnePlus 10T makes a welcome return.
The partnership with Hasselblad continues with a distinct logo on the circular rear camera module.
OnePlus Buds Pro 2: First look
The box is more compact than that of its predecessor.
Nothing unusual inside the box, but take a look anyway.
The charging case does remind one of its predecessor.
We placed the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 and the OnePlus Buds Pro next to each other. See if you can spot any differences.
Let’s take a closer look inside the charging case of the Buds Pro 2.
Oh! You just wanted to see the buds? No problem, here they are.
We will stop at that for now. But stay tuned for our full coverage of the upcoming products at the Cloud 11 OnePlus launch event, including their India pricing, followed by detailed reviews and more.
WARNING: This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us
HBO’s The Last of Us has earned rave reviews for its impressive loyalty to developer Naughty Dog’s era-defining PlayStation title, but the series’ third episode marked the first major deviation from Joel and Ellie’s in-game story.
‘Long Long Time’ puts the spotlight on Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett), two lonely survivors who come together in the aftermath of the global Cordyceps outbreak. Both characters feature briefly in the original The Last of Us game, but HBO’s small screen adaptation dedicates an entire hour to delving deeper into their decades-long relationship.
In an interview with TechRadar ahead of the series' release, co-showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin explained the thinking behind their decision to go off-piste with The Last of Us episode 3 – which the pair have previously admitted will inevitably leave some fans “upset”.
“It came out of an interest I had in portraying Bill slightly differently, because the Bill section of the game was very much built around gameplay," Mazin tells us. "What fascinated me about Bill was that he was safe, that he had created this interesting little safe harbor in the world. Then my next question was, well, what happens to you if you're safe in this world? What next? Do you just stay there alone? What do you need? Why do you keep going? And I knew about the Frank storyline in the game, which, to me, sort of echoed the worst possible outcome for Joel.
“But I thought there was an opportunity [with episode 3] to go in a different direction and explore the passage of time between the outbreak and where we are now, and also create a relationship that worked,” Mazin continues. “A relationship that, in its duality, helped define some themes that we'll see over and over again [in the show] – two very different kinds of love. Somebody that loves outwards, and nurtures and protects and creates. And somebody that loves by protection through violence and preservation.
“So I remember saying to Nick [Offerman] and Murray [Bartlett] that this relationship is the basis of everything. Everything is reflected in this [relationship]. And even though there is a bit of a blubbering that occurs, in their own way, they win. They get the happy ending.”
I think the change [in episode 3] became very indicative of what we prioritized in this show.
Neil Druckmann
When adapting The Last of Us for the screen, Druckmann – who penned the game’s original story – likewise felt it was important to leave certain gameplay-heavy moments on the cutting room floor.
“I think the change [in episode 3] became very indicative of what we prioritized in this show,” he says. “In my mind, a lesser adaptation would have looked at the Bill sequence and said, ‘Oh, there's this epic, iconic moment where Joel steps into a snare trap and is upside down and Ellie has to get him out of the ditch. And then Bill shows up and Bill saves you and that's how you bond with him through this long action sequence.’ You're relying on each other and then, through in-game dialogue and a bunch of different things, we reveal a hint at this backstory and this relationship.
“But some of the brilliance of Craig is to say: that's not as important. That’s what would have been an important thing in the past, when you're adapting video games and looking at superficial aspects and thinking, ‘Oh, players want to see that gameplay moment.’ That's not what they want. They want the core of the heart of this experience. So when Craig said, ‘Let's focus on Bill and Frank instead of the set-piece, and do stuff that we couldn't do in the game, like jump around in time, and really show how people have survived over this 20-year gap’ – that’s a great counter-example of everything else we see [on Joel and Ellie’s journey]. That story is so beautiful and so moving.
“And ultimately,” Druckmann concludes, “when Joel and Ellie come back to that story – yes, it's different from what's in the game, but it helps elevate [the experience] in a way that I think is really strong for this medium. We couldn't have told this story in the game. And likewise, I think the show would have been less if we tried to tell the story [of Bill and Frank] in the game over here.”
The Last of Us is now streaming on HBO Max in the US and Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK.
When the iPhone 15 handsets make an appearance, we're once again expecting there to be several differences between the standard two phones and the two more expensive Pro models – and one of those differences could be in Wi-Fi support.
A leaked document posted by tipster Unknownz21 on Twitter (via MacRumors) makes reference to the antenna architecture for the iPhone 15, the iPhone 15 Plus, the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
According to the document, the standard iPhone 15 and the Plus model will stick with the same Wi-Fi 6 spec as the current iPhone 14 series. The Pro and the Pro Max, however, will be upgraded to the latest Wi-Fi 6E standard.
We had heard rumblings earlier in the week that Wi-Fi 6E would be coming to the iPhone 15 series in 2023, but at that stage we were thinking the upgrade was intended for all the models. Now that doesn't appear to be the case.
The difference between Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E isn't huge though: it supports an extra 6 GHz frequency band alongside 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, so while the speeds are similar, there's more capacity for more devices. You're also going to need a Wi-Fi 6E router to take advantage of the improved technology.
While it isn't mentioned in this document leak, we're assuming that if the iPhone 15 Ultra is real then it too will have the Wi-Fi 6E upgrade as well. It's not clear yet if the phone will be a separate model or take the place of the Pro Max version of the iPhone.
In recent years Apple has clearly been trying to make the Pro model upgrades as worthwhile for people as possible, most recently with the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. The standard models almost seem neglected by comparison.
Last year, for example, we saw a speed difference between the two pairs of models for the first time: the iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Plus got the A15 Bionic chipset, while the more expensive pair of phones got the latest A16 Bionic upgrade.
A slight upgrade in Wi-Fi standards might not be the most important spec when it comes to choosing a phone, but it's yet another reason to pick one of the Pro models when they go on sale (which will be in September, if Apple sticks to its usual schedule).
The danger is that the cheaper iPhones get ignored by buyers (and the Plus version is rumored to be not selling well at all) – but with the Pro models retailing for more money, it seems like a trade-off that Apple is happy to make.
We've already seen several price leaks for the Samsung Galaxy S23, but they're not stopping ahead of the expected launch of the phones on February 1. We now have information on pricing in Turkey, Germany and India.
Even if you don't live in those countries, these are important markers of how the handsets are going to be priced globally. In Turkey for example (from Roland Quandt via Notebookcheck), the Galaxy S23 phones are set to cost substantially more than their Galaxy S22 predecessors.
The starting price for the least expensive Galaxy S23 model is apparently going to be 50,000 Turkish lira – that works out as about $2,660 / £2,145 / AU$3,740, which is a small fortune. The main reason is high taxes on imported electronic goods.
Elsewhere in the world, rumored German pricing for the Galaxy S23 phones has appeared on WinFuture (via GSMArena). At starting prices of €949 (S23), €1,199 (S23 Plus) and €1,399 (S23 Ultra), a jump of around €100 in each case over the 2022 predecessors.
Finally there's pricing for India, which according to MySmartPrice (via Notebookcheck) is also going to be higher than the pricing we saw for the Galaxy S22. Here the S23 series is reportedly going to start at 79,999 Indian Rupees.
All of these leaks suggest that you'll be paying more for a Galaxy S23 phone than you would have done for a Galaxy S22 phone, although they're yet to be confirmed – though Samsung is already offering a number of Galaxy S23 deals.
Galaxy S23 pricing rumors haven't been particularly consistent so far, although it does seem that Samsung might be able to match the Galaxy S22 pricing in the US at least. Elsewhere, as you can see above, it's looking like a different story.
Price leaks for both Australia and South Korea suggest that the 2023 phones are going to cost slightly more than their 2022 equivalents. That matches up with the leaks from Germany and India, while Turkey is a bit of an outlier.
All kinds of factors affect pricing of course, including taxes and manufacturing costs, and they're not all within Samsung's control. However, the company knows that it needs to put out an appealingly priced phone in order to attract buyers.
When you consider that the Google Pixel 7, for example, is available for a starting price of $599 / £599 / AU$999 (matching the Pixel 6), Samsung is going to have to bring out a really special smartphone to justify the extra money it's going to cost.
This time next week, the Samsung Galaxy S23 phones will have been officially unveiled, which means we won't have any more leaks around the handsets to report on – such as the full specs sheet that just appeared on the web, for example.
Posted by reliable tipster Roland Quandt, the specs sheet covers all three phones – the standard S23, the S23 Plus, and the S23 Ultra – and gives us a rundown of everything from the battery capacities to the camera modules.
In other words, don't read any further if you're avoiding spoilers for next week's Samsung Unpacked launch event on February 1. We'll be covering the event live of course, and anyone who wants to will also be able to watch everything live online.
#GalaxyS23 #comparison pic.twitter.com/NBONtiP53LJanuary 27, 2023
We're looking at the 120Hz screens for the phones this year, with the Galaxy S23 offering a 6.1-inch display, the Galaxy S23 Plus upping that to a 6.6-inch display, and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra bringing with it a 6.8-inch display (and a stylus).
Under the hood we've got 8GB of RAM on the S23 and the S23 Plus, and 8GB or 12GB of RAM on the Ultra. The storage options are 128GB / 256GB / 512GB for the base model, 256GB / 512GB for the Plus, and 256GB/512GB/1TB for the Ultra. It's not listed on this sheet, but the internal processor will be the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.
The Ultra gets a triple-lens 200MP+12MP+10MP rear camera, but the selfie camera is just 12MP (it was 40MP on the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra), as it is on the S23 and S23 Plus, which both swap the 200MP main camera for a 50MP model on the back.
We're now well used to incremental year-on-year upgrades for smartphones, and that's again promised by the Galaxy S23. The screen sizes all match last year's models, although the standard S23 gets a boost to 1,750 nits of peak brightness (up from 1,300 nits) to match the screens on the other two handsets.
When it comes to the cameras, the only difference in terms of megapixels is that the main camera on the back of the Ultra model goes up from 108MP to 200MP – however, it remains to be seen what sort of other upgrades and optimizations Samsung has managed to build into the 2023 tech.
Battery capacities get a slight bump on the S23 and S23 Plus models – from 3,700mAh to 3,900mAh and from 4,500mAh to 4,700mAh respectively. The Galaxy S23 Ultra model, meanwhile, sticks with the same 5,000mAh capacity, though bear in mind that battery capacity is just one of several factors affecting battery life.
Performance should certainly be the best you can get in an Android smartphone in 2023, what with that Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 from Qualcomm running everything. We've only got to wait until Wednesday for all of these specs to be made official, but we're excited about what's coming down the line.
Privacy and Apple go hand in hand - it has for years now, and its recent video starring Nick Mohammad from Ted Lasso to promote Data Privacy week was inspired.
However, with today (January 28) being Data Privacy Day, it's important to look at other features that you can use with your iPhone, iPad, and Mac to help protect your data.
All of these are features that I switched on as soon as they've been introduced - with Advanced Data Protection being the latest one for me, as it was recently introduced in iOS 16.3.
With this in mind, there are a few other features, alongside Advanced Data Protection that you should consider switching on, and why you should do it as soon as.
Introduced in iOS 16.3, not only does this allow you to protect your iCloud backups with an encrypted password, but your Safari bookmarks, your iCloud Drive contents, Notes and much more.
This way, you and you alone can only access this data - not even Apple. It adds another layer of protection for your data, especially if someone tries to break into your account, so any valuable data won't be able to be accessed by anyone else.
This feature also applies to iPadOS and macOS, so your data there in the same categories will be protected.
You can switch this on by going to Settings > iCloud > Advanced Data Protection.
We've all come across spam emails and other types that try to get your information to try and track you outside of your email. By going to Settings > Mail > Privacy Protection, Apple's Mail app will hide your IP address when you open a new message from your Inbox.
This means that the sender will not be able to tell if you opened their email, alongside a rough idea on the location of where you opened it.
It could be argued that too many apps ask for your location - Facebook is a good example here, especially when you use it to look at memes and check on how certain family and friends are.
Yet you might find that there could be too many apps tracking your location all the time, instead of when you're using the app.
You can check this by going to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services and checking on every app displayed in the list, to see if its location is set to 'Always Allow' or 'Allow while Using'. Apart from Weather and Map apps, there really isn't a need to have 'Always Allow' on the majority of apps.
So set aside a few minutes in a lunch break and see which apps are trying to track your location, even when you're not using them.
Introduced in iOS 16, this feature could be a big help in protecting your data from those you'd like to have out of your life.
Safety Check, found in Settings > Privacy & Security > Safety Check will give you a detailed overview of who's sharing what data with you, and you can easily restrict this in a couple of taps.
There's also a 'Quick Exit' on the top right which will bring you straight back to the home screen if someone wants to suddenly check your phone without your permission.
Another feature that launched with iOS 16, iPadOS 16.1 and macOS 13 Ventura, you can register a new account with a site without having to enter a new username and password.
You only need TouchID or FaceID to authenticate this, and you're good to go.
However, if it's an account you'll need in the future, you can save this to your iCloud Keychain, Apple's method of storing your usernames and passwords, by checking the 'Save passkey for account' option when you create one.
A feature that Facebook was publicly not happy about - but in retrospect, this only made Meta look bad in the face of privacy.
Some apps have the ability to track your browsing in other apps like Safari and Mail, and as this is done with multiple methods, it's difficult for Apple to shut down these individual cases, which is where App Tracking comes in.
You can enable all apps to not track you, by going to Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking. You have a choice to turn on or off tracking for specific apps, or you can turn off the option altogether.
With digital technologies at the center of our everyday life, the amount of data that's exchanged online keeps going up.
It isn't that surprising then, in fact, that the interest in the best VPN services among consumers is high everywhere. Governments across the world are also setting up new regulations on how such sensitive information should be stored, used, and shared.
New data laws like the EU GDPR are a significant step, but they are not enough. That's partly because cyberattacks are on the rise, too. Even worse, evidence actually suggests how home devices are now the top target.
On the occasion of the annual Data Privacy Day, we're then sharing nine tips on how to stay safe online and secure your anonymity when your data gets compromised.
As Vaibhav Antil CEO of Privado, one of the best free VPN providers around, said: "Data Privacy Day gives us all an opportunity to take a second and think about what we share about ourselves, when and where we share it, and who we are sharing it with."
Despite many instances on how companies mishandled users' data, the majority of people are still not taking the time to carefully check privacy policies before agreeing with the terms.
According to a 2019 Pew Research's study, only 9% of Americans actually do that. A similar scenario came out from a survey conducted by cybersecurity auditing firm Deloitte, too. Here, over 90% of the respondents admitted to giving consent to legal terms and conditions without reading them.
That's true, these policies are often very long and difficult to comprehend. This makes it a daunting task reading the terms and conditions for every service and apps we access online.
However, understanding how organizations use your information is the first step towards a more private online life.
Being aware of how your data will be treated is vital to be fully able to stay on top of your digital life. It will also allow you to better select the services you wish to subscribe to.
The growing need for users to understand privacy terms is actually pushing some big tech firms to simplify theirs for better transparency.
Apple added privacy labels on its App Store to help users make informed decisions in 2020, for example. Google Play followed suit a year after.
Short for virtual private network, a VPN is a software that spoofs your IP address location. At the same time, it encrypts all the data leaving your devices inside its VPN tunnel.
For how it works, a VPN is the tool you want to secure your anonymity online against both cybercriminals and the government's prying eyes. Using such a tool is especially important when you're connected to an unsecure public Wi-Fi network, as this is more vulnerable to attacks. A torrenting VPN is also vital to safely download files from the internet.
Besides privacy, these security services can also boost online performances overall in many ways. Check our explainer on all the main VPN benefits to know more. Our favorite provider on the market presently is ExpressVPN.
As online risks are increasingly multifaceted, so needs to be your data protection software response.
We recommend integrating the use of a VPN with other security software like the best antivirus solutions and password manager tools. Also, ad-blockers are essential if you're looking to stay private online.
The good news is that you don't even need to have many different subscriptions nowadays. That's because increasingly more providers are now offering full security suites, instead.
Both NordVPN and ExpressVPN, for example, come with their own password managers and ad-blocker features integrated into their VPN software. While, Surfshark One is an all-around security package which includes four cybersecurity tools with just one subscription. You can also check our guide of the best VPN with antivirus around right now for more recommendations.
Whether it's a VPN, antivirus, online game or any other apps, free services all have a common trait: being starving for your data.
That's simply because, as they don't charge you any money for their services, selling your information to third parties is what makes up their revenue.
On this point, Andrew Newman, founder of cybersecurity firm ReasonLabs, said: "When people choose not to share their information privacy, you see companies like Facebook and Google losing billions of dollars as a result. This goes to show you how collecting such information is so valuable to these advertising companies."
In worst cases, they might even infect your devices with malware. According to Newman, downloading free software is actually one of the main reasons home users have their systems compromised with viruses and other dangers in the first place.
Online accounts are, arguably, the main door inside users' most sensitive information. That's why it is crucial to make these logins as hard as possible to be compromised.
Securing your online accounts comes down to a series of steps. Firstly, you must use strong passwords containing a mix of letters, numbers and special characters. It's also vital to never use the same password for different accounts. Again, using a password manager can assist you with all this.
You should also make the login process more secure by enabling multifactor authentication (MFA). As it requires you to prove your identity twice or more, this may discourage bad actors from accessing your profile. Already a common practice for securing your email account, for example, most social media platforms are now offering this extra layer of security too.
You should also consider to set up login alerts to receive a notification every time your account has been accessed. This will make it easier to quickly respond in case of breach.
Update after update, providers can fix bugs and vulnerabilities on their operating systems.
For this, you should always make sure to run the latest version of your OS at all times to minimize the entry-points for an attack and shield your data against cybercriminals.
Likewise, privacy policies, it's good practice to carefully review settings and permissions for all the apps running on your devices. You'll be amazed to see how much information they can access about you by default.
Likewise, we recommend doing the same with all your online profiles.
As a rule of thumb, you should keep these to the strictly necessary for the service to correctly perform, especially on social media apps.
Phishing links, a tactic involving spreading malware via malicious links and/or dangerous attachments, is one of the most common and successful ways to steal users' sensitive information. Cybercriminals may aim to get your login credentials and, then, approach your contacts to launch scams.
These malicious links are often shared via DMs and emails, but they are also increasingly looming across social media's posts and comments. Once the victim clicks on it, their account and/or device gets infected. Their data compromised.
Beware of those links or attachments that seem too good to be true, encouraging you to click or share personal details. You should always be mindful of catchy and shorten links, especially when they are sent from suspicious accounts. Check out the source before clicking on it as well as consider reporting any message that looks suspicious.
Finally, regularly backing up your data is the best bet you have to retrieve your information in case they get lost as your device crashes, or worse, following a cyberattack.
Tactics like ransomware or wiper malware represents a great danger for your files. In the first instance, you often cannot take back control of your data even after agreeing to pay. While, the latter, it's a type of malware which erases all the material on your device within a click.
So, a regular backup on an external hard drive or encrypted cloud storage is the best defense against such malware.
A number of prominent password managers have been spoofed in a new phishing campaigns, with the likes of Bitwarden among those affected, experts have warned.
A very convincing fake of the real Bitwarden website, with the url 'bitwardenlogin.com', appeared as a Google Ads search result, pushing it right to the top when users searched with the phrase 'bitwarden password manager'.
The domain on the ad was 'appbitwarden.com', which now thankfully appears to have disappeared from Google's results and the site now seemingly shut down.
Users reported the having come across the phishing ad earlier this week on Reddit and the official Bitwarden forums, voicing their concerns over how similar the fake page and url looked to the real one.
One user even noted that a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate was present on the fake website, which allows for an encrypted connection and is usually taken as a sign of a safe and legitimate website.
Bleeping Computer tried to test the fake page by inputting fake Bitwarden account credentials to see what would happen, and found that "the phishing page will accept credentials and, once submitted, redirect users to the legitimate Bitwarden login page."
However, the phishing site was shut down before it was unable to confirm what would have happened with real credentials - specifically whether it would "attempt to steal MFA-backed session cookies (authentication tokens) like many advanced phishing pages."
It is referring to adversary-in-the-middle (AiTM) phishing attacks, which uses proxies to deliver the MFA prompt to the real website, which sends it back to the phishing site, which then proxies this to the user. The process is then repeated again for the actual input of the MFA code, with neither party non the wiser that the authentication process is being intercepted by a bad actor.
The real site then stores a cookie of the session that contains the authentication information for that session. This cookie is stolen by the threat actor so that it can trick the victim again without needing to go through another MFA request.
Other password managers were also found to be caught up in Google Ads phishing campaigns recently. Security researcher MalwareHunterTeam found the same tactic used to spoof 1Password, another very popular choice of manager.
Google Ads has been hijacked for various malicious ends aside from phishing scams. Recent stories have found it being used as a launching pad for stealing credentials and breaching business networks via identity theft.
The news follows a recent spate of password manager attacks, most notably LastPass, one of the biggest password managers around, where user vaults were stolen, and the keys used to encrypt them were not guaranteed to be safe either, meaning hackers could potentially see all their passwords.
Norton LifeLock users also had their password vaults compromised in a credential stuffing attack, and Passwordstate also suffered a security breach.
The best way to protect your password vaults, aside from being cautious of any phishing websites, is to have MFA set up, and to use a strong password. Since this password will have to be committed to memory, as it can't be stored in the vault itself, it is best to use a random string of words that you can remember easily and yet will be too long and lacking significance to be easily cracked by hackers.
Retaining users' trust is the first element when it comes to privacy. The best VPN providers, those responsible for building the software meant to protect anonymity online, know this very well.
So, just weeks after NordVPN passed its third no-logs audit, another VPN service called an external cybersecurity company to verify it actually treats subscribers' data as it claims.
As its most recent initiative to promote transparency, our favorite cheap VPN app Surfshark has just aced an independent no-logs audit.
After a thorough inspection of Surfshark's IT systems, industry-leading auditing firm Deloitte confirmed that the provider complies with the data-handling practices stated in its privacy policy.
While Surfshark's security infrastructure has already been verified in the past, this is the first time the provider has undergone such an audit on its privacy statement.
Surfshark’s no-logs policy — more than just words! Auditing firm @Deloitte confirms that we have both the means and the will to carry it out. That’s another proof of us valuing our customers’ privacy! https://t.co/Q28xlVk2GMJanuary 25, 2023
"Working in an industry that highly relies on trust and transparency, we understand that it takes more than just words to validate our efforts," commented Surfshark's VPN Product Owner Justas Pukys.
"The positive result from Deloitte’s no-logs assurance report provides factual evidence to our users and future customers that Surfshark operates on the highest privacy and quality standards."
A strict no-log policy is one of the most important features for a truly private VPN provider. It's the users' sole guarantee that no identifiable information is ever retained about their online activities.
Subscribing to a trustworthy no-log VPN is vital to make sure that even if a hacker or government manages to seize the service, no sensitive data can be leaked. That's simply because such details won't exist in the first place.
Deloitte conducted its assurance procedures between November 21 and December 2 last year.
To successfully verify Surfshark's privacy claims, the auditing experts closely reviewed Surfshark server's configuration and deployment process, while conducting interviews with responsible employees.
They also checked whether or not the relevant IT systems are designed to match the company's privacy policy. These include both its standard VPN servers, static IP and MultiHop structure.
More details about Deloitte's audit can be found here.
"Based on the procedures performed and the evidence obtained, in our opinion, the configuration of IT systems and management of the supporting IT operations is properly prepared, in all material respects, in accordance with Surfshark's description of its no-logs policy," concludes the report.
Showing a continuous effort to transparency, Pukys from Surfshark said: "We will continue to perform various audits and tests to get independent verification of our security and privacy measures."
