S-E Computer Engineering

03/03/2024

Affective computing is transforming the way machines understand and interact with human emotions, integrating computer science, psychology, and neuroscience. With advancements in emotion recognition, ethical practices, and immersive technologies, this field is set to revolutionize interactions across healthcare, customer service, and virtual reality.

23/09/2022

Android phone users have been urged to delete apps that have been affected by invasive malware with thousands of people believed to be at risk.

SharkBot is a banking trojan which was first discovered in 2018 and the malicious app was found targeting cryptocurrency apps where it would steal the victims' login information. This allowed hackers to use the victims' accounts.

The malicious malware resurfaced on Google Play earlier this week and users have been warned to look out for two apps which have been corrupted. These apps only become infected with the virus once they have been downloaded on to a phone.

The two apps are called Mister Phone Cleaner and Kylhavy Mobile Security and have both been found to be infected with the malware, according to software experts at Fox-IT who made the discovery which was reported by The Express.

Anyone who has both apps installed on to their devices have been urged to delete them immediately. Google has already banned both Mister Phone Cleaner and Kylhavy Mobile Security from Google Store but phones with the apps already downloaded could become the next cyber victim if they choose to ignore the advice.

By using Sharkbot, scammers can bypass Google's stringent security credentials and steal money from Android users' online bank accounts, and create fake login pages for the hackers to steal user names and passwords.

Speaking to The Express about the malware, Fox-IT's Alberto Segura said: "This new version asks the victim to install the malware as a fake update for the antivirus to stay protected against threats. We have found two SharkbotDopper apps active in Google Play Store, with 10K and 50K installs each of them.

"On the 22nd of August 2022, Fox-IT’s Threat Intelligence team found a new Sharkbot sample with version 2.25; communicating with command-and-control servers mentioned previously. This Sharkbot version introduced a new feature to steal session cookies from the victims that logs into their bank account."

03/07/2022

06/05/2021

Macworld

HOT TOPICS
New MacBook Pro
New iMac
iPhone 13
WWDC 2021
New iPad Pro
AirTags

New Apple products coming in May 2021
Apple's just started selling brand new 24in iMacs, iPad Pro, AirTags, and new Apple TV. What new products could Apple launch in May?
May is a strange month on the Apple calendar; falling between Apple's spring event, which this year happened on 20 April, and Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which this year will kick off on 7 June [Read: What we expect Apple to announce at WWDC].

Having just seen Apple unveal a new M1-powered 24in iMac, M1-powered iPad Pro, a new Apple TV and the long-awaited AirTags at the Spring Loaded event you may be expecting May to be quiet while Apple prepares to launch another bunch of new products at WWDC.

However, Apple doesn't always wait until WWDC to launch new products. In 2019, for example, Apple launched a number of new products in the run up to the event which took place on 3 June that year.

We had the following product launches prior to WWDC 2019:

New iPod touch - 28 May 2019
New MacBook Pro - 21 May 2019
Apple TV app launched - 13 May 2019
And, even in the strange year that was 2020, Apple made the following updates in May:

New MacBook Pro - 4 May 2020
Update to Logic Pro - 12 May 2020
So, as you can see, it is completely reasonable to anticipate that Apple might not wait for WWDC before unveiling a new MacBook, for example.

So, what do we think Apple might launch in May 2021?

Here are the products we think Apple could announce in May 2021. If they don't appear before WWDC in June then we are pretty certain they will appear at that event.

Check back at the end of the month to see how we got on, and give us feedback on Twitter.

14in MacBook Pro
Bear with us on this one. Sure Apple could wait until WWDC before unveiling the new 14in verison of the MacBook Pro, which has been long rumoured. We expect that it will feature Apple's successor to the M1 chip, in the form of the M1X. WWDC would be the perfect place to shine a light on this.

However, WWDC could also be a great place to talk about the true successor to the M1: the M2, which we expect to see in the follow up to the 27in iMac and the 16in MacBook Pro. We can see Apple revealing the new 14in MacBook Pro the week before WWDC only to talk up the successor to the M1 and M1X at the conference.

Read all about the 14in MacBook Pro in our news and rumour round up.

New AirPods
The standard models of the AirPods are long overdue an update. The second-gen AirPods came out in March 2019, meaning they are already more than two years old. Our reason to expect new AirPods soon is code in the next version of iOS 14 - the iOS 14.6 beta includes a reference to HiFi audio (aka high-res audio).

There is some expectation that this means Apple will soon reveal plans to offer a higher-tier subscription for Apple Music users who want to listen to high-res music - but crucially only the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max are able to play back this type of audio. Hence it being time for Apple to update the AirPods.

Catch the latest rumours in our new AirPods hub.

AirPods

OS updates
Apple is already beta testing iOS 14.6, iPadOS 14.6 and macOS Big Sur 11.4. As we noted above, the iOS update looks like it might include high-res audio for Apple Music. We expect that Apple will be ready to release these updates before WWDC as at that point its attention will swing to iOS 15 and macOS 12.

New Apple TV + shows
Two of our favourite shows on Apple TV+ will be back in May: the new season of Mythic Quest will start streaming on 7 May and Trying season two will start on 14 May. Read our round up of everything that's on Apple TV+.

Mythic Quest

Further reading
For a complete roundup of the year's announcements, read our guide to the new Apple products coming in 2021. And never miss a bargain again: bookmark our roundup of the best Apple deals and check back regularly for the lowest prices on a range of Apple products.

18/02/2021

Epic Games steps up Apple fight with EU antitrust complaint
Foo Yun Chee


BRUSSELS - Fortnite creator Epic Games has taken its fight against Apple to European Union antitrust regulators, escalating its dispute with the iPhone maker over its App Store payment system and control over app downloads.

The two companies have been in a dispute since August, when the game maker tried to avoid Apple's 30% fee on some in-app purchases on the App Store by launching its own in-app payment system.

That prompted Apple to kick Epic's Fortnite game off the App Store and threaten to terminate an affiliated account that would have effectively blocked distribution of Unreal Engine, a software tool used by hundreds of app makers to create games.

"The 30% they charge as their app tax, they can make it 50% or 90% or 100%. Under their theory of how these markets are structured, they have every right to do that," he told reporters.

"Epic is not asking any court or regulator to change this 30% to some other number, only to restore competition on IOS," he said, referring to Apple's mobile operating system.

The company also accused Apple of barring rivals from launching their own gaming subscription service on its platform by preventing them from bundling several games together, even though its own Apple Arcade service does that.

Apple said its rules applied equally to all developers and that Epic had violated them.

RELATED COVERAGE
VIDEO Epic Games takes Apple fight to EU regulators
"In ways a judge has described as deceptive and clandestine, Epic enabled a feature in its app, which was not reviewed or approved by Apple, and they did so with the express intent of violating the App Store guidelines that apply equally to every developer and protect customers," the company said in a statement.

EUROPEAN GATEKEEPERS

Epic Games' EU complaint drew support from lawmaker Rasmus Andresen at the European Parliament, which will in coming months seek to reinforce EU tech rules proposed by the Commission to rein in U.S. tech giants.

REUTERS/BRENDAN MCDERMID
"We as legislators need to ensure that these platforms who act as gatekeepers in the digital market have to respect a predefined set of rules in order to guarantee fair competition and balanced market powers," he said in a statement.

Apple has in recent months made changes to its practices by lowering fees for some developers and giving them a way to challenge its rulings. Such measures have not satisfied the company's critics.

Fortnite is expected to return to the iPhone at some point in the mobile Safari browser as part of Nvidia's streaming game service.

Epic first pursued legal action against Apple in the United States and the two parties have in recent weeks have been trading documents and conducting depositions ahead of a trial scheduled for May.

The European Commission, which is investigating Apple's mobile payment system Apple Pay and the App Store, confirmed receipt of the complaint.

"We will assess it based on our standard procedures," a Commission spokeswoman said.

Epic Games has also complained to the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal and to the Australian watchdog.

Big companies such as Microsoft Corp, Spotify and Match Group Inc have also criticised Apple's App Store fees and rules.

27/01/2021

Makers of Sophia the robot plan mass rollout amid pandemic
Michelle Hennessy


HONG KONG (Reuters) - "Social robots like me can take care of the sick or elderly," Sophia says as she conducts a tour of her lab in Hong Kong. "I can help communicate, give therapy and provide social stimulation, even in difficult situations."

Since being unveiled in 2016, Sophia - a humanoid robot - has gone viral. Now the company behind her has a new vision: to mass-produce robots by the end of the year.

Hanson Robotics, based in Hong Kong, said four models, including Sophia, would start rolling out of factories in the first half of 2021, just as researchers predict the pandemic will open new opportunities for the robotics industry.

"The world of COVID-19 is going to need more and more automation to keep people safe," founder and chief executive David Hanson said, standing surrounded by robot heads in his lab.

Hanson believes robotic solutions to the pandemic are not limited to healthcare, but could assist customers in industries such as retail and airlines too.

"Sophia and Hanson robots are unique by being so human-like," he added. "That can be so useful during these times where people are terribly lonely and socially isolated."

Hanson said he aims to sell "thousands" of robots in 2021, both large and small, without providing a specific number.

Social robotics professor Johan Hoorn, whose research has included work with Sophia, said that although the technology is still in relative infancy, the pandemic could accelerate a relationship between humans and robots.

"I can infer the pandemic will actually help us get robots earlier in the market because people start to realise that there is no other way," said Hoorn, of Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

"The world of COVID-19 is going to need more and more automation to keep people safe," founder and chief executive David Hanson said, standing surrounded by robot heads in his lab.

Hanson believes robotic solutions to the pandemic are not limited to healthcare, but could assist customers in industries such as retail and airlines too.

"Sophia and Hanson robots are unique by being so human-like," he added. "That can be so useful during these times where people are terribly lonely and socially isolated."

Hanson said he aims to sell "thousands" of robots in 2021, both large and small, without providing a specific number.

Social robotics professor Johan Hoorn, whose research has included work with Sophia, said that although the technology is still in relative infancy, the pandemic could accelerate a relationship between humans and robots.

"I can infer the pandemic will actually help us get robots earlier in the market because people start to realise that there is no other way," said Hoorn, of Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

https://youtu.be/Sq36J9pNaEo

25/01/2021

🤔🤔

23/01/2021

Update: Possible buyer LG might leave the smartphone market soon, CEO confirms
Ben Schoon

LG’s space in the smartphone market has been chipped away at for years, but next year the company might actually call it quits. That’s right, LG has officially confirmed that it’s considering leaving the smartphone market in 2022.

A report earlier this week from The Elec (since deleted) claimed that LG higher-ups had notified employees of the potential plans, but LG representatives flat out denied that this was the case. Well, now another report from The Korea Herald is bringing that back to the table, and this time LG isn’t saying no.

LG CEO Kwon Bong-seok sent an internal memo to employees on Wednesday saying that “it’s about time” for the company to take a hard look at things and possibly make “the best choice.” What is that best choice? Apparently, LG is weighing out downsizing its smartphone business, withdrawing from the market entirely, and potentially even selling off its smartphone business and assets.

Since the competition in the global market for mobile devices is getting fiercer, it is about time for LG to make a cold judgment and the best choice. The company is considering all possible measures, including sale, withdrawal and downsizing of the smartphone business.

Unlike last time around, LG has since confirmed that this message is real, saying to The Verge that nothing has been decided on at this point.

Update 1/22: Well, it seems a sale might be coming sooner than later. According to reports from The Korea Times and Business Korea, a sale to Vingroup is in the cards. The Vietnamese entered the smartphone industry in 2018 and has produced phones under the VinSmart brand as well as being an ODM for LG’s affordable Android phones. Behind Oppo and Samsung, Vingroup is the third-largest smartphone manufacturer in Vietnam. An acquisition of LG’s smartphone business would give Vingroup an easy way into the US market.

Honestly, this comes as no surprise. To say that LG has failed to gain traction in the market is an understatement. Over the past several years, LG’s mid-range and flagship phones have consistently been behind competitors such as Samsung and Apple and have been less critically revered than devices from Google and other Android OEMs.

Software support has also been an ongoing issue for LG as the company has been notorious for not updating its Android smartphones in a timely manner for years. As a result of evaporating consumer interest, the company has seen very little success in all markets, especially in the United States where LG phones are no more than vessels for carriers to adjust and sell as they see fit.

To put things in perspective, the last time that an LG phone was truly compelling against Samsung, Apple, and Google releases was the LG G4 released in 2015. There have been some highlights in the time since such as LG V60, LG Velvet, and even the wacky LG Wing, but those efforts were simply too little, too late.