Tech Merge

01/13/2024

When we think of the future, we think of cool robots that make our lives easier. So we're taking to the show floor of CES 2024 in Las Vegas to check out some...

06/25/2023

Zero-Day Alert: Apple Releases Patches for Actively Exploited Flaws in iOS, macOS, and Safari - The Hacker News

Jun 22, 2023Ravie LakshmananVulnerability / Endpoint Security

Apple on Wednesday released a slew of updates for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and Safari browser to address a set of flaws it said were actively exploited in the wild.

This includes a pair of zero-days that have been weaponized in a mobile surveillance campaign called Operation Triangulation that has been active since 2019. The exact threat actor behind the activity is not known.

CVE-2023-32434 - An integer overflow vulnerability in the Kernel that could be exploited by a malicious app to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges.

CVE-2023-32435 - A memory corruption vulnerability in WebKit that could lead to arbitrary code ex*****on when processing specially crafted web content.

The iPhone maker said it's aware that the two issues "may have been actively exploited against versions of iOS released before iOS 15.7," crediting Kaspersky researchers Georgy Kucherin, Leonid Bezvershenko, and Boris Larin for reporting them.

The advisory comes as the Russian cybersecurity vendor dissected the spyware implant used in the zero-click attack campaign targeting iOS devices via iMessages carrying an attachment embedded with an exploit for a remote code ex*****on (RCE) vulnerability.

The exploit code is also engineered to download additional components to obtain root privileges on the target device, after which the backdoor is deployed in memory and the initial iMessage is deleted to conceal the infection trail.

The sophisticated implant, called TriangleDB, operates solely in the memory, leaving no traces of the activity following a device reboot. It also comes with diverse data collection and tracking capabilities.

This includes "interacting with the device's file system (including file creation, modification, exfiltration, and removal), managing processes (listing and termination), extracting keychain items to gather victim credentials, and monitoring the victim's geolocation, among others."

In an attempt to complete the attack puzzle and gather its different moving parts, Kaspersky has released a utility called "triangle_check" that organizations can use to scan iOS device backups and hunt for any signs of compromise on their devices.

Also patched by Apple is a third zero-day CVE-2023-32439, which has been reported anonymously and could result in arbitrary code ex*****on when processing malicious web content.

The actively exploited flaw, described as a type confusion issue, has been addressed with improved checks. The updates are available for the following platforms -

iOS 16.5.1 and iPadOS 16.5.1 - iPhone 8 and later, iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air 3rd generation and later, iPad 5th generation and later, and iPad mini 5th generation and later

iOS 15.7.7 and iPadOS 15.7.7 - iPhone 6s (all models), iPhone 7 (all models), iPhone SE (1st generation), iPad Air 2, iPad mini (4th generation), and iPod touch (7th generation)

macOS Ventura 13.4.1, macOS Monterey 12.6.7, and macOS Big Sur 11.7.8

watchOS 9.5.2 - Apple Watch Series 4 and later

watchOS 8.8.1 - Apple Watch Series 3, Series 4, Series 5, Series 6, Series 7, and SE, and

Safari 16.5.1 - Macs running macOS Monterey

With the latest round of fixes, Apple has resolved a total of nine zero-day flaws in its products since the start of the year.

In February, the company plugged a WebKit flaw (CVE-2023-23529) that could lead to remote code ex*****on. In April, it released updates to resolve two bugs (CVE-2023-28205 and CVE-2023-28206) that allowed for code ex*****on with elevated privileges.

Subsequently, in May, it shipped patches for three more vulnerabilities in WebKit (CVE-2023-32409, CVE-2023-28204, and CVE-2023-32373) that could permit a threat actor to escape sandbox protection, access sensitive data, and execute arbitrary code.

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Apple releases critical updates to address actively exploited vulnerabilities in iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and Safari.

03/15/2023

OpenAI releases GPT-4, a multimodal AI that it claims is state-of-the-art

OpenAI has released a powerful new image- and text-understanding AI model, GPT-4, that the company calls “the latest milestone in its effort in scaling up deep learning.”

GPT-4 is available today to OpenAI’s paying users via ChatGPT Plus (with a usage cap), and developers can sign up on a waitlist to access the API.

Pricing is $0.03 per 1,000 “prompt” tokens (about 750 words) and $0.06 per 1,000 “completion” tokens (again, about 750 words). Tokens represent raw text; for example, the word “fantastic” would be split into the tokens “fan,” “tas” and “tic.” Prompt tokens are the parts of words fed into GPT-4 while completion tokens are the content generated by GPT-4.

GPT-4 has been hiding in plain sight, as it turns out. Microsoft confirmed today that Bing Chat, its chatbot tech co-developed with OpenAI, is running on GPT-4.

Other early adopters include Stripe, which is using GPT-4 to scan business websites and deliver a summary to customer support staff. Duolingo built GPT-4 into a new language learning subscription tier. Morgan Stanley is creating a GPT-4-powered system that’ll retrieve info from company documents and serve it up to financial analysts. And Khan Academy is leveraging GPT-4 to build some sort of automated tutor.

GPT-4’s first app is a ‘virtual volunteer’ for the visually impaired

GPT-4 can generate text and accept image and text inputs — an improvement over GPT-3.5, its predecessor, which only accepted text — and performs at “human level” on various professional and academic benchmarks. For example, GPT-4 passes a simulated bar exam with a score around the top 10% of test takers; in contrast, GPT-3.5’s score was around the bottom 10%.

OpenAI spent six months “iteratively aligning” GPT-4 using lessons from an internal adversarial testing program as well as ChatGPT, resulting in “best-ever results” on factuality, steerability and refusing to go outside of guardrails, according to the company. Like previous GPT models, GPT-4 was trained using publicly available data, including from public webpages, as well as data that OpenAI licensed.

OpenAI worked with Microsoft to develop a “supercomputer” from the ground up in Azure, which was used to train GPT-4.

“In a casual conversation, the distinction between GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 can be subtle,” OpenAI wrote in a blog post announcing GPT-4. “The difference comes out when the complexity of the task reaches a sufficient threshold — GPT-4 is more reliable, creative and able to handle much more nuanced instructions than GPT-3.5.”

Without a doubt, one of GPT-4’s more interesting aspects is its ability to understand images as well as text. GPT-4 can caption — and even interpret — relatively complex images, for example identifying a Lightning Cable adapter from a picture of a plugged-in iPhone.

The image understanding capability isn’t available to all OpenAI customers just yet — OpenAI’s testing it with a single partner, Be My Eyes, to start with. Powered by GPT-4, Be My Eyes’ new Virtual Volunteer feature can answer questions about images sent to it.

Be My Eyes explains how it works in a blog post:

“For example, if a user sends a picture of the inside of their refrigerator, the Virtual Volunteer will not only be able to correctly identify what’s in it, but also extrapolate and analyze what can be prepared with those ingredients. The tool can also then offer a number of recipes for those ingredients and send a step-by-step guide on how to make them.”

A more meaningful improvement, potentially, is the aforementioned steerability tooling. With GPT-4, OpenAI is introducing a new API capability, “system” messages, that allow developers to prescribe style and task by describing specific directions. System messages, which will also come to ChatGPT in the future, are essentially instructions that set the tone — and establish boundaries — for the AI’s next interactions.

For example, a system message might read:

“You are a tutor that always responds in the Socratic style. You never give the student the answer, but always try to ask just the right question to help them learn to think for themselves. You should always tune your question to the interest and knowledge of the student, breaking down the problem into simpler parts until it’s at just the right level for them.”

Even with system messages and the other upgrades, though, OpenAI acknowledges that GPT-4 isn’t perfect. It still “hallucinates” facts and makes reasoning errors, sometimes with great confidence. In one example cited by OpenAI, GPT-4 described Elvis Presley the “son of an actor” — an obvious misstep.

“GPT-4 generally lacks knowledge of events that have occurred after the vast majority of its data cuts off (September 2021), and does not learn from its experience,” OpennAI wrote. “It can sometimes make simple reasoning errors which do not seem to comport with competence across so many domains, or be overly gullible in accepting obvious false statements from a user. And sometimes it can fail at hard problems the same way humans do, such as introducing security vulnerabilities into code it produces.”

OpenAI does note, though, that it made improvements in particular areas — GPT-4 is less likely to refuse requests on how to synthesize dangerous chemicals, for one. The company says that GPT-4 is 82% less likely, overall, to respond to requests for “disallowed” content compared to GPT-3.5 and responds to sensitive requests — e.g. medical advice and anything pertaining to self-harm — in accordance with OpenAI’s policies 29% more often.

Image Credits: OpenAI

“We look forward to GPT-4 becoming a valuable tool in improving people’s lives by powering many applications,” OpenAI wrote. “There’s still a lot of work to do, and we look forward to improving this model through the collective efforts of the community building on top of, exploring, and contributing to the model.”

OpenAI releases GPT-4, a multimodal AI that it claims is state-of-the-art by Kyle Wiggers originally published on TechCrunch

OpenAI has released a new model -- GPT-4 that it claims is top-performing in its class, available to developers through an API.

12/02/2022

DeSantis Attacks Apple For Allegedly Threatening To Remove Musk-Run Twitter From App Store—Joining Other Republicans - Forbes

Topline

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Tuesday joined a growing chorus of Republicans criticizing Apple after Twitter owner Elon Musk claimed the tech giant threatened to remove Twitter from its App Store, strengthening the GOP’s ties to Musk and amplifying their shared criticism of major tech companies.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Key Facts

Removing Twitter from the App Store would be a “huge, huge mistake and a really raw exercise of monopolistic power,” DeSantis said Tuesday while speaking at an unrelated event in Duval County, adding that he believes the move would call for a congressional response.

Apple has not publicly responded to Musk, who tweeted about the alleged threat Monday afternoon, or confirmed that it threatened to remove Twitter’s app.

DeSantis speculated Apple’s alleged threat was based on Musk’s reinstatement of Twitter accounts that were “unfairly and illegally suspended for putting out accurate information about Covid,” he said, though Musk has said it’s unclear why Apple issued the warning.

Ohio Senator-elect J.D. Vance (R) also criticized Apple in similar terms, tweeting Monday that the move “would be the most raw exercise of monopoly power in a century,” hours after Musk initially made the allegation about Apple in a tweet.

Key Background

Musk spent part of Monday attacking Apple, claiming in a series of critical tweets the company threatened to pull the social media company from its App Store and cut back on advertising on Twitter. He also vowed to “go to war” with Apple if it continued its policy of charging companies that make over $1 million a 30% fee for in-app purchases. Since taking ownership of Twitter in October, Musk has loosened the company’s content moderation policies and reinstated a number of accounts that were previously banned for violating the platform’s policies against disinformation and hate speech, including former President Donald Trump’s. The moves have aligned Musk with lawmakers on the right who have blamed tech companies for unfairly censoring information that appeals to their voter base. But Apple prohibits companies that use its app platform from distributing “content that is offensive, insensitive, upsetting, intended to disgust, in exceptionally poor taste or just plain creepy,” according to its guidelines. Twitter’s former head of Trust and Safety Yoel Roth warned in a New York Times op-ed removal from the app store would be “catastrophic” for Twitter’s business, and said Apple’s enforcement practices are “fraught.”.

Surprising Fact

DeSantis’ support for Twitter comes days after Musk said he would back the Florida governor if he runs for president in 2024. Musk has taken ambiguous political stances for years as he’s donated to candidates from both parties, but he has recently made a marked shift to the right. Musk urged voters on Election Day this year to cast their ballots for GOP candidates and he has been heavily critical of Democrat-backed Covid-19 policies.

Tangent

Apple has faced antitrust allegations over its App Store policies in the past. The company is currently engaged in a court battle with online gaming company Epic Games, which sued Apple for refusing to allow it to use third-party payment processing systems. Apple disputed a court order that would have required it to offer alternative payment methods. The U.S. Department of Justice is also preparing to file a potential antitrust lawsuit against Apple over allegations it abused its market power, Politico reported in August.

What To Watch For

Antitrust legislation aimed at reigning in tech companies that dominate the app store market faces long odds for passage before the end of the year, as Congress wades through a hefty to-do list. The bill Lee called on Congress to pass on Monday, the Open App Markets Act, has bipartisan support, including backing from Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), but it has yet to make it out of committee. The legislation would prevent tech companies that operate app stores from forcing developers to use their systems and punishing ones who don’t, while also requiring fair prices for consumers.

Further Reading

Elon Musk Says Apple ‘Threatened’ To Boot Twitter From App Store—Here’s Why That Might Happen (Forbes)

Musk Says Apple Cutting Twitter Ads—Here Are The Other Companies Rethinking Their Ties (Forbes)

Elon Musk’s Political Shift: How The Billionaire Moved From Backing Obama To Endorsing DeSantis (Forbes)

DeSantis suggested Apple made the threat—which the company hasn’t confirmed—because of Twitter’s changing moderation rules under new owner Elon Musk.

12/01/2022

Samsung Galaxy S23 series to allegedly launch at Unpacked, not at CES 2023: report - Neowin

Samsung will purportedly unveil the Galaxy S23 series in the US in the first week of February, according to a report by Korea JoongAng daily, citing a Samsung executive familiar with the matter.

The new smartphones will be announced during its Unpacked event, which will reportedly be held in San Francisco. It will also be the first in-person event by Samsung since the COVID-19 pandemic. Its exact date is not yet known, however.

Before this development, it was previously rumored that Samsung could show off the handsets in Las Vegas during CES 2023.

The Galaxy S23 series is expected to be available in three variants: Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 Plus, and the Galaxy S23 Ultra. All of them are expected to pack the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and ditch the Exynos chipset entirely. The processor is expected to have a higher clock speed than their original models, so users can expect faster smartphone performance.

What's more, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is reported to have a 200MP primary rear camera, which can help users take sharper photos than the Galaxy S22 Ultra. It will also pack a 12MP ultrawide and dual 10MP telephoto shooters. Finally, the device will likely have 12GB of RAM and up to 1TB of internal storage.

Source: Korean JoongAng daily

Samsung is apparently not going to unveil the Galaxy S23 series during the CES 2023 event, according to a new report. Instead, it could be landing around a month later at Unpacked.

12/01/2022

Microsoft’s KB5020044 optional update for Windows 11 22H2 brings noteworthy changes

Microsoft has released an optional update KB5020044 for PCs running Windows 11 22H2, taking OS build version to 22621.900. Apart from updating the build version, the optional software update also comes with many changes, though it introduced no major new features. However, this is normal for an optional update or, as Microsoft calls it “C” update.

As for what is new, Windows 11 KB5020044 combines Windows Spotlight with Themes on the Personalization page, making it easier for the users to find and turn on Spotlight features. It also displays the full amount of storage capacity of all your OneDrive subscriptions and the total storage on the Accounts page in the Settings app. When users are close to their storage limits, Microsoft OneDrive subscribers storage alerts will appear on the Systems page in the Settings app.

Moreover, KB5020044 comes with tons of improvements and fixes. You can read all about them to learn more below.

Windows 11 KB5020044 Highlights

Windows 11 KB5020044 Improvements

Installing an optional update in Windows 11 is very easy. First, open the Settings app, then go to Windows Update, and now click on the ‘Check for updates’ button. Clicking on it will search for any updates available to you, and if it is an optional update, you can reject it altogether. But if it is a security update, you will have to install it on your PC.

Microsoft has released an optional update KB5020044 for PCs running Windows 11 22H2, taking OS build version to 22621.900. It also comes with many changes, though it introduced no major new features. One of the noteworthy changes is that the update combines Windows Spotlight with Themes on the Perso...

01/05/2022

Everything ASUS ROG announced at CES 2022 - Dot Esports

Despite the impacts of COVID on the event, ASUS ROG still brought plenty of power to kick off the start of CES 2022, adding the power of the RTX 3080 Ti and RTX 3070 Ti, plus AMD and Intel’s latest mobile chips, into their laptop range.

Image: ASUS

The main headline from ASUS ROG’s CES 2022 announcements — the rest of the ASUS range is due to be revealed tomorrow — is the inclusion of Nvidia’s flagship Ti GPUs into their gaming laptops. ASUS claims the mobile cards will be offer more power in the smaller chassis than the original desktop TITAN RTX, and 70 percent more performance than the RTX 2070 SUPER GPUs in the previous generation of laptops.

It’s not just the CPU and GPUs that have been updated. ROG Nebula HDR is a new inclusion in the ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 16, providing a mini-LED screen with 512 dimming zones and a maximum brightness of 1100 nits.

DDR5 memory has been added into ASUS’s laptop line as well, with 5200MHz LPDDR5 RAM now standard in the minimalist ROG Flow Z13.

Those are just some of the highlights. Here’s all the announcements in full.

ROG Strix SCAR, Strix G (2022 Models)

Image: ASUS

The latest edition of the ROG Strix SCAR and Strix G introduces the i9-12900H mobile processor, DDR5 4800MHz memory and a suite of three IPS displays: 1080p/300Hz, 1440p/240Hz and a 1440p/165Hz model for the 15-inch Strix SCAR. The 17-inch Strix SCAR will have 1080p/360Hz or 1440p/240Hz options.

For the Strix G15, users can choose from 1080p/144Hz, 1080p/300Hz and 1440p/165Hz in the 15-inch model. The G17 can be customised with a 1080p/144Hz, 1080p/360Hz or 1440p/240Hz display. And as was the case in previous years, the Strix SCAR will be equipped with Intel 12th-gen CPUs, while the G15 and G17 will have AMD’s Ryzen 6000-series mobile CPUs.

On the quality of life front, the SCAR and Strix G have been updated with a MUX Switch for improved GPU performance, a larger trackpad, Dolby Atmos spatial sound support, two-way AI-powered noise cancellation for remote calls, a 90Wh battery and 100W USB-C charging, and Wi-Fi 6E support.

ASUS ROG’s Zephyrus M16, G14, G15

Image: ASUS

The Zephyrus line has been one of ASUS’s biggest laptop hits since its introduction, and unsurprisingly the range has gotten the latest hardware updates this year. The updated G14 will ship in 2022 with Windows 11, Ryzen 9 CPUs and Ryzen RX 6000S-series mobile GPUs, DDR5 RAM, as well as a MUX Switch for improved GPU performance.

The 2022 G14 will also include a slightly less powerful version of the 16:10 Nebula display, supporting a maximum brightness of 500 nits, a 1440p/120Hz screen and 100 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut for content creation.

For those after the slightly larger Zephyrus G15 and M16 models, they’ve also been refreshed with the new AMD and Nvidia hardware, and Wi-Fi 6E support.

ROG Zephyrus Duo 16

Image: ASUS

The dualscreen Zephyrus Duo 16 will ship in 2022 with a GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, a Ryzen 9 6980HX and the most powerful version of ASUS’s Nebula Display. The screen is a mini-LED 16:10 panel that supports 1440p, 165Hz, a maximum brightness of 1100 nits and a 100,000:1 contrast ratio, making it well suited for enjoying HDR movies and games.

The dualscreen has new display technology as well with Dual Spec, a feature that allows fast-switching between 4K/120Hz or 1080p/240Hz for the situation.

In a more practical change, the Zephyrus Duo 16 is now the size of a traditional 15-inch laptop, making it a fraction smaller than last year’s iteration. ASUS also reconfirmed that Dying Light 2 would ship with exclusive support for the dualscreen technology in the Zephyrus Duo 16, although there were no specifics about what that would look like in-game.

ROG Flow Z13, X13 and XG Mobile

Image: ASUS

The minimalist, lightweight-focused Flow line was one of ASUS’s biggest announcements at last year’s CES. For CES 2022, the Z13 and X13 are back with new hardware. The Z13 can be specced out with a maximum of a i9-12900H CPU, RTX 3050 Ti GPU and DDR5 5200MHz RAM, as well as a 1TB PCIe SSD drive, USB-C fast charging and either a 4K/60Hz or a 1080p/120Hz screen. (The X13 offers much of the same options, but with the Ryzen 6000-series CPUs rather than Intel’s latest options.)

The XG Mobile is ASUS’s external GPU dock; for 2022, it supports either an RTX 3070 or a RX 6850M XT mobile GPU.

There’s new ROG Strix gaming desktops, too

Image: ASUS

Pre-built gaming desktops (and laptops) have become increasingly popular throughout the pandemic, especially as new CPUs, GPUs, and DDR5 RAM are difficult to acquire.

Like their laptops, the 2022 model of the ROG Strix GT15 comes with an i7-12700KF CPU, a RTX 3080 and up to 64GB DDR4 3200MHz memory. The case also has a carrying handle for LAN parties, which might be handy if and when those become a thing again.

ASUS also has a new line: laptop bags

Image: ASUS

If you’ve got a laptop, chances are you’ll want a bag to carry it in. There’s no shortage of options available — almost every bag these days has some concession for laptops or tablets — but ASUS has introduced their own Archer line of bags.

It’s available in four options: the Archer Messenger 14 (for 14-inch laptops), the Archer Backpack 15.6, the Backpack 17 and the Archer Weekender 17. Exact release dates and pricing will be released later in the year.

ASUS brought a ton of new gaming hardware to CES 2022, refreshing their entire ASUS ROG laptop and desktop range.

01/05/2022

Nvidia CES 2022 live blog recap: RTX 3090 Ti, GeForce Now on Samsung TVs and more - Tom's Guide

Refresh

2022-01-04T16:51:42.286Z

2022-01-04T16:51:34.253Z

(Image credit: Nvidia)

That appears to be it for the Nvidia CES 2022 special address livestream. A lot of exciting announcements were made, specially the RTX 3090 Ti. The AI tech used for self-driving vehicles was also impressive. Nvidia is not going to rest on its laurels this year, that's for sure.

2022-01-04T16:43:25.698Z

(Image credit: Nvidia)

Nvidia is explaining how autonomous driving is being upgraded. Letting your car drive itself seems dangerous but the tech could save lives. After all, how many people don't fall asleep at the wheel each year?

2022-01-04T16:42:54.911Z

(Image credit: Nvidia)

Nvidia is talking about its Drive Hyperion partners. It also talked about how it aims to improve driving electric vehicles and what the company is doing for the trucking industry. This is useful for those interested in EV.

2022-01-04T16:30:59.750Z

(Image credit: Nvidia)

The rumored RTX 3090 Ti was just announced. This is huge. More news is expected soon.

2022-01-04T16:30:53.075Z

(Image credit: Nvidia)

RTX 3080 Ti laptops announced.

2022-01-04T16:19:10.837Z

(Image credit: Nvidia)

Getting talk about Nvidia Studio and how it will help creatives get the most out of their projects. Nvidia is as committed to artists as it is to gamers.

2022-01-04T16:19:04.005Z

(Image credit: Nvidia)

GeForce RTX 3050 announced. You can play games at over 60fps. Starts at $249 from all of Nvidia's partners.

2022-01-04T16:13:12.262Z

(Image credit: Techland)

Dying Light 2 announced to have RTX and DLSS when it launches on Feb 4. It looks great!

2022-01-04T16:10:55.463Z

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Rainbow Six Extraction is coming on Jan 20 and will have RTX feature.

2022-01-04T16:06:25.104Z

(Image credit: Nvidia )

Getting some talk about GeForce Now. Battlefield 4 and Battlefield 5 were just announced coming to the platform.

2022-01-04T16:04:04.649Z

(Image credit: Square Enix)

The show kicked off with a size reel of games utilizing RTX cards.

2022-01-04T16:01:37.388Z

(Image credit: Nvidia)

Hey, everyone. Tony Polanco here to cover the big show -- which is now live!

2022-01-04T15:47:59.848Z

(Image credit: EVGA )

Back to graphics cards, hardware maker EVGA has tweeted about the Nvidia Special Address, which is another clue that we could see some new graphics card today.

2022-01-04T15:45:28.359Z

(Image credit: Mercedes-Benz)

On the car side, we'd not be surprised to see Nvidia discuss how some of its AI-centric tech, which benefits from its graphics card parallel processing, is powering some of the latest concept electric cars, such as the new Mercedes Vision EQXX concept and its a mind-blowing 620 miles of range.

2022-01-04T15:31:15.063Z

(Image credit: Techland)

The GeForce announcements are also set to showcase some game footage, potentially unseen gameplay from the likes of Dying Light 2.

We'd eat our collective hat if ray tracing isn't mentioned a fair bit today. More games are implementing the graphics rendering tech to look more realistic and striking, so expect some very nice looking demos.

2022-01-04T15:27:03.893Z

(Image credit: Nvidia)

We're just over 30 minutes away from the Nvidia Special Event, and the Nvidia GeForce Twitter account is also courting down. We take that as a tentative clue that we could see some new GeForce hardware today.

2022-01-04T15:14:48.512Z

(Image credit: Future)

LG's has revealed its smallest OLED TV to date, but it still packs in a lot of features including access to GeForce Now. With LG TVs offering a slew of gaming features, we can expect Nvidia to shine a light on such screens, as well as tout improvements to the GeForce Now service.

2022-01-04T15:11:23.782Z

(Image credit: LG)

Expect to see more of LG's first gaming laptop at CES 2022 and likely at Nvidia's showcase, as it's set to use the powerful Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080.

2022-01-04T14:35:15.213Z

Not much in the way of tidbits on the graphics card side, but according to Reuters, self-driving truck company TuSimple will use Nvidia chips for its autonomous vehicles.

All the biggest announcements made during Nvidia's CES showcase

01/05/2022

ASUS ROG Flow Z13 gaming tablet powered by Intel Core i9 processor announced at CES

There are not many high-end tablets available in the market and the options are quite limited when it comes to gaming. To fill the gap, ASUS has announced what seems like the most powerful gaming tablet — ASUS ROG Flow Z13. The tablet has been announced at the ongoing Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2022 and […]

The post ASUS ROG Flow Z13 gaming tablet powered by Intel Core i9 processor announced at CES appeared first on Gizmochina.

There are not many high-end tablets available in the market and the options are quite limited when it comes to gaming. To fill the gap, ASUS has announced what seems like the most powerful gaming tablet — ASUS ROG Flow Z13. The tablet has been announced at the ongoing Consumer Electronics Show (CE...

01/04/2022

CES 2022: Targus Debuts Backpack That Supports 'Find My' App Without an AirTag - MacRumors

CES 2022: Targus Debuts Backpack That Supports 'Find My' App Without an AirTag

Accessory maker Targus today announced that its Cypress Hero EcoSmart Backpack with built-in support for Apple's Find My app will be available in spring or summer 2022 for a suggested price of $149.99 in the United States.

The backpack is equipped with a small tracking module that allows the backpack's location to be tracked in the Find My app on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch without needing to use an AirTag. Based on an image shown on the CES website, it appears the backpack will support Precision Finding, which allows users with an iPhone 11 or newer to see the exact distance and direction to the backpack with audible, visual, and haptic feedback. Apple opened up the U1 chip to third-party accessories last year.

Targus said the built-in tracker is "highly integrated" into the backpack, whereas an AirTag could be taken out of the backpack and tossed away if stolen. The backpack comes with a replaceable battery for the tracker that is rechargeable via USB.

If the backpack is separated from its owner but outside of Bluetooth range, there is still a chance that the crowdsourced Find My network can help track it down. If another iPhone user happens to walk by the backpack, for example, their iPhone can detect Bluetooth signals from the backpack and relay the location back to its owner anonymously.

Targus said the backpack has a padded compartment that can hold up to a 16-inch MacBook Pro, and several other compartments and pockets for additional devices and personal items. The backpack is made with some recycled materials.

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Michigan resident John Nelson claims that he was recently targeted by car thieves who hid one of Apple's AirTags in his vehicle, a 2018 Dodge Charger. According to a Fox 2 Detroit report, Nelson visited the Great Lakes Crossing shopping center in Auburn Hills, where he spent about two hours. After departing, he got a notification on his phone that informed him he was being tracked by an...

Apple's long-awaited AirTag was finally unveiled today, and as expected, the small circle-shaped accessories can be attached to items like wallets, keys, and more to allow them to be tracked in the Find My app. As was rumored ahead of release, each AirTag is equipped with a U1 chip, and on devices that also have U1 chips, there's a Precision Finding feature. U1 Ultra Wideband chips are...

Apple's AirTags are being used in an increasing number of targeted car thefts in Canada, according to local police. Outlined in a news release from York Regional Police, investigators have identified a new method being used by thieves to track down and steal high-end vehicles that takes advantage of the AirTag's location tracking capabilities. While the method of stealing the cars is largely ...

Apple today announced AirTag, a Tile-like Bluetooth tracking device that's designed to be attached to items like keys and wallets for tracking purposes, letting you find them right in the Find My app. AirTags are accessories for attaching to backpacks, luggage, and other items. Any U1 device like the iPhone 12 can be used for precision finding to guide you right to the item you're looking...

Apple's new AirTag item trackers are ideal for attaching to things like bags and luggage cases, which makes it likely they'll become popular with travelers and backpackers who want to keep tabs on their personal possessions abroad. For this reason, it's worth remembering which AirTag features work wherever you are, which ones depend on you being nearby the AirTag, and which functions aren't...

If you have been good this year, you may be interested to know that Google today launched its annual Santa tracking feature, allowing Santa to be tracked in real time on his mythical journey to the North Pole as he prepares to deliver presents to kids around the world. Google's Santa Tracker continues an 18-year tradition for the company, allowing excited children (and parents!) to keep up...

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Apple's second-generation AirPods Pro will feature support for Lossless audio and a charging case that can emit a sound for location tracking purposes, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In a note to investors, seen by MacRumors, Kuo explained that the second-generation AirPods Pro will feature new selling points that will lead to strong demand, including support for Apple Lossless...

In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reiterated his expectations for new Apple products in 2022, including the iPhone 14 series, a redesigned MacBook Air with an M2 chip, an iPad Pro with wireless charging, and more. Gurman said at least some iPhone 14 models launching later this year will feature a hole-punch display design, as we've heard from other...

Verizon and T-Mobile have discontinued their iPad rebate program in partnership with Apple following widespread customer complaints that the program was ineffective, flawed, and rarely worked as intended. In recent weeks, complaints from customers have emerged across social media regarding Verizon's and T-Mobile's rebate programs. If it worked according to plan, the program would give...

Apple's rumored new consumer-oriented standalone monitor could appear this year and come in at around the $2,500 price mark, based on comments made by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in his first "Power On" newsletter of 2022, Gurman says the new monitor is "destined to be about half the price of the Pro Display XDR," which he's "hoping" launches sometime this year. Speaking of Macs and...

Apple today shared a new ad titled "911" that emphasizes the Apple Watch's life-saving potential during emergencies. The suspenseful ad revolves around three individuals named Amanda, Jason, and Jim who were each able to get help by dialing 911 using the Apple Watch, with the ad highlighting excerpts from their frantic phone calls with dispatchers. Amanda, for example, said that her car had...

In celebration of the upcoming Chinese New Year on February 1, Apple has released special-edition AirPods Pro with a custom-designed tiger emoji through its online store and retail stores in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao. 2022 is the Year of the Tiger on the Chinese calendar. The special-edition AirPods Pro have a custom-designed tiger emoji printed on the wireless charging case, with...

Apple in October introduced the redesigned third-generation AirPods, which have an updated design, Adaptive EQ support, spatial audio, and other new features. To explain some of the design decisions Apple made with the AirPods 3, Apple's vice president of acoustics Gary Geaves sat down for an interview with What HiFi (via 9to5Mac), providing some interesting insight into the limitations of...

Accessory maker Targus today announced that its Cypress Hero EcoSmart Backpack with built-in support for Apple's Find My app will be available in...