Tech Talk

A couple of high-severity vulnerabilities were recently discovered in a mobile framework serving the Android operating systems, putting millions of people at risk. The Microsoft 365 Defender Research Team, which discovered the flaws in September last year, says they could have been used to launch serious attacks on target devices, resulting in data theft and partial device takeover. According to a new blog post , Microsoft "uncovered high-severity vulnerabilities in a mobile framework owned by mce Systems and used by multiple large mobile service providers in pre-installed Android System apps that potentially exposed users to remote (albeit complex) or local attacks". The vulnerabilities are being tracked as CVE-2021-42598, CVE-2021-42599, CVE-2021-42600, and CVE-2021-42601, with severity scores ranging from 7.0 to 8.9 out of 10. Share your thoughts on Cybersecurity and get a free copy of the Hacker's Manual 2022 . Help us find how businesses are preparing

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge RealityOS — the name Apple is reportedly using for the operating system running on its rumored virtual and augmented reality headset — has appeared in a trademark filing spotted by Parker Ortolani . Bloomberg News was first to report the “reality operating system” branding back in 2017, and references to the name have appeared in Apple’s software . The trademark application hasn’t officially been filed by Apple, but it’s common practice for large companies to apply for trademarks under one-off company names — like Realityo Systems LLC, in this case — in the state of Delaware for the sole purpose of maintaining anonymity. The trademark application is the latest evidence that Apple is on the cusp of announcing its long-rumored headset. It follows the news earlier this month that the company’s board of directors reportedly tried out the wearable device , which is common practice ahead of a public launch. In January, Bloomberg News reported

AMD might have a new graphics card planned as a super-cheap GPU , slotting under the current RX 6400, or that’s one theory being bandied about via the rumor mill right now. This comes from Phoronix.com which reported on findings in AMD’s Linux graphics driver (for Linux 5.19) which adds a new device ID for a ‘Beige Goby’ card. The Beige Goby family is low-end RDNA 2 (current-gen cards) built with the Navi 24 GPU, like the existing RX 6500 XT and RX 6400 graphics cards. We don’t know for sure what a potential new Navi 24 GPU might be: it could simply be a refresh of an existing model, the RX 6400 arguably, though we’re not sure how much sense it would make to jam another GPU into the line-up here – or it could be an entirely new product. So one theory as mentioned suggests that AMD could be preparing an RX 6300 model to sit underneath the RX 6400 at an even more wallet-friendly price point. Plenty of salt must be added at this point, because this is obviously just speculation –

Google Assistant can already recognize your voice from others and pick up what you're saying pretty well, but even more improvements look to be on the way: references to "personalized speech recognition" have started popping up in the code of the Google app for Android. This is courtesy of some keen-eyed observations from the team at 9to5Google , who found that the latest version of the app will offer to "store audio recordings on this device to help Google Assistant get better at recognizing what you say". While we don't have too much to go on here, it looks as though the feature could be similar to something Google already does on some of its smart speakers: processing some common queries locally on a device to speed up recognition and processing. Knowing your voice Based on the snippets of information found hidden in the app, if this functionality is turned off by the user then Google Assistant "will be less accurate at recognizing names and oth

If the Samsung Galaxy S22 , Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra didn’t quite do it for you, there might be one more member of the S22 line left to consider, as we’re likely to see a Samsung Galaxy S22 FE. This would probably be an upper mid-range handset, designed to slot in at the bottom of the line. But given that the Galaxy S22 will have seen some price cuts by the time it lands, that may not neatly pan out. In any case, below we’ve collected everything that we’ve heard so far about the Samsung Galaxy S22 FE, and we’ve also included a wish list of things that we want from the phone. Cut to the chase What is it? A more affordable member of the S22 line When is it out? Probably October or later How much will it cost? Likely at least £699 / $699 / AU$999 Samsung Galaxy S22 FE release date and price It’s hard to predict when the Samsung Galaxy S22 FE might launch, as while the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE landed in January 2022, the Galaxy S20 FE hit stores i

When looking for the best VPN services on the market, you've surely come across several characteristics that are supposed to make the service worth your money.  Beside top-notch security features, a strict no-log policy and strong encryption , providers boast about the ability to use their VPN on many devices at once as a great advantage. In the past few years, device allowances have grown, with some top services even offering unlimited simultaneous connections to their users. The bonus to the user, they say, is that you'll be able to use a single VPN subscription for all your tech - including laptops, PCs, smartphones, TV streamers, routers and more. However, data gathered by TechRadar shows how this feature might not be as useful as you think. The vast majority of VPN users simply don't use all their simultaneous connections. Our survey found that only 1 in 10 respondents actually use their VPN on more than five devices (Image credit: Future) Superfluous

Microsoft continues to maintain a stranglehold over the office software market, despite the best efforts of Google and the effects of the pandemic, new data shows. According to a 500-person survey conducted by OnePulse on behalf of TechRadar Pro , Microsoft 365 is the chosen productivity suite of the majority of US businesses (58.20%), whereas Google Workspace is used by only 15%. The poll also highlighted the extent of headwinds faced by smaller players, with alternatives like Zoho Workplace , Polaris Office and LibreOffice all used by fewer than 3% of respondents. Microsoft 365 vs. Google Workspace It is perhaps news to no one that Microsoft leads the way in the office software market with its famous Microsoft 365 suite, but the extent of that lead may come as some surprise, given the reputation of apps like Google Docs , Google Sheets , Google Slides and more. One of the defining features of Microsoft’s offering is tight integration between apps and services, extendin

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge The recent collapse of the TerraUSD (UST) stablecoin caught the crypto market by surprise. For people who saw Terra as a more secure asset compared to other, more openly volatile cryptocurrencies, and invested heavily in the coin or its associated Anchor protocol, they are now dealing with the aftermath as they let go of assets to try and make up for their lost nest eggs. A report by The Wall Street Journal on Friday told the stories of several of these investors, including one doctor who explained how the fall of TerraUSD is affecting his family’s future. Keith Baldwin, a 44-year-old surgeon who lives outside New Bedford, Mass., saved $177,000 during the past decade. Last year he took his savings and bought USD Coin, putting it in a crypto account that paid a 9% annual yield. In April, he moved it into a pseudo-savings account powered by TerraUSD that offered 15%. More than 90% of his savings vanished in a few days when TerraUSD lost its

It claims the company intimidated workers. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Workers at the Cumberland Mall Apple store will no longer hold a union election in June, according to a report from Bloomberg . The Communications Workers of America (or CWA), the union attempting to organize the store, says it withdrew the request to hold an election because “Apple’s repeated violations of the National Labor Relations Act have made a free and fair election impossible.” The vote, which was scheduled to begin on June 2nd , would’ve been the first union election at a US Apple store had it gone through. Now, that title will go to a store in Maryland , barring that petition also being withdrawn. Workers at the Towson Town Center store are set to start voting in person on June 15th. The union says Apple intimidated workers and interfered with organization In the runup to the now-canceled election, Apple has faced allegations of union-busting. The firm hired anti-union lawyers and

It seems that the recent #SaveTF2 campaign, which spread across social media sites such as Reddit and Twitter, has finally reached the ears of Valve itself. The online campaign’s main goal was to remind the company that Team Fortress 2 is still a well-beloved game across the globe, but is currently suffering from a major bot problem and what users say is a painful lack of updates. Many players came to share stories and memories of why this game meant so much to them and the community at large, using the hashtag #SaveTF2 to amplify the message. As a result of the campaign, the official Twitter account for Team Fortress 2, which hasn’t put out a status update in two years, responded to the campaign. According to its statement: “TF2 community, we hear you! We love this game and know you do, too. We see how large this issue has become and are working to improve things.”  TF2 community, we hear you! We love this game and know you do, too. We see how large this issue has become and a

Building your dream website could soon be easier than ever thanks to a new update from WordPress . The website builder has launched a stripped-back platform that costs just $5 per month, offering WordPress managed hosting and unlimited site traffic for what it calls "a revolutionary price". WordPress Starter looks to offer a middle-tier option for users, sitting between the company's current Pro premium offering and its free basic option. WordPress Starter "From building your audience with a blog, to sharing your business, design, expertise, or experiences with the world. If you’re looking to make your work visible, and make it visual, the Starter plan has you covered," WordPress wrote in its announcement . Subscribers to the new platform will get access to a wide selection of tools helping them to set up and personalize a website, starting from custom .com domains instead of the company's basic wordpress.com offering. When building their site, use

In the latest news from “collaborations we didn’t know we wanted”, Realme is releasing a Naruto edition of its GT Neo 3. The phone isn’t an upgrade or anything, just a fun new spin on the 4-month-old mid-ranger.  The standard GT Neo 3 (we gave a preview of the phone a thumbs up) features a MediaTek Dimensity 8100, up to 12GB of ram, up to 256GB of storage, and a 6.7” 1080p 120Hz display. 80W and 150W charging configurations of the standard phone are available, but the Naruto edition phone will only be available in the 150W configuration.  The phone has some newly-themed elements on it. The back, for instance, is designed to mimic Naruto’s clothing as seen throughout the show with orange and black elements and a silver accent in the camera area with a hidden leaf village symbol. The included case features a few stylized graphics on the back as well.  The phone comes in a box that mimics the design of the scrolls in Naruto and comes with a themed charger brick, hidden leaf village

Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images After a brutal month for Tesla stock, Elon Musk will no longer fund his Twitter buyout by borrowing against his Tesla ownership stake. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission , Musk announced the expiration of a series of margin loans against Tesla stock, which had been included as part of his original financing plan to acquire Twitter. As part of the announcement, Musk committed to providing an additional $6.25 billion in equity financing, bringing his total commitment to $33.5 billion. Tesla has shed more than 30 percent of its value since the Twitter deal was signed Musk’s initial plan to acquire Twitter involved a combination of $21 billion in personal equity and $25.5 billion in loans. $12.5 billion of those loans were secured against Tesla shares owned by Musk. Musk cut that number in half with an earlier round of equity financing, and has now restructured the deal to remove them entirely. The move

Amazon Style in-store shopping app experience | Image: Amazon Amazon’s brick-and-mortar clothing store, Amazon Style , is now open in the Los Angeles, California-area at The Americana at Brand mall, the company announced today along with a video profiling some of its employees. It’s a new addition to Amazon’s lineup of physical locations, along with Whole Foods and its cashier-less Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh grocery stores. Amazon Style will feature clothing from brands like Levi’s, Tommy Hilfiger, Champion, and more, and though it does not feature Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology, it will have regular employees present to help you from start to finish. Rumors of Amazon’s “department store” plan surfaced in September , with a Wall Street Journal report suggesting that the store would use tech solutions to focus on customer convenience with stores in California and Ohio. In January , Amazon confirmed the Amazon Style name and announced the location of its “first-ever physica

The Sony SRS-XB43 is one of many tech deals worth taking advantage of for this summer kickoff holiday. | Image: Chris Welch / The Verge Memorial Day marks the unofficial start to summer in the US. In addition to using the long weekend of this national holiday for travel and taking some well-earned rest and relaxation, it usually kick-starts lots of outdoor activities — like backyard cookouts, road trips to the beach, and camping trips. It’s also another shopping holiday, with discounts on offer for all kinds of home goods and some great tech, gadgets, and gear. There are plenty of deals on cool outdoorsy gear to take advantage of leading up to the holiday — like BioLite’s current discount on the FirePit Plus . But there are also great sales happening on indoor toys as well, like a range of HiSense TVs that are now available for up to $590 off. And let’s not forget travel essentials, like Zendure’s heavy-duty power bank , which is on sale for $70 off. Because what good is a luxuri

Operators blame intense quotas and pressure. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Some workers delivering packages for Amazon were more than twice as likely to be injured on the job compared to non-Amazon delivery workers, according to a report from the Strategic Organizing Center (SOC) advocacy group ( via CNBC ). The union coalition compiled data submitted to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) by Amazon and its contractors and discovered that an estimated 18.3 percent of Amazon’s subcontracted delivery workers were injured seriously enough to be reported. As the report notes, Amazon deliveries aren’t made entirely by workers that the company directly employs. The SOC says that a large portion of packages are delivered by people working for a Delivery Service Partner (DSP), or a company that contracts with Amazon to make deliveries in a certain area. Amazon also has workers that it directly contracts through its Flex system (where gig workers sign up t