Technology

This powerful clamshell Chromebook packs an AMOLED screen and is one of the first with the new Quick Insert key.

Some consumers in the United States are still using Kaspersky antivirus, despite the country’s government banning its use. This is according to TechCrunch, who spoke to several users and discovered how they worked around the ban.

Earlier this year, the Biden administration banned the sale of the Russian-made cybersecurity solution, citing privacy concerns. The government claims that it has reasons to believe the Russian state is using the product to siphon out sensitive information from US citizens and spy on them. It hasn’t exactly backed up these claims, but it still forced the company out of the country.

As a result, Kaspersky shut down all of its US operations in mid-July this year, and pushed an update through which it replaced itself with a different antivirus, called UltraAV, on almost all devices in the country. We’re saying “almost all” since, as TechCrunch has found, some people found a way to still keep using the product.

IntelBroker

As reported by the publication, the users found different methods which all revolve around “tricking” the software into thinking the device is not located in the United States. While some just added a non-US server to the list of update servers, others used a VPN tool to do the same.

Asking why they decided to keep Kaspersky around, some said they weren’t worried about data theft and stressed that the US government shouldn’t be “blindly” trusted on this issue. Others were more practical, stating that they purchased a license before the ban and wouldn’t want their money to go to waste.

Ever since the Trump administration, the US government has been quite vocal in its warnings that its adversaries’ tech solutions could pose a security risk. Huawei and ZTE are just some of the companies that suffered as a result, with the former losing many 5G development projects, and even being forced to abandon Android for its mobile devices.

Via TechCrunch

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If you're looking for a decent pair of noise-cancelling headphones, the new Baseus Bowie 30 Max headphones could be just the job: with a launch price of just $69.99, down from the normal list price of $149.99, they deliver an impressive specification for the money. In addition to the obligatory ANC, they come with head-tracked spatial audio too.

You're also promised up to 65 hours of battery life with ANC off. There's rapid charging too, so you can expect up to 14 hours of playtime from a 10-minute recharge. That's handy for travelers who often need to recharge in a hurry.

Baseus Bowie 30 Max headphones: key features

The drivers in the Bowie 30 Max are 50mm dynamic drivers with "200% bass boost", and while we don't know exactly what that means, we presume they should be suitably thumpy, if that's your thing. They're certified for wired and wireless hi-res audio too, with LDAC at up to 990kbps.

The noise-canceling system uses dual microphones and digital processing to remove 96% of external noise, apparently, reducing ambient audio by up to 45dB. And there are built-in gyroscopes and accelerometers to deliver head tracking for a much more immersive spatial audio experience.

In the past, a pair of budget headphones that packs in all this tech would normally come with a sacrifice to sound quality, but these days you can get some really rich audio quality from alarmingly affordable over-ear headphones. We'll have a review of these headphones soon, to find out if that's the case here or not.

Baseus' own website is currently listing the headphones with a full price of $79.99 and a further $10 discount, and Amazon US is also offering a coupon code that brings the price down to the same $69.99.

The headphones will also be available from Amazon in the UK and EU in the not too distant future, although pricing there hasn't been announced just yet.

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AMD is looking to enhance AI networking and infrastructure with two new products, the Pensando Salina 400 DPU and the Pensando Pollara 400 AI NIC. Building to up the efficiency of AI networking and enabling them to grow; the new chips are AMD's way of addressing the growing demands of hype scalers and organizations seeking to optimize their AI and high-performance computing (HPC) systems. It can handle the increasingly complex data flows involved in AI infrastructure, increasing how well both CPUs and accelerators perform.

The AMD Pensando Salina 400 DPU (Data Processing Units) is the third generation of the chips and has major performance improvements with double the performance and bandwidth of its last iteration. That helps it handle massive AI data loads, transfer and the processing speeds necessary for high-efficiency businesses. The Salina 400 DPU manages everything from software-defined networking (SDN), firewalls, and encryption to load balancing and network address translation (NAT). It also helps with storage offloading to free up CPU resources.

Pensando Pollara

On the back end, Athe Pensando Pollara 400 AI NIC (network interface card) is a networking card designed specifically to support the complex data transfer needs of AI and HPC systems. This new NIC is the first in to be Ultra Ethernet Consortium (UEC) ready, according to AMD, and promises up to six times the performance boost for AI workloads compared to its predecessors.

The Pollara 400 NIC uses a specialized processor to optimize AI networking. It incorporates intelligent multipathing to adjust data flows across multiple routes and avoids congestion. It also relies on path-aware congestion control to reroute data away from congested pathways and keep the network running at optimal speeds. The NIC also uses fast failover capabilities so it can detect and bypass network failures more quickly, thereby keeping communication between GPUs going at high levels.

The scalabilty of the Pollara 400 NIC is also notable as it can manage large networks of AI clusters without increasing latency. That makes for a more reliable AI infrastructure, a key term for businesses who want to use AI in their operations.

The Pollara 400 NIC also meets the specifications of the Ultra Ethernet Consortium (UEC), a growing organization working to better adapt traditional Ethernet technology for AI and HPC workloads. There are now 97 members in the UEC, making it a major player in the networking industry. The UEC is expected to release its 1.0 specification next year, just as the Pollara 400 NIC becomes commercially available. The specification will build on existing Ethernet standards, reusing much of the original technology. AI and HPC workloads will have different profiles to match their different needs, but by creating separate protocols, the UEC can raise performance and still make sure Ethernet technology remains viable.

As AI continues to play an increasingly critical role in a growing number of industries, the demand for high-speed, reliable networking infrastructure to fit will rise in tandem. AMD’s latest offerings show how keen the company is to be at the forefront of this evolution, even as the AI needs of businesses evolve and expand.

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It is a known fact that hackers use legitimate software in their attacks, whenever possible. Well, now we can add EDRSilencer to that list.

Earlier this week, cybersecurity researchers from Trend Micro published a new report, in which they claim to have observed EDRSilencer being deployed in cyberattacks. This tool, they say, was primarily designed for penetration testing, to be used by red teams as they simulate real-life cyberattacks and stress-test their networks against intruders.

Short for Endpoint Detection and Response Silencer, the tool was designed to interfere with, or disable, EDR solutions that are meant to monitor and detect suspicious activity on endpoints, such as computers or devices within a network. By neutralizing EDR defenses, attackers can carry out their malicious activities, such as data theft or system exploitation, without being detected.

Significant shift in tactics

Trend Micro said that crooks managed, with the help of EDRSilencer, to render EDR tools ineffective and stop them from sending telemetry, alerts, or other data, to their management controls. “The emergence of EDRSilencer as a means of evading endpoint detection and response systems marks a significant shift in the tactics employed by threat actors,” the researchers concluded.

According to BleepingComputer, EDRSilencer is an open-source tool inspired by MdSec NightHawk FireBlock. This is a proprietary penetration testing tool that detects running EDR processes and uses the Windows Filtering Platform (WFP) to monitor, block, or modify network traffic on IPv4 and IPv6 communication protocol.

EDRSilencer is capable of detecting and blocking 16 EDR tools, including Microsoft Defender, FortiEDR, SentinelOne, and many others.

This is not the first time legitimate pentesting tools are being used for nefarious purposes. Perhaps the best example of such practice is Cobalt Strike, a tool that is now generally considered malware, despite its original design being considered benign.

Via BleepingComputer

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Specialized, maker of some of the best electric bikes on the planet, has unveiled its brand new Vado SL 2, its lighter electric version of our top pick.

The Turbo Vado 4.0 is our number one choice thanks to its great power delivery, build quality, and fantastic range. Specialized is continuing all of those trends with the new Vado SL 2 carbon.

Costing a cool £5,500/$6,500/AU$9,900, the Turbo Vado SL 2 6.0 is very light. The more expensive LTD version is only 14.9kg (the normal version is 39.7lbs/17.9kg) and features Specialized's SL 1.2 motor from the LEVO SL 2 for snappy acceleration.

Power is delivered quietly, and can achieve a top speed of 15.5 mph thanks to 320 watts of power. The 520Wh battery is good for five hours of riding on a single charge.

(Image credit: Specialized) The Vado SL 2 Carbon: a premium package

Riding the Vado SL 2 Carbon is a highly technical experience, with heart rate, power, and cadence monitoring available within the Specialized app (which has been updated to feature a bright new display and a joystick remote).

Specialized says this is the only sub 20kg carbon bike on the market with an MIK HD rack for storage. It also features multiple mounting points for things like child seats or a trailer, and its rear rack can take up to 27kg of cargo. Suspension is provided by Future Shock 3.2 for a smooth, controlled ride.

Another first, the Vado SL 2 Carbon has built-in Apple Find My technology, so you can register it as a device on your Find My network, then track it down if it's lost or stolen. You'll also get Turbo System Lock for added anti-theft protection.

The new Vado SL 2 Carbon is available in two colors and four different sizes from Specialized's website now.

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At long last, Android 15 is officially rolling out to compatible Google Pixel phones (i.e. the Google Pixel 6 and newer), meaning many of the features already teased in various Android 15 betas are now available in their finished form.

Strictly speaking, Android 15 launched through the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) on September 3, but this is the first time that the update has been made available to actual Android users (in this case, Google Pixel users), rather than just developers and manufacturers. Pixel devices are first in line, with Samsung phones and other Android devices set to benefit from Android 15 “in the coming months.”

Even more confusingly, the full release of Android 15 coincides with the rollout of a separate Google Pixel feature drop, which includes some Android 15-specific upgrades, as well as a handful of more general Pixel improvements.

In any case, below, we’ve rounded up five of the best Android 15 features, all of which will make their way to non-Pixel Android phones soon.

Private Space

An image of Private Space running on an Android phone (Image credit: Android Police / Google)

If you’re keen to keep certain pieces of mobile content away from prying eyes, Android 15 introduces Private Space: a new password-protected area for storing your sensitive files, apps, and even notifications. In essence, the feature is similar to Samsung’s Secure Folder, though the latter can only store files, whereas Private Space can double as Fort Knox for many different types of content.

Incidentally, Private Space arrives on Pixel phones as part of Google’s aforementioned latest Pixel drop, though the feature is technically an Android 15 tool, meaning it’ll be coming to other Android phones soon.

Theft Detection Lock

(Image credit: Google)

We’ve been hearing about Google’s Theft Detection Lock feature since May, and it actually debuted in Brazil some time ago, but it’s now rolling out to Android users across the globe as part of Android 15.

Essentially, Theft Detection Lock uses AI to detect if your phone has been stolen and automatically locks it if it believes that’s the case. Google says Theft Detection Lock will look out for "common motion associated with theft" (presumably things like a quick movement out of one hand into another) and “proactively protect your data on the device." Neat!

Predictive Back 2.0

The Predictive Back interface on a Pixel phone (Image credit: Google / Future)

An updated version of Predictive Back – which lets you preview the result of a gesture navigation action before committing to the action itself – debuted in the second Android 15 beta, and it’s now rolling out to Pixel devices properly.

The ‘update’ here is that Predictive Back is now readily available to all users; in Android 14, it was an optional developer feature. Now, gesture previews will occur by default (in compatible apps) when actions including back-to-home, cross-task, and cross-activity are triggered. Still confused? Check out the images above for a visual illustration.

Improved multitasking

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

This one applies to large-screen devices like tablets and foldables exclusively, but Android 15 brings Pixel 9 Pro Fold-level multitasking capabilities to other compatible Android handsets.

Specifically, you can now save pairs of apps to your home screen or taskbar in a single icon that, when tapped, opens both apps simultaneously in split-screen. This should make multitasking that little bit easier – if, for instance, you use your tablet for work, you can now bring up Slack and Google Sheets at the same time, or perhaps Google Drive and Gmail. It’s a small change, but a welcome one.

Furthermore, you can also now pin the taskbar to the bottom of your screen when apps are in use, eliminating the need to swipe up and hold for taskbar access away from the home screen (the taskbar will, of course, still disappear when you’re viewing media content).

Partial screen recording

Android 15 adds the ability to partially screen record content. In essence, when tapping the native screen recorder tool, you’ll be given the option to limit your recording to certain apps, regardless of whether you navigate away from those apps.

This should come in particularly handy for creators who film tutorial content but want to avoid having their private information (like email and Wi-Fi details visible in Settings) captured and erroneously shared as part of a screen recording.

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The .ai TLD is now under the management of Identity digital to bolster the sustainability, resilience, and security of the ever popular top level domain.

Over the last five years, usage of the .ai domain has grown by 400%. It is the country code for Anguilla, a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean but is seen by many, including Google, as a generic top level domain due to the popular use of the TLD by companies in the AI industry.

“Identity Digital's industry knowledge is unmatched, and we share a vision of sustainability,” said Ellis Webster, Premier of Anguilla. “Together, we will be responsible stewards of .ai, guaranteeing its stability, security, and global prominence.”

20% of the Government of Anguilla's revenue comes from .ai

The partnership aims to increase the revenue the Government of Anguilla gets from the .ai domain with the state already receiving 20% of its total income in 2023 from the TLD. The revenue will be invested back in the community, infrastructure such as the airport and technology vocational center, and enhancing elder care.

Akram Atallah, CEO of Identity Digital, said: “Our goal is to offer country codes of all sizes a stable and resilient platform that delivers growth while connecting global users to their local communities,” in addition to “This partnership unlocks growing revenue streams for the government to invest back in their people. We're thrilled to witness the positive impact this will have on Anguilla.”

Identity Digital is already trusted by major operators including Public Interest Registry (PIR) (.org), Australia (.au), and Puerto Rico (.pr) providing a secure cloud foundation for domains, enabling seamless growth and scalability. The partnership will help the Government of Anguilla take advantage of the growth of .ai, while minimizing cybersecurity risks and protecting the domain's reputation.

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A supposed leak may have detailed the internal specs of the rumored Samsung Galaxy A36 5G, the sequel to our favorite cheap Samsung phone, the Galaxy A35.

The leak, courtesy of 91mobiles, suggests the follow-up to our beloved A35 could use a years-old Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 chipset. It comprises a report from benchmarking service Geekbench which lists the chipset as “parrot”, which PhoneArena reports is a likely codename for the two-year-old Snapdragon Gen 1.

The phone used for this test carries the model number SM-A366B and runs Android 15, scoring 314 in Geekbench’s single core test and 1,279 in the multi-core test.

We rely more on real-world experience than benchmarks in our testing, but this really isn’t a good score. However, we have to allow a large margin of error for what could be a prototype device or unreliable information.

For reference, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 launched in September 2022, and wasn’t exactly a flagship-level chipset at the time, so two years later we’re not sure if it’ll keep up with more demanding tasks.

Our Samsung Galaxy A35 review saw the phone pick up points for its “snappy” performance and surprising gaming ability. So while we don’t expect flagship-tier performance from its midrange follow up, we’d like to see the Galaxy A36 keep pace with the ever-increasing demands of everyday phone use.

However, a closer look at the leaked Geekbench report reveals that the chipset has two sets of cores, clocked at 1.8GHz and 2.4GHz respectively, which aligns more closely with the power of this year’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chipset.

A more modern Snapdragon chipset would almost certainly improve on the Samsung-made Exynos 1380 chipset found within the Galaxy A35, but we’re still too light on details to offer any serious predictions.

For now, the above remains based entirely on rumor, so be sure to keep up with our Samsung phones coverage for the latest updates.

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