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Things to Consider When Looking for the Best Software Testing Companies

By
Kyrie Mattos
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0

When it comes to the development of an app or software, most creators will want to ensure that their applications have been properly tested so as to avoid any potential bugs, issues, or errors. This is why many developers turn to software testing companies to help them to identify any possible flaws before they release their applications to the general public. By doing so, wasted time can be reduced, and the need for modifications can be minimized while the software is accessible for download and use. In this article, we’ll be talking about the types of things to consider when looking for a testing company.

Reliability is Key

One of the most prominent things, according to the experts over at Qalified is the need for a reliable service that knows what needs to be done and how to achieve the desired results. Reliability is key when it comes to choosing from the best software testing companies on the market because if they don’t have the required knowledge and proper skill set, you may as well not bother having your software reviewed in the first place.

Affordability is Important

With so many software testers on the market, competition is fierce. As a result, the price for a testing service has declined over the years – and this is only a good thing for you, as a developer. It means that you shouldn’t have to pay extortionate prices to have your software thoroughly tested by experts. Before agreeing to a service, be sure to ask for a quote inclusive of tax and VAT so that you can compare this amount to other providers or negate the risk of being charged more based on your budget.

Transparency is Vital

Another key aspect of hiring a software testing agency is that they remain transparent with their results. You should not be paying for the service and then the results separately – this should be a package deal. If flaws are detected, information should be provided on each issue picked up, so that you can set about rectifying the mistakes or errors. This could be as simple as providing data on misaligned code right through to helping you to identify any other more serious issues.

A good software testing service should be able to identify, report, and even suggest measures when problems are detected with an application – and with these three factors to consider, you’ll likely be in a better position to choose the ideal company for your needs.

What Is a Surefire Way to Block Sites on Your Browser With No Alternative of Accessing Them?

By
Kyrie Mattos
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0
laptop computer

In today’s digital age, maintaining control over internet access has become increasingly crucial. With the vast array of websites available, it is essential to ensure a safe and productive browsing experience, especially when it comes to sensitive content. While traditional methods of website blocking may seem effective at first glance, they often fall short, leaving loopholes and alternative means of access. This is particularly true when it comes to the challenge of blocking VR adult websites.

Virtual reality (VR) technology has gained significant popularity, offering users an immersive and engaging experience. However, this has also led to the rise of VR adult content platforms, raising concerns about explicit and age-inappropriate material. Addressing these concerns necessitates a surefire solution for blocking websites on browsers without any alternative means of accessing them.

In this blog post, we will explore a reliable method to block sites on your browser effectively. We will delve into the concept of DNS-based website blocking, which operates at the network level, providing comprehensive and difficult-to-bypass protection. Additionally, we will highlight the significance of incorporating VR adult websites into the blocking system, considering the unique challenges they present.

Understanding the Need for Website Blocking

Maintaining control over website access is crucial in today’s digital landscape. Unrestricted access to certain websites can pose various dangers and disrupt a productive online experience. The need for effective website blocking becomes evident when we consider the risks associated with explicit or age-inappropriate content, potential time wastage, and the importance of protecting children from harmful material.

However, traditional blocking methods often prove insufficient in addressing these concerns. Browser extensions and filters can be easily bypassed or disabled, rendering them ineffective. Similarly, relying on content filtering solutions on individual devices may not be feasible or entirely successful in all situations.

As we explore a surefire solution for website blocking, it is important to recognize the limitations of these conventional methods. By understanding the shortcomings, we can appreciate the significance of a more robust approach that provides comprehensive and reliable protection against unwanted website access.

Exploring a Surefire Solution: DNS-Based Website Blocking:

To overcome the limitations of traditional blocking methods, DNS-based website blocking offers a reliable and effective solution. By understanding how the Domain Name System (DNS) works, we can leverage its capabilities to block specific websites at the network level.

DNS-based blocking operates by intercepting and redirecting requests for certain domain names to prevent access to undesired websites. Unlike browser extensions or device-level filters, DNS-based blocking ensures comprehensive protection across all devices connected to the network.

Implementing DNS-based blocking involves utilizing specialized software or services such as Pi-hole or OpenDNS. These solutions allow users to customize their blocking preferences, enabling them to target specific websites or categories effectively. By implementing DNS-based blocking, users can restrict access to unwanted websites without relying on individual device configurations.

The strength of DNS-based blocking lies in its network-wide application and difficulty to bypass. By integrating this surefire solution, individuals and organizations can have greater control over internet access and create a safer browsing environment for all users.

Exploring the Impact of Adult Content in Virtual Reality and Ensuring Effective Website Restriction

As we explore the effectiveness of DNS-based website blocking, it is crucial to address the connection to VR 18+ websites and the unique challenges they present. In recent years, the popularity of virtual reality (VR) technology has surged, offering users an immersive and captivating experience. However, this technological advancement has also led to the emergence of VR adult content platforms, raising concerns about explicit and age-inappropriate material.

It is essential to recognize the significance of incorporating VR adult websites into the DNS-based blocking system. By doing so, we can ensure a safer browsing environment and address the potential risks associated with such content. While VR adult sites are a sensitive topic, it is important to acknowledge that blocking access to these sites can be a responsible and proactive measure.

DNS-based blocking can effectively restrict access to adult VR sites by intercepting and redirecting requests for specific domain names associated with these platforms. This approach ensures that users, particularly those vulnerable to explicit content, are unable to access VR sites through their browsers.

By incorporating VR adult websites into the DNS-based blocking system, individuals and families can establish a more controlled online environment. It helps protect against exposure to explicit content and ensures that virtual reality technology is used responsibly. While it is crucial to maintain open communication and trust in managing internet access, implementing measures to block VR adult sites contributes to creating a safer and healthier browsing experience for all users.

Advantages and Considerations

DNS-based website blocking offers several advantages that make it a preferable solution for effective website restriction.

By operating at the network level, DNS-based blocking provides comprehensive and network-wide protection. It covers all devices connected to the network, ensuring consistent and reliable blocking without the need for individual device configurations or browser extensions.

Additionally, DNS-based blocking proves to be challenging to bypass or disable. Unlike traditional methods that can be easily circumvented, this approach requires technical knowledge and access to network settings to override the blocking measures effectively.

However, it is important to consider certain factors when implementing DNS-based blocking. Open communication and trust within families, organizations, or institutions are crucial. It is necessary to have conversations about internet usage guidelines and explain the reasons behind website restrictions.

Furthermore, it is important to acknowledge the limitations of any blocking solution. DNS-based blocking may not be foolproof, and there is always a possibility of false positives or unintended blocks. Regular monitoring and adjustment are necessary to ensure that legitimate websites are not incorrectly blocked.

Despite these considerations, DNS-based website blocking offers a robust and effective solution for maintaining control over internet access. By leveraging its advantages and addressing the associated considerations, individuals and organizations can create a safer online environment free from unwanted content and distractions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, implementing a surefire solution like DNS-based website blocking is crucial for maintaining control over internet access and creating a safer browsing environment. Traditional methods often fall short, while DNS-based blocking operates at the network level, providing comprehensive and difficult-to-bypass protection. By incorporating VR adult websites into the blocking system, we can address the unique challenges posed by explicit content in virtual reality. While open communication and trust are essential, DNS-based blocking offers advantages such as network-wide coverage and resilience against bypassing attempts. By leveraging this approach and considering its limitations, we can ensure a controlled and secure online experience, safeguarding against unwanted content and promoting responsible internet usage.

The Role of Data Science in Fintech

By
Kyrie Mattos
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0

Data science has become an integral part of the financial technology (fintech) industry. With the rise of digital payments, online banking, and cryptocurrency, the use of data science has become even more important in fintech. In this article, we will explore the role of data science in fintech and how it is changing the way we manage our finances.

Data Analytics for Customer Insights

Data science plays a crucial role in providing customer insights to fintech companies. By analyzing customer data, fintech companies can gain a better understanding of their customer’s behaviors and preferences. This enables them to create personalized services and products that meet their customers’ needs. Data analytics also allows companies to identify potential fraud, reduce risk, and improve customer experience.

Risk Management

Risk management is a vital aspect of fintech companies, and data science is an essential tool in identifying and managing risks. With the help of machine learning algorithms and predictive analytics, fintech companies can identify potential risks and take necessary measures to mitigate them. This helps to minimize losses and protect customer data.

Fraud Detection

Fraud is a significant concern in the fintech industry. With the help of data science, fintech companies can detect fraudulent activities in real time. Machine learning algorithms can identify unusual patterns in transactions, which can help prevent fraudulent activities. This is especially important in the case of online transactions, where it is easy for fraudsters to carry out illegal activities.

Personalized Financial Planning

Data science has revolutionized the way we manage our finances. By analyzing customer data, fintech companies can provide personalized financial planning services to their customers. This includes investment advice, budgeting, and financial goal setting. Personalized financial planning helps customers to achieve their financial goals and make informed decisions about their finances.

Data science has been transforming various industries for years, and the fintech industry is no exception. As more and more financial institutions turn to data science to improve their operations, the future of data science in fintech looks bright. Here are some of the ways data science will continue to shape the fintech industry in the years to come:

  • Predictive Analytics for Risk Management
  • Personalized Financial Advice
  • Fraud Detection and Prevention
  • Automation of Financial Processes

As the fintech industry continues to grow, data science will play an increasingly important role in shaping its future. From risk management to fraud detection and prevention, data science is transforming the way financial institutions operate. By embracing data science, financial institutions can improve their operations, provide better customer experiences, and stay ahead of the competition.

Algorithmic Trading Strategies

Algorithmic trading is the process of using computer algorithms to trade financial securities. Algorithmic traders use computers to place their orders and execute trades, allowing them to make large numbers of trades in very short periods. This can help them generate profits with less risk than traditional methods.

Algorithmic trading is used by hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, and other institutional traders who want to minimize their operational costs while increasing their market share or profitability. It’s also used by retail traders who want to trade on their own without having an extensive background in finance or programming skills (though many do).

Credit Scoring and Loan Approval Systems

Credit scoring is a statistical method used by lenders to predict the likelihood that a borrower will repay their loan. It uses historical data, such as credit reports and payment history, to calculate a score that represents the riskiness of extending credit to an individual. Credit scores are often referred to as FICO scores (short for Fair Isaac Corporation), which is one example of a company that provides this type of service.

Credit Scoring Systems:

For lenders to make informed decisions about approving loans or not approving loans, they need some way of determining whether or not someone is likely going to pay them back on time and in the full amount owed whenever it comes due. This is where credit scoring comes into play!

Compliance and Regulatory Analytics

Once you have a good understanding of the regulations, you can use data science to ensure that your company complies with them. Data science can also be used to develop new regulations and policies.

Data scientists will need to understand what types of data are required by regulators, how much time they have available for analysis, which teams within an organization are responsible for different aspects of compliance (e.g., risk management), and whether there are any gaps between what’s being done today versus what should be done based on best practices or industry standards.

The goal here is not just making sure that everything looks good on paper it’s making sure that all employees know their roles within this framework so they can get their jobs done effectively while protecting against risks like fraudulence or money laundering that could lead to back up through the entire chain until reaching senior management level where decisions were made without considering these factors beforehand which could result in fines/penalties being levied against both parties involved.

Predictive Modeling for Investment Decisions

Predictive modeling is a data science technique used to analyze historical data to predict future outcomes. It’s used in finance to predict investment performance and also in credit risk management to predict customer behavior.

In this section, we’ll look at how predictive modeling can be applied to investment decisions by using historical data on investments (the “training set”) as an input for the model that will make predictions about future investments (the “test set”).

Real-time Market Analysis and Trading Signals

Real-time market analysis and trading signals are one of the most important roles data science plays in fintech. Data scientists use machine learning algorithms to detect patterns in historical data that can be used to predict future events. These predictions are then used by financial institutions to make informed decisions about when to buy or sell assets, like stocks or currencies.

The process of analyzing real-time data isn’t just limited to predicting future events; it also helps identify anomalies in the current market situation so you know when there’s an opportunity for profit or loss prevention. For example, if there were an unexpected increase of volume on one particular stock at a certain time of day or even at all it would be flagged as anomalous behavior by your algorithm and could signal something important about what’s happening with that company’s business model (or maybe just some lucky investors).

Customer Segmentation and Targeted Marketing

A key use of data science in fintech is to better understand customer needs and preferences. This can be done through segmentation, which is the process of dividing a large group into smaller groups based on shared characteristics. Fintech companies can identify their customers’ interests, demographics, and psychographics (which refer to personality traits that influence behavior) so they can segment them into different segments based on these factors.

Once the company has identified its customers’ segments, it can then tailor its marketing messages accordingly. For example, if you’re an older millennial traveling for work who uses Uber frequently but doesn’t have time for loyalty programs or rewards points programs because your schedule keeps changing from week to week, you might receive personalized offers from Uber incentivizing you with discounted rides during rush hour times when prices are highest. Or perhaps you’re someone who loves shopping online but hates making returns; Amazon might send emails reminding you of items they think would make great gifts but also include links where customers could easily check off boxes next to which items they want to be returned if necessary!

Conclusion

We hope that you have found this article to be helpful. We are confident that data science will continue to play a significant role in fintech and other industries for years to come. As the technology becomes more advanced, we’ll see more people using it in real-world applications.

Musk’s Meeting With China’s Foreign Minister Giving Rise To Controversies – Tesla News

By
Shelby
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0

For the first time since before the pandemic, Tesla’s chief executive officer and product architect, Elon Musk, has traveled to China to do some business. Ticked off on his list of agendas in the East Asian country is meeting with China’s foreign minister. For what happened during the meeting, read on to this news.

Open for business

Musk met with China’s foreign minister Qin Gang today and discussed several things at the table.

This meeting came when Beijing is showing interest in opening its doors to foreign businesses. At the same time, the Tesla CEO also expressed further expansion of the company’s business in China. 

Qin, who was the former ambassador of China to the United States, said during the meeting that “Chinese-style modernization” beefed up with the country’s massive population and “common prosperity” will create “unprecedented growth potential and market demand.”

Furthermore, the Chinese foreign minister added that the country’s market for electric vehicles (EVs) “has broad prospects for development” and that the country will keep opening up and creating better market-oriented and law-based business environments for foreign businesses like Tesla. 

The foreign minister’s statement also said Musk praised the country’s people and achievements, and is willing to expand its business in China. 

Also, as markets opened on Tuesday, Tesla shares interestingly jumped five percent before paring gains later on. As of 10 a.m. ET, the company’s stock was trading at $202.93, up 2.6 percent for this session.  

Controversies: China wants something else from Musk?

This meeting between Musk and China’s foreign minister came amidst rising tensions between the United States and China over technology. 

In 2022, Washington implemented significant export restrictions on crucial chips and semiconductor equipment to China, a move that could shadow Beijing’s efforts to boost its domestic industry anchoring on technology. 

Some are also saying the Tesla CEO’s meeting with Qin is controversial. They are stating that the fact this meeting was the first thing Musk did upon landing in Beijing is controversial and puzzling in itself. They are also adding that China’s Communist Party wants something else from Musk, particularly his recent takeover of Twitter, allegedly to be used to spread Chinese propaganda. 

Other Tesla news

Meanwhile, in other news about Tesla, the company will reportedly open a flagship store in Thailand, particularly at a mall in Bangkok, as part of its efforts to accelerate its fast-growing EV sales in the country. 

Tesla is said to be renovating a site where a Toyota showroom used to stand. Also, aside from a showroom, the five-story facility is bound to include a service center, a parts warehouse, and fast-charging stations. 

Around 100 HP Printers May Soon Lose Their Official Environmental Certification: Find Out Why – HP News

By
Shelby
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0

Hewlett-Packard, or HP, is a global leader in printing, providing printers to users who need top-notch printing and revolutionizing printing worldwide. However, just like other companies offering products to consumers, they must adhere to environmental standards. HP could be missing on this point. Here is the news.

Revoking

The International Imaging Technology Council (IITC), a trade association, has lodged a complaint versus HP, requesting for around 100 of the company’s printer models to revoke their official environmental certifications because of HP’s suspect firmware updates.

IITC is a trade association in North America that represents printer cartridge dealers’ interests – such as HP – specifically those that sell remanufactured printer cartridges or entities that remanufacture the cartridges for them. 

The IITC addressed its complaint to the Global Electronics Council (GEC). The GEC is a United States-based environmental non-profit with a mission to “create a world where only sustainable technology is bought and sold.”

The GEC is also responsible for the management of the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) registry. The EPEAT is an ecolabel that helps manufacturers, purchases, resellers, and other entities purchase and sell “environmentally preferable” electronic products.

The IITC is accusing HP of “greenwashing” – or marketing a company’s product as environmentally friendly more than actually minimizing environmental impact – and false labeling. 

Monopoly? 

The complaint called out around 100 HP printers, including its LaserJet, DesignJet, and OfficeJet families, as well as its DeskJet and Envy labels. 

IITC’s executive director, Tricia Judge, penned a letter to the GEC saying that HP “has made a mockery of the EPEAT registration process” and cited firmware issues, as well as manufacturing and production concerns. 

For instance, despite many of HP’s printers being certified by EPEAT, HP’s Dynamic Security update and HP+ subscription are recently blocking anything other than the company’s own ink, not adhering to the regulations of EPEAT. 

PVP Live previously reported a piece of news about HP releasing a new firmware update that would block users’ printers should they use ink cartridges from HP’s rival brands. HP will reportedly disable the printer if those competitor ink cartridges are used. It seems that HP is really doing something wrong here. 

Moreover, while HP promises to recycle cartridges in over 60 countries and territories worldwide, the fact that other manufacturers that are recycling their cartridges can no longer sell them for use in HP printers is of significant environmental concern. Plus, there are also price hikes that come when customers use OEM ink. 

A step forward

This recent complaint against HP emphasizes the importance of staying true to the environmental certification granted to a particular company. These companies were given such certification and, therefore, must work hard to ensure it is being met. 

The IITC’s call for HP’s official environmental certifications to be revoked is a step not just for HP but for other companies, too, to ensure that consumers are not tricked with certifications without real action from the company. 

Nvidia’s ACE will let you interact with game NPCs using natural language

By
Santiago Bongco
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0

Nvidia wants to use the power of generative AI to allow developers to create NPCs capable of recognizing natural language queries and answering them on the spot during games. In its Computex 2023 event in Taipei, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huan shared a real-time game demo render of an NPC responding to a player who interacted in natural language.

The company said it is possible through the NVIDIA Avatar Cloud Engine (ACE) for Games, a custom AI model foundry service that will arm NPCs with AI-powered natural language. According to Nvidia, ACE includes customizable large language model NeMo (offering foundation language models and model customization tools), Riva (allowing automatic speech recognition and text-to-speech capabilities), and Omniverse Audio2Face (for expressive facial animation creation using audio source).

In the clip shared, a scene between the player and an NPC in a ramen shop was rendered in collaboration with startup Convai. According to Nvidia, the modules included in ACE were integrated into the Convai services platform, and it also used Unreal Engine 5 and MetaHuman to produce the rendered scene. Aside from those, the NVIDIA Lightspeed Studios art team also used NVIDIA RTX Direct Illumination and DLSS.

Some might still find the scene far from perfect, but the idea of being able to interact with a game NPC using natural language opens a whole new possibility in the gaming industry. Using this new creation, developers will be able to make their games more interactive. Players, meanwhile, should soon find it easier to gather game details through casual interactions with the AI within games.

According to the company, the modules of ACE are being separately used on different games now, including Audio2Face in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Heart of Chornobyl and Fort Solis. Nvidia’s Jason Paul also told The Verge that Nvidia’s tech could cover more than just one character at a time and can even be used to create a conversation between NPCs.

Drinks Company Diageo Taps IBM To Enhance Its Business Operations – IBM News

By
Shelby
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0
jack daniels old no 7 bottle

The alcoholic beverage industry is a lucrative and thriving industry until today. According to data on the industry’s outlook published on the website Just Drinks, alcohol drinks volumes have spiked by 7.3 percent as of 2022, or since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and are expected to further and significantly increase by 2026. 

This is experienced by the renowned beverage company and distributor Diageo. Diageo recently reported it is experiencing remarkable growth, expanding by 36 percent compared to before the pandemic, driven by the demand for premium alcoholic drinks and changing consumer behavior. 

Taking the business to a whole new level 

With this growing demand for its products, the beverage company is diligently looking for innovative ways to improve doing business with its customers. So, it has decided to partner with technology company IBM and software company SAP to keep up with consumer demand and particularly to bolster global digital transformation. IBM announced this partnership last week via its official news report.  

“Today, we are thrilled to announce an exciting collaboration between Diageo, IBM, and SAP that aims to modernize Diageo’s operations on a global scale and set new benchmarks for the industry,” IBM stated. 

Diageo is a British multinational alcoholic beverage company headquartered in London. It operates from 132 sites worldwide, and is a major distributor of Scotch whisky and other spirits. The company has various brands on its portfolio, including Guinness, Johnnie Walker, and Don Julio. With this collaboration, they are taking their business to a new level. 

Leveraging IBM, SAP’s capabilities

Diageo will leverage the capabilities of IBM and SAP. Notably, the alcoholic beverage company will tap IBM Consulting, bringing its decades of expertise to the table and helping consumer brands like Diageo triumphantly navigate global digital transformations.

IBM said they would gather up a diverse team of consultants to lead the strategy and help implement what SAP will bring forward, in turn. 

The drinks company will also implement RISE with SAP S/4HANA Cloud, which will streamline its IT infrastructure and provide unified support across the many countries where Diageo operates.

SAP is a German multinational software company that develops enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations. It is also the world’s leading enterprise resource planning software vendor.

How the partnership will help Diageo

With this partnership with IBM and SAP, Diageo can now offer personalization and real-time order tracking globally to ensure a more seamless purchasing process and faster service. 

It will also streamline their operations. This way, they can delight their customers better.

“Diageo partnering with IBM and SAP marks an exciting step forward,” IBM said. “Together, we will enhance the customer, employee, and supplier experience to help ensure that Diageo not only keeps pace with a changing economic environment but take advantage of rapid advancements in technology and thrive in the digital realm.”

Intel Discloses Its Meteor Lake To Feature A Dedicated VPU To Boost AI Workloads – Intel News

By
Shelby
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0

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is a hot and trending topic right now in the world of technology and elsewhere. You may be familiar with popular forms of this technology recently, such as ChatGPT. 

Now, technology companies like Intel are doing everything to ensure it can deliver the best AI experience on client devices so they don’t need to rely on the cloud for all their workloads. 

This may also be Intel’s move to keep up with the tightening competition in AI, as experts believe that Intel is lagging in the race, as we previously reported here on PVP Live. 

Intel has recently disclosed details that its upcoming Meteor Lake will feature a dedicated vision processing unit (VPU) to accelerate AI workloads. Here’s the news story.

VPU on Meteor Lake 

Debuting later this year, Meteor Lake is a next-generation Intel CPU and the first to be based on the Intel 4 process while, at the same time, leveraging the company’s Foveros packaging technology in a chiplet-style design. This design paves the way for advanced power management, and each of the tiles can be targeted for particular workloads. 

One of these chiplets is the CPU, developed to perform at its finest, and there is also a brand-new GPU that will support things such as ray tracing and XeSS in a low-power design. 

However, the most significant focus for Intel right now is its new AI engine, the VPU, which is integrated into the processor. With this, Intel hopes it will accelerate client-side AI workloads, greatly reducing the computing prerequisites of AI inferencing. 

Intel said a Meteor Lake system-on-a-chip (SoC) would integrate a CPU, GPU, and VPU, all bound to boost AI workloads. Firstly, the CPU helps quickly respond to light, single-inference, and low-latency AI. Then, the GPU is for AI in media and the 3D render pipeline. 

What about the newly unveiled VPU? Well, VPU is a dedicated low-power AI engine that will be present in all Meteor Lake SKUs and meant to accommodate more intense AI tasks. It is a specialized processor designed to carry out specific AI workloads more efficiently than what a CPU or GPU can do. 

Some of the tasks that VPU can handle include auto-framing, avatar recognition, background blur, gesture recognition, and dynamic noise suppression, as well as more advanced functionalities like Photoshop Neural Filters and real-time motion capture in Unreal Engine. 

Demo

A demonstration of Intel’s VPU has also come out online, particularly that which was shared by YouTuber Hardwareluxx. It generally showed what the VPU could do. 

Many who have watched the demo video were impressed by it, such as netizen Batuhan Cansın Özer who commented, “What a speed…” 

How about you? What do you think of this news?

Researchers spot a Play Store app updated with malicious code for espionage

By
Santiago Bongco
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0

Researchers recently uncovered a Google Play Store app that was updated to include a malicious functionality. According to the report, a specific update of the app introduced AhMyth-based malware, allowing it to access users’ files on their devices. The app is no longer available on the app platform but managed to reach up to 50,000 downloads after it launched in September 2021.

Google’s Play Store is no exception for malware-laced apps. According to researchers at ESET, an app called “iRecorder — Screen Recorder” managed to enter the platform and later implemented an update to push malware. ESET researchers named the customized malicious code based on the open-source AhMyth Android RAT (remote access trojan) “AhRat.” Lukas Stefanko, the main researcher who discovered the malware in the app, said, “It is rare for a developer to upload a legitimate app, wait almost a year, and then update it with malicious code.”

The app was initially meant to allow users to perform screen recording functions by giving it permission to the device’s audio recording. However, the report stresses that the app turned harmful after reaching version 1.3.8, which introduced the AhRat. With this, it is recommended for those who have downloaded the iRecorder app to remove it from their devices. 

“Aside from providing legitimate screen recording functionality, the malicious iRecorder can record surrounding audio from the device’s microphone and upload it to the attacker’s command and control (C&C) server,” Stefanko wrote. “It can also exfiltrate files with extensions representing saved web pages, images, audio, video, and document files, and file formats used for compressing multiple files, from the device. The app’s specific malicious behavior – exfiltrating microphone recordings and stealing files with specific extensions – tends to suggest that it is part of an espionage campaign. However, we were not able to attribute the app to any particular malicious group.”

The app was removed from the platform after the report was shared by ESET, but the app was already downloaded 50,000 times. Also, it reportedly remains available on other Android platforms, which means the app’s download number continues to increase. As the report indicated, getting version 1.3.8 of the app, either manually or automatically, would mean exposure to the malware “even without granting any further app permission approval.”

Interestingly, Stefanko noted that the app developer also offers other apps on Google Play that don’t contain malicious code. It is unclear if the malicious code was injected by the developer itself or others, but the former’s other creations are now questionable. As noted above, the malicious code was only introduced a year after the iRecorder app was listed on Google Play. This opens the possibility that it could also be the case for the developer’s other apps in the future.

Pixel Fold team shares how cancelation of previous models reflects Google’s confidence in ‘Felix’

By
Santiago Bongco
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0

Google’s head of design for hardware products, Ivy Ross, recently revealed that the company scrapped an earlier foldable model. In the latest episode of the Made by Google podcast, “Pixel Perfect,” Ross shared how the team was able to realize that the project was not “good enough,” pushing the team to explore further to create the final Pixel Fold model codenamed “Felix.”

“I’m really proud of the team because there was another foldable model that we had created that we had the discipline to say, ‘nope, it’s not good enough yet,’ and really wait until we felt we could do something that was good enough or better than what was out there already,” said Ross. “So it’s really a testimony to the fact that we’re able to do that and recognize when something isn’t good enough.”

Ross didn’t share much about the revelation, and it is nothing surprisingly huge since earlier reports have already shared that the company had actually tested previous models of its foldable phone. To recall, it was reported that the company moved from testing a device codenamed “Passport” to one called “Pipit” using the original Google Tensor chip. Yet, despite the lack of new info, Ross’ words show Google’s confidence in the final model design, which is expected to compete with the current competitors in the foldable phone market, including Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series.

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