A new version of the MoonBounce malware, first appeared in 2021, has been detected by the cybersecurity experts. It is the third case of a firmware bootkit in the wild. As compared to two previously discovered bootkits, LoJax and MosaicRegressor, MoonBounce demonstrates significant advancement with a more complicated attack flow and greater technical sophistication.
According to the researchers, the new version of the malware is hard to detect as it stays in the reserved memory of a computer that is used while booting the device.
What is MoonBounce?
Found by the Kaspersky researchers on the network of a company dealing in transportation services, MoonBounce, once activated, can access the host computer and it can also deploy new malware to further infect the machine. The researchers have attributed the attack with considerable confidence to the well-known advanced persistent threat (APT) actor APT41.
“While analyzing MoonBounce, Kaspersky researchers uncovered several malicious loaders and post-exploitation malware across several nodes of the same network. This includes ScrambleCross or Sidewalk, an in-memory implant that can communicate to a C2 server to exchange information and execute additional plugins, Mimikat_ssp, a publicly available post-exploitation tool used to dump credentials and security secrets, a formerly unknown Golang based backdoor, and Microcin, malware that is typically used by the SixLittleMonkeys threat actor,” reads an official release.
Related to Chinese-speaking hackers
Recently, it has been found that the MoonBounce malware belongs to an elite group of Chinese-speaking hackers called Winnti.
Infection through remote access
It is assumed that the infection occurs through remote access to the targeted machine. Though, the exact infection vector is yet to be known.
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From starting off his career with Facebook pages during his school days to having a business turnover of $100,000 by his final year in college and access to 100+ Facebook pages with 100 million followers, Muhammed Aqib TP has a long standing history of going all out and giving all in. He’s the COO of THE BACK Benchers, which integrates with brands for meme and video amplification.
Wafa, a voice-centric socio-gaming platform, is another interesting venture of him. From allowing people to create their own rooms, be a moderator, participant or even take a seat in the audience with all other passive listeners to providing premium features of customized virtual gifts, user profiles and various other in-app purchases, Wafa is in a class by itself. Muhammed Aqib, who happens to be the CEO of Wafa, speaks more about this app, in a conversation with Ramesh Kumar Raja. Aqib also talks about how Wafa is moving towards integrating the social, lightweight leisure gamers who aim to interact and play along with other users or friends. Excerpts:
You have a very interesting entrepreneurial journey that began with Facebook pages. Tell us about the same and how it has shaped up till date.
I made my way into image and video content creation ever since my school days, what started off as a means to kill time grew into generating a business turnover of $100,000. Having set up The BACK Benchers in 2012, it had access to 100+ pages with 100 million followers, generating revenue by diverting traffic from the page to the website and integrating with brands for meme and video amplification. Found Beeyams Media, an ROI and performance marketing company, and worked with Sony, Zee5, OnePlus, LG, VanityKart and many other brands. Later, influenced by the 4G revolution in India, I launched Wafa app, a voice-centric platform that followed the audio voice chat room format.
How The BACK Benchers happened, what’s the idea behind it?
Initially, it started off for fun, and due to the increased positive traction and response from followers, filtered content based on and around the school and college lives of the audience were created. As followers spiked, adhering to their likes and wants, we catered content along the lines of news, facts and entertainment.
How did the idea of a voice-centric socio-gaming platform strike you?
The 4G revolution in India led us to the notion of a voice-centric platform, an audio voice chat room model that’s easily accessible to all users. Going back to the time when gaming was merely just about playing games, gamers then have realised their want to talk to their gaming friends even when they weren’t in a game, and with traditional method not being user friendly for group communication due to its limitation for the number of people joining in and its inability to have passive listeners, Wafa was introduced. A voice chat feature that offered gamers a crystal clear, seamless voice chat service that blew the functionality of in-game chat services out of the water.
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What is Wafa all about and how is it different from others in the business?
Wafa caters specifically to the tier 2 and tier 3 non-English speaking users of India. Through UI and product localization, it supports local communities and languages like Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Urdu, giving users better user experience.
“With 5G providing necessary thrust in making socio-gaming accessible to all and owing to the surge in young population, soaring use of smartphones, easy availability and accessibility of technology and internet, and rising investment by capitalists, gaming today is considered the most lucrative business sector in India, comprising an ecosystem of engaged and enthusiastic gamers”
Please tell us about its user base and how many installs it has accumulated till date?
Wafa has 3M+ installs till date. Most of our users hail from India, among whom majority are Hindi speaking users followed by Tamil, Urdu and Telugu, all falling in the age group of 18 to 35. Currently, with a deeper user base in India, we plan on focusing more towards Indians living in the Middle East region in the next 6 months.
How are you changing the gaming landscape?
With the number of online gamers using their phones having grown by 60%, voice communication bagged its spot in the gaming world by alleviating the gaming experience, making way for an efficient mode of communication by providing a chance to virtually talk and hang out, all the while battling.
How does integrating voice with games work?
Contrary to the time when gaming was merely just about playing games, gamers then have realised their want to talk to their gaming friends even when they weren’t in a game, and to talk about things other than games. To bring this thought into reality and to bring out the maximum potential in the socio-gaming economy, an integration of voice with games was made with the help of advanced technology.
How do you look at the year 2022 from gaming perspective, especially in terms of adopting voice technology?
With 5G providing necessary thrust in making socio-gaming accessible to all and owing to the surge in young population, soaring use of smartphones, easy availability and accessibility of technology and internet, and rising investment by capitalists, gaming today is considered the most lucrative business sector in India, comprising an ecosystem of engaged and enthusiastic gamers. The advancement in technology made gaming easy to integrate along with voice to bring out the maximum potential in the socio-gaming economy, and with more virtual events, dedicated social spaces, and increased social features, strong growth in this new mobile social era is surely the one to envisage.
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Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has created what it believes is among the fastest artificial intelligence supercomputers running today. According to an AP report, the social media giant said it hopes the machine will help lay the groundwork for its building of the metaverse, a virtual reality construct intended to supplant the internet as we know it today. Facebook said it believes the computer will be the fastest in the world once it is fully built around the middle of the year.
Supercomputers are extremely fast and powerful machines built to do complex calculations not possible with a regular home computer. Meta did not disclose where the computer is located or how much it is costing to build, said the AP report.
Redefining the power of computing
It said the computer, which is already up and running but is still being built, is called AI Research SuperCluster. Meta says it will help its AI researchers build “new and better” artificial intelligence models that can learn from “trillions” of examples and work across hundreds of different languages simultaneously and analyze text, images and video together.
The way Meta is defining the power of its computer is different from how conventional and more technically powerful supercomputers are measured because it relies on the performance of graphics-processing chips, which are useful for running “deep learning” algorithms that can understand what’s in an image, analyze text and translate between languages, said the report quoting Tuomas Sandholm, a computer science professor and co-director of the AI center at Carnegie Mellon University.
“We hope RSC will help us build entirely new AI systems that can, for example, power real-time voice translations to large groups of people, each speaking a different language, so they can seamlessly collaborate on a research project or play an AR game together,” Meta said in a blog post, as per AP.
Also Read: Google Pixel Notepad foldable smartphone’s details leaked
The much-anticipated foldable phone from the house of Google – Pixel Notepad – is in the news again. This time, the smartphone’s pricing and availability have been leaked in international markets.
The Google Pixel Notepad is said to have its pricing lower than that of the recently launched Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. As per the report, the price of Google’s first foldable phone could be changed “in the lead up to the unveiling”. The sources suggest that it will arrive with a $1,400 price tag (roughly Rs 1,04,700). This information goes along the lines of previous rumours that claims the device would be more affordable than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, which currently sells for $1,800 (roughly Rs 1,34,300).
In terms of availability, the alleged Google Pixel Notepad is said to be available in the United States and other worldwide regions. According to the newest rumour, there will be a gap between the US and international launches, and it will be available globally by the end of 2022. As per a prior report, the phone will only be available in a few markets. However, it isn’t clear whether the Google Pixel Notepad foldable phone will debut in India considering the Google Pixel 6 series never made it to the country.
Other reports indicate that Google Pixel Notepad foldable phone will resemble the Oppo Find N rather than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. This means, we may get a shorter and wider phone instead of the tall and narrow design found in Samsung’s Fold series. The phone is also said to be equipped with Google’s Tensor SoC, which is currently used in the Pixel 6 devices. However, it may not have the same photography capabilities as the Pixel phones. The phone is said to include a 12.2MP Sony IMX363 primary camera, which we’ve seen in the Pixel 3 to Pixel 5a range. It will be equipped with a 12MP IMX386 ultra-wide-angle sensor. The handset will have an 8-megapixel selfie camera at the front. To know more details about the Pixel Notepad foldable phone, we may have to wait a little longer.
Also Read: Oppo Reno 7 Series set to launch on Feb. 4: Check expected price and specs
To provide lending products to merchant partners and consumers, Fullerton India and One97 Communications Limited, that owns digital payments and financial services platform Paytm, have announced a partnership. With the partnership, the two institutions will leverage data-driven insights and wide reach to bring credit to new-to-credit users.
The program will offer Paytm Postpaid (buy-now-pay-later) to millions of consumers on the Paytm platform while utilizing Fullerton’s deep risk assessment capabilities and scale. Fullerton India and Paytm will further expand their product offerings to include instant personal loans, which are end-to-end digitally originated and disbursed using Paytm’s technology and Fullerton’s pan India presence.
The partnership will also offer merchant loans across the country. The two organizations would establish a wide network, specifically catering to MSMEs across small cities and towns, and help them grow their business. They aim to co-create innovative merchant loan products using customer payment behaviour.
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Bhavesh Gupta, CEO, Paytm Lending said, “We have seen great adoption of the lending products among consumers and merchants on our platform. We believe that there is a massive opportunity to provide access to credit to merchants in small cities and towns. We continue to solely focus on helping our blue-chip lending partners, to bring seamless credit products to our customers and merchants. Consumer credit has been growing exponentially through products like Paytm Postpaid and Personal Loans, which we believe can be further expanded through our partnership with Fullerton India.”
Shantanu Mitra, CEO & MD of Fullerton India, said, “We at Fullerton India believe that buy-now-pay-later is the present and, in the future, too, will continue to offer opportunities to drive exponential growth in digital lending across customer segments. We understand the importance of timely & convenient credit facilities for merchants and small businesses at the time of business transactions and orders. With Paytm, we aim to cater to a wider customer set of individual consumers, merchants, and business owners by offering faster, seamless, more affordable finance with minimum documentation to fulfill their financial needs. Customers will also be able to repay the loans on this platform.”
Also, Read Here; WhatsApp rolls out new features for iPhone users.
With a proven record, U&i has captivated their fan-base with state-of-the-art products, the brand has added a series of products to their premium collection. The newly launched products include Airlift Series Powerbank, Blast Series Charging and Data transmission cable, Star Series Cable, Titan Series Charging and Data Transmission cable and USB-C to Lightning Cable.
U&i Airlift Series Powerbank comes with 20,000mAh power which will give you longer operating times. This is a 6 in 1 Powerbank, which means it comes with 6 different types of ports to charge and that too at the same time. The input of the Micro USB and Type-C is the same, that is, 5V-1A. Its output on the other hand is 5V-1.0/2.0 (MAX). With all these trendy and fresh features, this U&i Powerbank is definitely a tough competition in the market.
U&i Blast Series Charging and Data transmission cable, C to C Fast Charging and Data Transmission Cable comes in a bright and attractive red colour. This cable is made of the best quality copper wire which allows high transmission performance and is even bio-degradable, taking care of our precious environment. It is a 65-Watt cable with C to C fast charging, making this cable a very efficient one. It has a stylish, yet sturdy design and can be used without uncovering your mobile or laptop.
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U&i Star Series Super-Fast Charging and Data Transmission cable comes in an attractive black colour with orange details, making it a very stylish and trendy design. Moreover, this cable consists of threaded wire, reducing the risk of damage to wires as it makes it a very flexible one. It comes with a 4A output, which is quite impressive for a data transmission cable. With super-fast charging, it can be used without uncovering your laptop or mobile. This U&i cable’s wire is made out of authentic and best quality copper, which is one of the most efficient and safe material for electricity and wires.
The U&i Titan Series Charging and Data Transmission cable comes in a soft and flexible, yet stylish and sturdy design for ultimate user experience. It is a 3 in 1 cable, which means it consists of three different types of cables- lightning, type-C and micro-USB. Moreover, you can use all three cables at the same time because of its outstanding output of 3.4 A. This cable’s length is 1.25 metres, making it quite comfortable for the user. Interestingly, this cable’s material is high-quality copper wire, which allows high transmission performance and durability.
The U&i USB-C to Lightning Cable is a very novel and interesting product that is launched. It has a great power delivery and easy data syncing, with a power capacity of 20 Watt. This cable allows high transmission performance, all thanks to the high-quality copper wire it is fitted with. The U&i USB-C to Lightning Cable is 1 metre long and comes with a durable and attractive design. This cable can be used without uncovering your laptop or mobile.
Pricing and Availability:
The U&i Airlift Series Powerbank is priced at INR 2,999.
The U&i Blast Series C to C Fast Charging and Data Transmission Cable is priced at INR 1,199.
The U&i Star Series Super-Fast Charging and Data Transmission cable is priced at INR 599.
The U&i Titan Series Charging and Data Transmission Cable is priced at INR 1,499.
The U&i USB-C to Lightning Cable is priced at INR 699.
These products are backed with 1-year warranty and can be purchased from all leading retail stores.
Also Read: WhatsApp rolls out new features for iPhone users; details inside
Pause and Resume Voice Recordings, Focus Mode to set your iPhone in DND mode and profile picture in the notification are the new features rolled out by the messaging app.
Meta-owned instant messaging app WhatsApp has rolled out new features for iPhone users. The first of them is to pause and resume while recording voice messages.
“The ability to pause and resume voice recordings is finally available on WhatsApp Desktop beta. The feature is already enabled on iOS, and there is no news for Android, unfortunately,” reads a notification issued by WhatsApp.
With the launch of the Pause and Resume Voice Recordings Option, iPhone users will now be able to see a pause button while recording voice messages. The new feature enables users to listen to the voice note before sending it.
Focus mode to set your iPhone in DND mode
With the launch of Focus Mode, iPhone users who have updated to iOS 15 or above, can choose what notifications to receive. Focus mode allows you to put your iPhone in DND mode.
Profile photos in notifications
iPhone users who have upgraded to iOS 15 or later versions will also be able to see the profile photo of the users who send the message to them.
Additionally, messaging app has also enabled the ability to contact WhatsApp Support right within the app. This feature was already enabled in the past but, due to unknown reasons, WhatsApp stopped providing support within the app. This feature is available for users who use the latest updates of WhatsApp.
A feature to animate heart emojis has been rolled out to iOS beta testers: all heart emojis are now animated, not only the red heart one.
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Oppo is coming up with Reno 7 series smartphones in India on February 4. The next iteration of its popular smartphone series is expected to include the Oppo Reno 7 and Oppo Reno 7 Pro. If the reports are to be believed, the handset maker is also likely to bring the Oppo Reno 7SE – a toned-down variant of two siblings.
As per the Oppo India website, the India-specific Oppo Reno 7 Pro seems to be the same as the China-specific model that was launched last year. Although the poster highlights a Blue colour finish, we may get more options at launch.
The Oppo Reno 7 Pro will reportedly house a 32MP Sony IMX709 sensor at the front to capture the sharpest selfies, whereas on the rear, you’ll get a 50MP IMX766 primary sensor to deliver enhanced still images. Oppo had explained that the Sony IMX709 front camera switches from 85-degree to a 90-degree angle when it detects more than two people in the same frame.
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The handset also sports a 6.55-inch 90Hz display with Full-HD+ resolution. Under the hood, it has MediaTek Dimensity 1200 Max chipset with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. It’ll be backed by a 4,500mAh battery with 65W fast charging.
Talking about the Oppo Reno 7, it comes with a 6.43-inch 90Hz display with Full-HD+ resolution. Other notable features include the Snapdragon 778G SoC. It gets triple rear cameras, a 32MP Sony IMX709 sensor, and has a 4,500mAh battery with 60W Super Flash Charge fast charging support.
The Oppo 7 series is expected to cost you between Rs 25,000 to 45,000, as per reports.
You’ve been using an Android phone and now want to switch to an iPhone? That’s great. However, we guess that figuring out how to move data from Android to iPhone is a major concern for you. Transferring or migrating from Android to iPhone isn’t difficult, but shifting your data without any loss surely is. But don’t be concerned. There are a few simple ways to safely transfer your data from Android to iPhone. If you’re planning to join the iOS clan, here’s how to move data from an Android phone to an iPhone.
Earlier, it was quite a task for Android smartphone users to transfer their data to an iPhone until Apple released Move to iOS app. So, if you’re ready to move your Android data to iOS, you’ll need to first download the ‘Move to iOS’ application on your Android device. The Google Play Store has the app accessible for download. The procedure is simple and requires only a few basic steps to move all of your data from Android to iOS.
Before you start, your Android device has WiFi turned on and both your devices should be plugged into power. You should also double check that you have enough space on your iPhone for the content you are transferring over.
How to migrate from Android to iPhone
Step 1: Set up your new iPhone until you get to the ‘Apps and Data’ screen
Step 2: Select ‘Move Data from Android’ (if you’ve already completed the setup, delete your iOS device and begin again)
Step 3: Open the ‘Move to iOS’ app on your Android phone and select ‘Continue’ on your iPhone
Step 4: Enter the 10 or 12-digit code that is displayed on your iPhone on your Android phone
Step 5: Once the correct code is entered, your Android device will connect with your iPhone over peer-to-peer Wi-Fi network. Wait for the ‘Transfer Data’ screen to appear
Step 6: Select the content on your Android device that you want to move to iOS. This includes your Google account information, bookmarks, messages, contacts, photos, etc. then, tap ‘Continue’
Step 7: Once the transfer process is complete, tap on ‘Continue Setting Up iPhone’ and finish the process.
Also Read: Vivo brings in Y21A affordable smartphone: Check price, specs and more
Expanding its Y Series, Vivo has come up with a new smartphone called Vivo Y21A in India. Priced at Rs 13,990, the all-new smartphone comes in two colour options – Midnight Blue and Diamond Glow. It up for grabs at Vivo India e-store and across all partner retail stores.
The Vivo Y21A smartphone sports a 6.51-inch HD+ Halo display with in-cell technology for immersive viewing experience. It offers 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, with extended RAM 2.0 that makes use of up to 1GB idle ROM space. The smartphone offers a massive 5000mAh battery along with 18W Fast Charge and Vivo Energy Guardian. The handset also offers reverse charging that will turn the smartphone into a power bank.
Yogendra Sriramula, Director, Brand Strategy, Vivo India, said, “The Vivo Y Series is aimed towards millennials who have a penchant for immersive experiences and superior technology. To meet their requirements, we’ve introduced the Vivo Y21A, featuring a large 5000mAh battery. The all-new Y21A provides users with a premium experience by offering best-in-class features. With this launch, we hope to establish a strong portfolio by offering customers a diverse range of smartphones in a variety of categories.”
Design and Display
Vivo Y21A offers an 8.0mm thin body along with 2.5D flat frame that weighs 182g offering a premium design that fits perfectly in the hand. The 6.51-inch HD+ (1600×720) Halo display with in-cell technology, sporting an immersive design for social-savvy users who smoothly glide past their social media feeds, play games, and binge-watch their favourite content. The additional Eye Protection Mode filters out the harmful blue light for a more comfortable viewing experience.
The smartphone also includes a fast and accurate side fingerprint sensor and face wake that unlocks the phone. The back panel of Y21A is inspired by deep shade of blue with a subtle shine and a unique innovative texture that dazzles.
Smartphone Experience
Vivo Y21A features a massive 5000mAh battery with 18W Fast Charge technology. The Multi Turbo 5.0 enhances data connection, system processor speed and power-saving performance to a whole new level even after prolonged usage. A cooling solution across four components keeps Y21A cool even in intense combat. In addition, the newly-updated Ultra Game Mode offers a fuller sensory and enhanced gaming experience. Apart from this, the extended RAM feature uses up to 1GB of idle ROM space, making switching between your favourite apps seamless.
Photography Performance
The device houses a 13MP primary sensor and a 2MP super macro camera. It is also supported by a wide range of features, including Personalized Portrait Mode, Super HDR and Super Night Mode providing a delightful photography experience. On the front, the device boasts an 8MP selfie camera with AI beautification mode that captures stunning selfies in any lighting condition.
Also Read:Oppo Reno 7 Series set to launch on Feb. 4: Check expected price and specs
