Category: Tech

Google to Kill Third-Party Android Call Recording Apps on May 11 by Restricting Accessibility API

Google recently updated its Play Store policy to restrict third-party applications from providing the ability to record calls on recent versions of Android. The Android maker had previously blocked apps from recording calls via the microphone with the launch of Android 10 in September 2019. Google is now cutting off another avenue used by developers — the Accessibility API, from being used for call recording on Android. First party dialler apps and the Google Dialer pre-installed on phones will still be able to record phone calls, depending on the region and manufacturer.

In a post to the Google Play Console support website, the company recently announced it was updating various policies, including the use of the Accessibility API, or application programming interface. Utilised by apps designed to help users with disabilities on Android, the Accessibility API is also used by many popular apps on the Play Store, including ACR Phone and Truecaller, to offer call recording functionality. “The Accessibility API is not designed and cannot be requested for remote call audio recording,” the company explains in the post, a point reiterated in a webinar. The new policy will go into effect on May 11.

The developer of ACR Phone, one of the apps that uses the Accessibility API to provide call recording functionality for calls on Android phones, took to Reddit to explain how the changes would affect third-party call recording apps. With the release of Android 10, Google blocked all applications (including call recording apps) from accessing the device’s microphone to record audio during calls, in order to protect user privacy and to comply with call recording laws across the world. Developers began to request the Accessibility API in order to continue offering call recording functionality on phones running Android 10 or later.

Apps that request the Accessibility API to record calls will have to stop doing so by May 11, according to Google’s updated policy. This means that users who are running on Android 10 or newer versions of Google’s operating system will no longer be able to record apps using third-party apps. However, users on specific devices and in specific regions may be able to record calls using the built-in dialler app. According to a comment from the ACR Phone developer, this is because system apps or Google apps can access the VOICE_CALL audio source on Android phones — this is not accessible to third party apps, according to the developer.

With the May 11 deadline approaching, users may soon have to resort to sideloading, or installing apps from third-party sources, in order to continue recording calls using third-party apps on Android — a risky process that could result in the installation of unvetted or maliciously modified applications downloaded from third-party websites on the Internet. Google is yet to specify whether existing call recording apps who continue to request the Accessibility API will be removed from the Play Store when the new policy goes into effect.

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Binance Limits Services In Russia After EU Sanctions

Binance, the largest crypto exchange by trading volumes, said on Thursday it is limiting services for Russian nationals that have crypto assets exceeding EUR 10,000 (roughly Rs. 8,31,500), in light of European Union’s (EU) latest sanctions against Russia.

Earlier this month, the EU in its fifth package of sanctions against Moscow, had targeted crypto wallets, banks, currencies and trusts to close potential loopholes that could allow Russians to move money abroad.

Russian nationals or legal entities in Russia who have crypto account balances that exceed EUR 10,000 will be given 90 days to close their positions, Binance said.

The exchange also said accounts affected by EU’s restrictions will be put into a withdrawal-only mode and no deposits or trading will be permitted.

The announcement comes after Binance said last month cardholders of sanctioned Russian banks would not be able to use them on their platform and confirmed that sanctioned individuals have had their access restricted.

© Thomson Reuters 2022

Cryptocurrency is an unregulated digital currency, not a legal tender and subject to market risks. The information provided in the article is not intended to be and does not constitute financial advice, trading advice or any other advice or recommendation of any sort offered or endorsed by NDTV. NDTV shall not be responsible for any loss arising from any investment based on any perceived recommendation, forecast or any other information contained in the article.

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Apple’s Messages Feature That Blurs Nudity for Child Safety Now Rolling Out Globally

Apple is globally releasing a communication safety feature for Messages that is intended to prevent children from viewing or sharing images that contain nudity. This feature has been live in the US since December 2021. It is designed to automatically detect and blur nude images being sent or received by a child. This feature is turned off by default and can be activated at any time by parents on their child’s Apple device. It prompts children to make safe choices and even contact an adult regarding the flagged photo.

After being initially reported by The Guardian that Apple‘s child safety feature is arriving in the UK, AppleInsider also added that the feature is rolling out in Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. The Cupertino company says that the Messages app uses on-device machine learning to scan images for nudity, which also prevents Apple from directly accessing these photos.

Apple communication safety in Messages: How to activate

First, parents have to make sure that their Apple devices are updated to iOS 15.2 or later, iPadOS 15.2 or later, or macOS Monterey 12.1 or later. In addition, they need to register their child’s device with its Apple ID and add it to a Family Sharing group. They can look for the Screen Time settings on their Apple devices and select their child’s device. From there, they have to select Communication Safety and turn on the Check for Sensitive Photos settings. Parents might require the Screen Time passcode for the selected device.

From here on out, the Messages app would automatically blur images that it detects to contain nudity. Children will then be prompted to contact an adult that they can trust. Furthermore, if the child is below the age of 13 years, Messages automatically asks them to get in touch with their parents or guardians.

You can read the official post by Apple on its support page to get more information regarding this feature.

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HealthifyMe Launches HealthifyPro, Its Flagship Health and Fitness Plan With a Biosensor System

Binance Limits Services In Russia After EU Sanctions



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Google’s Project Zero Says 2021 Was Year With the Most Zero-Day Exploits

Google’s Project Zero is its in-house team of cybersecurity experts and analysts, who look at advanced threats, has detected a record number of exploits in 2021. In a blog post, the team, known as Project Zero, announced that these zero-day vulnerabilities and exploits had reached a record-breaking number of 58. Project Zero was formed in 2014. In 2015, the team detected 28 exploits, which were reduced to 25 in the year 2020. A growing number of cyber-attacks and the popularity of cryptocurrency can be the reasons behind this spike. But according to Google, the spike detected, this time, is due to improvements in detecting and reporting zero-day occurrences. 

In a blog post, the Project Zero team stated that most of the zero-day exploit uses were “similar to previous publicly known vulnerabilities.” Only two events stood out for their “technological sophistication.” So, the increased number doesn’t suggest a more dangerous situation than the previous year when it comes to zero-day vulnerabilities.

If you are wondering what exactly is a zero-day vulnerability, here’s the answer. A zero-day vulnerability stands for security flaws that developers have just got to know about. As a result, they don’t have any day to fix the flaw. Undetected zero-day vulnerabilities may result in data breaches and ransomware attacks. 

While Google’s Project Zero focuses on better detection methods, it does not overlook the need to minimise the risk of zero-day vulnerabilities. Online security still remains a major concern for individual users as well as businesses.

To keep yourself protected against malware and ransomware, it’s always a good idea to keep the software updated. Software updates regularly fix the flaws that can cause some data breaches. Using a good antivirus and VPN is the next step to keeping your online activity safe and secure. 

Project Zero is striving to “make 0-day hard.” However, the team faces a challenge. The blog post added, “Unfortunately, attackers who actively use 0-day exploits do not share the 0-days they’re using or what percentage of 0-days we’re missing in our tracking, so we’ll never know exactly what proportion of 0-days are currently being found and disclosed publicly.”

Project Zero has also shared the spreadsheet where it has been tracking zero-day exploits since 2014.

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First Real Full-Screen iPhone With Face ID, Under Display Camera to Come in 2024: Ming-Chi Kuo

The first real full-screen iPhone may arrive in 2024, as per analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The handset could be a part of iPhone 16 series and the first in the iPhone series to feature under-display Face ID along with an under-screen front camera. This year’s iPhone 14 series smartphones’ screen sizes were also leaked last month by a tipster. Previous leaks have indicated that Apple iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max could sport taller screens this year to accommodate a new pill-shaped hole punch cutout rumoured to replace the display notch on previous iPhone generations.

According to TF International Securities veteran analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the real full-screen iPhone will hit the market in 2024. He said, “I think the real full-screen iPhone will come in 2024. High-end iPhones in 2024 would adopt an under-display front camera alongside the under-display Face ID. A low-light condition is detrimental to front camera quality, and ISP & algorithm are critical for quality improvements.”

In an earlier tweet, Kuo had suggested that under-display Face ID will come to Apple for the first time in 2024. He had also opined that Apple’s decision to bring out this feature by 2024 is more for a marketing purpose than a technical issue, but now the latest tweet suggests that perhaps there were indeed some tech obstacles to cross.

iPhone 14 series smartphones’ screen sizes were also leaked last month by a tipster. According to the leak, iPhone 14 will come with a 6.06-inch flexible OLED screen while the iPhone 14 Pro will sport a 6.06-inch flexible OLED LTPO screen. The iPhone 14 Max will reportedly feature a 6.68-inch flexible OLED screen and the iPhone 14 Pro Max will sport a 6.68-inch OLED LTPO screen.

A previous report also suggested that iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max could sport taller screens this year to accommodate a new pill-shaped hole punch cutout, which is said to replace the display notch of previous iPhone generations.

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Jasmin Jose is a sub-editor at Gadgets 360. She has directed investigative documentaries, PSAs, and video features covering arts, culture, science, and general news in the past.  She believes in the power of the Internet and is constantly looking out for the next new technology that is going to transform life on earth. When not doing things news, she can be found reading fiction, physics or philosophy, plucking berries, or talking cinema. Write to her at jasminj@ndtv.com or get in touch on
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Google Pixel Watch Render Leak Shows Fitbit Integration, Tipped to Launch Soon



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AMD Ryzen Pro 6000 Series CPUs for Business Laptops Announced, Promising Performance and Security

AMD has announced new details of its Ryzen Pro 6000 Series laptop CPUs as well as refreshed Ryzen Pro 5000 series models, all of which are aimed at business users. This follows their initial introduction at CES 2022, along with the standard Ryzen 6000 CPUs for consumer laptops . The new Ryzen Pro 6000 series CPUs are based on the ‘Zen 3+’ architecture and feature integrated GPUs built using the RDNA2 architecture. Efficiency is a big push with this generation, which is manufactured on a 6nm process. AMD is touting all-day battery life and modern connectivity as well as manageability standards, which should appeal to IT managers who now have to cater to remote work requirements.

The new Ryzen Pro 6000 models are largely equivalent to Ryzen 6000 mobile CPUs for mainstream laptops that have already been announced. AMD says its “business-ready” CPUs are generally available to OEMs for 24 months with an 18-month software stability commitment, enhanced quality assurance, and an ongoing validation process for stability. AMD has worked with Microsoft to implement platform-level security capabilities including the Microsoft Pluton framework. OEM-level security measures can also be implemented, such as Lenovo’s ThinkShield and HP’s Sure Start which allow for recovery and manageability.

HP and Lenovo are in fact among AMD’s launch partners, as are Asus, Acer and Dell. Lenovo has announced its ThinkPad Z13 and ThinkPad Z16 which exclusively use AMD’s Ryzen Pro CPUs including the exclusive Ryzen 7 Pro 6860Z model. The companies say they have worked together to co-design and engineer these laptops for maximum efficiency. 

The lineup spans AMD’s H-series and U-series product tiers, indicating 35-45W and 28W thermal design envelopes for high-performance and mainstream portable laptop designs. The top-end Ryzen 9 Pro 6950H features eight CPU cores with multi-threading, a 4.9GHz peak clock speed, and 20MB of total cache memory. Even the base Ryzen 5 Pro 6650U features six cores and 12 threads with a 4.5GHz boost clock speed.

The newly announced Ryzen Pro 5000 models all have 15W TDPs and have either four, six, or eight cores. However, these use the older Zen 3 architecture. These will likely appear in lower-cost laptops.

Power efficiency improvements have been realised through the Zen 3+ core architecture, the 6nm manufacturing process, new chip-level and platform-level power states, and new firmware enhancements. Support for LPDDR5 RAM and lower-power displays with panel self-refresh technology should help OEMs advertise better battery life than ever. AMD claims up to 35 percent less power is used for video conferencing and up to 32 percent less for video streaming; both growing use cases, although the exact usage conditions and hardware will affect these figures. 

Laptop availability will depend on OEMs, though launches should be announced in the near future.

  

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OnePlus 10R 5G Teased to Feature 120Hz Fluid Display, Nord CE 2 Lite Will Pack 5,000mAh Battery

OnePlus 10R 5G is all set to launch in India on April 28, alongside OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite. Just a week ahead of the launch, the Chinese smartphone company has revealed several details about the upcoming OnePlus smartphones offering a glimpse into their camera, battery, and fast charging capabilities. OnePlus 10R 5G is confirmed to feature a 120Hz fluid display with adaptive frame rate. OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite is teased to pack a 5,000mAh battery with support for 33W SUPERVOOC fast charging. Further, it will include artificial intelligence (AI) backed triple rear camera unit headlined by a 64-megapixel main sensor.

OnePlus, via dedicated landing pages on its website, teased the specifications of both OnePlus 10R 5Gand OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite. As mentioned, the OnePlus 10R 5G is confirmed to sport 120Hz fluid display with adaptive frame rates. Being a game-focused handset, it will have the HyperBoost gaming engine and will offer support for 150W fast charging which is claimed to fully charge the phone’s battery in 17 minutes.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite, on the other hand, will have 64-megapixel AI triple rear camera unit. The smartphone will be backed by a 5,000mAh battery with support for 33W fast charging. The handset will be launched in Ocean Blue shade.

OnePlus has already announced that the launch of OnePlus 10R 5G and OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite will take place on April 28 in India. Since then, the company has been teasing smartphones via its social media handles and dedicated microsites for the past few days. The presence of MediaTek Dimensity 8100-MAX SoC on the upcoming OnePlus 10R 5G is already confirmed by the company. It will come with a 4,500mAh battery. OnePlus 10R could be offered in two variants. It will have a variant with support for 150W fast charging and another variant with an 80W charging support. The smartphone is expected to be a rebranded version of the Realme GT Neo 3, which was launched in March.

The OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G is tipped to sport a 6.59-inch display. It is said to be powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 695 SoC, paired with up to 8GB of RAM. The handset could be equipped with up to 256GB of inbuilt storage. OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G is expected to pack a 16-megapixel selfie sensor as well.

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iPhone 14 Series Design Suggested Through Case Moulds

iPhone 14 series design has been suggested through an image that has emerged online. The image appears to show the back aesthetics of the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, and a new iPhone model that is rumoured as the iPhone 14 Max. All new iPhone models appear to have a camera bump at the back — similar to the iPhone 13 family. However, the iPhone 14 Pro versions seem to have a thicker bump over the one available on the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max.

A tipster on Weibo has shared the image that apparently shows the aluminium moulds of the iPhone 14 models. These could be made specifically for use in producing third-party cases for the next-generation iPhone models.

One of the biggest changes that the image suggests in the iPhone 14 lineup is the lack of the 5.4-inch ‘mini’ model. Several reports in the past indicated that Apple is planning to not unveil the iPhone 14 mini as the successor to the iPhone 13 mini.

The lineup in the image, thus, shows four new iPhone models, where one of them is the 6.1-inch option that could debut as the iPhone 14 Max — the new, relatively affordable iPhone in the series.

Additionally, the image suggests that the camera bump on the new models is more prominent over the one we had on last year’s versions — especially in case of the purported iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Last month, tipster Max Weinbach showed alleged iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max design schematics. The tipster claimed that the iPhone 14 Pro would measure 147.46×71.45×7.85mm, suggesting a slightly thicker and taller variant over the iPhone 13 Pro, which is 146.70×71.50×7.65mm in dimensions.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max, on the other hand, was tipped to be 160.7×77.58×7.85mm. This suggests a shorter and narrower build but slightly thicker in size over the iPhone 13 Pro Max which measures 160.8×78.1×7.65mm.

Apple could be able to fit in an improved camera setup on the iPhone 14 Pro models by moderately increasing the camera bump.

Ming-Chi Kuo, a prominent Apple analyst who often predicts next-generation devices coming from the Cupertino company, recently suggested that there would be an upgraded 48-megapixel camera sensor on both iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. The existing Pro models have a 12-megapixel camera system.

Exact details on the launch of the iPhone 14 series are yet to be revealed. However, Apple is suggested to schedule its announcement for some time in September.

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Realme Q5i with Dimensity 810 SoC, 5,000mAh Battery Launched in China: Price, Specifications

Realme has released the Realme Q5i smartphone in China, which is part of the new Q5 lineup. This new series also features the vanilla Realme Q5 and the Realme Q5 Pro which are set to release during the April 20 launch event. The new Q5i handset is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 810 SoC which can support dual-5G connections simultaneously. It features a long-lasting 5,000mAh that is said to offer up to 34 days of standby time. The battery also supports 33W fast charging.

Realme Q5i price, availability

The Realme Q5i is currently only available in China. Its 4GB RAM + 128GB onboard storage variant is priced at CNY 1,199 (roughly Rs. 14,300). On the other hand, the 6GB RAM + 128GB onboard storage model costs CNY 1,299 (roughly Rs. 15,500). Realme has provided Graphite Black and Obsidian Blue colour options for this handset.

Realme Q5i specifications, features

As mentioned earlier, it is powered by a 5G-enabled MediaTek Dimensity 810 SoC. The Realme Q5i has a 6.58-inch full-HD+ (2,400×1,080 pixels) display with a 90Hz refresh rate, 600 nits of brightness, and 180Hz sampling rate. There is a waterdrop-style notch in the front for the selfie camera. It also sports a 13-megapixel dual rear camera setup that includes features like improved night mode, AI ID photography, and portrait mode. Its 5,000mAh battery supports 33W fast charging and is claimed to offer up to 95 hours of uninterrupted music playback.

The Realme Q5i has an 8.1mm ultra-thin body with a kevlar fibre textured design. It runs on Android 12-based Realme UI 3.0. The handset is equipped with Hi-Res certified dual speakers. There is a fast side-mounted fingerprint sensor for instantly unlocking the smartphone. Its dynamic RAM expansion feature provides up to 5GB of added memory for boosting the handset’s performance.

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Siddhant Chandra is a Consultant Sub Editor at Gadgets 360. This is his first foray into the tech space, having made the switch from travel. He holds a keen interest in keeping up with the latest hardware and software developments in the gaming industry. After work, you can mostly find him playing CS:GO with his buds, where he has clocked over 3K hours. You can reach him at siddhantc@ndtv.com.
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iPhone 14 Series Design Suggested Through Case Moulds



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OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G Design Teased in Official Image Ahead of April 28 Launch

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G has been spotted online in an image shared by the company ahead of the phone’s debut in the country. The upcoming OnePlus handset launch date has been set for April 28, the company confirmed earlier this week. The handset is tipped to feature an octa-core Snapdragon 695 SoC, paired with 8GB of RAM. It could feature a triple rear camera setup, with a 64-megapixel primary sensor. The OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G will make its debut in India alongside the OnePlus 10R 5G and the OnePlus Nord Buds.

The image of the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G, posted on Twitter, reveals the rear design of the upcoming OnePlus smartphone. It is shown to sport a triple camera setup that resembles the rear camera module on the Realme 9 Pro+ 5G. The OnePlus logo is located in the centre of the rear panel, while the power button is located on the right side of the phone. The bottom of the phone also suggests that the smartphone may come with a 3.5mm headphone jack located at the bottom of the device.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G price in India (expected)

According to previous reports, the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G could have a starting price of Rs. 20,000. Details of official pricing, along with RAM and storage variants for the smartphone are expected to be announced on April 28.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G specifications (expected)

The OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G is tipped to sport a 6.59-inch display. It is said to be powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 695 SoC, paired with up to 8GB of RAM. The handset could be equipped with up to 256GB of inbuilt storage, according to a report.

For photos and videos, the smartphone is said to feature a triple camera setup featuring a 64-megapixel primary camera, along with a front-facing 16-megapixel camera for selfies and video calls. The upcoming OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G is tipped to pack a 5,000mAh battery with support for 33W fast charging. OnePlus is yet to officially reveal specifications for the smartphone ahead of the April 28 launch event.

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