Xiaomi Black Shark 2 with Snapdragon 855 Plus chipset is launching on July 30 in China

Last week, Qualcomm announced an overclocked variant of the Snapdragon 855 processor, the Snapdragon 855 Plus. Since then, many OEMs including, Asus, and Nubia have announced on their respective Weibo handles that they will be updating their gaming smartphones with the latest, overclocked flagship chipset soon. Asus will launch the ROG Phone 2 on July 23, and now, Xiaomi has announced that it will be launching the Black Shark 2 Pro on July 30. However, the Black Shark 2 was launched in May, and has barely been in the market for three months.

Last year, the launch of Xiaomi Black Shark was followed by the Black Shark Helo, which was a more powerful version of the gaming smartphone. Coming to the Black Shark 2 Pro, the device will be powered by Qualcomm’s latest processor - the Snapdragon 855 Plus. As for the other specifications, it is expected to keep the same specs as the Black Shark 2. Furthermore, the Chinese manufacturer might include a higher refresh rate display panel on the device, for a higher price point.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus is basically an overclocked variant of the Snapdragon 855. According to the company, it boasts a 15 percent performance boost over Snapdragon 855. The latest processor is also overclocked from 2.84 GHz to 2.96 GHz, which equals to a 4 percent increase.

As for other specifications, the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 features a 6.39-inch AMOLED display with a 1080 x 2340 pixel resolution, and sports a 60Hz refresh rate. The phone features a “direct touch multilayer liquid cooling system” technology which, the company claims, keeps the temperature of the CPU 14-degrees cooler during intense gaming sessions.

The phone also sports a dual rear camera setup: a 48MP Quad Bayer sensor and a 12MP sensor. There is a 20MP sensor at the front. It packs a 4,000mAh battery with 27W fast charging support. The gaming smartphone has up to 12GB RAM and 256GB of internal storage.

According to a post on Weibo, the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro will be launched on July 30. We have no details about the pricing of the new gaming phone yet.  

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Indian techie awarded 30,000 for finding flaw in Instagram

Instagram has awarded an Indian techie $30,000 (approx Rs 20,64,500) for finding a bug in the mobile recovery flow of the Facebook-owned photo and video sharing app. Chennai-based security researcher Laxman Muthiyah said that Facebook and Instagram security teams have fixed the issue and rewarded him as a part of their bounty programme. “I reported the vulnerability to the Facebook security team and they were unable to reproduce it initially due to lack of information in my report. After a few emails and proof of concept video, I could convince them the attack is feasible,” Muthiyah wrote in a blog post.

Here’s how he found the bug:

In a nutshell, the hacking was done in three simple steps:

Triggering a password reset. Requesting a recovery code. Quickly trying out every possible recovery code against the account.

While looking for an account takeover vulnerability, the techie turned his attention to the Instagram forgot password endpoint. This is a process that helps users recover their account password if they have, by chance, forgotten it. Muthiyah first tried to compromise an account through Instagram web, however, due to the strong link-based password reset mechanism, he failed. He then turned his attention towards the mobile recovery flow where he found a susceptible behaviour. 

“When a user enters his/her mobile number, they will be sent a six-digit passcode to their mobile number. They have to enter it to change their password. Therefore if we are able to try all the one million codes on the verify-code endpoint, we would be able to change the password for any account,” he said. Muthiyah’s tests show rate limiting, a mechanism put in place to control the amount of incoming and outgoing traffic to or from a network.

He claims that he sent thousands of requests to check whether Instagram’s systems are validating and rate limiting the requests properly. He found he was able to send requests continuously without getting blocked. In order to be able to change the password, he needed the code (which was sent to the account user’s registered mobile number). So there was only one, hit-and-trial, method that could have provided him with success. 

“Sending concurrent requests using multiple IPs allowed me to send a large number of requests without getting limited. The number of requests we can send is dependent on concurrency of reqs and the number of IPs we use. Also, I realised that the code expires in 10 minutes, it makes the attack even harder, therefore we need 1000s of IPs to perform the attack,” he explained. 

For a single person, it’s very difficult to send so many requests from different IPs in a short span of time, but according to Paul Ducklin, Senior Technologist at Sophos, cyber crooks with one or more botnets at their disposal could probably activate 5000 simultaneous connections from 5000 different IP numbers all over the world at a moment’s notice.

Ducklin says that although Instagram has plugged the flaw to save accounts from this attack if a user receives an account recovery code or a password reset message that you didn’t request, report it. It means that someone other than the user is probably trying to take over the account, hoping that the user won’t notice until after they’ve had a crack at getting in.

This is not the first time that Muthiyah has found a flaw in a Facebook app. In the past, he uncovered a data deletion flaw and a data disclosure bug on Facebook. The first bug meant he could have zapped all photos without knowing a user’s password. The second meant that he could have tricked a user into installing an innocent-looking mobile app that could riffle through all user’s Facebook pictures without being given access to your account.

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Google Pixel 4, Pixel 4XL to have 6GB RAM, bigger display: Report

Google Pixel 4 lineup is still a few months away from being announced, but that isn’t keeping the rumour mill quite. This time even Google confirmed the design of the upcoming flagships by tweeting a picture from one of its Twitter accounts, which confirmed the dual camera setup on the Pixel 4 lineup. Today, a report from BGR, allegedly coming from “reliable inside source,” has confirmed some of the rumours for the screen size and the amount of RAM the upcoming flagships will sport.

According to the report, the Google Pixel 4 is expected to have a 2280x1080 resolution with a 19:9 aspect ratio. Similarly, the Pixel 4XL is touted to sport a 3040x1440 resolution display with the same, 19:9 aspect ratio. In contrast, the Pixel 3 and 3XL had an 18:9 display at 2160x1080 resolution and an 18.5:9 display at 2960x1440 resolution respectively. It looks like the successors of the Pixel 3 series are expected to sport a bigger display this year.

The report also claims that both the smartphones, Pixel 4/4XL will have 128GB of storage. However, it is still unclear if that will be the base variant. Coming to the RAM, here’s the upcoming big change. The Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4XL could come with 6GB RAM, which would be the first time for any Pixel device to have more than 4GB RAM. 

Other rumoured specifications of the Google Pixel 4/4XL include Snapdragon 855 under the hood and a dual-camera setup with inclusion of a 16GB telephoto lens. The Pixel 4 series would also be the first Google devices to come with more than one cameras at the back.

The Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL are expected to launch sometime in October, so there’s plenty of time for more leaks to happen. 

Source

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Huawei could launch pop-up camera phone under Rs 20,000 this month

If you are up to date with smartphone launches of today, it is not difficult to understand how phone manufacturers are trying to woo customers. Almost all smartphone makers are trying to bring triple cameras, pop-up front camera module and other enticing features to the mid-range segment. However, Huawei is yet to announce any handset with a triple camera or a pop-up camera in India but this might soon change. As per ongoing rumours, the company is planning to introduce its first pop-up camera smartphone in India by the end of this month. This handset could be a mid-range handset that could be priced under Rs 20,000. 

If the ongoing rumours turn out to be true, it is possible that Huawei might announce the Huawei Y9 Prime or the P Smart Z in the country. Both phones come equipped with a pop-up front camera and feature triple rear cameras. The company would then be taking on handsets from rivals like Oppo, Vivo, Redmi and Realme. Speaking of Realme, the company recently announced its mid-range Realme X smartphone in the country. It is possible that the upcoming rumoured handset by Huawei might directly compete against the Realme X. 

The Realme X is powered by a Snapdragon 710 chipset and comes with up to 8GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage. It comes equipped with a 6.53-inch Super AMOLED display with a 19.5:9 display aspect ratio and the screen has a 2340 x 1080 pixel resolution. Backed by a 3745mAh battery that supports 20W VOOC charging, the handset also sports an in-display fingerprint scanner. The handset runs Android 9 Pie with ColorOS 6 on top. 

In terms of optics, the Realme X (review) is equipped with a dual-rear camera setup, which includes a 48MP primary Sony IMX586 sensor and a secondary 5MP depth sensor. The camera comes with features like Nightscape and Chroma Boost.  In Addition, the 16MP front camera is housed in the pop-up front camera mechanism. 

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Oppo K3 to be launched in India today: Expected price, specifications, and more

The Oppo K3 will be launched in India tonight. The phone was launched in China a couple of months ago. Although the company has already set up a dedicated page on Amazon, the price of the Oppo K3 will be revealed during an event tonight. The online listing also showcases a lot of features of the new K-series smartphone -- a full screen design, pop-up selfie camera, VOOC 3.0 fast charging, and much more. The phone should come in Purple and Black gradient finishes. Moreover, the Oppo K3 will be an online-only smartphone, which will be made available on the Oppo online store and Amazon.in. The e-commerce giant is also taking down names and contact details of interested consumers ahead of the launch later today.

Oppo K3 specifications

The Oppo K3 features a 6.5-inch full-HD+ (1080x2340) AMOLED display with an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. It also features a full-screen design, meaning that the fingerprint sensor resides under the display, and the selfie-camera is housed in a pop-up camera module. The smartphone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 SoC, paired with up to 8GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage. It packs a 3765mAh battery with support for the company’s VOOC 3.0 fast charging technology. 

On the optics front, Oppo K3 sports a dual camera setup: a 16MP primary camera with f/1.7 lens + a 2MP depth sensor. It also has a 16MP front camera for your selfie needs. Coming to the connectivity, it supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, 4G LTE and USB Type-C port.

Oppo K3 India price and availability

The Oppo K3 pricing and availability will be announced at the event later today, but we do know the price of the phone in China. It is priced at CNY 1,599 (approx Rs 16,100) for the base 6GB RAM + 64GB storage variant. The 6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant comes with a price tag of CNY 1,899 (approx Rs 19,100), whereas the top-end 8GB RAM + 256GB storage variant costs CNY 2,299 (approx Rs 23,200).

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Google Stadia Controller wont support Bluetooth headsets at launch

Google Stadia controller will connect directly to the Stadia server using Wi-Fi to help with the problem of lag while gaming. This is an impressive feature for a cloud gaming service. However, those looking to connect their Bluetooth gaming headsets to the controller will be left a little disappointed. In a Reddit AMA, with Andrey Doronichev, Director of Product for Stadia at Google addressed a question regarding Bluetooth audio support. He said, “The Stadia Controller comes with a headphone jack for wired audio, but won’t support Bluetooth audio at launch in November. If you’re playing on the computer or a Pixel phone you can connect the BT headset to it directly and use it in Stadia.”

What this means is that those who purchased the Founder's Edition of Google Stadia, which comes with a Chromecast Ultra for your TV, will not be able to connect a Bluetooth headset to the controller. The workaround is that users who will play games on their PC or Pixel devices will be able to connect their Bluetooth headset directly to the smartphone or PC for audio. 

For Bluetooth connectivity, the Staida product page says, “Product contains Bluetooth Classic radio. No Bluetooth Classic functionality is enabled at this time. Bluetooth Classic functionality may be implemented at a later date.” This means that the controller does support Bluetooth but it is disabled at the moment. It will be enabled in the future. 

Making a controller futureproof isn't something new. When Sony launched the PS4, the controller that came with the console had a glowing light bar in the front that couldn't be switched off. Consumers wondered what the functionality of this light bar was. It was much later when Sony unveiled the PSVR headset that it was understood that the controller could be tracked by the headset using the light bar. 

Coming back to Stadia, the game streaming service will be launched in November in Belgium, Finland, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the USA. Sadly, India is not a part of the list and there is no information when the service will come to the country.

Coming to the pricing of the service, note that there will be two versions of the cloud gaming service that you can opt for - Stadia Base and Stadia Pro. Stadia Base is free while Stadia Pro is $9.99 per month. But remember, Stadia Base will be available in 2020 only. To get access to Stadia Pro, gamers will have to invest in the $129 Founders Edition bundle. The bundle includes a limited-edition Night Blue Stadia controller, a Chromecast Ultra, three-month subscription to Stadia Pro, and a buddy pass that you can give to a friend or family member (three months) and access to Destiny 2: The Collection. We have a detailed FAQ answering all your questions about Stadia and you can check that out here. You can also understand how Google Stadia works here.

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Instagram will now warn users before disabling account

Despite heavy automation of the entire process, content moderation on a social media platform like Instagram can be tricky, especially when there are a billion active users uploading images to it every single day. Previously, if a post was found to be in violation of Instagram’s content rules, the uploader’s account would be disabled without warning. Now, however, Instagram says it has revised some of its rules on account disabling. Instagram will now warn users if their account is in danger of being shut down.

In a recent news release, the Facebook-owned social networking service writes that it is introducing a new notification process to help users understand if their Instagram account is at risk of being disabled. “This notification will also offer the opportunity to appeal content deleted. To start, appeals will be available for content deleted for violations of our nudity and pornography, bullying and harassment, hate speech, drug sales, and counter-terrorism policies, but we’ll be expanding appeals in the coming months,” writes Instagram.

This is how the new notification will look.

Even in the past, Instagram has offered its users a chance to appeal if their account was shut down mistakenly by the service for any violatations but now, the difference is that users will first be warned about a possible account closure, giving them a chance either to appeal against Instagram’s decision or remove their offensive post(s). In the past, users have reportedly had their accounts disabled temporarily for posting images that portray breastfeeding, nudity in art, etc.

In addition to the notification feature for accounts that are on the brink of closure, Instagram is rolling out a new moderation policy. The company says, “in addition to removing accounts with a certain percentage of violating content, we will also remove accounts with a certain number of violations within a window of time.” The company believes that such policies are more in line with those followed by parent company Facebook and that they will be more effective in holding users accountable for what they share online.

Inline image courtesy: Instagram

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