Friday, September 30, 2022

Latest Tech News

If there’s anything we’ve learned from the events of the past several years, it’s that creativity and productivity can happen anywhere. No longer must makers, creators, and dreamers be tethered to an office or a kitchen table to do their best work. 

And just as people shouldn’t be held back by where they work, they also shouldn’t be limited by their tools. Laptops have become essential to getting work done today, so whatever you do, you need a laptop that can keep up with you – and maybe even inspire you. 

Acer is no stranger to making high-quality, powerful, affordable laptops, and the company’s updated Swift lineup continues that trend by offering the latest-generation, performance-ready Intel or AMD processors, beautiful displays, and a premium design at a price to fit any budget.

Made for makers

Unleash a Swift notebook on even the most demanding projects. With extreme performance condensed within a thin and light metal chassis, creation becomes portable and so do you. 

Acer has built several innovative cooling features into the Swift lineup to ensure it can handle even the most intense creative session. There’s also plenty of ports to connect all the essential accessories and great FHD screens designed to deliver the most accurate colors. 

And Acer’s OceanGlass trackpad – available on the latest Swift 5 – is great for the environment, helping to preserve the planet for the next generation of makers.   

Tthe Swift series provides up to 16 hours of battery life.

(Image credit: Acer)

Exceptional performance anywhere

Creating on the go also means freedom from battery anxiety: no constant worrying where the next outlet is. Thankfully, the Swift series provides up to 16 hours of battery life inside an ultra-lightweight design without having to compromise the screen size or ports.  

Plus, the Swift series is backed by either powerful Intel® Core™ processors and Iris Xe graphics or AMD Ryzen™ processors and NVIDIA® graphics, with plenty of RAM and storage to give creators all the tools they need.

Equipped for entertainment 

When the hard work is done and it’s time to relax, the ultrasharp, colorful screens on the Swift lineup make it perfectly suited for kicking back with a good movie. 

When the work starts up again, Swift laptops are capable of high-quality imagery even in low-light conditions. They’re designed with impressive screen-to-body ratio options and powerful color technology, and thanks to options like Acer PurifiedVoice with AI Noise Reduction, video calling and sound have never been so good.

Acer’s Swift laptops are perfectly designed to provide makers with everything they need to create their best work anywhere.

(Image credit: Acer)

It takes a lot of hard work to create the art and technology that drive society, and those who make it shouldn’t be held back by inferior tools. Acer’s Swift laptops are perfectly designed to provide makers with the power, performance, and portability they need to create their best work wherever they are. 

Great tools shouldn’t come at a high price either. Acer has a range of Swift laptops, including these three that are perfect for any budget: 

The Swift 3 packs heavyweight performance in a lightweight shell. 

The Swift 5 delivers power and award-winning thermal design in a premium package.

The Swift X is built to handle the most demanding tasks.

Shop all Swift laptops on Amazon now. 



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Thursday, September 29, 2022

National Coffee Day 2022: Dunkin', Starbucks, Panera Serve up Free Coffee and Other Deals - CNET

Satisfy your caffeine fix and get a great deal.

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Latest Tech News

Dyson Supersonic deals can sometimes bring those lofty MSRPs down to far more manageable positions - even if they're particularly rare occurrences. While discounts can be hard to find - after all, this is one of the best hair dryers on the market - finding a saving can be particularly lucrative considering the $429 / £429 starting cost. We've seen those prices drop to $309.99 / £330 on the base model in the past - proof that you just need to be in the right place at the right time to score yourself a saving.

We're helping you get there right here, rounding up all the web's best Dyson Supersonic deals in one place. Our price comparison software scours all your favorite online retailers for the best offers every half hour, which means you're always clued up on the biggest discounts. 

Dyson's premium hairdryer features innovative technology that makes it unlike any traditional hair dryer. The Supersonic has a digital motor that creates ultra-fast drying while also preventing heat damage. But all that tech comes at a cost, which is why scoping out those rare Dyson Supersonic deals can be so lucrative.

The best Dyson hair dryer deals

Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer

Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer

The best hair dryer in the world

Dimensions: 3.8" x 3.1" x 9.6" | Weight: 4.41 lbs | Power: 1600 W

Ultra-fast drying
Prevents extreme heat damage
3 precise speed settings
It's easier to hold
Comes with great accessories

The Dyson Supersonic hair dryer is built with a powerful V9 digital motor that combined with air multiplier technology produces high-velocity controlled air for fast, controlled drying. The Supersonic hair dryer measures air temperature 20 times a second so you'll never have to worry about damaging your hair with extreme heat. 

The Dyson hair dryer also offers four different heat settings, as well as three different speed settings, so you can style your hair exactly how you want. The controlled heat and settings also help with reducing frizz so you can achieve sleek, smooth hair with every use. The Supersonic also comes with three different magnetic attachments so you can achieve different styles using just one tool.

Dyson Supersonic price: is the Dyson hair dryer worth the money?

The high price tag on the Dyson hair dryer can initially cause shock, but there are several reasons for the steep price. The Supersonic is engineered like other Dyson appliances and therefore priced similarly. 

It features a tiny digital motor that - combined with the heat sensor - produces fast drying results without damaging your hair. Dyson installed the tiny motor in the handle rather than the head, which balances the weight of the dryer so your hand won't get tired when drying your hair. Dyson also claims that the Supersonic will outlast other hairdryers, so you won't have to keep repurchasing the same $70 hair dryer every couple of years. 

How does the Dyson supersonic hair dryer work?

Extreme temperatures can damage hair, so Dyson engineered a hair dryer that protects hair while also achieving fast drying and controlled styling. The Supersonic features a powerful Dyson digital motor that's six times faster than other hair dryers. 

The motor combined with the Air Multiplier technology produces high-pressure controlled air, which results in a smooth and even hair drying experience. Thanks to the intelligent heat control, which measures air temperature 40 times a second, the extreme heat is regulated, so your hair is protected against damage.

Does the Dyson hair dryer dry faster?

The short answer is yes; the Dyson Supersonic dries hair faster and more efficiently than traditional hair dryers. The Dyson hair dryer combines controlled heat with a powerful motor that results in drying time that's twice as fast as most hair dryers. The Supersonic also features three different drying speeds so you can control how fast you want your hair dried. 



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Latest Gadgets News

Listing excerpt: Fitbit launched the Sense 2, Versa 4, and Inspire 3 wearables in India on September 29. All three of these wearables come with a 6-month Fitbit Premium membership.

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Student Loan Debt Forgiveness Update: First Day to Apply Is Coming Up - CNET

The student debt application is opening soon, and eligible borrowers will be able to apply to cancel up to $20,000 in student debt.

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Latest Tech News

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered a new malware strain that infects Windows and Linux endpoints of all sizes and uses them for distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks and cryptocurrency mining.

Experts from Lumen's Black Lotus Labs say the malware is written in Chinese and uses China-based command & control (C2) infrastructure.

They called it Chaos, and say it is built on Go. It is able to infect all kinds of devices, from those running on x86 infrastructure, to certain ARM-based devices. In a nutshell, everything from home routers to enterprise servers is at risk. Apparently, Chaos is the next iteration of the Kaiji malware, another strain that was able to mine cryptocurrencies and launch DDoS attacks. 

Kaiji returns

"Based upon our analysis of the functions within the more than 100 samples we analyzed for this report, we assess Chaos is the next iteration of the Kaiji botnet," they said. It expands by looking for known, unpatched vulnerabilities, as well as SSH brute-force attacks. 

What’s more, it can use stolen SSH keys to infect an even greater number of endpoints. 

Whoever the threat actors are, they’re not limiting themselves to a specific industry, though: "Using Lumen global network visibility, Black Lotus Labs enumerated the C2s and targets of several distinct Chaos clusters, including a successful compromise of a GitLab server and a spate of recent DDoS attacks targeting the gaming, financial services and technology, and media and entertainment industries – as well as DDoS-as-a-service providers and a cryptocurrency exchange," the researchers said.

"While the botnet infrastructure today is comparatively smaller than some of the leading DDoS malware families, Chaos has demonstrated rapid growth in the last few months."

When it comes to geographies, though, Chaos does seem to have a preference. Even though there are bots everywhere, from the Americas, to the Asia-Pacific region (APAC), most of its victims are based in Europe. 

Via: BleepingComputer



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Wednesday, September 28, 2022

Amazon Alexa: 5 Hidden Features You've Gotta Try on Your Echo - CNET

You know Alexa can play music and give you the weather, but how about finding your phone or guarding your home?

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M&M's Debuts Purple Candy, Its First New Color in 10 Years - CNET

"I'm just gonna be me," the new female peanut M&M declares in a promo video.

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Hidden Perks of Amazon Prime Make It Much More Than a Delivery Service - CNET

Amazon's subscription service provides a bevy of benefits beyond expedited shipping.

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Latest Tech News

Cybercriminals have been observed using SEO poisoning to distribute a new malware loader which tries to infect the target endpoint with a dozen malware families.

Researchers from Kaspersky discovered that for many people, typing the keyword “software crack” into Google brings up multiple websites distributing this new malware loader, some of which have even made it to the famed first page of the search results. The loader in question is called “NullMixer”, and is designed for the Windows operating system and apparently, it installs all kinds of password stealers, viruses, backdoors, banking trojans, crypto miners, you name it. The only thing seemingly missing is ransomware.

Among the malware families installed this way are Redline Stealer, Danabot, Raccoon Stealer, Vidar Stealer, SmokeLoader, PrivateLoader, ColdStealer, Fabookie, PseudoManuscrypt, and others.

Baiting with cracks

The attackers chose “software crack” as their main keyword, researchers believe, due to the fact that people looking for cracks will usually ignore warnings coming from their antivirus programs and install the executable files anyway. 

According to Kaspersky, NullMixer has so far tried to infect more than 47,000 endpoints protected by its security solutions. The victims were located all over the world, including the U.S., Germany, France, Italy, India, Russia, Brazil, Turkey, and Egypt. 

The researchers were also baffled by the number of malware families being installed via NullMixer. It’s not exactly subtle. Devices that fall victim to this attack will become significantly slower, have windows popping up for no reason, and will showcase numerous other symptoms of infection. Kaspersky suspects that NullMixer could actually be a demonstration, showing other malware operators what it’s capable of doing, until one decides to use it for their own distribution efforts.

As things stand now, the best way to eliminate NullMixer from a compromised device is via a Windows reinstall.

Via: BleepingComputer



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Amazon Reveals All-New Fire Devices video - CNET

At an Amazon event, the company shows off all new Fire TV devices, including the Fire TV Cube, Remote Pro and Fire TV Omni QLED.

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Latest Tech News

Google has announced a bunch of changes to its core search functionality, focusing on making searching the web a quicker and more convenient process, and more besides.

Announced at its Search On conference, All of these changes will be rolling out in the US down the line, and the first major introduction is that shortcuts to various tools are going to be brought in, nestling right underneath the search bar.

These are things like an icon for translating text with the camera, or identifying a tune by humming it, or indeed to help with a homework problem via the camera – common tasks that you might need, and can now be very swiftly accessed with a tap on the relevant shortcut.

In this case, the feature is coming to the Google app for iOS in the US (English language) to begin with, and a wider rollout will doubtless follow.

In terms of making core search quicker and more intuitive, Google is ushering in topic options that appear directly below the search box as you type a query. The example Google gives is someone typing a search for ‘best Mexico cities’, and after having entered that text, a bunch of suggestions for finishing the query pop up – such as ‘for families’, ‘for expats’, ‘to retire’, and so forth. These are the most likely options you’ll need, and will hopefully allow you to quickly finish your query with a simple tap.

Again, this feature will launch in the US (in English) to begin with, in the “coming months” Google informs us, and the same is true of the remaining capabilities we’re about to explore.

Next up are the details surfaced by a search, which again in Google’s example of searching for a city will now prominently include visual stories and the likes of video clips from folks who have visited that particular place. The emphasis is on imparting more practical info such as tips on getting around the city, how to travel there, or what to do during your stay, rather than just, say, historical or geographical facts for example (not that you won’t still receive some of that as results).

After a search, suggestion buttons will also pop up below the search box pointing to further topics you might want to explore, such as the beaches of that city you’re going to visit – and you simply tap these, and dive down even deeper into further suggestions if required.

Finally, Google tells us it’s revamping the way search results are presented to “better reflect the ways people explore topics”, meaning that as you scroll down, related topics will be highlighted. Sticking with the city example provided, those subjects include the likes of results pertaining to the local cuisine and recipes, musical traditions, art, and so forth.


Analysis: Some chunky changes to move with the times

The broad thrust here, then, is to make searching easier and quicker as we mentioned at the outset, and to surface more practical content and advice – with the likes of videos from folks who have visited a place – as well as making it as simple as possible to see and explore all manner of related topics.

In some corners of the web in more recent times, we’ve noticed complaint threads about how Google isn’t what it used to be when it comes to the quality of search results, and so perhaps the company felt it was time to start changing things up – in a pretty big way. There’s certainly a fresh take on search here with all these different elements, so it’s going to be interesting to see how this plays out when we actually get to use the new search; and of course what the reaction is from those who have become more skeptical about Google.

Google is about as old a veteran of the web as you’ll find, and mustn’t fail to move with the times. So when there’s chatter about youngsters hitting up TikTok to discover things rather than Google search, that must be, well, maybe not a threat to Google, but certainly something which is a bit of a worry and should be paid attention to.

When other regions outside the US will get these changes, we don’t know, but seeing as they’re down as arriving in the “coming months” in the States, it sounds like it’ll be a slow rollout, particularly in global terms.



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Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Target's Deal Days Sale Kicks Off Oct. 6 With 3 Days of Discounts Ahead of Amazon's Next Sale - CNET

Amazon's Prime Early Access Sale (or second Prime Day) kicks off on Oct. 11 -- but Target is looking to get a head start this year.

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Latest Tech News

Almost a hundred apps across the Android and iOS ecosystems have been discovered engaging in advertising fraud, researchers have claimed.

The apps, 80 of which were built for Android, and nine for iOS, have more than 13 million downloads between them, and include games, screensavers, camera apps, and more - some with more than a million downloads. 

Research from cybersecurity firm HUMAN Security found that by targeting advertising software development kits (SDK), the unknown threat actors were able to compromise these apps for their own personal benefit, in multiple ways: by pretending to be apps they’re not; by rendering ads in places where users wouldn’t be able to see them; and by faking clicks and taps (keeping track of real ad interactions and faking them later).

Evolution of Poseidon

The campaign, which HUMAN dubbed Scylla, is still ongoing, meaning at least some of the apps are still up and running. “These tactics, combined with the obfuscation techniques first observed in the Charybdis operation, demonstrate the increased sophistication of the threat actors behind Scylla,” the researchers say. 

The Charybdis operation the researchers mention is an older campaign, out of which Scylla evolved. Charybdis itself evolved from an even older campaign, called Poseidon, leading the researchers to conclude that the threat actors are actively developing these apps and that new variants are bound to appear. 

HUMAN says it “worked closely” with both Google and Apple to have all of the identified malicious apps removed from the respective app repositories. 

However, that doesn’t mean the threat is completely gone - users who have downloaded these apps in the meantime are still vulnerable, and will remain so until they remove them from their endpoints. 

The company urges users to go through the entire list of apps found here and make sure they remove any apps they might have installed.



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You Might Be Able to Outrun the World's Fastest Two-Legged Robot... for Now - CNET

Cassie the robot isn't ready for the Olympics just yet, but it might outpace you very soon.

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Heat Domes and Surging Grid Demand Threaten US Power Grids with Blackouts

A new report shows a sharp increase in peak electricity demand, leading to blackout concerns in multiple states. Here's how experts say ...