Tag: Gadget News

Posted on by

Ola Electric’s Dominance Fades as Country’s E-Scooter Battle Intensifies

India’s
top
electric
scooter
maker
Ola
Electric
logged
its
lowest
monthly
sales
this
year
in
September,
government
data
showed,
as
the
SoftBank-backed
firm
sees
its
dominance
eroded
by
smaller
competitors
and
servicing
network
challenges.


Ola
Electric,
which
made
its
stock
market
debut
about
two
months
ago,
sold
23,965
vehicles
in
September,
recording
a
month-on-month
decline
for
the
second
consecutive
month.

Its
falling
month-on-month
sales
has
seen
its
market
share
decline
for
five
straight
months
to
27
percent
in
September,
from
over
50
percent
in
April,
the
data
showed.

In
that
period,
Ola’s
closest
rivals
TVS
Motor
and
Bajaj
Auto
have
narrowed
the
gap,
reporting
market
share
gains
for
five
and
three
straight
months,
respectively.

Ola
Electric
declined
to
comment
on
the
market
share
loss
and
its
servicing
network.

Slowing
sales
at
Ola,
whose
prices
have
often
undercut
the
market,
pose
further
challenges
to
the
company’s
financial
results.
It
is
yet
to
turn
a
profit.

Analysts
attribute
Ola’s
narrowing
lead
to
rivals
launching
newer
models
priced
closer
to
those
of
Ola,
as
well
as
its
own
strained
service
network
that
is
seeing
scooters
pile
up.

A
ramp-up
in
dealership
networks
has
also
been
key
for
Bajaj
and
TVS
in
challenging
Ola,
according
to
Jay
Kale
of
Elara
Capital.

Over
the
last
year,
Bajaj
has
boosted
the
dealership
count
for
its
Chetak
e-scooters
from
around
100
to
over
500,
as
of
June.
Ola’s
dealership
count
has
only
risen
from
750
to
800.

Last
month,
a
26-year-old
man
was
arrested
for
allegedly
setting
fire
to
an
Ola
showroom
in
the
southern
Karnataka
state
over
unsatisfactory
servicing
of
a
recently
purchased
e-scooter.

HSBC
analysts
said
in
a
note
last
month
that
Ola’s
service
would
be
one
of
the
“key
drivers”
for
maintaining
its
market
share.


©
Thomson
Reuters
2024


(This
story
has
not
been
edited
by
NDTV
staff
and
is
auto-generated
from
a
syndicated
feed.)

Posted on by

ThinkPhone 25 by Motorola With MediaTek Dimensity 7300 SoC Launched: Specifications


Motorola
has
launched
its
ThinkPhone
25
in
select
global
markets.
The
latest
business-focused
device
comes
with
a
MediaTek
Dimensity
7300
SoC
under
the
hood
and
is
offered
in
a
single
8GB
RAM
+
256GB
storage
option.
It
has
a
ThinkPad-style
design
and
features
a
6.36-inch
screen.
The 
ThinkPhone
25
by
Motorola
boasts
a
triple
rear
camera
unit
led
by
a
50-megapixel
Sony
LYT-700C
primary
sensor.
It
has
a
4,310mAh
battery
with
68W
wired
and
15W
wireless
charging
support.

ThinkPhone
25
by
Motorola
Price

The
ThinkPhone
25
by
Motorola
is

currently
listed
on
Motorola’s
European
website,
however,
its
pricing
details
have
not
been
revealed.
The
handset
is
offered
in
a
Carbon
Black
colour
and
a
single
8GB
RAM
+
256GB
storage
configuration.

ThinkPhone
25
by
Motorola
Specifications

Motorola’s
dual
SIM
(nano)
ThinkPhone
25
runs
on
Andorid
14-based
Hello
UI
and
sports
a
6.36-inch
full-HD+
(1,220×2,670
pixels)
LTPO
AMOLED
display
with
up
to
120Hz
refresh
rate,
up
to
3,000nits
peak
brightness,
460ppi
pixel
density,
and
a
300Hz
touch
sampling
rate.
The
screen
supports
HDR10+
content
and
has
SGS
Blue
Light
Reduction
certification.

The
ThinkPhone
25
by
Motorola
has
a
plastic
build.
The
rear
panel
has
Aramid
fibre
coating
while
the
screen
has
Corning
Gorilla
Glass
7i
protection.
It
runs
on
a
MediaTek
Dimensity
7300
chipset,
paired
with
8GB
LPDDR4X
and
256GB
uMCP
onboard
storage.

For
optics,
the
ThinkPhone
25
by
Motorola
is
equipped
with
a
triple
rear
camera
unit
comprising
a
50-megapixel
Sony
LYT-700C
primary
sensor
with
quad
PDAF,
a
13-megapixel
ultra-wide
angle
camera
with
PDAF,
and
a
10-megapixel
telephoto
sensor
with
up
to
3x
optical
zoom.
On
the
front,
the
phone
has
a
32-megapixel
selfie
shooter.

Connectivity
options
on
the
ThinkPhone
25
by
Motorola
include
5G,
4G
LTE,
Wi-Fi
6E,
Bluetooth
5.3,
NFC,
GPS,
AGPS,
LTEPP,
SUPL,
Glonass,
Galileo,
and
USB
Type-C
port.
It
has
an
IP68-rated
build
and
MIL-STD
810H
certification.

Sensors
onboard
include
an
accelerometer,
ambient
light
sensor,
e-compass,
gyroscope,
proximity
sensor,
and
a
SAR
sensor.
The
phone
has
an
in-display
fingerprint
sensor
for
biometric
authentication.
It
supports
face
unlock
feature.
It
has
stereo
dual
stereo
speakers
with
Dolby
Atmos
support.

ThinkPhone
25
by
Motorola
comes
with
Motorola’s
ThinkShield
for
advanced
security.
The
handset
is
assured
to
receive
five
years
of
Android
OS
updates
and
security
maintenance
releases
into
2029

Motorola
has
packed
a
4,310mAh
battery
on
the
ThinkPhone
25
with
68W
(bundled)
wired
and
15W
wireless
charging
support.
The
battery
is
said
to
deliver
up
to
34
hours
of
battery
life
on
a
single
charge.
It
has
stereo
dual
stereo
speakers
with
Dolby
Atmos
support.
The
handset
measures
154.1
x
71.2
x
8.1mm
and
weighs
171
grams.

Posted on by

Amazon Great Indian Festival 2024 Sale: Best Discounts on Portable Speakers Under Rs. 10,000


Amazon
Great
Indian
Festival
2024
Sale is
one
of
the
best
times
to
buy
portable
speakers,
thanks
to
several
deals
and
discounts
on
a
range
of
models.
If
you’re
looking
for
a
compact
wireless
speaker
that
won’t
make
you
dip
into
your
savings,
the
ongoing
Great
Indian
Festival
sale
has
brought
discounts
on
various
models
from
JBL,
Marshall,
Tribit,
Sony,
Ultimate
Ears,
Boat,
and
Portronics.
In
addition
to
these
discounts,
Amazon
customers
can
also
use
eligible
bank
cards
to
further
lower
the
prices
of
their
purchases.

Amazon
Great
Indian
Festival
Sale:
See
Bank
Offers

While
there
are
several
deals
to
look
out
while
shopping
on
Amazon,
make
sure
to
use
an
SBI
credit
card
or
debit
card
to
complete
your
purchase
—
this
will
get
you
an
instant
discount
of
10
percent
on
certain
products.
You’ll
need
to
make
sure
that
your
purchase
value
is
above
a
certain
amount
in
order
to
avail
of
this
discount,
based
on
what
we’ve
seen
on
several
Amazon
listings. 

Now
let’s
take
a
look
at
some
of
the
best
deals
on
portable
speakers
that
you
can
take
advantage
of
today,
during
the
Great
Indian
Festival
sale
on
Amazon.

Amazon
Great
Indian
Festival
2024
Sale:
Best
Offers
on
Portable
Speakers
Under
Rs.
10,000

 
Product
Name
MRP
Deal
Price
Amazon
Link
1 Tribit
StormBox
2		 Rs.
8,999		 Rs.
4,839
Buy
Now
2 Sony
ULT
Field
1		 Rs.
16,990		 Rs.
8,998
Buy
Now
3 Ultimate
Ears
Wonderboom
3		 Rs.
10,995		 Rs.
4,995
Buy
Now
4 Tribit
StormBox
Pro		 Rs.
13,999		 Rs.
7,969
Buy
Now
5 Boat
Stone
1800		 Rs.
21,990		 Rs.
5,998
Buy
Now
6 EarFun
Uboom
L		 Rs.
8,999		 Rs.
5,089
Buy
Now
7 Soundcore
Anker
Rave
Neo
2		 Rs.
16,999		 Rs.
9,499
Buy
Now
8 Tribit
XSound
Go 		 Rs.
3,499		 Rs.
2,499
Buy
Now
9 JBL
Flip
5		 Rs.
10,999		 Rs.
5,999
Buy
Now
10 Portronics
Dash
12		 Rs.
12,999		 Rs.
5,999
Buy
Now

Affiliate
links
may
be
automatically
generated
–
see
our

ethics
statement
for
details.

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Related
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Posted on by

PlayStation Network Services Suffer Massive Outage, Removing Access to PlayStation Store and Games


PlayStation
Network
services
are
down
across
all
platforms,
preventing
players
from
accessing

PSN
features,
PlayStation
Store,
and
several
games.
Affected
users
can’t
sign
in
to
their
PSN
account
or
go
online.
PlayStation
Plus
services
are
down,
as
well.

Sony
confirmed
that
some
PlayStation
Network
services
were
experiencing
issues.
The
outage
is
affecting
users
on

PS5,
PS4,
PS3,
PS
Vita,
and
those
attempting
to
connect
with
PSN
services
on
Web
and
other
platforms.

PSN
Goes
Offline

Sony’s

PSN
Service
Status
page
confirmed
the
outage
on
Tuesday,
6:51AM,
with
Account
management,
Gaming
and
social,
and
PlayStation
Store
services
impacted.
“You
might
have
difficulty
launching
games,
apps
or
network
features.
We’re
working
to
resolve
the
issue
as
soon
as
possible.
Thank
you
for
your
patience,”
the
page
explained.

Gadgets360
can
confirm
the
PSN
network
outage
is
affecting
users
in
India,
as
well.
At
the
time
of
writing,
PlayStation
Store
and
PSN
account
remain
inaccessible.
On
the
PS5,
launching
the

PlayStation
Store
gives
the
message:
“Can’t
load.
Something
went
wrong,
Please
try
again
later.”

Several
games
remain
stuck
at
the
opening
screen
when
launched
and
checking
PlayStation
Network
status
in
Settings
opens
up
the
same
Web
page
confirming
network
issues.
The
PSN
account
also
remains
Offline,
and

PS
Plus
services
do
not
launch
either.

While
multiplayer
games
are
down,
some
offline
games
can
be
launched.
Single-player
games
that
need
to
connect
to
PSN,
however,
are
also
inaccessible.

It
is
unclear
what
led
to
the
PlayStation
Network
going
down
globally.
Sony
is
working
to
bring
its
services
online,
but
it’s
unclear
how
long
it
would
take
for
the
issues
to
be
fixed.
We’ll
update
the
story
with
any
further
developments. 

Posted on by

[Exclusive] Lava Agni 3 to Feature Dual Displays, to Be Priced Under Rs. 30,000: Confirms Lava’s Sumit Singh

The
Agni
series
from
Lava
brings
the
brand’s
philosophy
of
providing
best-in-class
features
and
specifications
at
an
affordable
price
tag
into
reality.
The
series
has
been
known
for
delivering
good
performance
and
segment-leading
features,
targeting
tech
enthusiasts
and
value-conscious
customers.
Taking
this
legacy
forward,
the
brand
is
planning
to
bring
the
next
generation
of
Agni
smartphones
in
India
on
October
04,
the
Lava
Agni
3.
The
latest
smartphone
in
the
Agni
series
is
said
to
bring
a
plethora
of
interesting
features
and
specifications
for
customers.
The
brand
has
already
teased
some
of
the
upcoming
device’s
features,
including
its
design
and
cameras.
That
said,
Sumit
Singh,
Product
Head,
Lava
International,
has
confirmed
some
key
features
and
specifications
of
the
device
ahead
of
its
official
launch
during
an
exclusive
interaction
with
Gadgets360.
Here’s
everything
you
need
to
know.

Lava
Agni
3
to
be
Priced
under
Rs
30,000

Singh
has
confirmed
that
the
upcoming
Lava
Agni
3
will
be
priced
under
Rs
30,000
in
India.
He
confirmed
that
the
handset
will
cater
to
the
mid-range
segment
and
bring
some
unique
features
to
make
it
stand
out.

Lava
Agni
3
to
Feature
Dual
Displays

Singh
has
revealed
that
the
Lava
Agni
3
will
feature
two
displays.
Starting
with
the
primary
display,
the
handset
will
come
loaded
with
a
1.5K
curved
AMOLED
display
that
will
offer
a
120Hz
screen
refresh
rate.
Interestingly,
he
also
confirmed
that
the
handset
will
pack
a
secondary
display
at
the
rear
panel
next
to
the
camera
module.
The
secondary
display
will
offer
a
1.74-inch
AMOLED
screen
and
will
offer
a
plethora
of
applications.

“There
are
multiple
functionalities
which
can
be
used
with
this
new
display,”
he
added.
So,
for
example,
you
can
use
the
secondary
display
as
a
viewfinder
to
click
high-quality
selfies
right
from
the
primary
camera
setup.
“With
the
dual
display,
you
can
use
your
main
camera
sensor
as
the
selfie
camera,”
he
said.
That
said,
the
secondary
display
is
not
only
limited
to
the
camera
feature
but
also
has
other
functionalities.
One
can
use
it
to
answer
calls,
view
notifications,
control
music
playback,
and
more.
“So
all
these
functionalities
are
being
clubbed
together,
making
it
very
useful
and
simplifying
the
life
of
the
users,”
he
added.

Lava
Agni
3:
Action
Button,
MediaTek
Dimensity
7300X,
and
More
Details
Revealed

The
upcoming
Agni
3
will
also
pack
a
customisable
Action
button,
which
is
rare
in
this
price
segment.
He
added
that
the
latest
Agni
3
features
a
triple-camera
setup
on
the
rear
panel.
The
brand
has
confirmed
teased
that
the
handset
will
pack
a
50-megapixel
AI
camera.
Singh
further
added
that
the
handset
will
also
come
loaded
with
a
telephoto
lens.
The
handset
is
also
confirmed
to
be
powered
by
the
latest
MediaTek
Dimensity
7300X
processor,
which
will
be
a
segment-first.
The
newest
chipset
was
recently
announced
with
the
Motorola
Razr
50
in
India.
That
said,
other
details
regarding
the
cameras
and
other
details
will
be
revealed
during
the
October
04
launch
event.

Lava
Agni
Series
Journey

Lava
has
managed
to
carve
out
some
space
in
the
Indian
smartphone
industry
with
its
Agni
series.
“The
Agni
series
is
a
demonstration
of
the
capability
of
an
Indian
brand…It’s
about
proving
that
we
can
create
flagship
products
that
are
best
in
class
in
terms
of
performance,
speed,
experience,
and
overall
value,”
he
further
added.
The
Lava
Agni
1
and
Agni
2
got
some
good
customer
responses,
with
Agni
2
being
the
most
sold
smartphone
right
after
its
official
launch.
The
company
expects
a
similar
response
to
Lava
Agni
3,
which
has
some
segment-leading
features
and
specifications.
That
said,
we
will
get
to
know
full
details
about
the
Agni
3
during
the
launch
event,
so
stay
tuned
with
us!

Posted on by

SpaceX Crew-9 Mission Successfully Docks at ISS: Here’s Everything You Need to Know


SpaceX‘s
Crew-9
mission
successfully
reached
the
International
Space
Station
(ISS)
on
September
29,
2024.
The
NASA
astronaut
Colonel
Nick
Hague
and
Russian
cosmonaut
Aleksandr
Gorbunov
boarded
the
Crew
Dragon
capsule,
named
Freedom.
After
launching
from
Florida’s
Cape
Canaveral
Space
Force
Station
on
September
28th,
the
crew
completed
a
one-day
orbital
journey
before
docking
at
5:30
PM
EDT
(3:00
AM
IST).
Hague
is
the
first
active
U.S.
Space
Force
member
to
reach
space,
further
highlighting
the
significance
of
this
mission.

First
Human
Spaceflight
from
Space
Launch
Complex-40

Crew-9’s
launch
marked
a
historic
moment
as
it
was
the
first
human
spaceflight
to
lift
off
from
Space
Launch
Complex-40
(SLC-40).
Nick
Hague
and
Aleksandr
Gorbunov’s
arrival
brings
the
total
number
of
astronauts
aboard
the
ISS
to
eleven.
However,
this
mission
is
also
distinctive
due
to
NASA’s
decision
to
reduce
Crew-9’s
original
four-person
roster.
Instead,
the
mission
was
modified
to
carry
only
two
astronauts
to
make
room
for
two
astronauts
already
aboard
the
ISS
who
require
a
return
trip
to
Earth.

Butch
Wilmore
and
Sunita
Williams,
who
arrived
at
the
ISS
in
June
on
the
first
crewed

Boeing
Starliner
flight,
were
originally
scheduled
to
stay
for
just
ten
days.
However,
technical
issues
with
Starliner’s
thrusters
extended
their
stay
on
the
station.

Preparing
for
Crew-8’s
Departure

Crew-9’s
arrival
also
marks
the
upcoming
departure
of
the
Crew-8
astronauts,
including
NASA’s
Michael
Barratt,
Matthew
Dominick,
Jeanette
Epps,
and
cosmonaut
Alexander
Grebenkin.
The
four,
who
arrived
at
the
station
in
March,
are
scheduled
to
return
to
Earth
soon
after
Crew-9’s
docking
process
is
completed.
If
everything
proceeds
as
planned,
Crew-9
will
remain
at
the
ISS
until
February
2025,
further
supporting
ongoing
space

research
and
operations
aboard
the
station.

Posted on by

Dot9 Games’ FAU-G: Domination Crosses 1 Million Pre-Registrations on Google Play Store

FAU-G:
Domination,
the
action
game
from
Indian
developer

Dot9
Games,
has
crossed
over
one
million
pre-registrations
on

Google
Play
Store
on

Android
in
three
weeks
of
going
live.
Pre-registration
for
the
game
began
September
5
on
Android
devices.
The
upcoming
shooter
in
the

FAU-G
series
from

nCore
Games
received
a
trailer
earlier
this
month,
showcasing
its
first-person
shooting
gameplay.

FAU-G:
Domination
Pre-Registrations
Live

In
a
press
release
Monday,
developer
Dot9
Games
and
publisher

Nazara
Publishing
confirmed
that
FAU-G:
Domination
had
hit
one
million
pre-registrations
on
Play
Store
in
three
weeks,
making
it
the
fastest
game
from
Nazara
to
reach
the
milestone.

“While
the
Dot9
Games
team
is
working
tirelessly
to
make
FAU-G:
Domination
the
best
it
can
be,
a
million
pre-registrations
is
just
the
incentive
we
need
to
make
it
better,”
Deepak
Ail,
co-founder
and
CEO
of
Dot9
Games
said.
“The
game
is
at
the
stage
where
we’re
fine-tuning
and
deciding
what
features
players
need
at
launch
—
with
some
playtests
before
that,”
he
added,

FAU-G:
Domination
Playtest

FAU-G:
Domination
held
its
second
playtest
on
Sunday,
September
29,
where
players
were
able
to
access
its
latest
build.
According
to
the
publisher,
playtest
feedback
from
players
has
been
taken
into
account
to
fine-tune
the
game.
“Their
insights
have
been
instrumental
in
refining
key
aspects
of
the
game,
from
improving
weapon
balance
to
enhancing
map
layouts
and
user
interface,”
the
makers
said
in
the
press
release.

Pre-registrations
for
FAU-G:
Domination
are
now
live
on
Google
Play
Store
on
Android,
with
App
Store
pre-registrations
for
iOS
and
iPadOS
coming
soon.
Players
who
pre-register
for
the
game
will
get
the
Beast
Collection
set
of
in-game
cosmetics.

For
the
latest

tech
news
and

reviews,
follow
Gadgets
360
on

X,

Facebook,

WhatsApp,

Threads
and

Google
News.
For
the
latest
videos
on
gadgets
and
tech,
subscribe
to
our

YouTube
channel.
If
you
want
to
know
everything
about
top
influencers,
follow
our
in-house

Who’sThat360
on

Instagram
and

YouTube.

Gemini
Live
Two-Way
Communication
Feature
Now
Available
for
All
Android
Users:
How
to
Use

Posted on by

Gemini Live Two-Way Communication Feature Now Available for All Android Users: How to Use


Gemini
Live,
Google’s
two-way
voice
chat
feature
for
its
artificial
intelligence
(AI)
chatbot,
is
now
available
to
all
Android
users.
The
feature
was
initially
released
to
Gemini
Advanced
users
via
the
Google
One
AI
Premium
plan,
but
now
the
company
is
rolling
it
out
to
all
users.
However,
only
the
basic
version
of
the
feature
is
available
to
users.
The
choice
between
ten
different
voices
is
not
available
in
the
free
tier.
A
report
earlier
this
month
revealed
that

Google
was
rolling
the
feature
out
to
all
Android
users.

Gemini
Live
Feature
Now
Available
to
All
Android
Users

Since
the

Gemini
app
is
still
not
available
on
iOS,
the
Gemini
Live
feature
is
not
available
to
iPhone
users.
However,
Android
users
with
a
compatible
device
and
the
Gemini
app
will
now
see
a
waveform
icon
with
the
sparkle
icon
at
the
bottom-right
corner,
next
to
the
microphone
and
camera
icon.

Tapping
on
the
waveform
icon
will
give
users
access
to
the
Gemini
Live
feature.
Put
simply,
it
is
a
two-way
voice
chat
feature
where
both
the
user
and
the
AI
responds
via
speech.
While
the
AI
speaks
fluently
and
shows
slight
voice
modulation,
it
is
not
similar
to
the

ChatGPT
Advanced
Voice
Mode
feature
which
comes
with
emotive
voice
and
the
capability
to
react
to
user’s
words.

However,
the
feature
is
still
useful
when
the
user
is
on-the-go
and
would
rather
prefer
a
verbal
conversation
to
know
about
the
summary
of
an
email
or
about
an
intriguing
topic.
The
full-screen
interface
of
Gemini
Live
is
similar
to
a
phone
call.
Users
will
see
a
sound
wave
like
pattern
at
the
centre
of
the
screen
and
a
hold
and
end
buttons
placed
at
the
bottom.
If
you’re
interested
in
using
the
feature,
this
is
how
you
can
do
it.

How
to
Use
Gemini
Live
Feature

  1. On
    an
    Android
    device,
    download
    and
    install
    the
    Gemini
    app.
  2. Open
    the
    Gemini
    app.
  3. Find
    the
    waveform
    icon
    at
    the
    bottom-right
    of
    the
    screen.
  4. Tap
    on
    it.
  5. First
    time
    users
    will
    see
    a
    terms
    and
    conditions
    menu.
    Accept
    it.
  6. You
    can
    now
    see
    the
    Gemini
    Live
    interface.
  7. You
    can
    start
    speaking
    to
    trigger
    a
    response
    from
    the
    AI.
  8. Using
    the
    Hold
    button,
    you
    can
    also
    interrupt
    the
    AI
    and
    continue
    with
    another
    prompt.

For
the
latest

tech
news
and

reviews,
follow
Gadgets
360
on

X,

Facebook,

WhatsApp,

Threads
and

Google
News.
For
the
latest
videos
on
gadgets
and
tech,
subscribe
to
our

YouTube
channel.
If
you
want
to
know
everything
about
top
influencers,
follow
our
in-house

Who’sThat360
on

Instagram
and

YouTube.

HMD
Moon
Knight
Key
Features
Leaked;
Tipped
to
Get
Snapdragon
8s
Gen
3
SoC

Related
Stories

Posted on by

Crypto Wallet Drainer App Identified on Google Play Store, Report Suggests $70,000 Stolen

A
report
by
Check
Point
Research
(CPR)
uncovered
a
crypto
wallet
draining
app
on
the
Google
Play
Store,
masquerading
as
the
popular
WalletConnect
app.
CPR
found
that
the
app
used
“advanced
evasion
techniques”
to
steal
$70,000
(roughly
Rs.
58.6
lakh)
over
five
months
from
unsuspecting
users.
The
malicious
app,
named
“MS
Drainer”
after
an
analysis
of
its
JavaScript
code,
is
part
of
a
growing
trend
of
increasingly
sophisticated
crypto
scams.
Recent
FBI
reports
also
warn
that
cybercriminals
have
become
more
efficient
in
executing
global
attacks.

“Check
Point
Research
(CPR)
uncovered
a
malicious
app
on

Google
Play
Store
designed
to
steal
cryptocurrency
marking
the
first
time
a
drainer
has
targeted
mobile
device
users
exclusively.
To
pose
as
a
legitimate
tool
for
Web3
apps,
the
attackers
exploited
the
trusted
name
of
the
WalletConnect
protocol,
which
connects
crypto
wallets
to
decentralised
apps,”
the

report
said.

The

crypto
wallet
app,
that
has
now
been
removed,
managed
to
amass
over
10,000
downloads.
The
fake
platform
emerged
on
top
of
the
search
on
Google
Play
Store
on
searching
for
‘WalletConnect’
owing
to
multiple
reviews
that
the
CPR
report
flagged
as
‘fake’.


What
is
WalletConnect

WalletConnect
is
an
open-source
protocol
that
connects

decentralised
apps
(dApps)
with
crypto
wallets
through
QR
codes,
allowing
users
to
interact
with
blockchain-based
apps
without
exposing
their
private
keys.

According
to
Check
Point
Research
(CPR),
a
fake
app
mimicking
WalletConnect’s
appearance
and
functions
was
created
using
the
web
service
Median.co.
The
app,
initially
named
“Mestox
Calculator,”
was
published
on
the
Google
Play
Store
on
March
21,
2024,
with
its
name
changed
several
times
since
then.

“An
inexperienced
user
might
conclude
that
it
is
a
separate
wallet
application
that
needs
to
be
downloaded
and
installed.
Attackers
hijack
the
confusion,
hoping
that
users
will
search
for
a
WalletConnect
app
in
the
application
store,”
the
report
noted.

The
X
handle
of
WalletConnect
acknowledged
the
development
in
a
note
to
its
followers.


How
Did
WalletConnet’s
Malicious
Dupe
Work

Upon
download,
the
fake
app
quickly
prompted
users
to
connect
their
crypto
wallets.
When
users
clicked
the
wallet
buttons,
they
were
redirected
to
a
malicious
website
via
a
deep
link.
To
verify
their
wallets,
the
website
requested
users
to
approve
multiple
transactions
consecutively,
unknowingly
authorizing
fraudulent
activity.

“We
assume
that
users
install
this
malicious
app
to
connect
their
wallet
to
Web3
applications
that
do
not
support
direct
connections
to
wallets
like

MetaMask,

Binance
Wallet,
or
Trust
Wallet,
but
only
use
the
WalletConnect
protocol.
They
likely
expect
the
downloaded
WalletConnect
app
to
function
as
a
sort
of
proxy.
Therefore,
the
connection
request
does
not
appear
suspicious,”
the
report
explained.

The
CPR,
in
its
report,
said
incidents
like
these
highlight
the
advance
nature
of
techniques
that
are
being
used
to
target
the
crypto
sector,
that
is
presently
valued
at
$2.27
trillion
(roughly
Rs.
1,90,20,364
crore).
The
website
has
strongly
suggested
users
remain
vigilant
and
wary
of
the
applications
they
download,
even
when
they
appear
legitimate.

Back
in
2023,
a

Sophos
report
stated
that
crypto
scammers
have
been
fishing
for
victims
on
Android
systems
using
AI
tools.
Crypto
fraudsters
were
also
identified
to
be

exploiting
advertisements
on
Google
Search
to
promote
scam
websites.

Posted on by

ChatGPT Subscription Prices Could Reportedly Be Hiked Before the End of the Year


ChatGPT,
the
artificial
intelligence
(AI)
chatbot
by
OpenAI
is
reportedly
about
to
get
more
expensive
for
paid
subscribers.
According
to
a
new
report,
the
AI
firm
is
planning
to
increase
the
subscription
price
for
ChatGPT
Plus
users
by
$2
(roughly
Rs.
167)
a
month.
The
price
hike
is
not
expected
to
stop
there
either,
as
the
company
is
said
to
push
the
monthly
subscription
cost
to
$44
(roughly
Rs.
3,685)
in
the
next
five
years.
The
reason
behind
pushing
for
a
higher
ticket
price
is
said
to
be
OpenAI’s
revenue
ambitions
and
expensive
cost
of
running
operations.

ChatGPT
Subscriptions
to
Reportedly
Get
More
Expensive


According
to
The
New
York
Times,
the
AI
firm
is
planning
to
increase
the
subscription
price
by
$2
by
the
end
of
2024.
Citing
financial
documents
viewed
by
the
publication,
the
report
further
added
that
the
final
price
of
the
ChatGPT
Plus
subscription
might
stand
at
$44
a
month
by
the
end
of
2029,
a
steep
climb
from
the
current
$20
a
month
in
the
US
or
Rs.
1,950
a
month
in
India.

With
the
price
hike,
the
company
reportedly
wants
to
secure
a
revenue
of
$100
billion
(roughly
Rs.
8.3
lakh
crore)
in
2029,
a
majority
of
which
is
expected
to
come
from
its
subscription-based
services.
If
the
AI
firm
is
able
to
achieve
this
target,
it
would
be
raking
in
annual
revenue
similar
to
Reliance
Industries,
Nestlé,
or
Comcast.

OpenAI
currently
has
approximately
10
million
ChatGPT
Plus
users,
according
to
the
report.

The
documents
reviewed
by
the
publication
that
was
meant
for
the
investors
and
OpenAI
reportedly
highlighted
that
it
is
currently
making
“billions”
from
ChatGPT,
and
expects
to
boost
the
numbers
significantly
in
the
coming
years.
Notably,
the
company
is
in
the
process
of
closing
a
funding
round.

Despite
the
big
numbers
projected
in
its
revenue
estimation,
the
company
is
reportedly
struggling
with
optimising
its
operational
costs.
OpenAI
is
said
to
lose
approximately
$5
billion
(roughly
Rs.
41.8
thousand
crore)
this
year,
most
of
which
goes
towards
its
AI-powered
services.
Other
significant
cost-centres
include
employee
salaries
and
office
rent.

Another
major
source
of
expense
is
reportedly
cloud
computing
for
which
the
company
uses
Microsoft’s
services.
Despite
getting
$13
billion
(roughly
Rs.
1.08
lakh
crore)
yearly
due
to
the
partnership,
the
AI
firm
spends
much
of
that
money
on
running
cloud
processing.