Google quietly raised the price of Nest Aware and Nest Aware Plus subscription in three of its biggest markets. The new prices are now displayed on the Google Store page, but existing customers will see the change in fall 2023. On the other hand, new customers in at least three markets will have to pay the new prices for both Nest Aware and Nest Aware Plus services.That means that starting today, a new customers will have to pay $8 per month or $80 per year for a Nest Aware subscription. Previously, the same service was available for $6 per month or $60 per year. Also, the Nest Aware Plus subscription price has changed from $12/month or $120/year to $15/month or $150/year.
Existing customers in the United States, UK and Australia will be affected by the price changes this fall. Nest Aware subscribers living in other countries are expected to be notified 30 days prior to the price increase via email, so if you didn’t get any emails yet, you won’t be paying more for the service yet.
More importantly, Google says that “price changes are not applicable to you if you have canceled your subscription, or if you receive Nest Aware through one of our partners, like ADT.” This can be verified by following Google’s step-by-step guide from its support page.
There’s no real reason behind the price hike, but if you want an answer, here is what Google says: “subscription prices can change to keep up with market shifts, which can include inflation and local tax updates.”
We can’t say we’re surprised though considering that just about every streaming service increased subscription price this year (some even twice). If you have ongoing subscriptions for many services, it’s probably time to reevaluate their usefulness and get rid of those that you don’t actually use that often or can live without.
Realme has launched its new affordable Realme C51 smartphone in India. It features a 6.74-inch HD display with a 90Hz refresh rate, Unisoc T612 SoC, dual rear cameras (50MP primary), 8MP selfie camera, 5,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging, and runs Android 13. Launch offers include a Rs. 500 discount with select bank cards, and it is available starting September 4 through Realme.com, Flipkart, and offline stores.
Realme C51: Price in India
The Realme C51 is priced at Rs. 8,999 in India, and it is available in a single configuration with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. You can choose from two color options: Carbon Black and Mint Green. The early bird sale starts today, September 4, at 6 pm and can be accessed through Realme.com, Flipkart, and offline stores.
As part of the launch promotions, Realme is offering a Rs. 500 discount on the Realme C51 when purchased with HDFC, SBI, ICICI, Axis, or Kotak Bank.
Realme C51: Specifications
Realme C51, the latest addition to the lineup, features a 6.74-inch HD (720 x 1,600) display boasting a 90Hz refresh rate and 180Hz touch sampling rate. It delivers a peak brightness of 560 nits. Powering the device is an octa-core Unisoc T612 SoC, coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of built-in storage. Additionally, it supports RAM expansion technology, providing the option for up to 4GB of virtual RAM. Out of the box, the Realme C51 runs on Android 13.
The Realme C51 comes equipped with a dual rear camera setup, which includes a 50-megapixel primary camera featuring an f/1.8 aperture, accompanied by a secondary sensor. On the front, it sports an 8-megapixel selfie camera with an f/2.0 aperture, perfect for selfies and video calls.
Furthermore, the Realme C51 is powered by a robust 5,000mAh battery and offers 33W SuperVOOC fast charging support. Notable features of the phone encompass a 3.5mm headphone jack, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, dual SIM functionality, and a 3-card slot. In terms of dimensions, it boasts a slim profile at 7.99mm thickness and weighs in at 186g.
BENGALURU: Hours after confirming that the Chandrayaan-3 lander successfully performed a “hop” Isro Monday said the lander had slipped into sleep mode as intended.
“Vikram Lander is set into sleep mode around 8am today. Prior to that, in-situ experiments by ChaSTE, RAMBHA-LP and ILSA payloads are performed at the new location. The data collected is received at the Earth.Payloads are now switched off. Lander receivers are kept ON. Vikram will fall asleep next toPragyan once the solar power is depleted and the battery is drained. Hoping for their awakening, around September 22,” Isro said.
Chandrayaan-3 project director P Veeramuthuvel told TOI: “The sleep command was initiated after the hop and redeployment of the payloads.”
Earlier in the day, Isro had said Vikram has achieved another significant milestone on the Moon by performing a hop, which could give important learnings for future missions that may aim at bringing back samples.
“Vikram Lander exceeded its mission objectives. It successfully underwent a hop experiment. On command, it fired the engines, elevated itself by about 40cm as expected and landed safely at a distance of 30–40cm away. This 'kick-start' enthuses future sample return and human missions!,” Isro said.
Stating that all systems performed nominally and are healthy, Isro said the payloads that had been deployed — Ramp, ChaSTE and ILSA — were folded back and then redeployed again successfully after the experiment.
While Isro did not give a time for when this experiment was conducted, it is likely to have been done before the sleep command was enabled Sunday.
Both Vikram and the lander Pragyan would now be on sleep mode with Isro hoping that they would come back to life on September 22, when the Sun rises again on Moon.
Between August 23 and Saturday, both Pragyan and Vikram have sent a repository of science data, some of which has been made public by Isro.
Pragyan’s Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) and Alpha Particle X-ray Spectroscope (APXS) have confirmed the presence of sulphur, while Vikram’s Chandra's Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) has measured the temperature profile of the lunar topsoil around the pole.
Another Vikram payload, the Instrument for the Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) recorded a “natural event” that occurred on August 26. Isro is yet to confirm the source of the event. Vikram’s RAMBHA payload has also sent data.
On sulphur indicating Moon’s volcanic past and the uses of these discoveries by Pragyan, Isro chairman S Somanath told STOI: “Of course sulphur is a volcanic material. Its availability is high and it has some utility as some earlier research (global) hypotheses have shown.”
He, however, added that what Isro has so far is only measurement data and that nothing conclusive can be said immediately.
“We have only made initial assessments so far. The PIs (principal investigators) will work with the data, use models and make predictions. Some (scientific) papers have already reached me about this, I am yet to review it,” Isro chairman S Somanath had told TOI last week.
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FlyGram malware was also seen shared in a Uyghur Telegram group, which aligns with previous targeting of the BadBazaar malware family, according to the report.
Updated On Sep 4, 2023 at 03:14 PM IST
New Delhi: Cybersecurity researchers have discovered malicious Signal and Telegram Android apps distributed via the GooglePlay Store and SamsungGalaxy Store designed to deliver the China-linked "BadBazaar" spyware, a new report has revealed.
According to cybersecurity company ESET, the threat actors behind the malicious tool are the China-aligned APT group GREF.
The malicious Signal and Telegram apps hackers were using to infect users' devices are 'Signal Plus Messenger' and 'FlyGram'.
"Most likely active since July 2020 and since July 2022, respectively, the campaigns have distributed the Android BadBazaar espionage code through the Google Play store, Samsung Galaxy Store, and dedicated websites representing the malicious apps Signal Plus Messenger and FlyGram," said security researcher Lukas Stefanko.
The purpose of these trojanized apps is to exfiltrate user data. Specifically, FlyGram can extract basic device information, but also sensitive data, such as contact lists, call logs, and the list of Google Accounts.
FlyGram can access Telegram backups if the user enabled a specific feature added by the attackers; the feature was activated by at least 13,953 user accounts, the report said.
Signal Plus Messenger collects similar device data and sensitive information; however, its main goal is to spy on the victim's Signal communications - it can extract the Signal PIN number that protects the Signal account and abuses the link device feature that allows users to connect Signal Desktop and Signal iPad to their phones.
Previously, the BadBazaar malware was used to target Uyghurs and other Turkic ethnic minorities.
FlyGram malware was also seen shared in a Uyghur Telegram group, which aligns with previous targeting of the BadBazaar malware family, according to the report.
Victims have been found primarily in Germany, Poland, and the US, with victims also discovered in Ukraine, Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Congo-Kinshasa, Hong Kong, Hungary, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, and Yemen.
"Both Signal Plus Messenger and FlyGram are slightly different variants of BadBazaar that focus on user data exfiltration and espionage. However, it's important to note that each of them possesses unique malicious functionalities," Stefanko said.
Published On Sep 4, 2023 at 03:10 PM IST
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During the whole incident, the woman pretended to scroll through the phone like a normal customer so that nobody suspects her.
Apple's iPhone 14 is one of the most sought-after smartphones in the world. An iPhone is also regarded as a status symbol because of its features and high price.
Chinese woman bites through security wire to steal iPhone. (South China Morning post)
In a bizarre incident, a woman in China has been arrested by the police after she chewed through the Apple store's anti-theft cord to steal the iPhone 14 Plus worth around 7,000 yuan (approx ₹79,749), reported South China Morning Post.
According to the report, the woman, with the last name Qiu and a resident of Fujian province in southeastern China, was allegedly caught on camera biting the cable that are being used to anchor a device in one location.
According to the footage which has gone viral on social media, Qiu leaned over the counter in front of the display stand while placing her hand on the phone. After examining the device, she started chewing the security cable attached to it and after completely biting off the cable, she put the phone in her bag and left the store.
During the whole incident, she pretended to scroll through the phone like a normal customer so that nobody suspects her.
However, an alarm was reportedly set off during the theft, as per the store manager. But the staff didn't notice anything unusual upon approaching the woman. It was only when Qiu left the store, they noticed the missing phone and the cable chewed off.
The authorities then reviewed the surveillance footage, and the police was alerted. the woman was caught from outside her house after 30 minutes of committing the crime, the report added.
For those members of the Pixel ecosystem who must match the color of their phone with the color of their Pixel Buds Pro true wireless Bluetooth earbuds, a rumor from X tipster "@passionategeekz" might deliver some good news. The tipster's post happens to dovetail with a 9to5Google source and says that the Pixel Buds Pro will get two new color options, Porcelain, and Sky Blue. These happen to be two of the four colors rumored for the Pixel 8 Pro. Porcelain is a white color while Sky Blue is a light blue color.
The new colors for the Pixel Buds Pro are expected to be unveiled on October 4th alongside the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, and the Pixel Watch 2. The Pixel Buds Pro are currently offered for $199.99 or 12 monthly payments of $16.67 each. Currently available colors include Charcoal, Fog, Lemongrass, and Coral. The rumored colors for the Pixel 8 Pro include Jade, Licorice, Porcelain, and Sky Blue, two of which can be matched by the Pixel Buds Pro if the tipster and 9to5Google's source are both correct.
Tipster reveals rumored new colors for the Pixel Buds Pro
The Pixel Buds Pro features Active Noise Cancellation with Silent Seal which maximizes the amount of outside noise being blocked. As much as 31 hours of listening time is available between charges. Transparency mode allows you to hear what is going on around you which is a great feature to have if you usually walk around the crowded streets of a big city. With Transparency mode enabled, you will be able to hear a car horn or an ambulance or police car siren warning you that a vehicle is heading your way when you're trying to cross the street.
As we noted, the event to introduce the new devices is expected to take place on October 4th and it will happen in New York City. If the 2022 timeline is followed in 2023, the Pixel 8 series, the Pixel Watch 2, and the Pixel Buds Pro in their new colors could all be available for pre-order on the same date as the event (October 4th) and be released together on October 11th.
The Surface Pro is arguably Microsoft's flagship device, and this year will mark its 10th anniversary. Whether Microsoft decides to keep the numerical naming scheme or confuse the audience with a Surface Pro X branding (even though that already exists) remains in question.
What's near-certain is that Microsoft has released a new Surface Pro model every year, with the Surface Pro 8 and 9 seeing 2021 and 2022 launches, respectively, setting the stage for the 10th-gen model during the upcoming event.
The Surface Pro 9 made for a solid Windows 2-in-1 last year, with ZDNET Reviews Editor June Wan calling it "The MacBook competitor Windows users have been waiting for."
However, the device didn't push any boundaries in terms of design and functionality from its predecessors, so Microsoft has every opportunity to position the Surface Pro 10 as the next big step forward.
According to Windows Central, the biggest change with the upcoming model will be its two size options, adding a smaller 11-inch option to the existing 13-inch model. The 11-inch Surface Pro will reportedly have a similar form factor as the Surface Go, with the exception of slimmer bezels. Stay tuned to ZDNET for the full reviews when everything becomes official.
