mycasinospain

May 27, 2023

Sony Xperia 1 V release date, price, specs and features

The Sony Xperia 1V is Sony’s newest flagship smartphone, and it looks like it’s playing on our best camera phone list as it’s the camera that’s seen the most upgrades.

That’s not all that’s changed since the Sony Xperia 1 IV though, as it’s certainly a more powerful phone than its predecessor.

So below, you’ll find everything you need to know about the Sony Xperia 1V, including details on the release date and price.

To the point

What is this? Sony’s latest flagship phone
when is it coming out? Announcement on May 11, shipping from the end of June
How much is it? Starts at $1399.99 / £1299 (around AU$2100)

Sony Xperia 1 V release date and price

(Image credit: Sony)

The Sony Xperia 1 V was announced on May 11, 2023, but when and if it will be available for purchase depends on where you are in the world.

In the UK it will ship on June 29 (pre-orders will open on June 14), while in the US it can be pre-ordered now, but it won’t ship until July 28 and is unlikely to be sold in Australia.

As for the price, you’ll pay at least $1,399.99 / £1,299 (around AU$2,100). That’s the starting price too, so if you want 512GB of storage instead of 256GB, it’s going to cost more. Although this larger model may not be available everywhere.

That said, Sony is softening the blow a bit by throwing in a pair of Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones with UK pre-orders. They typically cost $399 / £380 / AU$649, and we’ve given them five stars. Instead, in the US, you’ll get LinkBuds wireless earbuds (worth $179 / £149 / AU$299) and a $50 voucher.

Sony Xperia 1 V design and display

Sony Xperia 1V from the front

(Image credit: Sony)

The Sony Xperia 1 V looks very similar to the Sony Xperia 1 IV, with a similarly tall and narrow design. It measures 165 x 71 x 8.3mm, weighs 187g and has Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and textured glass back and an aluminum frame.

The phone will be available in black, khaki green and platinum silver colors and is IP68 and IP65 certified making it more water resistant than most phones.

The display is a 6.5-inch OLED display with a resolution of 1644 x 3840 with a refresh rate of 120Hz and a narrow 21:9 aspect ratio. This is a remarkable display for both this form factor and its extremely high 4K resolution. That said, it’s the same thing Sony has been doing for years, so it’s remarkable compared to other smartphone brands.

Sony Xperia 1V cameras and battery

Close-up of Sony Xperia 1 V cameras

(Image credit: Sony)

The cameras are the most interesting part of the Sony Xperia 1V, especially the main sensor which is 52MP f/1.9. Only not quite, because only 48 of these megapixels are in the effective area for taking pictures, and the resulting photos are pixelated up to 12 MP.

Still, it’s a big improvement on the Sony Xperia 1 IV’s 12MP sensor, and not just because of the extra megapixels – this camera uses the new “Exmor T for mobile” sensor design and has a 1.7x larger sensor than the Xperia Main Camera 1 IV, a combination that Sony says allows for 2x better low-light photos.

It’s a big improvement here, but the other cameras, while the same as before, remain noteworthy, particularly the 12MP f/2.3 telephoto lens as it offers continuous optical zoom between 3.5x and 5.2x. Oh, and both the main and telephoto snapper have optical image stabilization.

Rounding out the rear cameras is a 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide angle, while the Sony Xperia 1 V also supports 4K video recording and has a 12MP front-facing camera.

As for the battery, it’s 5,000mAh and supports 30W wired charging. There’s also wireless charging, but Sony hasn’t said how fast it is.

Sony claims that the battery can last around 20 hours of continuous video playback and that it can be charged to 50% in 30 minutes.

Sony Xperia 1 V Specifications and Features

Sony Xperia 1V front and back

(Image credit: Sony)

The Sony Xperia 1 V has the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. That’s more than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in the Xperia 1 IV, and along with the main camera is another big upgrade this year.

It’s also the same chipset found in the OnePlus 11 series and the Samsung Galaxy S23 – although Samsung uses a faster version of it. Added to this is 12 GB of RAM and a choice of 256 GB or 512 GB of memory.

As expected, the Xperia 1V runs Android 13 and has a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, 5G support, and stereo speakers.

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May 26, 2023

Apple Watch 9 could extend battery life thanks to a new processor

It looks like the Apple Watch Series 9 will likely finally get new processor tech – and that could be great news for its battery life, as the update certainly means the chip is much more efficient.

Every year, Apple introduces a new “SiP” (system-in-package) to the Apple Watch, which is a single unit that contains the processor along with all the other required major chips, such as GPS. Apple Watch Series 8 had a SiP called S8, Apple Watch Series 7 had a SiP called S7, and so on. But here’s the thing: In the S8, S7, and S6, the actual CPU part is the same, meaning the latest Apple Watch still uses key technology based on the 2019 Apple A13 phone’s CPU.

According to Apple’s regular informative font Mark Gurman (via Get involved) IN his newsletter’s Discord channelApple will finally update the processor which is the new S9 SiP for the new watch. He claims the new processor will be based on the Apple A15 chip, introduced in the iPhone 13 in 2021, which is much more advanced than the earlier version.

This could be great news, not because we want the Apple Watch to be even more powerful (it’s absolutely fine), but because the newer chip can be much more efficient, and that could mean that using it increases battery life even if nothing else in the 9 series changes.

Power SiP ping

There are two factors that could mean that the new chip requires less power than the old one. First, how they’re made. The new chip will certainly be made in a 4nm process (“nm” means nanometer) or 5nm, while the older chip was made in a 7nm process. It simply means that the parts of the chips are squeezed closer together, which makes them more energy efficient.

But it is not everything. Apple CPU designs have become more advanced and efficient while using roughly the same amount of power, so it’s possible that Apple is able to get the same performance as the S8 with the S9 using less power because the design is simply better.

The interesting question is whether Apple will continue to deliver the same battery life on the Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 (which will likely also use the new chip). For the Series 9, the claim is 18 hours – but I use the Series 8 and can get two days of use out of it, no sweat.

Apple has been underestimating the battery life of its best Apple Watches for years, and while the real-world results still fall short of Garmin’s best watches when it comes to lasting days or even weeks, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Watch 9 is another quiet step forward that Apple for some reason doesn’t brag about too hard.

Of course, if Apple doesn’t sell a new watch for battery life, we’ll have to see what they add to make it different from the Series 8. There are rumors at the moment that this will be another very minor update, just as the Series 8 ended with the Series 8. 7. Maybe the rumored Apple Watch X is where the action is.

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May 25, 2023

ChatGPT may actually be good for that part of your business – but you won’t like it

With the development of generative artificial intelligence and AI writers like ChatGPT and Bard, many workers are increasingly concerned about how AI could soon take away their jobs, but one recent study suggests that may not be the case.

AND paper co-written by researchers from Stanford and MIT found that AI has increased employee productivity by nearly 14%, especially in chat and call handling, where the time it takes employees to solve a problem has been reduced.

The study also found that less skilled and less experienced workers benefited from AI, which helped ease the learning and experience curve.

Is generative AI good for my job?

Overall, the study found that high-skilled workers benefited less from technology, although it does play a role in raising average skill levels and experience across the board, helping companies perform better as a whole.

Summarizing their findings, the authors explain that “generative AI working with humans can have a significant positive impact on individual employee productivity and retention,” dispelling some fears that AI will completely replace human workers.

The article reflects on calculations that have so far been limited to handling explicit rules, and therefore only applied to roles that handle repetitive tasks. However, thanks to AI, her ability to learn from unlabeled data has led her to take on more non-routine tasks such as coding, writing, and designing.

The researchers summarize the overall positive attitude towards AI, citing increased employee productivity, improved customer sentiment and reduced employee turnover, although it must be acknowledged that long-term trends related to skills demand, job design, customer demand and wages are yet to be drawn.

A broader view of the world of work has shown mixed evidence so far: some companies are laying off workers in favor of AI, others are looking to attract new talent to tackle AI, and one IBM executive suggests that AI won’t replace managers, but managers who use AI will replace those who don’t.

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May 24, 2023

More fake Windows updates spread malware, so be careful what you download

Researchers warn of a new cyber-scam campaign using fake Windows updates to trick victims into downloading and running Aurora infostelaer on their devices.

Malwarebytes experts recently discovered a malicious advertising campaign that uses pop-under ads to deliver a malware loader.

Pop-under ads are ads that load underneath the browser and are only visible when the user closes the page or moves the browser out of sight. Mainly displayed on high-traffic adult content sites, these ads appear in full screen and inform the user that they need to update their device. More than a dozen domains were said to be used in this campaign.

Turkish victims

Those who fall for this trick will download a file called ChromeUpdate.exe, which is actually a malware loader called “Invalid Printer”. Researchers claim that Invalid Printer is a so-called “Fully Undetectable” (FUD) malware loader used exclusively by this particular, as yet unnamed, cybercriminal. When the Invalid Printer reaches the target endpoint, it will first check the graphics card to see if it is installed in a virtual machine or sandboxed. If it determines that the device is a legitimate target, it will unpack and run a copy of the Aurora infostealer.

Aurora is malware with “extensive capabilities” and low antivirus detection, according to its creators. In fact, it took several weeks for antivirus programs to start labeling Aurora installations as malicious, Malwarebytes said. Written in golang, Aurora has been sold on Dark Web forums for over a year. Researchers believe that around 600 devices were compromised in this particular campaign.

According to Jérôme Segura, Director of Threat Intelligence at Malwarebytes, most of the victims are Turkish because every time Virus Total receives a new sample, it comes from a Turkish user.

“In many cases, the file name looked like it came straight from the compiler (i.e. build1_enc_s.exe),” the researcher concluded.

By: Beeping Computer

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May 23, 2023

This innocent-looking screenshot of Google I/O gives a terrifying glimpse into the future of SEO and online publishing

Around 30 minutes into Google I/O 23 this week, Aparna Pappu, vice president and general manager of Google Workspacecasually launched a Google Docs document as part of her presentation on how to do it artificial intelligence as a collaborator, it happens Documents, Slides AND Linen (I love the fact that it’s called Duet, a bit more poetic than Microsoft’s Copilot.)

The first, ironically, is for the job description (one of the most popular use cases, she joked). For a split second when help me write a window will pop up, it displays text that reads “fashion blog post in a quirky tone”. Blink and you might miss it.

For me as a content producer, this was the highlight of Google I/O 23: realizing that Google is now so comfortable with AI-generated content that it is actively encouraging text creation as part of its own online services with potential an audience of over two billion users. (Where will it end? Will it one day appear on YouTube as a “help me produce” prompt? Who knows).

Although not (yet) one of best website builders, Google sites may sooner rather than later inherit the “help me write” feature. Others like Wix AND Hostinger website builder have already included this in their features, but Google’s unique position as a content producer and SERP Gatekeeper is making publishers around the world even more concerned.

A simple montage showing what Help Me Write a Blog Post might look like on Google Sites. (Image credit: future)

Search engine optimization: the end?

Google’s generative search, where the answers are generated by Google’s AI and inserted to the very top of the search results page, is sure to capture the attention of the SEO community as it pushes the organic results down the page once again, and this will have a long-lasting impact on publishers of all sizes .

I would call this SERP “footnotes” because it reduces content producers to what could essentially turn into footnotes at the bottom of the page (similar to what we see on Wikipedia pages). Maybe it was all planned and ChatGPT was the perfect excuse for Google to introduce it once and for all; we will never know.

The return to AI-created content, which now looks like Google’s stamp of approval, means there could be a surge in machine-produced content, legal or not, content that is not only cheaper to produce but also hard to distinguish from human-created content.

Reducing production costs to a fraction of a dollar and eliminating the complexity of creating content (regardless of topic or length) will profoundly change the dynamics of online publishing.

Unless, of course, Google excludes content created by its own AI engine, but I wouldn’t count on it. This could encourage publishers of all sizes to embrace AI-created content at scale, which in turn will push SEOs of all kinds to put scalability and automation at the heart of their workflows, with best SEO tools available.

But the more Google pushes traditional organic content down the page, the less valuable those positions become, which in turn can affect revenue and make SEO obsolete (what’s the point of having SEO if all you’re fighting for is positions in footnotes). Of course, we can’t rule out Google’s ability to curate, condense, combine, and remix existing content to create Wikipedia-like metacontent.

And this is the last step before what I consider Google’s ultimate goal of continuous, long-term growth, which is the ability to insert affiliate links in AI-generated content at the top of the SERP page. Performance marketing is worth hundreds of billions of dollars a year, and AI could be just what Google needs to grab a bigger slice of this lucrative market.

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May 22, 2023

Bots now account for almost half of all internet traffic, and that’s very bad news for our security

The bot movement, or more precisely, the evil bot movement, is reaching new all-time highs, threatening everyone’s cybersecurity, according to new research.

Imperva Bad Bot’s 2023 report found that in 2022, nearly half (47.4%) of all internet traffic came from bots, up 5.1% year-on-year. At the same time, the share of passenger traffic fell to 52.6%, which is the lowest level in eight years.

Bot traffic is basically any traffic to a website or app that is not made by a human. It is generally seen as a good thing as it is essential for digital assistants, search engines and the like. Evil bots can interact with web applications in the same way as legitimate bots (or users) and are therefore used to attack websites, mobile applications and APIs, to run campaigns such as data collection, data mining, attacks brute force, DDoS (opens in a new tab)transaction fraud and more.

Years of bot development

According to Imperva, in 2022, the volume of traffic with bad bots increased by 2.5% and now accounts for 30.2% of all traffic. The report also states that this is the fourth consecutive year of steady growth in bad bot traffic. In fact, the 2022 data has never been seen before, and Imperva has been tracking this data since 2013.

Moreover, bad bots are becoming more sophisticated and therefore harder to detect. More than half (51.2%) of all bad bot traffic came from so-called “advanced” bots, up from 25.9% just a year ago.

“This is a worrying trend for companies as advanced bad bots use the latest evasion techniques and closely mimic human behavior to evade detection by going through random IP addresses, entering through anonymous proxies and changing identities,” the researchers conclude.

Most of the bad bots take place in Germany, Ireland, Singapore and the US, where travel, retail and financial services continue to experience abnormally high numbers of attacks.

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May 21, 2023

One of the best PS5 games is coming to PS Plus this month, eclipsing Game Pass

The PS Plus games catalog continues to gain momentum as some high-profile PS5 games hit the service next week.

It’s a stellar month for PS5 for sure, as a total of 24 games will be available to users on May 16 at the standard PS Plus subscription price. There are some real gems here, including some of the best PS5 games like Rachet and Clank: Split AND Guard dogs: Legion.

Where to start Rachet and Clank: Split? The latest installment of the popular tongue-in-cheek action platformer takes advantage of the PS5’s power with non-existent loading times and stunning graphics behind the hilarious scenery and quirky adventure. It’s one of the rare console-exclusive own games, and there’s no PS4 version, so now’s the best time to see what all the hype is about if you missed it in 2021.

Watchdogs has always been a divisive franchise. The hacker-centric open world takes another wildly new direction in the third installment of the series, taking you from the rainy and windy streets of Chicago to the scorching beaches of San Francisco and now to London, UK. It’s a bold change, but not as big as the changes to the core gameplay loop Guard dogs: Legion, which includes recruiting NPC civilians as playable characters to build a resistance army instead of a permanent hero like Aiden Pearce or Marcus Holloway.

Of course, there’s a lot more coming to PS Plus than just these PS5 games. Arkane fans can wash away the bad taste redfall from paragraph Disgraced 2 AND Dishonored: Death of an Outsider. Immersive, endlessly replayable simulations feature some of the best level design, character design, and combat in modern games.

For a full list of titles coming to rival Xbox Game Pass, you can check out the latest PlayStation blog post. In the past, I’ve argued that roughly a year after the PS Plus reboot, it’s finally giving Xbox Game Pass a run for its money. If Sony can keep ahead by bringing excellent games and big releases to its subscription service, Microsoft will have a really hard time keeping up. Other notable releases this month include the latest Tomb Raider trilogy, Inner Evil 2AND Humanity; truly a winning month if I’ve ever seen one that should keep us in the game for a while!

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May 20, 2023

Good Omens Season 2 will officially launch on Prime Video in July

Good omen season two is coming, and with it another series of episodes continuing the book-to-tv adaptation of the first season on Prime Video.

Amazon has announced a release date July 28, 2023, which means there are only a few months left before the space comedy returns to our screens. Based on the 1990 novel co-written by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, the first season Good omen follows the trials of an angel and a demon to prevent the apocalypse and maintain a comfortable lifestyle on Earth.

Those who watched Good omen season 1 will remember that the apocalypse was fortunately averted by the end of the season – and they may wonder where the show might go next.

Life after life

Amazon said Season 2 will expand beyond the source material to create an original storyline that follows the two stars of Amazon’s TV adaptation, David Tennant and Michael Sheen, as a duo of demons and angels:

“Season 2 Good omen explores stories that go beyond the original source material to shed light on the incredible friendship between Aziraphale, a picky angel and rare book dealer, and the fast-living demon Crowley. Having been on Earth since Origins and thwarting the Apocalypse, Aziraphale and Crowley return to their easy lives among mortals in London’s Soho when an unexpected messenger presents a startling secret.

Tennant and Sheen were really the best part Good omen TV show, so it’s good to see them focused on the impending crackdown – although Amazon’s other attempts to push the writers’ room beyond the bounds of classic source material have met with a mixed reception for Rings of Power.) Contributor Neil Gaimain has returned to writing duties, however, which puts the mind at ease. British comedy writer John Finnemore is also working on it, and if you’ve ever heard any of his radio shows (John Finnemore memorabilia program or a sitcom starring Benedict Cumberbatch Cabin pressure) you’ll know it’s (sorry) a good omen.

Season 2 will consist of six episodes, like the previous season. However, if you can’t wait until July, check out our guide to the best Prime Video shows to watch right now.

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May 19, 2023

What’s new in 1 minute: Everything you need to know about Google Pixel Fold

What’s the story?

The Pixel Fold is Google’s first ever foldable phone, comparable to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. It was announced at Google I/O 2023 and can be pre-ordered now ahead of its June launch. It costs $1,799 / £1,749 (no Australian release planned).

What do I need to know about it?

It has a large 7.6-inch curved screen with a fast 120Hz refresh rate and a 5.8-inch external display for one-handed operation when closed. Inside is a Tensor G2 processor (same as the new Pixel 7a) and 12GB of RAM, which should keep things smooth and fast.

On the back is a triple camera system, with a wide-angle lens, a 5x zoom lens and an ultra-wide-angle lens – standard equipment on today’s best phones. The promise of up to 72 hours of battery life in Extreme Battery Saver Mode is nice – but expect more than 24 hours normally, says Google.

Most importantly, the version of Android it runs on is designed for foldable devices, with smart options like split-screen apps and table mode so you can lay it on a table like a laptop.

Picture 1 With 7

(Image credit: Future/Lance Ulanoff)

What do we think?

In our first hands-on Pixel Fold review, we said “it looks like the experience could be higher than what Samsung currently offers with the Galaxy Z Fold 4.”

But what really stood out was the design: it’s much smaller and more pocketable than Samsung’s foldable phone, but also more usable. “It’s like they’re not in the same class,” said U.S. editor-in-chief Lance Ulanoff.

But we still have concerns about the thick frame inside, the bend in the middle of the screen and the fact that it is not completely flat when unfolded. Check back for our full review soon.

High recovery costs for those who pay

The report also gives another reason why companies should refrain from paying the ransom. Those that did doubled their recovery costs – $750,000 compared to $375,000 for those that only used backups. Also, it takes longer to recover files with a decryptor. Nearly half (45%) of organizations using backups recovered their data within a week, compared to two in five (39%) organizations that paid.

Sophos also warns that, despite other reports to the contrary, the number of ransomware attacks is not decreasing – it remains constant. This year, 66% of companies surveyed reported a ransomware attack, similar to last year.

“Encryption rates have returned to very high levels after a temporary decline during the pandemic, which is certainly worrying. Ransomware teams are refining their attack methodologies and accelerating attacks to reduce the time defenders can disrupt their plans,” said Chester Wisniewski, field CTO at Sophos.

“Incident costs increase significantly when the ransom is paid. Most victims will not be able to recover all their files simply by purchasing encryption keys; they also need to rebuild and recover data from backups. Paying the ransom not only enriches the criminals, but also slows down incident response and increases costs in an already very costly situation,” said Wiśniewski.

The Sophos report also claims that system vulnerabilities are most often used to launch ransomware attacks (36%) rather than compromised credentials (29%), showing the importance of keeping software and hardware up to date.

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mycasinospain

May 27, 2023

Sony Xperia 1 V release date, price, specs and features

May 26, 2023

Apple Watch 9 could extend battery life thanks to a new processor

May 25, 2023

ChatGPT may actually be good for that part of your business – but you won’t like it

May 24, 2023

More fake Windows updates spread malware, so be careful what you download

May 23, 2023

This innocent-looking screenshot of Google I/O gives a terrifying glimpse into the future of SEO and online publishing

May 22, 2023

Bots now account for almost half of all internet traffic, and that’s very bad news for our security

May 21, 2023

One of the best PS5 games is coming to PS Plus this month, eclipsing Game Pass

May 20, 2023

Good Omens Season 2 will officially launch on Prime Video in July

May 19, 2023

What’s new in 1 minute: Everything you need to know about Google Pixel Fold

What’s the story?

What do I need to know about it?

May 18, 2023

Ransomware attacks are getting better at encrypting data

High recovery costs for those who pay