The Indian cybersecurity agency CERT-In has reported that users affected by the recent global computer outage are now being targeted by phishing attacks. Fraudsters are posing as CrowdStrike support staff, offering system recovery tools but instead installing malware.

A CERT-In advisory issue on Saturday warns that these attacks could trick users into installing unidentified malware, potentially causing data leaks and system crashes. The global computer outage on July 19, caused due to a faulty update to the CrowdStrike Falcon Sensor software, resulted in Windows crashes, grounding flights, and affecting business, banking, and hospital systems across the globe, as per a report from PTI.

While systems have been restored now with fixes from Microsoft and CrowdStrike, hackers are selling software scripts claiming to automate recovery. CERT-In noted that these attackers are also disturbing Trojan malware, under the disguise of recovery tools.

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How Do These Phishing Attacks Work

Phishing attacks include scammers mimicking reputable entities through email, texts, or phone calls to trick victims into revealing sensitive personal information, such as banking details and login credentials.

CERT-In has advised users and organizations to configure firewalls to block 31 types of URLs, including 'crowdstrikeoutage[.]info' and www.crowdstrike0day[.]com', as well as several hashes.

The advisory also recommends several trusted cyber hygiene practices: getting software patch updates from authentic sources, avoiding documents with ".exe" links, being cautious of suspicious phone numbers, clicking only URLs with clear website domains, and using safe browsing tools along with appropriate firewalls.

"Ensure that websites have valid encryption certificates by checking for the green lock in the browser's address bar before entering sensitive information, such as personal details or account login information," the advisory adds.

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Microsoft Could Bring Surprising Changes To Curb Outages

The recent IT outage wasn’t just bad for CrowdStrike, but also a wake-up call for Microsoft. To avoid such instances in the future, Microsoft could take some serious steps, as it is evaluating blocking third-party security software from accessing the Windows Kernel, according to a blog post by John Cable, VP of program management for Windows servicing and delivery.

If this change were to be put in place, the restriction would imitate Apple’s 2020 move, which limited third-party software from accessing its core OS. The change was brought to macOS Big Sur, making sure that every system partition that contains the core OS is cryptographically verified, down to every last file.

The goal is to curb third-party entities that could melt down the whole system.
But this change isn’t easy to pull off. The company tried doing the exact same thing in 2006 with Windows Vista, curbing third parties from having Kernel access. However, the plan failed due to resistance from EU regulators and complaints from cybersecurity vendors.

Apple is reportedly planning to refresh the MacBook Pro in 2026. According to a report from 9To5Mac, citing Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the MacBook Pro will not receive a “true overhaul” next year; customers might have to wait another year for significant upgrades across the board.

The report suggests that the MacBook Pro’s 2025 model with a new M5 chip will likely be “just another chip upgrade,” with a “total redesign” planned for 2026. Gurman noted that Apple had previously aimed for the next MacBook Pro overhaul in 2025, but delays related to display technology have pushed the schedule.

One of the highlight changes expected for the 2026 model of the MacBook Pro is the transition to an OLED display. According to the report, the MacBook Pro will feature a similar OLED display to the M4 iPad Pro launched earlier this year.

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What To Expect From MacBook Pro in 2026

The M4 iPad Pro comes packed with a Tandem OLED panel, which encompasses two layers of red, green, and blue (RGB) organic light-emitting layers stacked atop one another. The display tech enables higher brightness while consuming less power.

The report also stated that the 2026 MacBook Pro will likely have a “thinner design.” Apple increased the width of its MacBook Pro when transitioning from Intel processors to its own Apple Silicon; however, the company might revise to a sleeker form factor with the next major design update in 2026.

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M6 Series Chip To Power MacBook Pro

Mark Gurman mentioned that the 2026 MacBook Pro will be powered by the M6 series chipset. The new chip would be based on 2nm architecture, making it more powerful while improving power efficiency. As for the 2025 update, the MacBook Pro will likely transition to M5 series chips without any other major changes.
 
 

MacBook Pro 2024: Variants and Pricing

• 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4: Starts at Rs 169,900
• 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro: Starts at Rs 199,900
• 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Max: Starts at Rs 319,900
• 16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro: Starts at Rs 249,900
• 16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Max: Starts at Rs 349,900
   

All models are available in space black and silver. After the MacBook Pro launch, the MacBook Air with M2 and M3 now comes standard with 16GB of unified memory and is available in midnight, starlight, silver, and space grey, starting at Rs 99,900.

A day after Realme launched the India launch date of the GT 7 Pro, the smartphone was launched in China. The GT 7 Pro is the first smartphone to come with Snapdragon 8 Gen Elite. However, that is not the only thing that is special about the device.

It comes packed with a 6500mAh battery, which is even bigger than the 6000mAh battery found on the OnePlus 13. The smartphone will be launched in India on November 26, most likely with the same set of specs.

The Relme GT 7 Pro is priced in China starting at CNY 3,699 (around Rs 43,800) for the model with the 12GB RAM and 512GB storage. The 12GB + 256GB variant is priced slightly higher at CNY 3,999 (approx Rs 47,400).

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Realme GT 7 Pro Under The Hood

The Realme GT 7 Pro is a cutting-edge smartphone offering top-end performance and sleek design. It supports GSM, HSPA, LTE, and 5G networks. The smartphone comes with a sturdy build with a glass front and aluminum frame.

The smartphone measures 162.5 x 76.9 x 8.6 mm and weighs 222.8 grams, providing both durability and portability. It comes with an IP68/IP69 for water and dust resistance, it can withstand submersion in up to 2 meters of water for 30 minutes, adding extra reliability in various conditions.

The Realme GT 7 Pro sports a 6.78-inch LTPO OLED display with a rich color palette of one billion colors, a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ support, and Dolby Vision. The display remains vivid even in direct sunlight. It offers a high-resolution experience with 1264 x 2780 pixels and a dense 450 ppi, making sure visuals for all content.

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Realme GT 7 Pro Feature To Check Out

The smartphone is powered by Qualcomm SM8750-AB Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset (3nm). It runs Android 15 with Realme UI 6.0 on top. It is an octa-core processor that includes powerful Oryon V2 Phoenix cores clocked at up to 4.2 GHz, while the Adreno 830 GPU delivers smooth graphics for gaming and multimedia. The device is available in storage variants of 256GB to 1TB with up to 16GB of RAM and UFS 4.0 storage, it offers ample space and fast data speeds.

Speaking of the camera, the Realme GT 7 Pro features a versatile triple rear camera setup. The primary camera is 50MP with optical image stabilization, while a 50MP telephone lens offers 3x optical zoom, and an 8MP ultrawide lens provides a 112Ëš field of view. Users will be able to shoot up to 8K at 24fps, along with 4K and Full HD recording options. The front-facing camera is 16MP, capturing clear selfies and 1080p video at 30 fps.

Rumors of a cheaper Apple Vision Pro mixed reality headset have been going on for several months, sparking anticipation among tech enthusiasts. However, known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has now suggested that this lower-cost version won’t hit the market until at least 2027.

Instead, Apple is reportedly gearing up to release an upgraded Vision Pro model equipped with an M5 processor as early as next year. In a recent post on X, Kuo highlighted that the company’s strategy to launch a budget version of its Vision Pro has shifted. “Apple has delayed its plans for a lower-cost Vision Pro to beyond 2027,” Kuo wrote, noting that a new version featuring the M5 chip is planned for 2025.

Kuo also anticipates a budget model for the HomePods mini, which, despite being a more affordable option, did not significantly boost Apple’s smart speaker market share. “Even after launching the cheaper HomePod mini, Apple’s smart speakers failed to become mainstream products,” he stated.

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What To Expect From a Future Affordable Vision Pro

The analyst suggested that simply lowering the price might not be enough to drive success for the headset. The move seems to showcase Apple’s understanding that cost-cutting alone won’t create compelling use cases for new technology.

The budget-friendly version, should it eventually be released, is said to come with a price tag of around $2,000 ( around Rs 1,68,00). To achieve this lower cost, Apple might employ less expensive materials, equip the device with a less powerful chip, and remove features such as  EyeSight—a highlight feature of the current Vision Pro that projects the user’s eyes onto the front display. The quality of the internal displays might also be reduced to maintain a more accessible price point.

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Apple Prioritizing High-End Vision Pro

The first-generation Apple Vision Pro, launched at WWDC 2023, comes with a starting price of $3,499 (approx Rs 2,90,000) for the base 256Gb model. It also offers higher storage options of 512GB and 1TB. The premium headset runs on the company’s in-house M2 chipset and R1 chip and operates using visionOS, supporting both augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) functions.

Kuo’s insights suggest that the company is prioritizing the refinement of its high-end Vision Pro lineup rather than rushing a budget model to market. This approach could be tied to ensure robust user engagement and showcasing the practical applications of mixed reality technology before expanding its offerings. The company’s Vision Pro has already rolled out in a few markets, including the US, China, Europe, and Japan.

Samsung could launch a more affordable variant of its flagship Galaxy Z Flip series smartphone dubbed the Galaxy Z Flip FE next year, as per a tipster. The South Korean technology giant unveiled a Special Edition model of its top-tier Galaxy Z Fold 6 in select markets a few weeks ago, but that was priced considerably higher than the standard variant.

Meanwhile, the alleged Galaxy Z Flip FE is said to come with toned-down internals to reduce costs. In a post on the South Korean blogging platform Naver (via Android Authority), tipster @yeux1122 hinted that the company might be developing a more affordable variant of the Galaxy Z Flip series. The said device is expected to hit the market in 2025.

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What To Expect From Affordable Galaxy Z Flip FE

While its launch date remains unknown, the tipster claimed that it would be a “simultaneous release,” suggesting that it could make its debut alongside the next-generation Samsung foldable - the purported Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 — in the latter half of the year.

This development delves upon the recent announcement during Samsung’s Earnings Call for Q3 2024 where they said they are exploring “ways to lower entry barriers so that more customers can experience foldable products.” This suggests the potential development of more affordable versions of the Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold series smartphones in development.

Moreover, the tipster also hinted that Samsung might launch two more devices next year: Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim and an additional model in the Galaxy Z Fold 7 series. While the former has a tentative launch timeline of “before and after” April 2025, the latter is speculated to be a simultaneous release, which means it could be another smartphone making its debut alongside the company’s seventh-gen foldable.

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Samsung Could Launch Triple-Screen Foldable Phone In 2025

Huawei swept headlines when it unveiled the Mate XT earlier this year. This might be the beginning of the dual-folding triple-screen phones, although it’s currently limited to China. So, when will other brands release their own commercial devices?

Well, ZDNet Korea (via SammyGuru) reports that Samsung is planning to release a triple-screen foldable phone next year. And it seems like the pieces are in place for mass production.

“Samsung Display’s partners have also completed the development of parts for the trifold model and are already ready for commercialization,” an industry insider was quoted as saying by the outlet. “Of course, the final release of the product depends on the decision of Samsung Electronics’ MX division, so we will have to watch the trend a little more closely.”

People have started receiving their orders of Amazon’s first color e-reader, the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition, and many claim they are seeing a yellow, discolored strip at the bottom of the display. Complaints about the $279.99 e-reader’s display have spread online and dragged down its Amazon star rating, and Amazon tells The Verge it’s aware of the issues.

A Reddit user posted a thread with images, saying it’s pretty obvious when the Kindle “is supposed to be evenly lit and colored like a piece of paper.” Several others with the same issue say they have exchanged their Colorsoft for a new one or simply returned it. Another user said they only noticed it while using the device's edge lighting.

Whether the issue is related to a hardware or software flaw isn’t known, but one user posted a screenshot where a customer service agent appeared to confirm that Amazon is working on a fix for it. Multiple people said in another thread that the issue didn’t appear until after an initial software update.

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What Exactly Is The Issue With Kindle Colorsoft

Amazon spokesperson Jill Tornifoglio confirmed the company is aware of complaints in a statement emailed to The Verge:
 

“We’re aware of a small number of reports from customers who see a yellow band along the bottom of the display. We take the quality of our products seriously and are looking into it. If customers notice this on their device, they can reach out to our customer service team.”

Currently, it’s not immediately clear how widespread the issue is. On Amazon’s website, where the Kindle Colorsoft is sitting at a 2.6-star average rating, a large part of both good and bad reviews point out the discoloration. Of those, some say the yellow line is hardly noticeable, while others say it’s too distracting to keep.

Amazon recently announced the launch of its refreshed Kindle lineup of e-book readers. What’s more interesting is that the lineup includes the Colorsoft Signature Edition, which comes with a colored e-ink display. It claims to offer a week-long battery and costs $279.99.

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Amazon First Colored Kindle With Kindle Scribe

The Kindle series now packs four models: the first-ever colored Kindle, a reimagined Kindle Scribe, the fastest Kindle Paperwhite yet, and a new entry-level Kindle. The entry-level Kindle comes in a new Matcha color with a price tag of $109.99, and it comes with a non-reflective e-ink display with 300 ppi and 16GB of storage.

The Kindle Paperwhite—the fastest according to the company—comes in two variants: the base model with 16 GB of storage at $159.99, and the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition with 32 GB storage for $199.99. Both devices offer water-resistant capabilities with new color options, such as Raspberry Metallic, Jade Green Metallic, and Charcoal Metallic.