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Snap Announces Major Changes to Snapchat and New AR Glasses
- Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
- Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor
The tech company Snap announced a major redesign on its social media platform Snapchat, a new generation of its AR glasses Spectacles, a brand-new operating system, and new AI features during the Snap Partner Summit this Tuesday.
One of the major changes the company is making in the popular social media network is integrating multiple features and simplifying the home design.
“We’re now testing a new and simplified Snapchat that organizes the app around communicating with friends, using the camera, and watching Snaps from friends and the broader Snapchat community, including creators and publishers,” wrote the company in its press release .
The home screen design went from five tabs to three, and will show a “Simple Snapchat”, that opens to the camera, and has chats to the left, and both features, Spotlight and Stories, integrated to the right.
According to TechCrunch , this could help adoption from older generations who complained about difficulties in navigating the platform. The new redesign has begun to roll out in certain countries and to small groups of users.
Snap also introduced the fifth generation of Spectacles, powered by the company’s new operating system Snap OS, a 226 gram device equipped with four cameras and dual system-on-a-chip architecture.
“Spectacles also tint automatically based on your environment’s lighting so visuals are vibrant, indoors or outdoors – even in direct sunlight,” states the document shared by Snap with more details of the new technology.
LATEST: Snapchat $SNAP unveils new augmented reality glasses at the Snap Partner Summit 🕶️ pic.twitter.com/n0Qf0EALfc — WizCase News (@WizCaseNews) September 18, 2024
“For the first time in human history, we have made transition lenses cool,” joked Evan Spiegel, Snap CEO at the Snap Partner Summit, explaining the new tint function. The new devices have been developed in partnership with Qualcomm—which recently partnered with Samsung and Google to build smart glasses.
Snapchat will now include new AI features like Easy Lens to create new lenses for AR experiences within minutes, by just typing prompts, and new animations for creators in the Animation Library, as well as more opportunities to be discovered by new users in the platform through new Lenses.
The social media company expects to attract more creators and a larger audience with the new products and services.
Image by RDNE Stock project, from Pexels
Cybercrime Group Targets Cryptocurrency Influencers And Online Gaming Personalities
- Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
- Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor
In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!
- A cybercrime group that has compromised tens of thousands of devices globally.
- Often employed fake social media accounts for spear-phishing attacks.
- Fraudulent platforms and fake video games used to trick unsuspecting victims.
A cybercrime group called Marko Polo has compromised “tens of thousands of devices” globally through scams related to cryptocurrency and online gaming, as reported by researchers from Insikt Group on Tuesday.
Marko Polo operators use several deceptive tactics, including creating fake platforms that mimic popular games, software, or services to trick potential victims.
Marko Polo primarily targets cryptocurrency influencers and online gaming personalities, individuals usually considered more cybersecurity-aware than the average user.
Despite their heightened awareness, these individuals have become victims of spear-phishing attacks, which often involve fake job offers or partnership proposals, as noted by Recorded Future .
This shows the group’s focus on high-value targets within the digital finance world.
In recent news, there have been several instances of cyber attacks using fake video conferencing tools , and a significant increase in attacks targeting young gamers . Additionally, Binance has issued an alert about a growing malware threat targeting cryptocurrency users and causing substantial financial losses.
Marko Polo operates as a “traffer team,” redirecting victims to malicious content run by other cybercriminals. It is one of many active groups in the cybercrime world, underscoring the scale of these operations.
Once victims click on malicious links or download these fraudulent programs, they expose their devices to harmful malware like HijackLoader, Stealc, Rhadamanthys, and AMOS, which can steal sensitive information, control their devices, or enable further cyberattacks.
The operators also rely heavily on fake social media accounts to promote their scams and engage with users. These accounts are either purchased in bulk or obtained through account takeovers of legitimate users.
Fake platforms such as PartyWorld, a “loot shooter” game impersonating Fortnite and Party Royale, and NightVerse, a fraudulent “cyberpunk” metaverse, are used to lure unsuspecting players.
Similarly, Vortax, Vorion, and Vixcall pretend to be virtual meeting software, tricking users into downloading malicious software. The scams extend to fake virtual meeting software, as well as communication and collaboration tools like Up-Connect and GoHeard.
Nortex, another scam, poses as a decentralized all-in-one application to trick cryptocurrency influencers and users into downloading malware.
Insikt Group suggests several mitigation strategies to mitigate the risks of Marco Polo’s attacks. They suggest using advanced tools to block harmful malware, implementing web filters, and segmenting networks to contain malware spread.
Monitoring for unusual activity, keeping threat information current, and training staff on online risks are also advised.
Additionally, updating incident response plans, collaborating with other organizations and authorities, securing supply chains, and ensuring compliance with data protection laws are emphasized.
