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XMPP (Jabber) instant messaging protocol encrypted TLS connection wiretapping (Man-in-the-Middle attack) of jabber.ru (aka xmpp.ru) service’s servers on Hetzner and Linode hosting providers in Germany. The attacker has issued several new TLS certificates using Let’s Encrypt service which were used to hijack encrypted STARTTLS connections on port 5222 using transparent MiTM proxy. The attack was discovered due to expiration of one of the MiTM certificates, which haven’t been reissued.

The researchers will present their research next week at the Black Hat cybersecurity conference in Las Vegas.

Christian Werling, one of the three students at Technische Universität Berlin who conducted the research along with another independent researcher, said that their attack requires physical access to the car, but that’s exactly the scenario where their jailbreak would be useful.

“We are not the evil outsider, but we’re actually the insider, we own the car,” Werling told TechCrunch in an interview ahead of the conference. “And we don’t want to pay these $300 for the rear heated seats.”

The technique they used to jailbreak the Tesla is called voltage glitching. Werling explained that what they did was “fiddle around” with the supply voltage of the AMD processor that runs the infotainment system.

“If we do it at the right moment, we can trick the CPU into doing something else. It has a hiccup, skips an instruction and accepts our manipulated code. That’s basically what we do in a nutshell,” he said.

With the same technique, the researchers said they were also able to extract the encryption key used to authenticate the car to Tesla’s network. In theory, this would open the door for a series of other attacks, but the researchers said they still have to explore the possibilities in this scenario.

The researchers said they were also able to extract personal information from the car such as contacts, recent calendar appointments, call logs, locations the car visited, Wi-Fi passwords and session tokens from email accounts, among others. This is data that could be attractive to people who don’t own that particular car, but still have physical access to it.

Mitigating the hardware-based attack that the researchers achieved is not simple. In fact, the researchers said, Tesla would have to replace the hardware in question.

Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.

Twitter is threatening legal action against the Center for Countering Digital Hate, a nonprofit that researches hate speech and content moderation on social media platforms.

The letter from Twitter's lawyers alleges that CCDH's research publications are intended to 'harm Twitter's business by driving advertisers away from the platform with incendiary claims.'

This is a pretty bold move from Twitter, especially considering that CCDH is a well-respected organization that has been doing this kind of research for years. And it's especially ironic coming from Elon Musk, who has said that he's a 'free speech absolutist.'

But Musk has also shown that he's sensitive to criticism, so it's not surprising that he's taking this kind of action against CCDH

Chromecast has been one of those smaller hardware products that have brought about a meaningful experience upgrade. The first Chromecast solved the pain point of clunky TV software interfaces, making it easier to locate content on your handy smartphone and then play it on your big-screen TV. However, a Court in the US has ruled that Google has infringed upon patents with its Chromecast products and that it should pay $338.7 million in damages because of it.

A Western District of Texas jury has ruled that Google has violated three patents held by a company called Touchstream Technologies, as reported by ArsTechnica. The complaint points to several Chromecast products, including the Chromecast Ultra, the Chromecast with Google TV, and other Chromecast-integrated products.

The first patent application in this complaint was filed in April 2011. The three patents relate to “a system for presenting and controlling content on a display device.”

Further, the complaint claims that Touchstream met with Google in December 2011 but was told that the tech giant wasn’t interested in partnering with it in February 2012. For reference, the first generation Google Chromecast was released in 2013. The latest Chromecast with Google TV (HD) was launched in September 2022, while the 4K variant was launched earlier in September 2020.

Chromecast with Google TV HD box 2 Google opposed the complaint, arguing that the patents are “hardly foundational and do not cover every method of selecting content on a personal device and watching it on another screen.” Further, the Chromecast is said to differ in technologies detailed in Touchstream’s patents.

The jury agreed with Touchstream’s allegations and ordered the company to pay $338.7 million in damages for its patent violations.

Google intends to appeal this decision, as mentioned by their spokesperson in their statement to ArsTechnica.

Google has rolled out the Nearby Share app for Windows, which has been in beta since March. The new tool lets you easily send and receive files -- photos, videos, music documents and more -- between nearby Android devices and Windows computers.

During the Nearby Share beta program, 1.7 million people downloaded the application, sending over 50 million files between their Android and Windows devices, according to Google.

Nearby Share isn't close to being the first file-sharing feature between Android and Windows. It's not even the only file transfer tool that Google currently has -- you can transfer files via Google accounts, such as Drive and Photos, or even via USB.

However, it's easy to use. Nearby Share doesn't involve cables, and it doesn't require uploading files to any existing accounts. Instead, much like Apple's AirDrop feature, you can quickly send a file from your Android phone to your Windows computer, as long as the two devices are nearby and connected. It's simply less complicated to use than other existing file transfer methods.

A while back, Google announced that it would let Google Play users access their favorite gaming titles via desktop computers, via the Google Play Games for PC Beta program. It’s been quite some time now since the initial unveiling of the service, and it looks like we’re getting some pretty big updates soon.

Google says that it has taken feedback from gamers and devs, and rolled out some snazzy new features to improve the beta program. For one, hundreds of games have now been made available to the catalog, Cookie Run: Kingdom, Eversoul, Summoners War, Homescapes, Evony: The King’s Return, Call of Dragons, Arknights, and more recently Free Fire Max.

With regards to Free Fire Max, Google says that the title is now available for users in Malaysia and Taiwan, and will be making its way to more regions in the following weeks. Of course, save syncing between different devices is supported, as long as you have the same account signed in.

Google adds that it’s opened its beta program to more than 60 new regions across Europe, Latin America, and Asia Pacific. This means that up to 120 countries that can now access the service. More PCs can now access the service as well (although compatibility might vary).

Google has also added keyboard remapping functionality, so users can now further customize their control inputs when playing.

If you’ve immersed yourself in to the world of Pokémon you’ll be excited to find out that you can add another level to your obsession thanks to the debut of the Pokémon Sleep app on the Play Store. Ostensibly aiming to help you get a better sleep routine, the Pokémon Sleep app will track your sleeping habits via your smartphone and use Pokémon to show how you slept and let your research them to achieve a ‘Sleep Style Dex’.

All you need to do is to download the Pokémon Sleep app to your smartphone (or buy a Pokémon Go Plus+ companion device) and place said device next to your pillow (not under) so it can track your sleep.

The Pokémon Sleep app has the following features:

See Your Sleep Score and Sleep Type: You can get a sense of what your sleep was like by checking your sleep score, which is based on how long you slept. And how about your sleep type? You may be deemed to be “dozing,” “snoozing,” or “slumbering” type for the night, based on how much you moved in your sleep. Check Out Your Sleep Trends: You can look back in detail on how regular your sleep has been on a week-by-week basis. You may discover new insights into your sleep as you check your past trends, such as what time you tend to hit the hay on different days of the week.

Let Soothing Sounds Support Your Sleep: With features like Pokémon-inspired music to relax you into sleep, plus smart alarms that wake you when you’re in a shallow stage of sleep, Pokémon Sleep may help you to rest your very best.

Review Audio Recorded When You Sleep: Various noises detected during your sleep tracking will be automatically recorded. You can play these recordings back and hear your snores and sleep talk or environmental noises, such as from traffic or wind. What A Day Looks Like in Pokémon Sleep:

When Night Falls…: It’s time to track your sleep! All you need to do is place your smart device by your pillow, then call it a night. A New Day Dawns: By the time you wake, Pokémon will have gathered in Pokémon Sleep based on your sleep type and how long you slept. Carry out research on these Pokémon’s sleep styles to complete your Sleep Style Dex!

And the Rest of the Day…: Raise Snorlax big and strong! Snorlax will grow larger by receiving Berries from the Pokémon you befriend. The more you raise Snorlax, the greater your odds will be of encountering Pokémon with rare sleep styles!

You no longer need to try a beta to stream Android apps on your Chromebook. Google has released a Chrome OS M115 update that makes Android app streaming available to many more people. If you have Phone Hub enabled, you can run an Android app directly from your mobile device rather than installing it on the computer. The update allows you to reply to a message or check your lunch delivery without the distraction of reaching for your handset.

The feature is still limited to a handful of Android 13-capable phones from Google and Xiaomi. From Google, you'll need a Pixel 4a or later. Xiaomi fans, meanwhile, need at least a 12T. Both your Chromebook and phone must be on the same WiFi network and physically close by. Some networks might not support the feature, but you can use Chrome OS' Instant Tethering to establish a link if need be.

As during the beta, you won't want to use app streaming for games or other intensive Android apps. This is more for responding to notifications than any serious commitment — you'll still want to install apps for that. It gives Chromebooks some of the phone integration you find in macOS and Windows, though, and may help you stay focused while you work.

The M115 upgrade also lets you sign PDF documents and save signatures to use later. Google has also redesigned the keyboard-oriented Shortcut app with a new interface and easier in-app search.

Taking a look back at seven days of news and headlines across the world of Android, this week’s Android Circuit includes Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked confirmation, the Exynos problem returns, Pixel 8 Pro details leak, OnePlus specs surprise, more power from RedMagic 8S Pro, WhatsApp on your wrist, and a rather special keyboard is launched.

Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many things that have happened around Android in the last week (and you can find the weekly Apple news digest here).

Samsung Confirms New Technology For Galaxy Unpacked

Samsung has confirmed the Galaxy Unpacked launch later this month will feature new foldable smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches - the presumptively named Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5 leading the charge:

"We’ve raised the standards for foldable smartphone ergonomics. A difference of millimeter in a device’s thickness may not sound like a big change, but every gram and millimeter in a foldable device requires an engineering breakthrough. It demands craftsmanship with passion. When done well, the benefit to users is huge. That’s why we’ve innovated to make our latest foldables slimmer and lighter than our previous generations."

Samsung’s Galaxy S23 family brought a welcome change for many… the South Korean company relied exclusively on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chipset for every model. Previous Galaxy S handsets were split between Snapdragon and Samsung’s in-house Exynos chipset, offering less performance. Fans are worried that the S24 series may bring back Exynos to some handsets:

While we live in a time where smartphones can get prolonged support and usability by way of software updates, it stands to reason that nearly all software and hardware platforms have a finite lifespan. With that in mind, Google recently announced that it will be discontinuing updates for Android version 4.4, otherwise known as “Kitkat”.

The announcement was made via Google’s Android Developers blog. A statement from Sarat Tummala, Product Manager at Google Play services reads:

The Android KitKat (KK) platform was first released ~10 years ago and since then, we’ve introduced many innovative improvements and features for Android, which are unavailable on KK. As of July 2023, the active device count on KK is below 1% as more and more users update to the latest Android versions. Therefore, we are no longer supporting KK in future releases of Google Play services. KK devices will not receive versions of the Play Services APK beyond 23.30.99.

Android KitKat first arrived on the scene back in October of 2013, and brought some pretty significant improvements towards performance, allowing Android to run on devices with less-than-impressive hardware. It also came with the Kitkat logo design, drawn directly from the popular chocolate brand.

On Tuesday, OpenAI released an official ChatGPT app for Android, now available in the Google Play Store in four countries: the US, India, Bangladesh, and Brazil, with more coming soon. As a client for OpenAI's language model family, the GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 models run on the cloud and provide results to your Android device. It also integrates OpenAI's Whisper model for speech recognition.

ChatGPT, launched in November, is a conversational AI language model interface. As an AI assistant, it can help with summarization, text composition, and analysis. OpenAI bills its use cases as a way to seek "instant answers," "tailored advice," "creative inspiration," "professional input," and "learning opportunities."

However, as we've noted in the past, ChatGPT is occasionally prone to confabulation (that is, making things up)—especially the GPT-3.5 model—so it's not entirely trustworthy as a factual reference. It can come in handy as a way to analyze data you provide yourself, though, so long as you're familiar with the subject matter and can validate the results.

Like the iOS version of the ChatGPT app, the Android version links to your existing ChatGPT account and can synchronize chat history between devices. It also supports ChatGPT Plus subscription account features, such as access to the GPT-4 language model and some Beta features like Custom Instructions.

Using the app feels similar to a text-messaging experience, with an input box at the bottom of the screen and a scrolling conversation history between you and ChatGPT taking up most of the app's interface. At any time, users can quickly start new conversations by swiping the input bar to the right. History is available in a "three-dots" ellipses menu in the upper-right corner.

ChatGPT for Android requires Android 6.0 and up and has already racked up over 500,000 downloads, according to stats found on the Google Play Store. OpenAI plans to expand the ChatGPT Android rollout to more countries over the next week.

J.J. Abrams rebooted the "Star Trek" franchise in 2009, and since then, the three films in the new Kelvin timeline have been a smashing success. Altogether, the first "Trek" reboot, 2013's "Star Trek Into Darkness," and 2016's "Star Trek Beyond" have grossed more than a billion dollars at the global box office. They've also done fairly well critically, so with all that love, it seems pretty obvious that Hollywood would want to get "Star Trek 4" to theater screens at warp speed.

However, the road to "Star Trek 4" has not been a smooth one. Instead, it's one filled with starts and stops, various creatives coming and going, and a release date that keeps getting beamed all over the place. So what do we actually know about the fourth installment of the "Star Trek" reboot series, and what will it look like when it finally makes first contact? Well, read on for everything we know so far about "Star Trek 4."

What is the release date for Star Trek 4? Paramount Pictures "Star Trek 4" has been in the works for a long time ... a really long time. In June 2015, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Chris Pine (Kirk) and Zachary Quinto (Spock) had signed up for "Star Trek 4." For context, Barack Obama was still president, the MCU's Phase 3 hadn't kicked off yet, and "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" was still months away from hitting theaters and becoming the highest-grossing movie of the year.

All this time later and there's still no sign of "Star Trek 4." Pine and Chris Hemsworth (who was returning as Kirk's dad) allegedly left a potential fourth project over pay disputes in 2018 (via The Hollywood Reporter), and in 2019, it was announced that the film had been shelved (via Deadline). Eventually, the project started moving again and earned a release date of June 9, 2023, but that eventually got kicked back to December 22, 2023 ... before vanishing from the release slate completely.

In other words, we have no idea when "Star Trek 4" will be released. But we do have reason to believe it's still in the works. Speaking with Collider, former director Matt Shakman (who left the project to direct "Fantastic Four") said, "I think what they're still working on is a version of what I have been working on for the time that I was involved." With that, it seems that the Enterprise is still heading to theaters, although we have no clue when the ship will fly back onto the big screen.

What is the plot of Star Trek 4? Paramount Pictures At this point, no plot details for the upcoming fourth "Star Trek" movie have been revealed, but we'd assume it will take place after the events of 2016's "Star Trek Beyond," which was directed by Justin Lin ("The Fast and the Furious" franchise).

In "Star Trek Beyond," Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise see their beloved ship crashed on the planet Altamid, after an ambush by a pre-Federation human soldier, Idris Elba's Captain Balthazar Edison. When Kirk and the gang discovered Edison's plans to use an ancient bioweapon to destroy the Federation, they're forced to stop him, without the help of their ship. That film also saw the death of Leonard Nimoy's Ambassador Spock, as well as the end of the relationship between Spock and Uhuru.

One story we know "Star Trek 4" won't be exploring is a reunion between Captain Kirk and his father George involving time travel. Chris Hemsworth briefly played George Kirk in 2009's "Star Trek," but turned down a chance to reprise the role in a bigger story in 2018 (via ​​Digital Spy). "Star Trek 4" also won't tie into any of the current TV series about Star Trek, like "Star Trek Picard" or "Star Trek Below Decks," as those series take place in a universe separate from the Kelvin timeline.