While previous reports have indicated that the rumoured portable PlayStation 6 will be able to run PS5 games, albeit at lower, resolutions, a new rumour indicates that the compatibility might go further than we first thought. In a post on the NeoGAF forums, Kepler – known for having correctly leaked the fact that the PS5 Pro makes use of RDNA 4 features back in September – has posted that the portable PS6 has compatibility with the PS5 in terms of the shader binaries that are used. Theoretically, this would mean that developers don’t really have to do much to get their game running on the rumoured console. Rather, the game will run on its own just fine, since it doesn’t need any extra compilation thanks to the shader binaries being compatible. On the other hand, Kepler does note that, if left alone, the performance of the game on the console might not be ideal. Rather, developers will likely have to do some work in optimising their games to get it running on the portable PS6 at smooth frame rates. This ties in with previous reports, which indicated that the rumoured console will run off an SoC fabricated on the 3 nm node, and will be capable of using up to 15 watts of power. While not high-performance by any stretch, the efficiencies in modern chip fabrication does mean that the SoC should be fairly capable. According to Kepler, the power of the theorised handheld gaming system will sit somewhere between a PS5 and an Xbox Series S. This also means that the SoC used for the portable PS6 will be different from what we see on the main console. According to the report, the handheld console’s chip was specifically designed to be able to run at low voltages. While Sony is far from making any proper confirmation of a new generation of PlayStation consoles being in the works, a statement by the company back in 2022 indicated that the console could launch some time after 2027. The statement, made during Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, also included the companies worries at the time of not getting Call of Duty games on its platforms in light of the acquisition. Going by history, Sony until the launch of the PS4, Sony had followed a 5-year console cycle from the original PlayStation all the way up to the launch of the PS3. The PS4, however, was launched in 2013, coming on the heels of the longest console generation of the time – 8 years. This has been the standard that Sony has been following since, with the PS5 having come out around 8 years after the PS4. If the rumours about Sony working on a handheld gaming system to accompany the home console release of the PS6 end up being true, the company would be returning to the handheld gaming market after having spent over a decade away from it in light of the PlayStation Vita’s commercial failure. Sony would like prefer to emulate the success of the PlayStation Portable in that regard, especially in light of stiff competition from handheld gaming PCs like the Steam Deck and the Asus ROG Ally, as well as other consoles like the Nintendo Switch 2 as well as whatever Microsoft is working on.

St. Lawrence Market visualization of the front and Jarvis street (Rendering credit: RSHP Architects) Toronto’s beloved St. Lawrence Market will celebrate the grand opening of its redeveloped North building next month. The design, by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and Adamson Associates Architects, was the winning entry in a 2010 two-stage design competition. It houses the established Saturday Farmers’ Market and Sunday Antique Market, along with court rooms for Toronto Court Services and administrative offices on the upper floors, and a 250-space underground parking garage. The complex replaces an existing one-storey building that was primarily used for weekend markets.   St. Lawrence Market North (Rendering credit: RSHP Architects) The St. Lawrence Market Complex has served as a City landmark for more than 200 years and remains one of the most valuable historical sites in Toronto. The new complex is designed around a covered street bookended by views to St. Lawrence Market’s south building, and to St. Lawrence Hall to the north. St. Lawrence Market exterior visualization at night (Rendering credit: RSHPArchitects) The redevelopment aimed to improve the utility of the complex for its vendors, visitors and shoppers, while contributing to the economic development of the area. St. Lawrence Market. Interior view of atrium looking toward St. Lawrence Market (Photo credit: The City of Toronto) St. Lawrence Market. Courtroom interior view. (Photo credit: The City of Toronto) Construction of the new market began in July 2019. The courts are currently open, and the Farmers’ Market has officially moved to this new location on Saturdays as of April 5, 2025. (The original St. Lawrence Market South building, open six days a week, will continue operating with its current vendors.) There is an official grand opening celebration planned for May 10, 2025.   The post St. Lawrence Market to celebrate grand opening of redeveloped North Building appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Anthropic's groundbreaking study analyzes 700,000 conversations to reveal how AI assistant Claude expresses 3,307 unique values in real-world interactions, providing new insights into AI alignment and safety.Read More

Following several weeks of teases, Vivo has announced all the details of its new X200 Ultra smartphone which is launching in China. The X200 Ultra runs Qualcomm’s newest high-end Snapdragon 8 Elite processor with up to 16GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of storage. But what really sets it apart is its back triple camera array, which can be upgraded with accessories designed to not only expand the phone’s zoom capabilities to be comparable to a standalone camera, but also improve its ergonomics when taking photos or recording video.The Vivo X200 Ultra starts at 6,499 yuan (around $890) for a version with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage and maxes out at 7,999 yuan (around $1,096) with 16GB and 1TB. It includes a 6.82-inch OLED screen, an under display fingerprint sensor, 90W charging speeds with a USB-C cable, up to 40W wireless charging with a compatible charger, dust and water resistance, and silver, red, and black color options. (There are currently no plans for release outside China.) It hasn’t released specifics on battery life — often an issue with smartphones that are supposed to double as other gadgets — beyond saying users can “rely on their device throughout the day.”For 2,598 yuan (around $356) or in a 9,699 yuan (around $1,329) bundle with the 16GB/1TB version, you can add the Photographer Kit, which is where the phone gets interesting.The Vivo X200 Ultra has an enhanced dedicated shutter button that can also be used to zoom and adjust exposure settings. Image: VivoEven without any of the kit’s accessories, the X200 Ultra’s photography capabilities could give you enough reason to leave your dedicated shooter at home. On the back of the phone you’ll find a pair of cameras with 50-megapixel 1/1.28-inch Sony sensors and optical image stabilization. One is paired with a 14-millimeter f/2.0 wide-angle lens, while the other has a 35-millimeter f/1.69 lens useful for portrait photography and capturing a shallow depth-of-field. A third camera uses a 200-megapixel 1/1.4-inch Samsung HP9 sensor and an 85-millimeter f/2.27 telephoto zoom lens with macro capabilities and image stabilization. On the front of the phone you’ll also find a 50-megapixel selfie camera.All three rear cameras can capture 10-bit 4K video at 60 fps with slow-motion capabilities that max out at 4K/120 fps. Vivo says image and video quality is enhanced through the use of two “newly developed” dedicated chips: the VS1 that pre-processes RAW data straight off the cameras’ sensors, and the V3+ that handles post-processing tasks such as filters and color correction. Similar to the Camera Control feature on the iPhone 16 lineup, the X200 Ultra also features an enhanced shutter button that can be used to adjust exposure or zoom by sliding your finger across it.The X200 Ultra’s grip accessory includes 2,300mAh battery to extend the phone’s own 6,000mAh battery. Image: VivoThe optional Photographer Kit further expands the X200 Ultra’s photography and video capabilities. The kit adds a grip featuring a dedicated video record button, a settings dial with customizable functionality, a zoom control, and an additional 2,300mAh battery extending the life of the phone’s 6,000mAh battery. Vivo hasn’t revealed how much weight all of the kit’s components will add to the 232-gram smartphone, but the improved ergonomics, and the inclusion of a shoulder strap, could make it easier to handle when fully accessorized.The kit also includes a Zeiss 2.35x telephoto converter lens that attaches to the phone using adapters to boost the zoom capabilities of the X200 Ultra’s 200-megapixel camera from 3.7x to up to 8.7x.Will Vivo’s X200 Ultra completely replace the need for a dedicated camera? With sensors that are much smaller than what you’ll find in modern DLSR or mirrorless cameras, professional and even amateur photographers will still want to hold onto their cameras that offer better low-light performance. The option to boost the phone’s zoom capabilities by adding a telephoto lens is useful, but Vivo needs to introduce a larger collection of add-on lenses that gives photographers more creative choices if it wants the X200 Ultra to truly be considered a viable camera replacement. Even so, it’s more camera than you’ll get with just about any other smartphone on the market.See More:

Flax Engine 1.10 Released / News / April 21, 2025 / The cross-platform 3D game engine Flax Engine just released Flax 1.10. This release comes 6 months after the Flax 1.9 release. If you are interested in checking out the Flax game engine, be sure to check out our Flax for Unity developers guide, even if you aren’t a Unity user. The Flax Engine 1.10 release brings several new features, several of them below the hood. Highlight new features in Flax Engine 1.10 include: New Bloom implementation with more realistic results Multi blend 2D editor improvements New Mesh Vertex format behind the scenes enabling support for up to 4 texture channels, 65535 bones in skinned meshes, support for vertex colors on skinned models and more New animation retargeting support New interactive debug commands in the output log Curve editing improvements Plus many other improvements, fixes and changes (1,150 commits and 149 pull requests) Key Links Flax Homepage Flax Engine 1.10 Release Notes Flax Engine GitHub Repository Flax for Unity Developers Discord Server You can learn more about Flax Engine and the Flax Engine 1.10 release specifically in the video below.

A new season full of anime is here to check out! A miracle drug mystery, fighting with fire, and the unlikeliest of heroes are what you can expect this Spring anime season. There's a new season full of anime to check out this Spring like the return of Fire Force's Company 8, Shinichirō Watanabe’s Lazarus, and the visually vibrant Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX. Across Crunchyroll, HIDIVE, Hulu, and Netflix, as well as others, there are a lot of places to enjoy anime at the moment.Check out some anticipated series in the video above or the slideshow gallery below, followed by the full list of new Spring season 2025 anime and where to watch them in the U.S. and their respective streaming platforms. Anime listed are available now unless otherwise stated.Best New Anime to Watch (Spring Season 2025)To Be Hero X (Crunchyroll)A new hero series is hitting this spring with To Be Hero X. The series follows Lin, a nobody who, through unforeseen circumstances, takes the place of an existing hero. The world of To Be Hero X is interesting with this Peter Pan-like belief in their heroes, which gives them their abilities. Hero story aside, the visuals for this series are surprising in a good way. LAN Studio alongside Pb Animation and Paper Plane Animation use 3D and 2D in quite a refreshing way. It’s reminiscent of Arcane, but To Be Hero X jumps between both purposefully in its storytelling. The series just premiered, but the visuals plus the mysteries already have me intrigued about what the rest of the season is going to look like. To Be Hero X is available now on Crunchyroll.My Hero Academia: Vigilantes (Crunchyroll)Speaking of heroes, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes drops this spring season! The new series follows Koichi, an aspiring hero who helps strangers with small menial tasks. He runs into some trouble when a mysterious vigilante intervenes and looks to take Koichi under his wing. This story takes place years before Deku and the gang become heroes in the main series, so it’s great for fans interested in the world-building. Bones Film, an offshoot of studio Bones which worked on the main series, is handling animation production on this spinoff, so fans can expect more of the My Hero Academia they love. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is available now on Crunchyroll.Wind Breaker Season 2 (Crunchyroll) The school of protective misfits is back with Wind Breaker Season 2. Last we saw our protagonist, Sakura, he volunteered to help a fellow classmate whose childhood friend is involved with a gang. The new season jumps back right where we left off, and chaos ensues soon after. CloverWorks, the studio known for Bocchi the Rock! and The Elusive Samurai, returns to helm animation production for Season 2, so expect more amazing fight choreography and action sequences for the eyes. Wind Breaker Season 2 is available now on Crunchyroll.One Piece Egghead Arc Part 2 (Crunchyroll)The hiatus is finally over for One Piece fans! After the big cliffhanger and lore drops in the middle of the highly anticipated Egghead Arc, the series returns right where it left off. Out of the frying pan and into the fire as more Marines encroach on Luffy and the gang. As seen during the previous Wano arc, Toei Animation has really stepped up their game, so it’s exciting to see how the rest of the Egghead Arc goes after a somewhat brief break. One Piece Egghead Arc Part 2 is available now on Crunchyroll.Fire Force Season 3 (Crunchyroll, Hulu, Disney+)Another anticipated series returning after a large chunk of time is Fire Force with Season 3! It’s been almost five years since we last saw Shinra and friends of Company 8. After some training alongside some unfortunate news, a major battle looks to be on the horizon. David Production, the studio well known for JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and Cells at Work!, returns to helm animation this season. If you’re a fan of Atsushi Ohkubo’s other work like Soul Eater, now’s the time to get into this fiery, action-packed series. Fire Force Season 3 is available now on Crunchyroll, Hulu, and Disney+.Lazarus (Max, Adult Swim)One of the most highly anticipated anime of the year is here with Shinichirō Watanabe’s Lazarus! The series follows Axel, the smooth-talking protagonist with a penchant for escaping prisons. He is forcibly recruited into a suicide squad-like team after a world-renowned scientist revealed that a miracle drug that the population has been using for years is a death sentence. With a limited amount of time, this group of specialized individuals must find this doctor and get the cure. MAPPA, known for Chainsaw Man and Jujutsu Kaisen, is leading animation production for this series, and it shows! The premiere alone showcases snazzy fight choreography alongside some fun chase sequences that Watanabe fans are familiar with. There are some high expectations for this series so it’ll be interesting to see how the rest of the season progresses. Lazarus is available now on Max and Adult Swim.Witch Watch (Crunchryoll, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+)Looking for a fun supernatural series this spring season? Witch Watch may be the anime for you! The series follows Nico, a young witch who reconnects with a childhood friend who happens to be an ogre. In typical comedy fashion, the two end up living together while trying to navigate Nico’s new magical powers. Bibury Animation Studios, known for The Quintessential Quintuplets Season 2 and The 100 Girlfriends Who Really Really, Really, Really, Really Love You, is leading animation production on the series. So far, the premiere and trailers have shown some hilarious predicaments that these two face, so it’ll be fun to see how the rest of the season pans out. Witch Watch is available now on Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+.Anne Shirley (Crunchyroll)A nice surprise this season is a new adaptation of the period piece novel Anne of Green Gables. The series follows Anne Shirley, an imaginative orphan who is mistakenly brought to a new family. Even though it wasn’t planned, the family has chosen to take her in for now. The Answer Studio, which has worked on Tower of God Season 2, will be at the helm of animation production. There is already an Anne of Green Gables anime from back in 1979, produced by some Studio Ghibli veterans like Hayao Miyazaki, so it’s nice to see the return of Anne Shirley for a new audience. If you want a change of pace this season with a grounded and wholesome story, this series may be a good fit for you. Anne Shirley is available now on Crunchyroll.YAIBA: Samurai Legend (Netflix, Hulu, Disney+)Another series making its anime return in a new form and after so many years is YAIBA: Samurai Legend! With this new adaptation, it will be over 25 years since the long-running series first aired in 1993. Wit Studio, known for Attack on Titan and Vinland Saga, is taking on YAIBA: Samurai Legend. Just from the premiere alone, the stunning movement and action sequences will get any shonen fan interested in the series. It’ll be very exciting to see how the rest of the season goes for this new take on a classic. YAIBA: Samurai Legend is available now on Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+.Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX (Amazon Prime)Finally, the ever popular mecha series returns with Mobile Suit Gundam GquuuuuuX! This new series follows Amate, a young girl who finds herself in the middle of a mobile suit fight on a space colony. With courage and luck, she ends up in a Gundam unit, linking perfectly to the suit. Studio Sunrise and Khara are producing the rest of the episodic series just like they did for the special movie GQuuuuuuX Beginning. The designs of the characters and Gundam are very refreshing, bringing in a more playful vibe than the more dramatic storylines that came before. With that said, the visuals are quite amazing and it’ll be interesting to see how this all shakes out as the season continues. Mobile Suit Gundam GquuuuuuX is available now on Amazon Prime.Those are some anticipated new and returning anime available to watch this spring 2025 season. If you want more anime, check out our list of the Biggest Anime Coming in 2025 and also our list of the winter 2025 anime in case you missed the last batch of new series.All the New Anime Arriving in Spring 2025Here’s the full list of anime coming out in Spring 2025 that will be available to watch in the US:CrunchyrollNetflixHuluHIDIVEDisney+Amazon PrimeMaxLazarusAdult SwimLazarusWhat anime are you watching this Spring? Let's discuss in the comments!

This review of Andor season 2 contains no spoilers. A show like Andor in times like these feels like such a breath of fresh air. It’s a soul-stirring story about love, loss, and fighting against impossible odds. It’s what Star Wars should be about above all else, not nostalgic cash grabs for the sake of nostalgia. Easter eggs and callbacks can be fun in a world as vast and expansive as the Star Wars galaxy, but if a casual viewer can’t hop in and still take something valuable away from it, then what’s the point? The second season of Andor is certainly ambitious, covering four years in twelve episodes as the story gets closer and closer to Rogue One. Those who thought that season 1 was a bit too slow will be pleasantly surprised by the pace of this season. But despite an increase in momentum and speed, the series still manages to hit a lot of important emotional beats. Cassian (Diego Luna), Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly), and the planet Ghorman serve as the main pillars of this season, but they are supported with equal strength by all of the characters and the world around them. Adria Arjona handles Bix’s struggles with PTSD with a strength and vulnerability that makes it easy to see why Cassian loves her so much. Denise Gough and Kyle Soller bring new layers to Dedra Meero and Syril Karn’s partnership this season that remind us that they aren’t mustache-twirling villains, but rather also people with something to lose in this world. Ben Mendelsohn expertly threads Orson Krennic’s deviousness and thirst for power into the story, the perfect avatar for the cruelness of the Empire in the absence of the Emperor himself. All of this to say that the performances this season are exceptional. The score by Nicholas Britell is also impeccable this season. All of the emotional beats are perfectly amplified by the music choices, from hopeful crescendos to catchy dance tunes to powerful rally cries. There are tunes that have stayed in my head for days after watching the episodes and probably won’t leave anytime soon. Music has always been an important part of Star Wars, and with this season, Britell joins John Williams as one of the best composers this franchise has. It’s hard to talk about the planet Ghorman and its role in the story without giving away the season’s entire plot, but weaving this planet and its tragic history into the show was a masterful choice on the writers’ part. It’s the perfect way to show both the brutal indifference the Empire feels toward its people and the resilience of those who fight against it. Episode 8 is truly one of the best episodes of TV I’ve ever seen, and if it doesn’t light some kind of emotional fire within you, I don’t know what will. There are times when I wish Andor had more time to let some of the heavier moments breathe. This season occasionally moves a bit too fast for its own good. By only giving us a snapshot of a year three episodes at a time, we lose some characters and plot threads that would benefit from a little extra attention.  Not because the series should have to spoon feed us everything, but because everyone in this series is so good and their characters are so compelling that it’s hard not to want to know more about them and what makes them tick. We don’t get to see much of the everyday people in the galaxy in other projects, and that’s part of what makes Andor stand out. This version of the galaxy feels so lived-in and real. There may be aliens and planets far, far away, but the story is human above all else. For all of the tragedy we see in season 2, there is still hope in equal measure. Rebellions are built on hope, after all, and that’s something Andor doesn’t let us forget. Hope and heart are the lifeblood of Andor and fuel the action-packed season ahead. Cassian struggles this season with his place in all of this, as does Mon Mothma, which is something I think a lot of us can relate to right now. It’s hard to feel like what you’re doing is enough when the powers that be continue to commit atrocities in the name of law and order. But hope for a better future is what keeps them fighting another day, and I think it would do us all some good to remember that. Andor season 2 is even more timely than series creator Tony Gilroy and the other writers likely intended. When the season was filmed, not many could have predicted that the United States would be where it is today. But despite the horrors that may persist in the real world, this season of Andor reminds us that hope isn’t silly or trivial, it’s the force that keeps us going no matter the odds. The first three episodes of Andor season 2 premiere Tuesday, April 22 at 9 p.m. ET on Disney+. Three new episodes debut per week, culminating with the finale on May 13. Join our mailing list Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! Learn more about Den of Geek’s review process and why you can trust our recommendations here.

Screenshot While Apple has delayed some of the most ambitious Apple Intelligence features, the company isn’t shying away from promoting the features that have shipped to iPhone users. In a new ad that debuted today, Apple promotes the “Clean Up” feature in the Photos app. The Clean Up feature in Photos lets you identify and remove distracting objects in the background of a photo, without accidentally altering the subject of the image. In today’s ad, Apple uses the Clean Up feature to remove a reflection of the person taking an image from a mirror behind the subject. It works with just a single tap. “With Apple Intelligence, you can now remove distracting objects from your photos with the Clean Up tool,” Apple touts. Here are the hardware requirements to use Clean Up: iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max; any iPad with A17 Pro or M1 and later; Mac with M1 or later iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, or macOS Sequoia 15.1 While we can (and should) criticize Apple for advertising certain Apple Intelligence features before they were available, Clean Up is a useful feature that is available today for iPhone users. Check out Apple’s new ad below: Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

A Tesla engineer has accused Tesla of threatening her team with deportation after bringing up a brake safety issue with CEO Elon Musk in 2014.Balan was fired after informing Musk that she was worried floor carpets could curl up underneath the pedals in Model S vehicles, she says, in a major braking safety hazard.According to Balan, she was simply following Musk's orders to "talk to me" if staffers thought it was the "fastest way to solve a problem for the benefit of the whole company," according to an email he sent to all employees in 2013, as quoted by Electrek.Instead of listening to her concerns, Balan says that a team of Tesla lawyers threatened to deport members of her team who were waiting on green card applications, if she didn't resign on the spot — which she did, in protest. The members had stood behind her decision to raise flags over the floor carpet issue.The former engineer, who has been in remission for stage 3 breast cancer, called Musk a "monster" and "pure evil" in an interview with The Times of London, revealing that she's extending her already years-long legal battle against the mercurial CEO and his carmaker.It's yet another instance of Tesla employees becoming victims of  Musk's infamously vindictive and unpredictable management style. Workers have had to deal with unsafe working conditions, long hours, rampant racism, mass layoffs, and retaliation from the upper ranks.Musk has garnered a reputation for firing employees who speak up. Case in point, last year, Musk sacked the company's 500-worker-strong Supercharger team, dumbfounding investors. According to staffers, the company's former head of EV charging, Rebecca Tinucci, had angered him during a one-on-one meeting shortly before the team was fired.Balan has been caught up in the messy legal battle for over a decade now. After being fired, Tela publicly accused her of embezzling company funds for a so-called "secret project," accusations she has repeatedly denied. The incident motivated her to sue Tesla for defamation in 2019. However, an arbitrator ruled in favor of the carmaker due to California's statute of limitations.Tesla then tried to confirm the arbitration ruling by bringing the case back to a district court in California. But Balan won an appeal against the decision last week, opening up new legal possibilities for her case."We are hoping we will start a new lawsuit and we will have the chance to take on Elon Musk in front of a jury and judge," she told the BBC.It remains to be seen where the legal spat will land, and experts agree it will likely take time for the battle to reach its conclusion.To many of them, Tesla's vindictive behavior isn't anything new."Tesla is among the many corporations that force employees and customers into opaque arbitration processes and deploy aggressive strategies to retaliate against employees who voice criticism of corporate practices," Stanford professor Anat Admati told the BBC.Balan's attorney, Bill Moran, has vowed to "revive" the case, saying in a statement that "we are confident we can secure her either a new arbitration or alternatively a trial in court so that her case can be heard on the merits after so many years."Share This Article

Apr 21, 2025Ravie LakshmananTechnology / Mobile Security A new Android malware-as-a-service (MaaS) platform named SuperCard X can facilitate near-field communication (NFC) relay attacks, enabling cybercriminals to conduct fraudulent cashouts. The active campaign is targeting customers of banking institutions and card issuers in Italy with an aim to compromise payment card data, fraud prevention firm Cleafy said in an analysis. There is evidence to suggest that the service is promoted on Telegram channels. SuperCard X "employs a multi-stage approach combining social engineering (via smishing and phone calls), malicious application installation, and NFC data interception for highly effective fraud," security researchers Federico Valentini‍, Alessandro Strino, and Michele Roviello said. The new Android malware, the work of a Chinese-speaking threat actor, has been observed being propagated via three different bogus apps, duping victims into installing them via social engineering techniques like deceptive SMS or WhatsApp messages - Verifica Carta (io.dxpay.remotenfc.supercard11) SuperCard X (io.dxpay.remotenfc.supercard) KingCard NFC (io.dxpay.remotenfc.supercard) The messages impersonate bank security alerts to induce a false sense of urgency by urging recipients to call a specific number to dispute the transaction. The infection chain then moves to what's called a Telephone-Oriented Attack Delivery (TOAD), where the threat actors manipulate victims to install the app under the guise of security software through direct phone conversations. The threat actors have also been found to employ persuasive tactics to glean victims' PINs and instruct them to remove any existing card limits, thereby allowing them to drain the funds easily. At the core of the operation is a previously undocumented NFC relay technique that enables threat actors to fraudulently authorize point-of-sale (PoS) payments and Automated Teller Machine (ATM) withdrawals by intercepting and relaying NFC communications from infected devices. To do this, the attackers urge the victims to bring their debit or credit card in close physical proximity to their mobile device, which then allows the SuperCard X malware to stealthily capture the transmitted card details and relay them to an external server. The harvested card information is then utilized on a threat actor-controlled device to conduct unauthorized transactions. The application that's distributed to victims for capturing NFC card data is called a Reader. A similar app known as Tapper is installed on the threat actor's device to receive the card information. Communication between the Reader and Tapper is carried out using HTTP for command-and-control (C2) and requires cybercriminals to be logged in. As a result, threat actors are expected to create an account within the SuperCard X platform before distributing the malicious apps, after which the victims are instructed to enter the login credentials provided to them during the phone call. This step serves as a key cog in the overall attack as it establishes the link between the victim's infected device and the threat actor's Tapper instance, which then enables the card data to be relayed for subsequent cash outs. The Tapper app is also designed to emulate the victim's card using the stolen data, thus fooling PoS terminals and ATMs into recognizing it as a legitimate card. The "Reader" malware artifacts identified by Cleafy carry subtle differences in the login screen, indicating that they are custom builds generated by affiliate actors to tailor the campaigns according to their needs. In addition, SuperCard X makes use of mutual TLS (mTLS) to secure communication with its C2 infrastructure. That threat actors could deceive unsuspecting users into altering critical settings over phone calls hasn't gone unnoticed by Google, which is said to be working on a new Android feature that effectively blocks users from installing apps from unknown sources and granting permissions to accessibility services. While there is currently no evidence that SuperCard X is distributed via the Google Play Store, users are advised to scrutinize app descriptions, permissions, and reviews before downloading them. It's also recommended to keep Google Play Protect enabled to safeguard devices against emerging threats. "This novel campaign introduces a significant financial risk that extends beyond the conventional targets of banking institutions to affect payment providers and credit card issuers directly," the researchers said. "The innovative combination of malware and NFC relay empowers attackers to perform fraudulent cash-outs with debit and credit cards. This method demonstrates high efficacy, especially when targeting contactless ATM withdrawals." Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter  and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post. SHARE    