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• The Intel Core i5-11400 may beat the 10th-gen flagship

  Online benchmarks show Intel's upcoming 11th-generation Core i5-11400 processor may have better single core performance than Intel's entire 10th generation Core lineup.

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• iPad Air 4 vs Samsung Galaxy Tab S7: which top tablet is for you?

  Is the iPad Air 4 worth picking up over Samsung's Galaxy Tab S7 or S7 Plus?

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• Some Lenovo laptops may be carrying a serious security flaw

  Cybersecurity experts from ESET have found three security flaws in hundreds of different Lenovo laptop models which could put millions of users at risk.

  ESET said exploiting these vulnerabilities would allow attackers to deploy and successfully execute UEFI malware either in the form of SPI flash implants like LoJax or ESP implants like ESPecter. 

  In total, three vulnerabilities have been discovered, which are now tracked as CVE-2021-3970, CVE-2021-3971 (also known as SecureBackDoor and SecureBackDoorPreim), and CVE-3972 (SMM memory corruption inside the SW SMI handler function). 

  Bypassing security measures

  The first two can be activated to disable SPI flash protections (BIOS Control Register bits and Protection Range registers) or the UEFI Secure Boot feature from a privileged user-mode process during operating system runtime. The third, ESET explains, can allow an attacker to execute malicious code with SMM privileges, potentially leading to the deployment of an SPI flash implant.

  What makes them extremely dangerous, says ESET researcher Martin Smolár, is that they allow for the exploitation of UEFI threats that are executed early in the boot process, before transferring control to the operating system.

  That means they can bypass “almost all security measures and mitigations higher in the stack that could prevent their operating system payloads from being executed,” he said. 

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  > Billions of Windows and Linux devices at risk of hijacking
  
  > This bootkit has been used to backdoor Windows devices for almost a decade
  
  > Intel, Lenovo and more hit by major BIOS security flaws

  This is not the first UEFI threat that’s been discovered. All of them, however (including LoJax, MosaicRegressor, MoonBounce, ESPecter, or FinSpy) need to bypass or disable the device’s security mechanisms in order to work.

  The UEFI boot and runtime services are essential for the operation of any endpoint, as drivers and applications need them to properly run. 

  ESET’s researchers are “strongly” advising all Lenovo laptop owners to go through the list of affected devices found here, and update the firmware as per the manufacturer’s instructions. 

  Owners whose devices reached end-of-life can use a TPM-aware full-disk encryption solution capable of making disk data inaccessible if the UEFI Secure Boot configuration changes, ESET concluded.

  • No security stack is complete without a great firewall

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• Need something for Valentine's Day in a hurry? These apps could save the day

  Before apps on your smartphone would be able to solve a dilemma without leaving your house, you would have had to see if the nearest store was open to try and save face.

  But if you’ve left it too late in 2022 to find a perfect Valentine’s Day gift, we’re in a time where apps can come to the rescue.

  This problem has soothed somewhat anyway, thanks in part to easier methods of sending gifts, such as greeting cards and flowers to appease your better half, without having to make a quick dash during your work break.

  Of course, if you’re not with someone just yet, there are plenty of dating apps that can help you with that as well.

  So, read on for our pick of the best apps on iOS that could make February 14 a Valentine’s Day to remember.

  Temply

  

  Available on the App Store for free, but with a bunch of in-app purchases that range between £9.99 / $9.99 / AU$11.99 and £52.99 / $49.99 / AU$59.99, this app enables you to add some Valentine’s Day filters and themes for your Instagram Reels and Stories. This way, you can mark the day in style while being able to save the videos for future reference.

  t’s not just limited to Instagram, either. As you can export these videos, you can upload them to Twitter or TikTok as well, with your filters and themes intact.

  It’s the 2022 method of a mixtape - instead of a collection of songs on a tape, your partner could receive a thoughtful compilation video of both your best and most embarrassing moments together.

  Bloom and Wild

  

  Bloom and Wild is an app that you can download for free, letting you buy a bunch of flowers, alongside a box of chocolates if you wish, and have them delivered to your home at a time that suits you or your partner.

  There may have been a time when you would have had to find the closest florist, and pick a bouquet of flowers that best suited the day.

  Bloom and Wild also has an innovative feature, where you can add a special occasion, and its notifications will remind you to make sure to order something for it. If you add three occasions, you will receive £5 in credit, so everybody wins for Valentine's Day.

  Cameo

  

  If you want to surprise your partner with a short video featuring an actor, perhaps from the Harry Potter series, for example, this is the app for you.

  Cameo has grown in popularity in recent years, mostly due to the pandemic, with actors and other celebrities turning to the service to communicate with their fans. With this app, you can pay for them to record a short personalized video for your partner.

  The app has also branched out into offering one-to-one video calls with certain celebrities, so it could be a nice touch to have your partner spend a few minutes on Valentine's Day with their true love.

  OpenTable

  

  If a takeaway and a movie aren’t an option, OpenTable will be able to find available tables in nearby restaurants for you.

  The app has an intuitive way of finding the nearest bookings by showcasing a home screen with the restaurants in your area, with the next available time, so you can book for Valentine’s Day in an instant.

  When you select a restaurant, you can also view the menu, so if your partner is slightly picky in what they like to eat, you can do some research beforehand, to make sure that the restaurant will cater.

  Givingli

  

  Available to download on the App Store in the US only, Givingli allows you to create and send a digital greeting card with no fuss. So if you mistakenly forget to arrange a card or a gift, this app can hopefully save the day.

  (For a UK equivalent, thortful achieves the same, free to download on the App Store).

  You can choose from a wide variety of styles and themes that best suit your partner, either in interest or in humor, and you can arrange to have it sent as soon as possible.

  Alongside adding a personalized note, you can also include a gift card that can be from Amazon or DoorDash. There are plenty of options for Valentine's Day, but we can’t guarantee same-day delivery if you order on February 14th..

  • Our pick of the best iPhone deals in February 2022 so far

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