DIGITAL LIFE

AirSnitch attack shows hackers can easily intercept encrypted Wi‑Fi traffic

AirSnitch is a newly-revealed attack on Wi-Fi networks that work across all major router brands and firmwares, including DD-WRT and OpenWrt. In an alarming turn for cybersecurity, researchers revealed a form of Wi-Fi attack that can entirely bypass client isolation on Wi-Fi, which is typically the only thing preventing attackers from intercepting data sent from your router to your device. There are caveats we'll discuss, but the sheer applicability of the attack across Wi-Fi providers is staggering, and makes the prospect of relying on public or shared Wi-Fi access points truly nightmarish, particularly for any sensitive data you may be handling on those networks. That warning doesn't just apply for coffee shops or other common access points—schools and universities and even some enterprise networks could be compromised by AirSnitch attacks.

Lead author of the related research paper (AirSnitch: Demystifying and Breaking Client Isolation in Wi-Fi Networks) Xin'an Zhou stated in an interview with Ars Technica that "AirSnitch breaks worldwide Wi-Fi encryption and it might have the potential to enable advanced attacks. Advanced attacks can build on our primitives to [perform] cookie stealing, DNS and cache poisoning. Our research physically wiretaps the wire altogether so these sophisticated attacks will work. It's really a threat to worldwide network security." He elaborated later that while some router manufacturers have already released mitigation updates and that more are expected to come, a few manufacturers have stated that "some weaknesses can only be addressed through changes in the underlying chips they buy from silicon makers." The lack of standardization in client isolation methods across manufacturers also throws a wrench into defending against AirSnitch, since solutions may end up being vendor-specific.

It's not all doom and gloom, thankfully. Co-author of the research paper Mathy Vanhoef also stated that AirSnitch is better described as an encryption bypass "in the sense that we can bypass client isolation. We don't break Wi-Fi authentication or encryption. Crypto is often bypassed instead of broken, and we bypass it. People who don't rely on client or network isolation are safe."

That last bit is the most important piece of information for most readers despite not being stated in the original paper and only mentioned after the Ars Technica piece's initial publication. Are you running a Wi-Fi access point with a dedicated Guest network? If so, it's essential that separate SSIDs are on separate VLANs if you want to protect your network from these attacks. If such options aren't available to you, you may be vulnerable until appropriate firmware patches are released or new router releases fix the underlying isolation vulnerabilities entirely.

A number of enterprise networks already separate SSIDs into their own VLANs, so the vulnerability there is less severe. But for networks with less-secured Guest access, especially public Wi-Fi networks, the danger is greatly increased. It's particularly problematic for those who use ISP-provided routers from providers like Comcast, whose Xfinity routers double as Guest access points for other Xfinity customers within range. As always, a fully-private network access point is best to protect yourself from attackers—though other, more commonplace attacks like "evil twin" attacks are still a concern.

AirSnitch bypasses the so-called "client isolation," a feature offered by router manufacturers to prevent devices connected to the same access point from communicating directly with each other. The method works even when encryption is enabled.

This opens the possibility of a bidirectional "man-in-the-middle" attack, in which the attacker can intercept and modify the victim's traffic. In practice, this can enable the theft of cookies, passwords, and credit card data, as well as DNS poisoning.

In tests, 11 devices from manufacturers such as Netgear, D-Link, TP-Link, ASUS, Ubiquiti, and Cisco showed vulnerability to at least one variation of AirSnitch. Some of the flaws can be mitigated through firmware updates, but some manufacturers reported that certain vulnerabilities can only be corrected by modifying the hardware of the chips used.

Despite its severity, AirSnitch requires the attacker to already have some type of access to the Wi-Fi network or associated infrastructure, which raises the practical barrier to exploitation.

Tested models(below):

Netgear Nighthawk x6 R8000

Tenda RX2 Pro

D-LINK DIR-3040

TP-LINK Archer AXE75

ASUS RT-AX57

DD-WRT v3.0-r44715

OpenWrt 24.10

Ubiquiti AmpliFi Alien Router

Ubiquiti AmpliFi HD Router

LANCOM LX-6500

Cisco Catalyst 9130

by mundophone

TECH

Google brings quantum-hardened HTTPS to Chrome in major security upgrade

Traditional cryptographic signatures that underpin HTTPS can be broken by a sufficiently powerful quantum computer using algorithms like Shor's, threatening the trust model of secure connections. To help protect against this threat, Google is rolling out a major upgrade to Secure HTTP in its Chrome browser. In a blog post published yesterday, the Chrome Secure Web and Networking Team outlined a new program to make TLS certificates resistant to future quantum attacks without imposing significant performance penalties on the web ecosystem.

The central innovation in Google's approach is the adoption of Merkle Tree Certificates (MTCs), a structure that replaces the long chain of signatures found in classic X.509 certificates with compact proofs that a given certificate is included in a public Merkle tree. Under this model, a Certification Authority signs a single "Tree Head" representing "potentially millions of certificates," and the browser verifies inclusion using a lightweight proof rather than downloading bulky cryptographic material. This cuts down the data sent during a TLS handshake while maintaining verifiable trust.

Post-quantum cryptographic algorithms such as ML-DSA (and others standardized by NIST, the National Institute of Standards and Technology) generate signatures and keys that are orders of magnitude larger than classical equivalents. Embedding these larger primitives directly in every HTTPS certificate would balloon certificate sizes from the current ~64-byte footprint to multiple kilobytes, drastically slowing connections and increasing bandwidth use. Merkle Tree proofs sidestep this by decoupling the size of strong cryptography from in-flight handshake data, keeping performance closer to today's web.

Google has already integrated preliminary MTC support into Chrome and is conducting feasibility studies with partners such as Cloudflare in a phased rollout. In the first phase, MTC-enabled connections are backed by traditional certificates to ensure a safe fallback while measuring real-world performance and reliability. The plan calls for broader bootstrapping with Certificate Transparency log operators and the eventual establishment of a Chrome Quantum-resistant Root Store alongside the existing root program by 2027.

This effort is part of a broader industry push to harden internet security ahead of quantum computing's maturation, with groups like the IETF's PKI, Logs, And Tree Signatures (PLANTS) working on standards for these new certificate paradigms. By investing early in scalable quantum-safe TLS mechanisms, Google aims to future-proof critical web trust infrastructure without fracturing compatibility or degrading performance. If only every development team were so dedicated.

Why MTCs? MTCs enable the adoption of robust post-quantum algorithms without incurring the massive bandwidth penalty of classical X.509 certificate chains. They also decouple the security strength of the corresponding cryptographic algorithm from the size of the data transmitted to the user. By shrinking the authentication data in a TLS handshake to the absolute minimum, MTCs aim to keep the post-quantum web as fast and seamless as today’s internet, maintaining high performance even as we adopt stronger security. Finally, with MTCs, transparency is a fundamental property of issuance: it is impossible to issue a certificate without including it in a public tree. This means the security properties of today’s CT ecosystem are included by default, and without adding extra overhead to the TLS handshake as CT does today.

Chrome’s MTC Propagation Plan...Chrome is already experimenting with MTCs with real internet traffic, and we intend to gradually build out our deployment such that MTCs provide a robust quantum-resistant HTTPS available for use throughout the internet.

Broadly speaking, our rollout spans three distinct phases:

Phase 1 (UNDERWAY): In collaboration with Cloudflare, we are conducting a feasibility study to evaluate the performance and security of TLS connections relying on MTCs. To ensure a seamless and secure experience for Chrome users who might encounter an MTC, every MTC-based connection is backed by a traditional, trusted X.509 certificate during this experiment. This "fail safe" allows us to measure real-world performance gains and verify the reliability of MTC issuance without risking the security or stability of the user's connection.

Phase 2 (Q1 2027): Once the core technology is validated, we intend to invite CT Log operators with at least one “usable” log in Chrome before February 1, 2026 to participate in the initial bootstrapping of public MTCs. These organizations have already demonstrated the operational excellence and high-availability infrastructure required to run global security services that underpin TLS connections in Chrome. Since MTC technology shares significant architectural similarities with CT, these operators are uniquely qualified to ensure MTCs are able to get off the ground quickly and successfully.

Phase 3 (Q3 2027): Early in Phase 2, we will finalize the requirements for onboarding additional CAs into the new Chrome Quantum-resistant Root Store (CQRS) and corresponding Root Program that only supports MTCs. This will establish a modern, purpose-built trust store specifically designed for the requirements of a post-quantum web. The Chrome Quantum-resistant Root Program will operate alongside our existing Chrome Root Program to ensure a risk-managed transition that maintains the highest levels of security for all users. This phase will also introduce the ability for sites to opt in to downgrade protections, ensuring that sites that only wish to use quantum-resistant certificates can do so.

This area is evolving rapidly. As these phases progress, we will continue our active participation in standards bodies such as the IETF and C2SP, ensuring that insights gathered from our efforts flow back towards standards, and that changes in standards are supported by Chrome and the CQRS.

https://security.googleblog.com/2026/02/cultivating-robust-and-efficient.html

mundophone

DOSSIER

DIGITAL LIFE

Google hosts illegal casino app in Brazil

Google hosts apps in its online stores that, under the guise of purely entertainment-focused online games, conceal illegal online casinos and platforms that border on illegality, either by offering withdrawals in points convertible into physical products and services or even cryptocurrencies.

After being contacted by Radar Big Tech, the company removed one of the apps that, without authorization, promoted betting with real money and had already been downloaded more than 500,000 times.

Other apps operate as social games of online casinos, but players report that the games force them to pay to play. And, despite officially not allowing withdrawals of the amounts, they create or promote parallel systems that convert virtual chips into real money, say experts in the field.

The situation represents a behind-the-scenes battle between big tech companies, regulators, and legalized betting houses. An executive in the sector described the actions of large technology companies as "a slap in the face to those who want to do the right thing."

"When we identify apps that violate our policies or are not authorized by Brazilian law, we act by removing them from the store. Any user can report violations through our official channels," says Google.

Since June 2025, Google has allowed legalized betting apps in its store, while Apple still bans these platforms. In addition to these services, Radar Big Tech located at least 162 apps that emulate online casinos on Google Play and another 15 on the App Store. They are not illegal, since:

Not all are classified as fixed-odds betting sites or online casinos. Most operate as "social casinos," that is, games that emulate casino games, such as roulette and slot machines. Within them, what is wagered and received as a reward are virtual coins, which cannot be converted into any financial value or product in the real world. Another characteristic of these platforms is that they do not require the player to buy these virtual coins with real money to continue playing.

This characterizes these games as "sweeptakes," which, broadly speaking, are prizes given to consumers at random and without charging an entry fee to win or participate.

In the US, "sweeptake casinos" have become the alternative for those who want to gamble online but live in states that prohibit online casinos.

There, there is even a law for sweeptakes, which obliges these platforms to allow some form of free play -- they can even charge for additional coins, but they must supply players with free chips. Some states also require a dual currency exchange system. With this, players bet with one type of virtual currency, but receive another type of chip, made available in special packages and which can be exchanged for money when a certain amount is reached by the platform.

In Brazil, there is no formal definition. But a 2024 presidential decree that reorganized the portfolio subordinated "sweeptakes" to the SPA (Secretariat of Prizes and Bets) of the Ministry of Finance, but there is no legal obligation to register with the ministry.

"Tiger Drop," however, had nothing to do with "sweeptaking" and explicitly offered conversion of prizes into cash, which characterizes it as an online casino. This was the app removed by Google. In Brazil, online casinos or betting houses need authorization from the SPA, through payment of a grant and compliance with a series of rules - legalized sites have ".bet.br" in the website address.

Other services, detected only on Google Play, are "social casinos" that adopt creative ways of making winnings tangible within their platforms. "Big Time - Ganhei dinheiro" exchanges virtual chips for cryptocurrencies, such as Iota and Solana, while "Hard Rock Jackpot Planet" exchanges them for virtual points on its own platform that can be converted into products.

Many of these "social casinos" state that they do not allow betting with real money, but sell virtual currency for the player to continue betting. Purchases of items start at R$ 2.49 and can go up to R$ 5,200. This dynamic leads bettors to believe that, in return, they will be able to withdraw the virtual coins they have received.

"We earn in-game virtual coins that initially suggest we can convert them into money, but that's a lie. There's no withdrawal option; the developers make money from downloads. This app is deceptive, and we fell for it"... said Adrian Botelho, in a comment on Google Play about the game "Lucky Spin Slot: slot machines"

Another common complaint is that the free coins run out quickly, and it's only possible to continue playing if there's a payment. Many games are in English, but when buying coins, the language changes to Portuguese. This is the case with "Xtreme Slots Vegas Casino Game".

There are also those who buy credits, have the money debited, but don't receive the virtual coins, as in "HighRoller Vegas: Casino Slots". "Tigrinho 777" allows donations between players, which opens the door for transactions outside the platform.

Other games like "Huuuge Casino Slots Vegas 777" adopt a curious tactic to attract users: players reach them through services like Cointiply and Cashzine, which promise remuneration in exchange for performing certain tasks in the digital world.

In the case of the game, it's about reaching high levels, which, users say, doesn't happen without buying virtual currency with real money.

According to Fábio Augusto Macorin, Undersecretary of Monitoring and Inspection at SPA, illegal bets pose risks to bettors due to fraud (difficulty in withdrawing prizes, biased algorithms), insecurity (lack of access control and management of personal data), and lack of customer service. (In the case of legal bets, it's even possible to complain to consumidor.gov.)

Add to this the open access for minors, since many applications identified by Radar Big Tech had a "free" rating and no age check for players.

According to research by the Locomotiva Institute from June 2025, 8 out of 10 players report difficulty distinguishing between legalized and illegal platforms. Three-quarters of bettors reported having played on irregular betting sites or casinos – the proportion is higher among young people and those who are part of families with an income of up to two minimum wages.

He states regarding Google and Apple that "a priori, they are also responsible in relation to these applications." According to the Betting Law (14.790/2023), it is the duty of digital platforms not to offer illegal games. "The illegal exploitation of gambling is a criminal offense. It is not exactly a crime, but, depending on its repercussions, it can lead to crimes such as money laundering and gang formation."

According to Macorin, SPA operates on four fronts to combat illegal online betting and gambling, such as cyber (detection and blocking of illegal activities, an action that has already resulted in 25,000 suspensions), financial (Brazilian banks are instructed to open accounts only for legalized betting), advertising (removal of advertising for irregular services), and regulatory (improvement of standards).

Of these lines of action, two involve big tech companies directly. This is evidenced by cooperation agreements with CONAR (National Council for Advertising Self-Regulation) for advertisements and promotions, and with the Digital Council, an association that represents the interests of Discord, Google, Kwai, Meta, OpenAI, and TikTok.

Representatives of legal betting companies criticize the actions of big tech companies behind the scenes, saying they are slow to remove illegal betting and advertising from the air. "We want to – and believe we should – pay taxes. Then Apple or Android comes along and puts an illegal betting app in the store. Damn…it's a slap in the face to anyone who wants to do the right thing," said an executive from a legal betting company, speaking on condition of anonymity. There are even insinuations that they profit from illegal betting…

Illegal betting is no small problem. According to LCA's calculations, the illegal market accounts for a share ranging from 41% to 51% of the entire betting sector in Brazil. This represents an annual revenue of R$ 26 billion to R$ 40 billion, which means that the amount of R$ 7.2 billion to R$ 10.8 billion that does not go to public coffers is lost.

For Leonardo Benites, communications director of ANJL (National Association of Games and Lotteries), much of what is done to curb the operation of illegal betting is "a futile effort."

"No regulation will have the speed of creativity or technology of the illegal. You need to starve it out. How? Payment methods and marketing. Because if they don't make money and can't transfer that money, the operation isn't worth it." It becomes an internal executive decision for him instead of a fight''…said Leonardo Benites, from ANJL

Besides that, there are gray areas in which various platforms operate. This is the case with "sweepstakes casinos". Google itself changed its internal rules at the end of last year to frame these games with the same rigor applied to online casinos and bets. Even so, it left room for platforms to be classified only as "social casinos".

For Benites, there is not much doubt. "The 'social casino' is nothing more than the 'sweepstakes' and falls under the same regulations that we have, which makes these applications illegal, yes. However, the platforms still don't understand this very well."

Reporter: Helton Simões Gomes (columnist for the digital magazine Tilt, Brazil)

TECH

Can smart cameras improve evacuations? A new approach to smarter crowd mapping

Emergency evacuations during natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis increasingly rely on advanced technology to effectively assess real-time crowd movement and points of congestion. Disaster-preparedness involves the development of an optimized technology that is easy to use and interpret.

How LiDAR helps monitor crowds...A remote sensing technology, LiDAR, short for light detection and ranging, uses laser pulses to detect congestion or crowd density. The laser scans human targets and measures their distance based on the time taken for the reflected laser to bounce off the target and return. The reflected laser beams together create a 3D representation or point cloud image of the target.

Non-repetitive scanning LiDAR is an affordable version with a wide field of view compared to conventional high-density LiDAR systems, making it attractive for large-scale use in public spaces. However, the very advantage of wider coverage and low-power imaging results in sparse and irregular measurements. The retrieved images lack depth and continuity, limiting the practical utility of this system in reporting real-time crowd flow.

Simulation pipeline for mimicking non-repetitive LiDAR sampling. Credit: Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives (2026)

New color-guided depth completion method...To address this critical gap, doctoral student Zixuan Zhang from the Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University, Japan, worked with senior colleagues Professor Nobutaka Tsujiuchi and Professor Akihito Ito from the Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University, and Professor Hirosuke Horii from the Faculty of Science and Engineering, Kokushikan University, to develop an improved color-guided depth completion method specifically designed for LiDAR images.

Explaining their motivation, Zhang, the lead author of the study, says, "This research originated from our work on dynamic evacuation guidance systems, where accurate real-time observation of crowd movement is critical. We hope to enhance evacuation safety through a reliable reconstruction of depth in human images generated by non-repetitive scanning LiDAR under realistic sensing constraints."

In this study, researchers developed an RGB (red, green, blue) color-guided depth recovery method specific to the unique sampling features of non-repetitive LiDAR.

Inside the new reconstruction technique...The method combines computational techniques like confidence-aware bilateral filtering and masked reconstruction. It also uses a self-consistent parameter optimization strategy that can function without dense actual-depth data. The combination of these steps allows the method to reconstruct continuous depth structures while preventing faulty over-smoothing and overfilling of gaps in the images.

A key highlight of this study is the creation of a simulated dataset mimicking the sparse and irregular non-repetitive scanning LiDAR measurements.

Zhang explains, "Until now, the lack of publicly available datasets that replicate the irregular sampling characteristics of non-repetitive scanning LiDAR, together with corresponding dense ground-truth depth maps and color images, has posed a major challenge for the accurate evaluation of depth recovery methods."

In this study, the authors used a 3D human motion dataset for dense true-depth images and paired color images. Next, they mimicked the LiDAR rotation and scanning method to generate sparse and irregular images from the true-depth images.

Sparse and irregular depth measurements from non-repetitive LiDAR (left) and the reconstructed dense depth map using the proposed RGB (red, green, blue)-guided completion framework (right). Credit: Zixuan Zhang / Doshisha University, Japan

Results, limitations, and future potential...The proposed method was tested on 30,000 simulated samples, and the results demonstrate improved depth accuracy and structural consistency compared to conventional filtering methods. The depth recovery framework could reconstruct coherent human silhouettes and structural depth patterns, and the lightweight computational framework makes it suitable for disaster-response applications.

However, the authors caution that reliance on color images makes the accuracy of depth recovery sensitive to changes in lighting, saturation, motion blur, or misalignment. The method would need to be evaluated against real-world data before drawing any firm conclusions regarding its superior efficiency in emergency evacuation guidance systems.

"As LiDAR sensors become more widely integrated into smart city infrastructure, robust depth reconstruction methods will become essential for public safety systems. Our research sets the foundation for the implementation of next-generation situational awareness systems in urban environments," explains Zhang.

Overall, this new method paints a fuller picture by improving the accuracy of depth perception in LiDAR images, thus advancing the reliability of crowd assessment for disaster management.

Provided by Doshisha University  

TECH

What is causing the RAM shortage? Chip and supply chain experts explain

Pay any attention to the computer market these days and one thing becomes abundantly clear: RAM—or Random-Access Memory—has gotten pretty expensive. Memory prices have already surged approximately 90% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the fourth quarter of 2025, according to research firm Counterpoint Technology Market Research.

This change largely stems from a change of focus by Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron, the three biggest RAM component makers in the world, comprising up to 93% of the market.

To accommodate the high computing demands of AI data centers, these companies have accelerated the production of high-bandwidth and high-capacity RAM to supply these centers, according to a market analysis report from the International Data Corporation, or IDC, a US-based market research intelligence firm.

As a result, "this has restricted the supply of general-purpose memory modules and driven up prices across the board," reads a summary of the report.

Matteo Rinaldi, a professor of electrical and computer engineering and the director of Northeastern University's Institute for NanoSystems Innovation, said this shortage is different in nature than the chip shortages the markets experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This is more structural," he said. "This is really an AI-driven memory demand shock."

RAM can be understood as a computer's short-term memory center, and it's essential in allowing for multiple applications to be run at once on a computing device. It is a foundational component of any modern computing device—from the cellphone in your pocket to your car's infotainment system.

But an AI data center requires significantly more high-performing memory than a typical consumer electronic device.

"Just to give you an idea, a single AI server can use as much advanced memory as a dozen or even hundreds of traditional laptops," he said. So when hyperscalers, known as massive cloud computing providers, build thousands or tens of thousands of these systems at once, they basically absorb a large fraction of global memory production, Rinaldi added.

RAM memory production is an extremely consolidated business, with the few global players making the majority of these components. For years, these companies have optimized their production cycles for steady consumer demand.

AI, however, has thrown a wrench in the equation, with major players in AI development now requiring extremely powerful components capable of processing massive amounts of data.

"What this really reveals is that modern AI workloads move an enormous amount of data continually," Rinaldi said. "Computing is becoming limited not so much by processors but by my memory bandwidth and data management."

Here’s what you need to know about the global RAM shortage. Credit: Modoono/Northeastern University

So what will the result of this disruption mean for consumers? Higher prices mostly, at least in the medium term, he said.

But it's not just hobbyist PC builders and gamers looking to upgrade their setups who are feeling the impact of this shortage. Nearly everyone planning to purchase a smartphone, desktop computer, laptop, or any computing device in the next few years will likely be impacted.

"Memory is a foundational component of almost every modern electrical system," the electrical and computer engineering expert said, noting that these days even consumer-grade devices are requiring more and more RAM to accommodate new AI features, camera upgrades and other state-of-the-art technologies.

Nada Sanders, a professor of supply chain management at Northeastern University, said this situation highlights exactly where the tech industry's priorities lie. If RAM memory could be considered fuel, in this scenario, the majority of the fuel is being consumed by large corporations operating AI data centers while consumers are left out in the cold, she explained.

"It's a story of the haves and have nots," she said.

Her advice to the average consumer? If you need to make a purchase of a new laptop or cell phone, it will probably be better to buy sooner than later.

"I would be buying new devices now because they are just going to get more expensive, and they are going to continue getting more expensive until this problem is addressed," Sanders said.

It will likely be years before the shortage truly ends because new fabrication facilities need to be built and operational to meet RAM production demands. Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan has publicly acknowledged that there will likely be "no relief until 2028."

"It will ease gradually as both manufacturing and computing architectures evolve," Rinaldi said. "Memory manufacturing expands very slowly because new fabrication plants cost tens of billions of dollars and take several years to build and ramp up."

Provided by Northeastern University

 

SAMSUNG

Samsung postpones the controversial Galaxy TriFold

If you were expecting Samsung to continue releasing increasingly thinner phones or phones with increasingly elaborate folds just to try and steal the spotlight from the latest releases from Apple or Chinese brands, you'll have to readjust your expectations for this year. The South Korean tech giant has decided to put the brakes on form factor experiments and adopt a much more pragmatic and cautious market strategy.

According to recent statements by Won-Joon Choi, Samsung's Chief Operating Officer for Mobile, the brand no longer intends to create a direct rival to the much-talked-about iPhone Air, nor is it in any hurry to launch a successor to its own triple-screen phone. The focus now is on listening to the market.

To understand exactly why this sudden change of course, we have to look at the cold numbers of recent sales. In 2025, Samsung tried to anticipate the trend of super-thin phones with the launch of the Galaxy S25 Edge. The goal seemed obvious and ambitious: to offer consumers a stylish and thinner alternative before the arrival of the competitor's iPhone Air.

It turns out that the public simply didn't respond as the brand expected. According to production reports shared by Bloomberg, between September and December 2025, the Galaxy S25 Edge had a shockingly low production volume, settling at around 300,000 units. If you compare this figure to the monstrous 3.4 million units of the Galaxy S25 Ultra and the 2.9 million of the standard Galaxy S25 produced in the same period, you quickly realize the magnitude of the failure.

Consumers have clearly demonstrated that they prefer traditional, robust cell phones that guarantee large batteries and cutting-edge cameras, rather than sacrificing these features for a slightly thinner profile. As a logical result of this lack of demand, Samsung nipped the problem in the bud and removed any "Edge" or ultra-thin version from the lineup of the newly launched Galaxy S26 family.

Samsung's extreme caution also extends to the futuristic world of flexible screens. Although the brand was one of the pioneers in demonstrating concepts and launching one of the first commercial devices in three parts, the famous Galaxy Z TriFold, if you were already saving up to buy the second generation, you can put your wallet away for a while longer.

The company executive made it very clear that Samsung is not currently committed to creating an immediate successor to this complex format. The justification for this pause is purely commercial. Before proceeding with the mass production of such intricate and expensive designs, the brand wants to assess the true maturity of the technology, its real usefulness for those who use it in their daily lives and, crucially, whether the market is willing to absorb and pay for these devices. Samsung refuses to launch innovative formats just to gain technological headlines if the financial viability of the operation is not fully guaranteed.

The secret of the Privacy Screen that arrived late...Another fascinating revelation from Choi's interview had to do with screen technology. If you followed the launch of the new Galaxy S26 Ultra, you certainly noticed the innovative "Privacy Display," a technology built directly into the panel's hardware that prevents people sitting next to you from reading what you're doing on your phone.

What almost no one knew is that this incredible feature was originally planned to be released last year, on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The official confessed that the engineering team "was almost there," but ended up encountering last-minute technical challenges that forced them to postpone the novelty for a whole year. It was a complex journey to ensure that the quality of the front image did not suffer any degradation because of the side privacy filter.

The iconic S-Pen isn't going anywhere...For eternal productivity fans and heirs to the legendary Note line, the news is excellent and very reassuring. Despite the S-Pen digital pen receiving significantly less screen time in the recent S26 line presentation (and having suffered some cuts in the past), Choi was keen to confirm that it remains an absolutely central and untouchable technology for Samsung.

The big news shared is that engineers are actively working on a new and advanced screen structure for the next generation of the S-Pen. The main goal is to substantially reduce the physical "penalty" that the inclusion of this stylus demands, namely the valuable internal space it steals from the battery or camera module. This way, you can continue to take quick notes and draw on the screen with precision, without your phone needing to be unnecessarily large or heavy to accommodate it.

These statements clearly demonstrate that Samsung will focus in 2026 on what you truly use and value in a smartphone, leaving risky format experiments to brands that still feel the need to prove their capacity for innovation to the market.

by mundophone

DIGITAL LIFE

The big tech trend: Jack Dorsey's block lays off 40% of employees and will use AI to replace them

Block, the company behind Square, Cash App, and Afterpay, announced a 40% reduction in its workforce, in a restructuring that should result in the dismissal of more than four thousand people. The decision was communicated in a letter to shareholders signed by co-founder Jack Dorsey, who attributed the cuts to the advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools.

With this measure, the company should operate with just under six thousand employees. According to Dorsey, who is the co-founder of the former Twitter, the change does not stem from financial difficulties, but from a strategic choice in the face of technological evolution.

"A significantly smaller team, using the tools we are developing, can do more and better. And the capabilities of Artificial Intelligence tools are multiplying ever more rapidly," wrote the executive.

In a post on the social network X, Dorsey stated that the company's performance remains solid:

"Our business is strong… Gross profit continues to grow."

The company's CFO, Amrita Ahuja, reinforced the message by highlighting that Block sees an opportunity to accelerate results with smaller, highly skilled teams, supported by AI-powered automation.

"We see an opportunity to move faster with smaller, highly talented teams, using AI to automate more tasks," she affirmed.

According to the company, affected employees will receive at least 20 weeks' salary as severance pay, with higher amounts for those with longer tenure. The package also includes stock options acquired by the end of May, six months of health insurance, maintenance of corporate devices, and a $5,000 bonus.

Block's move comes at a time when AI is reshaping administrative, operational, and creative roles in the technology sector, broadening the debate about the impact of automation on the job market.

Giants like Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Verizon have also made significant cuts in the last year, in restructurings directly or indirectly associated with the incorporation of artificial intelligence into internal processes.

In a memo released in October, Amazon described AI as "the most transformative technology since the internet" and advocated for fewer hierarchical layers to operate with greater agility.

It was only a matter of time before a future-thinking CEO took the leap and replaced thousands of workers with AI.

Block's Jack Dorsey did just that Thursday, and Wall Street's standing ovation gives other CEOs permission, or even an incentive, to consider the same thing.

What he's saying: Dorsey, an iconoclast who co-founded and once led Twitter, was blunt in announcing via X that Block will say goodbye to 40% of its 10,000-person workforce:

"Something has changed. We're already seeing that the intelligence tools we're creating and using, paired with smaller and flatter teams, are enabling a new way of working which fundamentally changes what it means to build and run a company," he wrote.

"I had two options: cut gradually over months or years as this shift plays out, or be honest about where we are and act on it now. i chose the latter."

Zoom in: The fintech's stock rallied as much as 25% on the news, after having been down more than 16% over the past year and 76% over the past five years.

Block's declining stock price put Dorsey under pressure to make changes, although he denied that the layoffs were related to Block's financial performance.

The big picture: Wall Street was recently captivated by a viral doomsday report predicting AI would wipe out jobs, although stated reasons for most other AI-related layoffs so far have been much less explicit than what Dorsey did.

Many AI executives and investors insist that the tech will lead to temporary labor dislocations rather than net job loss, echoing the industrial revolution.

The bottom line: It's one thing to replace people with machines. It's quite another to prove that it makes business sense.

If Block can grow its top line with a much smaller headcount, the rest of Corporate America will take notice.

The AI Impact Claim is Overblown...And then there’s the AI explanation.

AI tools are genuinely useful and getting better, but the most capable AI systems and models still: 1) hallucinate; 2) struggle with complex multi-step reasoning; and 3) require significant human oversight for anything involving real financial risk or regulatory nuance.

Just ask Klarna. In early 2024, it touted that its AI tools could do the work of 700 customer service agents. The company slowed hiring and reduced its employee base from 7,400 to 3,000. A year later, the company backtracked. Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski admitted:

“As cost unfortunately seems to have been a too predominant evaluation factor when organizing this, what you end up having is lower quality. Really investing in the quality of the human support is the way of the future for us."

AI tools are impressive. But they’re not--in 2026--capable of replacing 4,000 skilled fintech professionals.

The real story behind the block layoffs...Here’s what Wall Street is ignoring: Block is a financial services company. Square processes payments for small businesses. Cash App handles peer-to-peer money transfers, direct deposit, tax filing. Afterpay runs a buy-now-pay-later operation.

These aren’t businesses where “move fast and break things” is a strategy. Block’s already been the subject of compliance criticism. In January 2026, a California federal judge ruled that Block’s officers and directors must face claims of compliance failures in a class action and separate derivative suit, finding that the company’s board failed to properly oversee the company’s compliance program.

The idea that gutting the human workforce in favor of AI “intelligence tools” makes the compliance and risk surface smaller, not larger, requires a leap of faith that, apparently, Wall Street seems willing to make.

The rest of us would be crazy to take that leap.

Here’s more crazy: Dorsey promised a “live video session to thank everyone,” which he acknowledged “might feel awkward.” Ya think? You’re firing 4,000 people on an earnings call and you’re going to hop on a livestream to say thanks?

To be crystal clear about what actually happened today: a company that inflated its headcount by 160% during a period of easy money has now, under considerably more pressure, cut back aggressively while blaming the future instead of the past.

The AI framing is convenient. It’s also good for the stock, which is why the stock is up 20% after hours. Wall Street doesn’t care whether the “intelligence tools” are actually ready. Wall Street cares that the labor cost line is about to get a lot shorter.

Block didn’t cut 4,000 jobs because AI made them obsolete. It laid off staff because the company overhired, the macro story turned, and the bill came due. That’s a legitimate business decision. It might even have been unavoidable.

by mundophone