Monthly Archives: October 2021

News: Adam Warlock vs Captain Marvel: Who Is Stronger?

• October 16, 2021
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Which MCU character would win in a fight, Captain Marvel or Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’s Adam Warlock? The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s “most powerful” debate has raged among fans since Phase 2 rapidly began broadening the franchise’s roster of super-powered characters. Though there’s no firm consensus on which hero currently holds that title, the most common picks are Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch (especially after her WandaVision boost), and Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel, though that may soon change with Eternals on the horizon.Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will introduce another keen contender for the MCU Heavyweight title – Adam Warlock. Left enraged by the Guardians of the Galaxy and their light-fingered raccoon, Ayesha, leader of the Sovereign, set about advancing the genetic engineering of her people to create “Adam.” The most powerful and destructive member of the entire Sovereign species, Adam (the MCU’s live-action version of Marvel comic character, Adam Warlock) will debut fully in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and Will Poulter is now officially cast in the role.Adam Warlock will immediately become one of the strongest entities in the entire MCU, and as a space-faring warrior wielding cosmic power, comparisons to Carol Danvers are only natural. Brie Larson’s ace pilot continues to play a major role in the overarching MCU narrative, and returns in her 2022 solo sequel The Marvels… but is Captain Marvel stronger than Adam Warlock?Although their origin stories are very different, Captain Marvel’s MCU powers are broadly the same as her Marvel comics counterpart. Brie Larson gained superhuman abilities through raw exposure to the Space Stone, whereas the original Carol Danvers was a Kree/human hybrid whose biology mutated thanks to the Kree’s psyche-magnitron. Danvers received gifts similar to Mar-Vell (who was also present during the psyche-magnitron incident) and became the superhero known as Ms. Marvel, before eventually transitioning to her more familiar guise of Captain Marvel.Carol’s powers have disappeared, changed, reawakened and faded over the decades, but generally consist of enhanced physical attributes (the typical strength, speed, stamina and durability), manipulation of cosmic energy, flight, and regenerative qualities. In the Marvel comics, Carol possessed a form of mental cosmic awareness to sense danger before it happened, which is missing from the live-action character. On the other hand, MCU Captain Marvel gets Binary Mode, burning through cosmic power to supercharge her existing abilities. Binary Mode is the MCU interpretation of Danvers’ Binary transformation in the comic books.Adam Warlock’s combat repertoire in the MCU remains to be seen, but the comic character is a well established Marvel powerhouse. Rather than the Sovereign, Adam was created by the Enclave as the epitome of human evolution – a genetically perfect being harboring unique physiology and awesome powers. Like Captain Marvel, Adam possesses super strength, speed, stamina and durability, and casts cosmic energy as a weapon. He’s also extremely difficult to kill, having something of a distanced relationship with Death, and using his cocoon to resurrect even after being killed. Other powers Adam Warlock has displayed throughout his lifespan include telepathy, teleportation, proficiency in magic, telekinesis, pyrokinesis and advanced cosmic senses. Though much of Adam’s power derives from the manner of his creation, the Marvel character has been augmented further by the Soul Gem (an equivalent to the MCU Soul Stone), which was a gift from the High Evolutionary. Adam’s bond with the Soul Stone has evolved his existing powers, making Warlock one of the Marvel universe’s most formidable entities.Will Poulter’s MCU Adam Warlock comes bearing a very different origin story. Rather than being designed as the pinnacle of human evolution, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’s post-credits sequence reveals Ayesha created Adam as the next evolutionary step of her own people, the Sovereign. In theory, this would make MCU Adam even stronger than the comic character, since the Sovereign are already superior to us measly Earthlings. Likewise, Ayesha’s Sovereign are renowned masters of genetic engineering in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, whereas the Enclave was a coalition of (admittedly brilliant and well-funded) scientists originating on Earth. Again, one could argue that the Sovereign’s alien technology should produce a more formidable Adam Warlock than the comic books.However, Adam’s alien origins might simply be compensation for his lack of Soul Gem. A fair portion of Adam Warlock’s comic strength can be attributed to having an Infinity Gem lodged in his head, and this simply isn’t going to fly on the big screen. Thanks to Avengers: Infinity War, we know the Soul Stone resided with Red Skull on Vormir until Thanos came along, which means Ayesha almost certainly couldn’t use the orange-y jewel on Adam without some serious timeline gymnastics (which, let’s face it, wouldn’t be the first time). More likely, Poulter’s Adam Warlock will have nothing whatsoever to do with the Soul Stone, which leaves Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 two alternatives. Either Adam will be under-powered in live-action, or the Sovereign’s superior scientific knowledge means Adam gets all of his comic book powers without the influence of an Infinity Stone.In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’s post-credits scene, Ayesha promises her Adam will be capable of destroying Star-Lord’s eclectic crew of space bandits, suggesting Will Poulter’s character demonstrates his might as a villain in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. This might explain Thor’s role in the threequel, as the As-Guardian can stand up to Adam while the others run away. In the Marvel comics, Adam is not only a heroic character (usually), he also turns on his own creators. This means the MCU’s new addition will likely switch sides before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is over.Assuming Kevin Feige and James Gunn allow Adam Warlock more or less the same complement of powers and abilities as the comic character, it’s he who would emerge victorious in a fight against Captain Marvel.Although both Marvel characters are capable of absorbing and hurling photon energy, Adam Warlock’s range of cosmic attacks is much wider. Whereas Carol Danvers traditionally sticks to Dragon Ball Z-esque waves and blasts, Adam’s cosmic techniques show more versatility, including the kind of energy constructs and matter manipulation rarely seen from Carol Danvers, especially in the MCU. In addition to his proficiency with energy, Adam Warlock’s quantum magic capabilities provide yet another edge over Captain Marvel, and his potential to sense Carol’s attacks and teleport away would prove especially annoying to Brie Larson’s character. Captain Marvel’s only hope against Adam Warlock would be to somehow negate his cosmic powers and engage in a fist fight, where the experience and guile of Carol Danvers might overcome her godly opponent.Of course, even if Captain Marvel could take Adam Warlock down, he’d simply slip into a regeneration cocoon and revive for a rematch, whereas Carol’s regenerative anti-aging qualities are far more limited. Whatever angle you approach it, Adam Warlock (assuming his MCU powers mirror the comic books) has several upper hands against Ms. Danvers.This outcome is supported by their respective battles against other Marvel comics characters, Thanos in particular. Carol Danvers boasts plenty of impressive victories against her name, and fared better against Thanos than many other Avengers (both in the comics and live-action). Nevertheless, Adam Warlock enjoyed a much easier clash with the Mad Titan. Adam successfully defeats the Infinity saga’s villain in Jim Starlin’s original story, and while Mar-Vell (an earlier Captain Marvel) also boasts a victory against the Mad Titan on his record, Carol Danvers does not. Elsewhere, Adam Warlock knocked out the mighty Silver Surfer (as a kindness to prevent his death), took a blast from Galactus, and was omnipotent enough to become the Living Tribunal. Very little in Captain Marvel’s superhero career comes close to such feats.All of which would suggest that, despite Captain Marvel’s position among the strongest on the Avengers’ roster, Adam Warlock ranks among the strongest beings in the universe, several steps above Carol Danvers. That won’t necessarily carry over into Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but Brie Larson should watch her back nonetheless – Adam Warlock goes higher, further and, indeed, faster.

Which MCU character would win in a fight, Captain Marvel or Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3‘s Adam Warlock? The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s “most powerful” debate has raged among fans since Phase 2 rapidly began broadening the franchise’s roster of super-powered characters. Though there’s no firm consensus on which hero currently holds that title, the most common picks are Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch (especially after her WandaVision boost), and Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel, though that may soon change with Eternals on the horizon.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will introduce another keen contender for the MCU Heavyweight title – Adam Warlock. Left enraged by the Guardians of the Galaxy and their light-fingered raccoon, Ayesha, leader of the Sovereign, set about advancing the genetic engineering of her people to create “Adam.” The most powerful and destructive member of the entire Sovereign species, Adam (the MCU’s live-action version of Marvel comic character, Adam Warlock) will debut fully in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and Will Poulter is now officially cast in the role.

Adam Warlock will immediately become one of the strongest entities in the entire MCU, and as a space-faring warrior wielding cosmic power, comparisons to Carol Danvers are only natural. Brie Larson’s ace pilot continues to play a major role in the overarching MCU narrative, and returns in her 2022 solo sequel The Marvels… but is Captain Marvel stronger than Adam Warlock?

Although their origin stories are very different, Captain Marvel’s MCU powers are broadly the same as her Marvel comics counterpart. Brie Larson gained superhuman abilities through raw exposure to the Space Stone, whereas the original Carol Danvers was a Kree/human hybrid whose biology mutated thanks to the Kree’s psyche-magnitron. Danvers received gifts similar to Mar-Vell (who was also present during the psyche-magnitron incident) and became the superhero known as Ms. Marvel, before eventually transitioning to her more familiar guise of Captain Marvel.

Carol’s powers have disappeared, changed, reawakened and faded over the decades, but generally consist of enhanced physical attributes (the typical strength, speed, stamina and durability), manipulation of cosmic energy, flight, and regenerative qualities. In the Marvel comics, Carol possessed a form of mental cosmic awareness to sense danger before it happened, which is missing from the live-action character. On the other hand, MCU Captain Marvel gets Binary Mode, burning through cosmic power to supercharge her existing abilities. Binary Mode is the MCU interpretation of Danvers’ Binary transformation in the comic books.

Adam Warlock’s combat repertoire in the MCU remains to be seen, but the comic character is a well established Marvel powerhouse. Rather than the Sovereign, Adam was created by the Enclave as the epitome of human evolution – a genetically perfect being harboring unique physiology and awesome powers. Like Captain Marvel, Adam possesses super strength, speed, stamina and durability, and casts cosmic energy as a weapon. He’s also extremely difficult to kill, having something of a distanced relationship with Death, and using his cocoon to resurrect even after being killed. Other powers Adam Warlock has displayed throughout his lifespan include telepathy, teleportation, proficiency in magic, telekinesis, pyrokinesis and advanced cosmic senses. Though much of Adam’s power derives from the manner of his creation, the Marvel character has been augmented further by the Soul Gem (an equivalent to the MCU Soul Stone), which was a gift from the High Evolutionary. Adam’s bond with the Soul Stone has evolved his existing powers, making Warlock one of the Marvel universe’s most formidable entities.

Will Poulter’s MCU Adam Warlock comes bearing a very different origin story. Rather than being designed as the pinnacle of human evolution, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2‘s post-credits sequence reveals Ayesha created Adam as the next evolutionary step of her own people, the Sovereign. In theory, this would make MCU Adam even stronger than the comic character, since the Sovereign are already superior to us measly Earthlings. Likewise, Ayesha’s Sovereign are renowned masters of genetic engineering in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, whereas the Enclave was a coalition of (admittedly brilliant and well-funded) scientists originating on Earth. Again, one could argue that the Sovereign’s alien technology should produce a more formidable Adam Warlock than the comic books.

However, Adam’s alien origins might simply be compensation for his lack of Soul Gem. A fair portion of Adam Warlock’s comic strength can be attributed to having an Infinity Gem lodged in his head, and this simply isn’t going to fly on the big screen. Thanks to Avengers: Infinity War, we know the Soul Stone resided with Red Skull on Vormir until Thanos came along, which means Ayesha almost certainly couldn’t use the orange-y jewel on Adam without some serious timeline gymnastics (which, let’s face it, wouldn’t be the first time). More likely, Poulter’s Adam Warlock will have nothing whatsoever to do with the Soul Stone, which leaves Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 two alternatives. Either Adam will be under-powered in live-action, or the Sovereign’s superior scientific knowledge means Adam gets all of his comic book powers without the influence of an Infinity Stone.

In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2‘s post-credits scene, Ayesha promises her Adam will be capable of destroying Star-Lord’s eclectic crew of space bandits, suggesting Will Poulter’s character demonstrates his might as a villain in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. This might explain Thor’s role in the threequel, as the As-Guardian can stand up to Adam while the others run away. In the Marvel comics, Adam is not only a heroic character (usually), he also turns on his own creators. This means the MCU’s new addition will likely switch sides before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is over.

Assuming Kevin Feige and James Gunn allow Adam Warlock more or less the same complement of powers and abilities as the comic character, it’s he who would emerge victorious in a fight against Captain Marvel.

Although both Marvel characters are capable of absorbing and hurling photon energy, Adam Warlock’s range of cosmic attacks is much wider. Whereas Carol Danvers traditionally sticks to Dragon Ball Z-esque waves and blasts, Adam’s cosmic techniques show more versatility, including the kind of energy constructs and matter manipulation rarely seen from Carol Danvers, especially in the MCU. In addition to his proficiency with energy, Adam Warlock’s quantum magic capabilities provide yet another edge over Captain Marvel, and his potential to sense Carol’s attacks and teleport away would prove especially annoying to Brie Larson’s character. Captain Marvel’s only hope against Adam Warlock would be to somehow negate his cosmic powers and engage in a fist fight, where the experience and guile of Carol Danvers might overcome her godly opponent.

Of course, even if Captain Marvel could take Adam Warlock down, he’d simply slip into a regeneration cocoon and revive for a rematch, whereas Carol’s regenerative anti-aging qualities are far more limited. Whatever angle you approach it, Adam Warlock (assuming his MCU powers mirror the comic books) has several upper hands against Ms. Danvers.

This outcome is supported by their respective battles against other Marvel comics characters, Thanos in particular. Carol Danvers boasts plenty of impressive victories against her name, and fared better against Thanos than many other Avengers (both in the comics and live-action). Nevertheless, Adam Warlock enjoyed a much easier clash with the Mad Titan. Adam successfully defeats the Infinity saga’s villain in Jim Starlin’s original story, and while Mar-Vell (an earlier Captain Marvel) also boasts a victory against the Mad Titan on his record, Carol Danvers does not. Elsewhere, Adam Warlock knocked out the mighty Silver Surfer (as a kindness to prevent his death), took a blast from Galactus, and was omnipotent enough to become the Living Tribunal. Very little in Captain Marvel’s superhero career comes close to such feats.

All of which would suggest that, despite Captain Marvel’s position among the strongest on the Avengers’ roster, Adam Warlock ranks among the strongest beings in the universe, several steps above Carol Danvers. That won’t necessarily carry over into Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but Brie Larson should watch her back nonetheless – Adam Warlock goes higher, further and, indeed, faster.

News: Iron Man Designed The Rescue Armor With A Huge Difference in Comics

• October 16, 2021
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In Avengers: Endgame, the sight of Pepper Potts flying into battle while wearing her very own Iron Man suit drew massive applause from audiences – but many did not yet realize the massive changes Marvel made to the armor from the comics. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has certainly seen many changes from the source material over the years (the most recent is Shang-Chi’s Mandarin to the character Wenwu in the film), and some are more drastic than others. But in the original comics, the suit – dubbed Rescue – had one major restriction.In the MCU, the writers continually teased Pepper’s Rescue suit, especially in Iron Man 3. The “Prodigal Son” armor, partially inspired by the armor seen in 2006’s Extremis, was directed by Iron Man to surround Pepper during the collapse of Tony’s Malibu mansion. But Pepper didn’t get her complete suit until the final battle in Avengers: Endgame, and while the suit demonstrated multiple weapons and offensive capabilities, the armor in the comics was quite restricted – by design. Pepper would find the Rescue Armor Model 1 in The Invincible Iron Man #10, but wouldn’t actually don the suit until two issues later. She swoops into action as an earthquake nearly devastates a school, and her quick thinking saves the day. The entire suit has been designed from the ground up to save lives, not take them; though it has the speed, strength and flight capabilities like most other Iron Man armors, Pepper observes “There’s not a single weapon anywhere on this suit.” Every element is designed to protect and defend; the thrust doesn’t even generate heat. Though the suit has no weapons, it is by no means weak; Pepper intercepts a crashing airplane and manages to bring it to safety using her repulsor field generators in the same issue. Pepper wouldn’t wear a suit with weaponry until donning the Rescue Armor Model 5 in Rescue 2020 #1, Pepper’s own limited series premiering in 2020. Though the suit still focused on defenses, its repulsors could be used as weapons. The blue and silver suit was clearly modeled after the armor worn by actor Gwyneth Paltrow in Avengers: Endgame – but in the film, Pepper obviously had no reservations about using weapons at all during the final battle. With the fate of the universe (and their daughter) at stake in the film, Pepper needed all the offensive firepower she could get.Love interests in comics rarely get a chance to partake in their significant others’ battles, even in the modern era of comics. The Rescue armor is a new addition to the Iron Man mythos, but certainly a welcome on. Pepper Potts remains a major player in Iron Man books and hopefully will continue to use the Rescue armor for years to come.

In Avengers: Endgame, the sight of Pepper Potts flying into battle while wearing her very own Iron Man suit drew massive applause from audiences – but many did not yet realize the massive changes Marvel made to the armor from the comics. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has certainly seen many changes from the source material over the years (the most recent is Shang-Chi’s Mandarin to the character Wenwu in the film), and some are more drastic than others. But in the original comics, the suit – dubbed Rescue – had one major restriction.

In the MCU, the writers continually teased Pepper’s Rescue suit, especially in Iron Man 3. The “Prodigal Son” armor, partially inspired by the armor seen in 2006’s Extremis, was directed by Iron Man to surround Pepper during the collapse of Tony’s Malibu mansion. But Pepper didn’t get her complete suit until the final battle in Avengers: Endgame, and while the suit demonstrated multiple weapons and offensive capabilities, the armor in the comics was quite restricted – by design.

Pepper would find the Rescue Armor Model 1 in The Invincible Iron Man #10, but wouldn’t actually don the suit until two issues later. She swoops into action as an earthquake nearly devastates a school, and her quick thinking saves the day. The entire suit has been designed from the ground up to save lives, not take them; though it has the speed, strength and flight capabilities like most other Iron Man armors, Pepper observes “There’s not a single weapon anywhere on this suit.” Every element is designed to protect and defend; the thrust doesn’t even generate heat.

Though the suit has no weapons, it is by no means weak; Pepper intercepts a crashing airplane and manages to bring it to safety using her repulsor field generators in the same issue. Pepper wouldn’t wear a suit with weaponry until donning the Rescue Armor Model 5 in Rescue 2020 #1, Pepper’s own limited series premiering in 2020. Though the suit still focused on defenses, its repulsors could be used as weapons. The blue and silver suit was clearly modeled after the armor worn by actor Gwyneth Paltrow in Avengers: Endgame – but in the film, Pepper obviously had no reservations about using weapons at all during the final battle. With the fate of the universe (and their daughter) at stake in the film, Pepper needed all the offensive firepower she could get.

Love interests in comics rarely get a chance to partake in their significant others’ battles, even in the modern era of comics. The Rescue armor is a new addition to the Iron Man mythos, but certainly a welcome on. Pepper Potts remains a major player in Iron Man books and hopefully will continue to use the Rescue armor for years to come.

News: The Flash: Full Look At Ezra Miller’s Costume

• October 16, 2021
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The first full look at Ezra Miller’s costume in The Flash has been revealed. Miller reprises the role of Barry Allen/The Flash in the first live-action standalone film for the character. Miller first appeared as The Flash in a brief tease in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, then made his full debut in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, introducing him into the DCEU proper. He also had a blink-and-miss-it cameo in David Ayer’s Suicide Squad. The actor also appeared in costume for an episode of CW’s The Flash, where he met that version of the character, played by Grant Gustin. Director Andy Muschietti directs The Flash, which serves not only as the first live-action feature for The Flash, but also brings back one of the original DC actors in Michael Keaton’s Batman/Bruce Wayne, who previously starred as the character in 1989’s Batman and 1992’s Batman Returns. Keaton’s return marks the beginning of the DCEU’s venture into the multiverse, which will have the old Batman team-up with The Flash and potentially with the Snyderverse Batman, played once again by Ben Affleck in the film. For Miller, this marks a more in-depth look at his character, as well as a sprucing up of his iconic costume.Now, the first full look at the costume is here, after a number of teases since last year’s DC FanDome. For today’s event, The Flash showed off a brief teaser that revealed Ezra Miller in the new costume, which has the glowing lines throughout and gold boots. The tease features voice over from Michael Keaton’s Batman and delves into the multiverse aspect of the film, eventually showing Miller in the famed Batcave from the Tim Burton Batman films, as well as a brief look at Keaton’s Batman in silhouette. A look at Sasha Calle as Supergirl is also seen in the Batcave alongside The Flash, meaning that at least those three characters will interact in the film. Take a closer look at the images below: Developing…Source: DC FanDome

The first full look at Ezra Miller’s costume in The Flash has been revealed. Miller reprises the role of Barry Allen/The Flash in the first live-action standalone film for the character. Miller first appeared as The Flash in a brief tease in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, then made his full debut in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, introducing him into the DCEU proper. He also had a blink-and-miss-it cameo in David Ayer’s Suicide Squad. The actor also appeared in costume for an episode of CW’s The Flash, where he met that version of the character, played by Grant Gustin.

Director Andy Muschietti directs The Flash, which serves not only as the first live-action feature for The Flash, but also brings back one of the original DC actors in Michael Keaton’s Batman/Bruce Wayne, who previously starred as the character in 1989’s Batman and 1992’s Batman Returns. Keaton’s return marks the beginning of the DCEU’s venture into the multiverse, which will have the old Batman team-up with The Flash and potentially with the Snyderverse Batman, played once again by Ben Affleck in the film. For Miller, this marks a more in-depth look at his character, as well as a sprucing up of his iconic costume.

Now, the first full look at the costume is here, after a number of teases since last year’s DC FanDome. For today’s event, The Flash showed off a brief teaser that revealed Ezra Miller in the new costume, which has the glowing lines throughout and gold boots. The tease features voice over from Michael Keaton’s Batman and delves into the multiverse aspect of the film, eventually showing Miller in the famed Batcave from the Tim Burton Batman films, as well as a brief look at Keaton’s Batman in silhouette. A look at Sasha Calle as Supergirl is also seen in the Batcave alongside The Flash, meaning that at least those three characters will interact in the film. Take a closer look at the images below:

Developing…

Source: DC FanDome

News: Attackers Behind Trickbot Expanding Malware Distribution Channels

• October 16, 2021
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The operators behind the pernicious TrickBot malware have resurfaced with new tricks that aim to increase its foothold by expanding its distribution channels, ultimately leading to the deployment of ransomware such as Conti.The threat actor, tracked under the monikers ITG23 and Wizard Spider, has been found to partner with other cybercrime gangs known Hive0105, Hive0106 (aka TA551 or Shathak), and Hive0107, adding to a growing number of campaigns that the attackers are banking on to deliver proprietary malware, according to a report by IBM X-Force.”These and other cybercrime vendors are infecting corporate networks with malware by hijacking email threads, using fake customer response forms and social engineering employees with a fake call center known as BazarCall,” researchers Ole Villadsen and Charlotte Hammond said.Since emerging on the threat landscape in 2016, TrickBot has evolved from a banking trojan to a modular Windows-based crimeware solution, while also standing out for its resilience, demonstrating the ability to maintain and update its toolset and infrastructure despite multiple efforts by law enforcement and industry groups to take it down. Besides TrickBot, the Wizard Spider group has been credited with the development of BazarLoader and a backdoor called Anchor.While attacks mounted earlier this year relied on email campaigns delivering Excel documents and a call center ruse dubbed “BazaCall” to deliver malware to corporate users, recent intrusions beginning around June 2021 have been marked by a partnership with two cybercrime affiliates to augment its distribution infrastructure by leveraging hijacked email threads and fraudulent website customer inquiry forms on organization websites to deploy Cobalt Strike payloads.”This move not only increased the volume of its delivery attempts but also diversified delivery methods with the goal of infecting more potential victims than ever,” the researchers said.In one infection chain observed by IBM in late August 2021, the Hive0107 affiliate is said to have adopted a new tactic that involves sending email messages to target companies informing that their websites have been performing distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on its servers, urging the recipients to click on a link for additional evidence. Once clicked, the link instead downloads a ZIP archive containing a malicious JavaScript (JS) downloader that, in turn, contacts a remote URL to fetch the BazarLoader malware to drop Cobalt Strike and TrickBot.”ITG23 has also adapted to the ransomware economy through the creation of the Conti ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) and the use of its BazarLoader and Trickbot payloads to gain a foothold for ransomware attacks,” the researchers concluded. “This latest development demonstrates the strength of its connections within the cybercriminal ecosystem and its ability to leverage these relationships to expand the number of organizations infected with its malware.”Source: The Hacker News

The operators behind the pernicious TrickBot malware have resurfaced with new tricks that aim to increase its foothold by expanding its distribution channels, ultimately leading to the deployment of ransomware such as Conti.

The threat actor, tracked under the monikers ITG23 and Wizard Spider, has been found to partner with other cybercrime gangs known Hive0105, Hive0106 (aka TA551 or Shathak), and Hive0107, adding to a growing number of campaigns that the attackers are banking on to deliver proprietary malware, according to a report by IBM X-Force.

“These and other cybercrime vendors are infecting corporate networks with malware by hijacking email threads, using fake customer response forms and social engineering employees with a fake call center known as BazarCall,” researchers Ole Villadsen and Charlotte Hammond said.

Since emerging on the threat landscape in 2016, TrickBot has evolved from a banking trojan to a modular Windows-based crimeware solution, while also standing out for its resilience, demonstrating the ability to maintain and update its toolset and infrastructure despite multiple efforts by law enforcement and industry groups to take it down. Besides TrickBot, the Wizard Spider group has been credited with the development of BazarLoader and a backdoor called Anchor.

While attacks mounted earlier this year relied on email campaigns delivering Excel documents and a call center ruse dubbed “BazaCall” to deliver malware to corporate users, recent intrusions beginning around June 2021 have been marked by a partnership with two cybercrime affiliates to augment its distribution infrastructure by leveraging hijacked email threads and fraudulent website customer inquiry forms on organization websites to deploy Cobalt Strike payloads.

News: Telegram rides the wave of recent Facebook outages to 1 billion Play Store installs

• October 16, 2021
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Image Credit: Dimitri karastelve  We may all have our favorite apps and services, but loyalty only goes so far. When something suddenly stops working, it doesn’t take us long to go scrambling for alternatives. That’s just what’s been happening with Facebook and its properties lately, and a series of high-profile outages has had the consequence of pushing users to competing services, including Telegram. Now we’re seeing the evidence of that exodus, as the Telegram app crosses the 1 billion installs threshold in the Google Play Store.Facebook’s servers have been taking users for a roller-coaster ride this month, going down, up, and back down again within days. In addition to Facebook proper, many of those outages also affected Instagram and WhatsApp. The combined effect of that was to deny millions of users access to their favorite messaging platforms — and Telegram was only too happy to help pick up the slack.CEO Pavel Durov announced that Telegram managed to pick up some 70 million new users as a result of the shake-up, and that’s unsurprisingly led to a lot of new installs of the Telegram app. Late last night the Play Store’s listing finally rolled over from 500,000,000 installs to the lofty 1,000,000,000+.That’s a whole lot of phones running Telegram. Of course, it’s still got a ways to go to catch up with WhatsApp or Facebook, both members of the 5,000,000,000+ club, but you’ve gotta have to something to motivate you, right?

Image Credit: Dimitri karastelve 

 We may all have our favorite apps and services, but loyalty only goes so far. When something suddenly stops working, it doesn’t take us long to go scrambling for alternatives. That’s just what’s been happening with Facebook and its properties lately, and a series of high-profile outages has had the consequence of pushing users to competing services, including Telegram. Now we’re seeing the evidence of that exodus, as the Telegram app crosses the 1 billion installs threshold in the Google Play Store.

Facebook’s servers have been taking users for a roller-coaster ride this month, going down, up, and back down again within days. In addition to Facebook proper, many of those outages also affected Instagram and WhatsApp. The combined effect of that was to deny millions of users access to their favorite messaging platforms — and Telegram was only too happy to help pick up the slack.

CEO Pavel Durov announced that Telegram managed to pick up some 70 million new users as a result of the shake-up, and that’s unsurprisingly led to a lot of new installs of the Telegram app. Late last night the Play Store’s listing finally rolled over from 500,000,000 installs to the lofty 1,000,000,000+.

That’s a whole lot of phones running Telegram. Of course, it’s still got a ways to go to catch up with WhatsApp or Facebook, both members of the 5,000,000,000+ club, but you’ve gotta have to something to motivate you, right?

News: Elon Musk is now worth $230 billion—as much as Bill Gates and Warren Buffett combined

• October 16, 2021
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Joe Raedle | Getty ImagesElon Musk has entered rarified air in the world billionaire rankings. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO is not only currently the richest person in the world, but is now worth as much as fellow billionaires Bill Gates and Warren Buffett combined.The 50-year-old’s net worth is $230 billion as of Friday morning, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Gates sits in fourth place with $130 billion and Buffett is No. 10 with $102 billion.Both Gates and Buffett previously held the mantle of world’s richest person. Musk first passed Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to become the world’s richest man in January with a net worth of $185 billion. Bezos had held the title since 2017.Musk has added more than $60 billion to his fortune this year thanks to the strong performance of Tesla stock as well as a recent share sale at SpaceX which valued the company at $100 billion. The SpaceX deal added $11 billion to Musk’s net worth, according to Bloomberg.Bill Gates and Warren Buffett have a combined net worth of $232 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.Spencer Platt | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesBezos, who was recently the recipient of Musk’s trolling when the Tesla executive tweeted a silver medal emoji at him, is still the second-wealthiest person on earth with a $191 billion net worth.Of course, Gates and Buffett would be significantly closer to Musk in the wealth rankings were it not for the duo’s philanthropic giving. Both have given away tens of billions of dollars to charitable causes over the years, while Musk has been criticized for not giving away more of his massive fortune.Musk has previously said he prefers to remain anonymous when giving away money, and earlier this year asked Twitter users for “critical feedback” on ways he can donate.This year, Musk also pledged to give away $150 million — including a $100 million prize in a carbon removal contest — a figure that Recode estimates is larger than all his previous charitable giving.

Joe Raedle | Getty Images

Elon Musk has entered rarified air in the world billionaire rankings. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO is not only currently the richest person in the world, but is now worth as much as fellow billionaires Bill Gates and Warren Buffett combined.

The 50-year-old’s net worth is $230 billion as of Friday morning, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Gates sits in fourth place with $130 billion and Buffett is No. 10 with $102 billion.

Both Gates and Buffett previously held the mantle of world’s richest person. Musk first passed Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to become the world’s richest man in January with a net worth of $185 billion. Bezos had held the title since 2017.

Musk has added more than $60 billion to his fortune this year thanks to the strong performance of Tesla stock as well as a recent share sale at SpaceX which valued the company at $100 billion. The SpaceX deal added $11 billion to Musk’s net worth, according to Bloomberg.

Bill Gates and Warren Buffett have a combined net worth of $232 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Spencer Platt | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Bezos, who was recently the recipient of Musk’s trolling when the Tesla executive tweeted a silver medal emoji at him, is still the second-wealthiest person on earth with a $191 billion net worth.

News: Dying Light PS5, Xbox Series X/S Upgrade Will Update the Game

• October 15, 2021
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The developer of Dying Light is currently working on a PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S upgrade for the zombie parkour game. Techland’s announcement comes a little while after it shared the news that Dying Light 2 has been delayed by two months. This was the game’s second official delay, with its lead developer later explaining that the additional time is allowing the studio to better polish game. While the Dying Light community expected a December 7 release for Dying Light 2, it may be getting another port of the first game instead.In the meantime, Techland appears to be revisiting the original Dying Light to drum up 2021 sales, with the current-gen update now known and a previously confirmed Nintendo Switch port of the game arriving soon. A Nintendo Direct in September established an October 19 release date for Dying Light: Platinum Edition’s Nintendo Switch port, which will grant Switch owners the full Dying Light experience in addition to an four DLCs and several skins. The all-inclusive Dying Light re-release originally dropped earlier this year on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. Now, it seems current-gen owners will get a stab at the acclaimed zombie game, too.Announced via the Dying Light Twitter account, Techland is evidently working on “a next-gen patch for Dying Light 1.” It’s not clear when the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S updates could drop, however. For now, the developer ensures fans that more will be revealed sometime in the future.It’s a possibility that Techland plans to release Dying Light’s PS5 and Xbox Series X/S upgrades before Dying Light 2: Stay Human’s February 2022 launch. However, that window of time is a short one, as the end of 2021 is quickly approaching. There’s also been no confirmation about whether or not the new-gen update will be a free upgrade for current PS4 and Xbox One owners or if Dying Light: Platinum Edition will be a separate release for the new consoles as it is on the Switch. It’s not impossible that Techland could offer both options, but the latter seems probable.The studio’s choice on the matter will likely affect the community’s response. As a recent example, Grand Theft Auto V was met with severe fan backlash after its revealed its own new-gen gameplay was revealed. Many series fans were dissatisfied with the ports’ minimal visual improvements and features announced for GTA 5’s upgrade at PlayStation Showcase 2021. A major component of that ire was because it’s believed those ports will be full-price and charge previous GTA 5 owners for an upgrade, information that has also yet to be confirmed. In a similar situation, Dying Light is over six years old and a current-gen upgrade could spice up gameplay for the modern era. Hopefully, Techland is able to deliever on its PS5 and Xbox Series X/S upgrade without any further delays on Dying Light 2: Stay Human.Source: Dying Light/Twitter

The developer of Dying Light is currently working on a PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S upgrade for the zombie parkour game. Techland’s announcement comes a little while after it shared the news that Dying Light 2 has been delayed by two months. This was the game’s second official delay, with its lead developer later explaining that the additional time is allowing the studio to better polish game. While the Dying Light community expected a December 7 release for Dying Light 2, it may be getting another port of the first game instead.

In the meantime, Techland appears to be revisiting the original Dying Light to drum up 2021 sales, with the current-gen update now known and a previously confirmed Nintendo Switch port of the game arriving soon. A Nintendo Direct in September established an October 19 release date for Dying Light: Platinum Edition’s Nintendo Switch port, which will grant Switch owners the full Dying Light experience in addition to an four DLCs and several skins. The all-inclusive Dying Light re-release originally dropped earlier this year on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. Now, it seems current-gen owners will get a stab at the acclaimed zombie game, too.

Announced via the Dying Light Twitter account, Techland is evidently working on “a next-gen patch for Dying Light 1.” It’s not clear when the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S updates could drop, however. For now, the developer ensures fans that more will be revealed sometime in the future.

It’s a possibility that Techland plans to release Dying Light’s PS5 and Xbox Series X/S upgrades before Dying Light 2: Stay Human’s February 2022 launch. However, that window of time is a short one, as the end of 2021 is quickly approaching. There’s also been no confirmation about whether or not the new-gen update will be a free upgrade for current PS4 and Xbox One owners or if Dying Light: Platinum Edition will be a separate release for the new consoles as it is on the Switch. It’s not impossible that Techland could offer both options, but the latter seems probable.

The studio’s choice on the matter will likely affect the community’s response. As a recent example, Grand Theft Auto V was met with severe fan backlash after its revealed its own new-gen gameplay was revealed. Many series fans were dissatisfied with the ports’ minimal visual improvements and features announced for GTA 5’s upgrade at PlayStation Showcase 2021. A major component of that ire was because it’s believed those ports will be full-price and charge previous GTA 5 owners for an upgrade, information that has also yet to be confirmed. In a similar situation, Dying Light is over six years old and a current-gen upgrade could spice up gameplay for the modern era. Hopefully, Techland is able to deliever on its PS5 and Xbox Series X/S upgrade without any further delays on Dying Light 2: Stay Human.

Source: Dying Light/Twitter

News: The Batman Trailer Image Reveals Different Catwoman Hairstyle

• October 15, 2021
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The Batman director Matt Reeves has revealed a new image of Zoë Kravitz’s Catwoman/Selina Kyle ahead of the upcoming trailer for the film. Kravitz will play the iconic Batman character alongside Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne, Paul Dano’s Riddler, Jeffrey Wright’s Jim Gordon, John Turturro’s Carmine Falcone, Peter Sarsgaard’s Gil Colson, Andy Serkis’ Alfred Pennyworth, and Colin Farrell’s Penguin. The Batman is scheduled to release in theaters on March 4, 2022.Catwoman has been a common inclusion in the modern era of live-action Batman films, having been played by Michelle Pfeifer in Batman Returns and Anne Hathaway in The Dark Knight Rises, in addition to a solo Catwoman film in 2004 starring Halle Berry. Kravitz is the latest star to bring Selina Kyle to the big screen, though she’s previously voiced the character in The LEGO Batman Movie. Depending on how The Batman performs at the box office, she could be playing the character for years to come.A new image released on Twitter by Reeves shows Kravitz’s Selina Kyle sporting a shoulder-length haircut and a white tank top, staring intently at someone out of frame. It’s not the full shot of her Catwoman costume that some may have been hoping for, but it’s still a fun look at what’s sure to be a fierce new version of the character. Check out the new Catwoman image below.Developing…Source: Matt Reeves

The Batman director Matt Reeves has revealed a new image of Zoë Kravitz’s Catwoman/Selina Kyle ahead of the upcoming trailer for the film. Kravitz will play the iconic Batman character alongside Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne, Paul Dano’s Riddler, Jeffrey Wright’s Jim Gordon, John Turturro’s Carmine Falcone, Peter Sarsgaard’s Gil Colson, Andy Serkis’ Alfred Pennyworth, and Colin Farrell’s Penguin. The Batman is scheduled to release in theaters on March 4, 2022.

Catwoman has been a common inclusion in the modern era of live-action Batman films, having been played by Michelle Pfeifer in Batman Returns and Anne Hathaway in The Dark Knight Rises, in addition to a solo Catwoman film in 2004 starring Halle Berry. Kravitz is the latest star to bring Selina Kyle to the big screen, though she’s previously voiced the character in The LEGO Batman Movie. Depending on how The Batman performs at the box office, she could be playing the character for years to come.

A new image released on Twitter by Reeves shows Kravitz’s Selina Kyle sporting a shoulder-length haircut and a white tank top, staring intently at someone out of frame. It’s not the full shot of her Catwoman costume that some may have been hoping for, but it’s still a fun look at what’s sure to be a fierce new version of the character. Check out the new Catwoman image below.

Developing…

Source: Matt Reeves

News: Hailee Steinfeld Compares Playing Hawkeye’s Kate Bishop to Dickinson

• October 15, 2021
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Hailee Steinfeld compares playing Kate Bishop in Hawkeye to the young poet in Dickinson. Created by Alena Smith for Apple TV+, the first season of Dickinson premiered in 2019 along with the debut of the streaming service itself. It was quickly renewed for a sophomore season and now, the Dickinson season 3, its last, is set to air on November 5. Starring Steinfeld in the titular role, the series has received rave reviews for its exploration of 19th century society with a millennial sensibility and tone.Dickinson isn’t the only series Steinfeld is starring in that airs this November, with the other being Hawkeye on Disney+. The Marvel show is set after the events of Avengers: Endgame as the MCU’s famous archer, Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), heads back to New York City for a fun Christmas with his family, but becomes sidetracked when is he confronted by enemies from his past as Ronin. Barton is then forced to join forces with a young super-fan named Kate Bishop, portrayed by Steinfeld in her MCU debut. Now, in an interview with Screen Rant, Steinfeld talked about how her Marvel character isn’t so much different from the audacious writer that she’s been playing on Dickinson over the past three years. Steinfeld described the young poet she plays as a “strong and determined and independent and driven female character,” which made the transition to playing Kate Bishop a little easier, since she shares a lot of those same qualities. Read what Steinfeld had to say below:I am so excited to have gone from playing a character like Emily Dickinson for the last three years — and because I feel I’ve spent so much time with her in playing this very strong and determined and independent and driven female character — going into one that has those same qualities was a very exciting thing for me. And entering the world of Kate Bishop and entering the world of the Marvel Universe has been absolutely incredible and a rollercoaster ride to say the least and I cannot wait for the show to come out. After her breakthrough role at the age of 13 in the Coen Brothers’ True Grit (for which she was nominated for an Academy Award), Steinfeld went on to land a number of prominent leading roles like the coming-of-age drama The Edge of Seventeen and Bumblebee. Her career is certainly set to take off in an even bigger way now that she’s been cast in the MCU and possibly taking over the Hawkeye mantle as Kate Bishop.While Emily Dickinson and Kate Bishop might not appear to have much in common at first glance, it’s certainly hard to argue with Steinfeld’s assessment. The Christmassy vibes and dynamic between Clint and Kate are two of the most anticipated parts of the Hawkeye show. Coming over from Dickinson surely made the transition easier for Steinfeld, but Kate will still have her work cut out for her as she attempts to earn Clint’s approval and become his successor.

Hailee Steinfeld compares playing Kate Bishop in Hawkeye to the young poet in Dickinson. Created by Alena Smith for Apple TV+, the first season of Dickinson premiered in 2019 along with the debut of the streaming service itself. It was quickly renewed for a sophomore season and now, the Dickinson season 3, its last, is set to air on November 5. Starring Steinfeld in the titular role, the series has received rave reviews for its exploration of 19th century society with a millennial sensibility and tone.

Dickinson isn’t the only series Steinfeld is starring in that airs this November, with the other being Hawkeye on Disney+. The Marvel show is set after the events of Avengers: Endgame as the MCU’s famous archer, Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), heads back to New York City for a fun Christmas with his family, but becomes sidetracked when is he confronted by enemies from his past as Ronin. Barton is then forced to join forces with a young super-fan named Kate Bishop, portrayed by Steinfeld in her MCU debut.

Now, in an interview with Screen Rant, Steinfeld talked about how her Marvel character isn’t so much different from the audacious writer that she’s been playing on Dickinson over the past three years. Steinfeld described the young poet she plays as a “strong and determined and independent and driven female character,” which made the transition to playing Kate Bishop a little easier, since she shares a lot of those same qualities. Read what Steinfeld had to say below:

I am so excited to have gone from playing a character like Emily Dickinson for the last three years — and because I feel I’ve spent so much time with her in playing this very strong and determined and independent and driven female character — going into one that has those same qualities was a very exciting thing for me. And entering the world of Kate Bishop and entering the world of the Marvel Universe has been absolutely incredible and a rollercoaster ride to say the least and I cannot wait for the show to come out.

After her breakthrough role at the age of 13 in the Coen Brothers’ True Grit (for which she was nominated for an Academy Award), Steinfeld went on to land a number of prominent leading roles like the coming-of-age drama The Edge of Seventeen and Bumblebee. Her career is certainly set to take off in an even bigger way now that she’s been cast in the MCU and possibly taking over the Hawkeye mantle as Kate Bishop.

While Emily Dickinson and Kate Bishop might not appear to have much in common at first glance, it’s certainly hard to argue with Steinfeld’s assessment. The Christmassy vibes and dynamic between Clint and Kate are two of the most anticipated parts of the Hawkeye show. Coming over from Dickinson surely made the transition easier for Steinfeld, but Kate will still have her work cut out for her as she attempts to earn Clint’s approval and become his successor.

News: OnePlus Co-Founder Might Release A New Android Phone In 2022

• October 15, 2021
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2022 could be an exciting year for Android fans, as a new rumor suggests OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei is creating a ‘Nothing’ smartphone. Any longtime OnePlus followers will know the company has taken a few big shifts in recent years. While OnePlus started out as an enthusiast brand focused on big specs and low prices, it’s in a very different place today. Carl Pei left the company in October 2020, OnePlus is preparing to merge its OxygenOS platform with Oppo’s ColorOS, and its product lineup is now very reminiscent of any other major smartphone brand.Shortly after departing OnePlus last year, Carl Pei announced his own tech company called ‘Nothing.’ Nothing’s first product ended up being a pair of true wireless earbuds — called the Nothing Ear (1). The earbuds didn’t receive perfect reviews, but they were mostly praised for delivering good audio, a stunning design, and a competitive price. Now, Nothing is getting ready to set its sights on something much bigger.According to a new report from 91Mobiles, Nothing is preparing to launch its first Android-powered smartphone in early 2022. The report doesn’t go into great detail about the device, simply stating that the site has “exclusively learned from noted tipster Mukul Sharma that Nothing will launch its first phone.” It’s also teased that Nothing will release the Nothing Power (1) battery bank “in the next few weeks,” but all attention is obviously on the rumored smartphone.Although this report doesn’t share any concrete details about the Nothing phone, it’s not hard to imagine what it could entail. If the Ear (1) earbuds are any indication of Nothing’s hardware ambitions, a phone from the company could be really beautiful. Nothing’s earbuds are lightweight, comfy to wear, and their transparent design with neatly packed internals is beyond impressive. If Nothing’s phone manages to offer that same mix of practicality with a unique aesthetic, it could have a strong design lead over much of the competition. It’s also safe to assume the Android experience of the Nothing phone would be reminiscent of the old OxygenOS — that’s to say, a stock-like interface, robust customization options, and select few feature add-ons to keep it lightweight.It’s certainly fun to speculate about Carl Pei returning to the smartphone space, but how much weight does this rumor actually carry? There’s actually a bit to it. Don’t forget that Nothing acquired Essential back in February — a purchase that included all of the latter company’s trademarks, logos, and other branding material. While Essential was short-lived, the Essential PH1 was a pretty solid Android handset. The company also teased its Project GEM successor in late 2019, though it was ultimately scrapped following Essential’s quick demise. Nothing also announced earlier this week a $50 million partnership with Qualcomm. In a press release, Nothing says the funds will be used for “research and development in preparation for the brand’s entry into new product categories as part of its ecosystem.”It’s entirely possible this report is inaccurate and a Nothing smartphone doesn’t exist. However, all signs are currently pointing to the opposite being true. If the rumored Nothing phone is real, 91Mobiles says to expect “teasers and reports” coming in the next few weeks.Source: 91Mobiles, Nothing

2022 could be an exciting year for Android fans, as a new rumor suggests OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei is creating a ‘Nothing‘ smartphone. Any longtime OnePlus followers will know the company has taken a few big shifts in recent years. While OnePlus started out as an enthusiast brand focused on big specs and low prices, it’s in a very different place today. Carl Pei left the company in October 2020, OnePlus is preparing to merge its OxygenOS platform with Oppo’s ColorOS, and its product lineup is now very reminiscent of any other major smartphone brand.

Shortly after departing OnePlus last year, Carl Pei announced his own tech company called ‘Nothing.’ Nothing’s first product ended up being a pair of true wireless earbuds — called the Nothing Ear (1). The earbuds didn’t receive perfect reviews, but they were mostly praised for delivering good audio, a stunning design, and a competitive price. Now, Nothing is getting ready to set its sights on something much bigger.

According to a new report from 91Mobiles, Nothing is preparing to launch its first Android-powered smartphone in early 2022. The report doesn’t go into great detail about the device, simply stating that the site has “exclusively learned from noted tipster Mukul Sharma that Nothing will launch its first phone.” It’s also teased that Nothing will release the Nothing Power (1) battery bank “in the next few weeks,” but all attention is obviously on the rumored smartphone.

Although this report doesn’t share any concrete details about the Nothing phone, it’s not hard to imagine what it could entail. If the Ear (1) earbuds are any indication of Nothing’s hardware ambitions, a phone from the company could be really beautiful. Nothing’s earbuds are lightweight, comfy to wear, and their transparent design with neatly packed internals is beyond impressive. If Nothing’s phone manages to offer that same mix of practicality with a unique aesthetic, it could have a strong design lead over much of the competition. It’s also safe to assume the Android experience of the Nothing phone would be reminiscent of the old OxygenOS — that’s to say, a stock-like interface, robust customization options, and select few feature add-ons to keep it lightweight.

It’s certainly fun to speculate about Carl Pei returning to the smartphone space, but how much weight does this rumor actually carry? There’s actually a bit to it. Don’t forget that Nothing acquired Essential back in February — a purchase that included all of the latter company’s trademarks, logos, and other branding material. While Essential was short-lived, the Essential PH1 was a pretty solid Android handset. The company also teased its Project GEM successor in late 2019, though it was ultimately scrapped following Essential’s quick demise. Nothing also announced earlier this week a $50 million partnership with Qualcomm. In a press release, Nothing says the funds will be used for “research and development in preparation for the brand’s entry into new product categories as part of its ecosystem.”

It’s entirely possible this report is inaccurate and a Nothing smartphone doesn’t exist. However, all signs are currently pointing to the opposite being true. If the rumored Nothing phone is real, 91Mobiles says to expect “teasers and reports” coming in the next few weeks.

Source: 91Mobiles, Nothing