RIP Microsoft Skype

Inside of the Skype Insider version 8.137.76.425 APK located in ./assets/resources/strings, there's a newly added text string that says "Starting in May 2025, Skype will no longer be available."

Starting in May, Skype will no longer be available. Continue your calls and chats in Microsoft Teams

Skype was first launched back in 2003 and was a very popular VOIP messaging platform in its heyday. Microsoft acquired Skype for 8.5 Billion US$ in 2011.

A couple of years after that, it discontinued some of its in-house communication products like Windows Live Messenger, and then in 2015, Skype was integrated into Windows 10 which lasted about 9 months. In 2016, it introduced a UWP app as it continued to shift away from Win32, only to kill off UWP and return to Win32.

In 2017, Microsoft launched Teams, a collaboration platform built on the backbone of Skype and since then, its been Teams only.

🪦 Skype 2003-2025 (22 yrs)
You will be missed 🙏

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EA has open sourced some of its games.

https://news.itsfoss.com/ea-open-source-cc-games/

UPDATE: A sophisticated Chinese hacking group, CL-STA-0049, is exploiting vulnerabilities in IIS servers to deploy the stealthy Squidoor backdoor.

Squidoor’s multi-platform capabilities target both Windows & Linux systems.

https://thehackernews.com/2025/02/finaldraft-malware-exploits-microsoft.html#update

🚨 Sticky Werewolf is back with a new wave of attacks, focusing on organizations in Russia and Belarus.

This time, the threat actor is using a previously undocumented implant to deliver the Lumma Stealer malware.

Read the full article: https://thehackernews.com/2025/02/sticky-werewolf-uses-undocumented.html

A recent study reveals that large language model datasets contain nearly 12,000 live secrets, including API keys and passwords.

These “live” secrets aren’t just exposed – they allow for successful authentication with their respective services.

Read the full article: https://thehackernews.com/2025/02/12000-api-keys-and-passwords-found-in.html

🛑 Microsoft exposes Storm-2139, a dangerous network hijacking generative AI services for illegal content creation.

This sophisticated cybercrime ring is manipulating AI to produce harmful content, including explicit materials.

Read the full story: https://thehackernews.com/2025/02/microsoft-exposes-llmjacking.html

Cybercriminals are leveraging fake CAPTCHA images in phishing PDFs to distribute the dangerous Lumma Stealer malware.

260 unique domains and 5,000 phishing PDFs, mostly hosted on Webflow, are part of this ongoing campaign.

Learn more about the tactics: https://thehackernews.com/2025/02/5000-phishing-pdfs-on-260-domains.html

🔐 RDP allows remote work and efficient IT management, but it’s also a prime target for cyberattacks.

50% of SMBs use RDP daily, cutting costs and downtime—but exposing systems to the internet increases vulnerability.

Find out how to fortify your RDP and reduce the risk in the full article: https://thehackernews.com/2025/02/rdp-double-edged-sword-for-it-teams.html

How to Reduce High RAM & CPU Usage on Linux
https://www.tecmint.com/reduce-ram-cpu-usage-on-linux/

We agree with hard wiring everything possible.

https://www.xda-developers.com/reasons-i-hardwire-everything-i-can/

OpenAI Launches GPT-4.5: Smarter, More Accurate, and More Natural
https://www.gizchina.com/2025/02/28/openai-launches-gpt-4-5-smarter-more-accurate-and-more-natural/

The End of an Era: Skype to Be Discontinued in May
https://www.gizchina.com/2025/02/28/the-end-of-an-era-skype-to-be-discontinued-in-may/

Tecno Unveils the World’s Thinnest Smartphone: The Spark Slim
https://www.gizchina.com/2025/02/28/tecno-unveils-the-worlds-thinnest-smartphone-the-spark-slim/

Tech Giants Qualcomm and MediaTek Enter the 6G Race
https://www.gizchina.com/2025/02/28/tech-giants-qualcomm-and-mediatek-enter-the-6g-race/

Microsoft 365 Copilot: Free vs. Paid – Which One Suits You Best?
https://www.gizchina.com/2025/02/28/microsoft-365-copilot-free-vs-paid-which-one-suits-you-best/

Vivo X200 Ultra Will Come With Fujifilm’s Co-developed Camera
https://www.gizchina.com/2025/02/28/vivo-x200-ultra-will-come-with-fujifilms-co-developed-camera/

Huawei Mate 70 Pro Premium Edition Arrives with A CPU Downgrade
https://www.gizchina.com/2025/02/28/huawei-mate-70-pro-premium-edition-arrives-with-a-cpu-downgrade/

Say Goodbye to Full Smartphone Storage: Easy Video Saving Tricks
https://www.gizchina.com/2025/02/28/say-goodbye-to-full-smartphone-storage-easy-video-saving-tricks/

#Systemd Adding The Ability to Boot Directly Into A Disk Image Downloaded Via HTTP

https://www.phoronix.com/news/systemd-disk-image-boot-HTTP

#Linux #backdoor