This is an interesting challenge from the “why not?” files — [GPUSpecs] over on YouTube built a gaming PC without using a single component from NVIDIA, Intel, or AMD. That immediately makes us think of the high-power ARM workstations or perhaps even perhaps the new “AI workstations” coming available with RISC V architecture, but the challenge here was specifically “gaming PC,” not workstation. A gaming PC, without a GPU by one of those three? To make it even more interesting, the x86 CPU isn’t Intel or AMD either.

If you’re of a certain vintage, you may remember Cyrix. Cyrix reverse-engineered the x86 ISA and made their own compatible chips in the 90s, before being bought out by National Semiconductor, and then VIA Technologies. VIA partnered with the Government of Shanghai to found Zhaoxin, and it is from Zhaoxin that the KaiXian KX 7000 CPU hails — an x86-64 device, that isn’t Intel or AMD. We’ve actually covered the company before. This particular chip benchmarks like an old i5, so not spectacular, but usable. 

The GPU is also Chinese: a Moore Threads MTT S80, with 16 GB of DDR6 vRAM, 4096 shading units, 256 texture mapping units, and 256 ROPs. On paper, that looks like a very respectable graphics card, but it’s not clear how well the games [GPUSpecs] tested were actually using it. Based on the numbers he was getting in his testing, there are some serious driver issues with this card. Even Black Myth: Wukong, which is supposed to be a game the card targets, was sitting at 13.6 FPS on low settings and 1080p. That almost feels like integrated graphics numbers, not something a beefy GPU would give you — but it matches what other reviewers were saying when the card first came out.

So if you’re looking for a sanction-proof gaming rig, we’re sorry to say it’s not quite ready for triple-A. On the other hand, it’s a neat hack and we didn’t know this box could even get built. Right now, it looks like you will need at least one of the big three names to game on–you can game on ARM with NVIDIA graphics,  or even with Intel graphics, and of course AMD, which has been in the works the longest.

This is a playbook Motorola has used for the rest of its Moto G phones to keep prices static, but it especially stings here with the price increase. Thankfully, performance is completely fine. I have been using this phone for nearly a month and haven’t had any issues, outside of some lag when launching the camera app. You’ll see more of its limits running graphics-heavy games—something competing phones won’t have as much trouble with—but it’s generally more than adequate.

There’s a slight bump in battery capacity to 5,200 mAh, and I can easily go two full days with light to average use. One day, when I had a very high screen-on time of nine hours, I had to recharge the phone by around 7 pm, so if you’re screen-maxxing, you’ll definitely need to top up once during the day. Overall, I’m happy with the juice. A nice perk: There’s wireless charging, so you have two ways to charge it up.

As for the 6.7-inch, 120-Hz AMOLED screen, I haven’t had a problem reading it on sunny days, but like the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro, Motorola’s auto-brightness slider is very sensitive and constantly dims the screen when I don’t want it to, so that might be something you’ll get miffed by (you can always turn auto-brightness off).

Camera Blur

The camera system is where Moto G phones have always struggled, and now, in perspective with other $500 phones, the Moto G Stylus still doesn’t quite measure up. The 50-megapixel main camera—in indoor conditions with decent lighting—struggles to capture a sharp photo of my dog when there’s slight movement. (I have a lot of blurry photos.)

When he is staying very still, there’s usually another problem, like too-dark shadows or too-bright highlights. Looking at one of my pet pics, the camera tried to keep the room well-exposed, but my pup’s eyes are pitch black, and you can’t see any detail on his nose—it’s just a black void. In these kinds of high-contrast scenes, you’ll also notice colors looking a little muted, too. In good lighting, you can snap great results, though the 13-MP ultrawide still struggles with colors; the sky has an unnatural blue tinge. The selfie camera is a decent performer, though, even when I’m backlit.

The Vivo X300 FE is expected to launch in India soon, and several details about the device have already leaked online. These include the expected price and key specifications. The upcoming model is likely to continue Vivo’s compact flagship approach, but with upgrades in performance, cameras, and charging technology.

According to leaked information, the Vivo X300 FE may carry a starting price of around Rs 79,999 in India. Although the box shows an MRP of Rs 1,19,999, the real market price is expected to be lower. When compared to the X200 FE’s launch price of Rs 54,999, this is quite a big jump. The increase likely comes from the addition of a new Snapdragon chipset, better camera setup, and premium features like wireless charging.

Camera Upgrades

The Vivo X300 FE is likely to build on its camera capabilities with a triple camera system tuned by ZEISS. A 50 MP primary sensor, a 50 MP telephoto lens, and an 8 MP ultrawide lens will form part of this phone’s camera setup.

This time, one of the most notable additions to the phone is the telephoto extender. This feature can be especially helpful for portraits and detailed shots.

Design and Processor

The Vivo X300 FE may come with a new design, but it won’t feel completely different in hand. The biggest visible change is the horizontal camera layout on the back panel. However, the Vivo X300 FE will likely retain its 6.31-inch screen and flat edges, maintaining its slim form factor. Moreover, there will be changes to the smartphone’s color options, with the addition of new colors such as Olive, Purple, and Black.

The other major upgrade will be in the processor of this device. The Vivo will now use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 instead of the previous MediaTek processor, resulting in improved overall performance and a better user experience for daily activities and gaming. Moreover, this processor supports AI cameras, making it a more efficient phone for long-term use.

Battery

Battery and charging are also getting a noticeable upgrade on the X300 FE. The phone is expected to pack a large 6,500mAh battery along with 90W wired fast charging. Moreover, Vivo may introduce 40W wireless charging, a new feature for this model. This should make charging more convenient for everyday use.

The Quick Page/Post Redirect plugin, installed on more than 70,000 WordPress sites, had a backdoor added five years ago that allows injecting arbitrary code into users’ sites.

The malware was uncovered by Austin Ginder, the founder of WordPress hosting provider Anchor, who found it after 12 infected sites on his fleet triggered a security alert.

Quick Page/Post Redirect plugin, available on WordPress.org for several years, is a basic utility plugin used for creating redirects in posts, pages, and custom URLs.

WordPress.org has temporarily pulled the plugin from the directory pending a review. It is unclear if the author of the plugin introduced the backdoor or they were compromised by a third party.

Ginder explains that official plugin versions 5.2.1 and 5.2.2, released between 2020 and 2021, included a hidden self-update mechanism pointing to a third-party domain, anadnet[.]com, which allowed pushing arbitrary code outside WordPress.org’s control.

In February 2021, the malicious self-updater was removed from subsequent versions of the plugin on WordPress.org, before code reviewers had a chance to scrutinize it.

In March 2021, according to Ginder, sites running Quick Page/Post Redirect 5.2.1 and 5.2.2 silently received a tampered 5.2.3 build from that external server, which introduced a passive backdoor.

However, the build from the ‘w.anadnet[.]com’ server with the extra backdoor code had a different hash than the same version of the plugin sourced from WordPress.org.

The passive backdoor triggers only for logged-out users to hide its activity from admins. It is hooked into ‘the_content’ and fetches data from the ‘anadnet’ server, likely used for SEO spam operations.

“The actual mechanism was cloaked parasite SEO. The plugin was renting Google ranking on seventy thousand websites back to whoever was operating that backchannel in 2021,” explained Ginder.

The real danger for impacted websites, though, comes from the updating mechanism itself, which enabled arbitrary code execution on demand. That mechanism is still present on sites using the plugin, but dormant because the malicious external command-and-control subdomain does not resolve. The domain is active, though.

The solution for impacted users is to uninstall the plugin and replace it with a clean copy of version 5.2.4 sourced from WordPress.org when it becomes available again.

Ginder included a message for whoever is behind the backdoor, urging them to do the right thing now and publish a static update manifest that forces all affected installs to automatically upgrade to the clean WordPress.org version, effectively removing the backdoor from previously compromised sites.

The researcher warns that Quick Page/Post Redirect still has 70,000 installs with an update check pointing to the ‘anadnet’ server.

AI chained four zero-days into one exploit that bypassed both renderer and OS sandboxes. A wave of new exploits is coming.

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