Archive for February 13, 2026

Tech from Samsung that brings students and families together 

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 13, 2026 by itnerd

Reading Week and Family Day are more than a break from routine; they’re a moment when students reset, families reconnect, and shared spaces (and screens) get a lot more use. From catching up on coursework to movie nights and low-key productivity, Samsung Galaxy devices are designed to flex with real life during time off together. 

Whether your readers are heading home for Reading Week or planning a cozy Family Day weekend, here are a few Samsung Galaxy devices that fit naturally into this mid-winter pause: 

  • For Shared Study & Everyday Use: Galaxy Tab A11+ 
    The Galaxy Tab A11 is a go-to device for households balancing schoolwork, entertainment and everyday tasks. Its large display makes it easy for students to review notes or stream lectures during the day, then switch to reading, gaming or family movie nights in the evening, all at a value-friendly price point ideal for shared use. 
  • For Immersive Learning & Downtime: Galaxy Tab S11 
    For families or students looking for a more premium tablet experience, the Galaxy Tab S11 offers a powerful screen for studying, creative projects and streaming. Galaxy AI tools like Circle to Search make it easy to move between learning and discovery, whether you’re prepping for exams or planning your next break. 
  • For Productivity Between Classes: Galaxy Book4 Edge 
    Reading Week often doubles as a productivity reset. The Galaxy Book4 delivers lightweight performance for students tackling assignments, virtual meetings or creative projects, whether at home, on campus or at the kitchen table alongside family. 
  • For Shared Entertainment Moments: Galaxy Z Fold7  
    From movie marathons to background music while studying or hosting Family Day get-togethers, the Galaxy Z Fold7 elevates shared entertainment with rich sound that brings everyone into the moment. 

All products are available for purchase at Samsung.com/ca.

Model  Link  Price  
Galaxy Z Fold7  Galaxy Z Fold7 Product Image  $2499.99 CAD  
Galaxy Tab A11+  Galaxy Tab A11+ Product Image  $449.99 CAD  
Galaxy Tab S11  Galaxy Tab S11 Product Image  $1,349.99 CAD  
Galaxy Book4 Edge  Galaxy Book4 Edge Product Image  $999.99 CAD  

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Sharp Expands Audio Portfolio in Canada

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 13, 2026 by itnerd

 Sharp Electronics of Canada Ltd. today announced the expanded availability of its consumer audio portfolio in Canada, introducing a comprehensive range of portable and party speakers, headphones, mini component systems, soundbars, and surround speakers designed for exceptional sound quality, seamless connectivity, and an immersive home entertainment experience.

Designed to fit every lifestyle, from on-the-go listening and social gatherings to immersive home theatre experiences, Sharp’s latest audio lineup combines bold performance, modern connectivity, and intuitive features that make great sound easy and accessible.

Sharp Electronics of Canada Ltd. is bringing its consumer audio products to Canadian customers through Randmar, its authorized distributor. Select models will arrive in stores starting January 2026, with more rolling out through Q1. Randmar, a leading Canadian distributor with deep expertise in consumer electronics and a strong retail network, will ensure Sharp’s products are widely available and supported across the country.

The expanded Sharp audio portfolio includes the following:

  • Party Speakers delivering powerful sound, rechargeable batteries, karaoke functionality with included microphones, and dynamic LED and strobe lighting to energize any gathering.
  • Portable Bluetooth® Speakers built for fun and durability, featuring IP67 waterproof and floating designs, long battery life, True Wireless Stereo (TWS) pairing, RGB lighting, and Bluetooth® connectivity.
  • Headphones and Earphones, including over-ear, bone conduction, and true wireless options, offering extended playtime, hands-free calling, and lightweight comfort for everyday and active use.
  • Mini Component Systems that blend modern streaming with classic CD, USB, and auxiliary playback- delivering bold sound with a touch of nostalgia.
  • Soundbars and Surround Speakers designed to elevate home entertainment with powerful output, wireless subwoofers, Dolby Audio™and Dolby Atmos® support, and flexible connectivity including HDMI ARC/eARC and Bluetooth®.

Availability

Sharp’s consumer audio products are available in Canada through authorized distribution, with select models arriving beginning in January 2026 and additional products rolling out through Q1 2026.

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Fake AI Chrome extensions with 300K users steal credentials, emails 

Posted in Commentary with tags , on February 13, 2026 by itnerd

There’s news that’s out which details a set of 30 malicious Chrome extensions installed by more than 300,000 users are masquerading as AI assistants to steal credentials, email content, and browsing information.

Borja Rodriguez, Manager of Threat Intelligence Operations at Outpost24, has provided the following commentary:

“We have repeatedly seen malicious browser extensions bypass review processes and reach significant user adoption before removal. In this case, some extensions accumulated tens of thousands of installs, and others remain available even after public disclosure. That raises legitimate questions about the effectiveness, speed, and consistency of Google’s vetting and monitoring mechanisms for Chrome Web Store submissions.

Over the past few years, Google has demonstrated that it can strictly enforce policy decisions when they align with its strategic priorities, including restrictions that affected ad and tracker blocking extensions. That level of enforcement shows the company has both the technical capability and operational control to act decisively when it chooses to.

However, malicious extensions continue to surface and operate at scale. This suggests that either the automated review systems are insufficient to detect certain abuse patterns, or post publication monitoring and rapid takedown processes are not robust enough to limit exposure. Given the scale of Chrome’s user base, even a short window of exposure can translate into hundreds of thousands of victims.

The broader concern is trust. Users reasonably assume that extensions listed in an official store have undergone meaningful security scrutiny. When campaigns like this repeatedly succeed, that trust erodes. Stronger proactive detection, improved behavioral analysis of extensions after publication, and faster response cycles are essential to reduce systemic risk.”

This once again highlights the fact that just because something exists, doesn’t mean that you should install it. Especially in the age of AI where your attempt to use what I call “the new hotness” may get you pwned.

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eBay Live Canada’s launches this weekend at Fan Expo Vancouver and The Collectors Supershow

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 13, 2026 by itnerd

eBay is bringing live commerce to Canada with the launch of eBay Live, applying more than 25 years of marketplace trust to a fast-growing format within the collectibles community.

Built on verified sellers and established buyer protections, eBay Live brings credibility to live shopping, with the Canadian launch featuring live auctions from Canadian sellers at major collector conventions nationwide, including high-demand Pokémon and hockey cards.

The rollout mirrors eBay Live’s momentum in markets such as the U.S., U.K., France, Australia, Italy and Germany, where the platform has driven strong engagement, including live events featuring Elton John, Giannis Antetokounmpo, The Backstreet Boys, Sophie Cunningham, and Pete Davidson.

Featured livestreams include:

o   In 2025, searches for Pokémon on eBay.ca rose 70% compared to the year prior. 

o   In 2025, searches for Macklin Celebrini increased by more than 800% compared to the year prior.

These rare and high value cards will be auctioned starting at just C$1.00, with 30-second extended bidding enabling everyone to get in on the action.

To make the events even more memorable, eBay Live is bringing fans closer to their fandom — offering the opportunity to chat and shop live with:

  • Steve Aoki, internationally renowned DJ, producer, and entrepreneur
  • Sean Astin, best known for his roles in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Stranger Things, and The Goonies
  • James and Oliver Phelps (Phelps Twins), also known as the Weasley twins from the Harry Potter films
  • Doug Gilmour, Canadian hockey legend and NHL Hall of Famer
  • Joseph Woll, NHL goaltender for the Toronto Maple Leafs

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Photonic Inc. Partners with TELUS, Demonstrates World-First Quantum Communications Running Over Today’s Network Infrastructure

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 13, 2026 by itnerd

Photonic Inc. today announced a new level of partnership with TELUS, a world-leading communications technology company powering next-generation connectivity and digital innovation. Together, the companies are jointly pursuing projects advancing quantum-secure networking capabilities and delivering quantum solutions that will provide social and economic value and transform industries worldwide. As a first demonstration of this collaboration, Photonic and TELUS have achieved a significant technical milestone—a world-first quantum teleportation of its kind—proving that TELUS’ existing fibre optic infrastructure can reliably carry quantum information. 

Photonic used TELUS’ existing PureFibre network to successfully transfer quantum information over 30 km of installed commercial fibre. Using their Entanglement First™ architecture, a unique approach that combines silicon-based qubits and native telecom band photonic connectivity, Photonic teleported information into a matter‑based quantum processor that can retain, store, and use that information. Unlike previous demonstrations over commercial fibre, which relied solely on photonic qubits that could be measured but not further processed, this achievement completed the transfer of quantum information to a remote processing node, a critical capability for establishing long-distance quantum networks and commercial-scale quantum computers.

Building on the 2024 partnership, Photonic and TELUS’ collaboration agreement covers an expanded set of projects at the intersection of Photonic’s expertise in distributed quantum computing and quantum networking technologies and TELUS’ industry experience and state-of-the-art PureFibre telecommunications network. This new agreement paves the way for the delivery of products and infrastructure supporting a range of commercial quantum solutions, from quantum data centres to nationwide encrypted networks for ultra-secure, tamper-evident transfer of information.

Photonic is accelerating the path to large-scale, fault tolerant quantum systems with their Entanglement First™ Architecture. This demonstration highlights an advantage of Photonic’s highly connected, modular system design – the ability to leverage established telecommunications infrastructure to achieve commercial scale. Ongoing access to TELUS’ world-class PureFibre network gives Photonic a real-world deployment environment as it delivers scalable distributed quantum computing and networking. 

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BforeAI Threat Report: Romance Scams Proliferate Domain Registrations Ahead of Valentine’s Day

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 13, 2026 by itnerd

PreCrime™ Labs, the threat research division of BforeAI, has been analyzing a set of recent suspicious domain registrations around the theme of love and romance, in anticipation of the Valentine’s Day holiday.  The surge of malicious campaigns spans across phishing, gifting, dating apps, chat platforms, crypto, and potential pig butchering activities that could lead to loss of financial and personal information. This report analyzes over 3280 suspicious domains containing strings such as “love”, “valentine”, “dating”, “tinder”, and “matchmaking”, registered primarily between December 2025 and February 2026, and highlights patterns in top level domain (TLD) usage, registrar choice, and geographic lures, indicating both opportunistic fraud and coordinated campaign-style abuse.

Interestingly, a cluster of 280 domains registered under a single IP using Domain Generation Algorithm (DGA) was actively operational and hosting random content to engage users to lure them to interact before moving to the main campaign operation. 

The link to access the report is here: https://bfore.ai/report/romance-scams-proliferate-domain-registrations-valentines-day/

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Apple Patches Exploited Zero Day That Has Been Around For YEARS

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 13, 2026 by itnerd

Apple has issued patches this week for an exploited zero-day that’s reported to have been in each version of iOS since v1.0. Which takes us back to the late 2000’s to the first iPhone in 2007.

Apple’s advisory notes: “An attacker with memory write capability may be able to execute arbitrary code. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals on versions of iOS before iOS 26.”

Mobile security expert Madhav Benoi, Head of Security Research, Approov had this to say: 

    “This attack is a powerful primitive that can be used to run arbitrary code. The good news is that it only affects iOS versions below 26.

“The immediate downside for a victim is complete device compromise. It makes sense that it was used for targeted individuals as for certain political/informational gain, this is a weapon that can be used to gain entryway into targets.

“Users and organizational security teams should patch Apple iPhones immediately, and if they’re  still using iOS 18 and haven’t moved to 26, please do As soon As possible. If they’re continuing to run an iOS version below 26, they just be careful with what apps they install. Keep an eye out if any apps are popping up random things and are asking for permissions that they don’t need. This could be an indicator of compromise.”

Damon Small, Board Member, Xcape, Inc. adds this:

    “Apple’s emergency patch for CVE-2026-20700 signifies a rare and concerning development, as the company explicitly warns of an “extremely sophisticated attack,” likely linked to nation-state espionage or commercial spyware. The significant drawback is that even highly controlled mobile ecosystems are vulnerable to advanced exploitation, and targeted individuals may have minimal indication that their devices have been compromised. Discovered by Google’s Threat Analysis Group, this zero-day vulnerability targets the Dynamic Link Editor (dyld), the essential “gatekeeper” responsible for how every application loads and is protected from each other on your device. By compromising this core component, attackers can completely bypass this iOS sandbox, enabling them to execute arbitrary code and silently install persistent surveillance tools.

   “The true concern lies in the frightening precision of the exploit chain, which was used in conjunction with previously patched WebKit vulnerabilities to target high-value individuals with “zero-click” efficiency. For any team managing a fleet of Apple devices, this is not a standard update; it’s a critical emergency that necessitates immediate patching to iOS 26.3 or iOS 18.7.5. Individual users need to be concerned as well and should also update immediately. 

    “Patch fast or get pwned! If your iPhones aren’t on the latest build, assume someone’s already working on the next 0-day.”

If you haven’t updated to iOS 26.3, I’d be doing so ASAP. While you’re at it, you should update the rest of your Apple gear as well as there are updates for watchOS, macOS and others that were released at the same time. While Apple exploits tend to be used against high value targets such as human rights campaigners, journalists, and politicians, that could change at any time. Thus it’s time to patch all the things in order to be safe.

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