ASUS

ASUS just killed its phone line for good reason. Goodbye to the Zenfone

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ASUS, the Taiwanese giant known for its computers, had been competing in the smartphone field for years. The Zenfone family is one of the ones that has convinced us the most at Xataka: phones with a ROM similar to that of the Google Pixel and top-of-the-line specifications. The proposal, solid on paper, has had low commercial success for years. And given the great opportunity in formats that AI allows, ASUS is clear: there will be no more Zenfone for a while. A harsh goodbye. ASUS has made a stoppage official in its smartphone division. It not only affects the Zenfone family, but also ROG Phone, its division of phones aimed at gamers. The company is now emptying its release calendar to leave a division whose future is uncertain. “ASUS will no longer launch new mobile phone models in the future.” Jonney Shih, president of ASUS. What’s wrong with my ASUS. If you have a company device, you will be covered. ASUS will maintain both guarantees and support for existing mobile phones, but there will be no room for new launches. And now what. The company’s strategy is clear: they are leaving the field of mobile phones to focus on new solutions and formats linked to artificial intelligence. The group’s revenue from its AI server business has doubled expected resultsand the robotics and smart glasses divisions will be the main beneficiaries of the death of Zenfone. Why is it important. ASUS’s strategy gives us a clue about where the industry wants to move in AI beyond the smartphone. The race in this field is being won by an unstoppable Gemini that has forced Apple to take its handand with Google distributing Android, competition beyond OpenAI does not seem possible. But in smart glasses Meta operates with its own technologies, Google has its proposals based on Gemini, and There is still room for participants who want to develop their own solutions. Even fiercer is the war in robotics, Why outside the smartphone. The mobile phone business represents a very small part of ASUS’ strategy. Their smartphones are niche products, and they never had it easy to conquer the general public. Abandoning a territory that is high in costs and difficult to obtain profits offers additional room for maneuver to invest in new product categories. Image | Xataka In Xataka | Artificial intelligence guide: main characteristics of the main AI models, points for and against, and comparison

The RAM memory market is broken and there are those who point to a new player: Asus

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The RAM memory market it’s gibberish. The voracity of the data centers has caused energy companies to rethink your renewable goals and? RAM memory increases meteorically in price. This short term is so attractive that Micron, one of the three RAM giants, recently announced that killed its branch of Crucial consumption. And, king dead, king in place: leaks suggest that Asus would be considering its arrival in the RAM market for 2016. It’s not going to be easy at all. In short. The middle Sakhtafzarmag is the one that has sprung the hare: Asus would enter the DRAM market over the next few months. The medium now filter previously information about new processors from AMD and Intel so, although we are talking about a rumor, it is not a medium that comes out of nowhere. At a time when reports point to a RAM shortage until the end of 2027it is not uncommon for other players in the PC market to become interested. It makes sense. And Asus is one of the greats. Your income surpass 18,000 million dollars annually and is present as one of the largest PC hardware manufacturers. Apart from its motherboards and GPU, Asus sells complete desktop and laptop computers (for gaming and office automation) and consoles (there’s the recent Asus ROG Xbox Ally). The RAM segment is one that I had not entered, but the way of doing it has other precedents: Corsair. As I say, Asus starting to sell RAM memory makes sense if we take into account that Crucial, one of the most powerful brands in the consumer segment, has ceased to exist. Crucial was a Micron brand focused on the user: if you wanted RAM, you could buy one from Crucial and mount it on your PC, but with this rise of AI, Micron has seen that the mine is in the data centers. Your explanation is that it is a movement to “improve supply to strategic customers.” The reality is that it is a chore for all PC users. Corsair style. If you have built a PC, it is easy that you have opted for Corsair RAM memories. This brand has monitors, boxes or power supplies, but also memories. However, it is not a memory manufacturer: is an assembler. What Corsair does is design its own PCB, stability systems and heatsinks, and then to that PCB solder the RAM modules from manufacturers such as Samsumg, SK Hynix or Micron. three paths. Entering a new segment is not easy, but Asus has three paths: Be a assembler. Buy memories from large manufacturers and integrate them into your own PCBs. This is what it does, for example, with its graphics cards (Nvidia chip, but its own PCB and dissipation system). ‘Pass’ from big manufacturers that are having difficulties supplying data centers and opting for other emerging ones. For example, the Chinese company CXMT, which has recently achieved validate DDR5 memory modules (and which is on the US blacklist). It would be a win-win for both: Asus validates this Chinese company in the international market and CXMT gets a high-profile international partner. The third is the most risky: Become a memory manufacturer. Asus has the financial resources, but not the experience to do it. It would be the best to create a more controlled product, but in the end it means facing a greater risk. wasp nest. As we said from the beginning, the arrival of Asus in the RAM memory segment is a rumor that arrives just when RAM supply chain is broken. It is something that affects us as consumers because we see exorbitant prices, but ‘Big Tech’ also has to pay more for RAM, there is a lot of speculation about the price of machines like Steam Machine that will be launched right in this price hurricane (some RAM modules are more expensive than any console) and even memory manufacturers they may face difficulties in their products, such as Samsung. The arrival of another assembler does not change the balance of power that the big three – Samsung, Hynix and Micron – have since Asus would buy from them, but if it associates with Chinese companies, things change, and a giant like Asus will be lat the gateway of a CXMT or Fujiuan Jinhua would add pressure to the current oligopolistic system. Decongestion? Difficult. Now, just because a new player enters this playing field does not mean that prices will drop immediately. Everything will depend on how they enter, but if they assemble memories from the three most established manufacturers, there will still be no decongestion in the market because they will be more likely to distribute the same finite product. If they enter through a Chinese manufacturer, the situation could be alleviated as long as the stock is not broken. In any case, if they are really going to make some move for 2026, it wouldn’t take long for us to have official news – and CES is just around the corner. We have contacted Asus, we will update when we hear back. Images | Hector Reyes In Xataka | AMD’s problem is not that it doesn’t make good GPUs for AI. It’s not even close to NVIDIA

Three high-end mobile phones at knockdown prices, the Asus Xbox is now on sale and more, Bargain Hunting before Christmas

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There is less than a week left until Christmas arrives and many stores have launched numerous campaigns and offers focused on this holiday. In the new Bargain Hunting of the week we are going to review the best deals on mobile phones, consoles, headphones and more that we have seen all week and that, of course, are still available. Asus Rog Xbox Ally by 499 eurosthe consolidated PC of the two brands is now available on sale. Google Pixel 10 by 764.15 eurosa very reasonable price for one of the two best Google phones. AirPods 4 by 149 eurosthe same (official) price as headphones without noise cancellation. nintendo switch 2 by 469 eurosthe console pack that includes the Super Mario video game. Ring Indoor Camera 2 by 24.99 eurosAmazon’s indoor surveillance camera at half price. Asus Rog Xbox Ally Last October the Asus Rog Xbox Ally It arrived in stores in style considering that we are talking about a very interesting collaboration in order to play video games on a consolidated PC. By 499 euros (before 599 euros), it is a fairly complete device: processor Ryzen Z2 from AMD, 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage and IPS anti-glare screen 7 inches with 120 Hz refresh rate. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Google Pixel 10 If there are some mobile phones that have received a huge number of offers in recent weeks, they are those from Google. MediaMarkt right now has them with a double of discounts through a direct discount and the coupon “MM15GOOGLEPIXEL“, which must be entered before processing the purchase. The Google Pixel 10 Pro is the one that has the best quality-price ratio at the cost 764.15 euros instead of 1,079 euros. However, the rest of the mobile phones have also received very good discounts. If you want to take a look at them, these are their prices: Google Pixel 10 Pro (128GB) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links AirPods 4 If you are looking for good Bluetooth headphones, especially TWS, be careful because the AirPods 4 have fallen to 149 euros (before 199 euros) at PcComponentes. We are talking about the same price – in this official case – as the same headphones without noise cancellation. This model sold by PcComponentes does comes with active noise cancellationin addition to a good battery and spatial audio and conversation detection. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links nintendo switch 2 Most of the offers that the nintendo switch 2 They have landed directly on AliExpress with Asian and some Spanish versions. Other stores like Amazon have also been lowering the price and right now you find one of the best: the Nintendo Switch 2 along with ‘Mario Kart World’ stays for 469 euros (previously 509 euros), the same price (again official) that the console had without a game when it was launched. And we talk about Nintendo’s most expensive video game. Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Ring Indoor Camera 2 If you are traveling during Christmas or any time afterward, it is good to have a good surveillance camera. The Ring Indoor Camera 2 Right now it is half price on Amazon, since it has dropped to 24.99 euros (before 49.99 euros). It is an indoor camera that has two-way communication, is compatible with Alexa, offers HD resolution and can be placed on the stand or on a wall. Ring Indoor Camera 2nd Gen The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | Asus, Google, Apple, Nintendo, Amazon In Xataka | The best mobile phones (2025), we have tested them and here are their analyzes In Xataka | Best wireless headphones. Which one to buy and 21 models from 15 euros to 470 euros

A silent operation has compromised thousands of ASUS routers. Investigators target groups linked to China

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Few devices are as stable and discreet as the router. We barely think about them, we rarely review their configuration, and we rarely consider them part of the security debate. They are just there, connecting. This condition makes them ideal terrain for those seeking to go unnoticed. A recent investigation has revealed that ASUS routers are being used as part of a remote operating structure. They don’t cause problems, but they are no longer just an internet access point. According to SecurityScorecardthe signal reveals the existence of something more than a specific failure. The researchers observed that a significant volume of ASUS routers exhibited the same TLS certificatewith a validity of one hundred years, which does not fall within the usual parameters of this type of equipment. This coincidence made it possible to identify a structured campaign, called WrtHug, and conclude that the devices had been altered in a coordinated manner to remain connected and operational without alerting their owners. How WrtHug works. According to the analysis, the campaign is based on vulnerabilities present in ASUS routers and in the service AICloudwhich allows remote access to files and connected devices from outside the home network. By leveraging that channel, attackers can execute system-level commands and modify settings without requiring user intervention. The presence of the shared TLS certificate acts as a sign of this alteration and shows how the routers become part of an intermediary infrastructure, useful to hide the real origin of the activity. AiCloud is a function integrated into ASUS routers that allows you to access files stored on USB drives connected to the router or in shared folders on a computer from outside the home. It can be used from a browser or through a mobile application, making it easy to view documents, photos or videos without being physically on the local network. That legitimate remote connection capability, intended for convenience, also means that any alteration to the system has broader consequences if an external actor comes to control it. Which models are at risk. SecurityScorecard identifies several affected ASUS models, many of them old or end-of-life. Among those registered are: 4G-AC55U 4G-AC860U DSL-AC68U GT-AC5300 GT-AX11000 RT-AC1200HP RT-AC1300GPLUS RT-AC1300UHP Some are still used in homes, but others are installed in small offices or businesses that have never renewed the equipment. It should be noted that although ASUS has published security patches and the vulnerabilities are officially corrected, research indicates that the majority of compromised devices are EoL (end of life) or outdated models. This combination of lack of support and obsolete equipment multiplies the risk that the problem persists over time. Where the operation has been detected. The researchers observed that the compromised routers are concentrated in Asia-Pacific, with an especially high presence in Taiwan and other countries in the region such as South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong. Active devices were also registered in Russia, the United States and several Central European countries. A map with the concentration of infected devices | Image: A notable element of the report is that no cases were identified in mainland China, which analysts interpret as a contextual clue, although not proof of authorship. The geographical scope confirms that this is not a local phenomenon, but rather a distributed infrastructure. What researchers say about China. SecurityScorecard does not definitively attribute the campaign, but notes that the behavior observed on the routers coincides with tactics previously used by actors associated with China. Researchers speak of “low-moderate confidence” that WrtHug is an ORB facilitation campaign operated by a pro-China actor, that is, a network of compromised devices that act as intermediate nodes to conceal the real origin of future operations. Among the technical parallels, analysts highlight similarities with a campaign called AyySSHush and the use of vulnerability CVE-2023-39780. What to do if I have an ASUS router. Detecting if a device is compromised is not easy, because the changes introduced by WrtHug do not affect its operation. The first thing is to check if the model is among those that have stopped receiving support and install, if it exists, the latest version of firmware available from the ASUS website, following the recommendations of its security notices. As additional measures, it is advisable to disable remote services that are not used, such as AiCloud, review possible unauthorized access and consider replacing the equipment if it is already at the end of its life. WrtHug shows that home routers are no longer a neutral element. They are devices always on, connected and with sufficient capacity to sustain discrete operations without altering their operation. This combination makes them useful pieces within a digital dashboard that previously seemed reserved for more complex systems. Images | ASUS | SecurityScorecard In Xataka | Correos and the DGT are already widely seen, so the scammers have changed their objective: an app to pay for parking

The US tariffs have forced Asus to flee from China. The question is how users will affect us

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The US tariffs are ravage. At the beginning of last April Donald Trump announced that His administration was going to impose tariffs to the importation of products from Most countries with those that the US holds a commercial relationship. China was one of the nations They left worse stops, as expected, which caused governments led by Donald Trump and Xi Jinping to engage in an unprecedented climb of tariffs. In a few days the US administration approved China tariffs of 145%and this last country responded with 125% taxes About US assets. This scenario was unsustainable, so after negotiating both governments they agreed to moderate their tariffs temporarily at 30% and 10% respectively. This is how the panorama is currently, but these two countries will renegotiate these conditions as very late in November. Anyway, 30% tariffs are subject to the products that arrive in the US from China are damaging many companies. Asus is one of them. Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam are the big beneficiaries, for the moment Asus is a Taiwanese company, but until just a few weeks most of its production came from continental China. This company is one of the largest manufacturers of motherboard and other components for PC of the planet, and the US is one of its main markets. It is very difficult to specify what weight sales in the country led by Donald Trump in the face of their total sales, but we know that in 2023 the American continent represented 23% of the total income of ASUS. And with all probability USA exercised a very important contribution to this figure. “At this time more than 90% of our production has already been distributed to these new regions” Losing its position in the US market is not an option for this Taiwanese company. Their products manufactured in China receive a surcharge when they arrive in the US of 30%, as we have seen, so Asus has made a decision: It is moving 90% of its production outside of China. It is the only effective strategy when avoiding US tariffs. “We are expanding our production bases in Southeast Asia beyond China for both the mother -and -fashioned PCs. We are installing in Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam (…) at this time more than 90% of our production has already been distributed to these new regions,” has declared A spokesman for Asus. The choice of Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam is not accidental. Production costs in these three countries are moderate, presumably as much as in China, so Asus’s competitiveness is not going to resent. It is great news for us, users. If this reorganization of its production chain had an upward impact on the cost of their products, consumers would pay it. All consumers, not just those of the US. But a priori this will not happen because manufacturing in Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam It is no more expensive than doing it in China when the combination of lower wages and the ability to avoid high tariffs in key markets are considered. Image | Andrey Matveev More information | Tom’s hardware In Xataka | The authentic responsible for China can make avant -garde chips is an almost unknown company: Sicarrier

Thousands of ASUS routers have been committed to an intrusion campaign: restart them does not eliminate the threat

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A new intrusion campaign has put several models of ASUS routers. According to GraynoiseSpecialized in cybersecurity, at least three different devices would be exploited by an actor “highly trained and with sufficient resources.” Sophisticated threats are usually aimed at very specific objectives, but this campaign has a broader pattern. Researchers have already detected about 9,000 committed devices, and ensure that the number continues to increase. It is believed that the foundations could be laying for a future botnet, Key piece for DDOS attacks. Persistent access without malware The attackers get initial access through brute force techniques And the use of evasion strategies that still do not have an identifier Cve. In cybersecurity, a CVE (acronym for common vulnerabilities and exposures) is a standard reference that is used to catalog known vulnerabilities publicly. {“Videid”: “X801AZU”, “Autoplay”: False, “Title”: “How to protect your Android from viruses and malware: tricks and advice”, “tag”: “”, “duration”: “271”} After that first step, cybercriminals take advantage of a specific vulnerability already documented, identified as CVE-2023-39780to execute arbitrary commands and modify the router configuration from within. The objective is not to install a traditional spy virus or software, but something more subtle: open a remote rear door. To do this, they enable SSH access in a specific port (TCP/53282) and insert their own public key into the NVRAM memory, a type of internal storage that It is not erased by restarting the router nor when updating your firmware. In this way, the attacker’s access persists in time, without leaving obvious signs. The researchers have replicated the attack on several specific models, including the ASUS RT-AC3100, RT-AC3200 and RT-AX55. It is not an official list of committed devices, but a clue to which they could be in the spotlight. At the moment, it is not ruled out that there are other models also exposed. Greynoise has not officially attributed the campaign to any specific group. However, he points out that the techniques used (the use of legitimate functions of the system, the deactivation of the activity records and the absence of visible malware) are usual characteristics of Very elaborate attacks and long -term planned. These types of operations are usually linked to the calls APTacronym in English of Advanced Persistant Threat. These are cyber -cyber -acting groups that act with advanced technical means, great discretion and very defined objectives, often related to strategic or governmental interests. The finding occurred the past March 18thanks to SIFTan analysis tool developed by Greynoise. The publication of the details It was intentionally delayed to facilitate coordination with public agencies and companies in the sector before making it public. How to know if your router has been committed Asus has corrected vulnerability CVE-2023-39780 In a recent firmware update. However, if the device was compromised before applying that patch, remote access can remain active. Greynoise offers a series of steps that can help detect whether a router has been affected, although it is true that some of them They can be complex for those who are not familiar with technical concepts or do not handle with ease in the advanced device configuration. Even so, it is convenient to meet them: Access the configuration of your router and verify if the access by SSH is enabled in the TCP/53282 port. Check the file called Authorized_Keyssince it could contain an unauthorized public key. Block these IP addresses, associated with the campaign: 101.99.91.151, 101.99.94.173, 79.141.163.179 and 111.90.146.237. If you suspect that your device is affected, perform a complete factory restoration and configure it manually. In Xataka Openai has just demonstrated that the AI ​​no longer completely obeys: O3 sabote its own shutdown to continue working The scale of the attack and its ability to stay hidden reinforce a key lesson: the safety of domestic routers should not be taken for granted. Although in this case malware has not been installed, the attackers They have left an open door. We have contacted Asus to request comments on this campaign and know if they plan to offer new additional measures or recommendations. This article will be updated if we receive an official response for its part. Images | Freepik | Asus In Xataka | Alcasec is not any youth hacker: he set up a Spanish criminal infrastructure that even had customer service bot (Function () {Window._js_modules = Window._js_modules || {}; var headelement = document.getelegsbytagname (‘head’) (0); if (_js_modules.instagram) {var instagramscript = Document.Createlement (‘script’); }}) (); – The news Thousands of ASUS routers have been committed to an intrusion campaign: restart them does not eliminate the threat It was originally posted in Xataka by Javier Marquez .

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