Samsung Galaxy security flaw discovered that provides remote access to data
Security has always been an interesting topic on Android and that discussion just got another reason to exist with a development team discovering a security flaw affecting the Samsung Galaxy series that could enable remote access to data on your device.
The development team behind an open-source operating system based on Android called Replicant OS, discovered that this ‘backdoor’ affects not only the version of Android running on Samsung Galaxy devices, but also those custom firmwares based on stock Android images such as Cyanogenmod.
The ‘backdoor’ is said to be caused by “the proprietary software that is in charge of handling the communications with the modem, using the Samsung IPC protocol, implements a class of requests known as RFS commands, that allows the modem to perform remote I/O operations on the phone’s storage.”
What that means is that hackers have the potential to harness this method and remotely access data stored on the device without your consent.
Some of the handsets known to be affected include:
- Galaxy Nexus (I9250)
- Galaxy Nexus S (I902x)
- Galaxy S (I9000)
- Galaxy S II (I9100)
- Galaxy S III (I9300)
- Galaxy Note (N7000)
- Galaxy Note II (N7100)
- Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 (P31xx)
- Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 (P51xx)
Expect Google and Samsung to fix this very quickly.
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iOS 8 Screenshot Reveals New Healthbook, Preview and TextEdit Icons
A screenshot of an iOS 8 homescreen with the new Healthbook, Preview and TextEdit icons was posted to China’s Weibo microblog and spotted by 9to5mac. The source of the screenshot cannot be verified, but insiders close to 9to5 claim the icons represented in the image are legitimate.
Healthbook is Apple’s rumored fitness app for iOS 8 and its icon revealed in the screenshot loosely matches earlier descriptions. It may connect to the iWatch and track vital health and fitness parameters such as calories burned, heart rate and potentially other statistics like hydration and blood glucose levels.
Preview and TextEdit may debut in iOS later this year as part of an expansion of Apple’s iCloud service. Their icons mirror those of their OS X counterparts, which is unusual as Apple uses different icons for its OS X and iOS apps. This suggests the icons are placeholders and may change before the apps are released. Tips is an unknown app, and its role in iOS 8 is not certain.
Overall, the screenshot shows the iOS 8 design appearing essentially identical to that of iOS 7, although this may change over time as work continues on the next-generation operating system. Apple is expected to unveil iOS 8 later this year at WWDC 2014 and release it publicly sometime this fall. Besides underlying improvements to services like Maps and Siri, it also is expected to include health and fitness features that will integrate with Apple’s iWatch wearable device.
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Oculus VR, EA, Avegant and others join to form ‘Immersive Technology Alliance’
Well, this is certainly a motley crew: a variety of companies in the virtual reality space are teaming up to create the “Immersive Technology Alliance.” The group is an evolution of an earlier consortium, The Stereoscopic 3D Gaming Alliance — apparently the world of 3D gaming no longer needs their support? Anyway, the renamed group includes major game players like EA as well as little teams like Technical Illusions (of CastAR fame), as well as the company most responsible for re-introducing VR, Oculus VR. The ITA list includes all the players you’d expect, but also has a few outliers in Epson and Panasonic; Sony isn’t part of the ITA just yet, but that may change sooner than later. The group’s first public appearance takes place next week at San Francisco’s annual Game Developers Conference and we’ll be on-hand to document the shindig. Also, to ask Panasonic what it’s doing there. Head below for an example of immersive technology (an Engadget editor punching virtual sharks, obviously) and the full list of members (thus far).
- Epson
- Avegant
- Oculus VR
- GameFace Labs
- Big Blue Bubble
- I’m in VR
- YEI Technology
- EA
- Jon Peddie Research
- MTBS3DS
- Crew Communicatons
- TGC
- HDMI
- University of Ontario Institute of Technology
- Next3D
- DDD
- Digital Extremes
- Survios
- Vrelia
- Virtuix Omni
- Nanoveu
Netflix’s three new originals include ‘Shrek’ and ‘Madagascar’ spin-offs
Netflix is set to make good on its largest-ever deal for original content by launching no fewer than three new original Dreamworks series. With such varied and popular character base to choose from, the streaming giant confirmed today that it has chosen to launch spin-offs from two of the animation studio’s biggest franchises. So what are they? The first is King Julien: a spin-off of the Madagascar franchise that focuses on a certain royal lemur, and the other is Puss In Boots: a Shrek-themed show featuring that swashbuckling cat with the adorable big eyes. Last up is Veggie Tales in the House: a reboot of the faith-based series that features a cast of, you guessed it, various fruit and vegetables. They follow Netflix’s first Dreamworks spin-off, Turbo Fast, which debuted last December but wasn’t available to binge watch. Instead, the company says it will push the second cluster of new episodes live on April 4th. The streaming giant expects to make the three new original series available by “late 2014,” giving you plenty of time to familiarize yourself with the feature films.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Netflix (PRNewsWire)
MIT’s robot fish is nearly as speedy and squishy as the real thing
Robot fish are typically pale imitations at best — even when they move quickly, they don’t move all that gracefully. MIT’s new soft robotic fish should be much closer to the real animal, however. Instead of relying on rigid joints and motors to swim, the new fish wiggles its tail fin by inflating a channel with carbon dioxide. The switch to pressure-based power results in not just more natural-looking movement, but the kind of explosive energy that you’d expect from an undersea critter; a strong CO2 blast will turn the robot 100 degrees in an instant. The current design is built more for speed than longevity, but MIT’s researchers foresee a longer-lasting model that could follow schools of real fish and study them without drawing attention.
Source: MIT
Report: This is what iOS 8 looks like, at least right now
Apple’s next version of its mobile operating system, iOS 8, looks an awful lot like the iOS you’ve already got on your iDevice. At least that’s according to screens leaked on Chinese microblog site Weibo and lent credence by veritable Apple site 9to5Mac, which show what is supposedly iOS 8 in action. Yes, square icons with rounded edges are back, but that design is wrapped around some new entrants in the app world: TextEdit, Preview and Tips. It’s easy to guess what the first one might be (a potential replacement for the Notes app), but Preview and Tips? Given the icon’s distinct resemblance to the application of the same name in OS X, we’re guessing this serves a similar function: viewing documents and PDFs. As for Tips? Well, that’s probably just a solution for introducing new users.
iOS 8 isn’t an official product just yet, but logic and history dictate it’ll be part and parcel of the next iPhone refresh. We’ve previously heard that health will feature prominently in the next version of iOS, with both an application named Healthbook and some form of integration with the M7 chip already built into the iPhone 5S. Of course, Apple’s staying mum for now, and, again, history dictates it’ll be a few more months before Cupertino’s ready to talk.
Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Software, Apple
Via: 9to5Mac
Netflix is now being used to measure inflation in the UK
Video streaming has grown so much in the UK that authorities are now using it to help calculate inflation rates. The Office of National Statistics announced today that it has added Netflix and Amazon Instant Video to the UK’s “basket of goods,” measuring consumers’ love for House of Cards to get a better idea of what people are spending their money on. Recognizing the shift away from discs, the UK body has also dropped DVD recorders and replaced them with digital TV recorders (DVRs), including Sky+, Virgin Media TiVo and YouView boxes. Interestingly, interchangeable lens cameras have been added for the first time, driving home just how much of an effect the smartphone has had on sales of point-and-shoots. Smartphones and tablet sales are already being tracked, of course, as are ebooks, but now demand for Frank Underwood and co. (as well as hundreds of other products and services) will be used to help shape UK interest rates, pensions and even train ticket prices.
[Original image credit: nomadic_tendancies, Flickr]
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Source: ONS
Minuum 2.0 update adds month-long free trial
One of the most innovative keyboard replacement apps on the market just updated to version 2.0 and simultaneously released a 30 day trial app in Play Store.
Aside from launching the trial version, the 2.0 upgrade seems to just be a collection of bug-fixes, speed and visual improvements along with a few new language options. You can check out the actual update log and purchase the full version here.
Go and get them while they’re hot!
The post Minuum 2.0 update adds month-long free trial appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Satechi Universal Smartphone Dashboard Mount review
Up for review today is the Satechi Universal Smartphone Dashboard Mount (for 3.5”- 5.5” devices). We’ve tested a few Satechi products over the last few years and have come to appreciate their build quality. How does this car mount stand up? Quite well, actually.
While we tested the model designed for 3.5-inches and 5.5-inches there are other sizes available. Indeed, you can also pick one up for tablets or smaller devices. Keep that in mind when you’re looking to pick one of these up.
We were impressed with how easy this guy is to “install”. Essentially, you peel off a sticker from the bottom, adhere it to your dashboard and then suction it down. It’s a pretty permanent deal so be sure you’re placing this where you expect it stay for long term. With that in mind, there’s no need to break out any tools. Oh, and for those who don’t want to place this on the dash, you can flip it upside down and adhere to your windshield.
The adjustable arm can lean forward and back, raising the height of your smartphone. There’s a ball joint that allows for twisting and tilting with a full 360-degree rotation. We found this convenient as we like to rotate to landscape mode for GPS apps and back to the portrait orientation for pretty much anything else. It didn’t matter if we went left or right, nor it did matter how many times.
The mount is spring loaded and expands to fit your smartphone, even if it’s in a case. We were able to succesully hold just about any model we tested but curved stuff like the Moto X and HTC One proves tricky. For those that are your typical slab, however, there’s no worry. We should also mention that it works well for the Galaxy Note 3 except in instances where it was in a carry case. It seems the weight was just to much and offset the strength of the spring’s tension.
You can purchase the Satechi Universal Smartphone Dashboard Mount direct from Satechi for $14.99, a really great price. It might also be worth checking Amazon or other retailers if you’re hoping to save a couple of bucks. What’s more, there’s quite a few other models available that might be more up your alley.
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The unlocked HTC One is now only $499
Less than two weeks until the arrival of the All New HTC One, HTC drops the price of the One to $499. We can’t say that this is unexpected – many companies try to get rid of some existing stock before the new one takes over.
Oddly enough, the HTC One with the $100 discount is still pretty expensive compared to other unlocked smartphones. If HTC discounted it by $200, then they might have something. But the unlocked All New HTC One will most likely come in at around $600, so you wouldn’t really be justifying the cost if you bought the One.
Hold off until HTC announces the All New One on March 25th. If the new phone isn’t very good, you might want to consider this option.
Source: HTC
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