Pebble Time is your new Pebble smartwatch, complete with colour e-ink display
The original Pebble smartwatch campaign still stands as one of the defining success stories of Kickstarter, raising over $10 million to fund what can only be described as one of the most recognizable smartwatches to date. Since then, Pebble has launched one primarily cosmetic update in the Pebble Steel, and made plenty of little strides […]
The post Pebble Time is your new Pebble smartwatch, complete with colour e-ink display appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Gemalto denies ‘massive theft’ of SIM card encryption keys by NSA and GCHQ
Digital security vendor Gemalto revealed its findings today following last week’s report of an incursion by the NSA and the GCHQ into the vendor’s SIM card encryption keys. While Gemalto noted that an operation by NSA and GCHQ “probably happened” in 2010 and 2011, the intrusion could not have resulted in a “massive theft” of SIM card encryption keys as the breach affected the company’s office network and not its secure networks.
Gemalto denies ‘massive theft’ of SIM card encryption keys by NSA and GCHQ
Digital security vendor Gemalto revealed its findings today following last week’s report of an incursion by the NSA and the GCHQ into the vendor’s SIM card encryption keys. While Gemalto noted that an operation by NSA and GCHQ “probably happened” in 2010 and 2011, the intrusion could not have resulted in a “massive theft” of SIM card encryption keys as the breach affected the company’s office network and not its secure networks.
Gemalto mentioned that the SIM card encryption keys were not stored in the networks that were breached:
These intrusions only affected the outer parts of our networks – our office networks – which are in contact with the outside world. The SIM encryption keys and other customer data in general, are not stored on these networks. It is important to understand that our network architecture is designed like a cross between an onion and an orange; it has multiple layers and segments which help to cluster and isolate data.
Access to the keys would have allowed the US and UK government agencies the ability to listen in on phone conversations and install malware on any Gemalto-issued SIM card. With an annual production of 2 billion SIM cards and association with most major carriers in the world including US carriers such as AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon, any security breach at the vendor would have global consequences. Here’s what Gemalto found in its investigation into the hack:
The investigation into the intrusion methods described in the document and the sophisticated attacks that Gemalto detected in 2010 and 2011 give us reasonable grounds to believe that an operation by NSA and GCHQ probably happened
The attacks against Gemalto only breached its office networks and could not have resulted in a massive theft of SIM encryption keys
The operation aimed to intercept the encryption keys as they were exchanged between mobile operators and their suppliers globally. By 2010, Gemalto had already widely deployed a secure transfer system with its customers and only rare exceptions to this scheme could have led to theft
In the case of an eventual key theft, the intelligence services would only be able to spy on communications on second generation 2G mobile networks. 3G and 4G networks are not vulnerable to this type of attack
None of our other products were impacted by this attack
The best counter-measures to these type of attacks are the systematic encryption of data when stored and in transit, the use of the latest SIM cards and customized algorithms for each operator
According to Gemalto, even if the SIM card encryption keys were stolen, it would have resulted in the US and UK intelligence networks spying on 2G networks, making most users in developed countries prone to intrusion by covert agencies. However, The Intercept – the publication that first broke the news of the hack – noted that the target countries for the NSA and GCHQ’s spying activities included Afghanistan, Iceland, India, Iran, Pakistan, Serbia, Somalia, Serbia,Tajikistan and Yemen, where 2G networks are still the norm. Gemalto stated that its secure data transfer system was in use at that time, which would have deterred hackers from gaining access to the encryption keys.
Head to the link below to read all of Gemalto’s findings.
Source: Gemalto
LG now rolling out the G Flex 2 around the globe
With MWC just around the corner, expected to bring announcements for a handful of the latest flagship devices, LG has decided to wait no longer on rolling out their new curved G Flex 2.
LG has officially announced that the LG G Flex 2 is rolling out now around the globe. Expect to see the 5.5-inch device on store shelves in the United States, Hong Kong, Singapore, France, Germany and the U.K. very soon. Sadly, no actual availability date has been provided, and we are not seeing the device on many of the websites of the bigger carriers here in the States just yet.
Following the above noted markets, LG will be bringing the Octa-core Snapdragon 810 SoC powered G Flex 2 to other ‘key markets’ in the rest of North and South America, Europe and Asia in the coming weeks.
If you have not yet had the chance, be sure to check out our coverage of the LG G Flex 2, including first impressions, side-by-side with the LG G3 and more. I don’t want to spoil your reading, but we found the phone to be a few steps forward, but perhaps with a major flaw.
Pricing for the LG G Flex 2 appears will be very fair for what you get. $200 with a 2 year contract, or about $500 outright. $504 in monthly installments on Sprint’s Easy Pay plans.
Head on over to LG’s announcement for all the details, or just keep tabs on your local carrier, the LG G Flex 2 should be available very soon.
Are you thinking of grabbing the LG G Flex 2, or will you hold off to see what goodies MWC has to bring?
Further reading:
Suitcase with e-scooter can help you make it to your flight on time
If you saw our old backpack with an electronic scooter post and thought, “That would be so much better if it were a suitcase,” then your prayers have been answered. What’s pictured above is a legit suitcase-and-e-scooter-in-one that can run up to 12.4 mph for 6 miles on a single charge of its lithium-ion battery — that should be enough to traverse huge airports with broken walkalators. It’s the standard carry-on size, so you don’t have to check it in if you don’t want to, though it’s a bit on the heavy side (17.4 pounds). This is a real product that you can buy right now, by the way, not a concept or a prototype somebody dreams of mass producing one day. The regular version will set you back $599, while the model fitted with solar panels costs $100 more. Now, if people are starting to look and judge you for riding a suitcase, you can choose to be boring and use the scooter’s power to move your luggage while you walk.
Filed under: Misc, Transportation
Via: Pocket-lint, Gizmag
Source: Coolpeds
Former HTC executive seemingly confirms HTC One M9 videos are the real deal
If you’ve been scouring the Internet for any trace of the HTC One M9 in the last 24 hours, you will have seen the HTC One M9 videos that were leaked out earlier today. Plenty of discussions have ensued arguing whether this will be the device that HTC unveils at MWC 2015, and while the consensus is […]
The post Former HTC executive seemingly confirms HTC One M9 videos are the real deal appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Samsung Working with SK Telecom for 5G Data Speeds
Samsung and SK Telecom, a South Korean mobile operator, are planning to showcase current research into future 5G data transmission at 7.55 Gbps at Mobile World Congress next week. The transmission uses millimeter wave frequencies, meaning those over 6 GHz. The size of the frequencies is higher than mobile and Wi-Fi frequencies, and comes with some pros and cons.
The pros are of course related to the higher speeds achievable with the new technology, but the cons are the fact that higher frequencies will have a much harder time penetrating buildings and will be more likely to be obstructed or interfered with by obstacles. In order to combat this potential issue, Samsung and SK Telecom are working on technology that uses 3D beamforming, which senses the location of your smartphone and directs a narrow transmission to the device.
We can expect to see it implemented in South Korea in 2020, which is 2 years after Japan’s NTT DoCoMo’s planned network demonstration in Tokyo. If you’re wondering when we can expect to see it stateside, extrapolating our current rates of network expansion and speed improvements, we can expect to see it at least 10 years after that.
Source: PC World
Come comment on this article: Samsung Working with SK Telecom for 5G Data Speeds
Yo gets reinvented into a true notifications app for 150 sources
If you downloaded Yo last year, chances are it’s now collecting dust in one of your app folders — after all, how many times can you send the word “yo” to a friend before it becomes annoying? Now, its developers are attempting to entice people to use it again by turning it into an app that notifies you of the newest and most relevant content from a number of websites. The idea behind this redesigned Yo is to give people a way to get notified of new articles, videos or images from its partner websites without having to download standalone apps. All you have to do is subscribe to the channels you like via the brand new “Yo Store.”
We’re talking about notifications or “Yos” from Buzzfeed, TechCrunch, NBA, Cosmopolitan, Beyonce’s Instagram and even internet feline celeb Lil Bub, among many others. What’s great is that the app wasn’t designed to flood you with Yos for every new post. For instance, you’ll only get a Yo from TechCrunch for every article that gets 250 retweets, from Lonely Planet Local for places near your location, and from Huffington Post for its daily good news. Some services, like Coinbase, even send you notifications (the current bitcoin price, in its case) only if you ping it first. It could also be used as an Internet of Things button, sort of like IFTTT. You can access the Yo Store from within the now-more-useful app, or you can visit its website if you want to give Yo a second chance.
Filed under: Misc
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Yo
Moto G and Moto X receiving Android Lollipop in Canada
Motorola users in Canada are getting to take part in a sweet update, bringing them from Kitkat into the world of Lollipop. The update is currently available for users of the Moto G and the 2nd Gen Moto X on Virgin, TELUS, Koodo, Videotron, WIND, and unlocked devices. The Moto G is getting 5.0.2 specifically, and the Moto X is getting 5.0.1.
Now all Motorola has to do is get Lollipop out to the Moto X 1st Gen and the Moto E, which it seems to be in the process of doing. Motorola has an enormous wealth of information about the updates, so if you’re not quite sure how to use your new f=software, give its website a visit and learn how to better use your phone.
Source: Phone Arena
Come comment on this article: Moto G and Moto X receiving Android Lollipop in Canada
Android sees uptick in market share in 2014 after one billion device sales
Market research firm IDC’s latest numbers showcase the continued rise of Android, which now commands an 81.3 percent market share, up from 78.7 percent in 2013. The entry-level segment was seen as the major growth driver in 2014 as device sales crossed a billion units for the first time. The firm noted that Android and iOS now account for 96.3 percent of all smartphone shipments, a slight increase from the 95.6 percent commanded by the two leading mobile platforms in 2013.
AIVAnet 