Apple Watch Vulnerable to Theft With No Activation Lock
Our iPhones and iPads are protected by Activation Lock, a security feature that prevents thieves from wiping and using a stolen Apple device with a new account, but the recently released Apple Watch has no similar security feature.
As pointed out by iDownloadBlog in a detailed post on the security of the Apple Watch, there is nothing that stops a lost or stolen Apple Watch from being wiped and paired with a new iPhone. The Apple Watch has a passcode option that requires a sequence of numbers to be entered every time it’s removed from a wrist, but the passcode protects only data.
The passcode is also easily bypassed with a reset. Pressing down on the side button of the Apple Watch brings up the power down options and a force press on this screen brings up an option to Erase All content and Settings. Erasing the Apple Watch in this manner erases the passcode and allows the Apple Watch to be paired with a new device, with no hint of the original owner’s information available.
Because there’s no Activation Lock and because the Apple Watch is reliant on the iPhone, there’s also no Find My iPhone option to locate a lost or stolen Apple Watch. Due to this lack of security, it’s possible the Apple Watch will become a major target for thieves.
It’s an expensive device (especially the higher-end Edition versions), it’s compact, it’s highly desirable, it has a high resale value like all of Apple’s products, and it’s easily visible on a wrist rather than hidden away in a bag or pocket like an iPhone. In short, it’s an easy target for muggers.
iPhone theft in major cities like San Francisco and New York became such an issue that government officials called for Apple and other cell phone manufacturers to implement a “kill switch” that would disable stolen devices, leading to the eventual release of Activation Lock alongside iOS 7.
Activation Lock had a positive impact on smartphone thievery, dropping iPhone theft by 25 percent in New York, 40 percent in San Francisco, and 50 percent in London as of early 2015. If Apple Watch theft causes crime rates to spike like iPhone theft, it’s possible lawmakers will once again step in to call upon Apple to improve the security of the wrist worn device.
As iDownloadBlog notes, Apple could potentially introduce stricter security measures in a future version of Watch OS. A simple solution would check the last known Apple ID of a paired device, refusing a new connection without a password or other authentication. Given the number of sensors in the Apple Watch, it’s also not unimaginable that a future biometric solution could also be implemented for additional security.
AT&T will offer customers free Hulu streaming content later this year
According to a new press release from AT&T, the carrier’s new and existing customers will soon be getting a pretty exciting freebie: access to Hulu’s full library of subscription content.
The new deal signed between Hulu and AT&T will be offered to all customers at no extra cost, though there is a small catch. Instead of utilizing Hulu’s established apps and website for content, you’ll instead get access to Hulu programming through the AT&T website and mobile app. At least initially, that means no app for streaming to the big screen, though AT&T and Hulu are reportedly looking into offering such a solution in the future.
At Hulu, we strive to create the best possible video experience for customers – offering them the ability to view their favorite content, when, where and how they want. We are excited to be working with AT&T to connect its customers with our premium content on every screen.
Tim Connolly
Hulu senior V.P. of partnerships and distribution
As for when the Hulu content will go live on AT&T? There’s no exact date specified just yet, though AT&T says to look for it sometime “later this year”. What do you think of this new perk from AT&T? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Google Fit introduces estimates for distance and calories burned
The latest update to Google Fit makes the health and fitness hub much more useful. The app can now estimate distance and calories burned after a user inputs their gender, height, and weight. Google Fit shows what activities and amounts contributed to the two aforementioned categories. When enough data is stored with Google Fit, users can sort everything into a daily, weekly, or monthly view.
For quick viewing of activity, there is also a new Google Fit widget and Android Wear watch face to utilize.
Hit the break for the gallery and download links.
Source: Google
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Google Fit receives distance tracking, history, a new widget and more in new update
If you’re a Google Fit user, you’ll be happy to know that the service is receiving quite the update today. Rolling out now in the Google Play Store, the update brings distance and calories burned tracking, fitness history, a new widget for your device’s home screen and an Android Wear watch face.
Google Fit will begin tracking your distance and calories burned after you update your profile to include your gender, height and weight. Just like many other fitness applications out there, Fit will now be able to tell you how far you’ve traveled and estimate how many calories you’ve burned throughout your day and during your workout.
Google Fit now also supports fitness history, which lets you look up your activities grouped together by days, weeks or months. You can access your history by simply scrolling down on your timeline. Last but not least, Google Fit is also getting a new widget and an Android Wear watch face, allowing you to more easily stay on top of your daily fitness goals.
The update is rolling out now in the Google Play Store, so head to the link below to grab the newest version!
Hulu’s deal with AT&T brings free content to customers
The reach of Hulu will continue to grow as the video streaming service has a deal in place to provide AT&T customers with free content. The wireless carrier’s customers can watch Hulu content through their site and apps from anywhere. Also, the two companies are exploring the possibility of bring Hulu to televisions with a dedicated app.
A start date for the partnership’s benefits was not specified by either company but we do expect it to be active by the upcoming fall television season.
Hit the break for the full press release.
AT&T To Offer Hulu Subscription Streaming Service To AT&T Customers
AT&T and Hulu Agree to Make More Shows Available to AT&T Customers Through Multiple Platforms
DALLAS, May 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — AT&T ® and Hulu have signed a deal that will bring the popular Hulu subscription streaming service to AT&T* customers through AT&T’s websites and mobile applications.
“We know that our customers want to be able to access video on multiple devices,” said Andrew Goodman, associate vice president, AT&T content acquisition. “So we’re excited to be able to expand our relationship with Hulu and make its innovative and vast video selections available to AT&T customers on multiple screens.”
AT&T customers will be able to browse Hulu programs and select the shows they want to watch through an AT&T app for mobile device viewing or an AT&T website for Internet viewing. Combined with a leading TV Everywhere catalog, AT&T customers subscribing to Hulu will have one of the best selections available of current and past season full episodes. AT&T and Hulu also are exploring the possibility of bringing a Hulu app to TV.
“At Hulu, we strive to create the best possible video experience for customers – offering them the ability to view their favorite content, when, where and how they want,” said Tim Connolly, Hulu’s senior vice president of partnerships and distribution. “We are excited to be working with AT&T to connect its customers with our premium content on every screen.”
This offering will become available to AT&T customers later this year.
Hulu is a premium streaming television destination that offers full libraries of hit series such as Seinfeld, Empire, South Park, CSI, Nashville and current season programming from five of the six top broadcast networks. For a monthly fee, Hulu subscribers have the ability to stream a broad library of full current and past seasons from numerous programming networks including ABC, Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, FOX, FX, MTV, NBC, Nickelodeon and TNT. Hulu also offers the most comprehensive collection of classic films from The Criterion Collection, as well as its own library of Hulu Originals. The deal builds on AT&T’s current contract with Hulu for its free content.
The expanded relationship with Hulu complements AT&T’s other over-the-top initiatives, including Otter Media. Otter Media is a venture between AT&T and The Chernin Group, established to invest in, acquire and launch over-the-top (OTT) video services. This includes its purchase of a majority stake in Fullscreen, a global online media company that works with more than 50,000 content creators who engage 450 million subscribers and generate 4 billion monthly views.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) helps millions of people and businesses around the globe stay connected through leading wireless, high-speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. We’re helping people mobilize their worlds with state-of-the-art communications, entertainment services and amazing innovations like connected cars and devices for homes, offices and points in between. Our U.S. wireless network offers customers the nation’s strongest LTE signal and the nation’s most reliable 4G LTE network. We offer the best global wireless coverage.* We’re improving how our customers stay entertained and informed with AT&T U-verse® TV and High Speed Internet services. And businesses worldwide are serving their customers better with AT&T’s mobility and highly secure cloud solutions.
Additional information about AT&T products and services is available at http://about.att.com. Follow our news on Twitter at @ATT, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/att and YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/att.
© 2015 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the Globe logo and other marks are trademarks and service marks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
Reliability and signal strength claims based on nationwide carriers’ LTE. Signal strength claim based ONLY on avg. LTE signal strength. LTE not available everywhere.
*Global coverage claim based on offering voice and data roaming in more countries than any other U.S. based carrier, and offering the most wireless smartphones and tablets that work in the most countries.
Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
Information set forth in this news release contains financial estimates and other forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. A discussion of factors that may affect future results is contained in AT&T’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any obligation to update or revise statements contained in this news release based on new information or otherwise.About Hulu
Hulu is a premium streaming TV destination that seeks to captivate and connect viewers with the stories they love by creating amazing experiences that celebrate the best of entertainment and technology. As we pursue this mission, we strive to continue to redefine and reinvent the TV-viewing experience.
Come comment on this article: Hulu’s deal with AT&T brings free content to customers
Nokia’s stores are turning into Microsoft resellers
It’s been a long time coming, but some of the last vestiges of Nokia’s phone business are going away. Microsoft has started converting Nokia’s stores and service centers into “Microsoft Resellers” (catchy, we know), complete with the colorful branding that you’d expect from a regular Microsoft store. It won’t have the sheer variety of hardware, so you shouldn’t expect to pick up a laptop while you’re getting your phone fixed. However, the transition is still a big deal if you live outside of North America — this may be the first time you’ll visit a Microsoft shop, and your first chance at trying certain devices. As sad as it may be to see Nokia’s name disappear from street corners, this is good news if you feel like you’ve been missing out on Microsoft’s latest tech.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft, Nokia
Source: Microsoft Conversations
Verizon vulnerability made it painfully easy to access customer info
On the off chance you’ve experience some sketchiness with your Verizon home internet account over the past few weeks, we might just know why. As first reported by BuzzFeed, a vulnerability in Verizon’s customer service systems meant that attackers could have duped their way into the accounts of any of the 9 million households that pay the telecom for internet access. And the worst part? The process was absolutely dead simple. Verizon, for what it’s worth, said the issue (now fixed) came about because of a code error in a recent software update, and that they have “no reason to believe that any customers were impacted by this.”
Now, here’s how it worked.
Let’s say you’re a malcontent looking to screw with a particular Verizon customer. Your first step would’ve been to obtain that person’s IP address. That’s simple enough: As BuzzFeed points out, a quick peek at the headers of an email sent from a Verizon account would reveal its originating IP address. From there, a browser extension could be used to “spoof” Verizon’s customer service website by masking your own IP address with the one you sniffed out from that email. Thing is, that Verizon site was built to recognize when someone with a Verizon IP address swings by, and displayed “things like your location, your name, your phone number, and your email address” without any additional prompting. Once those pieces were obtained, it would’ve been trivial for anyone to do a little social engineering, just as BuzzFeed’s Joseph Bernstein did. After a call to Verizon’s customer service line, he was able to talk a representative into resetting the password associated with a volunteer’s Verizon account. Voilà: Almost completely painless access to someone else’s service and billing information.
Source: Buzzfeed
Vivo X5 Pro officially launched with 2.5D glass, retina scanning capability
Vivo officially launched their new Vivo X5 Pro mid-range device at press events in China today. The Vivo X5 Pro is equipped with a 5.2-inch Super AMOLED 1920 x 1080 resolution display that employs 2.5D glass technology. Typically 2.5D glass is being used as part of efforts to create a bezelless screen illusion or for design purposes, which it appears the latter is the direction Vivo took.
Inside the X5 Pro, Vivo packed in a Snapdragon 615 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, and a 2300 mAh battery. All of this hardware will be powering Android 5.0 Lollipop with the company’s FunTouch OS 3.0 interface on top. The X5 Pro is a dual SIM device and supports 4G LTE networks. Possibly taking a page from HTC, the front-facing camera is an 8MP sensor that can interpolate images to 32MP. More interesting though is that the front-facing camera incorporates some eye recognition technology that will allow users to secure data and applications.
Vivo did not announce pricing or availability, but the X5 Pro is expected to hit the market with a starting price of 2698 yuan ($435 USD).
Click here to view the embedded video.
source: HDBlog.it
via: phoneArena
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Sprint starts pushing out Android 5.1.1 update for the Nexus 5
Sprint has just begun pushing out the Android 5.1.1 update to all its carrier-branded variants of the Nexus 5 in the U.S. This upgrade transports the latest build of Lollipop, together with a truckload of bug fixes and stability improvements to the handset.
As is customary with all manufacturer updates, the upgrade is being rolled out in stages, but if you don’t feel like waiting for a notification confirming that it’s ready for your Nexus 5, to hit your device you could always search for the update manually. To do this, follow the steps below:
1. Head into Settings
2. Select About Device
3. Tap Software Update
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Galaxy Note 4 now receiving Lollipop in Croatia
Samsung is currently in the process of rolling out the Android 5.0.1 update to all its unlocked variants of the Galaxy Note 4 in Croatia. This upgrade brings the latest build of Lollipop, together with a ton of bug fixes and stability improvements to the handset.
Hit the break for the full changelog.
- Material Design: You will quickly notice a whole new colorful look and feel to your device – from fluid animations to new application and system themes, colors and widgets.
- Notifications UI & Priorities: In order to alert you to the mosttimely and relevant information, the format and behavior of notifications have evolved:
- notifications will appear on the lock screen and are intelligently ranked by type and who sent them.
- you double-tap to open one, swipe left or right to clear one, or clear all notifications from the bottom of the list.
- you can set the priority and privacy of notifications for each application.
- very high priority notifications will pop up briefly over other applications so that you can take action.
- when you dismiss a notification on one device it will be dismissed on your other Android devices, if they are connected to the Internet.
- you can further tailor how notifications behave with the new Downtime and Ambient Display settings (see below).
- New Interruptions & Downtime Settings: You can tailor how interruptions behave, choosing to allow all, none, or only priority interruptions. You can personalize what counts as a priority interruption (reminders, events, calls, messages) and even tailor them to be from only contacts you specify. The Downtime setting will allow only priority interruptions during the times and days that you specify. e.g. allow only priority interruptions on the weekend.
- Recent Apps (Multi-tasking): The redesigned Overview space (formerly called Recents) will include both applications and separate activities within those applications. For instance, each open tab in Chrome will also appear here along with recent applications; both your Gmail Inbox and a draft email message will appear as separate cards. This provides a consistent way to switch amongst tasks.
- Flashlight: Lollipop includes a new flashlight option as part of Quick settings (swipe down with two fingers from the status bar to see it).
- Pin a view/app: Screen pinning allows you to keep a specific app or screen in view. For example, you can ‘pin’ a game and your child will not be able to navigate anywhere else on your phone.
- Battery: The Battery settings panel now shows an estimated projection for how much time you have left while discharging or charging. You can also enable a new battery saver mode that will save power by reducing performance and most background data operations to extend your battery life.
- Smarter Internet Connections: With Android Lollipop, your phone will not connect to a Wi-Fi access point unless there is a verified Internet connection. This feature improves hand-offs between Wi-Fi and cellular connections, helping to maintain your video chat or voice-over-IP (VoIP) call as you switch.
- Performance: Your phone now uses the new Android Runtime to help optimize application performance. After upgrading to Lollipop, your applications will undergo a one-time optimization process. Note that the optimization for ART requires more space.
- Security: Encryption can now use a stronger 256-bit key to help protect your data. Note that the stronger key willonly be used after you perform a factory reset on Android Lollipop. Otherwise encryption will continue to use 128-bit key. You can turn on encryption in the Security settings menu.
As is customary with all manufacturer updates, the upgrade is being rolled out in stages, but if you don’t feel like waiting for a notification confirming that it’s ready for your device, you can search for the update manually. To do so simply follow the four steps below:
- Open the Settings app
- Scroll to the bottom and tap on “About Device”
- Hit “System Updates”
Come comment on this article: Galaxy Note 4 now receiving Lollipop in Croatia
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