Google releases Stagefright security update for seven Nexus devices
Google’s latest Android 5.1.1 update is now available for the Nexus 4, Nexus 6, Nexus 7 (2013, WiFi), Nexus 9 (LTE and WiFi) and Nexus 10. You can download the upgrade instantly as a factory image or you can wait for it to roll out as an OTA later today.
For those unaware, this long-awaited update carries the build number LMY48I and brings a much-needed fix for the Stagefright security exploit, in addition to several other bug fixes, stability improvements and speed optimizations.
Hit the source link below to download the factory images from the official Google Developer Blog.
Source: Google Developer Blog
Come comment on this article: Google releases Stagefright security update for seven Nexus devices
Deutsche Telekom disables MMS auto-retrieval until the StageFright exploit is patched
You’ve probably heard about the latest Android vulnerability that apparently affects over 900 million Android devices. It’s called StageFright, and the worry is that malware can be embedded in a video that could then run roughshod in your device without you initiating any action whatsoever. The malware ridden video would be sent by MMS and your device would download it automatically, thanks to the auto retrieve setting being ticked in settings of the messaging app. While most carriers are waiting for phone manufacturers to issue software patches to block the exploit, Germany’s Deutsche Telekom is taking a more pro-active approach by disabling the MMS auto-retrieve function itself.
This means that when Deutsche Telekom customers are sent a new MMS, instead of it being downloaded automatically, a SMS notification will be received saying:
“You have a new MMS. You can follow this link to download within 3 days (with credentials like number and passcode)”
Once you click the URL within the SMS, you will be asked to type in your credentials and passcode. While it isn’t a surefire way to avoid being a victim of the StageFright exploit because the manually downloaded video could still contain malware, it is another barrier. Deutsche Telekom says that once the exploit has been patched, they will re-enable the MMS auto-retrieve function.
Source: Deutsche Telekom
Via: AndroidCentral
Come comment on this article: Deutsche Telekom disables MMS auto-retrieval until the StageFright exploit is patched
Apple Music recruits 11 million trial users in six weeks
Over 11 million people are now using Apple Music following the June 30th launch. “We’re thrilled with the numbers so far,” Apple senior VP Eddy Cue told USA Today. The service is in a free trial phase until September, so nobody has paid for it yet. The number of users is actually higher, though, as Apple said that 2 million of those folks are on the family plan, which allows six people to use it at once. Still, is 11 million free subscribers a lot? Everyone who updated an iPhone or iPad to iOS 8.4 was nagged to sign up, and it remains to be seen how many will opt out once they have to pay.
The brief time period makes the feat pretty impressive, though. It took Spotify around six and a half years to get to 20 million paid subscribers (as of June), with 75 million active users total — though it picked up half of those users in just the last year. Meanwhile, Apple is rumored to be seeking 100 million subscribers, which would be over twice the number of users that have paid subscriptions with all the other streaming services put together.
Cue acknowledges teething problems with Apple Music, especially for folks migrating their music collection. “We’re aware that some users have experienced some issues, and we hate letting them down, but we’re releasing updates as fast as we can to address those issues,” he said. Once the trial period nears an end, Apple will roll out a huge Music marketing campaign. Beats Music’s Jimmy Iovine said “for many people outside of the US, you still have to explain what it is and how it works,” adding “there’s still the issue of winning over millennials, who never pay for music.”
On another note, Cue said July was a record month for the App Store, with $1.7 billion in transactions. He chalked up the feat to “particular momentum” for Apple in China.
Filed under:
Home Entertainment, Software, Apple
Source:
USA Today
Tags: 11 million, app store, apple, Apple Music, Eddy Cue, subscribers, trial
ASUS’ photo-centric ZenFones head to India first
Back at Computex in June, we got a first glimpse of ASUS’ upcoming ZenFone Selfie and the then-unnamed ZenFone 2 Laser, both being the first phones to switch back to Qualcomm’s chipset after ASUS’ streak of Intel-powered mobile devices. Today, the company has finally chosen India as the first country to get the Selfie and the Laser, as well as a few surprise devices. Let’s talk about the Laser first: It’s obviously all about the speedy laser auto-focus on the 13-megapixel, f/2.0 main camera with dual-tone flash. Its also comes in three sizes: 5 inches (not launching in India just yet), 5.5 inches (from 9,999 Rupees or about $160) and 6 inches (from 17,999 Rupees or about $280); all with Gorilla Glass 4 and resolution of up to 1080p. Chipset-wise, these models range from the low-end quad-core Snapdragon 410 with 2GB RAM up to the octa-core Snapdragon 615 with 3GB RAM.
As for the Selfie, it’s essentially the 5.5-inch version of the Laser slapped with a more powerful front-facing wide-angle camera: 13-megapixel resolution and f/2.2 aperture, but no laser on this side. It’s powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 615 chipset and retails for 15,999 Rupees or about $250.
Launching alongside the Selfie and the Laser is the ZenFone 2 Deluxe, which is quite the looker thanks to its cool multifaceted polygonal back covers (hopefully ASUS will sell these separately for existing ZenFone 2 users). Underneath that, it’s just the top spec ZenFone 2 with 128GB of internal storage, 4GB RAM, a 2.3GHz 64-bit Intel Atom chip and the same-old fast charge technology — from zero to 60 percent in just 39 minutes. This one goes for 22,999 Rupees or about $360 which is pretty aggressive, especially given that the OnePlus 2 comes with just 3GB of RAM and 16GB of built-in storage for the same price in India.
For those who are looking for a new Android tablet, ASUS is also bringing the affordable Intel-powered ZenPads to India, with the 7-inch model going for 11,999 Rupees or about $190, and the 8-inch version for 14,999 Rupees or about $240. Better yet, for an extra 3,000 Rupees (about $50), you can get the quirky Audio Cover for some surround sound action on these slates.
Filed under:
Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, ASUS
Tags: android, asus, india, intel, mobilepostcross, phone, smartphone, tablet, zenfone, zenfone 2 deluxe, zenfone 2 laser, zenfone max, zenfone selfie, zenpad, zenui
ASUS put an insanely large battery in the ZenFone Max
During its big launch event in India today, ASUS decided to throw in a surprise for those who are into phones with a massive battery: the ZenFone Max. This is one of the very few smartphones that come with a generous — or perhaps overly generous — 5,000 mAh cell, and you can even use the phone as a power bank to charge other devices. Like the ZenFone 2 Laser, the Max has a 13-megapixel f/2.0 main camera with laser auto-focus plus dual-tone LED flash, as well as a 5-megapixel front-facing imager and Gorilla Glass 4 on the 5.5-inch screen, though there’s no word on the display resolution. The downer is the entry-level Snapdragon 410 chip with just 2GB of RAM, as if the battery life isn’t already long enough.
Alas, it’ll be a while until the ZenFone Max enters the market in October, so ASUS is keeping other details — including the price — under wraps for now. But just for reference, Gionee’s mid-range Marathon M4 has the same battery capacity and goes for 15,499 Rupees or about $240, and then there’s the $290 Innos D6000 with an even bigger 6,000 mAh battery plus a slightly more powerful Snapdragon 615 chip, so it’ll be a tough fight for ASUS.
Filed under:
Cellphones, Mobile, ASUS
Tags: android, asus, india, mobilepostcross, phone, smartphone, zenfone max, zenui
Adidas purchases Runtastic for $239 million
Sports giant Adidas has just announced its acquisition of Runtastic, an Austrian GPS fitness tracking company with a popular app by the name name. The deal is worth €220 million ($239 million) and will see Adidas grab a big share of the GPS fitness tracking app market.
Adidas already has a range of wearables, apps and clothes for this market, but Runtastic’s extra hardware, apps and huge install base, which is somewhere around the 70 million mark, could help the company gain a competitive edge. Currently, Nike is probably the most notable big sports brand in the fitness tracking market, with smaller companies like FitBit also making up a significant portion.
“Both companies firmly believe that together we can build a unique product portfolio and unparalleled customer journey for our existing community members and future users,” – Florian Gschwandtner, Runtastic CEO
Runtastic is best known for its GPS fitness track app, which contains a range of features, from map tracking, a workout diary, voice coach and a load of statistics to track your progress. The company has launched a GPS watch with a built in heart rate monitor and has also developed some more niche products, including smartphone mounts for bikes and a sleep tracking app.
For Runtastic’s existing app users, the company states that its app will remain under the old brand name and that it will operate as a separate entity from within the group. Further updates and improvements are apparently on the way in the future, and the current staff will be retaining their existing positions to keep working on existing and new ideas.
LMY48I factory images arrive for the Nexus range
Following on from yesterday’s LMY48I update for the Nexus 5 and 6 smartphones, factory images featuring the same fix have now been uploaded for the Nexus 4, 7 (2013), LTE and WiFi versions of the 9, and the Nexus 10.
In case you missed it, the LMY48I Android 5.1.1 Lollipop update addresses the “Stagefright” exploit that was reported to Google late last month. The update doesn’t appear to add in any other features or tweaks, so it is simply designed to patch this issue.
You can find the factory image for all of the devices mentioned above at this link, complete with step-by-step instructions for performing the installation.
If you don’t want to faff around with installing the update yourself, it is very likely that an over-the-air update will begin rolling out to the extended Nexus range very soon. So keep an eye out for that notification.
Handset owners from other brands will have to sit tight for their version of the update. Google expects that most popular flagship phones should see a patch sometime this month and Samsung has already begun rolling out its fix.
Is this a prototype Huawei Nexus?
For the past month, we’ve heard rumours suggesting that Google was planning two Nexus handsets for later this year and was working with LG and Huawei to make the two handsets. LG’s Nexus is expected to be the lower spec version of the two and today, we’re getting a first glimpse of what might be a prototype Huawei Nexus smartphone.
The video in question comes from Steve Hemmerstoffer, the man behind the @onleaks account, who has a pretty decent track record when it comes to leaking as-yet unannounced smartphones. Based on the design of past handsets, the Huawei Nexus definitely looks like it has been designed by Chinese manufacturer Huawei but does seem to sport a matte rear cover like the Ascend Mate 7 and Huawei Honor 7.
Huawei in video:
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One of the features in Google’s upcoming Android M operating system is native support for fingerprint readers and it’s unsurprising to see the Huawei Nexus sport one on the rear, underneath the camera like Huawei’s previous handsets and future Nexus devices are also likely to have the feature. The camera sensor also looks similar to that found on the Nexus 5 and doesn’t sport the design traditionally used by Huawei in its smartphones.
The Huawei Nexus is expected to also be a first for Huawei thanks to its Quad HD display, which should be accompanied by a large battery, pure Android experience and a Snapdragon 820 processor. The LG Nexus on the other hand is expected to have lesser specs but should still have a smaller Full HD panel, an octa-core processor with 2GB/3GB RAM and possibly a 13MP camera, like the one found in the Nexus 6 and Motorola Moto G.
Would you buy the Huawei Nexus if it looked like this leak video? Let us know your views in the comments below!
Apple avoids class action lawsuit over iMessage failures
Apple has avoided a class action lawsuit regarding a flaw with its iMessage technology, following a ruling by Judge Lucy Koh, who has been overseeing similar cases such as Apple verses Samsung.
In the original complaint, former iPhone users claimed that Apple’s iMessage system interfered with the delivery of their text messages after switching to an Android phone. iMessage retained text messages sent from other Apple users, which some claim caused them to miss out on important messages.
See also: Android switcher taking Apple to court over undelivered text messages
According to Koh, there is insufficient reason to believe that enough customers were affected by the iMessage issue. Furthermore, it is unlikely that all of those that were affected would have missed out on important conversations that would entitle them to compensation.
(even if iMessage has) “systematic flaws that could result in the disruption of text messaging services, that determination does not assist the court in determining whether iMessage actually caused the proposed class members to suffer any interference,” – Judge Lucy Koh
However, this is not the end of the dispute. Individuals are still free to pursue Apple for compensation based on their own circumstances. Although, this ruling will greatly reduce Apple’s potential penalties and makes it unlikely that the company will have to reach a substantial out of court settlement.
Since the complaints, Apple has made it easier for ex-customers to de-list themselves from iMessage and to recover any messages that may have been lost. The courts will have to decide if Apple has done enough to avoid further action.
Amazon expands Prime Now one-hour deliveries to Birmingham
Londoners have been taking advantage of Amazon’s Prime Now one-hour delivery service for a little over a month now, and it’s time to afford others the same convenience. Today, Amazon has launched the speedy one-hour delivery option in Birmingham and surrounding areas, including Lichfield, Cannock and Tamworth. Expanding to other UK cities by the end of the year, Prime Now offers delivery on over 20,000 products within an hour for a £7 charge, or free same-day delivery within a two-hour window of your choice. You have to be an Amazon Prime member, of course, and all orders need to be placed through the Prime Now Android/iOS app — and to grease the wheels a little, Amazon is offering £20 off your first Prime Now order of £50 or above with the checkout code BIRMINGHAM. If you recall, Amazon’s rumoured to be bringing its Prime Fresh grocery-delivery service to London in the very near future, and considering today’s launch, perhaps we already know where that would be headed next.
Source:
Amazon
Tags: amazon, amazonprime, amazonprimenow, birmingham, primenow
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