Leaked D-Link code-signing key could make malware look legit
When your company is known for making wireless routers, network switches and home security cameras, leaking your code-signing private keys yourself is the last thing you want to do. Back in February, that’s exactly what D-Link did, accidentally leaving a valid key visible in its open-source firmware. If found by an attacker, the key could have be used to make malware can pass as official software from D-Link — malware that wouldn’t trigger security warnings when installed to Windows or OS X machines.
That’s bad, but luckily would-be attackers would have had to stumble across the key weeks ago — the leaked certificate expired earlier this month. Still, that means software created using the key between February and September is still valid. D-Link says it’s issuing more firmware updates in the near future to address the issue
Via: Ars Technica
Source: Tweakers
Google’s codebase is ludicrously huge for good reason
Google’s codebase — the programming instructions that run every one of its services from Gmail to Slides — span a whopping 2 billion lines of code that stretch across 1 billion files and require 86 terabytes of storage, according to Google engineering manager Rachel Potvin. She recently disclosed those figures at the @Scale engineering conference. She also noted that this massive collection of data is mirrored and continually updated in ten data centers peppered around the globe. “Not only is the size of the repository increasing,” Potvin explained during her lecture, “but the rate of change is also increasing. This is an exponential curve.”
There’s a solid reason behind keeping all that code in a single, monolithic base: it makes updating everything much easier. That’s because the codebase is available to 95 percent of Google’s engineers and changing any line of code in one service updates that same line of code in any other service that shares it. Some 15 million lines of code in 250,000 thousand of those files are modified weekly. “When you start a new project,” Potvin told WIRED, “you have a wealth of libraries already available to you. Almost everything has already been done.”
Via: BGR
Source: Wired
Are Altice, other cable operators targeting T-Mobile?
This past week at a conference sponsored by Goldman Sachs, the chairman of French telecom company Altice noted the cable operator needed to look into owning a mobile network. Many see Patrick Drahi’s comments as an indication that Altice may be interested in scooping up T-Mobile as part of a strategy to offer a “quad play” to consumers. Altice is not the only company interested in T-Mobile, or other wireless carriers, as an interesting M&A drama starts to unfold.
Financial analysts are starting to increase their price targets on companies like T-Mobile. BTIG analyst Walter Piecyk recently pushed his estimate for T-Mobile from $42 to $50 as he believes “T-Mobile could be a primary acquisition target of cable operators.”
Interest in wireless carrier and cable operator combos is increasing after the successful acquisition of DirecTV by AT&T. At the same time, the cable industry in experiencing a consolidation of its own, like the recent acquisition announcement of Time Warner by Charter. While companies like Altice may want to take a longer “wait and see” while they explore possibilities, the limited number of wireless carriers and cable consolidation is going to put pressure on them to move sooner rather than later.
Even as a company like Altice slowly starts to eye a carrier like T-Mobile, partly due to a belief that prices are too high, the wireless carriers are successfully improving their business model to increase revenues and thus, put upward pressure on their price. T-Mobile’s John Legere has suggested in the past, in connection with rumors of a Comcast acquisition, that it makes sense for wireless carriers and cable operators to join together. Even though the wireless carriers may be open to new business combinations, their success may prove to be a double-edged sword for any companies that hesitate.
If Altice is not ready to make a move for T-Mobile, other companies like Comcast may not wait around. For T-Mobile, a merger or acquisition with someone with a larger footprint in the U.S. would make more sense.
source: Fierce Wireless
Come comment on this article: Are Altice, other cable operators targeting T-Mobile?
Verizon reportedly showing interest in the Dish Network Spectrum
Recently T-Mobile has been showing high interest with Dish Network. Today, Verizon’s CEO Lowell McAdam stated that the company might be interested in making a wholesale arrangement with the popular television provider but is not interested in buying the whole company.
Allegedly, big read would supply its wireless service for Dish’s Network spectrum. Recently, Dish has been working on a new band to use with its AWS-4 spectrum along with AWS-1 and AWS-3 airwaves and is scheduled to be official in December. Therefore by partnering up with Verizon, Dish will be able to use the carrier’s wireless service and Verizon will receive some of the company’s spectrum. Sounds like a good trade. Except for the fact that Verizon doesn’t want to buy the whole Dish network.
T-Mobile is getting ready to close a deal with Dish merging the two companies. If Verizon wants to seal a deal they might want to hurry before its competitor T-Mobile announces its official merge with Dish. Dish has some important decisions to make. We’ll see how this plays out.
Source: FierceWireless
Come comment on this article: Verizon reportedly showing interest in the Dish Network Spectrum
Android Pay officially hits the Play Store
Android Pay is one of the most anticipated features that Google is bringing to its Android operating system this year. And now it’s officially in the Play Store for users to download.
Users no longer need to download an apk because the new payment service is live in the Play Store. If you already have Google Wallet installed, there is no need to wait for an update, just search Android Pay in the search box and hit download. The Android Pay app will replace your old Wallet application on your device. However, if you use Google Wallet, a separate newly designed app is also available to download.
Android Pay will allow users to pay with their NFC enabled device to NFC enabled payment terminals located at over 1 Million merchants. The experience is made to be easy and fast. This is Google’s next approach to replace our wallet. In addition, users will soon be able to add loyalty cards and gift cards right inside the app. If you have an Android Pay capable device, you can download it at the link down below.
Come comment on this article: Android Pay officially hits the Play Store
Latest Humble Weekly Bundle gets you the $300 app design suite GameMaker: Studio Android for $12
Aspiring game designers rejoice! The Humble Bundle team is offering GameMaker: Studio Android, a software suite normally valued between $300 and $400, for the astounding price of $12.
This is not your grandfather’s game design suite either. GameMaker Android was used to create the hit games Hotline Miami and Risk of Rain. It’s a powerful set of game design tools that aims to help creative-minded people who don’t have programming expertise make the games currently burning away in their imagination.
To sweeten the deal, this Humble Weekly Bundle also comes with nearly a dozen games that are packaged with their source code. This is an invaluable resource for someone looking to learn how games are made, because they will be able to dissect these already-completed games to see what makes them tick. If you’ve ever been interested in making your own Android games but never really had the funds to jump in, you have until Thursday, September 24, 2015 to act!
That’s right. Like all Humble Bundle deals, this is a limited time offer.
You should be aware, however, that just because GameMaker: Studio Android doesn’t require you to be fluent in a programming language, that doesn’t mean the learning curve for creating a game with it isn’t steep. Some previous programming experience is recommended, even if you just tinkered around with your TI-83’s basic programming abilities.
For the bold and the daring who have game-making fire in their hearts but no previous programming experience, it’s still possible to see forward motion with GameMaker. There are copious tutorials and help documents available online for GameMaker, so this might be a good opportunity for you to cut your teeth on game design.
This may be an interesting development for the Google Play Store. It’s possible that this sale may open the doors for a slew of hungry game designers eager to unleash their brilliant ideas on the public… or we might see a flood of crudely designed My First Games. Either way, the Google Play Store’s $25 fee to create a developer account should keep the least serious designers at bay.
So whether you’re interested in creating a 2D, top-down RPG or a stylishly rendered, 3D action adventure, the financial bar for beginning production on your own Android game is now set much lower. At $12 for the GameMaker kit and $25 for the developer account, you could feasibly develop and release a professional-quality game with an initial investment of only $37 dollars.
With a cost of entry that low, what’s holding you back? What the mobile gaming world has been missing is your blockbuster idea, so get out there and turn it into reality! The “I can’t afford the startup cost” excuse just got a whole lot flimsier.
Konami calls it quits on AAA console games, reports say
Konami is shutting down much of its AAA console-game development for the foreseeable future, according to a report on French site Gameblog (as translated by Eurogamer). The only two franchises on Konami’s AAA plate are Metal Gear Online and Pro Evolution Soccer 2016. Otherwise, there are no plans to develop additional Metal Gear, Silent Hill, Castlevania or other AAA games at Konami, the site says. An additional report on Gameblog claims that Konami Worldwide Technical Director and head of the studio’s Fox Engine, Julien Merceron, has left the company. We’ve reached out to Konami for clarification. These reports play into recent rumblings of unrest at Konami and a shift toward mobile-game development, following a series of odd events at the studio.
One of the first signs of turmoil at Konami came when it canceled Silent Hills, a game that received a ton of positive hype after the release of its teaser, PT, in 2014. It was a collaboration between famed horror-movie director Guillermo del Toro and Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima, starring The Walking Dead‘s Norman Reedus. Konami never officially announced the cancelation, though del Toro and Reedus have both said it’s canned.
Second, Kojima himself appears to be on the outs at Konami and he’s expected to cut ties with the studio now that Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is out. Kojima’s name was removed from the box art for Metal Gear Solid V along with the logo for his studio, Kojima Productions. Plus, it seems that Metal Gear Solid V was originally intended to include a third chapter and more content in general. Konami has recently pledged to focus on mobile development, which ties into the “no more AAA” reports this week.
Wilson’s connected basketball helps hone your skills on the court
Connected sporting goods are nothing new, and Wilson’s a smart basketball that tracks every shot you take on the court is adding to the fray. The Wilson X, which was first announced last year, uses an embedded sensor to tally makes and misses in real time alongside a companion app for iOS devices While it’ll only play nice with Apple gadget right now, it’ll be available for Android this fall. The mobile software also offers four modes for shooting drills. There’s a Buzzer Beater mode that offers the challenge of making the game-winning shot as the clock winds down, for example. Wilson says that this high-tech ball and app combo is made for shooters as it isn’t designed to track shots within seven feet of the basket.
As you might expect, the game-like simulations are complete with crowd noise and sports commentators. In addition to tracking shots taken and made baskets, the Wilson X can keep tabs on two-pointers, three-pointers and free throws before letting you brag to your friends via social networks or sharing stats with your coach. What’s more, the ball doesn’t need to be charged and Wilson says it’ll last up to 100,000 shots. That’s about 300 shots a day, every day, for a year. The ball is available in two sizes, 29.5-inch Official and 28.5-inch Intermediate, for $199.
Source: Wilson
Playdate: taking on The Taken King in ‘Destiny’
We’re officially in “year two” of Bungie’s connected shooter Destiny and what better way to celebrate than by streaming its first big expansion pack, “The Taken King” ? Both Sean Buckley and myself are lapsed Destiny players who’ve largely stepped away from the game in pursuit of other, not-grindy experiences. But Bungie’s been touting the changes it’s made as being more welcoming to new folks and those who’ve been overwhelmed by what it took to get the best gear and weapons previously. So join us at 6 pm ET / 3 pm PT for two hours of hot new Guardian action as we discover how accurate the developer’s claims are. As always, you can check out the broadcast right here on this post, the Engadget Gaming homepage, and, if you want to join us in chat, head over to Twitch.tv/joystiq.
http://www.twitch.tv/joystiq/embedWatch live video from Joystiq on www.twitch.tv
[We’re streaming “The Taken King” at 720p on PlayStation 4 through OBS, so rest assured the game looks much prettier on your TV at home.]
Stick with Android: a cheeky response to Apple’s Move to iOS
Earlier this week Apple released its very first Android app, which ironically was designed to help people leave Android behind. We don’t find the existence of “Move to iOS” all that surprising, but what about the rest of us? Those who wish to stay with Android? For us, there’s “Stick With Android”.
The tongue and cheek jab at Apple’s latest app is a simple app that has just one function: providing humor. Upon opening the app for the first time you are greeted with a green screen and a single button that says “Click here to stick with Android”. Click it and you are greeted by a new message “Congratulations, you did it!”.
As priceless as the app is, its official description is actually even better:
Everything about Android is designed to be easy. That includes sticking with it. With just one step, you can keep your content automatically and securely on your Android device with the Stay on Android app. No need to save your stuff elsewhere before staying on Android. The Stay on Android app securely keeps you away from switching to another (worse) platform.
Believe it or not, the app has actually already managed to garner 548 reviews since its release yesterday. Of those reviews, 531 are 5-star and most of them are actually more hilarious than the app itself. As for the 12 others? All one-stars from people who either have no humor, are Apple fans, or both.
To check out the pointless yet priceless app for yourself, you’ll want to head on over to Google Play.
AIVAnet 