Oracle settles charges that it misled you on Java security
Oracle’s Java software is known for creating its share of headaches, but security is arguably the biggest. For one thing, upgrading to the latest version of Java Standard Edition didn’t always remove every old version — up until last year, it’d leave ancient copies that exposed your PC to attack. And now, Oracle is paying the price. It’s settling FTC charges that it “deceived” customers by failing to warn about the security risks behind its Java SE upgrade process. Larry Ellison and crew will have to both warn users about those risks and create tools to remove those older, more vulnerable copies.
Given that the issue was effectively tackled earlier, the FTC deal is something of a formality. Nonetheless, it could do a lot to keep both Oracle and other software developers on their toes. Ideally, they’ll think twice about sloppy uninstalls that leave insecure code behind — the FTC may not be so gentle the next time around.
[Image credit: Shutterstock]
Via: Business Insider
Source: FTC
Samsung SideSync update features Marshmallow support
Samsung’s latest update for its screen-sharing SideSync app adds support for Marshmallow, hinting that the group could be bringing Android 6.0 to its devices soon.
The latest changelog for SideSync offers some clues as to the future of Marshmallow on Android, even mentioning that certain changes will take effect ‘after Android 6.0’. Simply put, the evidence is mounting that Marshmallow is on its way to Samsung’s tech lineup.
Over on the Play Store, Samsung’s productivity app has been treated to some great user feedback, with the software proving invaluable for thousands of Samsung owners.
Samsung SideSync is a PC-Mobile solution that allows users to share screens, windows and files between their Samsung gadgets and a PC. The tool is compatible with the Galaxy Tab and Galaxy smartphone and also provides keyboard and mouse sharing, meaning it’s possible to use an Android device as a PC input.
Here’s the full changelog:
- Support Android 6.0 OS
- File Transfer improved (After Android 6.0)
- Add Video Player Option (After Android 6.0)
- Add On/Off option of URL Web address share
- Add Option File Save Path for Phone and Tablet
- Add URL Link of Notification Popup
- Usability improved
SideSync is also available to grab from the Galaxy Apps store, although the app changes previously mentioned aren’t listed there at the time of writing.
Come comment on this article: Samsung SideSync update features Marshmallow support
Unlocked Moto X (2014) receiving Marshmallow from Motorola
Owners of Motorola’s Moto X (2014) should be able to download Marshmallow right now, according to Motorola’s discussion forum.
Users began posting about the update Sunday and continued Monday in response to a question originally posted in October about when carrier-branded versions of the Moto X will receive the updates. Motorola’s website does not indicate any plans to bring the Marshmallow update to carrier-branded versions of the Moto X 2nd Generation in the United States.
Source: Motorola
Come comment on this article: Unlocked Moto X (2014) receiving Marshmallow from Motorola
OUYA Store revived and rebranded as ‘Cortex’ on Razer’s Forge TV
Some of you may remember a story from a few months ago, found here, in which we reported that OUYA had been bought by Razer for an undisclosed amount of money. Well it seems that the fruits of that deal are starting to ripen for Razer. Today the company announced ‘Cortex’, a revived version of the OUYA Store, which Razer brands as “A new chapter in Android TV gaming.”
This new ‘Cortex’ store is said to give gamers a new curated ecosystem for all their favorite games on the Android TV platform. Apparently, all content that was available on the previous OUYA Store will be available on this revamped version, and Razer promises many new titles in the near future, including games like Mimic. On top of bringing back the OUYA Store from the dead, this new Razer store promises a new proprietary algorithm, called Z-Rank, which they claim offers “best-in-class discoverability”.
What’s great about the Forge TV is that, unlike on the OUYA, the ‘Cortex’ store is not your only option for downloading content. Forge TV users also have access to the vast selection of apps available through the Google Play Store. Just like the OUYA Store, however, the ‘Cortex’ store runs in a seperate ecosystem from Google Play, so purchases made on one will not transfer to the other. While that may be annoying for some, having access to two different stores is going to assure gamers that they have access to the most amount of games, new and old, possible.
There is absolutely nothing to lose by trying this new store out, in fact you can only gain. Razer is giving out $10 to all of you who sign up for ‘Cortex’ to get some free games and test out the new features. If you are an owner of a Forge TV then go try out the new ‘Cortex’ store, and let us know what you think!
Source: Razer
Come comment on this article: OUYA Store revived and rebranded as ‘Cortex’ on Razer’s Forge TV
Solitaire app removed from Google Play after Lookout discovers malware
A solitaire app in the Play Store has been flagged by Lookout as being member of the FruitSMS malware family.
Let’s allow Lookout to explain FruitSMS:
FruitSMS is a simple piece of malware that Lookout has been following for over two years. It trojanizes legitimate applications, but then charges people for otherwise free services via premium SMS. Premium SMS fraud involves tricking a person into texting a premium-rate number. The victim’s carrier then bills them for texting the number, which is then paid out to the criminal.
Google’s own measures missed picking up on the app; however, the company moved quickly to remove the app — based out of Russia — from the Play Store after Lookout made the discovery.
The number of people affected by the still-unnamed app is pretty low considering 50-100 installations were counted by the time Lookout alerted Google. Lookout is using this as another reminder to know about the developer you’re getting an app from and use a security app as backup so you don’t unknowingly harm your device and compromise personal data.
Source: Lookout
Come comment on this article: Solitaire app removed from Google Play after Lookout discovers malware
Samsung will soon make hearing aids
There has been some rumours floating around that Samsung will start selling hearing aids soon, but the rumours didn’t have much proof to back them up. However, we now have Samsung filed patents that clearly state they will be making hearing aids.
Samsung filed a trademark registration for the name “Earcle” in South Korea not too long ago, and mentioned a few hints that it will be a hearing aid line. Now, a new device has been found at the Bluetooth Special Interest Group’s (SIG), its model number is SM-R790, and is said to launch soon. In the description it even says Samsung Bluetooth Hearing Aid. Pretty clear evidence as to what it will be.
Samsung is also working on a few hearing aid software features. One is called “Sound Radar”, which will let users pick a sound source and then let them boost the sound. Similar to how a Police radar gun works, but for boosting sound. Not sure if the device that is launching soon will feature this, but Samsung is at least working on it.
Come comment on this article: Samsung will soon make hearing aids
VP9 codec coming to WebRTC courtesy of Google and Vidyo
Vidyo and Google have been working together for several years now with the majority of their work concentrating on the improvement of Google Hangouts’ video streaming capabilities. Now Google has announced that the release of Chrome version 48 will see WebRTC graduating from VP8 to VP9.
VP9 is a codec that was developed by both companies in tandem, and Google says that it will enable video calls to maintain the same high video quality at a 40% lower bitrate. The tradeoff is that it will cost about 15% extra CPU. All things considered, this seems like a pretty reasonable trade.
See also: Report: Hangouts to lose SMS integration, gain notable new features in next big update
This update will see a number of improvements to the way Chrome handles video communication. Vidyo credits the scalable coding they used to create new server architecture. This architecture “excels in environments that require large scale and/or are housed in a cloud.” It is “codec-agnostic,” meaning that the choice of codec doesn’t matter so long as the infrastructure has the scalability it needs to function.
Since Google Hangouts is becoming an increasingly popular tool for both business communications and casual interactions, it’s no surprise that Google is putting forth a serious effort to make sure that their Chrome operating system is constantly getting better and better at managing live video services. Google says they plan to continue working with Vidyo, and they foresee the cooperative relationship yielding better and better versions of Chrome going forward.
Are you a Google Hangouts user? How has your Hangouts video quality been in your opinion? What do you think of the changes to Chrome that Google and Vidyo are developing? Let us know in the comments!
The OUYA Store returns as Cortex for Razer Forge TV
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Gaming company Razer bought OUYA earlier this year after the once-crowdfunding success fell on hard times. Razer’s acquisition only involved the software half of OUYA, namely the OUYA Store, and today it’s been announced that it is coming back as Cortex for Razer Forge TV. We always knew this was going to be the case, but it’s always good to put a name to the rumour.
As with the original OUYA Store, Cortex will be a separate entity to the Google Play Store even though it runs on Android, meaning your Play Store purchases won’t carry over to your Forge TV, and vice versa. Arguably this was one of OUYA’s biggest downfalls, but obviously Razer believes its Forge TV community won’t mind too much. If you have a Forge TV and you’re interested, you can get a system update today that will add Cortex functionality, but you’ll still need to sign up to use it – that said, signing up today will net you $10 to use on Cortex, so it’s not a bad deal.
What do you think about Cortex for Razer Forge TV? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Razer via Android Police
The post The OUYA Store returns as Cortex for Razer Forge TV appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Lyft aims to raise $1 billion in new funds
According to a Delaware state filing, Lyft, the ride-hailing company up against Uber, plans to raise as much as $1 billion in new funds.
Bloomberg reports that the company didn’t indicate how much had been raised in the recent filing, nor did it list a valuation. Even so, the group was valued at around $2.5 billion back in March.
Last month, the technology site revealed that documents prepared by Credit Suisse Group AG showed Lyft heads had been in talks to raise $500 million. Now, Lyft could potentially double its money in the bank in a big effort to fund an ongoing fight against Uber.
Various financial experts have had their say on Lyft’s standing, with Sven Weber estimating the pre-money valuation at around $4.5 billion. Elsewhere, VC Experts’ Justin Byers estimates $3.9 billion.
Right now, Lyft is selling shares at $26.79, which The Wall Street Journal points out as a 38% increase per share ‘compared with its prior round, raised over the summer’. The group has partnered with some big Uber rivals in Asia, such as China’s Didi Kuaidi and Singapore’s GrabTaxi, in order to spread its global influence.
Despite the figures we’ve seen, Uber is still the top dog from a financial standpoint, and by a significant margin. The group, which operates in over 50 countries, is labelled as the most valuable startup in the world and could be valued as high as $70 billion, CNN reports.
A Lyft spokeswoman declined to comment.
Source: Bloomberg
Come comment on this article: Lyft aims to raise $1 billion in new funds
LG wants to make using smart TVs easier with webOS 3.0
LG debuted its webOS-powered HDTVs back in 2014, bringing HP’s mobile technology to the living room and making for a smart TV that mostly succeeded in being simpler and faster. Last year the second edition focused on speed, and for 2016 — in world where dongles, set-top boxes and videogame systems are all competing to manage your streaming TV apps — LG says it’s working on usability and control. There are three new “Magic” features this year, with Mobile Connection that lets users toss apps up from their phone to the big screen, a new remote that’s supposed to control more set-top boxes, and Zoom that can blow up parts of the picture without ruining the quality.
LG has also partnered with a new company called Xumo for a feature called Channel Plus, that lines up video from the internet in a guide that’s as easy to search as live channels. The IoTV app is supposed to make it easy to control compatible LG boxes or other compatible hardware, there’s Multi-view to watch more than one channel or even input at once, and a music player that can keep working while the screen is off. The first two rounds with webOS have left us impressed, and we’ll find out at CES in a couple of weeks if this edition keeps the trend going.
Source: LG
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