Researchers figured out how to hack your phone using only sound waves

Why it matters to you

Hackers are developing increasingly creative and complex ways of accessing your phone, so security is likely to always be a concern.

Hackers are developing new and improved ways to take control of your devices. The latest? Apparently, it’s by using sound waves.

Researchers have come up with a new way to hack all kinds of different devices and it’s a pretty complex system that basically imitates micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometers — which is a chip in your device that lets phones and trackers know when they are moving and how quickly.

More: WikiLeaks releases documents chronicling the CIA’s hacking weapons

You would expect the system to use some pretty impressive tech, right? On the contrary, the hackers simply used a $5 speaker, which was able to blast as many as 20 different accelerometers from five different manufacturers with sound waves. Those frequencies were able to trick the sensors in devices like smartphones into doing a range of different things. Accelerometers are basically sensors suspended on a few different springs, and when the sound waves reach the chip, it moves — just like what would happen when you move.

“It’s like the opera singer who hits the note to break a wine glass, only in our case, we can spell out words,” Kevin Fu, author of the research paper and professor at the University of Michigan, told the New York Times. “You can think of it as a musical virus.”

So what exactly is the result of the hack? Well, the team was basically able to trick a phone into doing whatever they wanted. Specifically, the team was able to tell the phone to show a video or even control an app that controls a remote control car — all using only sound waves. That’s just the beginning, though — the team notes that if you had an app to start your car using the accelerometer when you shake your phone, you could potentially hack the phone to start the car.

It’s important to note that for now, this is only a proof of concept and it’s unlikely we’ll see hackers walking around with tiny speakers to control your phone. The fact is, however, that hacking methods are getting increasingly creative and complex.

Check out the video below to see the system in action.

Researchers figured out how to hack your phone using only sound waves

Why it matters to you

Hackers are developing increasingly creative and complex ways of accessing your phone, so security is likely to always be a concern.

Hackers are developing new and improved ways to take control of your devices. The latest? Apparently, it’s by using sound waves.

Researchers have come up with a new way to hack all kinds of different devices and it’s a pretty complex system that basically imitates micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometers — which is a chip in your device that lets phones and trackers know when they are moving and how quickly.

More: WikiLeaks releases documents chronicling the CIA’s hacking weapons

You would expect the system to use some pretty impressive tech, right? On the contrary, the hackers simply used a $5 speaker, which was able to blast as many as 20 different accelerometers from five different manufacturers with sound waves. Those frequencies were able to trick the sensors in devices like smartphones into doing a range of different things. Accelerometers are basically sensors suspended on a few different springs, and when the sound waves reach the chip, it moves — just like what would happen when you move.

“It’s like the opera singer who hits the note to break a wine glass, only in our case, we can spell out words,” Kevin Fu, author of the research paper and professor at the University of Michigan, told the New York Times. “You can think of it as a musical virus.”

So what exactly is the result of the hack? Well, the team was basically able to trick a phone into doing whatever they wanted. Specifically, the team was able to tell the phone to show a video or even control an app that controls a remote control car — all using only sound waves. That’s just the beginning, though — the team notes that if you had an app to start your car using the accelerometer when you shake your phone, you could potentially hack the phone to start the car.

It’s important to note that for now, this is only a proof of concept and it’s unlikely we’ll see hackers walking around with tiny speakers to control your phone. The fact is, however, that hacking methods are getting increasingly creative and complex.

Check out the video below to see the system in action.

Researchers figured out how to hack your phone using only sound waves

Why it matters to you

Hackers are developing increasingly creative and complex ways of accessing your phone, so security is likely to always be a concern.

Hackers are developing new and improved ways to take control of your devices. The latest? Apparently, it’s by using sound waves.

Researchers have come up with a new way to hack all kinds of different devices and it’s a pretty complex system that basically imitates micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometers — which is a chip in your device that lets phones and trackers know when they are moving and how quickly.

More: WikiLeaks releases documents chronicling the CIA’s hacking weapons

You would expect the system to use some pretty impressive tech, right? On the contrary, the hackers simply used a $5 speaker, which was able to blast as many as 20 different accelerometers from five different manufacturers with sound waves. Those frequencies were able to trick the sensors in devices like smartphones into doing a range of different things. Accelerometers are basically sensors suspended on a few different springs, and when the sound waves reach the chip, it moves — just like what would happen when you move.

“It’s like the opera singer who hits the note to break a wine glass, only in our case, we can spell out words,” Kevin Fu, author of the research paper and professor at the University of Michigan, told the New York Times. “You can think of it as a musical virus.”

So what exactly is the result of the hack? Well, the team was basically able to trick a phone into doing whatever they wanted. Specifically, the team was able to tell the phone to show a video or even control an app that controls a remote control car — all using only sound waves. That’s just the beginning, though — the team notes that if you had an app to start your car using the accelerometer when you shake your phone, you could potentially hack the phone to start the car.

It’s important to note that for now, this is only a proof of concept and it’s unlikely we’ll see hackers walking around with tiny speakers to control your phone. The fact is, however, that hacking methods are getting increasingly creative and complex.

Check out the video below to see the system in action.

Notebook makers to offer better prices on smaller SSDs in 2017

Why it matters to you

You will be able to stock up that new notebook with a 512GB SSD in 2017, but you will have to pay more for the privilege.

PC component prices, particularly the memory chips that go into system RAM and solid-state disk (SSD) storage devices, have been on the upswing for a while due to a variety of factors. Now, it appears that SSDs are going to become even more pricey, which could have a significant impact on notebook PCs in 2017.

SSD prices were already under pressure due to demand of NAND chips outstripping supply. Going forward, it won’t just be higher prices but also SSD capacity that could be impacted, industry analyst Dramexchange reports.

More: Parts shortages in the PC market are set to drive up costs

According to Dramexchange, contract pricing for the SSDs that go into client machines like notebooks will see pricing increases of between 10 and 16 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2016. In spite of the increase in prices, SSDs will likely remain popular due to their significant advantage in speed over hard disk drives (HDDs). The result is that PC manufacturers could continue to most prominently position 128GB and 256GB SSD options as opposed to larger alternatives.

As Alan Chen, senior research manager of Dramexchange put it, “Average contract prices of client-grade SSDs in the PC-OEM market are rising this first quarter because not only PC clients are aggressively stocking up their inventories, smartphone clients are also maintaining strong demand for storage components.” What that means is that if you are in the market for a notebook PC in 2017, you are likely going to find more of a premium for 512GB or larger SSD options.

At the end of 2016, about 36 percent of notebook users opted for SSDs, and total SSD sales were 33.2 million units, an increase of around three percent over the previous quarter. For the rest of 2017, it’s expected that TLC NAND-based SSDs will be preferred by 75 percent of SSD purchasers for use in machines with PCIe interfaces. The more expensive MLC SSDs will be reserved for the highest-performing SSD applications. Finally, PCIe will become the dominant connection option by the end of the year.

If you’ve been planning a notebook purchase for 2017, then rest assured that SSDs remain your best options. Just be prepared to pay more if you need 512GB SSDs or larger, and for your PC manufacturer of choice to offer you the best deals if you can live with a 256GB SSD or smaller.

Use these exclusive promo codes to save even more on Anker portable chargers

We’ve teamed up with electronics company Anker to provide exclusive discounts on some of its most popular products . For March, we’ve locked in special pricing on two Anker portable chargers, the PowerCore+ 20100 USB-C 400 and the PowerCore+ 10500, with special promo codes that provide even greater savings on the already discounted devices.

More: The Best Portable Battery Chargers

The PowerCore+ 20100 USB-C 400 provides USB and USB-C output charging. It can fully charge a Macbook or get up to seven smartphone charges. The charger features a premium matte aluminum finish that offers both durability and style.

The charger uses advanced charging technologies to keep devices continually powered up. The first is PowerIQ, which delivers an optimum, high-speed charge to devices including Apple and Android phones, tablets, cameras, consoles, and more. The second is VoltageBoost, which is a smart technology that determines when charging output is encountering resistance and automatically compensates for this to ensure charging remains fast regardless of cable or device. Finally, the charger features Multiprotect technology which is a combination of 10 safety features that work together to provide ultimate protection for your devices.

The thin but powerful PowerCore+ 20100 USB-C 400 is the perfect solution for those who need days of backup charging with them at all times. The device is ideal for use by business travelers. It holds a 4.6 out of 5 stars rating on Amazon based on more than over 600 reviews.

The PowerCore + 20100 USB-C 400 normally retails for $120 but is currently discounted to $66. Use Digital Trends’ special promo code DTDEALS2 to drop the price to $54, a full $66 (55 percent) discount on Amazon. The promo code will only work while supplies last.

Next up is the PowerCore+ 10500, which is already discounted by 33 percent on Amazon. The portable charger again combines Anker’s proprietary PowerIQ and VoltageBoost technologies to deliver the fastest possible charge to almost any USB device. The charger uses Quick Charge 3.0 technology to charge devices up to four times faster than standard 1A chargers. For example, it can charge many compatible devices up to 80 percent full in 30 minutes.

The charger provides nearly four iPhone 7 charges, more than two Galaxy S6 charges, or one full iPad Air 2 charge. Thanks to a quick charge import, the portable charger goes from zero to fully charged in less than four hours — up to twice as fast as similar products. Like the C-400, it’s built from high-end materials and components, and features a premium matte aluminum finish.

The PowerCore+ 10500 is essentially a lighter (8.32 ounces rather than 16 ounces) version of the PowerCore+ 20100 USB-C 400. The product earned a 4.7 out of 5 stars rating based on more than 100 reviews on Amazon. 

The PowerCore+ 10500 normally retails for $60 but is currently discounted to $40. Use Digital Trends’ special promo code DTDEALS1 to drop the price to only $30 (a full 50 percent or $30 discount) on Amazon. The promo code is active from now until March 31.

Buy it now from:

Amazon

iPhone thieves tried to trick a man into giving up his iCloud password

Why it matters to you

Next time your iPhone goes missing, think twice about clicking any suspicious links from strangers.

It’s bad enough having your iPhone stolen out of the blue, but it’s magnitudes worse when the thieves try to extract your personal information from it. According to Krebs on Security, that is what happened to an unfortunate Brazilian woman who was robbed by a gang of street muggers.

After losing her iPhone, the woman’s husband used Apple’s Find my iPhone feature to pinpoint the device’s location and sent text messages to the thieves. Soon, he received a reply telling him that the iPhone had been found by the authorities and that he needed to click on a link to retrieve it.

More: You can hack almost any iPhone with just $100 worth of electronics

The link — and the text — were bogus. It led to a careful replica of Apple’s and Find my iPhone’s log-in pages hosted on a third-party website. The husband didn’t fall for the ruse but the scammers were persistent. Two days later, he received an automated call from a Siri-like voice assistant instructing him to await text messages for information regarding the stolen iPhone.

“To me, it really got to another level, connecting the lowest kind of criminals to a high profile one that can buy this kind of scam,” he told Krebs on Security. “That’s when I thought I had to tell this story to someone.”

It’s not a new tactic. In 2015, Symantec reported that cybercriminals had created multiple phishing websites to trick iOS devices owners into providing login credentials for their iCloud accounts. The aim was to acquire the victim’s iCloud credentials to turn off the stolen phone’s Lost Mode, a security feature which makes the phone unusable.

More: Update your Apple devices now — New Stagefright-style hack discovered

Smartphones go missing all the time — not just in Brazil. That’s why it’s worth turning on the Find My iPhone feature, which makes it easy to locate a lost or stolen phone via Apple’s iCloud dashboard. More often than not, a phone can be put in “Lost mode” or remotely erased.

Apple, too, provides a few helpful hints about what to do when your smartphone’s gone missing.

OPPO’s new F3 Plus has two front-facing cameras for true ‘selfie experts’

Turn the power of a dual-sensor camera on yourself and become a ‘selfie expert!’

Dual camera sensors have become one of those trendy features included on newer phones, but that setup has typically been kept to the back of the phone. Enter OPPO, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer behind the F-series of phones for “selfie experts”. The company’s latest phone, the F3 Plus, features two front-facing camera sensors — a 16MP main-camera and a 8MP sub-camera.

While OPPO didn’t share any other specs in its PR release, according to GSMArena the phone is expected to have a 6-inch screen and 4GB of RAM while running on a Snapdragon 653 chipset. You’ll also find a single 16MP camera sensor on the back.

Both the F3 and the F3 Plus are set to go on sale March 23 in five Southeast Asian countries — India, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Vietnam. While those of us in the west might not be too familiar with OPPO, it holds a 13.2% market share in Southeast Asia, and was ranked the fourth-largest smartphone brand globally in 2016 according to IDC, behind only Apple, Samsung and Huawei.

Love them or hate them, selfies have become ingrained within our culture. So when OPPO Vice President and Managing Director of International Mobile Business says the “F3 Series will take selfie technology onto another level” and may “set a standard that others will follow”… it might just happen.

Asian markets do seem to be ahead of the curve when it comes to selfie technology. We’ve seen “beauty mode” included as a camera feature on Samsung devices since the Note 4 and of course there was the meteoric (or mediocre) rise and fall of the Meitu selfie app from China back in January. I didn’t get it either.

Personally, I’d rather have a quality dual camera setup on the back rather than pointed at my dumb face all the time, but to each his own.

Drop your Ford off for service 24/7 using these automated kiosks

The march toward “automated everything” continues apace. Wendy’s is putting thousands of self-ordering machines in its restaurants, and now Ford is trying out a similar strategy, but, you know, for cars. The company announced it has partnered with Panasonic and GoMoto, which specializes in car dealership technologies, to create so-called Smart Service Kiosks.

First, customers enter their contact information into the outdoor kiosk by using the touchscreen and scanning their driver’s license. Then they input certain key vehicle information and create a security PIN for key pick-up. Next, they can request basic maintenance tasks like alignment, oil changes and inspections, among other things. Users also have the option to enter more details about their service needs so technicians aren’t left guessing what they’re looking for. When that’s done, users drop off their keys and pick up keys for a loaner car.

Once the dealership is finished with the vehicle, users will get an email alert. That email contains a QR code customers will need to scan at the kiosk in order to pick up their keys. After also entering the PIN they created earlier, car owners can pay for the service and pick up their keys any time of day.

The service is beginning a 90-day trial at a dealership in Birch Run, Michigan. Tom Hodges, Dealer Connectivity Manager at Ford, says the kiosks could potentially “do for dealership service […] what ATMs did for the banking industry.” Indeed, that sounds like an apt comparison. The kiosks seem capable of handling basic needs, but ultimately, car owners will still need to talk to a real person for bigger or more complicated problems.

Source: Ford

This self-cleaning bag freshens up your smelly gym clothes

At my age it’s important to get to the gym on a regular basis, but it’s hard to find the time. It’s just as difficult to get around to doing laundry, which means I tend to get stuck carrying a bag of sweaty, smelly gym wear. But maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if I owned a Paqsule, a new self-cleaning bag making its debut on Kickstarter today. It uses UV light and activated oxygen to kill off viruses, bacteria and other microorganisms, making your clothes a whole lot fresher — maybe even enough for another go-around on the treadmill.

The Paqsule is a pretty normal-looking bag, with a black-and-gray vinyl exterior studded with pockets and straps. The buckles are all metal, and the surface can be wiped clean in case of spills — no, it doesn’t clean itself. There’s even a place to store your cellphone for easy access, which should come in handy when it’s time to make use of the Paqsule’s self-cleaning feature. The process is controlled via the app, which lets you select the duration, either 15, 25 or 35 minutes depending on the type of item you’re sanitizing and how dirty it is. You can also have it turn on automatically depending on the time, like if you go to the gym at the same hour every day.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t use GPS or any other location tracking, so you can’t have it start cleaning the minute you leave the gym with your sweaty clothes. However, Paqsule CMO Ravid Yosef told me that future iterations may have geolocation, not only so it will start the cleaning cycle when you get to your home or office but also so you can track your bag at the airport.

What it can do right now is pretty impressive though. When you close the bag fully and activate the PaqTech process, the Paqsule shines short-wave ultraviolet light on the contents, then creates and circulates O3 throughout the compartment. Both of these elements have antimicrobial properties: Short-wavelength UV is mutagenic to microorganisms while the activated oxygen damages their cell walls.

Because this process uses no water or detergent, you can leave pretty much anything in the bag with your clothes, like books or device chargers. It’s even food safe, so you don’t have to worry about that sandwich and fruit you packed for lunch. However, you should wait about five minutes after the cleaning cycle ends, as some individuals may have a sensitivity to activated oxygen and it takes a bit for the air to settle down and convert back into regular oxygen (O2).

Paqsule claims the bag will kill 99.99 percent of the organisms inside. I didn’t have a microscope handy to verify these claims — just a stinky pair of jeans I’d been wearing for the past few days to work. Yes, I was planning to throw them in the washer soon, but why not let the Paqsule take a crack first? There was certainly enough sweat and New York subway grime on them. Yosef set the bag up for a 15-minute cycle and let it run. Ideally heavier clothing like denim as well as sports gear and medical braces would get a longer cycle, either 25 or the full 35 minutes.

Even after 15 minutes, though, there was a noticeable difference in how the jeans smelled. The company likes to talk about how the air after a summer rain is loaded with activated oxygen, creating a unique scent — the kind detergent companies try to replicate in their products. And yeah, maybe there was a bit of outdoor freshness in my pants when I inspected them. There was also a faint chemical whiff, probably some lingering ozone. What was absent, however, was the biological stink that they had possessed 20 minutes earlier. It was a definite improvement, and I wouldn’t have minded wearing them again. Still, Paqsule can’t replace a proper machine wash, especially since it doesn’t remove stains.

Gym nuts and anyone else who finds herself carrying around a bag of dirty clothes more often than she’d like will be able to pick up the Paqsule via Kickstarter at an early bird price of $229, a big discount from the projected price of $349.

Apple’s latest hire proves privacy is more important than ever

If you’ve followed iOS security news over the years, there’s a distinct chance you’ve heard of Jonathan Zdziarski. He isn’t always flawless, but he has a knack for both finding Apple device exploits (he even worked on early jailbreaks) and conducting forensics. And Apple has heard of him too, apparently. Zdziarski has confirmed that he’s joining Apple, taking up a position inside the company’s Security Engineering and Architecture team. Just what he’ll do when he’s there isn’t apparent, but he describes this as a “matter of conscience” move where he’ll defend privacy with a like-minded team.

It’s easy to look at this through a cynical lens. Is Apple hiring Zdziarski to keep his very public discoveries under wraps, or to lend extra credibility to its security team with a high-profile name? Even if either of those are true, it’s still an important move. It reflects the company’s increasing focus on privacy, both as a selling point and as a guiding principle. Don’t be surprised if future iOS devices (and likely Macs) become tougher to crack, even for experts who know the platform inside out.

Via: 9to5Mac

Source: Zdziarski’s Blog of Things