Project Zero digs up dangerous Wi-Fi exploit in Broadcom chips

Why it matters to you

Make sure to install all security updates for your smart devices in a timely fashion, as the exploits available on unpatched devices can be highly vulnerable.

Google’s Project Zero continues to strap on its cape to make the world a safer place for us to use our electronics, this time helping to discover a dangerous flaw in Broadcom Wi-Fi chips. That hardware can be found in a variety of smartphones, including iPhones, Nexus phones, and a variety of Samsung devices.

Project Zero has been helping to rid the world of exploits and security flaws for a few years now, regularly releasing information on these bugs to manufacturers and then giving them a short time period to correct the problem before it’s made public. In this case, the Project Zero researcher and bug discoverer, Gal Beniamini, said that Broadcam had been very “responsive,” helped fix the bug, and explained its problem to manufacturers.

Apple has responded with a security update, fixing up the problem in its 10.3.1 release, though it hasn’t released a comment on the bug. Techcrunch notes that Google has declined to comment on the matter.

More: WikiLeaks won’t publish zero-day exploit details until developers can fix them

It’s good to see speedy responses, though. From the detailed breakdown of the bug, it seems like a nasty one. It uses a series of exploits to breach the Broadcom chip’s security, which can in turn be used to take over the entire device it’s built into. All of that can be achieved wirelessly, with no direct interaction with the handset in question.

Theoretically, anyone on a shared Wi-Fi network, private or public, could compromise a device built with Broadcom’s Wi-Fi system on a chip (SOC).

Fortunately it sounds like Broadcom has been very open to advice on how to improve its security and has now informed Project Zero that newer versions of its Wi-Fi SoC will utilize a memory protection unit and several other hardware security measures. We’re told that these should fix most of the exploit paths used to make this bug viable and Broadcom is also considering implementing “exploit mitigations in future firmware versions,” as well.

Project Zero digs up dangerous Wi-Fi exploit in Broadcom chips

Why it matters to you

Make sure to install all security updates for your smart devices in a timely fashion, as the exploits available on unpatched devices can be highly vulnerable.

Google’s Project Zero continues to strap on its cape to make the world a safer place for us to use our electronics, this time helping to discover a dangerous flaw in Broadcom Wi-Fi chips. That hardware can be found in a variety of smartphones, including iPhones, Nexus phones, and a variety of Samsung devices.

Project Zero has been helping to rid the world of exploits and security flaws for a few years now, regularly releasing information on these bugs to manufacturers and then giving them a short time period to correct the problem before it’s made public. In this case, the Project Zero researcher and bug discoverer, Gal Beniamini, said that Broadcam had been very “responsive,” helped fix the bug, and explained its problem to manufacturers.

Apple has responded with a security update, fixing up the problem in its 10.3.1 release, though it hasn’t released a comment on the bug. Techcrunch notes that Google has declined to comment on the matter.

More: WikiLeaks won’t publish zero-day exploit details until developers can fix them

It’s good to see speedy responses, though. From the detailed breakdown of the bug, it seems like a nasty one. It uses a series of exploits to breach the Broadcom chip’s security, which can in turn be used to take over the entire device it’s built into. All of that can be achieved wirelessly, with no direct interaction with the handset in question.

Theoretically, anyone on a shared Wi-Fi network, private or public, could compromise a device built with Broadcom’s Wi-Fi system on a chip (SOC).

Fortunately it sounds like Broadcom has been very open to advice on how to improve its security and has now informed Project Zero that newer versions of its Wi-Fi SoC will utilize a memory protection unit and several other hardware security measures. We’re told that these should fix most of the exploit paths used to make this bug viable and Broadcom is also considering implementing “exploit mitigations in future firmware versions,” as well.

Samsung spent a staggering $10.2 billion on marketing last year

Samsung’s marketing budget overshadows most manufacturers’ revenues.

Samsung isn’t one to shy away from spending extravagant sums of money to market its products, and we’ve seen a lot of that last year for the Galaxy S7, S7 edge, and the Gear 360. There was that building-sized billboard for the S7 in Russia, Lil Wayne’s Samsung Pay advert, endorsements from Casey Neistat, Karlie Kloss, and many more.

According to a report on South Korea’s Yonhap News, Samsung spent a total of $10.2 billion (11.5 trillion won) on marketing last year. That included $3.9 billion (4.4 trillion won) toward advertisements, a 15% increase from 2015.

A bulk of that money went toward promoting the S7 and S7 edge, and Samsung is expected to continue its “aggressive marketing strategies” this year as well — it’s already at it. The company’s South Korean rival LG also saw a 21.4% increase in its marketing spend last year to $1.1 billion (1.3 trillion won).

Samsung India wants you to fill a form to ‘register your interest’ in the Galaxy S8 and S8+

It’s time to fill a form.

Like filling forms? You’re in luck, because Samsung India is asking customers to fill one out to “register your interest” in the Galaxy S8 and S8+. Samsung is taking this very seriously, and as such there’s a Captcha as well. Not the cool new invisible kind where it automatically detects that you’re a human, but the old boring system where you’ll have to enter numbers into a box. If you’re up for it, here’s the form.

You’ll need to fill out your name, email address (best use an alias), mobile number, and pin code. You’ll also have the chance to select the feature you’re most interested about in the Galaxy S8, so if you’re like me and can’t wait to try out Samsung’s 10nm Exynos 8895 SoC, you should definitely tick that box.

Oh, and there’s this: “How will your favorite feature Unbox your Existence?” If you know the answer, you should go ahead and fill out that form right now.

Like most forms, this one isn’t without its quirks, so if you’re unable to fill it out without the page throwing up errors on the first go, fret not. I had to enter my details thrice before I finally saw the message I was looking for: “Thanks for submitting your details.”

What are you waiting for?

Pre-register for the Galaxy S8 in India

Today’s your chance to buy a HTC Vive VR Headset for $100 less

Our friends at Thrifter are back again, this time with a one-day sale on the HTC Vive you won’t want to miss.

If you’ve been eyeing a HTC Vive but haven’t yet pulled the trigger due to cost, today is the day you’ll want to finally hit that buy button. This one-day price drop brings the cost of the VR headset down to $699 from its regular price of $799. The Vive can make you feel like you are in a different place with its immersive experiences in which you can play games, paint pictures and more.

In addition to saving the $100 on the initial purchase, you can also grab Arcade Saga for free on VIVEPORT and a month subscription to VIVEPORT. Some retailers, like Amazon, are offering additional games for free. You can grab one from the following retailers:

• Amazon
• Microsoft Store
• HTC
• Newegg
• GameStop
• ABT Electronics

Keep in mind this deal is only good for today, April 5, so don’t miss out on the discount.

For more great deals be sure to check out our friends at Thrifter now!

Learn the ins and outs of Excel for $39

Microsoft Excel is one of the most widely used programs in business. It helps companies take care of their books, pay employees, build plans, and much, much more. You can probably get the very basics of Excel, but if you’re looking into a job where proficiency is a big asset and/or required, chances are you’ll need a little more help.

Master Excel for $39 Learn more

There are many courses that teach you how to use Excel — you can likely take many at local schools and colleges — but these courses can be quite costly, and then there’s the fact that you have to leave home and learn on someone else’s time.

eLearnExcel Microsoft Excel School is perfect if you want to learn all there is to know about Excel, on your own time. By enrolling in the school, you’ll receive a lifetime subscription to eight complete courses, so you can learn at your leisure and refer back to material when you need a little help. These courses are usually $999 altogether, but through Android Central Digital Offers, you’ll pay just $39. That’s a savings of 96%.

Master Excel for $39 Learn more

If you’re looking to delve into the business world in any capacity, it’s a great idea to brush up on your Excel knowledge. If you want to truly excel (see what I did there?) in the business world, then it’s a great idea to know Microsoft Excel like the back of your hand. Just don’t go spending $1000 on courses when you can spend just $39 for a lifetime subscription to Excel School at Android Central Digital Offers.

These are the best steering wheels for playing PlayStation VR

Steering wheels can bring a racing game to life in VR.

The best part about VR is fully immersing yourself in a new experience, transporting yourself into a game and feeling like you are really there. Anybody who has spent time with a driving wheel on a normal video game already knows that these accessories can really add to the feel of each race. That feeling is only amplified once you are hooked into your PlayStation VR. How do you pick the best steering wheel though? That’s where we come in, with all of the best steering wheels for racing with PlayStation VR.

Read more at VRHeads.com

AdventureQuest3D is the huge MMORPG you can play on a phone or PC

AdventureQuest3D wants to give you the freedom to keep play across all your devices.

Bringing a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) to life is no small task — let alone creating something that’s playable across multiple devices — but Adam Bohn and his team at Artix Entertainment appear to be well on their way to creating something pretty special.

Bohn (better known by the gaming community as “Artix von Krieger”) is the founder and CEO (and Paladin) of Artix Entertainment, an independent game developer and publisher best known for creating flash-based role-playing games, AdventureQuest, DragonFable and AdventureQuest Worlds to name a few.

“We want to take AdventureQuest Worlds and our previous game DragonFable, and the essence of the original AdventureQuest and build a true 3D game that you could play anywhere.”

The team continues to work on its biggest and boldest project yet, AdventureQuest3D, a MMORPG with cross-platform compatibility across your mobile devices (Android and iOS) as well as your desktop computer or laptop (Windows or Mac). The game was initially funded as a Kickstarter project back in 2015 and represents the next big progression in the company’s marquee franchise.

“We have a game called AdventureQuest Worlds,” said Bohn. “It’s a MMO flash game that’s been running for seven years and, just like the original AdventureQuest, these games have all been updated every week since they’ve been released.

“Our mission with AQ Worlds was to create a 2D version of WoW that you could play in your browser. Now, we want to take AdventureQuest Worlds and our previous game DragonFable, and the essence of the original AdventureQuest and build a true 3D game that you could play anywhere.”

It’s a massive undertaking which requires the development team to ensure the game runs smoothly across all platforms.

“All devices log into the same world, so you’re playing with people who might be on their PC, or Apple phones, or tablets, or they’ve got a game-enabled toaster or something,” said Bohn. “It sounds a lot easier than it is, and I think we’ve perfected how we’re doing it, but every time that Unity does a major update, we have to every asset in the game. It can be a crazy nightmare at times.”

Such an undertaking would be a huge challenge for a major studio, so it’s even more impressive when you consider the size of the team working on the game. The team is comprised of just twelve programmers and content developers, including Bohn himself, who are tasked with simultaneously fleshing out new content for players to explore while also continuing to improve and tweak the gameplay during beta. On top of all that, each platform has its own little quirks that the team has to contend with to ensure that gamers have the same experience no matter which device they’re logged in to play on.

Such an undertaking would be a huge challenge for a major studio, so it’s even more impressive when you consider the size of the team working on the game.

Despite the daunting challenge, developing a cross-platform MMORPG makes a lot of sense in 2017. Though the genre is a favorite for millions of players around the world, games have necessarily been confined to one platform at a time, and typically that platform has been PC/Mac. 2010 was arguably the biggest year for MMORPGs, with the genre’s biggest title World of Warcraft’s reaching peak popularity with over 12 million active subscribers.

But much has changed since 2010. Most notably, perhaps, the emergence of the smartphone as an essential device that affords us plenty of power for the basic stuff like accessing social media and the internet, while also offering more high-end processing power as the technology has improved. And while there are certainly other MMORPGs available for Android, Bohn says that limitations on mobile devices up until around two years ago made it really tough to create something like AdventureQuest3D that would look and play just as good on your phone as it does on your PC.

We’ve also become a much more mobile society in general, thanks to smartphones and tablets granting us the freedom to do more on the go without having to be chained to a desktop computer. Even the convenience of lugging a laptop around can feel a little outdated at times.

And that’s ultimately what makes AdventureQuest3D a compelling option for fans of the MMORPG that don’t spend as much time behind a computer as they once did. Artix Entertainment has built up a nice following from its 15 years developing web-based RPGs, which continue to receive weekly updates with new content. The team plans to apply the same approach to AdventureQuest3D when the full game launches in October to give gamers new storylines to experience.

First impressions from the beta

If you’re curious to see what this game is like, you can check out the open beta by downloading the game from the Google Play Store. The team is still fleshing out many of the early storylines, but the opening tutorial will give you an idea of what the tone that Bohn and his team are striving for — that is, a seriously deep game in terms of gameplay, customization, and story that doesn’t take itself too seriously. So expect cutscenes with a whole bunch of witty dialog and puns. So many puns.

It’s not fair to judge a game that’s still in beta, but from what I’ve seen it’s off to a great start.

“I’d like [our games] to consistently be unusual, weird, and crazy,” said Bohn. “That’s how the original AdventureQuest games were, and that’s what’s really going to make [AdventureQuest3D] unique — it’s going to be densely-packed with oddness. And that’s something that the cookie cutter, ‘We’re just trying to run you through a loop and harvest our way into your pockets’ games… They don’t really offer that.”

Since the game is still in beta and constantly in flux it wouldn’t be fair to pass judgment on the game in its current state, but from what I’ve seen it’s off to a great start. The graphics look excellent on my Google Pixel, from the cutscenes to exploring the world with my character.

Something that really surprised me about AdventureQuest3D on Android is how reasonable is its file (APK) size. You would expect a massive open-world 3D RPG might take up a huge chunk of storage real estate. Instead, the game only downloads assets as required as you move from realm to realm, activate new quests and interact with NPCs, and clears the cache when they’re not needed.

The stereotype associated with MMORPGs is that they’re huge time sinks that almost certainly require marathon gaming sessions to complete specific quests. Given mobile is such a key platform for AdventureQuest3D, Bohn says the developers have been careful to walk the line between offering quick quests that can be completed in short spurts of gameplay but without sacrificing depth and storyline for endless fetch quests.

Of course, one of the biggest appeals of MMORPGs is the ability to play alongside your friends and other players on quests. Artix Entertainment have included a really smart feature to make it much easier to meet up with wherever your friends are in the game: Summon Codes. When you share a summon code with a friend, they’re able to jump into the game and spawn wherever you are. It certainly beats having to manually travel in-game to find your friends in whichever realm or server they’re in.

AdventureQuest3D is scheduled for a proper released in October, but you can jump in early and play the beta. Maybe I’ll see you in the game!

Download: AdventureQuest3D (Free)

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Best Clear Cases for Moto G5 Plus

Keep one of the best budget phones around protect but not covered up.

The Moto G5 Plus has set a new gold standard for budget phones, and despite its price tag, you should still protect your investment. The new design is quite attractive, so if you don’t want to cover it up, you can get an awesome clear case.

Here are the best around!

• Cimo
• Sparin
• Poetic Affinity
• Love Ying

Cimo

Cimo’s cases always fit really well and their clarity is excellent. Made from flexible TPU, these cases have a great in-hand feel that’s not slippery, so you won’t be fumbling your Moto G5 Plus all the time.

There’s a raised bezel around the front of the case to protect your phone’s screen when you lay it face-down, and the ports and buttons ore cut out precisely.

It’s important to note that clear TPU will almost always yellow after some time due to the way it absorbs sunlight. But for around $8, you might as well grab a few.

See at Amazon

Sparin

Sparin’s clear case is designed with extra protection around the corners, which is the most important area to protect against drops and dings. Any good impact on your phone’s corner will likely be a killshot. The extra corner padding also adds raised areas on the corners, helping you to grip your larger phone more easily without dropping it.

This is another TPU case, so it’s flexible yet durable, and the edges are just a little softer to help with shock absorption and grip. The anti-scratch coating will help keep your case and phone looking pristine, and Sparin’s lifetime warranty will protect you should there be any product defects.

See at Amazon

Poetic Affinity

Poetic’s Affinity series is available for just about every phone imaginable, and that’s because the Affinity is a great clear case that fits precisely and gets the protection job done. These cases aren’t completely clear, featuring a cool black line pattern on the back that gives your phone some form, though the lines are minimal and don’t cover up your Moto G5 Plus.

The Affinity’s TPU is rigid, providing solid protection against drops and bumps, and the harder black plastic reaches over the corners to add even more protection to the most vulnerable parts of your phone.

See at Amazon

Love Ying

Love Ying’s cases are for folks who don’t want to cover up their Moto G5 Plus but might like to add a splash of color.

These TPU cases do come in clear but are also available in mint, pink, and purple. These colored options are translucent, so you can still admire the look of your G5 Plus, but put a bit of your own personal spin on it. These cases are extra slim, adding very little bulk to your phone, making them perfect for your pocket.

See at Amazon

Rethinking clear cases? Check out our other favorite cases for Moto G5 Plus.

Gonna grab a clear case?

Let us know in the comments below!

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Sony’s SSDs can withstand the torture of capturing 4K

Aspiring 4K filmmakers who want the best quality can buy pro-level RAW video cameras on the cheap, or use a DSLR with an external 4K recorder like the Atomos Ninja 2. However, the SSDs on such devices often record and dump out high bit-rate 4K video multiple times a week, so they need to be much faster and more durable than the one on your laptop. That’s where Sony comes in with its latest G Series Professional SSDs, which can write up to 2,400 terabytes without failing and use tech that prevents disastrous frame dropping.

Sony says the SV-GS96 960GB model’s 2,400 terabyte rating will let you fully write the drive five days a week for ten years without failing, while the 480GB model (SV-GS48) gives you about half that durability. Both drives can read at up to 550 MB/s and write at 500 MB/s, but Sony adds that the drives “feature built-in technology preventing sudden speed decreases, while ensuring stable recording of high bit-rate 4K video without frame dropping.”

The drives also have built-in data protection tech that protects them from power failures and connectors that can handle 3,000 removal and insertions, “six times more tolerance than standard SATA connectors,” it says.

Performance and ruggedness comes at a price. The 960GB unit costs $539, compared to around $350 for a Kingston HyperX Savage 960GB drive, a model that’s rated to capture 4K RAW video with Blackmagic’s BMCC camera. The 480GB SSD is a bit more reasonable at $287 compared to around $190 for the equivalent Kingston model. Considering the thousands that an SSD failure could cost, filmmaker will likely see the difference as chump change. Sony says they’ll arrive in May 2017.

Source: Sony