FalseGuide malware injects unwanted ads, could have infected 2 million phones
Why it matters to you
If you phone gets infected with this malware, not only could you get unwanted ads, but you could also be vulnerable to other attacks.
Another week, another Android malware.
Android malware often takes the form of infected apps on the Google Play Store, and a new variant called FalseGuide has been discovered by security company Check Point.
While Google has been pushing monthly security updates, manufacturers like Samsung unfortunately often delay on pushing these updates to customers. The result? According to Google, half of Android devices did not receive security updates in 2016. That’s particularly problematic when malware like FalseGuide shows up, as it gives that malware an opportunity to take advantage of more unprotected phones.
“FalseGuide creates a silent botnet out of the infected devices for adware purposes. A botnet is a group of devices controlled by hackers without the knowledge of their owners,” says Check Point in a blog post. “The bots are used for various reasons based on the distributed computing capabilities of all the devices.”
Issues arise when the apps are downloaded, after which they’ll request administrator permissions, which can then be used against the owner of the phone. For now, it appears as though those permissions allow the app to deliver “illegitimate pop-up ads out of context,” but they could also be used to instigate DDoS attacks.
The malware was first discovered a few days ago, and appeared in a hefty 44 game guide apps. Those apps were since removed, but another five apps with the malicious code were then discovered. Scarily enough, some of these apps were uploaded as early as November 2016 — so they stayed on the Google Play Store for around 5 months before being taken down. As far as users impacted by the malware, Check Point estimates between 500,000 to 1.8 million users. Thankfully, of the 49 infected apps, 28 of them were downloaded less than 10 times and seven of them were apparently never downloaded.
It’s unlikely the Google Play Store will ever be totally safe — but it is the safest place to download Android apps. For now, it’s important to download only official apps, and stick with the ones that you trust.
HTC’s slickly styled Desire 620 is now official
HTC has made the Desire 620 official, after the phone was extensively leaked over the past few weeks. Following the new design introduced with the Desire 820, HTC’s latest Desire model looks great, and will be available in two different colors, plus at least one special edition.
The Desire 620 isn’t a small phone. It has a 5-inch, 720p Super LCD display squeezed into a body measuring 9.6mm thick, and weighing 145 grams. HTC has chosen the Snapdragon 410 processor to power the phone, and given it 1GB of RAM to play around with, plus 8GB of internal storage space. There is a MicroSD card slot to boost this by a massive 128GB.
HTC made the Desire 820 standout thanks to an 8-megapixel selfie cam, and a 13-megapixel rear camera. The Desire 620 isn’t quite so impressive on the photographic side, but the 8-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel front cam should still take decent snaps. The spec list also features NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, and a 2100mAh battery.
Sadly, the Desire 620 is going to come with Android 4.4 KitKat pre-installed, rather than the latest 5.0 Lollipop version, while HTC will place Sense 6 over the top. Availability and price of the Desire 620 hasn’t been confirmed, but we’ll update here when more information is announced. However, a dual-SIM version with a MediaTek octa-core processor is on sale in Taiwan now, at around $160 unconnected.
It’s almost the end of the year, but there is still time to see one more smartphone release from HTC. If the latest rumors are correct, it’ll be a new addition to the Desire family named the Desire 620. Revealed through a cached version of the original, and now defunct webpage, the Desire 620 appears to take plenty of cues from its older sibling, the One E8.
If the page is accurate, the phone will likely follow the established Desire trend we’ve seen in the past, so expect a pretty shell and mid-range specifications. For example, we’re looking at a 5-inch, 720p display and a quad-core, 1.2GHz processor with 1GB of RAM. Good enough, but not in the same league as the One M8.
Pictures will probably be taken with an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front-facing cam, while a 2,100mAh battery should keep the Desire 620 powered up for at least a day. Even though only 8GB of internal storage is listed at this stage, it’s potentially expandable using a MicroSD card. Finally, the dual front-facing speakers should fill a small room with audible sound.
HTC has given its Desire range a makeover recently, and the latest models have started to live up to the name. The Desire 510 uses a 64-bit Qualcomm processor, while the massive Desire 820 has a pair of great cameras and a very sleek, attractive body. The Desire 620 may end up with the same 64-bit chip, and a similarly cool shape.
It’s unknown when HTC will announce the Desire 620, but with less than a month remaining in 2014, the announcement could end up coming in 2015. If so, the Desire 620 may be one part of HTC’s line-up for CES in January, or failing that, a gap-filler between the Las Vegas show and Mobile World Congress in March.
Like Tinder for news, Lumi uses swipes to learn what you want to read
Despite the millions of dollars that companies such as Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Flipboard have invested in news aggregation technology in recent years, finding stories you actually want to read can be a serious chore.
Startup Lumi hopes to change all of that with its free iOS and Android app, Lumi News. Without needing to enter in any personal data, the app learns about your personal tastes with a Tinder-like interface. You simply swipe your finger right to like a story or left to skip it. It also asks for access to your social media feeds, so it can make deductions based on your personal history of interests and likes.
Rather than giving you headlines and a paragraph of multiple stories to read, the app gives you the entire story – one at a time.
The data-driven app starts with local news based on your smartphone’s location and what other people in your area are reading. It spans outward quickly based on the data it’s collecting from your own social media feeds and your individual swipes. In a matter of minutes, the stories suggested by the app correlate with your personal interests.
Rather than giving you headlines and a paragraph of multiple stories to read, the app gives you the entire story – one at a time. Martin Stiksel, co-founder of Lumi, told Digital Trends an early version of the app did take the multiple headlines route, but it quickly became evident that it simply created more clutter.
Much like trying to make sense out of your non-stop Twitter feed with information overload, the entire goal of Lumi News (the name is a play on shedding light on news) is to simplify everything to the point that your Mom can sit down and instantly start reading.
“The tech space has been looking for a better discovery and navigation device,” Felix Miller, co-founder of Lumi told Digital Trends. “Once you install Lumi News it figures out ‘by magic’ what you want and it gives you content you’re interested in.”
Data science cuts down on the noise
Lumi has that magic down to a science, literally. Three of the London-based company’s 10 employees are data scientists. And Lumi’s co-founders were among the founders of music curation company, Last.fm, which CBS purchased for $289 million back in 2007.
Miller said the app uses crowd sourcing by collecting data from all of its users’ Twitter feeds and looks at 200 million articles every day. The Top 100,000 articles are curated on a daily basis. The app looks at over 40,000 different outlets, ranging from the big online publishers to niche blogs. Gated or walled news outlets such as Variety or The Wall Street Journal aren’t available through the app, since it connects directly to the source. That way, Lumi gives media companies the all-important traffic.
Once a story enters the app, it continues to live there as long as readers keep liking it. The app also allows readers to submit their favorite stories, which means Digital Trends content can trend within this ecosystem if you and your friends make a few swipes to the right. (And we shamelessly hope you do!)
The company has been beta testing its data-driven technology with 120,000 Android users for the last year, and the results are pretty impressive. The app currently has over 50,000 monthly unique and they’re spending an average of six minutes per session reading, while coming back twice a day.
“People get addicted to it,” Stiksel said. “It’s like a channel you can always tune into. There’s a story that’s always waiting for you to read based on your personal interests.”
A growing user base
Half of all people who installed the app, which includes those who didn’t even open it, end up using it in the first month. But by the second month of use, that usage number rises to 70 percent thanks in part to push notifications the app sends you twice a day with recommended articles. This option can be turned off for those who just want to read at their own time and pace.
“We discovered that 20 percent of our user base comes back every day, often several times a day,” Miller said.
Stiksel said that a survey that’s currently running with beta users found that Lumi News is changing the way people search because content is coming directly to them.
“People are using Flipboard and Google News less,” Stiksel said. “The only thing we can’t compete against is Facebook. We can’t compete with baby pictures and cute puppies.”
Even before the debut of Lumi News today on Apple devices and the official launch on Google Play, Lumi already had at least one user in every country around the globe. Stiksel said it only takes 30 users in a market to “claim” that area. This allows the app to feed relevant local info to users out of the gate. With more users downloading the app, Miller said the data science will kick into high gear.
At the end of the day, Lumi’s secret sauce could be the company’s approach.
“A lot of companies are trying to do a lot of things,” Miller said. “We’re trying to do one thing really well.”
We tried Lumi News early, and it is a very seamless experience. It learns quickly, and iIt’s a great way for fans of specific hobbies, whether it’s model railroads or video games, to instantly find a never-ending stream of recommended stories on their favorite topics. Those swipes to the left also are a godsend, as they can immediately erase topics, or even people (like Donald Trump) that you’re just not interested in reading about.
If you want to try Lumi News, you can download it on the Google Play Store and the iOS App Store now.
Download for iOS
Download for Android
Google announces its full list of Chromebooks with Android apps inbound
Why it matters to you
Your Chromebook could soon get a whole lot more functional, with Android app support planned for scores of current models.
Almost a full year ago, Google announced that many of its Chromebooks would be getting support for Android apps. That support was supposed to come to as many as 50 devices late last year, but at this point only around six devices have made the cut.
Now, however, there’s some good news — Google is planning to bring Android app support to as many as 80 Chromebooks, including the popular Samsung Chromebook Plus, Chromebook Pro, and Chromebook 3. Of course, just because these devices are “planned” to get Android app support, that doesn’t mean the support will come anytime soon. More devices are also listed in the beta channel, including the Acer Chromebook R13, meaning that support may officially come at some point soon.
Unfortunately, the app support hasn’t been as widespread as some might have hoped. That’s to say, there aren’t all that many apps available for Chromebooks just yet, and the apps that are available are a little buggy and seem like basic blown-up versions of the original Android apps. Still, that’s likely to change in the near future as support improves.
You can check out a full list of Chromebooks that are getting Android app support here at the Chromium blog.
It makes sense that Google would want to bring Android apps to Chromebooks. While Chromebooks have seen serious popularity in some sectors, notably education, Google likely wants to expand that popularity to more markets, and what better way to do it than to tap into the massive ecosystem called the Google Play Store.
Google has also long been rumored to merge Chrome OS — the operating system that runs on Chromebooks — and Android. Some companies, including Microsoft and Samsung, have both launched ways for mobile users to use their phones to power a desktop experience, and it’s likely that Google wants to follow suit.
Google announces its full list of Chromebooks with Android apps inbound
Why it matters to you
Your Chromebook could soon get a whole lot more functional, with Android app support planned for scores of current models.
Almost a full year ago, Google announced that many of its Chromebooks would be getting support for Android apps. That support was supposed to come to as many as 50 devices late last year, but at this point only around six devices have made the cut.
Now, however, there’s some good news — Google is planning to bring Android app support to as many as 80 Chromebooks, including the popular Samsung Chromebook Plus, Chromebook Pro, and Chromebook 3. Of course, just because these devices are “planned” to get Android app support, that doesn’t mean the support will come anytime soon. More devices are also listed in the beta channel, including the Acer Chromebook R13, meaning that support may officially come at some point soon.
Unfortunately, the app support hasn’t been as widespread as some might have hoped. That’s to say, there aren’t all that many apps available for Chromebooks just yet, and the apps that are available are a little buggy and seem like basic blown-up versions of the original Android apps. Still, that’s likely to change in the near future as support improves.
You can check out a full list of Chromebooks that are getting Android app support here at the Chromium blog.
It makes sense that Google would want to bring Android apps to Chromebooks. While Chromebooks have seen serious popularity in some sectors, notably education, Google likely wants to expand that popularity to more markets, and what better way to do it than to tap into the massive ecosystem called the Google Play Store.
Google has also long been rumored to merge Chrome OS — the operating system that runs on Chromebooks — and Android. Some companies, including Microsoft and Samsung, have both launched ways for mobile users to use their phones to power a desktop experience, and it’s likely that Google wants to follow suit.
Logitech K780 review
Research Center:
Logitech K780
Over the course of a day, many of us flip back and forth between two, sometimes three, computing devices, moving from the keyboard on a desktop to the virtual keyboard on a mobile device, and back again. Wouldn’t it be much simpler if you could switch between and enter data on these gadgets from the same keyboard? A while back, Logitech released such a solution, the K380 Bluetooth Keyboard ($30), which let users flip between multiple devices with the touch of a button.
While a terrific idea, a shortcoming of the K380 is that it doesn’t provide a way to hold your smartphone or tablet upright as you type. Logitech corrected via a groove, or gutter, carved into the top section of its Bluetooth Multi-Device Keyboard K480 ($30). Both the K380 and the K480 let you pair up to three devices and switch between them easily, but each has its limitations. The K480’s groove, for instance, is big enough to hold only one mobile device, and the keyboard itself has no number pad.
Those issues, as well as a few other shortcomings, have been addressed with Logitech’s premium device-swapping keyboard, the K780 Multi-Device Wireless Keyboard. However, this new keyboard is $70 — more than its predecessors, as well as most competitors. Are its improvements worth the price?
Substantial and—as Desktop Keyboards Go—Attractive
At 15 inches wide, by 6.2 inches deep, and 0.3 inches tall, the K780’s size is about average for a desktop keyboard, but it’s a bit deeper (from top to bottom) and heavier than most other full-size keyboards. The additional depth and girth is due primarily to a soft, grippy, rubberlike groove that runs across the top of the deck.
What is unique about the K780 is that, instead of the traditional chiclet-style keys, its keys are oval and slightly concave, giving the K780 the aesthetic appearance of an old-style typewriter. The keys, the deck, and the underside are encased in dark gray plastic, and on the back there’s a compartment that holds two AAA batteries along with Logitech’s “Unifying” USB dongle, which supports up to seven of the company’s Bluetooth devices.
Bill Roberson/Digital Trends
Bill Roberson/Digital Trends
An advantage of the K380 and the K480 mentioned earlier is that they’re both small and light, making them somewhat portable, whereas the K780 isn’t as easy to carry around. Even more portable than the smaller Logitech models, though, is Microsoft’s Universal Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard ($70), yet another wireless keyboard that lets you swap between multiple devices on the fly.
But the Microsoft iteration supports only two devices, whereas Logitech’s multi-device keyboards can be configured for up to three. The K780’s size also provides some advantages in comfort, as we’ll soon discuss.
Juggling Devices
You can pair the K780 with most Windows, Android, MacOS, iOS, and ChromeBook devices. To do so, simply press one of the first three function keys to make the K780 discoverable, and then enter the passcode provided by the device with which you’re pairing. Once you’ve paired two or more devices, you can switch between them by pressing the corresponding function key.
You can pair the K780 with most Windows, Android, MacOS, iOS, and ChromeBook devices.
The rubber gutter across the top is long enough to accommodate at least two mobile devices, such as, say, a smartphone and most tablets, even in landscape orientation, and the groove’s rubbery texture is grippy enough to hold most devices securely upright, and allow poking the touch screen without toppling them over. However, the groove itself is not wide enough to hold mobile devices encased in thick protectors. Logitech says that the gutter, which it calls a “smart device stand,” will hold devices up to 11.3 millimeters, which is about right. We couldn’t get it to accommodate anything thicker than about 7/8 of an inch.
As any multi-device keyboard should, the K780 configures itself according to the operating system (OS) it’s paired with. In Android, for instance, you get the Home, Back, and other relevant keys. In MacOS the Alt key becomes the Command key. In Windows, the Option key re-maps to the Start button, and so on. The keys are even labeled accordingly.
Relatively Comfortable
Overall, we found the K780 comfortable enough to type on, but the round, concaved keys take a little getting used to, which may slow you down at first. The keys have sufficient plunge and travel, and they deploy Logitech’s PerfectStroke key system, which is supposed to deliver silent typing. While it’s not completely silent, it’s quieter than most keyboards. The K780 has a slight front to back incline to make typing more comfortable, but there’s no built-in stand to increase that incline.
Logitech K780 Compared To
Aukey KM-G3
Logitech G Pro Mechanical Gaming…
Microsoft Universal Foldable…
Logitech G213 Prodigy
Steelseries Apex M500
Razer Turret
Razer Blackwidow X Chroma
Cougar Attack X3 gaming keyboard
Razer Deathstalker Chroma
Logitech K400
Microsoft Wireless Desktop 5000
Cooler Master Storm QuickFire
Logitech iPad 2 Keyboard Case by…
Cherry JK-0300
Logitech K750 Wireless Solar…
A few missing options — most likely left out to save battery life — are NUM lock and caps lock indicators, and the keys themselves are not backlit. If you’re not a proficient touch typist you might find using the K780 in dim or dark settings a bit difficult. However, Logitech does offer Windows and Mac software that displays NUM lock and caps lock status on your monitor.
Warranty information
Logitech warranties the K780 for one year under normal use. That’s typical for a keyboard.
Our Take
The Logitech K780 Multi-Device Wireless Keyboard is well-built, simple to configure and setup, easy to use, and comfortable to type on. Switching from device to device is simple, and the groove across the top can accommodate most mobile computing gadgets. It has a few missing features, such as the lack of NUM lock and caps lock status indicators, and we think it could benefit from a steeper incline. Still, it serves its purpose of allowing you to switch swiftly and efficiently between multiple devices.
Is there a better alternative?
Of the multi-device keyboards we’ve looked at, the Logitech K780 is the most complete solution. Kingston’s KP400 Switchable Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard is comparable in some ways, but it doesn’t have the groove across the top for holding mobile devices upright. Then, too, there’s Microsoft’s Universal Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard, but not only does it not provide a way to hold up your mobile devices, it supports only two devices at once. It is, however, much more portable.
How long will it last?
The K780 seems durable and very well built and will most likely outlast most or all of your computing devices.
Should you buy it?
Yes. If you’re looking for something more portable, either of its siblings, the K380 and the K480, as well as Microsoft’s Universal Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard, are better choices. But the K780 is the most complete multi-device solution, especially for desktop users. The comfort and versatility it provides when compared to other keyboards in this category justifies the $70 price tag.
Logitech K780 review
Research Center:
Logitech K780
Over the course of a day, many of us flip back and forth between two, sometimes three, computing devices, moving from the keyboard on a desktop to the virtual keyboard on a mobile device, and back again. Wouldn’t it be much simpler if you could switch between and enter data on these gadgets from the same keyboard? A while back, Logitech released such a solution, the K380 Bluetooth Keyboard ($30), which let users flip between multiple devices with the touch of a button.
While a terrific idea, a shortcoming of the K380 is that it doesn’t provide a way to hold your smartphone or tablet upright as you type. Logitech corrected via a groove, or gutter, carved into the top section of its Bluetooth Multi-Device Keyboard K480 ($30). Both the K380 and the K480 let you pair up to three devices and switch between them easily, but each has its limitations. The K480’s groove, for instance, is big enough to hold only one mobile device, and the keyboard itself has no number pad.
Those issues, as well as a few other shortcomings, have been addressed with Logitech’s premium device-swapping keyboard, the K780 Multi-Device Wireless Keyboard. However, this new keyboard is $70 — more than its predecessors, as well as most competitors. Are its improvements worth the price?
Substantial and—as Desktop Keyboards Go—Attractive
At 15 inches wide, by 6.2 inches deep, and 0.3 inches tall, the K780’s size is about average for a desktop keyboard, but it’s a bit deeper (from top to bottom) and heavier than most other full-size keyboards. The additional depth and girth is due primarily to a soft, grippy, rubberlike groove that runs across the top of the deck.
What is unique about the K780 is that, instead of the traditional chiclet-style keys, its keys are oval and slightly concave, giving the K780 the aesthetic appearance of an old-style typewriter. The keys, the deck, and the underside are encased in dark gray plastic, and on the back there’s a compartment that holds two AAA batteries along with Logitech’s “Unifying” USB dongle, which supports up to seven of the company’s Bluetooth devices.
Bill Roberson/Digital Trends
Bill Roberson/Digital Trends
An advantage of the K380 and the K480 mentioned earlier is that they’re both small and light, making them somewhat portable, whereas the K780 isn’t as easy to carry around. Even more portable than the smaller Logitech models, though, is Microsoft’s Universal Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard ($70), yet another wireless keyboard that lets you swap between multiple devices on the fly.
But the Microsoft iteration supports only two devices, whereas Logitech’s multi-device keyboards can be configured for up to three. The K780’s size also provides some advantages in comfort, as we’ll soon discuss.
Juggling Devices
You can pair the K780 with most Windows, Android, MacOS, iOS, and ChromeBook devices. To do so, simply press one of the first three function keys to make the K780 discoverable, and then enter the passcode provided by the device with which you’re pairing. Once you’ve paired two or more devices, you can switch between them by pressing the corresponding function key.
You can pair the K780 with most Windows, Android, MacOS, iOS, and ChromeBook devices.
The rubber gutter across the top is long enough to accommodate at least two mobile devices, such as, say, a smartphone and most tablets, even in landscape orientation, and the groove’s rubbery texture is grippy enough to hold most devices securely upright, and allow poking the touch screen without toppling them over. However, the groove itself is not wide enough to hold mobile devices encased in thick protectors. Logitech says that the gutter, which it calls a “smart device stand,” will hold devices up to 11.3 millimeters, which is about right. We couldn’t get it to accommodate anything thicker than about 7/8 of an inch.
As any multi-device keyboard should, the K780 configures itself according to the operating system (OS) it’s paired with. In Android, for instance, you get the Home, Back, and other relevant keys. In MacOS the Alt key becomes the Command key. In Windows, the Option key re-maps to the Start button, and so on. The keys are even labeled accordingly.
Relatively Comfortable
Overall, we found the K780 comfortable enough to type on, but the round, concaved keys take a little getting used to, which may slow you down at first. The keys have sufficient plunge and travel, and they deploy Logitech’s PerfectStroke key system, which is supposed to deliver silent typing. While it’s not completely silent, it’s quieter than most keyboards. The K780 has a slight front to back incline to make typing more comfortable, but there’s no built-in stand to increase that incline.
Logitech K780 Compared To
Aukey KM-G3
Logitech G Pro Mechanical Gaming…
Microsoft Universal Foldable…
Logitech G213 Prodigy
Steelseries Apex M500
Razer Turret
Razer Blackwidow X Chroma
Cougar Attack X3 gaming keyboard
Razer Deathstalker Chroma
Logitech K400
Microsoft Wireless Desktop 5000
Cooler Master Storm QuickFire
Logitech iPad 2 Keyboard Case by…
Cherry JK-0300
Logitech K750 Wireless Solar…
A few missing options — most likely left out to save battery life — are NUM lock and caps lock indicators, and the keys themselves are not backlit. If you’re not a proficient touch typist you might find using the K780 in dim or dark settings a bit difficult. However, Logitech does offer Windows and Mac software that displays NUM lock and caps lock status on your monitor.
Warranty information
Logitech warranties the K780 for one year under normal use. That’s typical for a keyboard.
Our Take
The Logitech K780 Multi-Device Wireless Keyboard is well-built, simple to configure and setup, easy to use, and comfortable to type on. Switching from device to device is simple, and the groove across the top can accommodate most mobile computing gadgets. It has a few missing features, such as the lack of NUM lock and caps lock status indicators, and we think it could benefit from a steeper incline. Still, it serves its purpose of allowing you to switch swiftly and efficiently between multiple devices.
Is there a better alternative?
Of the multi-device keyboards we’ve looked at, the Logitech K780 is the most complete solution. Kingston’s KP400 Switchable Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard is comparable in some ways, but it doesn’t have the groove across the top for holding mobile devices upright. Then, too, there’s Microsoft’s Universal Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard, but not only does it not provide a way to hold up your mobile devices, it supports only two devices at once. It is, however, much more portable.
How long will it last?
The K780 seems durable and very well built and will most likely outlast most or all of your computing devices.
Should you buy it?
Yes. If you’re looking for something more portable, either of its siblings, the K380 and the K480, as well as Microsoft’s Universal Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard, are better choices. But the K780 is the most complete multi-device solution, especially for desktop users. The comfort and versatility it provides when compared to other keyboards in this category justifies the $70 price tag.
United Kingdom testing durable roads made of recycled plastic
Why it matters to you
Plastic roads are a win for the environment, government budgets, and the quality of streets we drive on. MacRebur is a startup that’s bringing them to the masses.
Despite the fact that road vehicles have changed enormously over the past 70 years — in both quality and quantity — the roads they drive on have advanced surprisingly little.
U.K. entrepreneur and engineer Toby McCartney has been working to change that, courtesy of technology that allows for the creation of high quality road asphalt out of recycled plastic waste. With the innovative tech, he now wants to use discarded plastic from landfills to transform millions of kilometers of roads around the world.
“We take waste plastic that is destined for landfill sites and recycle it,” McCartney told Digital Trends. “What we’re able to do is to take this plastic that has been thrown away, and use a special formula to clean it off, create pellets using it, and then use those pellets to add to a mixture of rocks and bitumen to make longer-lasting roads.”
So far, the scheme has won the approval of Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson, and McCartney’s company MacRebur has gotten the support of two local governments in England to start using its MR6 product to build their roads.
McCartney describes the technology as a “real win-win across the industry.” It lessens the reliance on fossil fuels due to the reduction in oil that needs to be used as part of the formulation, helps cut down on waste plastic going to landfill, and improves the streets we drive on. The plastic-based road asphalt made by MacRebur is 60 percent tougher than standard asphalt. By tweaking the recipe, the surface can also be modified for different environments.
In addition, it saves money for all involved. Companies that sell the waste plastic to McCartney save money by not being taxed for sending material to landfill. Local governments save money because they get a longer-lasting road which needs less maintenance. Drivers save money because they’re driving on better roads, with fewer potholes. And McCartney and his colleagues save money because, well, they’re being paid for their work.
Next up, he says the plan is to expand to new countries — although he noted that this must be done the right way.
“Something we’re very conscious of is that we’re still classed as a startup,” McCartney said. “We don’t want to grow too quickly, because we want the infrastructure in place to produce our pellets. We’re aware of dealing with over-demand, which would leave us unable to fulfill orders. As a result, we’re being very careful in selecting the countries that we’re expanding into.”
BlackBerry KEYone retail unboxing!
Today is the global launch day for the BlackBerry KEYone, as the phone makes its debut at London’s high-end Selfridges department store, more than a week ahead of the official UK launch date of May 5. It’s available for £499 unlocked, which gets you a well-built, metal-clad, rubber-backed handset powered by one of our most favorite efficient SoCs, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 625. That’s backed up by 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and BlackBerrys, software suite, based on Android 7.1.
We picked one up at Selfridges today, so be sure to check out our retail unboxing above! Hit up CrackBerry Kevin for more on why a physical keyboard on your phone might not be as crazy as it sounds.
- Android Central on YouTube
- CrackBerry Kevin on YouTube
- More on the BlackBerry KEYone
- BlackBerry coverage on CrackBerry.com
MrMobile is giving away a ton of tech!
One of my favorite things about reviewing the hottest mobile technology is that sometimes they let me give it all away. See, we just hit the 100-video mark over on the MrMobile YouTube channel, and after less than a year we’ve also managed to snag some 350,000 subscribers! I thought those were milestones worth celebrating, so I wrote some of the biggest and best tech companies in the world and asked them if they’d like to offer some giveaway gadgets to the people who made it all possible (psst: that’s you!). To my surprise and delight, most of them agreed … and now you’ve got the chance to win everything from smartphones to tablets to mobile accessories to a 4K TV – over $10,000 in prizes!
To enter, the terms are pretty simple: you just have to say something nice on YouTube. Why? Because YouTube comment sections have too long been counted among the very worst parts of the internet, and I thought it would be nice to shine a little light into those dank corners … if only for a week. For the details, check out the announcement video – then head over to the official contest site for more info and additional chances to win. Giveaway recipients will be announced starting May 5th.
Until then, best of luck – and stay mobile my friends!
Stay social, my friends
- YouTube
- The Web
- Snapchat
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