Phones certified by Google will now feature Play Protect branding on the retail box

Google is making it easier to find phones that are certified to run the Play Store.

Google has always had a certification process for manufacturers in order to bundle its services, collectively called Google Mobile Services — which include the Play Store, Chrome, Gmail, YouTube, Photos, Maps, and Drive. The company is now rolling out a new initiative called “certified Android devices,” which as the name suggests highlights all the manufacturers that are certified by Google to bundle apps like the Play Store on their devices.

Devices certified by Google will now carry the Play Protect branding on the retail box. Play Protect is Google’s new security suite, and it leverages machine learning to weed out malicious apps by regularly scanning and verifying apps on customers’ phones. The feature itself has been present since the Jelly Bean era as verify apps, but with Play Protect Google is making the information more consumer-friendly.

By rolling out the Play Protect branding, Google is making it easier for customers to find devices that have been certified by the company. This isn’t a problem in Western markets, but in developing countries like India, it’s harder to determine if a device by a particular company is certified by Google or if it’s running a forked version of Android.

To that effect, Google is making its list of device partners and ODMs available in Hindi. Google is also advocating the benefits of Play Protect in Hindi to better inform customers that such a feature exists:

Google provides certification for Android devices to make sure users receive secure and stable experiences. We work with manufacturers across the globe to run hundreds of compatibility tests that ensure devices adhere to the Android security and permissions model. These tests also verify that the Google apps pre-installed on devices are authentic, and that apps from the Play Store can work as intended.

Certified devices also come with Google Play Protect (हिंदी में) out-of-the-box, providing users with a suite of security features that include automatic device scanning for malware. This provides baseline protection against malware, privacy hacks and more.

Unsure if your phone is certified by Google? Head to the Play Store -> Settings -> scroll down to the Device certification status to find out.

Everything you need to know about Viveport Subscriptions

Do you need a Viveport Subscription in your life?

Instead of buying every VR game with a cool description, HTC is now making it possible to try out a bunch of games at once through a Viveport Subscription. There’s a lot to like about being able to play more VR games, but there are some big questions that need answers before you dive in and get playing. Here’s everything you need to know about Viveport subscriptions before clicking that sign up button.

Read more at VRHeads.com

DJI will pay you to find security exploits in its drones

DJI clearly doesn’t like that organizations are shying away from its drones over security fears, and it knows it can’t solve the problem by itself. The company is launching a bug bounty program that will pay between $100 and $30,000 to anyone who finds flaws in its software, whether they’re showstopping security exploits, privacy threats, safety issues or simple app crashes. Bug bounties certainly aren’t anything new, but this shows how important drone security has become — DJI doesn’t want to lose business or risk an injury because it didn’t catch a glitch in time.

You can email bug reports to DJI right now, although you’ll have to wait a while longer if you want a standardized form and a clearer explanation of the bounty’s terms.

DJI isn’t leaning solely on prizes to improve its security, of course. This is part of a larger strategy that includes partnerships with researchers and a new internal approval process designed to spot more issues before software reaches the public. However, the bounty program is undoubtedly the poster child for the initiative. DJI is willing to spend a handsome amount on rewards if it knows that this will lead to juicy government contracts and greater overall confidence when you buy a drone for yourself.

Source: DJI