Here’s everything we know about the Blackberry KeyTwo

Simon Hill/Digital Trends

Blackberry might be at its best when it sticks to what it knows best — security-concious phones with QWERTY keyboards. The Blackberry KeyOne was a return to form for the company, which had otherwise had a quiet few years, so it makes sense that Blackberry would be planning a sequel to its keyboarded wonder. Here’s everything we know so far about the Blackberry KeyTwo.

Design

Current leaks suggest that little has changed between the KeyOne and the KeyTwo in terms of design. Some parts of the design have been tightened up, the top bezel that we weren’t keen on in the KeyOne has been shrunk and made less prominent, and the screen now has a gentle curve. However, little else has changed. That’s not a bad thing; the KeyOne had a unique look, and we like the idea that Blackberry might keep the same sort of style as its predecessors.

Slashleaks

The renders show the QWERTY keyboard at the bottom of the phone, and it seems that the fingerprint scanning space bar has returned. There’s a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top (yes!), and a USB-C connection at the bottom. Renders of the back show a dual-camera system — Blackberry’s first — as well as the rubberized back panel we saw on the KeyOne. These renders seem like fairly safe bets, and we’re willing to bet they’re probably not far off the final design.

Specs

Blackberry’s phones have traditionally been lower-powered than most of the competition and the current rumors about the KeyTwo suggest that won’t be changing. According to TechGenYZ, the KeyTwo will come with the lower-powered Snapdragon 660 (compared to the latest Snapdragon 845 we expect to see in most 2018 flagships), but will be paired with either 6 or 8GB of RAM, and 64GB of onboard storage. The large amount of RAM should assist the phone in handling multiple tasks at the same time — which meets expectations for a phone intended for enterprise users.

With this being 2018, we fully expect that the phone will launch with Android 8.0 Oreo, but it’s possible that the KeyTwo could launch with Android 7.0 Nougat and a promise of updates. No other Blackberry phone has received the Oreo update, making it possible that Blackberry simply hasn’t caught up yet.

Name

There’s been no official confirmation of the name of Blackberry’s next flagship phone, but there are plenty of rumors surrounding the phone bearing the code name “Athena.” The choice of code name is an interesting one; Athena was the Greek goddess of warfare, wisdom, and handicrafts. Is Blackberry suggesting it’s choosing a wise battlefield with the QWERTY keyboard phone, and intimating the KeyTwo will have a high build quality? Crafty, Blackberry, but we see through you.

Given the look of the designs and renders we’ve seen, we’re taking this to basically be the follow-up to the KeyOne, and assumed it’ll be called the KeyTwo. There are some whispers that it will be styled as the “Key 2,” but we’re not confident enough in that to put our money on it.

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Uber is stepping up its game on passenger safety features

Uber is taking a closer look at its passenger safety features and working to improve its previously sparse set of tools. On Thursday, April 12, the transportation giant announced “several new improvements to double down on safety” in the app, including a plan to improve its screening process for drivers and the hire of a new “powerhouse adviser” in order to ensure a safe future for both Uber and its customers.

“Every day, our technology puts millions of people together in cars in cities around the world,” wrote CEO Dara Khosrowshahi in a blog post. “Helping keep people safe is a huge responsibility, and one we do not take lightly. That’s why as CEO, I’m committed to putting safety at the core of everything we do.”

So what exactly can we expect to see? In addition to existing safety features like Share My Trip (which will be made easier to find), Uber is adding a new Safety Center, which is described as a “dedicated place in the app” where passengers can learn about key safety information. You’ll be able to find content on Uber’s built-in partnership with law enforcement, their driver screening processes, insurance protections, and community guidelines.

Uber is also allowing passengers to designate up to five friends and family members as their Trusted Contacts. Each time you hop in an Uber, you’ll be encouraged to share your trip details so that someone always knows where you are. That said, if you’re constantly in Ubers and don’t want to inundate your loved ones with notifications about your travel schedule, you can also elect to only share your trip during evening rides.

The Uber app will also soon include a 911 emergency button that will connect you directly with first responders. This feature will also show your real-time location in the app as both an address and an image on a map, so that you can easily share it with the 911 operator. The same feature will also be made available for drivers. Uber is also partnering with RapidSOS and the National Emergency Number Association in order to explore faster response times and improving 911 call routing.

On the driver side, Uber is looking to “increase due diligence to strengthen [its] screening process.” Moving forward, the company says that it will “proactively rerun criminal and motor vehicle checks each year.” Moreover, Uber has pledged to keep a close eye on its drivers’ criminal records. “Using data sources that cover most new criminal offenses, we will receive notifications when a driver is involved and leverage this information to help continuously enforce our screening standards,” Khosrowshahi wrote. 

And finally, the company is expanding its Safety Advisory Board with Jeh Johnson, the former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security. In his new capacity, Johnson will serve as the Chairman of that board, which is already comprised of law enforcement, road safety, criminal justice, sexual assault, and domestic violence prevention experts.

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Some Android manufacturers lie to customers about installing security updates

Your Android phone may not be as secure as you think it is. According to a recent report from German security firm Security Research Labs, which was first picked up by Wired, not only do many Android manufacturers not always keep up to date with Android security updates, but they actually lie to customers by telling them that their device has the latest patch installed.

It’s troubling news. In recent years, it appeared Android manufacturers were getting better at ensuring that their devices are safe and up to date — but it seems that may not be the case after all.

The researchers — Karsten Nohl and Jakob Lell — spent two years analyzing Android devices and checking their code to see if the manufacturers had actually installed the updates, or if they were instead simply claiming that they were up to date. What they found was that many devices had what they called a “patch gap,” where the phone’s software claimed the phones were up to date, but the code proved that often dozens of patches had simply been skipped.

Even worse is the fact that the lying seems to be a pretty common practice. The team tested firmware from a hefty 1,200 phones from the likes of Google, Samsung, HTC, Motorola, ZTE, and TCL, and found that even major releases from massive companies like Samsung occasionally skipped a security patch.

Some manufacturers were worse than others. While the likes of Sony and Samsung only skipped one or no security updates, Xiaomi, OnePlus, and Nokia skipped up to three. HTC, Huawei, LG, and Motorola skipped up to four, and TCL and ZTE skipped more than four. Phones built by Google did not skip security updates. According to SRL, the skipped patches could also be related to the chipset used by the phone. According to the company, phones with Samsung-built chips had very few skipped patches, while phones with MediaTek chipsets skipped a whopping 9.7 patches on average. This may be because bugs are found in the chip rather than the operating system, and the manufacturer then depends on the maker of the chipset to patch those bugs before a security update can be installed.

According to Google, which gave a statement to Wired for the report, one cause for the skipped updates could be that some devices are uncertified, meaning that they’re not held to the same security standard. On top of that, skipping patches could be because of a specific phone not offering the feature that needs to be patched in the first place.

Of course, it really doesn’t matter why manufacturers are skipping updates — what matters is that even when updates are skipped, the software still claims that the phone is up to date when it isn’t. In reality, it’s still extremely hard to hack an Android phone, and there are plenty of other security measures in place to prevent an attack — but the fact is that smartphone manufacturers are lying.

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Apple’s latest patent ensures your screen turns on to the right brightness

It’s that time of week again. Apple was awarded a new patent, related specifically to how devices like the iPhone handle a screen’s brightness — particularly in dark environments.

The patent is aimed at addressing the so-called “luminescence shock” that can occur when you turn your phone’s display on in the dark. Currently, when you turn the display on the phone can take a few seconds to adjust to an appropriate brightness. Using this patent, however, the device would “selectively limit its brightness level of a display device when the display device is activated in a dark environment.”

As you might expect, the tech would basically use the phone’s ambient light sensor when an event is triggered — like you receive a phone call or message. If that happens, instead of simply turning the display and adjusting the brightness after, the device would use the ambient light sensor to determine just how dark it is, then turn the display on at an appropriate brightness. There are embodiments of the tech without an ambient light sensor too. Instead of turning on the display at full brightness, the display could simply turn on at reduced brightness when a call or message has been received — which would still help avoid luminescence shock.

It’s important to note that this patent is a continuation of one that was filed back in 2016 — which is a continuation of a continuation of a continuation, etc. The original patent was filed in 2007 — so it’s clearly something that Apple has been working on for a while.

Of course, just because Apple has a patent for it, that doesn’t mean that the tech will ever show up in any Apple products. On top of that, if it does, that doesn’t mean that we will even know if it does. It may not show up as a setting — it could simply be a new feature in an iPhone that is not explicitly described.

The feature could also help saving power. If a phone is constantly turning on the display at full blast anytime a notification is received, it can have a pretty big effect on the battery. Turning it on at a lower brightness could help save on that battery.

It would be easy to see this patent being used in an iPhone, but also in the iPad, Apple Watch, and other devices — really anything with a screen could benefit from technology like this.

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Google launches its lightweight search app, Google Go, in South Africa

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Google launched Google Go in South Africa in an effort to address the concerns of those with weak data connectivity and high data costs. The app reduces the amount of data needed to display search results by 40 percent.

With Google Go, users are able to receive search results quickly even on slow connections such as 2G networks. Since the app is only 5MB in size, it’s also faster to download and doesn’t take up much space on your phone — which is especially useful for smartphones with a low amount of storage.

Rather than type out what they’re searching for, users are able to tap through trending topics or queries or even opt for the voice function to say what they’re looking for. Google Go will also pull up photos and animated images if you tap on the “Images” or “GIFs” tabs, which you can send to others.

Google Go will come pre-installed on Android Oreo (Go edition) devices. Android Go — which was first launched in 2017 — was specifically created by Google as a scaled-down version of Android to run on entry-level devices. The operating system not only takes up less space but comes with “Go” versions of the commonly pre-installed Google apps such as YouTube, Gmail, and Google Maps.

But Google apps aren’t the only light versions of apps available on the market. First launched in 2015, Facebook released Facebook Lite — a stripped-down version of its main Facebook app. Weighing in at less than one megabyte in size, people can download it in seconds regardless of how sluggish their connection is.

As with Google Go, Facebook Lite includes all of the basic features you need. You can post to a timeline, search people, like photos and posts, as well as edit your profile. Available only for Android devices, the app recently expanded to the U.S. in March.

Other lightweight versions of apps available include Twitter Lite and YouTube Go — which also offer the same basic functions you would have with the regular versions. But both apps have yet to be released in the U.S.

Google Go is available in 26 sub-Saharan African countries through the Google Play Store. As for the expansion of the app, the company plans to release it in other emerging markets including India, Brazil, and Indonesia.

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Google could soon let you sync smartphones for music playback

Smart speakers are all the rage these days. Companies like Sonos, Google, JBL, and more, are all working on ways to connect multiple speakers together for a house-wide audio experience. But all of these solutions involve having to buy new speakers. What if you could achieve a similar result with speakers that you already have — the speaker in your smartphone.

That is what Google seems to be trying to do with its newly awarded patent, which describes the creation of a mesh network by mobile devices that are close together, with the goal of stream audio together, in sync. Within the network, there would be one master device, which would control playback, with the other devices acting simply as extra speakers in a system.

The technology could be very helpful. As the patent notes, while more and more people are investing in speaker systems for their home, plenty still don’t have such systems. On top of that, most of these speakers aren’t portable — instead they remain in the home — so if you’re at a picnic and want to play some music, you might be a little limited by your speakers.

The tech is a little more complicated than it sounds. Different speakers need to be synced exactly in order to avoid any issues with the playback. Because of this, not only do the devices receive audio to play, but they will also get instructions on exactly when to play back the audio.

The system could end up being built into Google’s Google Cast system. Google Cast currently allows users to stream both audio and video to TVs, speakers, Google Home devices, and so on, and it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see the option to stream to multiple phones as part of that. Google even included a few images to the patent — showing an option on the screen that allows you to use multiple devices as a system together when they are playing the same content.

It’s important to note that this isn’t the first time we’ve seen this patent — the latest patent is a continuation of a patent that was filed back in 2016. Still, the fact that it’s popping again shows that Google is still working on it — and it could show up sooner rather than later.

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Master your Huawei P20 and P20 Pro with these helpful tips and tricks

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

While the Samsung Galaxy S9 and iPhone X may get the lion’s share of attention in the U.S., Huawei is a Chinese smartphone manufacturer that’s creating some seriously impressive phones. Its newest flagships, the Huawei P20 and P20 Pro, are forces to be reckoned with, offering beautiful designs and unique dual- and triple-camera setups.

If you managed to get your hands on the Huawei P20 or P20 Pro (they are not sold in the U.S.), check out our favorite tips and tricks that will help you make the most out of your new phone.

How to change the keyboard

When you first set up your new Huawei P20 or P20 Pro, one of the first things you may notice is the pre-installed SwiftKey keyboard. If you’re not a fan, it’s easy to change it to another keyboard app. For example, if you would rather use Google’s Gboard, download the app from the Google Play Store. Once installed, head over to Settings > System > Language & Input > Default keyboard. You will get a prompt to choose from a list of installed keyboards — choose the app you want to use. In this settings page that you can customize the keyboard even further to your liking.

How to set up Face Unlock

Facial authentication features on Android devices are often not as secure as Face ID on Apple’s iPhone X, and the same rings true with the Huawei P20 and P20 Pro. You cannot use Face Unlock to access secure services like banking apps — it’s purely a convenient way to quickly unlock your phone from the lock screen. If you didn’t configure Face Unlock when you first set up your device, simply go to Settings > Security & privacy > Face unlock.  You either need to enter your existing PIN or set one up to use Face Unlock. You then see the Enroll face screen that provides details about the functionality. Tap Continue > Allow.  You will see a round viewfinder screen appear — make sure your face is centered and in good light, and the phone will register your face. You can then choose how you want Face Unlock to work. Direct unlock will automatically scan for your face and unlock the phone when the screen turns on, and Slide to unlock will require you to slide the screen to head to the home screen after the phone registers your face. You can also require lock screen notification content to be hidden until your face has been scanned.

How to uninstall or disable unnecessary apps

One of the few unfortunate things about the P20 and P20 Pro is the amount of bloatware that comes pre-installed. When you turn on the phone you will find apps for eBay, Booking.com, Instagram, and Netflix. Although you are likely to download at least a few of these apps anyway, we would prefer if Huawei allowed us to choose the apps we like to have on our phone. While most of these apps can be uninstalled, a select few can only be disabled. To uninstall apps, long-press the app icon and drag to the Uninstall tab located on the top right side of the notification bar. After that, you just need to click OK in the pop-up window to approve the process. When you can’t uninstall an app, Android gives you the option to disable it. Disabling an app puts it to sleep and doesn’t allow it to run in the background. It also erases any data and updates, restoring it to the factory version. To disable an app, go to Settings > Apps & notifications > Apps.  Tap on the app you wish to disable and select Disable. If the app is running, you may need to select Force Stop > OK before disabling the app.

How to customize your home screen

One of the best ways to personalize your phone is by changing widgets, wallpapers, and other home screen features. With the P20 and P20 Pro, there’s no shortage of options. To access these customization tools, long press on an empty area of the home screen. You’ll see several customization icons appear at the bottom of the display. Tap Wallpaper to switch the wallpaper on your home and lock screens. You can swipe through all of the different options at the bottom of the screen or tap the Gallery button to use one of your own photos.  There is also Illusion and Scrollable icons that allow you even more flexibility with your screens.  Once you have selected your desired wallpaper, just press the check mark in the upper-right corner and choose between the Lock screen, Home screen, or Both options.

Widgets allow you to add small versions of your favorite apps to your home screen for quick access. To add a widget to your screen, press the Widgets icon and drag your favorite to an empty area on the home screen.  If you want to change the size or remove a widget, long-press on it to reshape it or drag it to the remove icon on the top right of the notification bar. Transitions allow you to change the animation used when you switch between screens or open an app. To change your default transition, long-tap on the home screen and press the Transitions icon. Tap the different transition options to preview the animation. Once you select your ideal transition, tap on an empty area of the home screen to enable it.

How to remove carrier name

The notch on the Huawei P20 and P20 Pro creates a pretty crammed notification bar at the top of your display. Luckily it’s pretty easy to gain a little more space by hiding the carrier name from the notification bar. Go to Settings > Apps & notifications > Notifications & status bar and toggle off Display carrier name. 

How to disable the navigation bar

If you’re looking for a complete full-screen experience, Huawei lets you remove the Android navigation bar from your P20 or P20 Pro. There are a few options to replace it: On-screen navigation key, and the fingerprint sensor as an off-screen navigation key. With the latter, you can control your phone with the fingerprint sensor. A single tap acts as the back button, pressing and holding goes home, and a swipe to the right opens up recent apps. This option provides more screen real estate, but it will take you some time to get used to it. Head over to Settings > System > System navigation.  Choose Off-screen navigation button to use the fingerprint sensor as your primary method of navigation. If you don’t want to depend upon the fingerprint sensor, you can also select Onscreen Navigation key which creates a single navigation icon at the bottom of the screen.

How to remove the notch

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

It seems like every major phone is coming with a notch in 2018 and the Huawei P20 and P20 Pro are no exceptions. If the notch isn’t your cup of tea, Huawei has created a software fix that can hide it by placing some black bars around it. you’ll need to go to Settings > Display > Notch and click Hide notch button.

How to enable App Drawer

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

By default, you will find all of your apps on the home screens of your P20 and P20 Pro. If you’d prefer to keep things a little tidier, you can enable the App Drawer to house all of your applications. Enabling the App Drawer is simple: Go to Settings > Display > Home screen style and choose Drawer.

How to use the P20 and P20 Pro camera

The cameras on the Huawei P20 Pro are game changers. The regular P20 only has a dual-camera system, but the Pro model adds a third. Huawei has made its camera software simpler and easier to use, but there are plenty of tips and tricks you’ll need to know to master it.

How to change the camera resolution

While the Huawei P20 and P20 Pro come with a 20-megapixel and 40-megapixel main camera, respectively, Huawei set the default megapixel a bit lower for both phones. It’s because some of the camera features do not work on the highest resolution, such as 3x optical zoom, Night mode, and more. To change the megapixel count, open the Camera app and the gear icon on the upper right side. Select Resolution and choose the resolution you want.

How to enable super slow-motion video 

Super slow-motion video allows you capture Matrix-like slow-motion effects with your P20 or P20 Pro. Like the Samsung Galaxy S9 and the Sony Xperia XZ2, the P20 phones can shoot slow-motion video in 960 frames per second. Using this mode is easy on the P20. Open the Camera app and swipe the slider above the shutter button to the left until you see a More option. Tap Slow-mo and select 32x speed from the icon on to the right of the shutter button. Press the shutter button when you’re ready to film. You will have two seconds to grab your slow-motion footage.

How to use Monochrome mode

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

While many smartphones offer a monochrome filter, Huawei is one of the only brands that has a dedicated monochrome lens tuned by experts at Leica. Using a monochrome lens, as opposed to a filter, allows you to capture stunning black and white photos with impeccable details. Whether you’re looking for a gorgeous portrait or just something a little more artistic, Monochrome mode on the Huawei P20 and P20 Pro is not to be missed. Open the Camera app and move the slider above the capture button to More. Tap the Monochrome icon. You will see a menu of different options appear, including Normal, Aperture, Portrait, and Pro. For the most part, using Normal or Portrait modes will yield the best results unless you’re an experienced photographer. Once you have selected a mode, simply click the shutter button to grab your shot.

Turn off A.I.-assisted mode

Both the Huawei P20 and P20 Pro offer an A.I.-assisted mode for the rear-facing camera. The A.I.-assisted mode can detect more than 500 different scenarios in 19 different categories and make adjustments to help you get the best photograph. While Huawei’s A.I.-assisted mode typically does a great job detecting different objects and scenarios, it does have a few hiccups. If you prefer to not to bother with the feature, it’s pretty easy to disable. Open the Camera app and tap the gear icon on the upper right side. From the Settings menu, simply toggle off the Master AI option.

How to grab a quick photo

Most phones allow you to grab a quick photo from the lock screen. The Huawei P20 and P20 Pro are no exceptions, however, the default setting is a little wonky. When you double-tap the volume down button, the phones default to taking a snapshot instead of just opening the camera. Fortunately, it’s pretty simple to change the default setting. Simply tap on the Camera app and select the gear icon. In this menu, select Ultra snapshot and change the default to Open camera. You can also swipe up from the lock screen to open the camera quickly.

P20 Pro Features

While the Huawei P20 and P20 Pro have many of the same features, there are a few goodies that are only available on the more expensive P20 Pro.

How to enable Always-On Display

Love the look of the Always-On Display you find on the Samsung Galaxy S9, Pixel 2, and scores of other Android phones? Huawei offers the exact same feature, it’s just hidden in the settings. If you want to add an Always-On Display to your Huawei P20 Pro, go to Settings > Security > Screen Lock & Passwords > Always display information. From here you’ll have the option to either schedule the display for certain times or have it stay on all day.

Enable dark mode

People have strong feelings about dark mode. While dark mode does offer some benefits like marginally longer battery life, some people just find it more aesthetically pleasing. To enable dark mode, go to Settings > Battery and toggle on Darken interface colors. You will notice most settings screens will use the dark mode, but this does not translate to third-party apps.

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Law enforcement agencies are buying GrayKey, a device to unlock iPhones

Unlocking an iPhone may no longer be the arduous task it once was for law enforcement officials. It would appear that an increasing number of U.S. law enforcement agencies are buying a cost-effective device capable of unlocking iPhones without breaking a sweat. It’s called GrayKey, and it’s a small grey box with two lightning cables that stick out like antennae.

Using the device, you can connect two iPhones simultaneously, and users are meant to keep them connected for about two minutes. While they’re not immediately unlocked upon disconnection, Malwarebytes reports that “some time later, the phones will display a black screen with the passcode, among other information.”

Exactly how long it takes to unlock the phone varies, and in Malwarebytes’ observation, it took about two hours. It can, however, take up to three days or even longer for longer passwords (up to six digits), and for passwords even longer than that, there’s no word yet in exactly how long it takes. But allegedly, this device works for disabled phones, as well as phones running iOS 11.

GrayKey comes from a company called Grayshift, an Atlanta-based company founded in 2016. As per a Forbes report, the GrayKey is meant for law enforcement officials or labs, which means that it is indeed a device designed specifically for the authorities. Once a device is unlocked, its contents are downloaded to the GrayKey, where they can be further analyzed by the powers that be either on a connected computer, or as a downloaded file. Moreover, Malwarebytes reports, “The full, unencrypted contents of the keychain are also available for download.”

So how much does this device cost? There are two options available. The first requires internet connectivity, and will set police stations back $15,000. It’s also geofenced, which means that once it’s been activated, it cannot be used on another internet network. Then, there’s a $30,000 version, which does not depend on the internet to work, and does not have a limit on the number of phones it can unlock. While this may sound expensive, authorities ultimately paid Israeli company Cellebrite $900,000 to unlock the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone.

As per a report from Motherboard, a number of police forces — including ones in Maryland and Indiana — have already acquired or are considering acquiring a GrayKey. The U.S. State Department allegedly already has one as well, while the Secret Service and Drug Enforcement Administration are also looking into making a purchase.

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Russia bans Popular messenger app Telegram, Kremlin must use new service

prykhodov/123rf.com

Telegram has been banned in Russia. On Friday, April 13, a court issued an order banning the popular messenger service, a decision that comes a week after Russian communication watchdog Roskomnadzor filed a lawsuit to limit users’ access to the app. The showdown began to form when Telegram refused to allow Russian state security services to access user messages — one of Telegram’s defining features is its special secret chats, which make use of end-to-end encryption.

As it stands, more than 200 million users around the globe use Telegram to communicate in what is thought to be a safe and secure method. However, Russia’s FSB Federal Security service claims that it must be able to read some of these messages in order to protect the state against certain dangers, including potential terrorist attacks. Telegram, however, has refused to turn over user messages, noting that it holds user privacy in the utmost regard.

“The court decided to meet the requirements of Roskomnadzor,”  judge Yulia Smolina said, according to the TASS news agency. “The ban on access to information will be in force until the FSB’s demands are met on providing keys for decrypting user messages.”

While it is not clear yet when the ban will be enforced, the head of Roskomnadzor, Alexander Zharov, says it will go into effect. The watchdog organization has since added Telegram to its roster of banned websites, which will certainly make it easier to block.

Telegram’s founder and CEO, Pavel Durov, has already stated that the app will do what it can to make its way around the ban. However, without the use of a virtual private network, the app cannot ensure that users will be able to attain 100 percent access.

The decision is the latest in a long line of rather alarming governmental moves to stymie communication. As Pavel Chikov, a lawyer representing Telegram, said via his own Telegram channel, “[Russian officials] have demonstrated again and again that the court system is devoted to serving the interests of the authorities. They no longer even care about basic external appearances.”

Curiously enough, this ban will affect members of the Kremlin, who use Telegram to communicate themselves. But Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov does not seem terribly concerned. In a conference call on Friday, organized using — what else — Telegram, Peskov said that the team would simply adopt a new messaging service.

“Limiting access was not the goal in and of itself,” he said. “There is the legal position, which requires the provision of data to certain Russian state bodies. Meetings this condition would have allowed for a consensus. But unfortunately this consensus was not reached.”

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Yahoo Japan invests in a cryptocurrency exchange platform launching this fall

BitARG Exchange Tokyo confirmed on Friday, April 13, that it made a deal to sell stock shares to a subsidiary of Yahoo Japan. This investment will bring in Yahoo Japan’s “service operation and security expertise” to strengthen BitARG’s upcoming cryptocurrency exchange platform. Yahoo Japan now holds a 40 percent portion of the exchange while BitARG parent company CMD Laboratories will hold the remaining 60 percent.

BitARG Exchange Japan and Yahoo Japan did not provide the financial details of the deal. But an unnamed source familiar with the sale claims the transaction equaled to around 2 billion to 3 billion yen, which converts to $18.6 million to $27.9 million.

“We will enter the blockchain-related area where applications are expected in the virtual currency business,” reads a rough translation of Yahoo Japan’s statement. “In addition, by utilizing the service operation and security expertise of the Yahoo group, we support the operation of exchanges operated by BitARG Exchange Tokyo and the operation after the start. It is easy to use and safe for exchange services.”

The news arrives after BitARG executive Yoon Hee Yuan denied rumors that the exchange would sell 40 percent of its stock to Yahoo Japan to launch a new cryptocurrency exchange in the region. Yaun said at the end of March that the company was studying “various possibilities” such as investments and partnerships with other companies to strengthen the upcoming platform and its management.

BitARG plans to launch its new cryptocurrency exchange platform in the fall that will primarily deal with the Bitcoin cryptocurrency. A second investment from other Yahoo subsidiaries are expected to be made at the beginning of 2019 with a final product launching in April 2019. The cryptocurrency trading platform received its approval from Japan’s Financial Services Agency in December and is ironing out the business side before going live this fall.

BitARG Exchange Tokyo isn’t the only exchange getting a cash injection. Monex Group said last week that it purchased 100 percent of Coincheck’s shares for $34 million. According to the company, the deal will fuse Coincheck’s knowledge of blockchain technology and cryptocurrency with its knowledge of the financial industry. The investment should also help Coincheck “enhance” its internal security to better prevent hacks.

Japanese cryptocurrency exchange Coincheck saw the theft of around $530 million in NEM tokens earlier in 2018. The company admitted to a lapse in security, including a much-needed multi-signature approval component, that allowed a single hacker to transfer the virtual coins stored in Coincheck’s “hot wallet” to an external account. Hot wallets are typically connected to external networks whereas cold wallets used by most individuals are not.

According to reports, the digital coins were sent to 11 different addresses although the owner of these accounts is still unknown. Japan’s Financial Services Agency ordered the exchange to strengthen its security and management system in early March. Coincheck began issuing refunds to customers affected by the January 26 hack several days later.

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