Amazon fixed an exploit that allowed Alexa to listen all the time

Amazon’s Alexa is good at listening, since it has to be ready when you say its wake word, like “Alexa,” “Echo” or “Computer.” That very same feature, though, has people worried about their own privacy. Researchers from security firm Checkmarx have found a way to get Alexa to listen in and send a transcript of any conversations that it records while eavesdropping.

The researchers were able to create a harmless-seeming Alexa Skill that would actively record long after most Skills shut down to preserve people’s privacy. Checkmarx’s Amit Ashbel told CNET that it could just keep recording. “As far as we could tell, there was no limit,” he said. “As long as you [didn’t] tell it to stop, it wouldn’t.”

Checkmarx says that it notified Amazon of this exploit at the beginning of April; Amazon confirmed to CNET that it has since fixed the issue. “Customer trust is important to us and we take security and privacy seriously,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “We have put mitigations in place for detecting this type of skill behavior and reject or suppress those skills when we do.”

Via: CNET

Source: Checkmarx

Constant controversy hasn’t stopped Facebook from making money

When it comes to public perception, Facebook hasn’t had the best 2018 so far. Over the past few months, the company’s been working hard to clean up its image after dealing with a series of nightmares, including the idea that the site was becoming toxic and, most recently, the Cambridge Analytica data privacy scandal that led CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify before US Congress. But business goes on, and today Facebook released its Q1 2018 earnings report, which shows it made a revenue of $11.97 billion, an insane 49 percent year-over-year increase.

That amount of cash puts its profits up 63 percent compared to the same period in 2017, while its daily and monthly active users continue to grow at a steady pace — 13 percent each year-over-year in this last quarter. (1.45 and 2.2 billion daily and monthly active users, respectively.) It may not seem like a huge margin at first glance, but when you’re Facebook and you have over 2 billion users, a 13 percent increase is still good enough to move the needle in a significant way. Considering that the company has been under fire for most of 2017 and the better part of 2018, these numbers reveal that its bottom line isn’t exactly being affected.

It’s worth noting that news of the Cambridge Analytica “breach of trust” didn’t break until March 17th, which was near the end of the first quarter of 2018. This means we likely won’t see the full effect of that, if any, on Facebook’s business until it releases its Q2 earnings report in a few months. We’ll probably hear more about that topic when Zuckerberg hosts a conference call today at 5PM ET, so stay tuned to this post as we’ll be updating it live with any interesting details that may stem from it.

Developing…

The ‘Wallace and Grommit’ studio is creating an emotional WWI game

Games set in real-world conflicts don’t necessarily glorify war, but it’s rare that they fully address the horrors of war. For every poignant story like Valiant Hearts, there’s many more titles that might only offer token commentary. Wallace & Grommit’s Aardman Animation Studios, Bandai Namco and DigixArt want to change that. They’ve unveiled 11-11: Memories Retold, a narrative adventure about two World War I soldiers who meet under the “most unlikely of circumstances.”

Details of the plot and gameplay remain under wraps, but the creators make it clear that it’s about the “emotional” human experience, not the fighting. The teaser trailer’s use of John McCrae’s “In Flanders Fields” is a hint at the sober tone. Aardman is contributing a distinctive “painted style” where 3D objects look more like they were brushed on to the screen — it’s akin to looking at a painting from the period.

There’s no release schedule for 11-11 as of yet, but it’s in development for the PS4, Xbox One and PCs (via Steam). Whenever it arrives, it might be worth a close look. The cultural impact of World War I is quickly fading nearly a century after it ended, and many people only really know it through media that focuses primarily on the battles themselves, such as Battlefield 1. This may draw more attention to the cultural impact, and remind us that WWI was supposed to represent an end to all wars.

Via: Variety

Source: Bandai Namco (YouTube 1), (2), Bandai Namco

Concert App Bandsintown Gains Native Apple Music Integration

Concert discovery app Bandsintown Concerts received a major update today, introducing native Apple Music integration to allow Apple Music subscribers to listen to music without needing to leave the Bandsintown app.

For those unfamiliar with Bandsintown, it’s a website and app that’s designed to allow users to discover when their favorite bands are performing live in their local area.

When you search for a performer in the Bandsintown app, or look for nearby concerts, you can now select an artist and listen to their catalogue of music to decide whether or not to purchase tickets to an event.

Bandsintown says the new feature is designed to help fans discover more artists, attend more shows, and help artists grow their fanbases.

Bandsintown managing partner Fabrice Sergent said the company is “thrilled” to offer fans access to Apple Music. “Promoting artist discovery is very important to us, and Apple Music subscribers can now browse and listen to an artist’s catalog without having to switch between apps.”

In addition to introducing Apple Music support, the new update to the Bandsintown iOS app also adds tools to make it easier for customers who do not currently subscribe to Apple Music to sign up for an account.

Though native Apple Music integration is new to the Bandsintown Concert app, it has previously worked with Spotify and Soundcloud.

Apple Music integration is available in the latest version of the Bandsintown Concerts app, which can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Tag: Apple Music
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Most Useful Siri Commands on macOS

Starting with macOS Sierra in 2016, Apple introduced support for Siri on the Mac, allowing you to access the personal assistant across all of your Apple devices for the first time.

Siri on Mac can actually do quite a few useful things that aren’t available on iOS devices, and because the technology is still rather new on Apple’s desktop and laptop machines, we thought we’d highlight some of the most useful Siri commands on the Mac.

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Siri on Mac can be accessed from the menu bar, the dedicated Siri app that can be added to the dock, or through a keyboard shortcut like Command + Space. You can manage your Siri preferences and options by opening up System Preferences and choosing “Siri” from the options at the bottom of the window.

One of the simplest and most useful ways to use Siri is to open apps without accessing the dock or finding the app in the applications folder. You can ask Siri to “open the Calendar app” or “open Evernote.”

Open works with any app on your Mac, and it also works with websites and files. Some sample commands:

• Open MacRumors.com
• Open Google.com
• Open the Applications Folder
• Open the iCloud Drive folder

Siri’s “Show Me” command on macOS works hand in hand with the series of open commands. You can ask Siri to show you all kinds of files stored on your Mac, which makes it easier to search for specific content. You can also ask for files within apps like Photos. Some sample commands:

• Show me my most recent files
• Show me files from June 2017
• Show me photos from April 2017
• Show me photos from last week
• Show me files from today
• Show me privacy settings
• Show me network settings

Siri is also interactive and can be used to turn settings on your Mac on and off, just like on iOS devices. Siri can turn on Night Shift, activate Bluetooth, turn off Wi-Fi, and more. Some sample commands:

• Turn off Wi-Fi
• Turn on Bluetooth
• Activate the screensaver
• Turn up the volume
• Turn down the brightness
• Go to sleep
• Change my wallpaper

Another useful way to use Siri on the Mac is to get information about the Mac itself. You can ask Siri questions about the hardware installed on your Mac. Some sample commands:

• How fast is my Mac?
• What processor does my Mac have?
• Tell me about my Mac
• What is my Mac’s serial number?
• How much RAM does my Mac have?
• How much storage do I have?

Siri can, of course, answer simple queries and provide information, just like you can do on iOS. Commands like “What time is it?” and “What’s the weather?” are available, as are more complicated requests like “Find me a good restaurant nearby” or “Get me directions to the mall.”

Do you use Siri for Mac? What are the most useful commands you’ve found? Let us know if we’ve missed any in the comments below.

Tag: Siri
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Jabra Elite 65t review: Familiar name shows off something a bit different

The Jabra Elite 65t is probably the best-looking set of truly wireless earphones I’ve tested. It sports gunmetal grey accents and a black semi-gloss body. The whole thing is plastic, but, unlike many earphones on the market, it doesn’t feel cheap.

The box includes three sets of earbuds in varying sizes, as well as a sleek, compact charging case to carry the earphones around in.

Build/Design

The most unique thing about the design of the Elite 65t, though is its shape. Instead of relying on the earbuds to hold the earphones in, or attaching bulky outer-ear hooks, Jabra engineered the 65t to fit into the Concha of the ear – that is, the inner ridge. The result is the easiest, most secure fit I’ve ever experienced in a Bluetooth headset of any design. And, while the earbuds fit my ear just right out of the box, I suspect that the shape of the earphones might not fit those with smaller ears – fortunately, ears are pretty stretchy.

With an IP rating of IP55, the Jabra Elite 65t is neither totally waterproof nor sand proof. However, Jabra is confident enough in its durability that it offers 2 years of sand and water damage warranty. This requires registering the device via Jabra’s Sound+ app, but that’s very much a painless experience.

Companion App

The Elite 65t has a pair of companion apps that you have to download in order for it to work. In fact, Jabra has a total of four apps on the Play Store right now – which by my count, is three too many.

The first app is Sound+, which you use to manipulate the 65t’s settings. Here you can manage your Audio Experience, Call Experience, and Equalizer Settings. You can also update your earphones and register them as mentioned above. It also displays connectivity information and battery levels, which is convenient.

The second is Jabra Service, which Sound+ uses as a database. Essentially, an app to make the first app work.  It’s a very convoluted setup that Jabra should probably fix ASAP. Unfortunately, when it’s running it also generates a persistent notification in the pull-down shade – my notification has been running for four days straight, despite only using the earphones a couple times in that timespan.

I’d much rather see a single app that detects which earphones you’re using, and automatically changes the interface to accommodate that headset’s features. A bit more complex to code, perhaps, but much more efficient and streamlined.

Performance

Of the truly wireless headsets I’ve tested, I think this is my favorite when it comes to sound quality. It’s got great sound clarity and depth right out of the box. Normally wireless earphones have a really tinny bass to them makes the sound feel hollow, but the Jabra Elite 65t has a rich depth of sound. It doesn’t hold a candle to a premium over-ear headset like V-Moda’s Crossfade 2 (which has a frequency range of 5-40,000Hz), but as far as truly wireless earbuds go, it’s quality.

Perhaps the best thing about the Jabra Elite 65t is that it uses the state-of-the-art Bluetooth 5 standard for connectivity. Up until now, every headset I’ve tested has used some variation of the Bluetooth 4-series standard which, while still perfectly serviceable, is aging. Bluetooth 5 has a number of advantages over the 4-series, including transfer speed and range, which make it a far superior standard. Jabra’s use of Bluetooth 5 shows a commitment to making a quality piece of technology, rather than just a product. If it would just slap a USB-C port into the charging case instead of the tried-and-true MicroUSB, I might just fall in love.

The Jabra Elite 65t has a number of premium features (all configurable by the app): HearThrough (called Audio Transparency, elsewhere), Assistant (which launches AutoPause (in which music pauses when you remove one earbud), SideTone (also called TalkBack, where you can hear your own voice when on a call), and a manual equalizer. None of these features is truly innovative or unique, but they’re all value-added to an already well-performing headset.

Charging Case

Prior to the Jabra Elite 65t, my favorite Bluetooth earbud case was the Rowkin Stereo Charge, a 2100mAh beast that has a full-size USB-A port to charge your phone in addition to the Rowkin. Though the 65t’s charging case doesn’t have that feature, it does take the trophy for the smallest, most pocket-friendly charging case around.

It sports enough juice to charge the 65t twice – which is impressive given the size – totalling 15 hours of use. The case’s hinge is really interesting. It’s basically impossible to pry open, but once you know the trick you’ll open it with ease every time. The hinge essentially has two stages, and pushing inward on the front of the lid disengages the latch, allowing it to swing upward. It’s got two LEDs, one on the lid, one on the bottom, that display the battery life of the case and the earphones, respectively.

Rant time, though – Jabra made an impression by including Bluetooth 5 on the 65t, and I really hoped as I was opening the box that it would think to use a Type-C port on the charging case, to show how forward thinking it was. No such luck, as it used the same old MicroUSB we’ve come to resent as more and more phones turn toward USB-C as the standard of choice. Pity.

Value

Truly wireless Bluetooth earphones are a mixed bag, price-wise. On one hand, you absolutely have to spend a decent amount of money to get a decent set of earphones. A little $30 pair just won’t cut it.

At the same time, there are a lot of companies out there that seem to think their headphones are the absolute cream of the crop, and price their products as such. Finding a product that’s both great-sounding and not overpriced is tough. As such, I think you should expect to spend upward of $100 to $150 on a pair, if not more – assuming the quality of sound and stability of connection matter to you.

I’ll be brief, here – the Jabra Elite 65t retails for about $169.99, and it’s worth it at that price point. It’s a great-sounding headset with a strong selection of features and a company updates them frequently. I reviewed a few other earphones around this price – Syllable’s D9X, Yevo 1, and Optoma’s NuForce BE Free 8 come to mind – and the Jabra Elite 65t outperforms all of them.

Yes, $169.99 is a lot to spend on earphones. But the Elite 65t’s are worth it.

Where to Buy

Amazon: $169.99 | Jabra: $169.99 | BestBuy: $169.99

Google Tasks: Everything you need to know

Here’s how you can stay on task with Google’s help.

Over the years, Google’s allowed you to create basic to-do lists through its Tasks platform from a variety of different apps – including Google Calendar, Keep, etc. The system technically worked, but up until now, there’s been no single app that’s allowed you to view your reminders/tasks in one single area.

Thankfully, alongside the launch of the new Gmail redesign, that’s finally changing.

In addition to the new Tasks section found on Gmail’s desktop site, Google’s also released a dedicated mobile app for Android and iOS. It’s pretty barebones in its current form, but for folks that want to give it a shot, here’s what you should know.

The UI looks very Googely

As you’d probably expect, the user interface for Tasks is about as Google-like as they come. There’s a lot of white space, Google’s Product Sans font is in full effect, and there are plenty of rounded corners.

The overall design is a bit different compared to some of the company’s older apps, but it could be yet another glimpse into the rumored Material Design 2 scheme that we’ll see with Android P (and how about that bottom navigation bar? 👀)

It’s not the best-looking app I’ve ever used, but it’s clean, functional, and keeps your tasks front and center.

You can make tasks as simple (or detailed) as you’d like

To create a new task, all you need to do is tap the large “Add a new task” button near the bottom of your screen. You’ll then get a pop-up with your keyboard to type in whatever you need to get done, and tapping the Save button will add it to your list.

If you want to add a bit more detail to your task, touching it in your list will show options for adding a description, due date, and any subtasks you want to go along with it.

There’s currently no way to add priority levels to tasks you create, and while this isn’t too big of an issue for basic lists, it could prove to be an annoyance if you’ve got a lot going on at once. Should Google decide to add this later on, we’ll be sure to let you know.

Tasks can be sorted manually or by date

By default, your tasks are listed in the order they’re created. If you want to move them around as you wish, you can hold down on a task and move it above or below any other ones you’ve created.

Alternatively, tapping the three dots near the bottom right will bring up an option to sort your tasks by the date they’re due.

Google Tasks ties in beautifully with the new Gmail

Once you’ve got access to the revamped Gmail experience, you’ll also have easy access to your Tasks from your desktop.

By clicking on the Tasks icon in Gmail’s new right-side panel, you can either manually type in new tasks or drag and paste emails to your list. If you do the latter of these two things, you’ll be able to quickly jump to the email the task was created from via the mobile app.

There are a few missing features

As positive as my early impressions are of Google Tasks’ new app, there’s still a lot that needs to be added. Some of the missing things I noticed include:

• Adding a time of day to due dates
• Recurring tasks
• Priority levels
• Snooze tasks
• Integration with Google Assistant
• Location-based reminders
• Etc., etc.

It’s still worth checking out

Despite its shortcomings, Google Tasks is still worth checking out. I imagine Google will be adding a lot more to Tasks over the coming weeks, and for anyone that’s been waiting for a proper to-do list app from the company, this is a decent start.

Download: Google Tasks (free)

Best Screen Protectors for Moto G6

Keep your display protected with a tempered glass screen protector!

Motorola has revealed the latest generation of phones from its flagships Moto G lineup. The Moto G6 will be arriving in the U.S. in late-May and will be a compelling option in the budget phone segment.

But just because the price is cheaper doesn’t mean it’s not worth protecting. For under 10 bucks, you can get a set of tempered glass screen protectors to protect that Moto G6 display from anything that life throws at it.

• Supershieldz [2-pack]
• IQ Shield [3-pack]
• Mr. Shield [3-pack]
• TopACE [2-pack]

Supershieldz Tempered Glass Screen Protectors [2-pack]

Supershieldz is a popular maker of screen protecting accessories and they offer a two-pack of tempered glass screen protectors for the Moto G6. The edges are rounded for comfort around the earpiece and home button cutouts.

It’s a good value from a trusted brand that’s backed by a lifetime replacement warranty. Available for just $7 on Amazon.

See at Amazon

IQ Shield Tempered Glass Screen Protectors [3-pack]

IQ Shield offers screen protectors for a wide variety of smartphone brands, and typically offers both tempered glass and film options. For the Moto G6, they offer a Full Bodyskin Protector ($16) and a Matte finish screen protector ($8). But the best value by far is the three-pack of tempered glass.

Tempered glass offers the best protection for your phone, and IQ Shield offers an impossibly thin screen protector. Best of all is you’ll have two backups as needed. Get your kit for just $8.

See at IQ Shield

Mr. Shield Tempered Glass Screen Protector [3-pack]]

The installation is the most important part of using a screen protector — you don’t properly clean that screen and you’re going to have dust and weird streaks appear.

That’s why Mr. Shield includes a complete installation kit that includes a cleaning cloth, dust collecting stickers, and an alcohol prep pad. The glass is laser cut to provide as much coverage as possible for the Moto G6.

Get yours for just $8.

See at Amazon

TopACE Tempered Glass Screen Protector [2-pack]]

TopACE makes the list for offering a slightly more curved set of “horns” around the earpiece cutout. Otherwise, it’s another great three-pack of tempered glass for the Moto G6 that offers everything you’d expect in a screen protector.

Designed to be case friendly, this pack includes a microfibre cleaning cloth for installation. Get yours for just $8.

See at Amazon

Are you getting a Moto G6?

Let us know if you’re buying the G6 and whether you plan to buy a screen protector for it.

Amazon’s Fire TV Cube might feature always-listening Alexa

If an Echo Dot and Fire TV had a baby, this could be the end result.

Earlier this week, a report came out that Amazon’s next venture with Alexa is to integrate the assistant into in-home robots. We’re still a ways off before that actually comes to market, but in the very near future, the online shopping giant will announce a new product called the “Fire TV Cube.”

Spotted by AFTV News, there’s a new page on Amazon right now teasing the product. The page asks “What is Fire TV Cube?” and says that details are coming soon with a link to enter your email for more info as it becomes available. Along with this, there’s the iconic blue light that’s seen with Amazon’s Echo speakers.

Although no further details are provided on the page, this Fire TV Cube is likely the same box that was leaked last September ahead of the Fire TV 4K (2017) launch. That box was a no-show during Amazon’s hardware event last year, but seeing as how the leak for the Fire TV dongle was so spot-on, I’m inclined to believe that the leak is also accurate of the Fire TV Cube we’ll soon have.

Last year’s Fire TV 4K and (potentially) the new Fire TV Cube.

Along with providing access to Amazon’s Fire TV platform, the Cube will also likely act as an Echo of sorts by always listening for the Alexa hotword. In addition to the Echo lighting on its promotional page, the leak showcased Echo Dot-like buttons on the top and an array of microphones.

There’s currently no word on pricing or availability, but does this sound like something you’d be interested in?

Amazon Fire TV vs. Apple TV: Which streaming player should you buy?

Learn to fend off hackers and would-be data thieves and only pay what you want!

As more and more companies move completely online, cybersecurity has never been more important. There is so much personal data online, and many organizations house the valuable and sensitive personal data of countless thousands, which means that cybersecurity professionals are incredibly valuable and the first and last line of defense against would-be data thieves and hackers.

Learning to become a network administrator, as well as the ins and outs of network security is a huge step forward in your IT career, and you need to the tools to learn the whole job in order to be able to perform well and lock down that high-paying gig. But if you’re already working a full-time job, then going back to school can be costly and take up more time than you have available. That’s why you need an online solution that you can complete at your own pace.

The Complete Cyber Security Certification Bundle from Android Central Digital Offers can help you open doors into the world of IT and cybersecurity, offering nine courses to help you with the basics all the way up to advanced security information. Right now, you can pay what you want for the whole bundle, which is valued at $2,891. All you have to do is pay more than the average price, and you get the entire bundle. Beat the leader, and you’ll be entered into Android Central Digital Offers’ awesome giveaway.

With the Complete Cyber Security Certification Bundle, you’ll get 117.5 hours of content covering network, server, and IT security, as well specifics, like Cisco network security. With this bundle you can work toward your CompTIA Security+ certification, one of the most important certifications in the business, as well as your CASP, CISM, and more.

If you want a career in cybersecurity, then you need the knowledge and the tools to get there, and Android Central Digital Offers can help. Pay what you want for the Complete Cyber Security Certification Bundle, start learning, and take your career to new places.