The $159 Nokia 3.1 is now available for pre-order in the U.S.

The phone officially launches on July 2.

Late last month, Nokia took the wraps off of three new mid-to-low range Android phones. One of the handsets the company announced, the Nokia 3.1, is now officially up for pre-order in the United States.

The Nokia 3.1 is an Android One phone, meaning that it comes with a stock build of Android and promises for fast software updates and regular security patches. Powering the handset is the octa-core MediaTek 6750 processor and 2GB RAM.

You’ve got 16GB of storage for saving local files, and if that’s not enough room, you can easily expand it with a microSD card. There’s also a 13MP rear-facing camera, 8MP front camera, and a 2,990 mAh battery.

On the front of the Nokia 3.1 is a modern 18:9 screen that measures in at 5.20-inches with a resolution of 1440 x 720. The back is made out of polycarbonate, but an aluminum frame adds some welcome heft and a premium feel to the phone.

The Nokia 3.1 carries a price tag of $159 and pre-orders are live on Amazon right now. If you’re not about that pre-order life, the phone officially launches in the U.S. on July 2.

See at Amazon

Amazon Fire TV and the ADB.Miner malware — what you need to know

Staying safe from the ADB.Miner worm is simple — just don’t do anything to help it!

You might have heard about a new piece of malware that’s said to be hitting Amazon’s Fire TV users and hijacking resources to mine cryptocurrency. It’s known as ADB.Miner and if you get bit by it your Fire TV stops being a great way to see the content you love and turns into a sluggish appendage that isn’t much use at all.

It’s not just relegated to the Fire TV, either. In fact, I’d risk saying that the vast majority of affected devices aren’t Fire TV and are generic Android boxes that connect through an HDMI cable from China. Of course, facts are no match for the hype train that happens when new malware pokes out its head and the things you need to know are exactly the same.

In any case, you really don’t have much to worry about with this one because it just can’t happen unless you get into the developer settings and allow it. Easy to prevent and easy to fix malware is our favorite kind.

You can read all the gory details at CordCutters.com so you know what’s happening when you see the headlines.

Read: Amazon Fire TV and the ADB.Miner malware — what you need to know

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Resident Evil 2 for PlayStation 4: Everything you need to know

The battle of the G-Virus starts all over again

Close your eyes and imagine yourself back to 1998. You’re on the couch eating Cookie Crisp when you load up your PlayStation and Resident Evil 2 starts up. Now, you won’t have to imagine you’re playing one of your favorite childhood games, you’ll actually be able to play it in real life. This year at E3 2018 Capcom took the world by storm by showing us a trailer of their upcoming game, Resident Evil 2: the remake.

Not only will you be able to play this classic edition of Resident Evil, but you’ll be able to do so on your shiney PlayStation 4. With improved graphics and gameplay I’m ready to lose a few days out of my life to binge this game. If you’re interested in the new remake of Resident Evil 2, read on below to learn everything you’ll need to know!

Gameplay

The second trailer shown at E3 gave us glipses of game play. One thing that’s been confirmed from this video is that you’ll be playing from a (now) popular third person view from the perspective of over Claire or Leon’s shoulder. The old Resident Evil games were played from a fixed camera angle which was bitter sweet to say the least.

During the press release Capcom confrimed we would still have some gameplay modes from the original game, but with modernized controls.

A look into the world

Another big mention during the press release was “- the characters themselves appear sharper than ever and the grotesque hordes of zombies are brought to life with a horrifyingly realistic wet gore effect. Zombies now react in real time as they take instant visible damage, making every bullet from the player count. Stunning lighting brings the familiar rooms and corridors of Raccoon City Police Department to new life.”

This means it’s not just a simple remaster where they took the told game and threw some new graphics updates on it. The remake for Resident Evil 2 is built from the groud up and I can’t wait to see what it looks like.

A few familiar faces

We’re back in Raccoon city and it looks like we’ll be revisitng our old friends Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield as playable characters in this remake, much like we were able to in the original. Not just that, but from the looks of the trailers I see Mr. X and WIlliam Birkin as well. I know some people aren’t a fan of playing remastered or rebuilt games, but hear me out on this one.

Capcom officials have noted, “- has been completely rebuilt from the ground up for a deeper narrative experience. Using Capcom’s proprietary RE Engine, Resident Evil 2 offers a fresh take on the classic survival horror saga”

So this most certainly won’t just be another remasted game. Details are thing but I’m willing to bet with all the information we have now that you’re going to see aspect of the story you’ve never seen before. And, if that’s the case, it will have to come with all new missions that you won’t know all the answers to because you beat the game 100 times when you were twelve.

Release date and pre-order options

Mark your callenders, January 25, 2019 is the date you want to save for this game to release. If you’re interested in pre-ordering the game for yourself you can check out your options here.

Standard edition

The standard edition of the game is available for preorder for $59.99.

See at Game Stop

See at Best Buy

Deluxe edition

The Deluxe edition of the game is available for preorder for $69.99 but, since there is no information on any upcoming DLC the Deluxe edition might not be worth ordering as of yet.

See at Game Stop

Thoughts

What are you most excited for with this new release? What are you least excisted for? We don’t have a whole lot of information as it stands, but as soon as we get more we’ll keep this post updated. Be sure to keep checking back in for updates and, as always, tell us what you think in the comment section below!

Apple Releases Second Beta of macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 to Public Beta Testers

Apple today released the second beta of an upcoming macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 update to public beta testers, two weeks after releasing the first public beta and a day after releasing the second beta for developers.

Beta testers who have signed up for Apple’s beta testing program will be able to download the new macOS High Sierra beta through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store.

Those who want to be a part of Apple’s beta testing program can sign up to participate through the beta testing website, which gives users access to iOS, macOS, and tvOS betas.

No notable features or changes were discovered in the first two betas of macOS 10.13.6 provided to developers, suggesting the new software focuses on bug fixes and other under-the-hood updates.

macOS 10.13.6 is likely to be one of the last updates to macOS High Sierra, as Apple is transitioning to macOS Mojave. macOS Mojave was unveiled last week at the Worldwide Developers Conference.

Related Roundup: macOS High Sierra
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Apple Previews Redesigned Books App Coming in iOS 12

Apple today shared an in-depth preview of the all-new Books app for iPhone and iPad coming in iOS 12 later this year.

As shown on stage at WWDC 2018 last week, the Books app has been completely redesigned with the following tabs:

• Reading Now displays all of the books you are currently reading or listening to. A new “Want to Read” section allows you to keep a wishlist of books you are interested in. “Complete the Series” or “You Might Like” present books based on those you have recently finished.
• Library displays your full collection of books with large cover art, including the books downloaded to your device. There is also a “Finished” timeline of books you have read in the past with the dates you finished them.
• Book Store allows you to browse all titles available on Apple Books, with categories such as Top Charts, Staff Picks, Editorial Collections, and Special Offers & Free. You will receive personalized recommendations based on your purchases in “For You.”
• Audiobooks allows you to browse all audiobook titles available on Apple Books.
• Search

Apple’s services chief Eddy Cue:

Apple Books will inspire a love of reading — it puts a world of books and audiobooks right at your fingertips, whether you want to dive into your favorite story for a couple of minutes or a few hours. This is our biggest books redesign ever, and we hope this beautiful app inspires both customers and authors alike.

The new Books app launches this fall, with the Book Store available in 51 countries, and free books available in 155 countries.

Tag: iBooks
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Third-Party macOS Security Tools Vulnerable to Malware Code-Signing Bypasses for Years

Hackers have had an “easy way” to get certain malware past signature checks in third-party security tools since Apple’s OS X Leopard operating system in 2007, according to a detailed new report today by Ars Technica. Researchers discovered that hackers could essentially trick the security tools — designed to sniff out suspiciously signed software — into thinking the malware was officially signed by Apple while they in fact hid malicious software.

The researchers said that the signature bypassing method is so “easy” and “trivial” that pretty much any hacker who discovered it could pass off malicious code as an app that appeared to be signed by Apple. These digital signatures are core security functions that let users know the app in question was signed with the private key of a trusted party, like Apple does with its first-party apps.

Joshua Pitts, senior penetration testing engineer for security firm Okta, said he discovered the technique in February and informed Apple and the third-party developers about it soon after. Okta today also published information about the bypass, including a detailed disclosure timeline that began on February 22 with a report submitted to Apple and continues to today’s public disclosure.

Ars Technica broke down how the method was used and which third-party tools are affected:

The technique worked using a binary format, alternatively known as a Fat or Universal file, that contained several files that were written for different CPUs used in Macs over the years, such as i386, x86_64, or PPC. Only the first so-called Mach-O file in the bundle had to be signed by Apple. At least eight third-party tools would show other non-signed executable code included in the same bundle as being signed by Apple, too.

Affected third-party tools included VirusTotal, Google Santa, Facebook OSQuery, the Little Snitch Firewall, Yelp, OSXCollector, Carbon Black’s db Response, and several tools from Objective-See. Many companies and individuals rely on some of the tools to help implement whitelisting processes that permit only approved applications to be installed on a computer, while forbidding all others.

Developer Patrick Wardle spoke on the topic, explaining that the bypass was due to ambiguous documentation and comments provided by Apple regarding the use of publicly available programming interfaces that make digital signature checks function: “To be clear, this is not a vulnerability or bug in Apple’s code… basically just unclear/confusing documentation that led to people using their API incorrectly.” It’s also not an issue exclusive to Apple and macOS third-party security tools, as Wardle pointed out: “If a hacker wants to bypass your tool and targets it directly, they will win.”

For its part, Apple was said to have stated on March 20 that it did not see the bypass as a security issue that needed to be directly addressed. On March 29, the company updated its documentation to be more clear on the matter, stating that “third-party developers will need to do additional work to verify that all of the identities in a universal binary are the same if they want to present a meaningful result.”

Tag: security
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Apple Releases Second Beta of tvOS 11.4.1 to Public Beta Testers

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming tvOS 11.4.1 update to its public beta testing group, two weeks after seeding the first tvOS 11.4.1 public beta and a day after seeding the second beta to developers.

The tvOS 11.4.1 public beta can be obtained by going to the Settings app on the Apple TV and navigating to the Software Updates section under “System.” “Get Public Beta Updates” will need to be toggled on, and once it is, the Apple TV will download the beta software.

No notable features or changes were discovered in the first two developer betas of tvOS 11.4.1, suggesting this is a minor update.

Most tvOS updates have been minor in scale, and Apple does not provide detailed notes outlining what’s new, so we may not know just what’s included in tvOS 11.4.1 if it’s only bug fixes.

tvOS 11.4.1 is going to be one of the last updates to the tvOS 11 operating system with Apple now shifting its focus to tvOS 12.

Related Roundup: Apple TVBuyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Neutral)
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Apple Seeds Second Beta of iOS 11.4.1 to Public Beta Testers

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming iOS 11.4.1 update to its public beta testing group, one week after releasing the first public beta and one day after seeding the beta to developers.

Beta testers who are members of Apple’s beta testing program will receive the iOS 11.4.1 beta update over-the-air after installing the proper certificate on an iOS device.

Those who want to join the beta testing program can sign up on Apple’s beta testing website, which gives users access to iOS, macOS, and tvOS betas. iOS betas are not always stable and should not be installed on a primary device.

There were no notable features discovered in iOS 11.4.1 in the first two developer betas, suggesting it focuses on bug fixes and other minor improvements.

iOS 11.4.1 will be one of the final updates to the iOS 11 operating system now that Apple is shifting its focus to iOS 12.

Related Roundup: iOS 11
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Apple Announces World Cup Content Coming to Siri, Apple TV, News, App Store, iBooks and More

Apple’s personal assistant Siri has been updated with support for sports ahead of the World Cup in Brazil, Russia, Denmark, Finland, Malaysia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Israel, Apple announced today.

Sports support for Siri in the nine new countries expands Siri sports information to a total of 35 countries, including the United States.

Specific to the World Cup, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, HomePod, and Mac owners can ask Siri questions like:

• When does France play Australia?
• What teams are in group A?
• Who is on the England squad?
• Who won the Argentina-Iceland match?

In addition to expanding Siri sports support, Apple also plans to highlight football (soccer in the United States) apps and games throughout the month. Features will include tips on taking the perfect football photo and how to “get your football fix” on social media. Highlighted apps will include FOX NOW and BBC Sport, while featured games will include FIFA Mobile and PES 2018.

The TV app on Apple TV and iOS devices will feature World Cup coverage via FOX NOW in the United States and TSN and RDS in Canada, with fans able to follow their favorite teams through the TV app’s Up Next feature.

Apple also plans to feature World Cup content in the News app through Eight by Eight magazine, and in Apple Music with featured playlists for each of the 32 participating nations.

Podcasts will include a “The Beautiful Game” World Cup editorial collection, as will iBooks, with Apple highlighting World Cup-related podcasts and book selections.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup kicks off later this week on June 14 and lasts through July 15.

Tags: App Store, Siri
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Apple just banned apps from cryptocurrency mining on iOS devices

Apple is taking a stance against cryptocurrency mining. The company has updated its developer guidelines to explicitly ban cryptocurrency mining apps on iOS devices. Why? It’s part of wider restrictions against apps that drain battery, generate excessive heat, or strain a device’s resources — all of which take place during cryptocurrency mining.

“Apps, including any third-party advertisements displayed within them, may not run unrelated background processes, such as cryptocurrency mining,” states the new policy.

Here’s a full list of the new guidelines.

Apple will allow virtual currency wallet apps, as long as they’re offered by developers who are enrolled as organizations.
The only cryptocurrency mining apps allowed are those that mine outside of the device, like cloud-based mining.
Apps can help users make pay, trade, or receive cryptocurrency on an approved exchange, but the apps must be from the exchanges themselves.
Similarly, apps involved in initial coin offerings, bitcoin futures trading, or other cryptocurrency securities trading need to be from the banks, firms, or other approved financial institutions. And they must be lawful.
Cryptocurrency apps can’t offer users virtual coin for tasks like downloading other apps, getting other users to download the app, or boosting social media activity.

Of course, developers running ads that exploit device resources to mine cryptocurrencies has been an issue for a while now, and not just on mobile devices. Even YouTube was briefly serving up ads like this for a while, until Google noticed what was happening and banned the ads. Apple’s policy goes a step further, however — it bans mining of any kind, even if the user explicitly wants to use their device for mining.

It’s unlikely that the new policy will frustrate miners. iPhones and iPads don’t really possess the processing power to make them good mining devices. That said, it’s possible future devices could possess such power.

Thankfully Apple isn’t banning any app related to cryptocurrency mining. As long as the mini process happens off the devices, apps related to the process will still be allowed. On top of that, crypto wallets can still be used on iOS devices.

Cryptocurrency mining itself basically involves setting a computer the task of solving equations. To trade bitcoin, transactions are verified through these complex equations, then added to a distributed ledger. In return for solving the equations, miners get bitcoin. Of course, there is a cost associated with mining — electricity costs money, so mining isn’t worth it on many lower-powered computers and devices.

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