Firefox brings its tracking-resistant private browsing to everyone
Psst: the private browsing mode in your current web browser probably isn’t that private. It’ll (usually) get rid of your history and cookies, but it won’t prevent cross-site trackers from getting a feel for what you’re doing. However, you now have an easy way to deal with that — Mozilla has released a finished version of Firefox with its promised stricter Private Browsing mode. Switch it on and you’ll get tracking protection that blocks code from those ads and social services that follow you from site to site. There’s also a central control panel on the desktop for managing privacy and security, including the option to turn tracking protection off if it’s breaking an important page.
Source: The Mozilla Blog, Firefox, Google Play
Google publishes factory images for latest Android security update
Google has published the factory images for its November security update for the Nexus 5, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6, Nexus 6P, Nexus 7 and Nexus 9. The upgrade eliminates seven core vulnerabilities in the Android operating system, including the latest critical exploit which “could enable remote code execution on an affected device through multiple methods such as email, web browsing, and MMS when processing media files.”
Hit the source link below to download the factory images from the official Google Developer Blog for manual flashing. Alternatively, you can wait for the over-the-air (OTA) rollout, which should start soon.
Source: Google Developers
Come comment on this article: Google publishes factory images for latest Android security update
Pinterest’s shopping pins arrive on Android for the holiday frenzy
After launching its Buyable Pins on iOS earlier this summer, Pinterest is looking to let the Google faithful in on the goods, too. As of today, the online repository is rolling out the feature to Android users. This means that you’ll be able to purchase goods from retailers large and small without having to leave the app. We’re talking stuff from the likes of Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus and more. In fact, the tally of Buyable Pins now numbers 60 million and a new Pinterest Shop curates trends for easy access. Just like regular ol’ pins, you can search for the shopping items and filter them based on price and other criteria to find the exact items you’re after. While today’s news means Buyable Pins are available on both Android and iOS, they remain absent from the web for now, but Pinterest plans to employ them in your browser “in the future.” Slideshow-338498
New Android vulnerability puts 100 million devices at risk
Android has another vulnerability, this time through Play Store applications. The vulnerability comes from Baidu, China’s Google, and has risked over 100 million Android devices to hackers.
The new malicious virus has already found its way into over 14,000 Android applications. Four thousand in which were created by Baidu. Most dangerously, anyone accessing the Android SDK to develop an app can unintentionally swallow up the virus within their app. This is because the SDK allows apps to open an HTTP server connection that is unsecured thus allowing it to run commands on your device. These can include but are not limited to, installing malicious virus software and stealing information. For those of you who are rooted, the scenario is even worse because you won’t be notified when an unsecure app installs. Baidu has temporarily helped fix the problem, but is yet to completely resolve it. We’ll keep you updated when we hear more.
Source: Trend Micro
Via: Engadget
Come comment on this article: New Android vulnerability puts 100 million devices at risk
Snowden’s favorite secure chat services unite in one Android app
Want to keep your text and voice chats truly private, the way NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden does? You’ll want to try Open Whisper Systems’ Signal for Android, then. The newly launched, Snowden-approved app merges OWS’ existing RedPhone and TextSecure products into a single client — you can communicate over an end-to-end encrypted connection without having to switch apps as you switch formats. The code is open source, too, so you can verify that there aren’t any government back doors. It’s really just an amalgam of features you’ve seen before, but it could make a big difference if you’re determined to keep your conversations away from prying eyes.
Source: Open Whisper Systems, Google Play
The ‘tablet’ for your wrist has arrived
Yes, someone actually made a wearable “tablet.” And no, we’re not talking about the Neptune Pine, which is basically an oversized watch that doubles as a phone. This new device, dubbed Rufus Cuff, features a 3.2-inch screen and, since launching as an Indiegogo campaign in 2014, has promised to be more than a smartwatch. Rufus Labs, the company behind it, says its product “ends the era of the watch and ushers in the wrist communicator.” Aside from that ludicrous display size (compared to other wearables designed to be worn on your wrist), it also features a TI Cortex A9 processor, front-facing camera for pictures/video, GPS, WiFi and a 1,1175mAh battery. Although you can use an iPhone to take calls with it, thanks to the built-in speaker, dual microphones and Bluetooth support, Rufus Cuff is powered by Android Kit Kat.
Via: USA Today
Source: Rufus Labs
Google’s monthly security patches have begun rolling out to Nexus owners
Following the spread of the Stagefright virus, Google decided to provide monthly security updates to its Nexus devices. Starting today, Nexus owners can download the security update over the air.
So far Google has been extremely reliant when it comes to its monthly security updates. Today marks only the second of November and Google has already begun pushing out the patches to its Nexus devices. Google says the update is being rolled out over the year and everyone should get the notification within 48 hours. Google will also post the new factory images shortly.
With the update, Google has patched many security exploitations that reportedly have the potential to take control of your device to gain information. We highly recommend installing the update soon after you receive it to ensure that your device’s information is kept private. All the details regarding the fixes can be seen at the source link to Google Groups down below.
Source: Google
Come comment on this article: Google’s monthly security patches have begun rolling out to Nexus owners
Bunk Baidu SDK puts backdoor on millions of Android devices
A software development kit created by Baidu, China’s Google, has reportedly opened more than 100 million Android devices to malicious hackers. Baidu’s Moplus SDK may not be available to the public but it’s already made its way into more than 14,000 Android apps — only 4,000 of which Baidu actually created. The SDK allows its apps to open an unsecured and unauthenticated HTTP server connection.
Via: PCWorld
Source: Trend Micro
Google confirms Chrome OS will stick around, but will bring tighter Android integration
There were rumours that Google would merge Chrome OS and Android into one. Google has now said they do not plan on going that far, but will bring them closer together.
If you just bought a Chromebook, do not worry, Google has “no plans to phase out Chrome OS”. You will still receive updates and support for them in the future.
Google is very much committed to Chrome OS. Chrome OS is a big part of classrooms, offices and homes with 30,000 new Chromebooks activated in U.S. classrooms everyday.
In fact, every school day, 30,000 new Chromebooks are activated in U.S. classrooms—that’s more than all other education devices combined.
Google also just introduced the very affordable $149 Chromebook and the $85 Asus Chromebit that turns any display into a computer. Something they probably wouldn’t of done if they planned on getting rid of Chrome OS.
However, Google will be adding more Android integration to Chrome OS. Also, they will be bringing new features like a new media player and refreshing the look with Material Design.
We have plans to release even more features for Chrome OS, such as a new media player, a visual refresh based on Material Design, improved performance, and of course, a continued focus on security.
Source: Google
Come comment on this article: Google confirms Chrome OS will stick around, but will bring tighter Android integration
A very cool review of the verykool Jet SL5009
A while back I wrote an article about Why low to mid level phones are the “Next Big Thing”. I recently received an entry-level phone from a company named verykool. In this review, we will see if the verykool Jet SL5009 disproves my thesis or corroborates it.
verykool overview
The verykool Jet SL5009 is an inexpensive Android-based smartphone with LTE. One of their claims to fame is their low price point, a 5″ screen, Android 5.1 Lollipop, and the inclusion of both front-facing and rear-facing flashes. The phone also comes with a gel case and screen protector included. Here is the complete list of specs.
- 2G bands GSM 850 / 1900 – SIM 1 & SIM 2
- 3G bands HSDPA 850 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
- 4G bands LTE band 2(1900), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 7(2600), 17(700)
- Dimensions 147 x 72.5 x 8.9 mm (5.79 x 2.85 x 0.35 in)
- Weight 165 g (5.82 oz)
- SIM Dual SIM (Micro-SIM, dual stand-by)
- 5.0 inches IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors (~64.6% screen-to-body ratio)
- Resolution 480 x 854 pixels (~196 PPI pixel density)
- Multitouch (2 fingers only)
- Scratch-resistant glass
- Android 5.1 (Lollipop)
- Mediatek MT6735M
- CPU Quad-core 1.1 GHz Cortex-A7
- MicroSD, up to 64 GB
- Internal 8 GB
- 1 GB RAM
- 8 MP rear-facing camera, 3264 x 2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
- Video 720p@30fps
- 1.3 MP front-facing camera, LED flash
- 3.5mm jack
- Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
- Bluetooth v4.0, A2DP, LE
- GPS, with A-GPS
- FM radio
- USB microUSB v2.0
- Li-Ion 1900 mAh battery
verykool usage
Software:
One of the first things that I noticed about the phone is that it runs stock Android 5.1 and there is almost no bloatware whatsoever. In fact, the only bloatware I could find on the phone was the verykool app. It was easy enough to disable, but it tripped me up at first because the app is set to automatically launch at boot. If you don’t get through the initial setup quickly enough, the app will launch before you finish the setup process. You can just use the back button to return to the setup, but as it will launch automatically after every reboot, I recommend disabling the app right away.
Hardware:
The next thing I noticed about the phone was the form factor. The phone is pretty thin. It’s not iPhone thin, but it’s thinner than my LG G3. In every other dimension, it is on par with the G3. One big difference is that the G3 has much smaller bezels and is able to pack a 5.5″ screen in the same space that the SL5009 packs a 5″ screen. However, the phone feels good in your hand and unlike my G3 it doesn’t feel like it’s going to slip out of my hand at any given moment.
Even though the screen’s resolution is only 480 x 854 pixels, I found the clarity and resolution to be quite good. It’s not QHD good, or even 720p good, but I’m reminded that most early Android phones and even the early iPhone’s resolutions were worse than this screen. After using it for a while, I didn’t even notice that it wasn’t HD.
One of the aspects of the phone that I really like is the screen brightness. The screen gets very bright, almost too bright. This makes it super easy to see, even in direct sunlight. I would even venture to say that the screen’s visibility in direct sunlight is among the best in the industry.
The one knock on the screen would be its visibility from an angle. Even though the screen features IPS technology, the image quality decreases when being viewed at an angle. It’s to be expected on a device in this price range.
The speakers sound quality is ok. It’s not great, but it’s not bad either. The biggest advantages that it has is that the speaker is loud, much louder that you would expect a phone in this price range to be. The headset speaker is also pretty good, but it’s lacking VoLTE, so the audio doesn’t get that HD sound like you might expect from a higher end phone.
The headphones that come with the phone, however, are another story. They, like the standard issue headphones of other manufacturers, are bud style headphones, but the quality is subpar at the most. I found that they were uncomfortable to use for any extended period of time and the sound quality was bad too. They had a muffled sound to them and the bass seemed way too exaggerated for bud headphones. There was no problem with sound over Bluetooth.
Another thing that I wasn’t too fond of was the capacitive buttons. The actual contact area was small and if I didn’t get my finger exactly on the button, it wouldn’t register the touch. Also, while the buttons were backlit, they would only turn on when they were touched. When the backlight was not on, the buttons were impossible to see.
While there were no issues with the Bluetooth, I found that the phone was missing one of my favorite features on my previous Android phones, the voice dialer. You can imagine my disappointment when I tried to use my LG Tone headphones to initiate a voice call and nothing happened. Another unintended consequence of this is that while the phone has Android 5.1, the phone does not support Android Auto. I suspect that both issues are related.
The phone also features dual SIM card slots and switch between cards, but as I did not have a second SIM card to test it with, I am unsure of how this will work, or even how it will benefit the average American consumer. If you do a lot of international traveling I can see this being more beneficial.
One downside of the SIM card slots is that they are a pain to take out of the phone. They fit very tight into their respective slots. They are rather difficult to get a grip on.
Performance:
Overall the phone feels very responsive. At times, it did freeze up for a few seconds, but it did not happen very regularly and I was using the phone pretty heavily. I am more of a power user, so the average Joe will probably not run into any problems. However, this is where having a removable battery really comes in handy. Just pop it out and back in and you’re golden.
The phone also performed well with gaming. While the CPU and GPU aren’t going to set any records, the phone’s lower resolution allows for the processor to make the gameplay smooth. I found that it was best to close any other running apps because of the phone’s meager 1GB of RAM. The games that I tried were Asphalt 8 and Fallout Shelter. Both performed very well. The only knock being that they seemed to take a little longer to load. Once the game was loaded the gameplay was very smooth. I was also able to use a gamepad with the phone while playing Asphalt 8 with the higher graphics, without any hiccups.
The phone’s 8 GB of storage will limit how many games you can actually install, but the phone does support moving some of your apps to the micro SD card, but even so, you will still run out of space fairly quickly when installing games and other large apps.
Although the battery is only 1,900 mAh, the battery life isn’t too bad. Under light use, I could make through the whole day on a single charge. Using it heavily will cause the battery to drain more quickly and you’ll need to put it on a charger to make it throughout the day. I tried downloading a battery saving app, but the verykool Jet’s memory management is so aggressive with it’s 1 GB of RAM, that the battery saver app wasn’t able to do anything.
verykool benchmarks
As you can see from the benchmarks below, the verykool Jet SL5009 isn’t too shabby for an entry-level phone. It comes in performing slightly above Samsung’s flagship model from 2012, the Galaxy S III.
verykool camera
The camera isn’t too shabby either. The 8mp rear-facing camera performs pretty well in sunlight but falls short in low-light conditions. The flash is essential in low light photography.
Speaking of flashes, you may have noticed from the overview section that the camera has a front facing flash. Unfortunately, that flash is paired with a sub-par 1.3 MP camera. The flash merely illuminates the subject enough to make out the features and the picture comes out looking grainy and overexposed.
Take a look at the gallery below for some examples.
3.44 out of 5 stars
Overall, this is a great entry level phone and it proves that you don’t need to spend $600 + to get a good phone. It won’t compete with or even compare to the big budget flagship models, but if you’re on a budget and you want a phone with a decent sized screen, then this is a great option for you.
To me, this is the ideal phone to get your kid. It’s big enough and verykool enough to keep the other kids from making fun of them, but not too expensive to replace, when they drop it or throw it during a temper tantrum.
So what are you waiting for? Head over to Amazon to get yours.
The post A very cool review of the verykool Jet SL5009 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
AIVAnet 