Google expanding production of driverless cars
According to a new report, Google X Head of Policy Sarah Hunter recently appeared before the California Public Utilities Commission where she reported the company is increasing production of their electric self-driving cars from 100 to “a few hundred” in 2015. This expanded production may indicate testing is going much better than anticipated.
Hunter also informed the commission that the company has started working a little more earnestly on how to market and sell the vehicles. Google appears to be trying to decide whether their target market should be individual buyers or perhaps operating them as a service for people who just need a temporary ride similar to Uber.
Thus far Google has partnered with engineering firm Roush for production of the vehicles, but Hunter says Google is exploring other avenues for production, including moving it in-house. Google is also considering a gasoline engine version of a driverless car although all of their test and development units so far have been all electric.
According to Hunter and as reported to the commission, the driverless vehicles only have three buttons and a microphone. However, some vehicles like a line of Lexus RX450h cars have been retrofitted with the driverless technology. The vehicles that have been retrofitted require someone to sit in the driver’s seat to take control in an emergency situation. Hunter also shared with the commission news that some of the vehicles have been deployed in Texas for testing there in addition to the units operating in Mountain View.
source: Android Headlines
Come comment on this article: Google expanding production of driverless cars
A new Google Nexus Player is on its way according to FCC listing
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();
It’s hard to tell whether the Google Nexus Player was a success or not, but it must have been enough of a success as a FCC filing spotted on the certifications website appears to suggest that a new Google Nexus Player is on its way. There are a couple of clues that suggest that the device in the listing will be a Nexus Player – the device listed will support 2.4GHz and 5GHz WiFi, Bluetooth and will have 1 LAN port, 4 USB ports and a microUSB port. The other thing which is fairly suggestive is the design on the bottom of the device:
While it’s not concrete evidence, it does seem to suggest that the device described here is a round device like last year’s Nexus Player. The other hint here is that devices that pass through the FCC are usually ready for a release in the US, and it’s possible that the new Nexus Player will be announced alongside the Nexus 5 and Nexus 6 on September 29th, which makes sense given last year’s Nexus Player was announced with the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9.
What do you think about a new Google Nexus Player? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Phandroid via TalkAndroid
The post A new Google Nexus Player is on its way according to FCC listing appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Wells Fargo joins the list of participating banks supporting Android Pay
Google was true to its word when it said new banks were coming to Android Pay in the days ahead. After beginning to roll out Android Pay yesterday, Google has come to agreements with Wells Fargo making a total of nine U.S. banks supporting Android Pay.
If you have Android Pay running on your Android device, starting today you can add your Wells Fargo credit and debit cards. The service can already be used at 1 Million locations around the world. Wells Fargo has also implemented addition security to keep your transactions safe.
The head of Virtual Channels at Wells Fargo made the following statement:
“We’re pleased to participate in Android Pay, increasing the availability of mobile payments to millions of Android device-loving Wells Fargo customers. This represents the latest offering in our commitment to give customers new, innovative ways to pay safely and easily, how and where they want.”
Source: Business Wire
Come comment on this article: Wells Fargo joins the list of participating banks supporting Android Pay
Google goes into detail about the latest security update for Nexus devices and AOSP
Nexus devices received a new OTA update this week (Build LMY48M), which fixes some security issues. Now, Google is going into more detail on exactly what those fixes were.
There are a total of eight vulnerabilities on the list with one to have been exploited in the wild. It is unclear if it was just someone rooting their device and trying it or if it was used maliciously.
Security vulnerability summary
Title
CVE
Severity
Active Exploitation
Remote Code Execution Vulnerability in Mediaserver
CVE-2015-3864
Critical
No
Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability in Kernel
CVE-2015-3636
Critical
Yes
Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability in Binder
CVE-2015-3845, CVE-2015-1528
High
No
Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability in Keystore
CVE-2015-3863
High
No
Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability in Region
CVE-2015-3849
High
No
Elevation of Privilege vulnerability in SMS enables notification bypass.
CVE-2015-3858
High
No
Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability in Lockscreen
CVE-2015-3860
Moderate
No
Denial of Service Vulnerability in Mediaserver
CVE-2015-3861
Low
No
Ars Technica say the two critical fixes will address vulnerabilities found in the libstagefright Android media library. These allowed users to execute harmful code on to users’ devices. Google has also been pushing manufactures and carriers to release Stagefright fixes over the past few months.
Mitigation Techniques Used To Prevent Exploitation:
- Remote exploitation for many issues on Android versions 4.1 (Jelly Bean) and higher is mitigated by enhancements in the Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) algorithm used in those versions. Android 5.0 improved ASLR by requiring PIE (position-independent executable) for all dynamically linked executables further strengthening the ASLR protection. We encourage all users to update to the latest version of Android where possible.
- The Android Security team is actively monitoring for abuse of issues with Verify Apps and SafetyNet which will warn about potentially harmful applications about to be installed. Device “rooting” tools are prohibited within Google Play. To protect users who install applications from outside of Google Play, Verify Apps is enabled by default and will warn users about known Rooting applications. Verify Apps will block installation of known “malicious” applications that exploit a privilege escalation vulnerability. If such an application has already been installed, Verify Apps will attempt to automatically remove any such applications and notify the user.
- As appropriate, Google has updated the Hangouts and Messenger applications so that media is not automatically passed to vulnerable processes (such as Mediaserver.)
Source: Google
Via: Android Police
Come comment on this article: Google goes into detail about the latest security update for Nexus devices and AOSP
Google and Twitter working on ‘Instant Articles’ solution for their platforms
In this fast-paced world, every second seems to count. Google and Twitter have started working together to trim down the seconds that smartphone users may wait for an article on their smartphone to appear from a few seconds to zero seconds. So-called “instant articles” are part of a push by social media and tech giants like Facebook, Apple and Snapchat to make it easier to connect content publishers with readers. The apparent Google and Twitter partnership adds a couple different wrinkles to the concept of instant articles as the companies plan to open source their publishing tools and they do not plan to host the content themselves, relying instead on cached web pages.
Sources have pointed out that the use of cached information has a couple benefits, notably for Google. First, this may head off some complaints connected to Google providing results from their own hosted content, like the news snippets many European publishers object to, instead of sending users to other sites. Second, the use of cached pages means the original ads will continue to appear next to a story, helping them to retain their value longer.
Sources close to the project say Google and Twitter are speaking of the new instant articles as “accelerated mobile pages” during this development stage. They also point out that the companies do not plan to launch separate, standalone solutions or apps for the presentation of this content – it will just launch from within the Google or Twitter framework.
No details have been revealed about what ad revenue structures may be like for the new service and both companies have declined to comment on the project.
source: Re/Code
Come comment on this article: Google and Twitter working on ‘Instant Articles’ solution for their platforms
FCC filing suggests Google may be working on a new 2015 Nexus Player
A new device from Google has just passed through the FCC, revealing certain clues that suggest it could be a new Android TV device.
The device has be classified by the FCC as a multimedia device, with the following characteristics;
- 2.4GHz and 5GHz WiFi radios, as well as Bluetooth LE
- 1 LAN port, 4 USB ports, and 1 microUSB port.
Another clue that suggests that this device could be the next Nexus Player is its FCC label. The label is curved, which means that Google might keep the round design seen on the original Nexus Player. Although the FCC label on the original Nexus Player wasn’t curved, this assumption would be the most logical.
The fact that the device has gone through the FCC means that it could be ready for launch soon. Google might launch its next Nexus Player alongside the new anticipated Nexus smartphones, just like it did last year when it launched the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9.
No information was given on the device specs, however we can expect an improved chipset for faster performance, and most probably a new improved remote.
Google will be launching its new Nexus devices on September 29th, so hold on before getting yourself a Nexus Player.
Via: Phandroid
Come comment on this article: FCC filing suggests Google may be working on a new 2015 Nexus Player
Google Fiber considering Irvine, Louisville, and San Diego for expansion
Google has announced that it is considering rolling out its high-speed Fiber internet service to three additional American cities. The company stated on its Fiber blog on Thursday that it hopes to enter a joint planning process with the cities of Irvine, California; Louisville, Kentucky; and San Diego, California. “We’ll work with Irvine, Louisville and San Diego to conduct a detailed study of factors that affect construction,” wrote Jill Szuchmacher, Director, Google Fiber Expansion, “such as local topography, housing density, and the condition of existing infrastructure.”
This isn’t a guarantee that the cities will actually receive the service (just as Portland, San Jose and Phoenix are still in the planning stages), only that Google is considering expansion into those regions. With each city offering unique benefits and challenges, there is no set timetable for any of them moving forward.
[Image Credit: Lede – Bloomberg via Getty Images, inline – Google Fiber]
Source:
Google Fiber
Tags: fiber, FiberOptic, gigabit, google, Google Fiber, Irvine, California, Louisville, Kentucky, San Diego, San Jose, California
Three more cities invited to welcome Google Fiber
Today, Google Fiber invites were sent to three more cities in the United States. City leaders in Irvine, San Diego, and Louisville will be asked to work with Google in planning for a potential launch of the service in their respective cities. Google and the city leaders must analyze topography, housing density, and existing infrastructure before anything becomes official.
Hit the break to see a map of Google Fiber’s progress.
Current status of Google Fiber
Google highlighted items that make the new potential Fiber cities appealing:
- Irvine: Entrepreneurs and companies are moving towards a collaborative environment.
- San Diego: The city is currently experiencing a resurgence in startup activity.
- Louisville: The Code Louisville initiative aims to meet programmers and software developers with employers.
Google Fiber brings gigabit speeds to homes for just $70 per month, a clear advantage over what many internet service providers (ISPs) currently offer customers. Television service can be included, too, for $130 per month.
Source: Google Fiber
Come comment on this article: Three more cities invited to welcome Google Fiber
Android Pay hits the U.S.
Today, Google is officially rolling out its new contact-less payment system ‘Android Pay.’ For Wallet users, Google has informed us that the service isn’t going away. In fact, an all-new wallet application has been added to the Play Store already. With Android Pay, users will be able to transfer payments through apps as well as in stores using NFC terminals.
Later today, Google will begin rolling out an update to its previous Wallet application, which will become the new Android Pay Application. Google says 1 Million merchants already support the new payment service, and more are coming soon. Google has also partnered with several banks for the new service such as American Express, Bank of America, Discover, Navy Federal Credit Union, PNC, Regions, US Bank and NSAA. Others such as Wells Fargo, Citi-bank and Capital One will be coming in the next few days. Android users will be able to add their Master-card, Visa card, American Express and Discover cards in order to make purchases through apps and in stores with its new Tap, Pay, Done. Here are some of the merchants that will be supporting Android Pay.
Google’s new payment service announced back at I/O will be a safe, reliable and hassle free way to pay. Google has been hard at work to replace the consumers wallet. Android Pay will also store all your loyalty cards, gift cards and special offers right on your smartphone.
The new service will work with any Android smartphone running Kit-Kat or above, so long as it has NFC technology built in. The app update will be rolling out in the coming days. In addition, it will come pre-installed on all upcoming Android smartphones from AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless.
Source: Official Android Blog
Come comment on this article: Android Pay hits the U.S.
Nexus 5X cases show up on Amazon
Google is set to announce its new Nexus hardware on September the 29th. We’re expecting to see not one but two new Nexus smartphones, one 5.7-inch manufacturer by Huawei and a much smaller 5.2-inch Nexus made by LG. Some cases listed on Amazon show us the design of the upcoming LG Nexus 5X.
We have seen many leaks pertaining to LG’s Nexus 5X. Just yesterday, case maker Ringke listed a new Fusion lineup of cases due to arrive on October 9th. This is right around when we’re expecting pre-orders to start. The case renders give us a good idea at what to expect for the upcoming Nexus smartphone’s design and pretty much confirms recent design leaks.
October can’t come soon enough.
Source: Amazon
Via: PhoneArena
Come comment on this article: Nexus 5X cases show up on Amazon
AIVAnet 