Report: Google will show off new Internet of Things platform at I/O, code-named Brillo

David Berkowitz

According to a new report, Google is setting its sights on the Internet of things in a big way.

It’s amazing to think how much the Internet has changed the world around us, particularly the way we consume data. Computers were the first gateways to the Internet, and during these earlier days what kind of information we could obtain was somewhat limited by the speed of our (generally dial-up) connections, as well as the stationary nature of desktop computers. As time has progressed, the way we engage the Internet has evolved significantly thanks to the mobile revolution (and the improvement in Internet speeds), and even though it’s been less than a decade since this change really took off — it’s hard to for many of us to imagine the world before we had constant access to nearly everything right at our fingertips.

The next major evolution in Internet and how it affects the world around us will likely be seen in the so-called Internet of Things revolution, and make no mistake, Google will be a integral force there as well.

As the web has expanded from simple text and basic images to media streaming, social networking, online shopping, and so much more, Google has been at the center of it all. The next major evolution in Internet and how it affects the world around us will likely be seen in the so-called “Internet of Things revolution”, and make no mistake, Google will be a integral force there as well.

Google has already made moves into this space before with the failed Android@Home project, and more recently with several key acquisitions including Nest, but now a new report from The Information suggests that Google is getting ready to release a new software platform that will take things to a whole new level.

Going by the code-name “Brillo”, the new platform will supposedly debut next week at Google I/O 2015 and is said to embrace the low-power nature of IoT by working with devices offering as little as 32 or 64MB RAM. Reportedly Brillo’s development falls under the Android group, which means it is likely based on Android, though we can’t confirm this just yet. We do have to wonder, however, if perhaps this is part of what Android M is all about, with Brillo being to Android M what Android Wear currently is to Android Lollipop.

For what it is worth, The Information suggests this appears to be separate from Android M (at least to some degree) and may not even be a full operating system:

Like the open-source version of Android, Brillo could be more like a technology blueprint than a fully loaded operating system tied to apps and services, at first.

Either way, it makes sense for Google to jump into this space. Right now, IoT is in a bit of a ‘wild west’ phase, with tons of companies interested in jumping in, but many of them either creating their own independent platforms or teaming up with others to make cross-compatible but still limited platforms. Just as Google did with Android Wear and is trying to do with Android Auto and Android TV, Brillo will provide a cross-compatible, open platform that any IOT device maker can utilize for their products and, providing it takes off, could certainly help reign in a new era for Internet of Things.

For now, Google will be focusing specifically on the home side of IOT, at least according to The Information’s report. Of course it is important to note that Google has yet to confirm any of this, so we’d take the entire report with a grain of salt. Thankfully, Google I/O is almost here, so we shouldn’t have to wait too long to learn more.

What do you think of the idea of Google jumping into IOT with its own platform? Let us know in the comments.

NSA planned to use the Play Store to implant spyware on target smartphones

thelibertarianrepublic

It’s no (longer a) secret that the NSA has planted its feelers deep into the very foundation of the Internet. Allegedly, the US spy agency has even obtained access to Google’s data centers, though it’s not clear whether this happened with Google’s cooperation.

When it can’t legally force its way onto private systems, the NSA does its best to sneak in – case in point, a pilot program called Irritant Horn, that saw the NSA and its allies attempt to hijack the connection between a target smartphone and the Play Store (then called Android Market).

The information about Irritant Horn comes from documents provided by Edward Snowden to The Intercept and CBC. The program, which appears to have been in its early stages in 2011-2012, had NSA analysts use a type of man-in-the-middle attack to implant spyware on Android devices connecting to the Android Market or Samsung’s apps store. Basically, besides the requested app, the targets were served malicious software that allowed spooks to eavesdrop on everything that happened on the device. The NSA even explored using the capability to modify the target device, for propaganda or disinformation purposes.

It’s not clear what came to be of this program, though it’s very likely that NSA is still actively working on finding and exploiting this, or similar, vulnerabilities.

The Intercept/CBC report also mentions a seemingly unrelated exploit discovered by NSA in UC Browser, an Android browser with more than 100 million downloads. UC Browser, according to the NSA document, “leaked” information about user activities and sent it back to servers in China (UC Browser is owned by Chinese tech giant Alibaba). According to analysis by Citizen Lab, a Canadian research group, UC Browser leaked “users’ search queries, SIM card numbers and unique device IDs;” Citizen Lab alerted Alibaba about the vulnerability, which has reportedly been fixed in an update to UC Browser from earlier this month. Alibaba claims that the leak was not intentional, though the edited NSA document leaves room for interpretation.

This is the latest in a series of controversial reports that questions the NSA’s active exploitation of weaknesses in the computer systems of American companies. Some argue that the NSA should privately disclose vulnerabilities in order to protect the interests of US citizens, while others think the end justifies the means.

For more details, check out The Intercept.