Apple’s iPhone 7 will reportedly debut on September 7
Apple will reportedly unveil its next iPhone — which we’re referring to as the iPhone 7 for now — on September 7th, Bloomberg reports. That lines up with Apple’s previous iPhone timing, as the 6S debuted on September 9th last year. According to previous rumors, the iPhone 7 will drop the beloved headphone jack, include a new home button with haptic feedback and, unfortunately, it’ll likely look lot like the 6S. You’ll have to wait until next year for a completely redesigned iPhone. Once again, the larger “Plus” model might also have better photo-taking capabilities, as current reports point to a dual-camera setup.
We’ll likely get an official confirmation about Apple’s next iPhone event within the next few weeks. If it actually happens on September 7th, it’ll have to compete with Sony’s PlayStation event on the same day, where we’re expected to hear more about the souped up PS4 Neo.
Kyocera’s DuraForce Pro is a smartphone and action cam in one
If you film motorcycle ice racing or open pit mines, a regular smartphone may be a bit dainty. Kyocera’s newest model, the DuraForce Pro, is up for the job, though. It’s a ruggedized, 5-inch phone packing a special action camera that shoots Full HD with a wide-angle field-of-view. The device lives up to its assertive name with an IP6X dustproof case, underwater mode (two meters for up to 30 minutes) and military specs for dust, shock, vibration, temperature extremes, solar radiation and … well, you get the idea.
Along with the 13-megapixel rear and 5-megapixel front camera, the DuraForce Pro packs a third “Super Wide View” 1080p action camera. It has its own image processor that gives it slow-mo, sports, action and underwater modes. The 135 degree field of view is similar to dedicated action cams, and Kyocera will eventually release a case that supports GoPro-style mounts. It’s pitching the device as superior in some ways to action cams, since it has a hardened, impact-resistant 5-inch 1080p screen to help you better judge shots. It’s lacking the 4K resolution of the GoPro Hero 4 and other models, though.
The phone isn’t bad spec-wise compared to rivals like the $600 Cat S60, but is no Galaxy S7 killer. It’s got a Snapdragon 617 octacore CPU, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of expandable storage, Android 6.0 Marshmallow, a 3,240 mAh QuickCharge 2.0 battery, USB 2.0 and a host of sensors, including NFC, Bluetooth 4.2 and a barometer. For security conscious users and businesses, there’s a fingerprint sensor, built-in encryption and Android For Work support. There’s no word on price, but expect it to be well north of the standard DuraForce, which is $418 on AT&T.
Source: Kyocera
Samsung denies its mobile payment platform is insecure
Every year the Black Hat conference highlights and analyzes security vulnerabilities in common services public awareness and a little infamy. On Sunday, a researcher released a paper criticizing the point-of-service purchasing system Samsung Pay for perceived weakness in its algorithm that could be exploited by hackers. In its security blog, the Korean tech giant refuted the claims, insisting that its math is different than described in the report and therefore still sound.
Samsung Pay works kind of like bank card chips: slide a phone over a reader synced up to the service and it broadcasts a “token” number inspired by but not exactly like that of the linked financial account. Unlike a magnetic strip on the back of your typical bank plastic, which delivers exactly the sixteen digits on the front and therefore can be reused infinitely, these “tokenized” systems are only created for that single transaction.
Of course, the account and “token” numbers have to be linked somehow, or systems wouldn’t know where to charge purchases. That’s where the algorithm comes in, a formula that generates new temporary numbers that is, users trust, too complex for hackers to crack. In his paper, Black Hat researcher Salvador Mendoza lays out how he believes this system works, including how the one-time “tokens” are generated, and lays out three scenarios for hackers to break into that algorithm: use a magnetic card spoofer to generate tokens, jam a transaction to force another temporary code to be generated while the hacker uses the first and use a social engineering tool to capture tokens and transmit them by email.
Naturally, Samsung denies that its algorithm works how Mendoza described it. Its security blog post points to a technology FAQ illustrating how its system protects against hackers: first, with its Knox software-and-hardware identity verification, and second, with TrustZone processor architecture built specifically to run sensitive processes separately from typical ones.
The FAQ doesn’t say that some of these methods, like jamming the signal and “skimming” unused tokens, is impossible, just extremely unlikely. To work, it would have to meet several requirements: the hacker would have to be physically near the purchase and jam the user before approving it. Even then, the Samsung Pay user would be alerted when the scammer used the token. This is a known issue, the FAQ notes, but given that every purchase runs through both the tech giant’s and the bank’s fraud analysis algorithm, they deemed it extremely unlikely and therefore acceptable.
Update: Samsung has issued a statement, included below:
Recent reports implying that Samsung Pay is flawed are simply not true. Samsung Pay uses a multi-layer security system that works in tandem with the security systems of our partners to detect any emerging threats. Samsung Pay is safe, secure and consumers can be assured that there is no known risk associated to using our payment service.”
Source: Phandroid
Netflix speed test comes to your smartphone
Like the idea of Netflix’s no-nonsense internet speed test? You don’t have to fire up a web browser to try it. Netflix has released app versions of its Fast.com test for both Android and iOS with the same ultra-minimalist vibe as the web version. You only have to start it up to get a sense of whether or not you can play that 4K House of Cards episode. You don’t really need the app, but look at it this way: if your internet speeds are dodgy enough that you’re launching Fast.com on a regular basis, this might save you some precious time.
Via: Android Police, The Verge
Source: App Store, Google Play, Netflix Tech Blog
LG’s V20 smartphone may be as modular as the G5
Just a few days ago, LG revealed that it will introduce its first Android Nougat phone in San Francisco on September 6th. The V20 is said to come with similar dual-screen, dual-selfie camera features as its predecessor, the V10. And now, thanks to OnLeaks and Android Authority, we’re getting a first look at purported renders of the device. Most notably, the 5.7-inch V20 appears to have a modular design, based on a button placement reminiscent to that of LG’s newly minted G5.
As Android Authority points out, there appears to be a bottom lip as well, which could be a removable piece to make room for different kind of accessories. That said, the publication says its sources haven’t confirmed if the V20 is actually modular, so hold off on making any final judgements for now. Either way, we’ll likely find out more details about the handset in the weeks leading to its official announcement.
Source: OnLeaks/Android Authority
Chrome is nearly ready to talk to your Bluetooth devices
Don’t look now, but your web browser is about to become aware of the devices around you. After months of testing, Google has switched on broader experimental support in Chrome and Chrome OS for Web Bluetooth, which lets websites interact with your nearby Bluetooth gear. You could use a web interface to control your smart home devices, for instance, or send data directly from your heart rate monitor to a fitness coach.
At the moment, trying Web Bluetooth requires the stars to align in just the right way. You’ll need a pre-release version of Chrome 53, and you’ll naturally want to find (or create) a website that uses the tech in the first place. It’ll take a while before the code is widely in use, we’d add — Google doesn’t expect website trials to wrap until January. Even so, this hints at a future where you don’t always have to rely on native apps to interact with your Bluetooth gear.
Via: Francois Beaufort (Google+)
Source: Google Developers
Google Maps for Android lets you save maps to an SD card
After testing it in a limited rollout, Google has officially unveiled “WiFi only” mode for Maps on Android. When enabled, it will keep the app in offline mode, blocking it from using expensive or spotty cellular data. At the same time, messaging and other apps can still connect to mobile networks. That will help travelers cut down on roaming charges, as navigation is often the only reason you need data on a trip. It will also be a big help to folks with limited data plans.
Trying to use Maps without a data connection doesn’t work unless you downloaded the region ahead of time, but that’s now a lot easier too. If you’re tight on internal storage space, you can load maps directly to an SD card if you have one. As Google points out, “entry-level smartphones come with internal storage as low as 4GB … [so] you’ll never have to choose between snapping more food photos or the ability to navigate offline.” It’s is a bit late to this, though, as Here and other services have supported offline and SD storage for a while.
The new features will not just benefit travelers, but mobile users in emerging markets where data is often pricey and sparse. It’s also helping ride-hailing users in those regions as along with Uber, it now supports Go-Jek in Indonesia and Grab in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. In Europe and other parts, it works with Gett, Hail, and MyTaxi in Ireland, Poland, Italy, Austria, Russia and Israel.
Via: Techcrunch
Source: Google
AT&T, Verizon sued for giving businesses discounts on 911 fees
Calling 911 is one of those things you just expect to work regardless of the circumstances. A new lawsuit alleges that mobile carriers including AT&T and Engadget parent company Verizon are shortchanging the indispensable emergency service, however. Apparently, in an effort to cut deals with business customers, the aforementioned telcos have been lowering the typical $1 fee per-line charge that goes straight to funding 911 call centers, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The suit comes from Alabama businessman Roger Schneider, a member of his local 911 oversight board, who once was offered a discount on his bill by reducing the funding tax. Whoops. He’s been keeping an eye on such matters for about a dozen years and got service providers to settle for $3 million after discovering his county’s call centers were being shorted over $1 million each year.
On a bigger stage, in 2014 there was apparently a $600 million gap between what the government spends for maintenance, wages and upkeep and what it collects in the 911 fees. That’s a huge problem. So much so that Schneider’s suit is joined by a raft of others across the country. For their parts, AT&T and Verizon each denied shortcutting the emergency tax, saying that the claims are “baseless” and that they aren’t breaking the law, respectively. But when you start looking at the numbers WSJ is reporting, those sentiments feel incredibly hollow — especially when those companies and more have had to shell out millions for 911-related delays and outages before.
Source: Wall Street Journal
Qualcomm chip security holes affect most Android phones
If you own vaguely recent Android smartphone, there’s a good chance that at least one of Qualcomm’s many chips powers it… and if so, you might be at risk. Check Point has revealed four vulnerabilities, bundled under the QuadRooter nickname, that take advantage of problems with Qualcomm driver software (for elements such as graphics, memory and routing) to get root-level access and install malware that could hijack your device. All an attacker needs to do is load a seemingly innocuous, permissions-free app to deliver the payload.
Given the sheer ubiquity of Qualcomm in the mobile world, the exploits could affect the majority of Android devices — Check Point estimates 900 million in total, or most of the 1.4 billion active devices in use as of fall 2015. That includes many of the past and present flagship phones from companies you know, such as Google’s Nexus phones, the HTC 10, LG G5 and at least some variants of Samsung’s Galaxy S7. Check Point has gone so far as to release an app that tells you whether or not your hardware is vulnerable.
Thankfully, three of the four issues have been patched, and a fix is coming for the fourth. However, there’s a very real chance that you won’t get a fix. People with newer Nexus devices already have their fix, but it may take a while for vendors like LG and Samsung to test the solution with their heavily customized takes on Android. And while plenty of security vulnerabilities go unfixed on older hardware that no longer gets support, that lack of updates is a particularly sore point with QuadRooter — many of those 900 million devices are far from the cutting edge.
You probably aren’t under imminent threat given that you’d need to install an app. If you stick to Google Play downloads, you’ll likely be safe. With that said, attackers could easily prey on users who either don’t know this or live in countries where unofficial app stores dominate, such as China.
Via: Ars Technica
Source: Check Point, Google Play
FCC hopes to speed up 5G rollouts by cutting red tape
The FCC really, really wants to get the ball rolling on 5G mobile networks, and it’s willing to make an end run around some of the usual bureaucracy to make that happen. The Commission’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau has struck a deal that will skip historic preservation reviews for small 5G cell sites across the US. So long as the sites aren’t going to “adversely impact” historic locations, they’ll get up and running that much faster. The FCC will also “welcome input” on how to improve things further.
This doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be using a 5G smartphone any time soon. The telecom industry has yet to even settle on a 5G standard, let alone build the equipment you’ll need to get online. The FCC also isn’t giving carte blanche to carriers, as it still wants “responsible” deployments. However, this raises hopes that the next wave of high-speed cellular data won’t take quite so long to arrive as LTE did — you could see meaningful coverage relatively quickly.
Source: FCC
AIVAnet 