Teen arrested for sharing exploit that almost brought down 911

An Arizona teen is discovering why you should think very carefully about sharing exploits online: you don’t know what people will do with them… or in some cases, that you’re sharing the right exploits. Phoenix police have arrested 18-year-old Meetkumar Hitesbhai Desai on computer tampering charges after he publicly posted a version of iOS-based JavaScript attack that he thought would only deliver annoying pop-ups, but actually made bogus 911 calls. In the Phoenix region, there were so many hang-up calls (there were 1,849 link clicks in total) that there was the “potential danger” of emergency phone services going down, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office says. California and Texas police saw call spikes, too.

Desai tells police he was only trying to find iOS flaws and report them to Apple for the sake of collecting bug bounties and acclaim. Reportedly, he was only trying to prank friends with the public post and slipped up by releasing the wrong code.

It’s not certain that a judge and jury will sympathize with Desai’s account of events. If this really was a mistake, it still had serious repercussions. What if 911 really had gone down, or had been late to responding to real calls? Whatever the truth may be, the bust emphasizes how fragile emergency phone services can be. As Softpedia observes, researchers have learned that it could take just 6,000 smartphones to completely flood a state’s 911 system. Given that it took a relatively mild incident to bring one region’s system to its knees, 911 providers will want to beef up their defenses if they expect to survive larger, more deliberate attacks.

Via: Softpedia, The Verge

Source: Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office (PDF)

From the Editor’s Desk: It’s complicated

We don’t need a third mobile platform. We need better mobile strategies.

Yesterday, Jerry wrote a fantastic piece about how the world needs a third player in the mobile space, a competitor to Google’s and Apple’s duopoly that has taken hold since Microsoft all but abandoned the mobile hardware space in 2015. I agree with a lot of his points, especially around how these two huge technology companies need to be held in check or risk becoming complacent.

But given Google’s recent foray into hardware and integrating its core web services so tightly with it, I don’t think we’re at risk of these companies becoming lazy and not innovating; what’s more likely is that they get too big and take on too much at once. We can see some of this happening on both sides, with Google’s very public discontinuation of Project Ara and scaling back of Google Fiber, and with Apple’s reported move away from building its own car, opting instead to focus on software.

Microsoft’s new Paint 3D app for Windows 10 (Windows Central)

At the same time, Microsoft was rightfully praised this past week for delivering a truly innovative product, in the Surface Studio desktop, and a cohesive vision of the future that collects all of its disparate businesses — mobile software and apps, Bing, VR, HoloLens, machine learning, Azure, cloud storage — into a neat narrative about empowering creative people to get work done. I bought it, and I’m sure a lot of you did, too: it’s the perfect cap to a comeback story that began with Satya Nadella’s poised and thoughtful position as the company’s leader. And Paint 3D looks pretty damn powerful.

But if you take what Jerry referred to as a “third mobile platform” and position Microsoft as that potential savior, you’re going to be thoroughly disappointed. Microsoft has ceded mobile — as a full-stack builder of hardware and software — in favor of a much more nuanced, and potentially more powerful, position: a horizontal strategy that sees its best features available on Windows 10, yes, but also iOS, Android — hell, even Oculus and SteamVR.

Unlike Apple, and much like Google, Microsoft will likely never make a considerable profit from its hardware, since it is in the business of tunnelling into your connected lives from places you wouldn’t expect: powering Siri’s and Alexa’s web search; taking business away from Amazon’s AWS dominance; beating Google at AI; and, yes, making great hardware that forces Apple loyalists to wake up and say, “There is an alternative.”

We don’t need a third mobile platform — we already have a third, and a fourth, and a fifth. Instead, we need better experiences for consumers through more astute partnerships.

You also can’t forget Amazon and Facebook. They may not make phones (anymore), but their ubiquity on your phones, and in your homes, could be construed as another mobile platform. Facebook alone owns three of my most-used apps, and Alexa has slowly been eating into the time I would spend streaming music to Apple TV or asking Google Now for the day’s top stories.

And then there’s the Android manufacturers like Samsung, Asus, Xiaomi, LeEco and myriad others that build platforms on top of Android already. Some, like Xiaomi and LeEco, have amassed huge followings less for their hardware than their ability to use that hardware as loss leadership for their subscription-based software and services.

So while I think that Jerry makes some great points, he is wrong about one thing: we don’t need a third mobile platform. We already have a third, and a fourth, and a fifth. Instead, we need better experiences for consumers through more astute partnerships. Samsung has already figured this out to some extent, partnering with Microsoft, Facebook and a number of other players to counter Google’s dominance even as it builds on top of Android. It doesn’t mean changing the default search to Bing, or replicating even more Google services on top of Android, but finding ways to add value to people’s lives without tacking on gratuitous features — as is often the case today.

The answer to mobile innovation isn’t obvious to me — some think it’s AR/VR, others AI/bots, others still solving the app monetization problem — but that there is tremendous innovation happening at all levels, be it hardware, software, or in the cloud, is obvious. And I hope that doesn’t change.

A few other things:

• It’s pretty clear that the Pixel and Pixel XL are winners. One person could be an aberration; two, a coincidence. But now that nearly everyone on the AC staff has one in hand and shares the same sentiment, I think it’s fair to crown the Pixel as the best Android phone currently available.
• But that statement sure has been controversial.
• The LG V20 is likely one of the last major carrier releases of the year, and if you’re not enthused by the Pixel it’s a pretty good alternative. It also takes the complete opposite strategy, despite being built on what amounts to the same software. But whereas the Pixel is all about understated (dare I say, underdeveloped) design, the LG V20 constitutes excess in almost every way. Excess is not inherently bad, and LG has reined in its software a little, but if you read my above thoughts and then think about the Pixel at one side of the spectrum and the V20 at the other, things start to make a bit more sense.
• It’s also sad to see how completely LG caved to the carriers with the V20 release. Not only does the AT&T model have 20 pre-installed apps, but Verizon straight-up breaks several features because they came close to duplicating many of the services Big Red bundles with its phones. .
• We discuss this in great detail in our latest podcast.
• It’s a shame about Vine. It’s an even bigger shame about Twitter.
• I’m incredibly excited about Google Home given the early potential of Assistant. The first units should start shipping this week.
• I’m even more excited about Google Wifi, since my home is basically a Wi-Fi nightmare zone that requires mesh.
• I love that we’re doing more on Chrome recently. If you want to see Google’s tablet strategy for 2017, look at what’s happening on Chromebooks right now.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and have a very happy, safe and spooky Halloween!

    -Daniel

Classic Mac Startup Chime Not Present in New MacBook Pros

Apple has done away with the traditional startup chime on its new MacBook Pro lineup because the machines automatically power on when the lid is opened.

Pingie.com was first to note the removal of the sound from Apple’s new 13-inch and 15-inch laptops – both the models featuring Apple’s new Touch Bar (as well as the 13-inch version without a Bar) automatically boot when opened or when connected to a power source if the battery is dead, so the sound has apparently been deemed surplus to requirements.

The iconic chiming startup sound was originally made to indicate that diagnostic tests have found no hardware or software issues. A similar sound has accompanied almost every Mac boot sequence since 1991 and its most recent F-sharp chord incarnation was first used in the iMac G3.

A C major chord was originally recorded by Apple engineer Jim Reekes using a Korg keyboard, and what most people hear these days is a pitch-shifted version of the sound made by the Macintosh Quadra family of professional computers, first released in 1991.

According to the book The Sonic Boom: How Sound Transforms the Way We Think, Feel, and Buy, Reekes’ “earconic” sound came out of a desire to replace the older tritone boot sound heard on earlier Macs. Reekes wanted to use a more meditative sound to indicate the Mac had passed its initial Power On Self Test (POST) checks, a sound he later called a “palate cleanser for the ears”.

According to Reekes, Apple executives didn’t particularly like the sound, but it managed to make the final code that was shipped in all Quadra 700 Macs. Allegedly, Steve Jobs himself prevented any further alteration of the sound when he came back to Apple in 1996.

The Mac startup sound can also be heard in 2008 Disney-Pixar movie WALL*E. When the titular robot character has reached 100 percent power after positioning his solar array, the booting chime goes off.

Apple has updated its support documents to reflect the change. As noted previously, Apple has also removed the backlit Apple logo on new MacBook Pro models.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro
Buyer’s Guide: Retina MacBook Pro (Buy Now)
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Best Battery Packs For Your Galaxy S6

The Galaxy S6 is still a great phone, but you might find its battery life to be lacking.

Still loving your Samsung Galaxy S6? That’s fantastic. But what might not be so fantastic is your phone’s battery life. Its 2,550mAh battery was never a strength so you might be struggling to make it through your day without relying on your charger. That’s really inconvenient, as you can’t utilize a regular charger just anywhere. That’s where having a battery pack for your Galaxy S6 comes in handy.

We’ve selected our top four favorite battery packs for the Galaxy S6 that range from 3,000 mAh all the way up to 25,600 mAh. That means you’ll have enough battery life to get you through the most demanding of days, no matter which option you go with.

• TYLT Energi (3,000 mAh)
• Aukey Quick Charge Battery (10,000 mAh)
• KMASHI Quick Charge Portable Charger (20,000 mAh)
• Anker E7 Battery (25,000 mAh)

TYLT Energi (3,000 mAh)

Not every portable battery has to be huge and unwieldy, but you still want it to charge up your phone quickly and efficiently. The TYLT Energi 3K battery walks the line nicely with a compact case that’s made of durable hard plastic and contains 3,000 mAh of capacity. A built-in MicroUSB cable means you don’t have to bring one of your own to charge up your phone, and an additional standard USB port means you can charge two devices at once if you need to in a pinch.

The capacity is just right for giving your Galaxy S6 a full charge, and when you get back home it won’t take long at all to get the Energi 3K itself juiced back up and ready for your next outing. What’s more, the price is just right at the moment at under $20.

See at Amazon

Aukey Quick Charge Battery (10,000 mAh)

We might sound like a broken record suggesting this portable battery, but when it comes to quickly charging the Galaxy S6 you want a battery that can stand up to the challenge.

After our initial hands on review of the Aukey 10,000mAh Quick Charge Battery, we determined that its sleek design, Quick Charge 2.0 capability and 10k battery capacity was simply a must-have for anyone in the fast charging club. We’ve seen it in action with the Galaxy S6, too — and it works great.

This Quick Charge battery comes with a white micro-USB cable, and is available for under $30 on Amazon.

See at Amazon

KMASHI Quick Charge Portable Charger (20,000 mAh)

KMASHI’s external battery bank has a capacity of 20,000mAh and can charge two devices simultaneously. It’s got one regular USB charging port, and another Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 port which is compatible with your Galaxy S6.

This battery pack comes with a built-in LED flashlight for emergency situations and offers a sleek, somewhat rugged design, which means you can take it with you anywhere. Coming it at around 6 inches by 4 inches, it’s about average size for a portable battery pack of this capacity. Given its size you’ll be be able to fully charge your Galaxy S6 multiple times with this battery pack. You can get yours for under $50 on Amazon.

See at Amazon

Anker E7 Battery (25,000 mAh)

Saving the beast for last, Anker’s Astro E7 has an impressive 25,600mAh battery inside and offers an incredible charging speed of 3A per USB port or 4A using all 3 ports.

Packed with Anker’s PowerIQ technology, it will automatically detect the fastest possible charging speed when plugged into the Galaxy S6 — that goes for any device, too. It even comes with an LED flashlight built-in which could prove useful for camping trips among many other low light situations.

If you’re after a battery pack for your Galaxy S6 that’ll outlast the rest, this is a keeper. It comes with a micro-USB cable, travel pouch, and is available in black or white right now for $79.99.

See at Amazon

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SpaceX is ready to resume testing rockets following its accident

SpaceX hasn’t yet pinpointed the ultimate cause of its Falcon 9 explosion from September, but it’s far enough into the investigation that it’s ready to get back to business. The private spaceflight firm now says its inquiry is in an “advanced state,” and it’s confident enough that it plans to resume stage testing in Texas within the “coming days.” The company still hopes to resume flight by the end of the year.

As for the accident? SpaceX has narrowed down the likely cause to one of the composite overwrapped pressure vessels inside the liquid oxygen tank. Investigators can consistently reproduce a problem solely through the pressure and temperature conditions experienced while loading helium. Appropriately, SpaceX is improving its helium loading conditions so that it can “reliably” service Falcon 9 rockets going forward.

The updates are good news for SpaceX in more ways than one. It’s in a scramble to regain trust from partners worried that they’ll lose payloads in the future — they need to know that explosions like this are unlikely to happen again for a long, long while. SpaceX also needs to show that its long-term plans for manned flights and Mars colonization won’t face similar setbacks.

Via: Ars Technica

Source: SpaceX

Best Photo Editor for your Chromebook

Polarr Photo Editor is the best way to edit pictures on your Chromebook.

One of the most often asked questions about Chromebooks we get is how to edit photos. You see the same questions in the comments of Chromebook posts and in forums and everywhere else. It’s a valid question.

One of the biggest holes in the Chromebook toolbox has always been content creation apps and utilities. If you need to edit video or audio or do more than some quick touch up work on photos, you likely looked towards a Windows or Mac laptop instead of a Chromebook because the tools were few and far between and many of the available ones were little more than a link to an online utility.

That’s starting to change. The old adage of “if you build it they will come” rings a little true. Chromebooks are selling well even with a down market for traditional computers, and more and more schools are giving students a Chromebook to help them with their schoolwork and get them ready for the “outside world.” This puts more eyeballs on great apps, and developers like to have eyeballs on their stuff. Add in Android app support through Google Play and you have a ton of choices to sift through to find the best. We did it for you.

If you’re looking for the best photo editor for your Chromebook you should install Polarr Photo Editor.

Polarr is a stand-alone program developed for Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Linux, and Chrome. There is even an online version you can use through your web browser. It’s a full-featured program, and not what many people imagine when they think of a Chrome app.

Simply put, it’s the real deal. In fact, it’s one of the best Chrome apps you’ll find and an example of how just good things can be.

Polarr is one of the first Chromebook apps that’s as good as anything on Windows or the Mac.

The feature set is the perfect mix for casual to advanced work, which is exactly where a Chromebook shines. If you just want to add a filter so your photo stands out a little on Instagram, they are there and can be applied with one click. If you just want to let the app do some automatic magic fixes, Polarr can do that, too, and it does a great job smoothing out the noise and sharpening your photo while not destroying the color balance. When you want or need to do more, Polarr has you covered there, too.

You can adjust the color, lighting, detail, vignetting, HSL (hue, saturation, and luminance), RGB channel curves, toning, and distortion. You can even apply photo effects like fringing or film grain. And you can do this on a RAW file up to 40MP in size.

The controls are simple and perfect for anyone who doesn’t have to use Photoshop five days a week to earn a paycheck. All adjustments are in real time so you can see what effect each has and you have a full history panel to undo any or all the changes. You can even drag and drop the controls so the toolboxes work the way you want them to.

Polarr on my Chromebook makes my workflow easy again.

Here at AC taking photos is part of the job, and a big part of that is trying to make sure the stray piece of dust or eyelash doesn’t ruin a photo and the bright screen on Android phones isn’t washed out. That means most of the time our pictures of phones need run through an editing program. I’ve been using Polarr on my Chromebook to do it without any problems. In a lot of ways, I prefer Polarr to Lightroom — I like the tools interface better and the file handling is much better if you only have a few pictures to work on. Most importantly, Polarr does a good job balancing the exposure and cleaning up the noise that gets left behind when your adjusting it.

If you have a Chromebook or Chromebox — especially if you’re all-in and it’s your only computer — you need to try it. You can install Polarr for free from the Chrome Web Store and get most of the experience. All the tool features are available but some of the advanced adjustments are locked. What you get for free is very usable and works great. If you like what you see and want the rest the program is $20. That’s about $100 cheaper than Lightroom and the things most people who don’t need Lightroom would want to do are easy with Polarr. I feel like I got my money’s worth.

Download Polarr Photo Editor for Chrome (Free / full version $19.99)

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After Math: Well that’s terrifying

Halloween is tomorrow so here are some stories to scare the pants off you. Google’s AI can now encrypt its thoughts from its human handlers, Turkey’s descent into a police state is accelerating, Twitter straight up murdered Vine and, horror of horrors, Gilmore Girls is somehow back on television. Numbers, because how else are we going to track the body count?