A virtual server bug is said to be worse than Heartbleed
In case you were napping, Heartbleed struck web servers’ OpenSSL security last year, opening up the servers’ memory to intruders. There’s a new so-called zero-day vulnerability, only this time the researchers who discovered it say it’s much worse, impacting millions of datacenter machines. The flaw is called Venom, which stands for Virtualized Environment Neglected Operations Manipulation. What does that mean? With the common practice of putting multiple customers into virtual servers, datacenters are setup to share some key tools, but sensitive information remains separated. Thanks to Venom, though, a hacker can gain access to a datacenters’ entire storage network, leaving all of the customers on it vulnerable. As you might expect, the issue resides in an often ignored virtual floppy disk controller, but when it’s exploited, it’s like opening up a vault of stored info. As ZDNet reports, many modern virtual systems contain the bug — platforms like Oracle’s VirtualBox, KVM and Xen. The good news is Oracle says it already remedied the issue, and will nix it completely in forthcoming update.
[Image credit: Marvel via Getty images]
Filed under: Internet, Software
Source: ZDNet
Microsoft details the many different versions of Windows 10
A new Windows release wouldn’t be the same without many different versions of the OS to confuse the heck out of you. In a blog post this morning, Microsoft finally gave us the skinny on Windows 10’s upcoming versions — and they’re all pretty familiar to Windows fans. There’s the usual “Home” version for mainstream consumers, and the “Pro” version for business users. The latter is different from Windows 10 Enterprise, which is meant for large organizations with support for large-deployments. There’s also a version of Windows 10 targeted specifically at schools, which is likely part of Microsoft’s plan to take on Google’s Chromebooks. Microsoft is also differentiating the mobile versions of the OS: Windows 10 Mobile is what you’ll see on most consumer phones, but there’s also a “Mobile Enterprise” version for businesses.
Filed under: Software, Microsoft
Source: Microsoft
YotaPhone 2 receives some major changes, now available in white
The YotaPhone 2, touting an OLED display on the front and an E-ink solution on the back, today has received some major changes.
As earlier reports suggested, the first of those changes is a major price cut. The YotaPhone 2 can now be purchased for £440 in the UK and €599 in the rest of Europe, which is quite a price cut when you consider it was 100 more last year. These prices put the 32GB model at about $680 in US dollars.
While the device isn’t available in North America yet, Yota plans on bringing the device to the U.S. in July with the help of an earlier announced Indiegogo campaign. Additionally, it was unveiled earlier this year that the device will be available on one of the four major carriers in the United States.
Besides a price cut and a possible North American launch, the YotaPhone 2 is receiving some major software changes, which the company says is largely because of Android Lollipop. The software update has improved the phone’s performance, responsiveness, and even the camera.
Yota today has also released a white model of the YotaPhone 2. For the most part, it’s identical to their black option, the only real change users will notice is that the colors are inverted on the E-ink panel.
Overall, this unique dual-panneled smartphone is a genius design, and we’re looking forward to a US release. Are you? Let us know in the comments.
Come comment on this article: YotaPhone 2 receives some major changes, now available in white
Google making high-res video on Chrome suck less
Trying to make YouTube’s new super-high-res 4K 60fps video work? Good luck with that — not only does such video require very fast internet, but also a super-charged computer. Google’s new VP9 video codec helps with the connection speed part, but to make 4K60, 4K or 1080p60 videos play with fewer hiccups, it’s built a new video rendering algorithm for Chrome. To try it out, you’ll need to set a flag in the latest experimental Chromium build, as detailed in Googler Francois Beaufort’s post. That said, an Intel Celeron-equipped PC from 2007 probably still won’t cut it. To put your own machine to the test, try the UltraHD 60fps video below and let us know how that goes.
Source: Francois Beaufort
YotaPhone 2 gets whiter, cheaper and Lollipopier
The YotaPhone 2, with AMOLED on the front and E Ink on the back, is already quite a striking handset thanks to its dual-screen design. Though not striking enough, apparently, or at least not as openly eccentric as the new, white version of the device launching today. And a different color scheme isn’t the only thing Yota Devices has to announce this morning. The price of the YotaPhone 2 is also dropping significantly in Europe from today, regardless of what model you’re eyeing up, and all current owners will be pleased to hear that an update to Android 5.0 Lollipop has begun rolling out. In addition to Google’s improvements, the new version also includes a bunch of YotaPhone-specific tweaks that let you do more with the E Ink display.
The new, white YotaPhone 2 isn’t just a straight reversal of the all-black model. In fact, only the plastic on the rear and sides of the device have changed hue. The front panel has remained black for a number of reasons. Firstly, prototyping told Yota that a black front is just easier on the eye, especially when framing an AMOLED display since it accentuates the high level of contrast. And second, the company didn’t care to blindly reskin the handset. It wanted to create something a little bit different, which is part of the reason the YotaPhone 2 exists in the first place. And different, it is.
A switch from black to white plastic is obviously the most apparent change, but a couple of other parts have been tweaked to make the new color scheme work. The power key and volume rocker are now brushed metal, as is the detailing around the primary camera, and the small YotaPhone logo on the E Ink side is now silver instead of white. I can’t deny it’s a more eye-catching build, especially with the juxtaposition of the black face, but it’s a bit too ostentatious for my liking. In my opinion, the all-black model is pleasantly understated in comparison, and I’d be worried the white plastic would show signs of wear and tear much quicker.
I can easily see, however, how the more extravagant white version might take your fancy. And Europeans after a new YotaPhone 2 are in luck, as it’s receiving a significant price cut today. Both the black and white models are now on sale in the UK for £440 (£115 off the launch price), and elsewhere in Europe for €599 (€100 less than at launch) through Yota’s online store. The white version can also be purchased online in certain CIS and Middle Eastern countries where the black model is available, but at full price, though Yota hopes to extend the price drop to these markets as soon as possible. If you’re wondering about US availability, I’m told the plan is to launch an Indiegogo campaign sometime this month to facilitate a North American launch in July.
In addition to the new exterior, Yota has been working on improving the software side of things, too. One development that’s already available on the all-black model, even if you haven’t spotted it yet, is a new “white theme” for the E Ink display. Quite simply, it’s an inverted version of the YotaPanel UI that runs on the E Ink side, so what was black is now white, and vice versa. It was created so that YotaPanels looked better and more natural on the new white version of the handset, but you can use either theme on both models.
More importantly, though, the YotaPhone 2 is being updated to Android 5.0 Lollipop. The white model comes with the latest version as standard, but all-black units currently out in the wild will start receiving it from today. It’s being issued OTA in stages, mind, so it might take up to 10 days to reach your specific handset. In addition to all the good stuff that comes with Google’s latest mobile OS version, Yota has taken the opportunity to overhaul its own software that runs on the E Ink side (when you’re not in full Android mirror-mode). And I’m told almost all the improvements are the direct result of user feedback.
The company’s custom software used to be layered, with what’s called a YotaCover up front, and widget-filled YotaPanels beneath (you might want to check out my full review of the YotaPhone 2 to brush up on the old layout). The YotaCover used to function as kind of a lockscreen, showing background images the user selects and an overview of unread notifications if you allowed it. You’d switch between the YotaCover and YotaPanel UI using an on-screen key, but this was apparently thought to be confusing and unintuitive. So, YotaCovers and YotaPanels are now on the same level rather than tiered, letting you swipe between them, and that onscreen key is now a home button. Thus, you can select any Cover or Panel to be your E Ink “home screen.”
Setting up YotaCovers is a tad easier in the latest iteration of the YotaHub app, which is what you use to manage everything that happens on the E Ink side. YotaCovers can pull images from the device, Facebook, Instagram and Google+, and change them automatically as quickly as every five minutes (you can still have multiple Covers with different rules and different image sets). Before, this was a cumbersome process. You’d have to select an individual service, and then the pictures you thought appropriate to broadcast on the back of your phone. Now, all sources feed into a central gallery, meaning you only need to thumb around the one screen to pick a bunch of images you want. Exploring all your pictures on any given service still requires a few more taps, though.
There are new Cover options, too, some of which are more like full-sized widgets that won’t fit into any of the YotaPanel grid layouts. These include Facebook, Instagram and Twitter YotaCovers that poll your social networks as often as every 15 minutes and display the latest post. Currently, it’s only the one post, but Yota is planning to expand them to include more of your feed. They are also interactive, so you can like and retweet content without having to enter the apps on the AMOLED side. That’s indicative of what this software update is all about: giving users more information and more flexibility to do things with the E Ink display that they’d otherwise have to unlock the phone and load up an app for.
Other new YotaCovers include YotaRemote, a smart TV remote that works over WiFi and is compatible with the majority of recent Samsung and LG TVs from the get-go, and YotaFit, which is a basic pedometer app (though I’m told two high-profile partners are working to integrate data from their own fitness apps into this Cover). There are plenty of new widgets that slot into the YotaPanel grid layouts, too, most notable of which is the new Gmail widget that was apparently one of the most requested features. You’ve also got YotaSports (powered by EuroSport), which pulls live match scores and other sporty information (primarily for soccer lovers), and the simple to-do list and note-taking app YotaNotes, which can sync with Google Drive.
“Yotagram,” a special version of the Telegram app built with an E Ink widget in mind, and subscription e-book service Bookmate, which has a native mirror-mode when its Android app is pushed to the E Ink side, round out the notable new additions. Not everything is working quite as intended yet, I must add. On the handset I’ve been playing with, the Facebook YotaCover isn’t functioning properly, and the YotaNotes widget won’t populate with lists I’ve made in the corresponding Android app.
Making a comeback from the first-generation YotaPhone is “emotional messaging.” What this feature does is scan the contents of SMS messages, pick out keywords and display an appropriate image alongside the notification on the E Ink side. It’s sometimes wildly inaccurate and only works well with short messages, but that’s supposed to be part of the fun. The YotaEnergy low-battery notification has also been tweaked so it’s persistent, hard to ignore and gives you more information on how long your phone’s got left with or without battery-saving mode enabled.
Yota hopes that by adding more functionality to the E Ink display, consumers will see more value in the quirky and niche device. The company doesn’t want to do all the work itself, though, and has launched a new SDK it says is simpler than the last and encourages developers to build widgets that allow for quick interactions on the E Ink side, without needing to overhaul the way their apps work.
The final slice of news today is the launch of the YotaPhone Wireless Power Bank accessory, which is essentially a reskinned, white-label portable charger with built-in Qi wireless charging plate. The Power Bank is on sale now for £35 in the UK and €49 in the rest of Europe.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile
Madfinger Games offering $0.99 title sale for 5th anniversary and much more
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This week is officially the 5th anniversary week for game developing studio Madfinger Games. Many of you have been around with the company for titles like Shadowgun, Samurai II: Vengeance and the Dead Trigger series. I know I still kick back with some Shadowgun: Deadzone, the online multi-player version of the 3rd person shooter title, from time to time. In celebration of 5 years of gaming, the company is offering up all the paid titles from their portfolio for just $0.99.
As for the titles that are already free to play, like Dead Trigger 2, you will find yourself able to pick up select in-game content for 50% off the normal retail price tag with models and additional content in Monzo for 70% off.
On May 15th – 17th gamer’s are invited to play in a tournament on Dead Trigger 2 and you will find yourself picking up some free gold.
Finally, they say they are officially launching the Unkilled website on May 14th. I did a quick Google search and the page seems to be up already. Unkilled is the next big game from the company and keeps with the zombie theme a bit with some killer looking graphics and monstrous zombies. Take a look at the trailer for it below.
Direct yourself over to the Madfinger developer page and take a look.
Source: Madfinger
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BitTorrent’s messaging service goes wide, adds ephemeral options
Last we heard of BitTorrent’s chat client, Bleep, it was just debuting. Today the news is that the secure messaging client is moving from open alpha to a release aimed at the general Android and iOS owning public. With it comes peer-to-peer messaging with the ability to communicate — even sending messages to friends who are offline — no servers required, which theoretically means no threat of hacking. Perhaps the biggest new feature is an ephemeral option called “whispers” for evaporating messages. Unlike Snapchat, though, you can choose on a message by message basis which texts or photos you send will evaporate after 25 seconds. It isn’t an all or nothing affair here. And to further distance itself from the ghostly messaging service, you can even send these from a computer. BitTorrent says with whispers you can swap back and forth between them and normal messages seamlessly without breaking the flow of conversation too.
There’s protection against screenshotting too. Say a pal captures a particularly sensitive back-and-forth that you’d rather not see the light of day. In that case, usernames are blocked out, but text remains. If they want to reveal who was in on the conversation, only the usernames show and the conversation blurs out. The outfit stresses that both the text and usernames won’t be viewable simultaneously, as you can see below.
Free, end-to-end encrypted calling is on offer as well in case you want to keep your voice conversations private too. Maybe best of all? The firm says that no personal information is required to sign up, all you need to do to use the client is supply a username.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile
Source: BitTorrent
MIT can fix pictures taken through your window… kinda
Take a picture through a window and you’ll often find you’ve captured more of your own reflection than the scene outside. You can solve the problem with a black cloth and a polarizing filter, but that’s not ideal for the majority of smartphone snappers out there. That’s why researchers at MIT are about to present a new software-based solution that, they believe, can “fix” the problem, but only if the window that you’re shooting through is double-glazed.
As YiChang Shih explains, windows with two separate panes of glass produce two reflections, one on the inside and one on the outside. After trying to work out a way of successfully separating the pair, the researcher found a useful image algorithm from a team at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. When this was combined with Shih’s own work, he was able to run through Flickr, correcting several photos at will. Details about how the algorithm works are, naturally, being kept quite scarce, but Shih will open up on the project at the Computer Vision conference in June.
Filed under: Cameras, Software
Via: Gizmodo
Source: MIT News
Android 5.0 Lollipop TestDrive for Moto X 1st gen starting in the US and Latin America
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The 1st gen Moto X is still a pretty solid device for a lot of people. It was small, packed a lot of features and was very customizable. It did pretty well in many markets. What is missing from the device is Android 5.0 Lollipop though. We all want it of course. It would seem that we have a little information about said update in a Google+ post that went out this afternoon from Motorola’s Senior Director of Software Product Management, David Schuster.
In his brief post he explains that the update has been a struggle due to the lack of support from some of their partners. Never a fun statement, or realization, to have to make. None the less, he went on to say that they are starting to TestDrive the Android 5.0 Lollipop update in the US and in Latin America and with any luck, should begin rolling it out in a few weeks. That doesn’t mean everyone with a 1st Gen Moto X will see the update on deployment though. If history proves to be true, then it will most likely land on unlocked variants first with carrier branded versions to follow at some point afterwards. Hopefully all the carriers will be willing to jump on board and make the update happen on the aging device.
Source: David Schuster G+ Via: 9to5Google
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OnePlus to announce China-only HydrogenOS on May 28th
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What comes after Oxygen? Hydrogen, apparently. Last month, Chinese smartphone manufacturer, OnePlus, released OxygenOS for its OnePlus One devices with the intention that it would cover pretty well all One handsets across the globe. As it turns out, OxygenOS won’t really be around in China as OnePlus is going to release HydrogenOS there and has started sending out invites to an event on May 28th.
For those who didn’t catch OxygenOS’s release, OnePlus basically released a slightly modified version of Android 5.0 for the OnePlus One, presumably with some nice optimizations built in. We’d assume that HydrogenOS would mostly be the same as OxygenOS with a few regional flourishes – China has been a fan of the MIUI theme layout, much like a iOS homescreen, so we’ll have to see whether OnePlus takes HydrogenOS down that path or not.
What do you expect HydrogenOS to look like? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Zol via TalkAndroid
The post OnePlus to announce China-only HydrogenOS on May 28th appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
AIVAnet 