mutating Trojans could pose a threat to Android users
From social networks to banks accounts, smartphones carry our most private and delicate information. For this very reason, security is one of the hottest topics in the Android ecosystem, andthe newest threat reported is marking the beginning of a new malicious era – mutating Trojans.
There are different opinions regarding mobile security. Some believe that it is not a significant issue, including a Google employee that went as far as to call mobile anti-virus companies “charlatans and scammers” that play with your fears for profit. Google has recently announced Bouncer, which has lowered malicious app downloads by 40%.
There is also those who believe it is not very relevant right now, but might feel differently in the near future. Hackers and virus programmers focus on market share. They target the OS that has the most users, hence the fact that most viruses developed are aimed towards Windows computers. Android is growing rapidly, and it is the most popular mobile operating system in the world (comScore reports almost 50% market share in the U.S.). Undoubtedly, security will become a bigger issue in the future.
The newest member to the Trojan family has just been reported by Symantec. It is called Android.Opfake, and it mutates every time it gets downloaded. This allows for the Trojan to bypass anti-virus detection, and according to Symantec, all of them are distributed by Russian websites. Vikram Thakur from Symantec had this to say:
As with malware that affects traditional computing devices, the level of sophistication of the polymorphism used can affect how easy or difficult the threat is to detect. More complicated polymorphism requires more intelligent countermeasures.
This Trojan is not as advanced yet, as only certain parts of the app are modified every time it gets downloaded (server side polymorphism). But future threats could be designed around local polymorphism, which would modify the app’s very code every time it gets executed.
It would be harder to for any anti-virus app to detect it, and such companies would need to exercise more complicated processes in order to stop them. After attending a presentation from avast! Free Mobile Security, I learned that their app works differently, compared to many other security applications. Their system is not a simple black-list. Rather, it actually looks at the coding within the analyzed applications. Such practices could be a better option for the future of morphing Trojans. Here’s some sound advice from Tim Armstrong, a malware researcher at Kasperky Lab:
If antivirus vendors place their detection on the executable and non-changing sections, all files would be successfully detected. However, if the Trojan’s executable code were also polymorphic, the challenge of detecting it would be more difficult.
This, along with many other advancements in malicious apps, should keep Android users on their toes. The future for the little green robot looks very bright, but also more dangerous. So what should you as a user do to protect yourself from these Trojans? Well, make sure to stick to good practices – only use trusted application stores, read reviews, and take a look at the ratings. Be a careful consumer, and things should be fine for now. But we may soon have the necessity to download anti-virus apps. Right now, they are only an extra layer of protections, and are mostly used for their anti-theft or loss features.
Source TechWorld
mutating Trojans could pose a threat to Android users originally appeared on AndroidGuys.
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Rdio users rejoice as update brings lots of needed features
For the past couple of years, Rdio has been one of the major players in the cloud-based music scene. Along with their lovely website player, they have apps on Android, iOS, and Windows Phone 7. Over time though, it seemed like the website and the iOS app were getting the majority of the development attention, as the Android app remained mostly unchanged.
Fortunately, Rdio has rectified this situation by bringing a huge update to their Android app that includes a lot of features that the Android fanbase has been clamoring for. These includ a new releases page, a top charts page, the ability to search for Rdio users, and a page that shows recommendations based on your collection and listening history. One additional feature that the Rdio release doesn’t mention is that searching actually brings up recommendations as you’re typing. The UI is also looking a bit more posh. You can have a peek at the screenshots below to get an idea of what the new look is all about.
Check the press release after the break for a full list of Rdio’s new features, and click the Market link to download the app and try it out for yourself!
So, have any Rdio users out there updated to the latest version yet? Are you liking the new features? Let us know in the comments!
Rdio users rejoice as update brings lots of needed features originally appeared on AndroidGuys.
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ICS making its way to Lenovo ThinkPad in May
The Lenovo ThinkPad, released last year, is currently running Honeycomb, but word on the street is that Lenovo will officially launch an Ice Cream Sandwich update for the ThinkPad in May, so expect to see a notification update in May.
The update will be over-the-air and it will bring all those amazing features that we’ve come to know from ICS, like face unlock, an improved browser, voice input, a faster and more stable platform, and a better user experience. Now, we know that May is quite a ways off, but patience will have to win out for a lot of users on this one. Hopefully the update will be well worth the wait.
Any ThinkPad users out there? Are you excited to be getting some ICS love? Let us know in the comments!
Source SlashGear
ICS making its way to Lenovo ThinkPad in May originally appeared on AndroidGuys.
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HTC posts Q4 earnings, disappointment follows
HTC has released their Q4 records from 2011, and sadly it doesn’t look very good. Q1, Q2 and Q3 were fairly good for the Taiwanese company, but we think HTC is probably a little disappointed with their Q4 results. Their total revenue was 102.4 billion Taiwanese dollars (that’s around 3.48 billion U.S. dollars), whereas HTC recorded $135.8 billion Taiwanese dollars (around $4.54 billion).
HTC’s earnings were 13.06 Taiwanese dollars (44 cents) per share, however Analyst Thomson Reuters had expected revenue of 144.6 Taiwanese dollars and EPS of 17.63 Taiwanese dollars. HTC had this to say:
“Despite temporary weakness resulting from product cycle transition, HTC believes it has the ability to create a new wave of momentum through the upcoming product cycle. These margins are a temporary phenomenon and will normalized when product cycle transition is over.”
For the first quarter of this year, HTC is expecting revenue around 65 to 70 billion Taiwanese dollars, whereas they were expecting around 90 billion before. At any rate, HTC is expected to launch several new Android devices at MWC later this month, so hopefully those will boost HTC’s sales and revenue.
Does this news come as a surprise to anyone? Do you think Samsung’s Galaxy SII might have played a role in HTC’s drop in sales? Drop a comment below, and let us know what your think!
Source CNet
HTC posts Q4 earnings, disappointment follows originally appeared on AndroidGuys.
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Samsung, AT&T halt Gingerbread update for Infuse 4G
There was a Gingerbread update available via Samsung Kies for the Infuse 4G, but it is no more after a few issues surfaced in the build of Android 2.3.6. It’s quite possible that Samsung knew the update wasn’t fully baked all along, as AT&T announced the software before the manufacturer of the Infuse 4G had time to even get the proper files on their servers. The two companies eventually got on the same page and users were able to sideload the update to their devices, but a new post at Samsung’s support forums says the OS upgrade has been put on hold. A fix is in the works as we speak and Samsung hopes to have things back on track shortly.
[via AndroidCentral]
T-Mobile announces Valentine’s Day sale, all phones free February 11
T-Mobile wants to help you stay connected with loved ones this Valentine’s day by offering all smartphones and select tablets free with a new two-year service plan. On February 11th, new and existing customers signing up for T-Mobile’s Classic Plan or Unlimited Value Plan will be able to take advantage of savings on devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S II and T-Mobile SpringBoard.
If Cupid’s arrow has struck you and got you lusting after a new smartphone on T-Mobile’s network, you won’t want to miss out on this one-day deal. Check out the press release below.
Cupid’s Arrow Hits Mark: T-Mobile Offers Free 4G Phones to Celebrate Valentine’s
For one day only, on Feb.11, all of T-Mobile’s 4G smartphones and select mobile broadband devices are free with the switch to a qualifying two-year plan
BELLEVUE, Wash. — Feb. 7, 2012 — In the spirit of the season, T-Mobile USA, Inc. will show consumers lots of love with another jaw-dropping promotion for its “Valentine’s Day Sale.” For one day only, Saturday, Feb. 11, T-Mobile will give customers the chance to get their hands on the latest 4G smartphones and select tablets for free, making a perfect gift for loved ones or themselves. The promotion includes T-Mobile’s fastest 4G smartphones and select tablets running on America’s Largest 4G Network® such as the Samsung Galaxy S™ II1 and the T-Mobile® SpringBoard™ with Google™.
New and existing eligible customers can take advantage of this deal receiving their device for free after a mail-in rebate card when they sign up for a new two-year contract on any qualifying Classic Plan™2 or for a $0.00 down payment after mail-in rebate card when signing up on a qualifying Unlimited Value™3 Plan.
“T-Mobile has a commitment to make the 4G experience affordable and accessible to everyone, so this sweet deal on smartphones and tablets is our Valentine’s gift to consumers,” said John Clelland, senior vice president of marketing, T-Mobile USA. “No matter where loved ones live, T-Mobile wants to bring them closer with unlimited talking, photo sharing, video chatting, texting, and more.”
A recent online Omnibus survey4 with Harris Interactive found that four-in-ten (44%) of first time smartphone buyers in 2012 say the cost of the data plan associated with the smartphone is the most influential reason they have not purchased a smartphone before. The value for customers extends beyond the “Valentine’s Day Sale” as T-Mobile offers the best rate plan pricing on America’s Largest 4G Network.
Rooted Users: You Spoke, Carrier Coverage Listened
(tl;dr – Carrier Coverage getting root support this week)
How would you characterize rooted android users? Geeky, technically savvy early adopters who enjoy tinkering, customizing and innovating? Absolutely, but after the launch of Carrier Coverage yesterday, I might bump a few other adjetives to the top of the list: vocal, influential, and demanding.
And I don’t mean demanding in a bad way. I mean demanding in a “we expect a lot from you” kind of way, like parents criticizing their kid for a B+ math grade because they know their child is capable of A+ grades. The Carrier Coverage team worked LONG and HARD on producing a great version 1.0 product (Android Market Download Link), but without support for rooted users, things went haywire.
The market flooded with 1-star ratings criticizing the lack of root support. Commenters suggested we hate root users and treat them like cheaters. In reality, it’s just VERY hard to accurately identify the correct info when many ROMs awkwardly change fields such as carrier, device, brand, and build name. To insure accuracy, we thought it would be best to disclude rooted user – at least initially – in our reports.
We were wrong.
A couple of the adjetives I left off the list are probably the most important of all: passionate and supportive. Rooted users are the EXACT type of Android users who are MOST likely to want to help and contribute to our vision. We know this and the LAST thing we want to do is alienate this group or make them think we don’t care. That’s why, as of last night, we began working on an update to the app and website that will allow inclusion of rooted data with a yes/no toggle button. Special thanks to all the people who suggested providing this option: it neither compromises data integrity or alienates root users, and might even provide a couple interesting data mining opportunities along the way.
We currently consider rooted user support to be our #1 priority and hope you appreciate that we’re listening to user feedback. We truly want to create a product and service that you love. We’re also hoping that those who left 1-star ratings and negative comments on Android Market will reconsider… we’d be heartbroken to see the long-term potential of Carrier Coverage killed because of a miscalculation in our launch strategy.
That’s right… I admit that we made a mistake. Now we’re correcting it. We hope you’ll continue to leave feedback on the Carrier Coverage Forums. We will continue listening, responding, and acting on your feedback so if you’ve got something to say, please let us know in the appropriate section of the forum. We hope to see you there!
Carrier Coverage Users are ADVANCED
I just wanted to share these graphics which comes directly from the Android Market Developer Console.
Over 30% of Carrier Coverage users are running Android 4.X ICS while other similar apps have less than 1% of users on the most recent version of Android. Over 25% of all users are rocking the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. We’ve obviously got a smart, savvy, on-the-cutting-edge user base and we’ll continue catering to you. We hope you’ll continue offering your support and feedback.
We’ve also fixed a few bugs in an update now on the market as version 1.0.4:
- [Bug Fix] -> Fixed issue that prevented some GSM phones from not processing signal correctly.
- [Bug Fix] -> Fixed network detection before submitting signals. Awaiting feedback.
- [Bug Fix] -> Fixed first load sync issue.
- [Bug Fix] -> Fixed Honeycomb refresh from not showing.
- [Feature] -> Added more root user support.
- [General] -> Removed ICS menu for settings, replaced with single button.
Now head on over to the market, download Carrier Coverage,and hook us up with some encouraging feedback!
Ultra-thin Huawei Ascend P1 S headed to China in March
Huawei surprised us with their incredibly thin Ascend P1 S, which debuted at CES in early January. The phone manages to pack high-end specs including a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and 8MP camera into a case that measures just 6.68mm thick. Despite a rather light 1800mAh battery, it’s the most impressive offering we have seen from the manufacturer best known for its entry-level devices for world markets.
Huawei is extending their reach into new territories including the US, but their main Chinese market will still be the first to get a taste of the Ascend P1 S. The Ice Cream Sandwich handset is now said to be launching in the country in late March. A release in Europe is expected soon after and the phone may eventually come to the US as part of a carrier deal. We’re not ready to put Huawei in the same class as the HTC, Motorola, and Samsungs of the world, but if they keep pushing out hardware like this it may be time to reconsider.
[via AndroidCommunity]
Google Voice receiving update, gets new tablet features and ICS icon
Google is ready to bring Voice into the Ice Cream Sandwich age with an update to the service’s native Android app. Immediately noticeable is a new Android 4.0 style icon, though on the surface the app doesn’t seem to change much from the previous version for smartphones. Tablet users will notice a few differences on the surface including a Click-to-Call button added to the main interface and integration into the People app (users can now initiate a Google Voice call by clicking on a contact entry).
Some users are reporting problems with updating to the latest version of Voice directly on their devices. The easiest way to get the new version is by installing from the web version of the Android Market. The link is below.
Android Market Link: Google Voice
Google Voice update brings new ICS icon, interface, and tablet click-to-call
A mystery update for Google Voice has just landed in the Android Market this afternoon. Google is busy today and has just released Google Chrome for Android, and now we are getting a redesigned Google Voice app with awesome UI improvements and tablet features. The updated Icon is being shown in the market but apparently the update isn’t pushing out yet, but we were able to quickly install it through the web Android Market here.
First off, the entire user interface, icon, and menu’s have all been updated to go along with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Complete with the color changes and all as you can see from the new cyan blue icon. Then in the image above you can see the new click-to-call feature that has been added to Android 4.0 tablets. We gave it a quick try and it worked great. The phone interface has also received these same changes, obviously, and looks pretty nice and more in line with what we’ve seen from Google lately.
The tablet version has also received the People app from ICS and you can initiate a Google Voice call right from the contacts tile, or image inside your People tab in Ice Cream Sandwich. Everything else from the what’s new list was all included with previous updates and we still have yet to receive the new final change log. Once this update starts rolling out officially we should know more. If you have troubles downloading the new update try it on the web market linked to below. Even if it says “installed” give it a click and get the latest. Someone didn’t do something right that is for sure, but we are enjoying it anyways.
Story Timeline
- Google Voice Number Porting Officially Launched, Available to All Current Users on Jan 25th 2011
- Google Voice Updated to 4.2.34, Fixes for delayed notifications and more on Aug 31st 2011
- Google Voice Update Brings Tablet Support on Sep 5th 2011
- Google Voice is getting MMS – raise your hand if you care on Oct 14th 2011
- Google Voice update brings prefetch for voicemails, improved notifications, more on Nov 15th 2011
