Security bug means virtually Android devices could be prone to hackers

A security flaw discovered in almostAndroid devices means that post-1.6 versions of the OS could be open to intrusion.

The information was released by Bluebox Security, which claims that the "Android master key" makes 99 per cent of devices vulnerable – that's about 900 million devices.

The flaw is down to the way Android app updates are verified, as developers are able to modify the code of an app update without breaking the cryptographic signature. In other words, it's easy for them to hack in and put some nasty code in an app on the store that appears perfectly innocent.

"Depending on the type of application, a hacker can exploit the vulnerability for anythingdata theft to creation of a mobile botnet," said Bluebox on the potential risks.

Paranoid Android

What's worse, the flaw has existed ever since Android 1.6. Bluebox claimed that the Samsung Galaxy S4 is the only device not prone to the problem, suggesting a patch may have already been installed on the phone.

Google, which was informed of the exploit in February and is said to have since notified its device partners, and apparently working on an update for its Nexus line, but the responsibility to create and dispatch the patch for other devices lies with their respective manufacturers.

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Samsung Galaxy Note III launch date 'revealed'

NEW DELHI: Phablet fans out there, the next-generation of the first successful phablet Samsung Galaxy Note seems to be only days away. According to a report in technology blog AndroidGeeks, Samsung will be holding an Unpacked event on September 4 this year, just ahead of IFA 2013 in Berlin, to unveil Samsung Galaxy Note III.

The company unveiled Galaxy Note II at the same tech expo in 2012, triggering speculation that it may launch its successor at the same event this year too. The report claims that Samsung Unpacked event will be a part of IFA, with only members of the press as invitees.

Samsung Galaxy Note III is expected to feature a 5.99-inch screen with stylus support. Rumours say that the South Korean manufacturer will use both SuperAMOLED as well as IPS panels for the phablet, depending on the market.

Tech grapevine also suggests that the phone will run on a 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor or 1.8GHz eight-core Exynos processor. Considering that Galaxy S4 comes in both variants, Samsung using two CPU options in the upcoming flagship phablet is a possibility.

An Antutu scorecard of the unannounced Galaxy Note III has also hit the internet, showing a score of 27,914, running on Android 4.3 and powered by a 1.6GHz quad-core processor. Other rumoured technical specifications of Galaxy Note III include 1920x1080p display resolution, 13MP camera with optical image stabilization.

A previously leaked image showed the phone with a big screen, curved edges and chrome stripe along the sides. The blogger who leaked the image posted that the display accounts for 84% of the front panel, suggesting thin bezels.

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Yahoo buys mobile app company Qwiki

Yahoo said that it will buy Qwiki, a mobile app for creating videos in Apple's iPhone, as it tries to increase its presence in the world of smartphones and tablets. 

The company paid about $50 million for the deal, tech blog AllThingsD cited sources as saying. Terms of the deal however were not disclosed. 

This is Yahoo's third acquisition since May when it bought blogging service Tumblr for $1.1 billion in cash. Earlier this week, the company reportedly acquired Bignoggins Productions, another mobile app developer. 

Yahoo has seen its revenue shrink in recent years in the face of competitionGoogle Inc and Facebook Inc, but since she tookge in 2012 CEO Marissa Mayer has tried to turn the tide through a string of acquisitions. 

Qwiki's app would continue to be supported by Yahoo and its employees would move to Yahoo's New York offices. 

Yahoo shares closed at $24.99 on Tuesday on the Nasdaq.

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Facebook stickers hit web chat

Facebook has added stickers support to its web chat, carrying the jumbo emoticons overthe mobile apps to the desktop interface. The popular images – which some IM users love, while others find them infuriating – have been featured in Facebook’s mobile chat service for some time, but have quietly been added to conversations in the desktop browser.

The oversized images – which rangelarger versions of traditional emoticons, through to huge cartoonacters – are found in the existing emoticons pane in the IM interface. However, they’re not yet available tousers, it seems; the company is apparently rolling support out progressively.

Eventually, though, there’ll be support for downloading extra “packs” of stickers. A basket icon will take users to the stickers “store” of sorts, while the different tabs in the interface will allow them to switch between the various packs they have.

For the moment, the stickers arefree ofge. However, there’s precedence forging for the emoticons, and it’s a path Facebook might opt to follow.

Wildly popular IM service LINE offers its own paid stickers store, for instance, and it’s been a considerable source of income for the company. The most recent numbers LINE released, roughly a year ago, suggested users were spending $3.75m per month on stickers.

Given Facebook’s attempts to monetize its users, mobile particularly, that seemsa potential source of income that the social site couldn’t afford to ignore.

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Angry Birds updates with new game mode and 15 new levels

Rovio has outed a big update for its popular Angry Birds title. One of the most-downloaded games oftime now has a new gameplay mode, 15 new levels, and even 73 new “pig contraptions” taken straightRovio’s spinoff game Bad Piggies. If you’ve been finding yourself getting bored lately with the bird-flinging game, this could renew the lasting appeal for you.

The new gameplay mode is called Egg Defender, and it gives the Red Bird special powers to attack the pigs. Of course, Rovio doesn’t want to spoil anything, so your only hope to find outabout it is to play the new mode for yourself to see what’s new.

Rovio also teased moving targets, which we get to see a little bit in the video below. Rovio says that the Red Bird “faces wave after wave of Bad Piggies in their crazy contraptions.” However, the Red Bird “now has some magic feathersthe Mighty Eagle himself – giving Red incredible new powers as he darts toward those pesky pigs at incredible speed!”

So it seems we’ll get treated with an Angry Birds/Bad Piggies crossover, which isn’t too surprising, but gamers will now be able to fling birds at the green pigs in their flying vehicles, which should definitely make for a unique experience for Angry Birds fans, as well as provide players with a little bit of a challenge. As for us, we’re still trying to keep up withthe new updates and levels that we have yet to get through.

Story Timeline

• Rovio Account is your cross-platform solution to Angry Birds
• Angry Birds movie set for 2016 debut by Sony
• Angry Birds Go teased as racing-themed title for summer
• Angry Birds Trilogy for Wii and Wii U coming in August

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Samsung ships 20m Galaxy S4: Eyes 100m record

Samsung has shipped 20m Galaxy S 4 smartphones, the company has told South Korean press, pegging demand 1.7x more than the Galaxy S III it replaced. The smartphone – which Samsung claimed “sold” 10m in its first month of availability – is on track to be the company’s first 100m unit smartphone, Yonhap News reports, supposedly the internal target.

However, as ever there is controversy over what counts as a “sale” and what’s a “shipped” device. Samsung counts its sales through to the channel – including retailers and carriers – whereas some rivals prefer to count actual sales to end users. The disparity has led some to accuse Samsung of inflating its count, including phones that are actually sitting in boxes in warehouses, rather than in the phones and bags of actual users.

Either way, compared to Samsung’s last flagship, the Galaxy S 4 is seemingly leaving the company’s factories at a greater rate. Samsung hasn’t stinted on variations, either, borrowing the Galaxy S 4 name for a range of different handsets to address different parts of the market.

For instance, the Galaxy S4 Active – which we reviewed last week – takes the phone and gives it a more sturdy, water- and dust-proof body. That means it can survive dips in the pool as well as trips to the beach, including being used for underwater photography, though Samsung also downgraded the camera slightly in the process.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active water test:

Meanwhile, there’s also the Galaxy S4 Mini, which shrinks down the phone (and its specifications, for that matter) for those who want a smaller device overall. The Galaxy S4 Zoom throws in a larger-resolution sensor and a full 10x optical zoom, bridging the gap between a phone and a point-and-shoot camera.

The new sales stats come after Samsung has been hit with ongoing speculation that sales of the Galaxy S 4 were underwhelming. Various executivesthe company have been forced to insist that demand for the handset was still high, despite suggestions that it was being seen as a mere evolutionary upgradeits predecessor.

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Nokia unveils 3G-enabled feature phones, 207 & 208

NEW DELHI: Nokia today unveiled three 3G-enabled phones, named 207, 208 and 208 dual-sim. The three feature phones sport candybar shape and have bright coloured back covers, similar to the Lumia range and the new Asha 501.

The new Nokia 207, 208 and 208 dual-sim feature a 2.4-inch display and are water resistant. Connectivity options in the three phones include 2G, 3G, Bluetooth 3.0 and microUSB. Nokia 208 and 208 dual-sim will sport a 1.3MP rear camera with featurespanorama, voice-guided self portrait and sequential shot. However, the 207 will not come with a camera on the back.

Nokia has added its Xpress Browser, Mail for Exchange, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube inthree handsets. The Finnish manufacturer has also included WhatsApp in the single-sim variant of 208, but it will not be available in the dual-sim version as well as 207 "initially." The phones will be compatible with the new Transfer app, which assists in importing contactsWindows Phone and Android smartphones.

The two phones will be priced at $68, before carrier subsidies and local taxes, and will hit the stores in the third quarter of the year. Powered by a 1020mAh battery, the three handsets will be available in red, cyan, white and black colours.

"Nokia 207 and 208 are designed for people whoa classic phone and traditional keypad but don't want to miss out on smartphone experiences,staying connected to social media and accessing the internet," said TimoToikkanen, executive vice president, mobile phones, Nokia. "As our most affordable 3G devices yet, the Nokia 207 and 208 offer a perfect balance of performance, features and quality."

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