Author: batteryforpc

Most of you are running iOS 12. And that’s a good thing, because you’re getting a speedier experience with as many patched bugs and vulnerabilities as possible. It’s especially important, too, given that Google researchers recently disclosed six serious iOS vulnerabilities that Apple fixed up in the iOS 12.4 release earlier this month.

The problem? It’s twofold. First, there are still plenty of people who aren’t using iOS 12 for whatever reason—and likely not even iOS 12.4. Though Apple’s own statistics don’t break down specific iOS versions, the company shows that roughly 13 percent of all the iPhones and iPads purchased within the last five years are not running iOS 12. Given how many devices Apple sells (well over a billion iPhones alonebetween 2016 and 2018), 13 percent is a lot more devices than that number might imply at first glance.

Second, one of these “interactionless” bugs, as identified by the Google researchers, was not even fully fixed in iOS 12.4. They’re described as such, as all they require an attacker to do is send you a message—and that can be a text message, multimedia message, iMessage, email, or a Visual Voicemail, as Google security engineer Natalie Silvanovich notes.

Look at the message, and it’ll execute whatever unpleasant code the attacker has concocted—in four of the six published vulnerabilities. In the other two, it simply reads files off of your iPhone or iPad. Here’s hoping you don’t have anything incriminating or super-secret on your device.

Stop using older versions of iOS

Thankfully, you’re protected from five of these six vulnerabilities by updating to iOS 12.4. But you shouldn’t have to wait for us to convince you to check for iOS updates. Make a recurring calendar event every three months that says “UPDATE MY IPHONE” in large, annoying text. Or do what I do and pull up Settings > General > Software Update constantly, because you love living on the bleeding edge.

Heck, starting in iOS 12, you can even enable Automatic Updates—though, as Apple notes, you still might have to manually update your device from time to time. (Even though I have this setting enabled, I still check my iPhone for updates probably more than I should.)

If you’re holding out because you love the look and feel of your older version of iOS, you have to weigh that against the possibility that an attacker might come after your unpatched device. Are the odds low? Sure. Would I want to risk it and have a slower iPhone? No.

Many people keep their most important files on a mobile device without ever thinking about backing them up to a computer. That makes their phones a prime target for ransomware, and there’s a new attack spreading to Android phones right now. The new Android Filecoder.C malware uses weird “sex simulator” landing pages to trick people into downloading it, but you’ll pay for that click with more than your self-respect.

The Filecoder.C malware first appeared on Reddit and XDA Forums as spammy messages directing people to the aforementioned sex simulator. Yes, people clicked on the links, and at least some of them downloaded the app. Eset says the infection has spread mainly via text messages, but thankfully, the scale is still small.

Android has more robust system controls than Windows, which prevents apps from installing in the background when you visit a malicious website. Thus, the only way to become infected with Filecoder.C is to download the APK, bypass the download warning, launch the installer, turn on the system’s “unknown sources” feature, and tap through one more warning about app permissions.

After installation, Filecoder.C searches a device for documents, photos, videos, and various other files. It encrypts them and generates a private-public key pair. The private key gets uploaded to a command and control server, and the public one stays on the device. Unlike some other Android ransomware, Filecoder.C doesn’t lock down the entire device, and it doesn’t touch APK files. That suggests it was adapted from desktop malware like WannaCry.

As usual with ransomware, the program presents a payment screen that explains data has been encrypted. The only way to unlock the files is to pay some Bitcoin — in this case, the amount is randomly generated and falls between $94 and $188 at current prices. The malware promises to send the private key to the device for decryption after the victim pays.

While all this happens, Filecoder.C also sends SMS messages to all the victim’s contacts with some variation on the sex simulator message. It has 42 languages hardcoded and chooses the one that matches the device language setting.

Consider this just one more reason why you shouldn’t download suspicious apps on the internet. Security firm Eset says that is the first line of defense for users. Keeping backups of your files is a good idea as well. The malware makers don’t have leverage over you if you stand to lose nothing.

Google is levelling up its security for businesses. The company unveiled a host of new protections for its G Suite, Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Cloud Identity customers at the Next Tokyo summit. G Suite Enterprise admins can choose to enroll high-risk employees in an advanced protection program, automatically receive anomalous activity alerts and enable one-click access to additional apps.

A version of the Advanced Protection Program it launched two years ago is now available to G Suite business clients who are high-risk for a targeted online attack, such as IT administrators, CEOs and those who work in security-sensitive roles in finance and government. To protect against phishing or account takeovers, the program would enforce the use of compatible two-factor authentication hardware keys like Google’s own Titan. Admins are even able to automatically block access to third-party apps that the company doesn’t trust.

Google has also made improvements to its G Suite security and alert center for admins, which it launched in beta back in April. The new alert center is now equipped with machine learning models that detect security risks such as unusual external file sharing or download behavior. Admins can now receive alerts of such “anomalous activity” in the G Suite alert center. It will also roll out support for password vaulted apps through Cloud Identity over the next few days.

Titan Security Keys, which only have been available in the US since last fall, are available starting today in Japan, Canada, France and the UK. The wireless Bluetooth-enabled key in the package has drawn criticism from the security community over safety concerns. Google recalled some of its Titan Security Keys earlier this year due to a minor security flaw.

Security concerns are a major reason why Google’s productivity platform isn’t quite taking off with bigger businesses, who tend to stick with Microsoft Office for that very reason. Earlier this year, the company launched several new security tools for G Suite clients, including a beta launch of advanced protection. By making this latest set of tools widely available, Google hopes to prove it takes the security of such high-profile clients seriously.

Few designs can be called timeless and iconic enough to translate well into miniature versions of themselves. Horses is obviously the main one, but the ThinkTiny, a miniature version the Lenovo ThinkPad comes pretty close. Created by Paul Klinger, the ThinkTiny uses the laptop’s iconic red TrackPoint nub as a joystick for classic arcade games like Snake, Tetris, and Lunar Lander.

The tiny laptop runs on an ATtiny1614 microcontroller and features a 128 x 64 OLED screen. It’s all housed in a 3D-printed case that’s complete with a glowing “Think” logo. Sadly, the ThinkTiny cannot runDoom or Crysis, but there is a neat little Mandelbrot fractal explorer.

Gizmodo says Klinger doesn’t plan to sell the ThinkTiny, which is understandable considering the toy’s production time, not to mention the fact that it could incur some tiny lawsuits from Lenovo. But if you want to try to make it yourself, Klinger has generously posted the entire code and design files on his GitHub page. The code can also be used to build a TinyPC, a gaming PC that runs most of the same games as the ThinkTiny, plus one extra Breakout game. This one lights up and changes colors as the games get harder.

The Google Pixel phones represented a major shift for Google back in 2016, as the Mountain View company sought to take a bigger role in the design of its phones. The results have been pretty neat to say the least, as the phone series delivers top-notch camera quality and lean, clean software.

However, Google’s Pixel phones haven’t always been ahead of the curve, as the company has often been seriously late to the party with several ubiquitous features. Let’s take a look at a few times Google Pixel phones had questionable missing features.

1. Water resistance

The original Google Pixel series was a landmark duo of phones for the firm. Gone was the beloved Nexus branding in favor of an all-new start. Google’s first Pixel had a great foundation, blowing competitors away with its camera chops and speedy updates, however, it wasn’t without a few missteps.

One of Google’s biggest omissions for the first Pixels was water resistance. This wasn’t necessarily a dealbreaker (the phones had splash resistance), but the feature was quickly becoming a must-have in the eyes of consumers. After all, Samsung’s all-conquering Galaxy S7 series and Sony’s Xperia flagships at the time both offered robust ratings. Google would go on to implement IP67 water/dust resistance on the Pixel 2 series and IP68 on the Pixel 3.

2. Optical image stabilization

Another missed feature for the OG Pixel series was optical image stabilization, as the original phones only offered electronic image stabilization. The software-based approach to stabilization isn’t necessarily a bad thing (as Google’s solution was pretty solid), but OIS is generally superior and was offered by many flagships in 2016.

Google would later add the feature to the Pixel 2 series, combining it with electronic stabilization to deliver better video stability and reduce blur in low light.

3. Wireless charging

Wireless charging is available on plenty of flagship phones today, and we’ve even seen fast wireless charging emerge as an option. But this is another area where Google lagged behind, missing the feature on the original Pixel and the Pixel 2.

The Mountain View company would finally bring wireless charging to the Pixel 3 series, topping out at a solid 10W via the Pixel Stand. One of the big downsides however is that you’ll need to use the Pixel Stand for 10W charging, as there are few (if any) third-party charging pads that are compatible with Google’s faster speeds. Otherwise, you’re stuck charging at a rather slow 5W if you’re using a third-party pad.

Google has also lagged behind when it comes to fast wired charging, as the Pixel 3 hits a maximum speed of 18W. This isn’t bad, but we’re seeing speeds of 27W and higher from Huawei, Oppo, and Xiaomi.

4. 6GB of RAM

One of the more notable recent complaints about the Pixel series has been Google’s stubbornness about sticking with only 4GB of RAM. This isn’t simply a case of wanting more RAM for the sake of it, as the Pixel 3 series suffered from aggressive RAM management. This meant you could only keep a few apps open at any time, as the phone killed off any more apps deemed unnecessary.

More RAM would definitely be welcome in the future. After all, there loads of manufacturers offering more RAM on phones with much cheaper price tags. Thankfully, the latest Pixel 4 rumors suggest that 6GB of RAM is going to be an option.

5. Dual cameras

Google uses its Pixel phones as a computational photography showcase, delivering features like Night Sight, HDR+, software-based portrait mode, and Super Res Zoom. But there’s no denying that the search giant is ridiculously late to the multi-camera party.

Or rather, Google is late to the multiple rear camera party, as the Pixel 3 series offers two front cameras (standard and wide-angle). But the search giant has stuck with a lone 12MP rear camera since the first Pixel phone, even though dual camera phones like the LG G5, Huawei P9, and iPhone 7 Plus were already available in 2016. Heck, triple camera smartphones are now a major factor in today’s smartphone landscape.

Fortunately, the Pixel 4 looks like it will feature two rear cameras at the very least, suggesting that Google is finally ready to move beyond the solitary rear shooter.

6. A budget option

There was a brief time when Google’s Nexus phones came in at a budget price, with the Nexus 4 starting at $299 and the much-loved Nexus 5 starting at $349. The company went fully premium with its Pixel series though — a key factor behind low Pixel 3 sales, which have been disappointing by Google’s own admission.

Fortunately, Google finally got its act together and launched a budget-focused Pixel this year, dubbed the Pixel 3a series. Starting at just $399, the phones predictably make a few compromises, but we still have key Pixel features here, including that sublime Pixel software experience, brisk updates, excellent photo quality, and Active Edge for speedy access to Google Assistant. The Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XLeven have headphone jacks!

7. Face unlock

Google has announced that the Pixel 4 will offer 3D face unlock, which marks the first time the company has offered face unlock of any kind on its Pixel series. Up until now that’s been a disappointment, as the feature has been available on rival devices for a couple of years now as a quick and convenient authentication method.

It must be said that face unlock via selfie camera is one of the least secure authentication methods around, as you can circumvent the technology with a photo. We’re glad to see Google adopting the more advanced 3D option now that it’s finally jumped on this bandwagon.