Posted: 08 Feb 2012 06:35 PM PST   A new report by Zvelo, a malware detection firm, is causing some concern around the net after researchers found a vulnerability in Google Wallet that could allow for clever thieves to crack the 4-digit pin used to secure the app. Needless to say, websites all around the world and the 4 o’clock news will most likely run with this story, crediting Android’s rise of malware applications and lack of security as the cause of this exploit. Demonstrated in a proof-of-concept app, Zvelo shows how easy it would be to gain access to someone’s Google Wallet application but here’s the thing, it’s really not that easy. A few, very important criteria must first be met.
As you can see, there are numerous ways to actually prevent someone from gaining unauthorized access to your Google Wallet application starting with simple screen lock password. In the event that you do lose your rooted phone and the device is recovered by someone who knows of this exploit — it’s basically no different than if you lost your George Costanza wallet with physical credit cards tucked inside. Oh — and if you are using Google Wallet, now might be a good time to download an app that can remote wipe your device in the event that you lose your phone. Market Link for Remote Wipe Apps Of course, a device might not even need to be physically obtained in order to crack Google Wallet. A malicious app could, in theory, install something similar to the proof-of-concept app so stay away from warez sites and always be careful what you download in the Market. I’m curious. Has this news made any Google Wallet users wary of using the app? Anyone going to uninstall it immediately? Or does life move on as usual? |
Posted: 08 Feb 2012 05:42 PM PST   Sprint announced today, the newest cities who will be first in line to enjoy their future 4G LTE rollout with the additions of Baltimore (where 2 Phandroid writers currently reside) and Kansas City, who will be joining in on the festivities. These 2 new cities are the latest cities to have been officially announced along with others like Atlanta, Dalls, Houston and San Antonio also scheduled to receive 4G LTE sometime during the middle of this year. The first LTE devices to take advantage of this new network will be the much anticipated Samsung Galaxy Nexus as well as the LG Viper 4G LTE. Sprint also mentioned that these cities can also expect improved 3G coverage. You can find Sprint’s full press release down below. Anyone in these cities notice better coverage or improved 3G speeds on Sprint? Baltimore and Kansas City Sprint Customers to Benefit from 4G LTE and 3G Enhancements in 2012 |
Posted: 08 Feb 2012 05:14 PM PST   The world could always use another great MMORPG, especially when it comes from Spacetime Studios, creators of the mega popular MMORPG League of Legends and Star Legends. STS is hoping lightning will strike twice with their latest massive multiplayer online game coming to Android called Dark Legends. Moving away from the fantasy world of League of Legends and the sci-fi world of Star Legends, Spacetime Studios will introduce players to the darker realm of vampire lore. The only thing we’ve had to go by thus far has been the stylish banner you see above, but now we get a quick look at a special in-game item dubbed the Vampire Blaster Blocker, now available for purchase in advance of the game’s release. A cute little skeleton enemy is modeling the vanity shield, giving us a look at one of the in-game character models as well.  I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed seeing how Dark Legends wont be deviating away from Spacetime Studios “cartoony” feel, but I suppose the real appeal has always been in the developer’s deep, real-time RPG gameplay. We expect to see more of Dark Legends during this year’s GDC in March and as always, we’ll keep you updated. [Via DroidGamers] |
Posted: 08 Feb 2012 03:14 PM PST  In a letter to the IEEE and other standards organizations, Google has assured them that they will not change Motorola’s patent licensing policies when it comes to patents dealing with global standards. Since Motorola owns patents that have been standardized they must give potential licensees a fair and reasonable cost and condition for using the patent, which is why Motorola’s recent injunctions against Apple likely won’t last long. If you don’t remember, Motorola requested 2.25% of revenue from sales of 3G/UMTS-enabled iOS products, a figure that Apple disputes violates the conditions of FRAND laws. Motorola has also requested the same figures from Microsoft thanks to German rulings on a similar patent dispute. Once (if) Google takes over Motorola they won’t interfere with those disputes and Moto’s way of handling them.  As Google would own the patents, they have the right to use them themselves independent of Motorola. However, Google says they won’t aggressively seek to file an injunction on products that infringe on the patents and instead will give violating parties a chance to accept a fair licensing deal within 30 days unless the party they’re facing chooses to seek an injunction on their infringing products first. All of that will go along way toward easing the nerves of antitrust regulators who are already nervous about the Google/Motorola acquisition in the first place. While we’re not sure if it will be enough to influence their opinions on the matter it’s a good stance to take regardless. We look forward to the result of that case, as well as Motorola’s current injunction against Apple for a 2.25% fee. [via The Verge] |
Posted: 08 Feb 2012 02:23 PM PST  I just glanced at my phone to see that a new update to Google+ is now available. The changelog mentions that there’s a new “What’s Hot” section under Stream, a “trending topics” for Google+, basically. You’ll get to scroll through posts getting a lot of traffic, +1′s and comments so you won’t miss all the compelling discussion that Google+ has to offer.  That’s not the only thing they’ve added, though. You can now view who +1′d a post or comment, whereas before you could only view the amount of +1′s for comments and only the first person who +1′d your post. Stream posts have been shortened so that you can see more of your list of posts on the screen at the same time. Finally, the stream will no longer jump to the top after an automatic refresh. Google has also mentioned that there are massive performance improvements. Find the update in the market here. |
Posted: 08 Feb 2012 01:57 PM PST   Angry Birds has been available for quite a while now – two years, to be exact – and Rovio wants to celebrate its birthday with a new update. We’re getting 15 birthday-themed levels, bringing the total amount of levels to 300. You’ll get to play with the expandable orange bird, unlock new achievements and have all episodes unlocked from the beginning, a nice gesture from Rovio for celebration purposes. It’s all free, of course, so if you’re still hankering for some bird-slinging action set aside 15 megabytes of strage get the download in the Android market here. |
Posted: 08 Feb 2012 01:28 PM PST  While Dungeon Hunter 3 has been available for iOS for quite a bit, Android hasn’t seen much love at all. We won’t have to wait long for the third installment into this mobile RPG series. Gameloft has tweeted that Dungeon Hunter 3 will be coming to Android sometime next month. It seems a bit far away since we’re still in the earlier parts of February but it’ll be no time before it’s in the market. The game will feature 16 dungeons to start with all of the features you’d expect from the first two. We might even get multiplayer when it launches as the iOS version is due to get an upgrade for that next month, as well. If that isn’t available at launch we have no reason to be it won’t be available shortly after. Take a look at the teaser trailer above. [via Droid Gamers] |
Posted: 08 Feb 2012 01:01 PM PST   MapQuest may have become irrelevant in the emergence of Google Maps but they’re still alive and kicking. They’re opening their platform up to developers to create location-driven applications with and they have targeted one of the most lucrative mobile platforms – Android. Developers will be able to create applications and access the following features of MapQuest’s:
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Posted: 08 Feb 2012 11:57 AM PST   DoubleTwist have just announced a new upgrade to their Android application. The biggest new feature is extensive podcast support, something users have been clamoring for since the app was launched. You can search or browse for new podcasts to download, manually add your own feeds, stream or download new episodes, skip and rewind by 30 and 10 seconds, respectively, and you can resume playback if you need to take a break from listening. It looks great doing all of that, too, something that can’t be said for a lot of other podcatchers. You’ll have to buy these new features, unfortunately, but they can be had as an in-app purchase so you won’t need to download any extra “pro keys” or anything. Find the update here. [via DoubleTwist] |
Posted: 08 Feb 2012 11:41 AM PST   Zillow has released another new application into the Android market today. They have announced the Mortgage Calculator, a tool that will help you determine what your mortgage situation will be based on the information you plug in. You can estimate how expensive of a home you can afford, how much your monthly mortgage rate would be and more. Take a look at this list of features they offer: The application is completely free to use and it’s already getting some great reviews in the Android market. If you happen to need a tool like this then this is probably your best bet. Be sure to grab it here. |
Posted: 08 Feb 2012 11:11 AM PST  It looks like MIUI 4 – the beautiful custom ROM based on Android 4.0 – is now available for the Amazon Kindle Fire. The ROM isn’t quite the same as its phone counterpart in terms of user interface yet but you do get a nice package of the many MIUI-specific applications available, including the custom file manager and backup utility. Both the Android Market and the Amazon Appstore are supported so users shouldn’t have any issue finding the apps and games they need. If the Kindle Fire’s custom user interface isn’t doing it for you and you don’t mind losing all that Amazon integration be sure to give it a shot. You’ll need to be rooted and all that jazz, but you can find everything you need to get started at this link. Happy flashing! |
Posted: 08 Feb 2012 09:30 AM PST   The government subsidized Aakash tablet has quickly caught on in India, selling like hotcakes in no small part thanks to its low cost. Currently priced around $60, the goal is to eventually bring the tablet down to $35 with additional government money, but some are eying a much lower target. Kapil Sibal, India’s minister of Human Resource Development, wants educational institutions to chip in and help provide students with the Aakash free of charge. The way he sees it, the government will front half the bill with schools footing the remainder. In further efforts to lower cost and create more interest in the slate, Sibal is also hoping to move manufacturing of the rebranded DataWind Ubislate 7 to a domestic location. Now, if only we could get our government to pitch in a bit of dough for a shiny new Transformer Prime we’d be all set. [via Engadget] |
Posted: 08 Feb 2012 08:16 AM PST   What began as news that Samsung would not introduce their flagship Galaxy S III at Mobile World Congress has resulted in something many in the tech industry couldn’t have seen coming. Samsung, a company known for their often extravagant product unveilings, will not hold a press conference at this year’s global trade show. The development does not mean Samsung will not showcase new products in Barcelona this year, but it significantly downplays the nature of what they might launch. After the Galaxy S III was confirmed not to make an appearance, focus shifted to the potential unveiling of a new tablet based on Samsung’s 2GHz dual-core Exynos 5250 processor. With no major event to announce the rumored slate at MWC, it could be that the biggest product on hand from Samsung will be the Samsung Galaxy S II Plus, a handset uncovered through an online benchmark test and supposedly pictured in a leaked promo render. The Korean maker of mobile products is opting to host their own event for the launch of the Galaxy S III and may very well do the same for other major product announcements throughout the year. [via PCMag] |
Posted: 08 Feb 2012 08:01 AM PST   A new update is reaching the ASUS Transformer Prime today bringing along bug fixes and better overall performance. Users receiving the update are reporting that it seems to fix random reboot issues that plagued some Transformer Prime tablets as well improves app stability. The new software moves the Prime’s WiFi version to 6.1.1.18 and bumps Bluetooth up to version 9.26. The kernel has also been updated. We’re still gathering info on what specific changes to expect and which bugs have been addressed directly, but you can find out more about what has been discovered in the latest update by heading to the XDA link below. [via XDA | Thanks, redandblack1287!] |
Posted: 08 Feb 2012 07:09 AM PST   Germany is about to be treated to a taste of 4G LTE courtesy of Vodafone and HTC. The carrier has confirmed plans to carry the HTC Velocity, the phone known as the HTC Vivid in the US and HTC Raider in other parts of the world. The Velocity features a 4.5-inch qHD capacitive display, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, and 1GB of RAM. The Gingerbread handset also sports 16GB of internal storage, an 8MP camera with 1.3MP front-facing camera, and plenty of network support. Quadband GSM/GPRS/EDGE is onboard as well as dualband UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA on the 900/2100MHz bands. Even better, the handset comes with dualband LTE support at 800/2600 MHz. Sure, the Velocity comes from a crop of LTE devices that HTC has dismissed for poor design and battery life, but it still offers an impressive list of features on top of its blazing fast network speeds. |
Friday, February 10, 2012
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