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Nexus 7 LTE getting unexpected Android 4.3.1 update Oct 4th 2013, 06:41, by Juan Carlos Torres It is not uncommon for Nexus devices to regularly receive updates and fixes. After all, it’s one of the reasons why people by them, aside from the amazing hardware, of course. Still, it is surprising to hear that Google has quite silently rolled out an update for the Nexus 7 that slightly increments the Android version to 4.3.1. It’s been only half a month or so since the LTE version of Google’s latest Nexus 7 tablet started hitting stores, especially in the US, where the device has yet to be certified by Verizon. In the meantime, Google has made the Android 4.3 factory images and binaries for the device available in aid of developers and modders who want to play around with the Nexus 7 but still have something to fall back on if things go awry. Google has previously sent out updates to the Nexus 7, but this is the first time that bumps up the version number to 4.3.1. It seems that, aside from the usual performance and stability improvements that go with most updates, this one brings in some new features such as the ability to create restricted profiles for family or friends or for using the tablet in a kiosk setting. The update also installs the quick note-taking Google Keep app by default. The update is said to only be 9.42 MB in size so the update process should probably be relatively painless. As always, the update isn’t arriving on all Nexus 7 LTE devices at the same time. If you’re one of those who own one and are getting the update, do let us know how it goes. SOURCE: Guilhem VIA: Android Police Google estimates only 0.001% of installed apps try to evade Android runtime defenses Oct 4th 2013, 06:05, by Juan Carlos Torres The threat of malware, and the fear and anxiety caused by it, has been a real issue even before smartphones became in vogue. And Android, being popular and, for the most part, open, has become a large target not only of such malicious actions but also of media focus. Now Google is breaking its silence and is claiming, at least based on data it has collected, that the media hype about Android malware may actually be a bit unwarranted. Speaking at the Virus Bulletin conference in Berlin, Google Android Security chief Adrian Ludwig revealed some figures that may make some raise their eyebrows and others calm down. According to Ludwig the amount of malware that actively attempt to evade runtime security checks in order to harm users is really just 0.001% of installed apps. And these are just apps that even try. The number of apps that are actually able to cause harm are even smaller. While the figures might be shocking, or even dubious, to some, Ludwig attributes it Android’s multi-layered defense systems that tries to block out malicious apps, or at least warn users about the risks in order to help them make an informed decision. Factors such as being distributed on Google Play, which has its own automated and user-driven security review system, or warnings when installing from unknown sources help to lessen the amount of malware that ends up getting installed. At the heart of this layered defenses is the slightly recent Verify Apps feature, which compares a downloaded app against a malware database curated by Google. And again, every step of the way, users are warned of the danger but are still given the option to take an informed risk. There is, however, one caveat to all these. Google’s estimate is derived from data gathered from Android devices that have Google Play Store installed, which also brings in the Verify Apps feature. It doesn’t taken into account data coming from smartphones, and especially tablets, that have neither, like Amazon Kindle tablets or tablets that have not been approved to run Google Play services. SOURCE: Quartz VIA: Android Police

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