Android N:Google may use online pool to name the new version

With Android Marshmallow (6.0) released and Android N undergoing development, much is anticipated on the name that must be given to it. In his recent visit to India, Google CEO Sunder Pichai was asked on why an Indian Dessert name was not given. Reacting to it, Sunder said that he would conduct an online poll to decide on it.

Yes.Google has decided to conduct an online poll to decide on the name. This is a good news for android fans across the world as many of them have been suggesting names in many online portals from the time Google started naming its OS versions after desserts. This way Google is indirectly making its users to contribute to their favorite platform.

So far, the following names have been getting a lot of traction from across the world: Android Nankhatai, Android Nutella, Android Nougat, Android Nut Brittle, Android Nerds.

Google patches crticial vulnerabilities in android

Any news on vulnerability would surely be like the striking of the thunder. Chill...This time its not a news on any new vulnerability discovered.

Google has released a new patch of security fixes for its Nexus devices that would fix the flaws which enabled the attackers to compromise the android device via spam mails, web pages and MMS messages. Firmware updates are being rolled out for supported Nexus devices and the patches will be added as part of Android Open Source Project. The updates address five vulnerabilities in which 1 is rated as critical, 2 rated as high and 2 rated as moderate.

A handful number of flaws were located in the OS' media processing components that handle audio and video file playback parsing. One of the critical vulnerabilities is said to be located at a core part of the OS (mediaserver) that can be exploited with the privileges that third-party applications are not supposed to have. Attackers would trick the users into playing specially crafted media in their browsers or using MMS messaging.

Another critical vulnerability is the privilage escalation of Android kernel. This allows the applications designed by attackers to execute code at the root level. This vulnerability has been patched in the updated.

Google Photos will now free up your storage space

Storage has become a major issue nowadays as people want more and more storage space to store their data. When it comes the matter of personal details such as snaps and videos, 32GB or 64GB of space is just not enough for people to record their day to day activities. Just then Google launched it application Photos, an application that would store pictures and videos on cloud and access anywhere.Now, an update to the application would free up the storage space in your android device on just one click.

On Tuesday, Google announced in its Google+ page that a new 'Free Up Space' button has been added to the Settings menu of the Google Photos application on android. When you click on this button, you will be prompted to delete all the copies of photos and videos that have been backed up by the application. The update also gives SD-card enables devices the ability to delete photos and videos from SD card.

In addition to this, Google is rolling out a website feature which will allow users to downgrade the photos uploaded in "Original Quality" to "High Quality" from their browsers. This feature is already present in the the Photos application for android devices

This is a welcoming move by Google as it would save a lot of storage space of the device.

iOS apps more vulnerable than android apps

Application written for iOS are more vulnerable than those written for android. As attackers are moving to application based threats, this vulnerability (has the potential for security problems in the future) can be the budding for the future attacks.

According to report from mobile application security vendors Checkmarx and AppSec Labs, the average mobile app has nine vulnerabilities of which 40% were critical and highly severe compared to 36% from android.

The researchers carried out tests on hundreds of applications of all type (that included banking, utilities, gaming and security). Major banking applications had vulnerabilities such as faulty authentication and data leakage. The most common vulnerability was the leakage of personal and other sensitive details. The authentication and authorization vulnerabilities were found to account for 23% of the total which takes the second place in the list. Other vulnerabilities included disclosure of technical information such as application logs and input validation handling.

Although there is assumption that iOS devices are more secure than android, it proved to be wrong from this report. What actually happens in iOS is that iOS has more restrictive controls over what developers can do and strict application sandboxing. If any vulnerability is found, the application would be immediately removed from the Apple App Store. 

New Android update to fix critical vulnerabilities

Recent vulnerabilities allowed an hacker to enter your device through an email, MMS or either using web browsing. Android now has released an update that would fix this vulnerabilities. A total of 23 vulnerabilities including two critical issues would be fixed in this update. The update would also fix a vulnerability discovered in the Stagefright library.

The patch covers the bugs reported by Trend Micro, System Security Lab and the internal security team. Although, the big question would be on how long would it take to patch all the vulnerabilities for every device. 

Social Apps are the worst battery eaters

Next time you blame your phone for the battery, think of it before you start the blaming game. Yes, your phone's battery eater is none other than the social apps that you have installed in it. AVG has released a report on the apps that eats up your battery, performance and the data. There are a number of familiar faces in the report.

What AVG did was that it  anonymously collected data from its anti-virus and the cleaner apps from the users in US, UK and Australia. It then ranked those apps based on the data collected from the apps installed in the devices. Here are the worst battery eaters and performance drainers based on the analysis that are started by the user.

It is also shocking that Snapchat is eating up a lot of battery when compared to Facebook(due to its simultaneous use of WiFi, GPS and the phone's camera).

However, the worst apps are those which run at start-up(not started by the user).Here is the list of such apps.

It is clear that Facebook consumes a lot of battery in this category of apps, the worst in this category.

AVG has recommended the users to clean their browsing history and cache files regularly. Also, it is advised for the users to spend a limited time on these apps. They must not forget to keep their devices up to date.

OnePlus to start building phones in India

Looks like the Digital India movement is paying off to India.Yes,it is. Chinese smartphone company OnePlus has announced that it would open a manufacturing plant in India by the end of 2015. 

The production facility is planned to be setup at the Siri City Integrated Business City in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The 30,000 square feet production facility would support a production capacity of 500,000 units per month allowing  the company to pursue a more aggressive marketing and retail in the country.

The goal  of the company is to improve the supply of handsets to the country thereby allowing faster and  more frequent sales. The company would now not need to ship the handsets from its main manufacturing plant and it would result in a lot of savings. The first batch of the smartphones manufactured in India is expected to be available by the end of the year. Although, delay can to be expected as setting up of the company would itself take time.

Time to move on to Marshmallow

Google recently announced android Marshmallow at its annual I/O expo that place in US and since then, a number of beta versions have been released. Finally, a final build would be coming up in the new Nexus devices 6P and Nexus 5X. Android Marshmallow would fix many of the bugs from the lollipop 5.0, the most notable one is the security and the power management.
Here are the notable features that would be in the latest Android Marshmallow

1. App Permissions
   Google has officially confirmed that users can reject or approve app permissions from individual apps and the individual functions within the app. While you want to install an app from the Play Store, you wont be hit with a bunch of permissions to which you are forced to agree(else you cannot install the app).You can install the app and when you want to use a feature of an app, you would be asked for the permission(you can grant permission only at that particular instance).Later, you can revoke that permission
   
2. Fingerprint Scanner
   Google has gone standardized to include a built-in support for fingerprint authentication.This means an extra security for your phone wherein your app can be accessed only on your authorization.
   
3. Battery Optimisations
   We have faced serious battery issues on devices running on Android Lollipop. This issue has been taken into account by developers. Now, Android M will use onboard sensors to detect when the phone has been unused for a while and would go into specially made low-power sleep mode.This would close all the unwanted background processes that eats up the battery.
   USB Type-C has also been given with rapid charging.
   
4. Android RAM Manager
   The android RAM manager would now be shipped with Android M which would monitor your phone's RAM and shows more detailed background of the apps.
   
5. Adaptive Storage
   This feature allows the system to an external storage devices(a microSD card) and treat it as an onboard storage.
   
6. Google Now
   A lot of attention has been given to the Google Now feature to make it smarter, faster, more responsive and accurate. The new Google Now feature understands the context like never before(Ex:If you have a route setup in the Google Maps and you just say "How far is it?", Google Now would understand that you need the distance of the current destination) meaning that you need not have to be specific from now on. .

New tool to improve your battery life

Whenever it comes to buying a smartphone, battery life is the thing that people prefer a lot.So far, battery life has been the biggest concern to smartphones and even manufacturers are looking forward to improve it. The best solution is to increase the size of the battery.

Majority of the smartphone battery dies while the screen is off(cant imagine that its 46%,almost 50%). The phone must be able to spend zero energy when the screen is off. But the applications keep waking the phones to perform their processes.All these happen at the background. However, the issues occur when there processes keeps the phone off it sleep mode for a longer time.So,whats the solution for this?

Hush is a tool developed by Purdue University researchers that handles the background processes more efficiently. It closes the applications that would eat up your battery while the screen is off although it kill every application process that are necessary for your phone to operate. This way the researchers of the tool have claimed that it would improve the battery life by an average of 15%.

This tool is available for free on GitHub. However,its not yet been made available on the Play Store.

16 year old guy develops search engine:believed to be better than Google

The moment you think of a search engine, it's Google that comes to our mind.But this time, you have come out of it. Meet Anmol Tukrel, the guy who developed a search engine that is 20% more accurate(average) than Google.Yes,this sixteen year old guy is crazy about it when we guys are still on the basics.

The fact is that Anmol is still doing his 10th grade

It all started when Anmol developed this search engine which he claims to have taken a couple of months to design and around 60 hours to code as part of his submission to the Google Science Fair, a competition that is open to students for age group 13-18 years.
Want to know the kit he used to develop it?Simple-A computer with 1 gigabyte of RAM, a python-language development environment,a spreadsheet program and a access to Google and the New York Times.
To test the accuracy,he limited his search to this year's news articles from New York Times.He created fictitious users with different interests and the corresponding web histories. Anmol then fed this information to Google and the search engine he developed.Finally, it was his own search engine that was found to be accurate.It is also said that the algorithm would understand what user would like before it serves the results by going deep into the content of the text.

Looks like Anmol is going to have a great future ahead.He has submitted his paper to the International High School Journal Of Science and hopes to study Computer Science at the Stanford University.

Android Vulnerability now can steal your fingerprints

Recent research has revealed a lot on on the vulnerabilities on android.Adding to this thing is a serious bug that would steal the finger print,a feature used to lock your device. Biometric security has been the latest trend as well as the best way to secure your device in the current tech world.But now,even this has been under scanner.But the vulnerabilities in android has been a issue on this security system.

This research was to be announced in the recent Black Hat conference that was held in Los Vegas in which hackers can steal the fingerprints using four methods.One being named as the 'fingerprint sensor spying attack' which can remotely steal the fingerprint data.

The attack has been confirmed in two most popular smartphones-Samsung Galaxy S5 and the HTC One Max..Although only two devices have been reported,it can be said that the fingerprint sensors must be reviewed.It's also said that affected manufacturers have patched the vulnerability and there is nothing to worry for now.

If you guys really want to know all the details on this,view the presentation slide and the research paper.

Another Android vulnerability uncovered 

Recent studies and researches are raising questions on the how secure android is. Adding to it,a new research by zimperium has revealed a much easier way for hackers to exploit the device.

According to Drake,a researcher in zimperium, the hacker would send you a malware-laden video through an MMS and that's enough to exploit the device. Apps(such as the Hangouts) would instantly process the video so that viewers can view the content without waiting. More details on the new exploit are yet to uncovered in the zimperium's black-hat event at Los Vegas that is to be held next week.
But it doesn't mean that all devices are at 100% risk. The newer technology used in the latest Android devices make it difficult to perform such vulnerabilities. The sandbox contains the user data that is highly secure.
So, we just have to wait and watch on how it would be overcome.

Android Wear soon to offer watch-to-watch communication

Can you just imagine the world of communication through watches?Soon this is going to be a reality.Android Wear is set to launch a collection of new features in it upcoming wear devices.

The first feature will be new watch faces that will bring the one tap gesture to the Android Wear.The current Android 5.1.1 update allows the activation of launcher by swiping from right to left.Once the new Android Wear update is release,this will be the only way to open the launcher.

Android Wear is growing day by day

The next version is also set to bring a cross-device communication feature that would allow us to communicate with other watches.The android wear users would be able to send messages,emojis and doodles but is limited to just one watch face.

Although this feature may take the world of Android Wear devices to a new level,the fact that it is limited to just a single face may add to the negativity of the device.

The new TrueMessenger app to fight spammers

First, it was TrueCaller that would help you to keep spammers out. Now,True Software Scandinavia AB. has now come up with a new app TrueMessenger.
TrueMeasenger is aimed to make SMS smarter and contain less spam. The app achieves its aim by simply verifying the identity of those who sends an SMS and allowing us to mark the senders as spammer(just like the way TrueCaller works).
Although, the app is made available only in India.

Optical Fibre now can handle more data

With the amount of internet connected devices increasing day-by-day, the capacity to handle them must also increase. Not to forget that the means for faster internet will also increase. Researchers have come up with a solution for this.
Engineers from University of California have worked on this regard and have come up with a new research that would  increase fiber optic capacity nearly 20 times by successfully sending a signal through 7456 miles cable without the need of any electrical generators.
This news has come handy at a time when there was a panic on knowing that the standard optical fibre cables can't handle the growing capacity of internet connected devices.
With this, people can expect a faster internet speed once these cables are used. Although, it would buy some time to implement these fibres into practical environment.

5G network speed determined as 20mbps

Sounds like a nightmare isn't it? But it's not. The International Telecommunication Union(ITU) has agreed upon on a 5G speed of 20mbps . A conference was held in San Diego(June 10th to 18th) to decide on the future successor of 4G. The 12 member delegation had met to draw the specifications on it.
Comparing to 4G,5G would have speeds up to 20mbps(not that it may not be exactly 20mbps) than the present 4G network which means that it would be almost 20% faster.The big increase in the speed would mean that one can easily access a 4K content hasslefree.
Although, this is just a beginning, the final details on the 5G network would be only available in the month of October with the approval of all the 193 members of the ITU.

Asus to buy HTC

Are you kidding? Nope, I am not. Popular laptop and smartphone maker has revealed that it is going to buy HTC. In fact, the chairman has himself revealed this news. 

Hope that this move would put HTC up the ladder

Although, both companies are based in Taiwan, HTC has had a poor forecast in the first quarter of the year. Both the companies have agreed to this with a hope of getting themselves up the ladder in the future.

Google admits to faults filled in EU anti-trust case

Recently, the European Union had filed an antitrust case against Google based on the complaints by 19 companies. The company was quite till now with no replies in this regard. But now, Google has broken it's silence and has admitted to it's fault. Here, is an interview by Android Central on it.
Link:goo.gl/WW0ZQ2

Android M:A preview of what to expect

Recently held Google I/O summit was a great one with Google revealing its new developments and its next android version.
Alike the lollipop, android M(name officially not announced) works smoother, cleaner and turns out to be the smarter version of android to now.
One of the most important change observed is the easy working of the volume button. There are rumors that the Android M will also have the customizable quick settings. Although it's not fully ready and usable , Google said that it would give time to time updates for the developer preview of Android M.
Refer to the video by Android Central for a clear vision on how the new android would be.

Beware: android factory reset doesn't fully erase your data

Sounds interesting isn't it? No, this is going to view your brains. Recent studies has proved that you would leave traves of data on your android even though you factory reset your device proving to be one of the biggest flaws on android devices.
Study by Cambridge University has reported that the device retained old user's data that include data from sms, emails, photos, contact information on from WhatsApp, Facebook and other third party apps. The studies were conducted on android devices (from 21 manufactures) running on 2.3 to 4.3 versions of android.
Coming to the most worrying part is that these data was accessible even though the device had full encryption enabled. The researchers were also able to access user's Google data.
So guys before your phone is involved in buying and selling through seconds, think of this before you do so as almost 500 million android phones are at risk.

Google to launch another android OS-Brillo for internet of things

Nothing is for sure unless Google makes an official statement. This time it's on internet of things.
It's been said that Google is set to launch an OS exclusively for the purpose of internet of things based on android platform. Although not much is known about it, Brillo would be developed to run on low-powered devices meaning that it would be easy and cheap so that it could be made available on all devices.
It also seems that Brillo could be released in the upcoming I/O expo. It is also said that it could be a basic build for time being which would be developed in the long run.
So, hope that it would take Google to new heights.

Facebook's internet.org a privacy nightmare: Tracks users

Recently, Facebook launched its internet.org which enabled the users to access the internet for free. But this has been done at the cost of the privacy of the users.
The users are connected to the internet without the https connection. Which means that the hackers and your telecom operator week be able to easily snoop onto the contents you are browsing (learn about the privacy law of your country for safer browsing).
Source:http://goo.gl/318Nd1

Google's biggest European headache is not search but it's android 

Recent reports on Google's loss over European Union seemed to be it's biggest ache. But actually not the thing that is bothering Google. Its shocking to hear that android has been the biggest concern for google in Europe.
Last week, The EU competition commission has launched an investigation into android in a move to expose the tech giant's ways and abilities to gain profits and innovations. The investigation is centred on blocking modified versions of softwares and installations of apps and services on the devices.
This is not the first time that is being done. Microsoft had to face the same fate wherein it had to pay almost ₹2 billion.
Source:http://goo.gl/WbVTNw

All you need to know about bloatwares

Bloatware...people just hate them. It's a misconception that it would occupy a lot of space that you could use for your own applications. But hold on, it's just a misconception.
The phone's storage it's basically a hard drive. People think that it's same as you partition the hard disks in your PCs. But here is the catch. The hard drives in your phone come pre sanctioned and you can't change it unless you wipe out everything ion the drive.
All the pre installed apps(Bloatwares) come in the memory allotted for the system. And you can't delete anything in the system allotted area. Even though you delete them, you can't free up the system area.
This is what smart phone users need to know.

Anti-trust law suit against Google over android app dropped

Plantiffs have dropped the charges planted against Google Inc accusing the company of making the handset makers to make its apps a default option.

The law suit was filed by two customers on May 2014.
Here is the complete details on it
goo.gl/Tr0jyx

An uprising that is chasing xiomi

Xiomi became the world's valuable startup by selling smart phones at affordable price. But One Plus is  doing the opposite way. Here ius a link that you must see

http:goo.gl/INeL2t

OnePlus One available for sale without invite

Are you kidding???? Oneplus one available without invite? This time its true.
One plus one will be made available in india without invite through amazon,the Chinese company has announced on Facebook starting this tuesday. Though the company has not revealed the number or units that it would sell,it is said that the phones would go on sale until the stocks last.
This might be the same for the company after which the company would announce a new pricing for the Indian market. The company also hinted that it would hike the prices of its devices in the Indian market.
So what are you waiting for? Keep calm and order Oneplus from Tuesday.

Android apps now viewed by Google before you download them

Developers will no longer be able to immediately publish their apps on Google play without having any oversight of it.Google now will review the apps developed by the developers before publishing in the Play Store.It will manually test the apps for bugs and malwares that would affect your android device once downloaded.According to a post in its blog,Google has clearly stated that a team of experts would view the apps and identify the violations of the developer policies in the app.It has also assured the developers that it would help the developers to publish their apps in hours or as early as possible(if the app passes all the tests).
The system has been in place since the last 3 months and its also said that Google has not received any complaints from the developers.Seems like many have not noticed the new policies.
But not everything is done manually.Automated tools are being used to scan for viruses and any unusual behavior of the app.
Although this might a bit tedious,its a good move by Google to stop malware kinda apps that are common in the play store.So,developers...check your apps before you publish them.

'Freak' security law affecting Microsoft PCs

In my last post,I said about the Freak attack that has created a havoc to android and safari browsers.Its found that the Microsoft has also been affected(This decade old security flaw allows hackers to break the secure connection between the website and the web browser).

You are being freaked.!!!Stay alert

Freak was the result of a former US government policy where software-makers(US) were required to use weaker security in encryption programs sold overseas.Though the policies have changed since the 1990s,the weaker encryption is still being used by a majority of the programs.
A research team from Microsoft has revealed that websites can still be tricked into accepting a weaker security(software) thereby allowing the hackers to act.
There is no evidence that the hackers have exploited this weakness.But if a hacker has done so,he will be able to see all the sensitive information of the user that include password to the credit card information.
Although,there is no security patch developed,Microsoft has suggested a workaround(refer to my previous post for the suggested workaround) which can safeguard you for a temporary period.Users can use the browser which are not affected by the 'Freak' such as Firefox and Chrome.

 

Internet Explorer,Windows vulnerable to FREAK Attack

The recent FREAK Attack hit the tech world and it almost proved massive.It could take down HTTPS  in the android and iOS and exploit the decade old security flaws through which it can take down the modern browsers.Now,its Windows and the Internet Explorer that is in the list.
Although,it was believed that Window's was not affected,Microsoft has issued a statement that even Windows is not safe and its advising its users to apply a workaround until a patch can be provided. Windows Server 2003, Vista (all flavors), Server 2008 and all consumer versions of Windows, including Windows RT are the affected operated systems.

BEWARE!!!Freak Attack can be really freaking

Internet Explorer 11,despite being fully patched,is still vulnerable while browsers like Firefox and Google Chrome are safe.

Rooting with Group Policy Object Editor

Using this,you can feel secured for some extent if not fully secured.Here are the steps that you must do
   

Android 5.0 unencrypted despite being promised

How come???Yes,it is.During its pre-launch,it was promised that Android 5.0 would have a encryption feature that would be enabled by default.But this promise seems to be just a promise.

Encryption=Safety

In its blog,Google explained that "user data partition would be created at the first boot with encryption being done at default" from the moment the device is installed with lollipop.Nexus devices certainly have this feature enabled by default.But,the rest of the devices that runs on Android 5.0 have the absence of this feature.
It has been assumed that encryption would slow down the devices(which could be the reason for the manufacturers not having this feature). Not using this feature just to fire up the device is a bit sluggish and disappointment for the users.

New 64 bit processor by MediaTek will power the Android tablets in market

MediaTek has started it race to capture the best processor crown with its new 64-bit MT8173 mobile chip which is set to power android devices in the second half of this year.The chip combines some of the latest processor technologies which is promised to give a better performance without affecting the battery life of the device.
Tablets are processing 4K video, demanding applications and getting higher-resolution screens. The new chip is designed to meet those requirements which would allow tablets to have 20-megapixel cameras,handle high-end games on advanced mobile screens with 120Hz refresh rates.Although,the big advantage of the Snapdragon 810 is integrated LTE, which the new MediaTek chip doesn’t have. MediaTek does offer the LTE-capable 64-bit MT6795 chip, which has eight cores but can only support 2048 x 1536 pixel displays.
Existing 64-bit chips—like the Snapdragon 810—are based on the older Cortex-A57 design, and the Cortex-A72 is considered speedier which would be used in the MT8173 processor.Its also indicated that MediaTek would use the Cortex-A72 processor design in the future.

iOS most vulnerable and Windows less vulnerable:Reports 2014

Surprised isn't it?But this is true.iOS is the most vulnerable operating system according to a report by US National Vulnerability Database(NVD).
As per the report, OS X leads the list followed by iOS, Linux, Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows Server 2012, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Vista, and Windows RT.Its also been noted that 7,038 new vulnerabilities were added last year, which results in 19 new vulnerabilities per day.
Analysis say that of the 7,038 vulnerabilities,almost 80% of them come from the third party application installed in the iOS device,13% from the OS and the remaining from the hardware.OS X was found to have the lion's share of vulnerabilities in 2014, with 147, while iOS had 127, Linux had 119, and the first Windows version on the list, Windows Server 2008, had 38, and Windows 7 had 36.

Updated Windows Defender can now remove the Superfish Adware

 

Recently,Lenevo came under heavy fire for installing the Superfish software-a software(adware) that compromises the security of the device(laptop), in some of its laptops.The adware tampers the system's official certificates for websites used by it to detect the fake websites.This way,it can hijack the HTTPS connections on the affected laptops making it vulnerable to the hackers.
Although the company apologized for this major flaw,Microsoft did not stop itself from securing the devices and leaving it to lenevo as it released an update to Windows Defender.The new update not only removes the superfish from the affected devices,but also erases the self-signed certificate that the adware used to compromise the encrypted Internet traffic of the computer.
One thing to note is that Windows Defender is automatically disabled when a third-party antivirus software is installed, which is a concession made by Microsoft to vendors of antivirus programs and to computer manufacturers. Computer companies are paid whenever users upgrade the trial versions of antivirus software, and if Windows Defender was active, then no such thing will probably happen.

Windows 10 vs Windows 8

Windows 8 has definitely proved costly for Microsoft.Because of its major bugs,many users lost their faith in it.Now,its up-to Microsoft to regain the faith from its users and it looks like Windows 10 would do it.Due to the polarizing nature of Windows 8,Microsoft has made big changes for Windows 10 to appeal the traditional users.
First thing is the Start Screen.Anyone who uses(used) Windows 8 knows that start screen is good for a touch screen device.Therefore, the Start screen in Windows 10 will be designed mostly to tablets while desktop users will get their full Start menu back, which is just what they’ve been asking for.
Another thing from Windows 8 is the Charms Menu.Many Windows 8 users found it very difficult to use the Charms Menu.Its clear that Microsoft would keep the Charms Menu for the touch screen devices.

Charms Menu was definitely charming for Windows 8

On the whole,Microsoft has done a great job by listening to the concerns of the Windows users.So,Windows 10 is definitely going to be promising release by Microsoft.
 

Microsoft's baffling move on Windows 10

Recently,Microsoft released the Windows 10 tech preview to the users and I am sure that everybody knows about it.Here is an article by forbes.
Article:Microsoft's baffling move

Microsoft fixes a major bug after 15 years

Computer bugs and glitches lets the hackers to have an access of your system.One such bug has been fixed by Microsoft after a whooping 15 years.The flaw named as "Jasbug" wherein computer access files on a network.If you guys are using your computer or a laptop in a public network like the public wifi,nearby hackers can spy on you and thus exploit your device.

Finally,you are safe.!!!

Luckily,none of the hackers has ever succeeded in finding out the flaw and then using it to exploit a device.Microsoft (MSFT, Tech30) deemed the severity of this "critical." It even warranted an alert from the Department of Homeland Security, and similar warnings from major cybersecurity companies. 
This bug could affect anything from the Windows Vista to the present Windows 8.1.At last,this serious bug which could prove fatal has been fixed.

Internet.org comes to India

Can anyone imagine free internet for anyone??Yes, Facebook's Internet.org program will make it for you.After its successful program in Africa and Indonesia,Internet.org will now be available in India.

Facebook in association with Reliance Communications has launched the Internet.org program in India with the aim to launch "zero bandwidth content".With this,people having the Reliance network will have a free access to the internet.
To use Internet.org,you must be a Reliance Communications customer in Maharashtra,Mumbai,Kerala,Tamil Nadu,Andra Pradesh or Gujarat.Although,customers in these circles can use it,the target of the program is for the non-data plan users(almost 70% of the people) and having said that Internet.org will be accessible within the next 90 days.
So how does this really work?Internet.org will give a free access to 40 websites to the Reliance Users including the Wikipedia.So,to access these websites,you will need to have a Reliance connection in your device.If you're on an Android device, you can also access the 'whitelisted' sites via the Internet.org app - there's no app for iOS or Windows Phone yet. If you try to access a site that isn't a partner with Internet.org, you're charged for the data used. So, for example, a Bing search can be used to look up information, but opening one of the search results will cost you money. You are given a warning before leaving free access.

Are android phones safe?

When it come to the privacy of a person, it must not be compromised.But android phones have had this loophole since many days.The place you travel is also being tracked.
In the TEDx talk,Bram Bonné mentioned explained on how continuously android phone on the wifi networks that are saved in your device.For example,if you connect to a free wifi network(hotspot)-like the Mcdonalds,a spoof network will be created and once this is done,the networks that your phone has been saved or previously connected will be visible to them.
Here is a video of Bonné addressing at the TEDx.

New Android 5.1 update revealed for Android one phones

Google's android one website has revealed the existence of the android 5.1 version on the android smartphone platform.Prior to this was the android 5.0.2 update which was released for the Nexus and the tablets.Although,it is unclear on whats really is present in the update.Some sources say that the new features include the restoration of the silent mode (which was missing in the initial Android 5.0 Lollipop update),a improved battery and RAM management, and an updated Material Design.
It is also unclear on when the update would be available for the other users(android one users as well).

Silent mode:The thing that is absent in Android 5.0 lollipop may be fixed

Although lollipop has been the best android version till date,users have quickly complained about one important thing-silent mode.Sounds to be shocking but this is true.Although there are few other sound options and functions such as enabling the 'Don Not Disturb',it seems to prove costly for Google.
Google may re-introduce the silent mode in the android 5.1 update.Sources say that the version is under testing.

Here is a list of fixes that could be done in the 5.1 update:

• Silent mode added after missing on Android 5.0
• General improvements in system stability
• Improved RAM management
• Fixes for sudden app closures
• Improved battery management
• Excessive consumption of network devices when used Wi-Fi fixed
• Issues with wireless connections fixed
• Problems with Okay Google function solved
• Notifications problems solved
• Some sound problems experience by certain devices fixed
• Other improvements and changes
• Changes in the Material Design color palette (after users complaints, possibly for a higher version though) 

It is also said that android 5.1 is reported to be shipping on android phones in Indonesia and also on the Nexus devices.

Lollipop starts to pick up into other devices

Since its launch the last year,everyone expected Android 5.0 lollipop to be release within its few days from release.Although it failed to hit the devices(asap) due its own reasons,lollipop has started to pick up its pace.Recently,we saw Android 5.0 update for Moto G(1st and 2nd Gen).Not to forget that even HTC and LG phones are also been updated with the new version.Stage is all set for kitkat to say goodbye and make way for lollipop.

New upgrades in lollipop has been forcing kitkat to lose it way

Microsoft gives upgrade details to Windows 10 for business users

Finally,its here.Microsoft has announced the upgrade details and has also provided guidelines for upgrading to Windows.
In a recent post by Microsoft,officials stated that Windows 7 pro,Windows 8 pro and Windows 8.1 pro users would get a free upgrade to Windows 10.Although,enterprise versions of windows will not be covered for a time being.

Microsoft is advising business users to keep non-mission critical end user Windows 10 devices on the Current branch for Business with updates set to happen automatically via Windows Update.
Microsoft is expected to provide customers who take advantage of the free Windows 10 promotion with regular, free feature and security updates on an ongoing basis via Windows Update, most likely with little or no opportunity to decline or delay either.
It is also officially said that Windows 10  would have the same overall minimum hardware requirements as Windows 7 and Windows 8 and there is nothing like some new features may require new hardware capabilities, and software or firmware updates from device manufacturers.

A handful of android users left vulnerable

Around 60% of the android users will have to live with a security bug that google has decided not to fix and they are left exposed to hackers.A security bug in the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and other older versions will remain unpatched as said by Google's chief of security on friday.
Talking about numbers,39% of the android handsets run on Android 4.4 kitkat.With the new Android 5.0 lollipop becoming much popular,it is equipped in only 1% of the smartphones.This means that 60% of the users still user Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.
 

How secure is android?

Really speaking android is much safer than any other(including iOS).An interview with Anant Shrivastava for more details.

Google discloses another security flaw in Windows

Google researches have found a new security flaw in Windows 8.1 as well as Windows 7.
Windows 7 and 8.1 has a function called CryptProtectMemory, which generates an encryption key at login.This key can be used by other applications that run at the same login session and can share the data.There is another process called the CNG.sys that has to verify these tokens.But this thing(CNG.sys) doesn't properly verify the token.As a result,it is vulnerable and someone can impersonate the computer's legitimate user and access the its data(that too in an encrypted form).Though its not an easiest thing to do,hackers(or attackers) can exploit any other vulnerabilities of the computer through which they can exploit it.

Windows users will have to be more careful unless Microsoft releases a patch or an update to fix this flaw. 

PhoneSpy:New malware hits android devices

If you guys use an android device,its your everything.From the calls and messages to the selfies you take,it becomes your best friend to keep up with friends and family on the social networks.But starting from this week,you will have to more careful as a malware has hit the android devices.Who knows you might be the victim.!
Yesterday,MalwareBytes released a shocking news on an app called 'PhoneSpy'. This nasty app takes the best advantage of your relationship with your phone and harvests the most personal information from your device.Attackers use this malicious app and inject malicious code into other safe apps that are obtained from the Google Store and are later re posted in the third party apps.
Once this is installed,an app infected with the PhoneSpy will start on its own and generate admin rights by itself.After this,a database is created in your device to store call logs,contacts,messages and many more.Your photos will also be infected and your location can also be tracked very easily.Although,MalwareBytes is unclear on who might be behind it.But it is clear that users must stay away from this nasty app.
Good idea is to use any of the mobile security software.Since it is the one which revealed this malware,you guys should better install MalwareBytes in your devices. Bitdefender Mobile Security and Antivirus and avast! Mobile Security & Antivirus would also be your best choice.

Things to expect from Spartan browser

With Internet Explorer saying good bye,its now time for everyone to focus on Spartan browser.Spartan browser has gained a lot of attention these days.It is one of the major elements with the upcoming Windows as users have high expectations on the browser.
According to The Verge,the browser be linked with the Cortana digital assistant.Also,it is expected that the current features(that work on bing in the Internet Explorer) will start with the Cortana interface in the Spartan browser.Microsoft has earlier revealed that Cortana will be the integral part of the Windows 10 OS.
With this,Cortana will allow the users to acces the internet directly,search and acces information such as flight booking without directly being directed to the Spartan.Sources also reveal that a new features of the Spartan will allow grouping of tabs in order to avoid the untidiness of the tabs associated with the browser(expected to be just like Chrome and Firefox browsers).It is also rumored that the Spartan browser would feature in the Windows app store so that users can have easy acces to the browser.
Sources also reveal that a user can make notes on a web page and transfer it to another users.This feature will be driven by Microsoft's One Drive Cloud.
Overall,the design of the Spartan browser is said to be much similar to the Chrome and Firefox browsers.It would form a crucial part in the Windows 10.So,hope for the best out of Spartan.

Microsoft 'Spartan' browser-First Look

Recently,Microsoft revealed that its project on Spartan browser.After its not so good Internet Explorer,Microsoft has been working on a new lightweight browser code named 'Spartan'. Although is not clear whether Microsoft would unveil its new browser at its event on January 21.
Here is a first look of the first look of the Spartan.

Source:BGR

Windows phones may support android apps soon

Although Microsoft has improved its User Interface and the Cortana, it has still got a lot to do.Because of its limited applications in the store,Microsoft is not gaining the popularity that it deserves.
In a way to enhance its smartphone market,Microsoft is willing to support Android apps in its Windows phone.This is the first by a company(Blackberry provided access to the Android apps in its Blackberry 10.3 OS).
Although Microsoft had launched its Android phone(Nokia X and XL before it was brought by Microsoft),it failed miserably to satisfy the people.
Hope that the move by Microsoft would help them.

A Glimpse of Steve Jobs

Who doesn't know the tech pioneer and one of the leading innovator of his time,Steve Jobs.Here are few facts that you must know about him.It would be better if you guys refer to the following link than me saying it.
Source: http://goo.gl/IBCvO7 

Oneplus finally offering its own software

After a rift with Micromax(Indian phone manufacturer),Oneplus has finally come up with its new ROM.Sources say that the new software is an alpha version and is still under development.The company has announced has been announced by Oneplus in its official website.
Since this is a first step to build its own interface for Android 5.0,there is no apps to build or Google Services.

Although AOSP software is an open source and available for everyone,Oneplus seems to have modified it to meet the hardware requirements.Its a long way ahead for Oneplus to debut its new ROM and it still needs to some another version of android for its selling phones.

Internet Explorer to make way for Spartan

Seems like New Year is going to be filled with a new world for Microsoft.With Windows 10 on its way,reports say that Internet Explorer is going to make an exit to make way for a new browser 'Spartan'. A stiff competition in the digital world has forced Microsoft to end Internet Explorer.
The new browser's(code named as Spartan) lightweight design is said to be similar to Google Chrome and Firefox browsers both of which are significant among the users since their introduction.

Spartan is expected to take us to new height

 With security flaws and Microsoft's refusal for third-party add-ons,switching gears to a new brand that is free from Internet Explorer’s antiquated stigma may prove to be a shrewd– if not long overdue– decision.Sources also say that Microsoft will stick with Chakra Javascript engine(used in Internet Explorer 9) and the Trident rendering kit,used in Chrome and Safari browser.
Its unclear whether Windows 10 will come with Spartan or not.The company is expected to reveal more about Spartan on January 21,on the day where the features of Windows 10 would be revealed.