throw-new – Page 26 – Tech Today w/ Ken May

Google won’t fix a security bug that’s in almost a billion Android phones

A day after Google publicized a flaw in Windows 8.1 before Microsoft could do anything about it, news broke about a security vulnerability in Android that the Mountain View company, well, won’t fix at all. Tod Beardsley, an analyst from Rapid7, a security data and analytics firm, found a serious bug in the WebView component of Android 4.3 and below (it’s an older bit of software that lets apps view webpages without launching a separate app) that potentially opens up affected phones to malicious hackers. Android 4.4 and 5.0 are unaffected by the bug, but as 60 percent of Android users — that’s close to a billion people — still use Android 4.3 or lower, it still affects a lot of people. Unfortunately, as Beardsley found out, Google won’t fix it, leaving it up to the various OEMs and manufacturers to issue a patch instead. The quote from Google to Beardsley is as follows: If the affected version [of WebView] is before 4.4, we generally do not develop the patches ourselves, but welcome patches with the report for consideration. Other than notifying OEMs, we will not be able to take action on any report that is affecting versions before 4.4 that are not accompanied with a patch. According to Beardsley, it seems that Jelly Bean devices are simply too old to support — supporting old software versions is fairly unusual, after all. But in this case, he asks Google to reconsider, due to the wider consequences this security flaw could potentially unravel. Until then, however, it might be a good idea to upgrade to Android 4.4, or perhaps get a new phone altogether. [Image credit: Phillip Bond / Alamy] Filed under: Cellphones , Google Comments Via: ArsTechnica Source: Rapid7

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Google won’t fix a security bug that’s in almost a billion Android phones

Facebook will alert you when kids go missing in your area

Facebook will now show amber alerts in its news feeds to inform users about missing or abducted children. The social network launched the venture with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to deliver the information in specific, targeted search areas following an abduction. The alerts will appear on mobile devices and desktops with photos and other pertinent details, allowing you to share them with friends or link to the latest info. Facebook said it was inspired to add the alerts after missing children were recovered due to information posted independently by users. For instance, earlier this year a motel owner recognized an 11-year-old girl from such a post and helped police recover her unharmed. Once it receives and amber alert from police, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children distributes them to Facebook, along with photos of the child, license plate numbers, the name and description of the child and abductor and any other relevant info. State and local law enforcement then determine the search area and send the alerts to your news feed if you live there. The item won’t trigger notifications, and you’ll only see them a few times a year at most, depending on where you live. Facebook now joins Google in highlighting amber alerts, meaning there’s now an extra 1.35 billion extra pairs of eyes helping spot abducted kids. Filed under: Internet , Facebook Comments Source: Facebook

Samsung’s latest SSD is absurdly fast and uses virtually no standby power

Samsung has started manufacturing a PCIe (M.2) SSD which pulls off a rare trick — it’ll be the fastest drive your laptop has ever seen, while consuming almost no power in standby mode. The new SM951 SSD succeeds the Korean company’s XP941 , a drive that can already read data at a mind-melting 1.4 gigabytes per second (GB/s) clip. On newer laptops or desktops, its successor will shame that with 2.15GB/s read and 1.55GB/s write speeds (on PCIe Gen 3 tech) using new 10-nanometer MLC flash tech. It also sips 50 percent less power and only consumes a negligible 2 milliwatts in standby mode. The SSDs will come in 128, 256 and 512GB sizes, but only to major laptop and workstation manufacturers to start with. If it follows the XP941’s footsteps , however, you’ll be able to supercharge your own laptop later on. Filed under: Storage , Samsung Comments Via: The Register Source: Samsung

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Samsung’s latest SSD is absurdly fast and uses virtually no standby power

Here’s a closer look at Dell’s super thin tablet and nearly bezel-less XPS 13

When I invited Sam Burd, the general manager of Dell’s personal computer group, to do an interview with me at CES about the state of the PC industry, I did so mostly because, well, Dell knows a lot about computers. I had no idea at the time that Dell would be showing off some amazing stuff at the show, with not one, but two products making the finalists’ list for our Best of CES Awards . So, before Mr. Burd and I got to talking about wireless charging and Intel’s RealSense technology, he gave me a closer look at both the skinny Venue 8 7000 tablet and the nearly bezel-less XPS 13 Ultrabook . Check out our interview in full below. Filed under: Laptops , Tablets , Dell Comments

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Here’s a closer look at Dell’s super thin tablet and nearly bezel-less XPS 13

Intel’s Compute Stick puts Windows 8.1 on your TV for $149

Your Chromecast key may be able to play Netflix, but can it play Crysis ? Intel’s HDMI Compute Stick probably can’t either, but the tiny device does have enough power to run Windows 8.1 apps on your TV. Intel has rather impressively crammed in a quad-core Atom CPU, 32GB of storage and 2GB of RAM, along with a USB port, WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0 support and a mini-USB connector for power (HDMI power will come later). “But why?” you might ask. Intel sees it as a low-priced computer or (pricey) media stick, or even a thin-client device for companies. To up the crazy factor, it may eventually launch a much zippier Core M version. The Windows version will run $149, and if that seems a bit much, a 1GB RAM/8GB memory Linux version is priced at $89. Both will arrive in March. Filed under: Home Entertainment , HD , Intel Comments Source: Intel

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Intel’s Compute Stick puts Windows 8.1 on your TV for $149

Chinese TV giant TCL brings Palm Inc. back to life

Prepare to be transported back to 2005. Chinese electronics maker TCL (which sells smartphones around the world as Alcatel OneTouch) announced earlier today that it’s reviving the venerated Palm brand in the form of a new US subsidiary. That’s right folks: it might not be long until you’ve got a shiny new Palm smartphone in your pocket. To be clear, though, this new/old venture retains basically none of the original’s DNA. Palm’s giant vault of patents? It’s been hacked apart and sold off in bits pieces to big-time bidders. And webOS, the platform a naïve company banked its smartphone future on? It was open-sourced and eventually acquired by LG, who’s now throwing it on smart TVs and maybe a smartwatch if we’re lucky. Still, TCL has said that it’ll commit to retaining Palm’s roots as a “Silicon Valley” company, even though the definition has probably drifted a bit since the days that term was really in vogue. Exactly what that means is up to you the user: The company said in a statement that it’s looking for feedback from the once-dedicated Palm crowd for future devices, though we really have no clue when TCL plans to make good on its word. Here’s the thing, though: TCL has already made some pretty big strides in growing the reach and clout of its Alcatel brand (thanks largely to its really-kind-of-nice smartphones). It’s even trying to pump up its presence in the US by partnering up with The Color Run and Avicii. Is TCL shooting itself in the foot by bifurcating its phone business? Maybe! Palm’s long-neglected devotees probably won’t mind as long as they get a device to stick next to their Pre 3s, though. Filed under: Mobile Comments

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Chinese TV giant TCL brings Palm Inc. back to life

You can play 2,400 classic DOS games in your web browser

If you’re a PC gamer of a certain age (cough), you’ve probably lamented that many of the titles you played as a kid are hard to use on modern systems without downloading emulators or waiting for special re-releases . Well, it just got a lot easier to relive your gaming glory days. The Internet Archive’s growing collection of web-based retro games now includes roughly 2, 400 MS-DOS classics — you can now play cult hits like Gods or Tongue of the Fatman in your browser. This won’t quite recreate the experience of sitting at the family computer, of course. The project’s Jason Scott warns that you can’t save your progress on the web, and that some games could still “fall over and die” despite attempts to include only those programs that are likely to work properly. But look at it this way: even half-functional web emulation could prevent a much-loved game from fading into obscurity. Filed under: Gaming , Internet , Software Comments Via: ASCII Source: Internet Archive

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You can play 2,400 classic DOS games in your web browser

Smart pacifier tracks your baby and its fever

No parent likes to see their tyke battle a little sickness, only to have to exacerbate the little one’s discomfort with constant thermometer probes. But what if temperature monitoring could actually be a soothing experience for the baby? Enter Pacifi, a child’s pacifier with a thermometer built into its silicon teat and a Bluetooth chip that sends temperature readings to a paired smartphone. From within the Pacifi app for Android and iOS, you can view a live reading and see previous ones in a timeline graph, allowing you to track improvement or decline in the child’s condition. This data can also be easily shared — with your doctor, for example. And if your child happens to be on a course of treatment already, you can set dosing reminders from within the app, too. Oral temperature readings aren’t as accurate as other, more uncomfortable methods. That’s why Blue Maestro, the makers of Pacifi, have included a calibration feature. You’re advised to initially take two readings — one with the pacifier and one with, say, an ear thermometer — and correct any discrepancy manually. This offset value will then be added to any subsequent results for consistency. But taking a baby’s temperature isn’t the only thing Pacifi does. It also acts as a proximity monitor, sending a notification to the paired smartphone if your child is tries to escape. If the pacifier moves out of the 30-meter range, the Pacifi app with make a note of the last known location using your phone’s GPS, pointing you in the direction of your lost child or hopefully, just a lost pacifier. And if you do misplace the thing, you can trigger a miniature siren that’s built into it to help track it down. For easy washing, the Pacifi is hermetically sealed, which also means you can’t replace its battery. That shouldn’t be too much of a problem, though, because it’s expected to last between 12 and 18 months before running out of juice (based on a one reading per day estimate). The Pacifi is currently up for preorder at £25/€30/£39, but as it’s technically a medical device (just like the TempTraq Bluetooth thermometer patch ), it won’t launch in earnest until it’s been given the green light by regional regulators. European approval is expected as soon as next month, at which point Blue Maestro will start the same process in the US, with an eye to launch at some point during the first half of this year. Filed under: Misc Comments Source: Blue Maestro

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Smart pacifier tracks your baby and its fever

Mercedes-Benz unveils its vision of a self-driving car

Mercedes-Benz is far from the first automaker to experiment with self-driving cars , but it’s making up for that in style at CES. Meet the F015 Luxury in Motion, a concept car designed from the ground up for robotic transportation. Passengers sit face to face so they can talk more, and anyone can control the car through a remote unit. The vehicle even has a color-coded LED lights on the front and back to let you know what the car is thinking. It can tell you whether or not it’s in autonomous mode or let pedestrians know when it’s safe to cross. Developing… Filed under: Transportation Comments

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Mercedes-Benz unveils its vision of a self-driving car

Sony’s head-mounting display will turn spectacles into smart glasses

It’s no secret that Sony’s been working on a sort of Google Glass analog, but the fact that the company’s also got a bolt-on display that can (ideally) turn any pair of glasses into a savvy wearable is nothing short of impressive. After Sony wrapped up this year’s CES press conference, we got the chance to yank a pair out of some poor spokesperson’s hands and strap them on for ourselves. Long story short: Sony just might have a winner on its hands. Here’s the thing you have to remember: This isn’t the first time Sony’s tried to dangle a teensy display in front of your eye. Unlike the company’s own SmartGlasses (which exist as a discrete set of frames), the Attach! lives on as a separate unit attaches to any pair of compatible glasses. At least during those early days post-launch, the selection of frames that’ll play nice will be pretty limited as the physical connector on these prototype units are… unique to say the least. It’s a wide, peculiarly shaped gap that the Attach! fits into, and it just seems awfully unlikely that a Luxottica would ever embrace such a peculiar style. A Sony spokesperson said, though, that the final model will support a whole host of mounting methods, including truly mundane solutions like adhesive. Anyway, let’s talk about wearing the thing! Just like Google Glass, a tiny prism sits in front of your right eye and it acts as what Sony calls an OLED microdisplay. Once you get used to it appearing and disappearing from view while your eyes focus on other things, the semi-persistent image is bright, vivd and crisp, even if it isn’t immediately obvious how you’re supposed to interact with what you see. Most of the demo scenarios Sony dreamed up involve sports in one way or another — one visualized a path that wound through a series of Japanese mountains while others highlighted the imaginary route of a golf ball as it hooked down toward the final green at Augusta. Sony’s clearly gunning to imbue the thing with some sports savvy, but surely it wouldn’t be that hard to broaden the Attach’s skillset to cater to we mostly immobile bespectacled types. Still, the prototype frames seemed almost too light and insubstantial — I wouldn’t be surprised if they were 3D printed. It’s a shame that we don’t know how much the SmartGlasses Attach! will cost, nor when it’ll make the leap from show floor trinket to honest-to-goodness product. Sony’s going to court mostly developers for at least a little while after launch though, so maybe we’re looking at more than a smart pair of sport goggles after all. Filed under: Wearables , Sony Comments