29
Jan
image

Last year, we reported on a serious vulnerability in all versions of Android, found by a security researcher Thomas Cannon. It allowed a remote attacker to download files off a user's SD card upon visiting a webpage with malicious JavaScript code embedded in it. Google's response was swift, and the fix was rolled out in the public release of Gingerbread at the end of 2010.

A new report from eWeek came out today stating that another researcher, Xuxian Jiang, this time from North Carolina State University, stepped forward with a tweak to the very same vulnerability Google reportedly patched. The new method circumvents protection put in place and allows an attacker, yet again, to access a user's SD card as well as the /system directory and directories that are open for reading in the Android sandbox.

28
Jan
164561_10150092292454928_314467614927_5972828_1061263_n

Rovio Mobile's award-winning Angry Birds. 20th Century Fox's upcoming Rio. A perfect match?

2011-01-28 19h36_45

Rovio and 20th Century Fox obviously think so - they've teamed up to develop a new version of Angry Birds based entirely on Rio. They say it's coming to "app stores" in March (hopefully that includes the Android Market), and will feature 45 levels to call its own. Check out this cinema-quality teaser video Rovio released:

Looks like the Angry Birds brand isn't going away anytime soon - which could be either good news or bad news, depending on how you look at it.

28
Jan
image367

Next Wednesday, Google will be holding a press event to showcase Honeycomb and discuss Android at large. Team Android is going to give attendees an "in-depth look" at Honeycomb, news regarding the Android ecosystem, and a number of hands-on opportunities while at Google headquarters in Mountain View.

androidevent

The presentation will be streamed live at www.youtube.com/android starting at 10AM next Wednesday, so everyone will get a chance to tune in for the latest and greatest in the world of Android and Honeycomb.

Considering this is being labeled a press event, it's probably just an opportunity for Google to give Honeycomb some hands-on exposure to the major media outlets and blogs alike.

28
Jan
motorola-atrix-600x323

As I've said a few times previously here, I'm buying an Atrix 4G. I will be patiently waiting outside the Santa Monica AT&T store on that fateful February morning, Peet's coffee in hand, alternatively staring blankly into the store's glass and fiddling with my Nexus One. I'll probably be one of a few people there, but that's ok - I'm not a big fan of crowds.

But the battle only begins at the door. I will have to threaten (convincingly) to cancel my contract so that I can get a slightly earlier upgrade window than my agreement currently permits, (I'm not due for an upgrade until April) and pay an extra 50 dollars for the early upgrade fee.

28
Jan
ATT-Motorola-ATRIX-4G-Dual-Core-Android-Phone-back

If you like buying your smartphones at Costco, have I got news for you. Sounds like the king of giant ketchup dispensers will be offering the Atrix 4G as part of its relationship with AT&T, and for the same $150 on-contract figure Amazon quoted (and then quickly unquoted) yesterday.

thumb_550_atrix-costco

Lifetime supply of toilet paper not included

I know I'll be getting an Atrix 4G come launch day, but I think I'll take a pass on Costco as a vendor. Unless the phone comes with a free slice of Costco pizza and a polish - then I may have to reconsider.

AndroidCentral

28
Jan
smashed-galaxy-tab-broken-screen

Early this morning (or late last night if you want to get technical), Samsung made its quarterly earnings call, and the company's mobile division is doing quite well - profits are up 38%, thanks in large part to the Galaxy S line of phones.

Samsung managed to sell over 10 million Galaxy S handsets in 2010, comprising roughly a third of all the manufacturer's smartphone sales. Given the Galaxy S's global launch along with its premium hardware and fair pricing, it's no surprise that device has been a big hit. But what about the Galaxy Tab?

Since its release, the smallish tablet has received mixed reviews (though our own Aaron Gingrich thoroughly enjoyed it), and given its treatment by some of the major tech blogs, "mixed" is putting it politely:

This thing is just a mess.

28
Jan
vz_nav_vx

Based on the press release and official video, Verizon's new VZ Navigator VX is awesome. Really awesome. Potentially better than Google Maps 5/Google Navigation - and yes, I can hardly believe I'm saying that either, since the new GMaps combo provides a hell of a punch. But check out the short (just over two minutes) promo video, and you'll see what I mean:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRV8-u7adeQ&feature=player_embedded

Two major items of note there: first, assuming everything works, then big red did a hell of a job on the app. Second, they've delivered just what we've all been asking for: more Bing! As the video proudly shows, there's a serious degree of Bing integration in the app.

28
Jan
serval

Ah, the power of open. A team of people (mainly developers) has come together to develop a new communication method for times when existing infrastructure just doesn't work. They've  come up with two systems:

The Serval Project consists of two systems.

The first is a temporary, self-organising, self-powered mobile network for disaster areas, formed with small phone towers dropped in by air.

The second is a permanent system for remote areas that requires no infrastructure and creates a mesh-based phone network between Wi-Fi enabled mobile phones, and eventually specially designed mobile phones that can operate on other unlicensed frequencies, called Batphone.

28
Jan
shift4g

The title says it all, people: those enterprising individuals over at XDA-Developers (where else?) have conjured up a permanent root for the EVO Shift. As this is the first method available, the process isn't quite so easy as it's become for other devices. Still, it's not too outrageously complicated, either.

The steps:

Step 1
ok download this file and extract it to the root of your sdcard
www.thebcblends.com/shift/Shift-root.zip

Step 2
make sure you have adb properly setup on your computer before continuing
temp root using either visionary or z4root
open up command prompt and cd to your sdk platform-tools directory
then type adb shell then su
if you havent already u must press allow on your device to enable su perms

Step 3
check the md5sum of both of the files to make sure they match

Code:

md5sum /sdcard/Shift/hboot_orig.bin

Code:

md5sum /sdcard/Shift/hboot_eng.nb0

386c19451e8dd18f9b98fad6b11be4c0 hboot_orig.bin

60ec1006e6ec2e8acb370d6aad35b17e hboot_eng.nb0


if these do not match do not continue redownload the files then check the md5's again

Step 4

Flash the eng spl!!!

28
Jan
snap20110128_030115_wm

Facebook for Android has been notoriously slow to release updates and features in general, and last night's update reaffirmed that the app is nowhere near the top of Facebook's priority list. The Deals feature has been available on iOS since early November of 2010, only reaching Android almost 3 months later. According to the changelog, the Deals functionality is the only addition to the app, so let's take a quick look at how exactly you are going to find said deals.

As you can see, upon updating and starting Facebook, you will not find a Deals button anywhere in the menu.