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Mar

PSA: LG Intuition's Latest Update Wreaking Havoc, Should Be Avoided For Now

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Intuition, News, Optimus Vu, Verizon Wireless

Owners of LG's Verizon-connected Intuition (otherwise known as the Optimus Vu) would be well-advised to avoid an update that began rolling out recently. The short version of this story is that the update is wreaking havoc on handsets –users who have already accepted the update are reporting constant app errors, an inability to connect to the Play Store, camera/gallery failure, and more. You can read users' impassioned responses to the flawed firmware here, here, and here.

It should be noted that although some users report total loss of photos and contacts, user files should still be present on the device.

Oct

Sony Forced To Halt Sales Of The Xperia Tablet S Due To A Manufacturing Flaw, Turns Out It Isn't 'Splash-Proof' After All

Posted by John Thompson in News, Xperia Tablet S

Just a month after releasing its new 'durable and splash-proof' Xperia Tablet S, Sony has found that some units have gaps between the screen and the aluminum case, making them particularly vulnerable to water damage.

The issue has been caused by a manufacturing flaw at the Chinese plant where the tablet is produced, and as a result, Sony has chosen to temporarily stop selling the device until the problem can be resolved.

Although the Japanese company is trailing behind competitors, such as Samsung, in the tablet market, 100,000 units of the Xperia Tablet S have already been sold across Japan, Europe, and the United States.

Apr

[Poll] Is The One S' Micro-Arc Oxidation Ceramic Surface Failing? Users Report Unsightly Chipping [Update: More Information]

Posted by Liam Spradlin in News, One S (Ville)

Update: According to The Verge, HTC has indicated that it's "aware of the reports," and is currently investigating the situation. Stay tuned for further info.

Update 2: Turns out that HTC is ready to make good on this issue, but only by telling customers to return their chipped phone to the store from which it was purchased and get a replacement. If, however, you'd rather send it off to HTC to be repaired, that's always an option. Below is HTC's official statement on the matter.

HTC is committed to delivering a high quality product and great experience for all our customers.

Aug

Design Flaw In Android Could Allow For Phishing Attempts And Pop-Up Ads

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Android OS, News

Every year, Defcon brings about some new concepts, hacks, vulnerabilities, and other digital tomfoolery. Sometimes it's all in good fun, but other times it's all too scary, which happens to be the case with a new class of Android malware that could allow for phishing attacks and pop-up ads alike.

Thanks to a design flaw in Android, there is a "feature" that allows an application to steal focus and pull itself into the foreground, bypassing the notification system entirely. Even more, the app can disable the use of the 'back' button to return the previously opened application, nearly locking you in to its interface.

Apr

[Updated] Exclusive: Vulnerability In Skype For Android Is Exposing Your Name, Phone Number, Chat Logs, And A Lot More

Posted by Justin Case in Development, Exclusives, News

Last Updated: June 5th, 2012

Update #1: Skype is investigating the issue, we've been told.

Update #2: Skype's official first response can be found here.

The safety of our personal information is often a concern of mine - who has my email address, my phone number, my date of birth? How can I keep my private information safe while still enjoying the internet? These concerns have prompted me to take a deeper look at Android apps more than once, and often this can yield some frightening information.

On April 11, a leaked version of Skype Video hit the web and, having a Thunderbolt, I had to try it.

Sep

Critical Security Vulnerability In Flash For Android (And Every Other OS) - In Other News: Sky Still Blue, Grass Still Green

Posted by David Ruddock in Applications, News

Adobe announced a "critical vulnerability" in the Flash 10.1 platform for all OS's, including Android, yesterday. While this is an extremely common occurrence (I use it to mark the new moon), it is a little troubling to know that Adobe's infamously-insecure plug-in could be giving evil-doers unsolicited access to Android devices running Flash.

While Adobe was not clear on exactly what malicious activity the exploit could allow on Android devices, the typical "control of a user's system" language is used when describing the implications of the problem. Here's Adobe's full release on the issue, which they hope to resolve by September 27th:

Security Advisory for Flash Player

Release date: September 13, 2010

Vulnerability identifier: APSA10-03

CVE number: CVE-2010-2884

Platform: All

SUMMARY

A critical vulnerability exists in Adobe Flash Player 10.1.82.76 and earlier versions for Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Solaris, and Adobe Flash Player 10.1.92.10 for Android.