Google has become an inevitable thing in our day-to-day life. Especially, mobile apps are being developed every day to make life better with technology.
Now the company officially announced that they are rolling out Privacy Sandbox Beta for a few percent of Android 13 devices.
Privacy sandbox may help users to limit the sharing of data with third parties and to operate without cross-site and cross-app identifiers.
“The Privacy Sandbox on Android builds on our existing efforts on the web, providing a clear path forward to improve user privacy without putting access to free content and services at risk,” reads the company statement.
Privacy Sandbox Beta
The new Feature is to be available for a few Android 13 years, if your user got selected, then you will get a notification.
With Privacy Sandbox settings you can control Beta participation, it may ask to select topics of interest.
By selecting the topics of interest, your displays will get narrowed and you will get only the relevant ads displayed.
If you are not interested to continue with Privacy Sandbox you turn it off or back on in Settings.
App developers who want to participate in Beta can integrate the APIs to show the relevant ads.
“Our goal with the Privacy Sandbox is to enhance user privacy while providing businesses with the tools to succeed online.”
Privacy Sandbox For Web
On the web, Privacy Sandbox helps with third-party cookies and other forms of tracking like fingerprinting by restricting the information accessed by the website.
“Building on our web efforts, we’re developing solutions for digital advertising that limit user data sharing and don’t rely on cross-app identifiers.”
The ultimate goal of Privacy Sandbox is to enhance user privacy and for businesses to deliver ads to interested users.
“Evolving digital advertising to enhance user privacy, by moving away from reliance on cross-app tracking, is vital for the future of a thriving mobile ecosystem. We’ll continue to work closely with developers, marketers, and regulators on this journey.”
This Valentine’s Day, we ask the inevitable password question: is it okay to share passwords with your partner?
To share or not to share? When it comes to love and romance, that is the password question, isn’t it?
This Valentine’s Day, we attempt to lift the lid on this steamy cybersecurity subject to see if two people in a romantic relationship are both on board on the matter of exchanging passwords with each other. Some might generally see this as something someone would logically and naturally, do—even at the early stage of dating. But the bigger question is: Is it wise?
Why couples share their passwords
They say it’s all about trust.
At least that was one of the reasons Comparitech found when it asked 1,000 survey respondents why they share their social media passwords with their partners. Others admitted to sharing out of convenience, transparency, and even as proof of devotion. We can throw in practicality here, too, because if couples share their different streaming accounts with each other, for example, they can save money. But the top reason was they “have nothing to hide”.
Password sharing among couples is really very common. Pew Research said a majority of Americans have shared their smartphone password or passcode (75 percent), email account (62 percent), and social media accounts (42 percent).
Perhaps one reason one would agree to share their passwords is so we’re ready for worst-case scenario situations.
“For the same reason everyone should have wills, if something happens to your significant other — i.e., they die or are in a coma — and you can’t access their phone, it’s a huge issue,” said a woman named Benita, who was interviewed by The Cut on this subject. “My husband and I talked about this specifically because it was a problem for his mom when his dad died. She didn’t even know the cable password or Wi-Fi info, and it was hard for her. My husband and I also have each other’s fingerprints saved on our phones. That said, I have never gone into his phone. But I can, and that’s what matters.”
Why couples don’t share their passwords
They say it’s all about privacy.
But, surprisingly, this is not the top answer, per the same survey results. In fact, the top result was a bit funny and anticlimactic, really (sorry): no one asked for each other’s passwords.
Some respondents also viewed password sharing with their partner as “too controlling”. Apart from not feeling comfortable with the idea, some also don’t believe it’s a validating factor for their relationship and have the hindsight to protect their accounts in the event of a relationship fallout.
“It’s no secret that password-sharing is a way for consumers to get around the cost of paying for multiple services,” Hari Ravichandran, founder and CEO of digital safety provider Aura, told NPR. “What consumers aren’t considering is that these behaviors make them vulnerable to digital crime when people outside your household—even ones you trust—have your passwords on their devices.”
And then there’s the issue of when you break up with your significant password-sharing other…
What to do if your ex has your password
1. Change your password/pin code.
The most logical thing to do when an ex has your password is to change it. If your ex knows your phone pin code, change that, too, or use a different Lock Screen method like a pattern. And while we’re on the subject…
2. Never reuse your password.
Sharing the one password that unlocks every online account you have with your partner—or anyone, for that matter—is like lovingly presenting someone with a big red button that sets everything on fire. And that might happen if you don’t start making unique passwords for every single one of your online accounts.
3. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA)
In the event that you can’t change your password, you can still keep your account out of your ex’s reach by setting up a second verification layer: 2FA—provided you haven’t set this up yet. Make sure that you’re using the strongest 2FA option for that account.
4 Lie.
Some accounts use security questions as a form of verification. If you’ve been with someone who has grown to know you too well, another way to lock them out of your account is to lie about your real answers to those security questions. Just keep a record of those lies hidden somewhere accessible yet safe so you don’t end up locked out yourself.
5. Reset and reclaim your computing and smart devices
Couples share a lot of things, including computers (desktop, laptop) and IoT (internet of things) devices. Before you reclaim your devices, make sure you do a factory reset on all of them to flush out all the things, including access your ex may still have to it. For computers, wipe your browsing and search histories, bookmarks, and saved credentials and card details.
Too risky or so worth it?
Password sharing in a romantic relationship is seen by some as a litmus test for couples or a right of passage in a modern, digitally-driven world. So before you and your better half go for it, make sure you and your partner know the cons of doing this as much as the pros. Forget what other people think and say—it’s not about them, anyway. At the end of the day, the decision falls on only the both of you.
The Cut’s Liz Krieger said it best. Think of sharing passwords with your partner as “less as a litmus test and more like a Rorschach test”, otherwise known as ‘the inkblot test’.
“[W]e see in it what we want, what our past has taught us to see, and ultimately, what we hope to be true”.
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Meizu is making a comeback. The company has just announced that its new flagship lineup, the Meizu 20 series, will include the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC. The devices are expected to launch next month.
The Meizu 20 flagship series is coming soon with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC
Meizu confirmed this via Weibo, and we’re presuming that two phones are coming. The company will likely announce the Meizu 20 and Meizu 20 Pro during the event. Those two phones were rumored in the last couple of months.
Now, the company not only confirmed that Qualcomm’s most powerful chip will be in play, but some extra info as well. Meizu will take advantage of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 flash storage. In other words, the company won’t be cutting corners.
This is what the Meizu 20 Pro will look like
That being said, a well-known tipster also showed us the device ahead of time. Digital Chat Station shared an image of the Meizu 20 Pro, which you can see below this paragraph.
As you can see, the device will feature flat sides. It will probably include a glass backplate, at least this model. Its cameras protrude straight from the backplate, and are placed neatly one below the other in the top-left corner. There are three cameras here, and an LED flash below them.
The device will include a flat display, and a centered display camera hole. You will also notice that all of its physical keys sit on the right-hand side of the phone.
It has been almost a year and a half since Meizu announced a single phone
The last phones Meizu announce were the Meizu 18 and 18s. Those two devices arrived in September 2021. So, it has been almost a year and a half at this point, since Meizu announced a single phone.
The Meizu 20 Pro does look interesting, and the shared specs do look promising. Meizu was once an up-and-coming company, with great promise, but something went wrong along the way. Now it has a new owner, and it remains to be seen if it can leave a significant footprint in the smartphone market.
It cost Google around $100 billion in market cap after its brand-new AI (artificial intelligence) chatbot Bard made a factual error during its first demo. The company was blamed for rushing to catch up to Microsoft’s ChatGPT-powered Bing and not focusing on improving the service. Turns out Bing’s demo was full of mistakes too. It made more mistakes than Bard, and those are now coming to the fore.
Microsoft’s Bing AI demo was full of mistakes
Independent AI researcher Dmitri Brereton recently detailed some egregious mistakes that Bing made during its demo. Most notably, Microsoft’s search engine got it all wrong when summarizing Gap Inc.’s Q3 2022 financial report. The San Francisco-based clothing brand reported a gross margin of 37.4% during the quarter, with an adjusted gross margin of 38.7% excluding impairment charges. But Bing inaccurately reported a gross margin of 37.4% including the adjustment and impairment charges.
Even if you excuse Bing for this mix-up, it then started to make up numbers on its own. It said that Gap reported an operating margin of 5.9% in Q3 2022, adjusted for impairment charges and restructuring costs. This number doesn’t appear anywhere on the official document from the clothing brand. The correct figure is 4.6%, or 3.9% adjusted but excluding the impairment charge. Bing got the diluted earnings per share wrong too. It reported a value of $0.42 adjusted for impairment charges. Gap’s document says diluted earnings per share of $0.77 (adjusted excluding impairment charges is $0.71).
Bing’s errors don’t end there. It said Gap is “expecting net sales growth in the low double digits” for the fiscal year 2022, and is estimating “an operating margin of about 7%, and diluted earnings per share of $1.60 to $1.75”. The problem is, the company didn’t say anything about its outlook for operating margin or diluted earnings per share. Additionally, it said “net sales could be down mid-single digits year-over-year in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022,” not the full year. Quite clearly, the ChatGPT-powered Bing failed to comprehend Gap’s report and failed terribly.
Bing was also asked to compare Gap’s financial report to that of Lululemon for the same period. It made several mistakes there as well. Lululemon’s gross margin was 55.9% but Bing reported 58.7%. Its operating margin was 19%, not 20.7%. Its diluted earnings per share were $2.00, not $1.65. Bing inaccurately reported cash and cash equivalents for Gap as $1.4 billion (should be $679 million). Last but not least, the inventory value for Gap should be $3.04 billion, not $1.9 billion.
Bing even got some basic things wrong
During its demo, Bing also failed to differentiate between a corded and cordless vacuum and provided inaccurate and made-up details about bars in Mexico City. But these mistakes have continued after the on-stage demo. Now that the new Bing is available to the public, people are finding that it is as terrible at providing some basic information too. It argues that 2022 is yet to come. “Avatar: The Way of Water is not released yet. It is scheduled to be released on December 16, 2022, which is in the future. Today is February 12, 2023, which is before December 16, 2022,” Bing said when enquired if the movie has been released.
Bing also hallucinated about the Super Bowl and kicked Croatia out of the European Union. Overall, Microsoft’s new ChatGPT-powered search engine is doing terribly badly in some basic tasks that you’d expect AI to excel at. Hopefully, the Windows giant will get things correct soon with Google coming at it fast. Industry experts see a two-horse race between Google and Microsoft in this AI revolution over the next decade. It remains to be seen who comes out on top. Both have started pretty badly but should pick up pieces soon and… game on.
Well, the chat app wars are raging, and the latest strike comes from Will Cathcart, Head of WhatsApp at Meta. In a rapid-fire style series of tweets, Cathcart mounts some serious attacks, calling Telegram “Russian spyware,” and urging people not to use it.
This war is a long-standing one, and it dates way back in time, but the latest point of discussion seems to be end-to-end encryption. Cathcart referred to an article by Wired and his own critique of Telegram’s implementation of end-to-end encryption (E2EE), pointing out that it has not been verified independently. Additionally, Cathcart noted other weaknesses in the E2EE implementation, such as the fact that it is not enabled by default and is not available for group chats.
“Telegram lacks real transparency most technology companies have adopted. “In many cases, it’s impossible to tell what’s really happening…whether spyware or Kremlin informants have been used to break in.”
You can jump to Twitter and “enjoy” the whole show (with or without popcorn), but it’s safe to say that there are always two sides to every story. WhatsApp has been criticized for backing up chats to Google Drive and effectively giving government agencies the means to warrant out any information through Google.
Cathcart rounds up his attack with some “friendly” advice for people who don’t want to use WhatsApp for some reason. “Don’t use Telegram!” WhatsApp’s head doesn’t list any alternatives, but experts in the industry think that Signal is the most secure option at the moment.
The Pixel 7 Pro is more about refinement, then redesign this year. And that’s not a surprise. Considering we got a bit redesign last year on the Pixel 6 series. Generally, smartphones don’t get a big redesign every year. It’s usually about every 3 to 4 years, with the in-between years being refinements. Which is awesome. With the Pixel 7 Pro, it’s mostly the same design, but it is a bit more refined compared to the predecessor.
The biggest change that you’ll see on the Pixel 7 Pro is the camera bar. It’s still there, but now it’s metal, wrapped around the camera sensors. Making the cameras stand out a bit more. The frame and camera bar are now one piece of metal.
So the real question here is whether the Pixel 7 Pro is worth spending $899 on or not? Well let’s find out in our full review.
Refined but familiar design
The design on the Pixel 7 Pro has been refined, and as we’ve said already in this review, that’s not a bad thing. For one, the camera bar and the frame is now just one piece of metal. Which likely helps with the rigidity of the phone. Of course, we’ll have to wait for Jerryrigeverything’s durability test on the Pixel 7 Pro to really tell if that is the case.
Another design change is at the very top of the phone. It now has a much smaller antenna band, unlike with the Pixel 6 Pr0, where the back actually folded over the top. That was for 5G. But this year, we can see the antenna on the top right side. It looks a bit more like the other phones out there, which is good to see.
Otherwise, the only other design changes here really is the power button and volume rocker. Those are now a bit further down on the side. I’m convinced that manufacturers do this so that you can’t reuse cases from the last phone. Speaking of the buttons, they are super clicky now. Hopefully, they do not get mushy overtime, as my Pixel 6 Pro’s volume rocker is very mushy now and is pretty tough to use.
The Pixel 7 Pro is pretty stunning, and it’s easy to tell that it is a Pixel now. Which is exactly what this design was made for. On the back, the camera bar is metal, with the camera lenses inside. So they stand out a bit more now, which I wasn’t sure about when Google first showed it off at Google I/O in May. But after using it for nearly a week, it’s actually not to bad and looks pretty nice.
It has a glass back, which means it is still glossy and slippery. I really wish Google would go back to a matte finish, or using frosted glass like the Pixel 4 series (and Pixel 3 series). It looked great and felt great in the hand too.
The stunning 6.7″ display
It’s a big odd that the Pixel 7 actually shrunk this year, while the Pixel 7 Pro stayed at the same size this year. It’s not a bad thing though, as people love big phones. And this big 6.7″ QHD+ AMOLED 120Hz display looks amazing. That should come as no surprise, as AMOLED displays look good anyways, and it’s really hard to mess up an AMOLED display.
The brightness on the Pixel 7 Pro is pretty good too. We’re looking at 1,000 nits of brightness, and 1,500 nits at the peak. That’s not quite as good as the iPhone 14’s crazy 2,00 nits of peak brightness. But you can still see your screen outside in the sunlight. Which is what matters.
It’s a 120Hz display, and it is LTPO. That means that it can move from 10Hz to 120Hz when needed. That’s going to help to preserve battery life. Especially since you don’t really need 120Hz on the always-on display, or even when you’re watching a video on YouTube. Now by default, the Pixel 7 Pro is set to FHD+ at 120Hz. It also has Smooth Display on by default which tells you that it will move from 60Hz to 120Hz, which is true, but not entirely. As mentioned, it can still go all the way down to 10Hz.
Let’s talk performance
So this is Google’s second generation of phones with its own processor. The Google Tensor G2 processor is not built to be as speedy as possible. Instead, it is built to use a lot of machine learning and artificial intelligence, which are two things that Google really likes to rely on for things. So while benchmarks aren’t quite as good as a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, the everyday performance on the Pixel 7 Pro is still quite good.
During our time with the phone, we never really noticed it getting super warm. It did get warm while playing games and using the camera a lot. Though that is expected, as it is using one part of the phone a lot more and it’s going to heat up. But that doesn’t last long.
Now the battery life here isn’t as good as I’d like, or have grown accustom to. And kind of makes me wish that the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 was here. Which is a great segway to the battery life section.
Battery life is decent, but it won’t win any awards
Battery life on the Pixel 6 Pro last year was pretty good. During the review process, I was hitting 8 hours of screen on time without any trouble, and did it multiple times. But as Google rolled out updates to fix bugs, and new features, battery life has really degraded over the past year. We hope that’s not the case for the Pixel 7 Pro this year, but we’re already noticing a drop in battery life compared to last year.
So far, I’ve been getting about six to seven hours of screen on time on the Pixel 7 Pro. That’s still pretty good. But below what the Pixel 6 Pro did last year.
And don’t get me started on the battery stats page on the Pixel. It sucks for doing reviews, since it is a rolling 24-hour stat page. That is going to change in the next Pixel Feature Drop however, as it is already changed in the beta. So it will change over to show you since your last full charge. And I can’t wait for that update to come out.
So the bottom line here is, battery life is decent. But definitely behind what the OnePlus 10T, ASUS Zenfone 9, Galaxy Z Flip 4, and Galaxy Z Fold 4 have offered. All of which use the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. And it just shows that Qualcomm added some vudu to that chipset. But the Pixel 7 Pro should get you through a full day without much issue.
The return of Face Unlock!
Google introduced face unlock on the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL. It used its Soli Radar sensor for face unlock, which was unique and pretty cool. It worked great at night when there wasn’t any or much light. But, Google removed it on the Pixel 5. That was likely due to the cost of that radar. Since the Pixel 5 series got a bit price drop compared to the Pixel 4. And the Pixel 6 and 7 series are still cheaper than the Pixel 4 was at launch.
But now, Google has finally brought back on the Pixel 7, with a caveat. Both the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro use face unlock. But Google is only letting you use it to unlock your phone. Not to authenticate yourself in other apps. The reason for that is because Google is using the camera for face unlock. So it’s not very secure.
Luckily, Google has kept the fingerprint sensor, and it is also way faster than the Pixel 6’s fingerprint sensor. It’s a new sensor under the screen, which is very much improved. The Pixel 6 Pro’s fingerprint sensor was very slow and finicky. That is not a problem at all on the Pixel 7 Pro, we’re happy to report.
Camera upgrades a plenty
Over the years with the Pixel, I’ve preferred it over any other phone camera. Google does a really good job of not over-saturating photos, and also really good at getting pets and kids without making them blurry. But there was still one feature that Google was missing, that I really wanted. And surprisingly, Apple added it before Google.
That’s Macro. It’s not a dedicated feature, but instead when you get close to the subject, it’ll switch over to macro mode and get a close up shot. It works well, as you can see in the examples below. However, I do wish Google would use the telephoto lens for this, like Samsung did in the new Fold 4. That allows you to get closer without blocking some light. Which provides you with better images. But overall, macro on the Pixel 7 Pro is really good. It’s unfortunate that it is only on the Pixel 7 Pro though.
Another upgrade to the camera is zoom. Because of the big sensor, Google is able to crop in at 2X on the main sensor. That’s a 50-megapixel sensor. It does still pixel-bin down to 12.5MP though. Then there’s the telephoto sensor. It allows you to get 5X zoom shots, and Google is using its Super Res software magic to give you 10X and even 30X zoom shots. Below in the gallery, you’ll see a selection of shots from the same place. It starts with a 0.5x shot, then a 1x shot, then 2x, then 5x, then 10x and finally 30x.
The 30x zoom shots are actually really good. They are not as crisp as you’d get from a huge camera and a ginormous lens, but still better than what we’ve seen on other phones that do 30x. It’s not something I’d use all the time, but being able to get usable pictures at 30x is definitely nice. The 5x and 10x focal lengths are a lot better, and will get used a lot more.
There are some other features new on the Pixel 7 Pro this year too, like Cinematic Blur. Basically, it allows you to use bokeh to blur the background, or switch to the foreground. You’ve undoubtedly seen this in many movies and TV shows. It works. And that’s about it, that I can say here. The edges around the objects isn’t great. It’s almost like portrait mode from the Pixel 1 or Pixel 2. However, I’m sure Google will improve this over the next few months and even into the Pixel 8 series.
Overall, the camera is exactly what you’d expect from a Pixel. It offers a ton of versatility, and takes photos that look true to life and not oversaturated. It also focuses really well and quickly, which makes it great for pets and kids.
Android 13 is super smooth on the Pixel 7 Pro
Like the Pixel 7 Pro, Android 13 is full of refinements as well. Seeing as Android 12 was the big overhaul – well it wasn’t that big, but did introduce Material You. So in Android 13, Google has opted to refine Material You a bit more. Offering more options for accent colors based on your wallpaper. Among other things.
Material You looks brilliant on this OLED display. Currently, I’m using a background that is using different colors of blues, so the options for Material You accent colors isn’t quite as plentiful as with some other wallpapers.
Android 13 also brings quite a few features under-the-hood, and one that you will find that does impact the user is, the opt-in for notifications. Now in Android 13, apps have to ask permission to send you notifications. That is really good news, as some apps will send you notifications that you’ll never need. Though not every app has this permission yet and Google isn’t requiring it until Android 14.
These are some of the changes in Android 13, and you can see the rest of them here. Putting this onto the Pixel 7, a phone that was engineered to run Android 13 the best, it’s a beautiful experience. The software is super fluid, and really never stutters at all. Even after playing a game for an extended amount of time. So that’s always good.
It’s also important to note that Google is only guaranteeing 3 years of software updates (that means Android 14, 15, and 16 will be guaranteed for this device) and then 5 years of security updates. We had hoped that with Google using its own chipsets now, that would change and better compete with Apple. But nope. Surprisingly, Samsung is beating Google on this, on Google’s own platform. As Samsung is guaranteeing 4 years of software updates on its devices starting with the S22.
Should I buy the Pixel 7 Pro?
The Pixel 7 Pro is a hard one to recommend. Not because it’s a bad phone, but because the Pixel 7 exists. The Pixel 7 has almost everything that the Pro has, minus the telephoto sensor as well as the macro features. Other than that, the two devices are mostly the same. But the Pixel 7 is $300 less, and smaller.
So basically, the Pixel 7 Pro is for you, if you want a big phone, with the best camera on the market. If you’re looking for something a bit smaller, you may want to take a look at the Pixel 7. Or if you want something even smaller and save a bit more money, there’s the Pixel 6a too.
Reddit recently revealed that it was subjected to a security breach. Unidentified cybercriminals were able to gain unauthorized access to the company’s internal documents, source code, as well as some of its business systems.
On the evening of February 5, 2023, Reddit discovered a sophisticated phishing attack with a landing page impersonating its intranet site aimed at its employees.
The attack was carefully crafted to trick employees into revealing sensitive information, such as two-factor authentication tokens, and login credentials.
In response to the attack, Reddit’s security team immediately sprang into action to limit the damage and investigate the extent of the breach.
The threat actor was able to gain access to internal Reddit systems after one of the company’s employees fell victim to the phishing attack. In addition, the hack was reported by the affected employee himself, the company said.
As of yet, Reddit has confirmed that its primary production systems have not been breached. It has been disclosed that the recent security breach has resulted in the exposure of some limited information.
This information includes contact details for some of the company’s contacts and employees, as well as limited information related to its advertisers.
Reddit’s Response
Following a thorough initial investigation that lasted several days, and which involved teams from security, engineering, and data science, Reddit has determined that there is no evidence to suggest that any private user or company data has been accessed or exposed.
After being targeted by a phishing attack, one of Reddit’s employees quickly reported the incident to the security team.
In response, the team took swift action, revoking the attacker’s access and launching an internal investigation to determine the extent of the breach.
The quick response of the affected employee and the security team prevented the attacker from gaining further access to Reddit’s systems and minimized the potential damage.
Here’s what Reddit stated:-
“We’re continuing to investigate and monitor the situation closely and working with our employees to fortify our security skills. Our goal is to fully understand and prevent future incidents of this nature, and we will use this post to provide any additional updates as we learn and can share more.”
Recommendation
One of the most effective ways to enhance the security of your Reddit account is to set up two-factor authentication (2FA). This additional layer of security provides an extra layer of protection when accessing your account, helping to keep your information safe from potential threats.
For those looking to take their account security to the next level, updating your password on a regular basis is highly recommended. It is a good practice to change your password every few months to ensure that your account remains secure and to do so you can use a password manager.
It is very important to ensure that your new password is unique and strong when you are setting up one. Using a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols will help to make your password more difficult for attackers to crack.
We take a look at what the Android 14 developer preview means for Android security moving forward.
Android developers have been given a taste of what’s to come in the next big step up in mobile land, thanks to Android 14 waiting on the horizon. The developer preview is a great way for those most familiar with the mobile operating system to see which changes they’ll enjoy and what ones they’ll have to endure.
As it happens, there’s quite a few security changes coming down the pipeline and developers will now be busy testing their apps. Not only are alarm permissions, system broadcasts, and language support experiencing alterations, but a wealth of security features will help ensure your device is as safe as can be.
Out with the old, in with the new
The biggest change is that old apps are on the way out. After a certain point, you will no longer be able to install them. These kinds of changes have been threatening to land for some time now, so developers will surely have been aware of this coming.
As Ars Technica notes, the current backward compatibility system allowed for older apps to still install but at the risk of malware developers simply targeting older Android versions.
Android 14, on the other hand, is simply bringing down the curtain and those old apps won’t install anymore. Now, don’t panic too much. Your favourite apps are almost certainly safe, especially if you’re still using them on a daily basis because there’s a strong chance they’re still being maintained and updated.
By “old apps”, we’re talking Android 6 and earlier which is a grand total of 8 years+. Given that apps not updated for two years have already started to be hidden from view on the Play store, there is a tiny chance you’ll be impacted by this. If you’re a side-loading hobbyist with a passion for ancient apps, then maybe this could cause you a few headaches. For most people, this is one of those changes you simply won’t notice. It’s a smart piece of house cleaning by Google and one which makes sense.
Dynamic code loading (DCL) introduces outlets for malware and exploits, since dynamically downloaded executables can be unexpectedly manipulated, causing code injection. Apps targeting Android 14 require dynamically loaded files to be marked as read-only.
Malware authors being hampered from malicious code injection can only be a good thing so this is good to see.
Runtime receivers
Apps targeting Android 14 must indicate if dynamic Context.registerReceiver() usage should be treated as “exported” or “unexported”, a continuation of the manifest-level work from previous releases.
Safer implicit intents
To prevent malicious apps from intercepting intents, apps targeting Android 14 are restricted from sending intents internally that don’t specify a package.
Both of the above have the intent of locking down data from other apps or the system itself. As Bleeping Computer points out, rogue apps and other malicious activities on an Android will have a much more difficult time if trying to intercept pieces of information intended for somewhere else.
A full rundown of what’s to expect (so far) can be seen on the official site. It’s worth noting that a complete reveal of what Android 14 will contain is not likely to be seen for some time yet, so all of this is subject to change to some degree.
Keeping your phone safe
This is all good news for the future, but what can you do in the here and now to keep harm at arm’s length?
Update your apps, and your device. Keep your Android device up to date, and allow your apps to update automatically. Depending on your version, you should be able to tell your device to update when connected to your Wi-Fi as opposed to taking a bite out of your roaming data.
Enable your lock screen. Whether you’re using a pattern, a PIN, a password, or even your thumbprint, it should be at the top of your list. Pay attention to how long your phone is unlocked before it reverts to the lock screen. This is a valuable window for criminals should you leave your phone unattended.
Enable the “find my phone” service. This, combined with the lock screen, will help keep your data safe in cases where you need to delete all data from the device remotely.
Install security tools on your phone. This will help provide you with maximum protection from rogue links, bad apps, and more.
Only download from official stores. Bad things do end up on there, but it’s still safer than allowing installations from unknown sources via third party websites.
Always read the reviews. You’ll not only gain insight into what the app is doing, but you’ll also make sure that the apps you’re using are still supported. This will keep you away from potentially exploitable software which has long since fallen into disrepair. Remember: there’s a two year expiry on abandoned apps before they’re removed from the Play store, so not everything put out to pasture will vanish right away.
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Samsung is rolling out a new software update to the Galaxy A72. While the handset isn’t getting One UI 5.1 yet, it is picking up the latest security patch. The 2021 premium mid-range smartphone is jumping to the February 2023 SMR (Security Maintenance Release).
The latest security update for the Galaxy A72 is currently rolling out in Asia. To be precise, users in India are getting it. The updated firmware build number is A725FXXS5CWB2 (via). The rollout should expand to more markets in the coming days. While Samsung didn’t release the handset in the US, it arrived in Europe, Africa, Latin America, and Australia. As usual, users can check for updates from the Settings app. Go to the Software update menu and tap on Download and install.
This update brings more than 50 vulnerability fixes to the Galaxy A72. Samsung’s latest SMR patches seven Galaxy-specific vulnerabilities, including flaws in Secure Folder, Fingerprint TA, and Contacts and Phone apps. The remaining patches are part of Google’s latest ASB (Android Security Bulletin). The Android maker labeled five patches as “critical”. Some of these could lead to remote code execution if threat actors exploited the vulnerabilities in the wild.
Galaxy A72 may get Samsung’s One UI 5.1 update
Samsung launched the Galaxy A72 in March 2021 as its most expensive mid-range model of the year. The device arrived running Android 11 out of the box. It has received updates to Android 12 and Android 13 since then. The handset is also eligible for Android 14. Moreover, we also expect it to receive One UI 5.1. The new One UI version debuted with the Galaxy S23 series earlier this month. It recently rolled out to the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S21, Galaxy S20, Galaxy Z Fold 4, Galaxy Z Flip 4, Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy Z Flip 3, and more. We will let you know if and when Galaxy A72 gets it.
One UI 5.1 brings a host of new features and improvements to these Galaxy devices. Samsung has added more camera features and a Shared Family Album to the Gallery app. It makes sharing photos and videos with up to six family members a breeze. The new One UI version also gives you more options while editing photos, including the ability to remaster downloaded GIFs. Samsung Notes supports collaboration during a Google Meet conference, while Samsung’s AR Zone and AR Emoji apps get some functional improvements. Last but not least, Bixby Text Call is available in English with One UI 5.1.
The coming weeks might be filled with tension as Meta job cut plans are still in motion. A few months ago, the company laid off over 11,000 of its workforce globally. Such layoffs have become a trend with most big tech firms around the world.
Twitter, Amazon, Zoom, Google, and many other tech firms have let go of a good amount of their staff. Most of these layoffs have occurred in recent times and now seem to be a trend in the industry. The rising economic uncertainty around the world has played a major role in some layoffs from big tech firms.
While other firms are working with their remaining staff, Meta has other plans. These plans will also put the jobs of a good amount of Meta’s staff at risk. A recent report carry some information on the possible next wave of Meta layoffs.
Possibilities of more layoffs loom around Meta’s workforce
In a recent report, the Financial Times claim that Meta is planning on a fresh lay-off process. According to this report, work at Meta seems to be slowing down anticipating the coming lay-off. But why will Meta be making plans to cut jobs after letting over 11,000 staff go a few months ago?
Sources claim that the company is planning to reconstruct its workforce. This reconstruction will not only affect how jobs are done but also the amount of staff Meta will need. The amount of staff to be impacted by this possible job cut is still unknown, but the firm has already let go of 13% of its global workforce.
The previous Meta job cut took a toll on every department in the tech firm. The company might also take a similar approach to this coming job cut. There is no clear statement from Meta as to the authentication of this new job cut.
Meta’s CEO did say that before the end of 2023, his company will become “a slightly smaller organization.” But, the company has held back from responding to the possibility of a fresh job cut. This leaves the public hanging on the fate of the current Meta workforce.
