Smartphones are getting pretty clever these days but it is unlikely they will outwit the cybercriminals as fraudsters increasingly go mobile.
Last week Android Market, the shop front for applications aimed at Android smartphones, was hit by around 60 malicious apps.
It is thought that they did little real damage other than to Android's reputation, but the incident put the issue of mobile security back in the headlines.
Phones are attractive to criminals because they are essentially mini computers but with some important added extras.
"Phones also have direct access to address books, calendars as well as offering an ability to generate revenue," said Ian Fogg, an analyst with Forrester Research.
The type of personal data typically stored on a phone opens up a rich new vein for the modern fraudster's preferred crime - identity theft.
However, a more immediate income can be made from so-called rogue dialling programs - malicious bits of code capable of placing calls, unbeknown to the owner.
They are, according to Ovum analyst Graham Titterington, the "number one malware threat" to smartphones.
"Rogue dialling connects the phone automatically to a premium number that invariably belongs to a crook based in another country," he explained.
But it is not an insurmountable issue, he thinks.
"I don't understand why the mobile operators can't just cut off payments - then the problem goes away. But this type of international co-operation seems to be lacking at the moment," said Mr Titterington.
The close relationship between smartphones and location poses a risk that malicious apps will be able to track exactly where a person is at any given time.
"It could even be that it would be used to find out when someone is away from home," said Mr Fogg.
While it sounds scary, these nightmare scenarios are very far removed from the real picture, for the moment at least.
"So far there has been no major detrimental impact on consumers," points out Ben Wood, an analyst from CCS Insight."There will be a day when there is a catastrophic security lapse and then people will start taking it more seriously," he added.
Android may have hit the headlines but all smartphone operating systems have been targeted by malware of one kind or another.
To date, most iPhone security lapses have focused on offering users the power to break free from Apple's control with software that 'jailbreaks' the iPhone, a modification which enables users to run non-Apple approved software.
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TOP FIVE MOBILE MALWARES
Android - DroidDream - the most recent and most advanced piece of malware hit apps and allowed product ID and userID of phone to be transmitted to remote server
Android - Market Security Tool - the update sent to wipe rogue Android apps has already been hacked and injected with malware. Being distributed via 3rd party app stores in China.
Zeus-in-the-mobile - a trojan working with the Windows virus Zeus, affecting Symbian and Blackberry handsets and aiming to steal online banking details.
Android - Geinimi - similar to the market app attack, it took official apps, added malware and released them via Asian app markets. Could send SMSs, harvest phone data and make phone calls.
Android - ADRD - another trojan that pirated official Android apps.
Source: BullGuard
"These hacks are often reported as a good thing but from a security point of view it is a nightmare," said Mr Fogg.
Several bugs have taken advantage of jail-broken phones.
A relatively harmless iPhone worm which changed the handset's wallpaper to a picture of Rick Astley was followed a few months later with a more serious bug that targeted people using their iPhones for internet banking with Dutch online bank ING.
Blackberry handsets and Symbian phones have been targeted by a mobile version of the Zeus trojan. Victims were directed to a fake website where they are invited to download an app which then steals their banking details.
Such phishing attacks are likely to become a huge problem for smartphones, thinks Alex Vaystikh a researcher from security firm RSA.
"You can't always see the whole screen and you might be more likely to click on things you wouldn't click on a computer screen," he said.
And when mobile banking reaches a critical mass, there will be a good reason for criminals to phish from mobiles.
"There needs to be a financial incentive and that incentive isn't there right now, but consumers definitely want more service on their mobiles, like electronic wallets and banking, so the potential is huge," said Mr Vaystikh.
There are various ways to attack a mobile phone but by far the most popular is through downloadable applications.
Some experts think that Android's Marketplace is especially vulnerable because it is more open than Apple and Microsoft's systems.
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Start Quote
We are going to have to see a re-engineering of the infrastructure of how apps are delivered”
Graham Titterington
Ovum analyst
"All have restrictions and guidelines and stipulate no pornography, no viruses and no spyware," explained Phillip Dall, from mobile security firm BullGuard.
"But with the iPhone and Ovi store, apps are sent for some pretty serious testing. At Android the process is different, there are far more self-signed applications," he said.
Others think that there are other aspects to Android which make it just as secure, such as its policy of letting users know what data and resources an app will have access to, giving more savvy users the chance to spot obvious malware.
Google has said that it has no current plans to start pre-screening apps on Android Market.
It said that the recent spate of malicious applications could only access device-specific data.
The company did take the step of remotely "killing" them on all affected phones, proving, if nothing else, that it does ultimately have control over its apps.
There is also a question about how long Apple and Microsoft can continue pre-screening their applications, according to Mr Fogg.
"It is becoming an app internet as they become the primary way people go online, but the sheer volume of them makes human moderation impossible," he said.
Apple does not discuss how it tests apps but it is believed to use both human moderation and automated systems.
Mr Titterington thinks that there needs to be an industry-wide sea-change in mobile security.
"There is a need for Apple and Google to put in place a quality framework - a series of standard tests that issue apps with a health certificate," he said.
And it needs to be made less easy for users to install rogue apps.
"We are going to have to see a re-engineering of the infrastructure of how apps are delivered," he added.
"We need a more proactive approach to installing apps. It isn't going to happen in current generation of phones but maybe in the next two to three years."
Rabu, 16 Maret 2011
Google buys Parrot Pictures to improve YouTube quality
Google has bought Irish company Green Parrot Pictures in a bid to improve the quality of video uploaded to YouTube.
The Dublin-based firm specialises in image processing to improve, for example, sharpness and camera shake.
Its technology has already been used by several big Hollywood film studios on movies such as X-Men and Spiderman.
Google said that Green Parrot's technology would enhance the look of videos posted on its site while using bandwidth more efficiently.
A statement, posted on Green Parrot Pictures' website said: "We're excited to join Google, where we will apply our expertise to improve the online video experience for hundreds of millions of users worldwide on may different products, platforms and services."
Green Parrot Pictures was founded six years ago by Dr Anil Kokaram, an associate professor with the school of engineering at Trinity College, Dublin.
Google, which owns YouTube plans to use Green Parrot's technology to perform on-the-fly background processing on user videos.
Writing on the official YouTube blog, Google's director of video technology, Jeremy Doig said: "What if there was a technology that could improve the quality of such videos -- sharpening the image, reducing visual noise and rendering a higher-quality, steadier video -- all while your video is simply being uploaded to the site?
"You can imagine how excited we were when we discovered a small, ambitious company based in Ireland that can do exactly this."
The Dublin-based firm specialises in image processing to improve, for example, sharpness and camera shake.
Its technology has already been used by several big Hollywood film studios on movies such as X-Men and Spiderman.
Google said that Green Parrot's technology would enhance the look of videos posted on its site while using bandwidth more efficiently.
A statement, posted on Green Parrot Pictures' website said: "We're excited to join Google, where we will apply our expertise to improve the online video experience for hundreds of millions of users worldwide on may different products, platforms and services."
Green Parrot Pictures was founded six years ago by Dr Anil Kokaram, an associate professor with the school of engineering at Trinity College, Dublin.
Google, which owns YouTube plans to use Green Parrot's technology to perform on-the-fly background processing on user videos.
Writing on the official YouTube blog, Google's director of video technology, Jeremy Doig said: "What if there was a technology that could improve the quality of such videos -- sharpening the image, reducing visual noise and rendering a higher-quality, steadier video -- all while your video is simply being uploaded to the site?
"You can imagine how excited we were when we discovered a small, ambitious company based in Ireland that can do exactly this."
ipad 2 US LAUNCH
The updated version of the Apple's iPad first appeared in stores across the US last Friday.
Many retailers reported running out of stock within hours, and analysts estimated sales to hit 1m units during the weekend.
Buyers in 24 other countries, including the UK, will be able to get their hands on the iPad 2 next week.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs has unveiled the tablet computer at an event in San Francisco on 1 March.
The iPad 2 is said to be twice the speed of its predecessor; it has cameras on the front and back and also features improved graphics.
The first version of the iPad was released in April 2010, and went on sale in Japan in May 2010.
Many retailers reported running out of stock within hours, and analysts estimated sales to hit 1m units during the weekend.
Buyers in 24 other countries, including the UK, will be able to get their hands on the iPad 2 next week.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs has unveiled the tablet computer at an event in San Francisco on 1 March.
The iPad 2 is said to be twice the speed of its predecessor; it has cameras on the front and back and also features improved graphics.
The first version of the iPad was released in April 2010, and went on sale in Japan in May 2010.
Apple delays Japanese launch of iPad 2
Apple has postponed the launch of the iPad 2 tablet in Japan, as the country struggles to recover from the recent earthquake and tsunami.
Originally planned for 25 March, the company said its launch had been delayed indefinitely.
Many technology firms are facing supply problems after factories in Japan shut down in the wake of the disaster.
However, an Apple spokesperson said the announced delay was unrelated to any supply shortages.
"We are delaying the launch of the iPad 2 in Japan while the country and our teams focus on recovering from the recent disaster," said Natalie Kerris.
Apple has been using its iTunes store to accept donations for the American Red Cross' (ARC) Japan earthquake and tsunami relief fund.
According to the company, 100% of the proceeds will go directly to the Red Cross.
While the country's main focus is on the human cost of the disaster, many businesses are also facing challenges.
Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba and Canon had all been forced to halt production in the immediate aftermath, in order to carry out safety checks.
The prospect of rolling power blackouts means further interruptions are likely over the coming weeks.
Originally planned for 25 March, the company said its launch had been delayed indefinitely.
Many technology firms are facing supply problems after factories in Japan shut down in the wake of the disaster.
However, an Apple spokesperson said the announced delay was unrelated to any supply shortages.
"We are delaying the launch of the iPad 2 in Japan while the country and our teams focus on recovering from the recent disaster," said Natalie Kerris.
Apple has been using its iTunes store to accept donations for the American Red Cross' (ARC) Japan earthquake and tsunami relief fund.
According to the company, 100% of the proceeds will go directly to the Red Cross.
While the country's main focus is on the human cost of the disaster, many businesses are also facing challenges.
Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba and Canon had all been forced to halt production in the immediate aftermath, in order to carry out safety checks.
The prospect of rolling power blackouts means further interruptions are likely over the coming weeks.
Site-loading speed battle 2: Motorola Xoom vs. Apple iPad 2
A couple of weeks back we put the original iPad up against the Xoom in a site-loading speed battle. While most of the feedback was positive, a few commenters expressed their disappointment that we used the original iPad instead of the iPad 2. Well, now that the iPad 2 has been released, we can in fact post the story you've been waiting for. One that will no doubt completely satisfy everyone.
So, let's get right to it.
Testing
Site-loading speed is one of the simplest things to test, and it's a test many users can immediately relate to. As I said in the previous post, I'm a greater fan of real-world tests like going to actual, real sites, than of synthetic benchmarks.
We used three different Web sites for the tests: CNET.com, CBSNews.com, and GiantBomb.com. Each tablet was connected to the same closed network with no other devices on it, with the router about 5 feet away. We considered the test to begin the moment we pressed Enter and run to the time the blue progress bar on each tablet disappeared. We used iOS 4.3 for the iPad 2 and iPad, and the Xoom is using Android OS 3.0.1.
Although in the video you'll only see one iteration for each test, we actually ran each test several times; over those runs we got results consistent with what you'll see here. Also, we cleared each tablet's browser cache before each iteration of the tests was run.
Now, as much as we'd love for these tests to be completely relevant for everyone in every situation, that's nearly impossible. We tested these tablets under specific conditions in a "free" environment. The network was closed, but we can't account for noise from other networks interfering. This is a snapshot of performance in our testing environment, and your results may vary.
Web site Motorola Xoom Apple iPad 2 Apple iPad
CNET.com 5 seconds 6 seconds 12 seconds
CBSNews.com 6 seconds 10 seconds 16 seconds
GiantBomb.com 5 seconds 5 seconds 6 seconds
Tested specs Motorola Xoom Apple iPad Apple iPad 2
Maximum brightness 312 cd/m2 388 cd/m2 432 cd/m2
Default brightness 131 cd/m2 161 cd/m2 176 cd/m2
Maximum black level 0.26 cd/m2 0.44 cd/m2 0.46 cd/m2
Default black level 0.11 cd/m2 0.18 cd/m2 0.19 cd/m2
Default contrast ratio 1,190:1 894:1 926:1
Contrast ratio (max brightness) 1,200:1 881:1 939:1
Conclusion
The iPad 2 shows a huge improvement over the original iPad and holds its own against the Xoom for the most part. On a really busy site like CBSnews.com, however, the iPad 2 chokes a bit, while the Xoom flies through with relative ease.
We were surprised that Apple increased the maximum brightness on the iPad 2 and it will be interesting to see what effect that has on the iPad's battery life. Look for some battery life test results very soon.
So, let's get right to it.
Testing
Site-loading speed is one of the simplest things to test, and it's a test many users can immediately relate to. As I said in the previous post, I'm a greater fan of real-world tests like going to actual, real sites, than of synthetic benchmarks.
We used three different Web sites for the tests: CNET.com, CBSNews.com, and GiantBomb.com. Each tablet was connected to the same closed network with no other devices on it, with the router about 5 feet away. We considered the test to begin the moment we pressed Enter and run to the time the blue progress bar on each tablet disappeared. We used iOS 4.3 for the iPad 2 and iPad, and the Xoom is using Android OS 3.0.1.
Although in the video you'll only see one iteration for each test, we actually ran each test several times; over those runs we got results consistent with what you'll see here. Also, we cleared each tablet's browser cache before each iteration of the tests was run.
Now, as much as we'd love for these tests to be completely relevant for everyone in every situation, that's nearly impossible. We tested these tablets under specific conditions in a "free" environment. The network was closed, but we can't account for noise from other networks interfering. This is a snapshot of performance in our testing environment, and your results may vary.
Web site Motorola Xoom Apple iPad 2 Apple iPad
CNET.com 5 seconds 6 seconds 12 seconds
CBSNews.com 6 seconds 10 seconds 16 seconds
GiantBomb.com 5 seconds 5 seconds 6 seconds
Tested specs Motorola Xoom Apple iPad Apple iPad 2
Maximum brightness 312 cd/m2 388 cd/m2 432 cd/m2
Default brightness 131 cd/m2 161 cd/m2 176 cd/m2
Maximum black level 0.26 cd/m2 0.44 cd/m2 0.46 cd/m2
Default black level 0.11 cd/m2 0.18 cd/m2 0.19 cd/m2
Default contrast ratio 1,190:1 894:1 926:1
Contrast ratio (max brightness) 1,200:1 881:1 939:1
Conclusion
The iPad 2 shows a huge improvement over the original iPad and holds its own against the Xoom for the most part. On a really busy site like CBSnews.com, however, the iPad 2 chokes a bit, while the Xoom flies through with relative ease.
We were surprised that Apple increased the maximum brightness on the iPad 2 and it will be interesting to see what effect that has on the iPad's battery life. Look for some battery life test results very soon.
Microsoft products we hardly knew (images)
Reports have it that Microsoft is killing off its would-be iPod killer, the Zune digital music and video player. Microsoft declined to confirm the reports, though plenty are speculating that the company will keep the Zune brand and continue to produce media player software for Windows Phone 7 and the Xbox 360. If true, that would relegate the much hyped device to the dustbin of failed tech products.
And that got us thinking about other consumer products eliminated by Microsoft over the years. The software giant is hardly alone in tech flops. Apple's success with the iPad and now iPad 2 makes it easy to forget the Newton. And Sony's Betamax flop is the stuff of business school case studies.
Microsoft continues to make boatloads of money selling operating systems for computers bought by consumers. And gamers keep buying Xbox 360s and the games that get played on them. But there's a rogue's gallery of products introduced with great fanfare that have slid into oblivion. Here are a few of them.
Report: Google planning mobile payment trial
Google plans to begin testing a mobile payment service within the next four months, according to a report today.
The company will pay for the installation of thousands of NFC (Near-Field Communication) short-range, wireless point-of-sale systems from VeriFone at stores in New York and San Francisco, Bloomberg reported, citing two unidentified sources familiar with the project. Users of phones with NFC chips in them could then make payments by holding the devices up to the specialized reader.
A Google representative said the company was not commenting on the report. Representatives from VeriFone did not respond to an e-mail seeking comment.
The adoption of mobile payment systems has been held up by the lack of NFC chips in handsets. Later this year, Visa will begin offering a way to use existing smartphones for such payments with a microSD (Secure Digital) removable memory card.
Mobile payments are being made on the iPhone 3 and 4, various BlackBerry models, and Samsung's Android-based Galaxy S II, while the Nexus S has NFC technology in it. NFC chips also could make their way into Windows-based phones made by Nokia, as well as future iPhone versions.
Meanwhile, Google added some NFC capabilities to Android in an update earlier this year and reportedly is working on a mobile wallet code-named "Cream" that will be integrated into NFC-enabled Androids.
The company will pay for the installation of thousands of NFC (Near-Field Communication) short-range, wireless point-of-sale systems from VeriFone at stores in New York and San Francisco, Bloomberg reported, citing two unidentified sources familiar with the project. Users of phones with NFC chips in them could then make payments by holding the devices up to the specialized reader.
A Google representative said the company was not commenting on the report. Representatives from VeriFone did not respond to an e-mail seeking comment.
The adoption of mobile payment systems has been held up by the lack of NFC chips in handsets. Later this year, Visa will begin offering a way to use existing smartphones for such payments with a microSD (Secure Digital) removable memory card.
Mobile payments are being made on the iPhone 3 and 4, various BlackBerry models, and Samsung's Android-based Galaxy S II, while the Nexus S has NFC technology in it. NFC chips also could make their way into Windows-based phones made by Nokia, as well as future iPhone versions.
Meanwhile, Google added some NFC capabilities to Android in an update earlier this year and reportedly is working on a mobile wallet code-named "Cream" that will be integrated into NFC-enabled Androids.
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