android
More Android Malware, The BaseBridge
Well it seems that there’s yet another Android malware to plague Android users and this one is called BaseBridge, and unlike DroidDream this one could prove to be rather costly to users if they don’t act on it fast. As it stands there are about 20 Android applications circulating various forums on the internet and what the malware does is that it auto-dials phone numbers which will incur high fees on your end. Some of the infected mobile applications include QQ Doudizhu, Voice SMS, Drag Racing, Trader, Donkey Jump, Jungle Monkey and Gold Miner among several others.
Named BaseBridge, the Malware can be embedded in legitimate applications, and when the applications are being installed, the Malware prompts the user to upgrade, and once the user chooses to upgrade, the Malware is installed in the device under the software name “com.android.battery”. Then, another prompt would pop up to ask the user to restart the app to run it, and the Malware is formally activated upon restarting.
Upon activation, the Malware would activate three malicious services — AdSmsService, BridgeProvider and PhoneService — to communicate with a control server, from which it will download a configuration list to read related information and dial calls or send out SMS messages accordingly, incurring fees for the users. Meanwhile, the Malware also blocks messages from the mobile carrier to prevent users from getting fee consumption updates in time so that all malicious activities are undertaken stealthily without the user’s knowledge or consent. The Malware may also insert messages to the inbox of a mobile device at a designated time.
Android users should start paying more attention to the applications that they are downloading, make sure they are from trusted sites, not third party ones, and always check for permissions and app requests. There are several mobile anti-viruses out there so perhaps it’s something Android users should look into.
The Fairphone 2 was first unveiled in June earlier this year, where this particular handset carried a modular design while featuring majority of its components that have been sourced from conflict-free mines. It seems that this particular handset that you can purchase with a clear conscience has begun to ship to those who happen to live across Europe.
Fairphone announced in a blog post, “It’s been almost two years in the making, and some of the earliest buyers have been patiently waiting since July to receive their new phones. As community manager, I want to personally welcome the new batch of Fairphone owners to our community.” The initial 1,000 units are tipped to ship this month, before the other pre-orders follow in January 2016.
In terms of hardware specifications, the Fairphone 2 will run on a Snapdragon 801 chipset, has a 5″ 1080p screen with Gorilla Glass 3 protection, 2GB of RAM, an 8MP camera, with Android 5.1 Lollipop in tow. It will be a dual SIM capable handset with a microSD memory card slot and plays nice with 4G LTE networks, retailing for approximately €525 a pop.
It looks like the upcoming flagship model from Xiaomi will feature NFC support, at least based on a document that was released by China UnionPay. Just in case you are scratching your head and wondering who China UnionPay is, they happen to be the only domestic payment gateway supplier and card organization, and hence, to see them offer detailed support concerning the newly released NFC-based payment system points to the very real possibility of the upcoming Xiaomi Mi 5 featuring NFC capability.
After all, the Xiaomi Mi 3 was also mentioned on the list, which so happens to feature NFC, and there is no mention of the Xiaomi Mi 4 which does not come with NFC. Still, such a new payment system would be the ideal tool to see the reintroduction of NFC to the flagship model.
OnePlus did make an announcement in the previous month that the Ceramic variant of the OnePlus X will be released on November 24. True to their word, they did exactly that – although only a pitiful number of units were made available, and not only that, this was through a charity auction. Thankfully for the rest of the masses who are on the lookout for this device, it has gone on sale officially already.
Needless to say, this particular variant is available only by an invitation, although do bear in mind that standard OnePlus X invites are not good here – you will still need to snag yourself a specific Ceramic variant invite before you make a purchase. OnePlus is also on the lookout to offer additional methods of picking up this smartphone, although no further details were revealed.
The OnePlus X Ceramic will be available only in select markets, where among them include Europe, India, and Hong Kong. To date, we do know that OnePlus had made only 10,000 units of the handset available. A case of the early bird getting the proverbial worm here?