Ubergizmo: A Worrying Two-Thirds Of Android Antivirus Apps Are Apparently Frauds. “Antivirus apps are meant to give you peace of mind where in the event you accidentally click on that suspicious link or email, you know that your device should be somewhat protected. Unfortunately there are so many antivirus apps out there that it can be a bit difficult to choose which one to go for, and the sad thing is that most of them are apparent frauds.”
Android
BetaNews: Researchers find two Android malware campaigns with over 250 million downloads
BetaNews: Researchers find two Android malware campaigns with over 250 million downloads. “Check Point Research has uncovered two massive mobile adware and data stealing campaigns, which have already had a combined total of over 250 million downloads globally. Both target mobiles using Android, and exploit the mobile app development supply chain to infect devices and perform malicious actions.”
Ars Technica: Google Play apps with >10 million installs drain batteries, jack up data charges
Ars Technica: Google Play apps with >10 million installs drain batteries, jack up data charges. “Is your Android phone feeling hot to the touch, acting sluggish, in need of frequent charges, or using dramatically more data than it used to? It may be a victim of DrainerBot, a major fraud operation distributed through Google Play apps with more than 10 million downloads, researchers said Wednesday.”
Google Play: We’ve cracked down on bad apps (CNET)
CNET: Google Play: We’ve cracked down on bad apps. “The Play Store rejected at least 55 percent more app submissions in 2018 than in 2017, according to the blog. Google didn’t immediately respond to a request for how many apps were rejected in 2018. But for reference, the company removed over 700,000 apps in 2017.”
CNET: Google focuses Android Things to smart speakers and smart displays
CNET: Google focuses Android Things to smart speakers and smart displays. “Google’s Android Things is an operating system platform for developers to create low-powered Internet of Things (IoT) devices. When the developers preview launched in 2016, Android Things did not initially limit the types of products developers could build and maintain. That’s now changing, however, with Google announcing Tuesday that the platform will now shift gears and focus primarily on smart speakers and smart displays.”
Exclusive: India watchdog probes accusations that Google abused Android – sources (Reuters)
Reuters: Exclusive: India watchdog probes accusations that Google abused Android – sources. ” India’s antitrust commission is looking into accusations that Alphabet Inc’s unit Google abuses its popular Android mobile operating system to block its rivals, four sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.”
Engadget: Opera’s free VPN is now built into its Android browser
Engadget: Opera’s free VPN is now built into its Android browser. “Opera is adding a free, unlimited VPN to its Android browser. It’s rolling out the VPN gradually to beta users first before making it more widely available. You’ll be able to set your location as America, Europe or Asia, or use a setting to automatically pick the optimal connection. There are also options to turn off the VPN while searching so you get more localized results and to only activate it on private tabs.”
