CNET: Your phone may help you fight off deepfakes before they’re even made. “Truepic, a San Diego startup, says it’s found a way to prevent deepfakes and doctored images before they can even show up online: by verifying the authenticity of videos and images at the time they’re captured. Now the company is working to put the technology, which it calls Truepic Foresight, in millions of smartphones around the globe by having it embedded it in the Qualcomm processors that power the majority of the world’s Android phones.”
Android
Lifehacker: How to Set Up Google Assistant Shortcuts for Your Android Apps
Lifehacker: How to Set Up Google Assistant Shortcuts for Your Android Apps. “Assuming the feature rollout has hit you—make sure you’ve updated your Android to the latest version of the OS, as well as any apps in the Google Play Store (it never hurts)—a smattering of the most popular Android apps can now be set up with shortcuts. Which apps? I’m glad you asked.”
XDA Developers: Google launches the Android Partner Vulnerability Initiative to improve the security of non-Pixel devices
XDA Developers: Google launches the Android Partner Vulnerability Initiative to improve the security of non-Pixel devices. “Known as the Android Partner Vulnerability Initiative (APVI), the program will let users known when it has discovered security concerns that affect devices shipped by OEMs. ‘The APVI covers Google-discovered issues that could potentially affect the security posture of an Android device or its user and is aligned to ISO/IEC 29147:2018 Information technology — Security techniques — Vulnerability disclosure recommendations,’ Google said.”
Neowin: Opera now lets you sync data between Android and PC with a QR code
Neowin: Opera now lets you sync data between Android and PC with a QR code. “Opera has introduced a new update to its web browser for Android and PC that makes it easier to sync data between its mobile and desktop versions. The company has also added Flow to Opera on Android, a native chat feature in the browser.”
Lifehacker: How to Find Android 11’s Secret Hidden Cat Game
Lifehacker: How to Find Android 11’s Secret Hidden Cat Game. “Yes, Android usually comes with some kind of quirky Easter Egg. Do you really think Google, famed creator of the ‘Doodle,’ the dinosaur game, and all sorts of other little oddities, would really pass up the chance to be silly in its mobile operating system? Pfft.”
TechCrunch: TikTok fixes Android bugs that could have led to account hijacks
TechCrunch: TikTok fixes Android bugs that could have led to account hijacks. “TikTok has fixed four security bugs in its Android app that could have led to the hijacking of user accounts. The vulnerabilities, discovered by app security startup Oversecured, could have allowed a malicious app on the same device to steal sensitive files, like session tokens, from inside the TikTok app. Session tokens are small files that keep the user logged in without having to re-enter their passwords. But if stolen, these tokens can give an attacker access to a user’s account without needing their password.”
TechCrunch: Android 11 has arrived
TechCrunch: Android 11 has arrived. “Android 11 isn’t a radical departure from what you’ve come to expect in recent years, but there are a number of interesting new user-facing updates here that mostly center around messaging, privacy and giving you better control over all of your smart devices.”
The Next Web: New Firefox for Android launches with souped-up privacy tools and a bottom address bar
The Next Web: New Firefox for Android launches with souped-up privacy tools and a bottom address bar . “The most important change here is the Enhanced Tracking Protection (ETP), that’s on by default. It’s meant to prevent trackers from gathering your browsing pattern and data and using it for ads. While the browser lets these tracker load when you visit a site, it stops them from actually accessing your cookies — snippets of data that gather your browsing habits.”
Tom’s Guide: Android scam affects nearly 60 Google Play apps — what to do
Tom’s Guide: Android scam affects nearly 60 Google Play apps — what to do. “Another week, another batch of sketchy Android apps purged from the Google Play store. This time, it’s a group of nearly 60 apps that promised you free footwear, coupons or concert tickets if you left the apps installed. But the apps actually downloaded a secret web browser and used it to perform ad fraud — displaying hidden ads you’d never see but for which the app makers got paid.”
The Verge: Google’s Kids Space aims to make Android tablets more kid-friendly
The Verge: Google’s Kids Space aims to make Android tablets more kid-friendly. “There are a number of tablets out there that offer content specifically for children, such as Amazon’s Fire HD Kids Edition line. There are also various third-party parental control apps that families can download. Kids Space stands out in that it will be built into a number of Android tablets — not just tablets designed for kids.”
University of California: With a nod to UC Berkeley, Google crowdsources earthquake data
University of California: With a nod to UC Berkeley, Google crowdsources earthquake data. “A UC Berkeley idea to crowdsource every cellphone on the planet to create a global seismic network has been adapted by Google and incorporated into the Android operating system, kicking off an effort to build the world’s largest network of earthquake detectors.”
CNBC: Twitter says security flaw may have exposed Android users’ direct messages
CNBC: Twitter says security flaw may have exposed Android users’ direct messages. “Twitter on Wednesday disclosed a new security vulnerability that may have exposed the direct messages of users who access the service using Android devices. Specifically, the vulnerability could have exposed the private data of Twitter users running devices with Android OS versions 8 and 9, the company said.”
CNET: Android is finally getting its version of Apple’s AirDrop
CNET: Android is finally getting its version of Apple’s AirDrop. “Android is getting a feature that’s been beloved among iPhone users for years. Google, which makes the Android mobile operating system, on Tuesday said it’s launching a tool called Nearby Share that lets people quickly send files to the devices of people around them. The feature is similar to Apple’s AirDrop, which debuted for Mac computers in 2011, then came to iPhones two years later.”
CNET: 3D photos on iOS or Android are now a thing, thanks to this new, free app
CNET: 3D photos on iOS or Android are now a thing, thanks to this new, free app. “After being in beta for months, the 3D photo app LucidPix is now available to iOS and Android users. Whether you have a newer phone like the iPhone 11 or Samsung Galaxy Z Flip or an older one like a Motorola Moto G6 or iPhone 6S, you can use the app take 3D photos. Best of all, you don’t need a special accessory or multiple rear cameras. Instead, LucidPix uses artificial intelligence to render 3D photos that will move as you tilt and pan your phone.”
Android Police: A beginner’s guide to Tasker: How to automate (almost) anything on your phone
Android Police: A beginner’s guide to Tasker: How to automate (almost) anything on your phone. “Tasker is one of the most powerful apps on the Play Store for automating tasks on your smartphone, but it’s far from the easiest to get to grips with, which is where this guide comes in… For the completely uninitiated, Tasker — which does cost $3.49 — lets you add extra customizations and automations to Android phone. It combines triggers (such as reaching a location, or opening up a particular app) with actions (so turning off Wi-Fi, or boosting screen brightness). The possibilities are almost limitless, provided you can get your head around it to begin with.”