Android Blast!

Google removes porn malware apps from the Play Store

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 18:37:08 -0400

Google has removed more than 60 gaming apps from the Google Play Store that contained malware. The malware, named AdultSwine, was discovered by a security firm, Check Point. It contained "highly pornographic" material that infected the games, many of which were aimed at kids. The apps were downloaded more than 3 million times. The infected apps...

Samsung Pay has a serious vulnerability

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 18:37:08 -0400

Samsung has a payment platform for their Android phones that is supposed to rival ApplePay. It looks like Samsung needs to do more work because their service definitely is not bulletproof. Samsung Pay works by issuing a "token" that the merchant receives instead of your credit card number. This process is supposed to protect your credit card numb...

Google adds expiration date to shared docs on Drive

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 18:37:08 -0400

Google has added a nice feature to Google Docs today. You can now set an expiration date for shared documents, specifically limiting the amount of time someone can access the document. You can choose between 7 or 30 days, but Google also allows you to pick more specific time periods. For instance, imagine your business hires an outside contractor...

So long Motorola

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 18:37:08 -0400

Motorola phones are dying. Lenovo announced it will dump the Motorola brand in favor of its own name. All of their phones will now carry the Lenovo branding, but they will carry the same "M" logo and be known as "Moto." Lenovo purchased Motorola in 2014. Motorola CEO, Rick Osterloh, told CNET about the change today. "We'll slowly phase out Moto...

SanDisk Extreme Pro SSD $60 on Amazon

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 18:37:08 -0400

If you're in the market for an inexpensive SSD to speed up an old computer, check out this deal. Amazon is offering a 240 GB SSD for only 60.The SSD Plus from SanDisk the pioneer in solid state storage technologies delivers superior speed and performance to aging PCs and laptops at a fraction of the cost of replacing them. With read speeds o...

Netflix says it won't offer offline downloads because...?

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 18:37:08 -0400

Netflix says it won't offer offline downloads of its movies because it is too complex, and will ultimately confuse people. Really? Speaking to Gizmodo, Netflix's Chief Product Officer, Neil Hunt, says users will be paralyzed by the choice and ultimately won't use the service. I still don't think it's a very compelling proposition, said Hunt, spe...

Samsung pushing ads to some users

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 18:37:08 -0400

Samsung appears to be pushing advertisements in the notification shade for some Galaxy users. According to Android Police, the new ads started appearing recently, although it is not known how widespread the problem is. The ad in question is for the latest Samsung Galaxy Edge.The real question here is whether users will put up with ads on their ph...

Over one million people sign up for OnePlus 2 invite list

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 18:37:08 -0400

A lot of people sure want the OnePlus 2. Over one million people have signed up on the pre invite waiting list for the new OnePlus 2 phone, even though recent leaks have suggested some key features are missing from the OnePlus 2. The OnePlus 2 will apparently not offer NFC or fast charging. It would seem NFC is mandatory at this point. Fast cha...

Major Android security flaw discovered

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 18:37:08 -0400

A major flaw in Android has been discovered by researcher Joshua Drake. The flaw affects nearly all Android users and is quite serious. An attacker can take over the OS using a simple MMS. All the attacker needs to know is the target's phone number.The hack was developed by Joshua Drake, vice president of platform research and exploitation at mob...

You can sign up for Messenger without a Facebook account

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 18:37:08 -0400

Facebook is finally allowing people to sign up for its Messenger app without having a Facebook account. If you are willing to give them your phone number, and a picture, you can use Messenger. That's not a bad deal for the company who has been harshly criticized for its lack of respect for user privacy. Are you willing to give Facebook your phon...

Cyanogen releases online video series to show off their OS

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 18:37:08 -0400

Cyanogen wants to conquer Android and the company has created a video series to help them spread the word. The new series will showcase features of the OS and related apps and will help make Cyanogen more accessible to mainstream consumers. The company announced their series on their website and Google Plus account. We're excited to bring our ne...

Office downloaded 100 million times on iOS and Android

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 18:37:08 -0400

Microsoft has been morphing itself from a software company, to a device and services company. Since new CEO Satya Nadella came on board, the company has been focused on making its apps available everywhere. Office is the number business for Microsoft, and they want it to be used on all devices.After releasing quarterly earnings yesterday, Satya ...

iPhone vs Android argument leads to stabbing

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 18:37:08 -0400

Two Tulsa, Oklahoma roommates stabbed each other during an argument over smartphone platforms. The two roommates were apparently drunk when they got into a fanboy discussion about which platform was better, iPhone or Android.A woman came home around 1 am and found a man stumbling around the apartment complex covered in blood. She called police.Wh...

Skype for Android gets major update

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 18:37:08 -0400

Microsoft has updated Skype for Android, iOS, and Qik, but the Android update is the most significant. The latest update takes Skype to version 5.3. Microsoft upgraded the chatting environment, and Skype now supports emojis. Skype also introduces speech to text via Android Auto with this update.Other features include:Catching up on an active conv...

Crazy Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge drop test

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 18:37:08 -0400

If you're in the market for a Samsung Galaxy S6 you will definitely want to watch this crazy drop test. Actually, it's more like a slam test. Companies perform all kinds of drop tests on their products to make sure they can survive the rigors of real life. Usually they hold a phone between 3 and 5 feet off the ground and drop it. This test howe...