This is something that was discovered by the Bluebox Security team and it affects most handsets since Android 1.6, the Donut version, which haven’t been patched. Bluebox think that up to 900 million devices could be susceptible, which is about 99% on the market!

However, if you’ve rooted and ROM’d your smartphone then you’re OK, although there are other security concerns with doing that to your device.

The way that rogue devs work is that Android apps all have an encrypted key and updates need the same digital key to overwrite.

Android Bluebox Security Scare

What Bluebox have found is that these digital demon hackers have been able to jemmy their way into an Android app and Trojan the code for their own purposes without altering the encrypted key.

The danger is that when you next update the app you might download the rogue version without realising it, giving a malevolent third party access to your Android system. You won’t know it either, because these hackers are clever enough to hide their tracks, as far as the user is concerned, the app is behaving just as you would expect it to.

While the app is sitting on your phone it could access your credit card info, data, passwords, system info, make phone calls, send SMS messages, anything it wants to snoop on. It could also become part of a zombie system to create a botnet.

This problem has been known about for the last four months and Samsung has already sorted out a fix with the Galaxy S4 but at the moment not their other devices. HTC hasn’t yet got a fix for any of its phones.

However, yes, it is a bit of a worry that rogue devs may be able to open an Android app and then change the code but the Google Play Store has been patched to prevent any rogue downloads. So as long as you don’t downloads apps from anywhere else you’ve got no worries.

If you also get apps from other places then you might want to hold back for the moment until a fix is released. According to Bluebox Security it’s not a difficult thing to do because the fix is two lines of code in a specific location. The challenge is issuing a firmware update.

In the meantime you need to go into Settings, Security and uncheck the box that says Unknown Sources – Allow installation of apps from sources other than the Play Store. You can also make sure the box to Verify Apps – Block or warn before installing apps that may cause harm – is checked.

If you root your phone you can install a ROM with a fix but it’s a timely warning really to avoid installing hacked apps, no matter how tempting it might be. Keep your virus protection up to date as well.

If you want to follow this saga more closely then Bluebox Security will be disclosing more about it at the Black Hat Briefings in Las Vegas on August 1.

The post Android Bluebox Security Scare What you need to know appeared first on Androidizen.

3 Best Photo Editing and Sharing Apps For Android and iPhone (via http://matttalkstech.com)

The post 3 Best Photo Editing and Sharing Apps For Android appeared first on Androidizen.

The v.2.1 version of the Facebook app is being rolled out at the moment and includes the ability to open and look at photos more quickly, you can share your friends##Q## postings to timelines, groups and pages and you can also, in a revolutionary move, send voice messages.

If you##Q##re someone who likes accessing photos through Facebook then you##Q##ll be pleased about the picture upgrade as it could be a little tardy at times on the original version.

The new share option means that you don##Q##t just share from your own timeline but if you want to, you can share things your friends have posted in theirs as well as groups and pages where you have registered a like.

Being able to send a voice message is a welcome innovation, although Facebook Messenger on iOS and Android already have it. It##Q##s part of a promise Facebook made that it was going to invest in upgrades to release updated apps every month or so.

Facebook has recently announced Graph Search, although it isn##Q##t available in the UK yet. For instance, if you want to eat at a particular restaurant, you##Q##ll be able to see which of your friends have already eaten there and whether they recommend it. Before you put in a job application you could also search for friends who worked at a certain firm if you wanted to find out what they thought about working there.

Google is currently the world leader and most popular search engine but Facebook is hoping that it will corner a large part of the market. It already has a billion searches on its system every day.

Graph Social is being rolled out very slowly to see how it goes. Around 100,000 people can access it at the moment. There will be new privacy settings so that Facebook users stay in control of their content.

The free v.2.1 update is available on the Google Play Store.

Link Market – Free Link Exchange, Link Building and Link Trade Directory
Have you ever tried to exchange links, link building, or trade links? Was it hard? Use Link Market instead; – it is easy to use, free and very smart. It will save you hours of work.

The post Facebook v2.1 rolls out for Android appeared first on Androidizen.

It##Q##s being aimed at both Android and iOS users and you can forget buttons, Opera Ice works through gestures and will be on the WebKit engine, which powers Google Chrome, Apple##Q##s Safari and Android, rather than the company##Q##s current engine Presto.

There##Q##s a home button but that##Q##s it. The layout has no tabs and looks a bit like smartphone apps laid out in a 3×3 grid, so it will be a familiar environment to most people. There are a number of home pages and to view items more closely you can just pinch the screen. Moving around is by swipe.

Unlike other search engines, where you choose one and then use that to come up with matches, Opera Ice uses a variety of search engines and then picks the one that seems the most likely match. You can see each individual search actually as a small page which you can then call up to explore in more detail.

It will be more comprehensive than Opera Mini which doesn##Q##t work with some sites.

With Opera Ice, if you find a page that you want to use again, you can hit the central button and return to the main screen. The page you##Q##ve chosen is displayed as an icon at the bottom of the page and can then be swiped into one of the grids.

Opera doesn##Q##t discount development for the Windows Phone but says it isn##Q##t a priority at the moment. The firm is planning a desktop Opera browser to be launched in the spring but fans will be relieved it intends to keep developing Opera Mini.

We##Q##ve got our eye on this one and we##Q##ll be reporting back with updated information after MWC next month.

The post Opera’s new web browser ICE promises a new dawn for computer users. appeared first on Androidizen.

Just log on to the Google Play Store and you##Q##ll be ready to start gaming in a jiffy. If you##Q##re in the UK it will cost you just 59p.

Classic arcade games are all the better when they##Q##ve been updated with hi-tech gizmos.

Indulge yourself by piloting your own spacecraft to take part in a war at the outermost reaches of the universe, battling aliens with a superb range of weapons.

This is an addictive game where you can pit your skills against other players, vying for the top online score. The bells and whistles include upgradeable weaponry, portals with multiple arenas, a terrifying array of enemy aliens and stunning graphics with a brand new UI.

Asteroid 2012 is receiving wow reviews with players nostalgic for the old arcade classic loving the upgrade as much as new gamers discovering it for the first time.

We can##Q##t wait to give this one a try on our Samsung Galaxy Note 2.

The post Asteroid 2012 Android 3D price drop appeared first on Androidizen.

Employees at the social networking giant have previously been given iPhones but the massive rise in the number of people with Android phones has made Facebook realise they need to cater better for Droid Dudes among their one billion active users. The firm launched an updated Facebook app for Android back in 2011 which made it easier to share photos and made it possible to respond to friends and stay updated without leaving the page you were on.

In a clever campaign based on the theory of eating dog food ie tasting your own products, Facebook is reminding workers that Google OS is likely to bundle with double the number of devices as Apple in the next four years.

The firm has realised that it needs to beef-up its knowledge of all things Android pretty smartish to keep up with demand from Facebook users who will expect as good a service as Apple users.

Initially, Facebook, which started in 2004, didn##Q##t see too much of a problem because the first Android smartphones were nothing like as good as Apple. But with the massive rise in interest in Android operating systems Facebook needs to make a move now and start droidfood as a program for employees.

droidfood equals new Android phone

Company testers get the chance to play with the latest version of Android apps and Facebook has incorporated droidfood Rage Shake, where if something goes wrong, testers shake their phones and their problem is automatically logged with tech support.

This means that more bugs are reported by more people. Nobody has to log on to fill in complicated forms for tech support, and hope someone will get back to them to discuss the issue, probably taking them away from other work.

If only Rage Shake was available for every Android problem! We could all droidfood for Facebook.

The post Do You DroidFood? Facebook asks employees appeared first on Androidizen.

It##Q##s basic at the moment but we will be expanding this over time so let us know what sort of features you would like to see.

We take your privacy seriously and believe an app should only request access to device permissions that it really needs.

We only need access to install the Androidizen Android App to your devices memory to install to and your data connection… that##Q##s it!

Androidizen Android App

There was an error retrieving the YouTube video ID for the url you entered, please verify that the url is correct.

Head over to the Play Store now to download the Androidizen Android App and please suggest any new features you may like us to include using the comments below.

The post Androidizen Android App now in Play Store appeared first on Androidizen.

Twitterers can now preview post summaries and photos without having to access the whole thing. You##Q##ll also be able to email tweets, even if the person you##Q##re emailing doesn##Q##t use Twitter.

You can now also see tweets in discover with links to news and photos. In the past you could only see the story previews which were not interactive.

Twitter has completely redone the backend and user interface in this upgrade and Twitter cards allow you to attach media to tweets that link to content.

Instead of getting short urls you##Q##ll be able to get previews with headlines and photos so it should bring content up faster, with fewer mouse clicks. If you email someone a tweet then it will keep any photos that were attached to the post.

This feature is rolling out now and you can get it through the ##Q##More##Q## link which you##Q##ll find on the right hand side of any tweet.

As far as the search option goes, photo and video results will be at the top of search results, with better ranking information, showing users who have favourited or retweeted it.

How to get the Android update for Twitter fans

Twitter has done deals with the New York Times and Wall Street Journal to show images, headlines and a small amount of text which links to their stories in user feeds. It##Q##s a welcome upgrade and we wonder if we##Q##ll see newspapers in the UK tagging along with this development, perhaps some of the local newspaper groups like Newsquest, Johnston Press and Trinity Mirror will think it worth investigating further.

You can get the updated Android app from the Android app store.

The post Android update for Twitter fans appeared first on Androidizen.

The wifi only version of the Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9inch is on sale in the UK now, at £129, to be followed by the 4G version shortly.

This little gem features a 1920 x 1200 screen and a 1.5Ghz dual-core processor. It comes with either 16GB or 32 GB storage options and a dual-band, dual antenna wifi. There##Q##s also Dolby audio and dual stereo speakers so you get the full boom-boom audio effect.

In the UK they##Q##re offering a one month free trial of LOVEfilm Instant video streaming for unlimited access to thousands of movies and TV shows.

In the US, For the 16GB version you##Q##re looking at $314; and the 32GB $384. There are some special offers available which cut the price by around $15.

At the moment, the device can only be purchased from Amazon##Q##s Kindle Fire HD page but it will be available more widely elsewhere in the US in time for Christmas.

If you want to bang on a few apps then Google Voice, Drop Box, Netflix and MX Player are worth a look for starters. You can get a case for it from Amazon too. The Poetic range is proving popular.

There are some free software updates for the Amazon Kindle Fire HD coming your way soon. These include Kindle FreeTime, which lets parents set time limits and age-appropriate access for kids.

Also on its way is a setting to allow customers to control whether they see personalised recommendations below the carousel on the homepage.

 Amazon Kindle Fire – how to get one

You can order the Amazon Kindle Fire, and other Kindle options from the Amazon website.

Meanwhile, in the UK, Metro is to launch a new website on December 5, as part of the newspaper##Q##s ##Q##mobile first##Q## strategy, with Android being a major part of it.

The editionised freesheet has been distributed all over the UK on buses and trains since 1999. The Daily Mail & Trust-owned Metro is about to launch an Android app and it will have a Kindle Fire version before Christmas.

The new Metro website will allow readers to scroll through pages by flicking their fingers across the screen.

The post The Amazon Kindle Fire – great new chapter appeared first on Androidizen.

But you##Q##ll need to be quick because they##Q##re likely to be selling like hot cakes to customers in the UK and our Euro pals in Spain, France and Germany.

The Nexus 4 is totally wireless while the Nexus 7 is Google##Q##s first tablet.

Weighing in at £239, the Nexus 4 (8GB) has the latest version of Android. If you want to go bigger, you can get the 16GB version for £279.

Just switch it on and you##Q##re away. You##Q##ll be using the fantastic Google Now in no time, and wondering how you ever did without it. Enable location services and you can smooth your commute to work, find out if your flight is delayed, and look up restaurant reviews before you choose somewhere to eat out.

There are 675,000 apps and games at your fingertips and a high performance 8mp camera so you can take innovative 360 degree panoramas. When you##Q##re tired of that, you can shoot video in full 1080p.

The Nexus 7 at £159 for 16GB is wifi only and has 32GB of storage. If you want to upgrade to 32GB then you##Q##re looking at £199 and for 32GB and HSPA+ then that##Q##s £239.

It has a powerful quad-core processor and you can get a mammoth 300 hours on stand-by, nine hours of HD video playback or 10 hours of web browsing. It has a 1.2 megapixel camera and was designed for keen gamers, with a gyroscope and accelerometer. If you##Q##re someone who likes to fire off a few emails or texts in a hurry then you##Q##ll find the predictive texting a whizz too.

Order your Nexus 4, Nexus 7 or Nexus 10 from Google Play Store

The Nexus 10 drops in at £319, is wifi only and 16GB. It##Q##s Google##Q##s newest tablet and claims to have the world##Q##s highest resolution tablet display at 2560x 1600. You can get web browsing speeds up to four times faster than normal wifi.

What##Q##s not to like? These little treasures are going to be top of a lot of people##Q##s Christmas lists so don##Q##t leave it too long before ordering from the Google Play Store.

The post Nexus 4, Nexus 7 or Nexus 10 from Google Play Store appeared first on Androidizen.

As the price dropped in Europe and the US just before you bought it then you could get a partial refund from two separate schemes.

If you##Q##re in the UK and you bought the Nexus 7 from ASUS before October 29, 2012 then you can get a £25 voucher to use in the company##Q##s online store.
Elsewhere in Europe, you can get a 30 euro voucher. There##Q##s no info about whether this deal is limited to any particular version.

But be quick, because the application date is only until November 30, 2012.

How to claim your Nexus 7 refund

It##Q##s fairly simple to get the voucher. You just complete the registration at the ASUS member site and then submit proof of purchase.

There##Q##s more good news from Google which has a Price Protection policy that says if you##Q##ve bought the Nexus 7 16GB within 15 days of the price drop, that is on or after October 14, you can get the difference in price refunded. That##Q##s a tidy $50.

That is the 16GB version only though and Google say if the purchase is eligible they##Q##ll refund the difference in price within 14 days of your request.

The post Partial Nexus 7 refund offer appeared first on Androidizen.

Verizon will be launching its HTC Droid DNA tomorrow. The event, in New York, will show off the 5inch device. It will be boosted by a Google Hangout on Monday, November 19.

This will be worth seeing for the 1020×1920 resolution and the new Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor.

Running on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the Droid DNA is expected to have the new Sense 4+ interface.

It##Q##s looking as though this will storm in at 1.5Ghz with 2GB of RAM and an 8 megapixel rear camera.

I##Q##ve booked a ringside seat for this one!

The post Verizon launch the HTC Droid DNA appeared first on Androidizen.