---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message-ID: <8EDCEA51-2EC0-4384-B77E-E92811C0F431@roscom.com> Date: Wed, 23 Aug 2017 03:54:12 -0400 From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> Subject: Android 8.0 Oreo is official, starts rollout to devices NEW YORK CITY - Happy Eclipse Day! As the Moon slowly crept its way across the Sun, Google took the opportunity to host an Eclipse-themed Android 8.0 launch event in New York City. Along with eclipse glasses and a simulcast of NASA's eclipse livestream, Android "O" finally got its full name: "Android 8.0, Oreo." Like KitKat before it, Android's alphabetical snack-themed codenames have gone commercial and partnered with an actual snack producer, adopting Nabisco's trademarked "Oreo" as the name for this release. The event also came with the traditional statue unveiling: a superhero Android Oreo. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/08/android-8-0-oreo-is-official-starts-rollout-out-to-devices/ ------------------------------ Message-ID: <7CCACB53-B2DA-4D6C-B084-EE4B4705F31C@roscom.com> Date: Wed, 23 Aug 2017 03:42:46 -0400 From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> Subject: Spyware backdoor prompts Google to pull 500 apps Spyware backdoor prompts Google to pull 500 apps with >100m downloads By Dan Goodin At least 500 apps collectively downloaded more than 100 million times from Google's official Play Market contained a secret backdoor that allowed developers to install a range of spyware at any time, researchers said Monday. The apps contained a software development kit called Igexin, which makes it easier for apps to connect to ad networks and deliver ads that are targeted to the specific interests of end users. Once an app using a malicious version of Igexin was installed on a phone, the developer kit could update the app to include spyware at any time, with no warning. The most serious spyware installed on phones were packages that stole call histories, including the time a call was made, the number that placed the call, and whether the call went through. Other stolen data included GPS locations, lists of nearby Wi-Fi networks, and lists of installed apps. https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/08/500-google-play-apps-with-100-million-downloads-had-spyware-backdoor/ ------------------------------ Message-ID: <5411BA59-3B89-48FA-B0C3-5F54C508634C@roscom.com> Date: Wed, 23 Aug 2017 04:12:53 -0400 From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> Subject: Identity Thieves Hijack Cellphone Accounts to Go After Virtual Currency So-called phone porting attacks are exposing a vulnerability that could be exploited against anybody with valuable emails or other digital files. By Nathaniel Popper Hackers have discovered that one of the most central elements of online security - the mobile phone number - is also one of the easiest to steal. In a growing number of online attacks, hackers have been calling up Verizon, T-Mobile U.S., Sprint and AT&T and asking them to transfer control of a victim's phone number to a device under the control of the hackers. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/21/business/dealbook/phone-hack-bitcoin-virtual-currency.html ------------------------------ Message-ID: <2313E240-960F-4DFA-A40A-590F2E12B2FE@roscom.com> Date: Wed, 23 Aug 2017 03:55:23 -0400 From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> Subject: ICE says it doesn't use Stingrays to locate undocumented immigrants Letter adds that, even when you're targeted via stingray, you can still call 911. By Cyrus Farivar The acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the federal agency charged with deportations, has confirmed in a new letter that it does not use cell-site simulators, also known as stingrays, to locate undocumented immigrants. In the August 16 letter, which was sent to Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), acting Director Thomas Homan wrote that, since October 2015, ICE has followed similar guidelines put in place by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security a month earlier, which require a warrant before deploying a stingray. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/08/ice-we-dont-use-stingrays-to-locate-undocumented-immigrants/ ------------------------------ Message-ID: <fd341f1c47f2143f5e6122ee2716a813.squirrel@email.fatcow.com> Date: Tue, 22 Aug 2017 20:44:37 -0500 From: "Neal McLain" <nmclain.remove-this@and-this-too.annsgarden.com> Subject: Re: Freedom from cable isn't free On Monday, August 21, 2017 at 10:02:00 PM UTC-5, Barry Margolin wrote: > In article > <68e7f294f90c2b7b5cc53738b8adb182.squirrel@email.fatcow.com>, > "Neal McLain" <nmclain.remove-this@and-this-too.annsgarden.com> > wrote: > >> Programmers may experiment with numerous distribution >> options -- bundling their programming with Netflix and other >> steaming packagers, selling their programming to broadcast >> networks, selling their programming directly to CATV, SatTV, >> and TelcoTV carriers, or setting up their own internet >> distribution services -- but in the end they will always select >> the same choice: the option that maximizes their bottom line. > > I've long said that the people who have been clamoring for > a la carte cable options should be careful what they wish for. > The profusion of different streaming services, at $8-10/mo for > each of them, is precisely that. So far I've managed to avoid the a-la-carte debate but since you bring it up, here's my take: http://theoldcatvequipmentmuseum.org/320/321/index.html#alacarte Neal McLain ------------------------------ Message-ID: <71313CBA-B18E-4536-AEEC-14D7F786723A@roscom.com> Date: Wed, 23 Aug 2017 08:35:45 -0400 From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> Subject: Samsung faces a crucial smartphone launch as its top executive faces a sentencing hearing Samsung faces a crucial smartphone launch as its top executive faces a sentencing hearing By Hayley Tsukayama Samsung's having a very big week - which has the potential to go very badly. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/08/22/samsung-faces-a-crucial-smartphone-launch-as-its-top-executive-faces-jail-time/ ------------------------------ ********************************************* End of telecom Digest Thu, 24 Aug 2017