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The North Korea-linked Kimsuky hacking group has been attributed to a new social engineering attack that employs fictitious Facebook accounts to targets via Messenger and ultimately delivers malware. "The threat actor created a Facebook account with a fake identity disguised as a public official working in the North Korean human rights field," South Korean cybersecurity company GeniansNewsroomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]

Další prototyp Starship by mohl letět už za několik týdnů • Starlinky ale na jeho palubě s největší pravděpodobností nebudou • SpaceX chce licenci pro celé „portfolio letů“

Na Netflixu jsme vybrali nejlepší seriály, které mají české titulky a většinou i dabing. Vycházeli jsme z hodnocení na filmových webech a přidali i trochu svého vlastního vkusu. Naprostou většinu seriálu nikde jinde než na Netflixu nenajdete.

Nepříjemnou záležitost musel v minulých dnech řešit Google v Austrálii. Nedopatřením se mu podařilo smazat cloudový účet místnímu penzijnímu fondu, kde měli Australané uloženo 125 miliard dolarů. Přes půl milionu lidí kvůli chybě nemělo týden přístup ke svým financím. Dotčeným fondem byl ...

Dnes ve 12:00 byla spuštěna první aukce domén .CZ. Zatím největší zájem je o dro.cz, kachnicka.cz, octavie.cz, uvycepu.cz a vnady.cz [𝕏].

JackTrip byl vydán ve verzi 2.3.0. Jedná se o multiplatformní open source software umožňující hudebníkům z různých částí světa společné hraní. JackTrip lze instalovat také z Flathubu.

A significant security threat, known as the Spectre v2 exploit, has been observed targeting Linux systems running on modern Intel processors. Let's delve into the details of the Spectre v2 exploit, its implications, and the measures being taken to mitigate its impact.

The release of Google Chrome 124 addresses four vulnerabilities, including a critical security flaw that can enable attackers to execute arbitrary code. Over the next few days or weeks, the Google Stable channel will be updated to 124.0.6367.78 for Linux. As security practitioners, Linux admins, infosec professionals, and sysadmins must be aware of the implications of such vulnerabilities and take appropriate action.

Před časem Firefox umožnil kopírování adres webových stránek bez sledovacích parametrů. Dosud to šlo pouze přes kontextovou nabídku vyvolanou na odkazu na stránce. Firefox 126 přidává povel pro kopírování bez sledovacích parametrů do kontextové nabídky adresy v adresním řádku. Stačí vybrat adresu a ...

Patnáctý ročník ne-konference jOpenSpace se koná 4. – 6. října 2024 v Hotelu Antoň v Telči. Pro účast je potřeba vyplnit registrační formulář. Ne-konference neznamená, že se organizátorům nechce připravovat program, ale naopak dává prostor všem pozvaným, aby si program sami složili z toho nejzajímavějšího, čím se v poslední době zabývají nebo co je oslovilo. Obsah, který vytváří všichni účastníci, se skládá z desetiminutových prezentací a delších workshopů s převážně vývojářskou tématikou od devops, přes datové struktury, nástroje, jazyky, zkušenosti s automatizací testů a různé zajímavosti ze světa IT. Pokud chcete nasát atmosféru minulých ročníků či ohodnotit kvalitu přednášek, navštivte náš YouTube kanál. Nejoblíbenější z nich právě překonala 22 tisíc shlédnutí. Co je potřeba udělat, abyste se mohli zúčastnit? Připravit si desetiminutovou prezentaci na libovolné téma, která má potenciál oslovit ostatní přítomné. Historicky proběhlo i několik velmi zajímavých nevývojářských témat, takže ani výletu do úplně jiného oboru není třeba se nikterak bránit.

Android 15 je tady, aktuálně už jako verze Beta 2 • Novinky jsou spíše drobné a přibývají pomalu • Finální varianta Androidu 15 vyjde na podzim

Security researchers have disclosed almost a dozen security flaws impacting the GE HealthCare Vivid Ultrasound product family that could be exploited by malicious actors to tamper with patient data and even install ransomware under certain circumstances. "The impacts enabled by these flaws are manifold: from the implant of ransomware on the ultrasound machine to the access and manipulation of

Security researchers have disclosed almost a dozen security flaws impacting the GE HealthCare Vivid Ultrasound product family that could be exploited by malicious actors to tamper with patient data and even install ransomware under certain circumstances. "The impacts enabled by these flaws are manifold: from the implant of ransomware on the ultrasound machine to the access and manipulation of Newsroomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]

Unless you’ve been camping out under a mossy tech news rock all week, you’ve probably heard plenty of news connected to Google’s annual Google I/O gala by now.

And my goodness, has there been a glut of it! Google gave us our closest look yet at the upcoming Android 15 update and the freshest features in its latest beta build, and it announced approximately 7.4 gazillion things related to Gemini and the company’s commitment to inserting Much AI Magic™ anywhere and everywhere imaginable.

That’s all well and good. But the most intriguing news of all this week is something El Googathor didn’t so much as mention from the stage or any Google I/O sessions. It seems to be a somewhat secret development, in fact, that’s mostly being discussed behind closed doors and with copious amounts of cackling.*

But it may well be the biggest, most interesting news to break cover in the Android arena all week — maybe even all year. And if it ever ends up moving past the point of demonstration and into an active launch status, it could completely change the way we think about Google’s platforms and what an “Android device” represents — even more, I’d contend, than any amount of AI could possibly ever accomplish.

* The cackling part is entirely my own creation. But, c’mon: It makes the visual *way* more dramatic, doesn’t it?!

[Get fresh Googley insight in your inbox with my free Android Intelligence newsletter. Three new things to know and try every Friday — cackling completely optional.]

Google’s Android-ChromeOS connection dissection

So, to set the stage for this I/O-overshadowing twist: Google, as you likely know by now, maintains two separate but increasingly connected computing platforms with Android and ChromeOS.

And while Android has traditionally been designed for on-the-go phones and tablets, ChromeOS has always been all about computers and a more active-input, typing-oriented experience.

To be sure, those lines have blurred considerably over the years. These days, you can buy Chromebooks that double as keyboard-free touch tablets and even pure ChromeOS tablets with no physical QWERTY keys anywhere to be found — and all of those devices are able to run Android apps natively. After a brief period of putting Android tablets on the backburner, meanwhile, Google’s been going hard on Android tablet development for a while now and even actively working on an Android desktop mode for devices that are connected to a larger monitor.

It’s a confusing array of overlapping options and ambiguous divisions that’s difficult to wrap your head around. But — well, y’know. That’s Google for ya.

And now, the company has come up with a way to add yet another wrinkle into that equation — one that’d complicate things and muddy the waters even further but also bring Android and ChromeOS together in a groundbreaking new way.

I won’t keep you waiting: The possibility, as reported and then demoed by Android Authority, is a secondary desktop mode of sorts for Android that would allow you to plug a phone into a monitor or docking station and effectively turn it into a functioning Chromebook, right in front of your eyes.

Your Android phone would run ChromeOS, in other words, and be capable of becoming a productivity-ready computer when hooked up to the right hardware.

Allow me to express the appropriate reaction on behalf of all of us here: Whooooaaaaaaaaaa.

That, to put it mildly, would be a massive move. It’d bring a genuine purpose to an Android desktop mode that’d make it useful and sensible in a way the current concepts have never managed to achieve, outside of some extremely small niche-level scenarios — going all the way back to the early Moto-made “Lapdock” systems of yesteryear and continuing into the more contemporary options available on Android today.

Now, before you get too excited, Google has since gone on the record as saying that the system was only a tech demo and a proof of concept for the underlying virtualization technology introduced in Android 15. But the company’s Android ecosystem president also noted that “a lot of things in Google start like this.” And, if I may be so bold: Google would be well-advised to see this as more than just a mere experiment.

In fact, it’s a possibility certain Android- and ChromeOS-focused philosophers have calling on the company to consider for ages. To quote an analysis a lowly scribe who shall remain nameless penned in 2016, when rumors of Google somehow combining Android and ChromeOS into a single connected entity were gaining steam for the 7,000th time:

What if [this] were essentially just a way to give Android devices a “desktop mode” — a ChromeOS-like environment that appears when, say, a physical keyboard is present, with a more traditional Android interface remaining in place for touch-centric use? A ChromeOS-like environment wouldn’t be ideal as a core part of the regular touch-centric Android experience, after all, but it sure could be valuable as an option for scenarios involving more productivity-oriented and laptop-like use.

And what if this best-of-both-worlds, dual-purpose mentality applies not only to convertible systems but also to phones? Maybe even phones like, ahem, the new Pixel devices Google is expected to announce next week — you know, at the same event where all this [Android-ChromeOS merger] business is rumored to make its grand debut?

One could imagine that happening by way of a special dock-like accessory and/or via a less proprietary method of connection — say, a Bluetooth keyboard along with a Chromecast to beam the desktop to a display. (Of note, a new higher-end 4K-capable Chromecast is rumored to be on the docket for next week’s event.)

Such a setup could effectively turn any compatible Android device into a versatile all-purpose computer that packs the strengths of Google’s two platforms into a single superpowered package — kind of like what Microsoft is doing with Windows 10’s Continuum concept, only with the world’s most popular mobile operating system and all of its apps involved.

It’d be pretty darn monumental. And it could conceivably allow each platform to continue to exist independently as well as within the new combined form (something that’s particularly significant when you consider the strong demand for both inexpensive lower-end phones and cost-effective standalone Chromebooks).

And here we are.

ChromeOS and Android together: Some pertinent perspective

Again, let’s be clear: The Android-phone-as-a-Chromebook concept is still far from being anything more than a behind-the-scenes demo. But be that as it may, Goog almighty: A possibility like this sure is something to think about, isn’t it? It’d be a clever and uniquely-Googley way to create new utility in our existing devices and bundle the strengths of two complementary platforms — Android and ChromeOS — into a single versatile package.

Consider the breakdown of how Google itself sees the dividing line between Android devices and ChromeOS devices, in their current configurations. As a ChromeOS executive explained it to me in 2022:

In short, Android tablets are intended for “productive mobility,” as [Google Senior Director of Product Management Alexander] Kuscher describes it — with content consumption being the top priority and a bit of more complex productivity being an occasional add-on.

Chromebook tablets, on the other hand, are the exact opposite: They’re intended for “mobile productivity,” with the active work being the primary purpose and the more passive consumption being a pleasant side perk.

Ideally, with all the devices feeling consistent and connected, the purchasing decisions will be mostly about what specific product feels right for what purpose, all overlap aside — and once said product is in hand, its owner won’t even think much about what platform or operating system is involved.

And one more excerpt that suddenly feels freshly pertinent:

“What’s underneath doesn’t really matter to the user. You could have 10 different operating systems, one for each form factor, if you wanted that. The important piece is what you present to the user.”

That, Kuscher says, is why Android and ChromeOS have continued to grow more consistent and connected over the years. In Google’s view, the operating system is less important than the experience — and increasingly, it’s working to present experiences that are so similar that they feel more like different branches of the same tree than completely separate forests.

Hmmmmmm. Veddy eeeenteresting in the context of our current conversation, wouldn’t ya say?

Now, to play devil’s advocate for a moment: I still have my doubts about how often most people would actually use an option like this. I mean, really: How frequently are you in a position where you have a monitor, keyboard, and mouse available but not a full-fledged computer? That’s a huge part of what limits the usefulness of current desktop mode concepts on Android, in addition to their less-than-optimal desktop environments and clunky user experiences.

But the presence of ChromeOS would at least address the latter part of that limitation. ChromeOS is extremely capable as a desktop operating system these days, and its everything-connected-to-the-cloud philosophy would actually be a brilliant match for this setup — where plugging in, powering up, and having all your stuff right in front of you from wherever you were working last would be a major asset for on-the-go productivity.

As for the hardware piece of the puzzle, a simple docking accessory to accompany this effort — say, an easily portable laptop shell that a phone plugs into — could theoretically make that less of an issue. Particularly if this ended up being something Google were to launch as a Pixel-specific feature, selling such an item would make an awful lot of sense on multiple levels.

It’s too soon to say what, if anything, could ultimately come of this. But on a week when we’re thinking about the future and hearing about Google’s plans for pushing its platforms and products forward, it’s hard not to see this as the most promising and potentially shape-shifting possibility of all.

Want even more Googley knowledge? Check out my free Android Intelligence newsletter to get next-level tips and insight delivered directly to your inbox.

Android, Chrome OS, Chromebooks, Computers, Google, Laptops, Operating Systems, Productivity Software

Digital payments company Visa has said it’s leveraging AI to share consumer shopping preferences with merchants, which could enhance personalized shopping experiences.

The company plans to utilize its proprietary token service, which currently secures 29% of its transactions by removing sensitive cardholder information from the payment flow. Now, with consumer consent, it’s planning to add personal data back into that flow, enabling merchants to access private data tokens containing AI-generated insights based on a consumer’s past transactions on the Visa network, the company said.

Consumers will have the ability to review and revoke access to their data through their banking apps, ensuring transparency and control over their information, it said.

“As new data regulations create a guide for better consumer data privacy practices, and Gen AI transforms how we discover things online, Visa believes that payment data has a role to play in delivering these new and improved experiences,” Visa said in the statement.

Customer incentives unclear

Analysts pointed out that this will benefit Visa and merchants, but it’s not clear how they will encourage customers to share more information. This concern is particularly relevant because the success of this initiative will depend on customers’ consent.

“I think this mainly benefits Visa and the retailers,” said Pareekh Jain, CEO of Pareekh Consulting. “I don’t see much in it for the consumers when it comes to data sharing. For Visa to work effectively, customers should give their consent, and for this, customers should be incentivized. They might get some cashback or other benefits, but that part is not clear at the moment.”

Retailers are increasingly looking for information about customers to feed into generative AI models, and Jain pointed out that this could also lead to increased demand for the consumer information Visa collects.

 “Visa has a unique position since it holds all this data,” Jain said. “However, they should also keep customer interests in mind.”

Biometrics for better security

The announcement was made at the Visa Payments Forum in San Francisco, where the company unveiled a host of other products and solutions as well.

Significant among them was the Visa Payment Passkey Service, which uses biometrics such as facial recognition or fingerprints to confirm a consumer’s identity and authorize online payments. Visa passkeys will eliminate the need for passwords or one-time codes for online shopping, enabling more streamlined and secure transactions, the company said.  

“There is a global desire to find commonality, interoperability, and simplicity for online payments,” Visa’s chief product and strategy officer Jack Forestell said in the statement. “Our passkeys, designed specifically for payments, represent a massive paradigm shift in our industry because it confirms identity without interrupting the checkout experience.”

Jain commented that this service could be more beneficial to customers.

“If Visa could provide a facility where your identity works regardless of the payment system — be it debit, credit, or any other wallets — it would help consumers enhance their user experience,” Jain said. “These days, there are so many payment options. Improving customer experience is crucial, and a unified Visa identity could simplify security and user authentication, eliminating the need for multiple logins.”

Data Privacy, Generative AI, Payment Systems

It may take ten years but vendors must be held accountable for the vulnerabilities they introduce

CYBERUK  National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) CTO Ollie Whitehouse kicked off day two of Britain's cyber watchdog's annual shindig, CYBERUK, with a tirade about the tech market, pulling it apart to demonstrate why he believes it's at fault for many of the security problems the industry is facing today. …

Svět kryptoměn je stejně vzrušující jako složitý a vyznačuje se rychlými změnami cen, které mohou nováčky zastrašit. Navzdory tomu digitální měny jako Bitcoin a Ethereum od uvedení na trh nejen prudce stouply na hodnotě, ale zažily i podíl vzestupů a pádů.

Cetin včera potvrdil zprávu z minulého týdne, kde oznámil srpnové uvedení symetrického gigabitového tarifu v optické síti i zrychlení uploadu na 50 Mb/s u nejvyšší tarifu na metalice. Nově však také naznačil, že s technologií VDSL či nějakým jejím nástupcem ještě má plány. „Pracujeme na novém ...

ČTÚ vydává výroční zprávu o stavu českých telekomunikací • V roce 2023 se zdražovaly prakticky všechny typy mobilních služeb • Ubývá konkurence mezi mobilními operátory, velká trojka posiluje