Amsterdam's Hack in the Box security conference regularly offers us a fascinating insight into what can ensue when modern tech is pushed to the very limit, and today, seasoned security professional Hugo Teso has certainly done that. Drawing upon twelve years as an airline pilot before his transition to the bustling world of tech security, Teso demonstrated just how easy it could be to essentially take control of a plane remotely using little more than an Android smartphone. While infinitely cool, it's also worrying how unsecure some airline software systems currently are, and although Teso only used a virtual Boeing jet to demonstrate his achievements (hijacking planes is, after all, illegal), it's a pretty incredible bit of ingenuity.
Google has taken the opportunity to bring in a little goodness into the lives of Nexus 10 owners by introducing the first official accessory for the 10-inch tablet. To compliment the sleek design of the Nexus 10 the company has seen fit to hit the ground running with a dark grey book type cover that is now available for purchase through the Google Play Store. More details and the purchase link coming up right after the break.
The photo sharing phenomenon saw much more growth with the advent of smartphones than any other mechanism, especially with platforms like Android and iOS. Even though Facebook is the unofficial king in the photo sharing ring, the immense popularity that Instagram saw made the whole idea much more famous, and when the photo sharing mobile network expanded from being an iPhone exclusive to Android, things definitely took off even further. Today, photo sharing is one of the most popular and religiously observed social networking phenomena that you’ll find all across the internet.
Widgets are one of the features that have made Android the popular platform that it is today, and it is also evident by the fact that the Google Play Store – the official app repository for Android – contains an entirely separate category dedicated to widgets. Some of these useful utilities come packaged with certain OEM firmware, while others are created and sold independently. Even stock Android comes with a small collection of these of its own, irrespective of how useful they are or how much utility they provide. In fact, most of the third-party custom widgets that exist in the Play Store are to improve on the feature set of the stock offering.
Smartphones are supposed to make our lives easier, and although, in some cases, the opposite is true, apps and ecosystems are progressively becoming more seamless and automated as time goes on. Whereas once upon a time, we'd have to turn our Wi-Fi off whenever we left the house, and remember to turn it back on when we arrived, things seem to take care of themselves. With that theme in mind, Bluetooth and Wifi Unlocker seeks to make your Android-using experience just that little bit less taxing by automatically unlocking your device when connected to a recognized Bluetooth or Wi-Fi device.
Google's Play entertainment store has lost 60,000 apps from its roster since last month, in what appears to be a move to combat widespread spam and low-quality apps. As reported by TechCrunch, it looks as though the vast majority of this mass cull didn't abide by Google's anti-spam policies, and were subsequently taken away. Although it's likely some of that number were pulled by the developers behind them, the disproportionately high figure of removed apps suggests the Play Store has been subject to the search giant's spring cleaning.
One of the primary advantages Android users have over their iOS-using peers, is the ability to install countless widgets. Whereas the iOS home screen isn’t particularly customizable without a jailbreak, the same department of any two random droids can look worlds apart thanks to the wonder of widgetry. It’s not all just about the look, of course, since these widgets can be effective sources of information / controls, and so it would stand to reason, then, that we may want to use them at anytime, and from within any app. Overlays, created by a veteran member of the XDA-Developers forums , does exactly that, and with plenty of options and features within the app itself, it’s a must-have for anybody with a staunch reliance on widgets. More details and the oh-so important download link can be found right after the jump.
Twilight is an app for Android smartphones and tablets that claims to help shield your eyes from blue light, making you sleep better as a result. Well, that's the idea, anyway.
Every now and again, a little maintenance work on any computer, tablet or smartphone device is necessary to help keep it performing at the top of its game. For example, running an anti-virus, spyware or adware program every other month will certainly help you fend off some of the Web's non-niceties. But even so, you cannot expect optimum performance if your storage is almost completely maxed out, and Clean Master for Android is one of those infinitely useful apps which scans, locates, and eradicates any unnecessary bulk which may be slowing your device down. More details can be found right after the jump.
Whenever a new piece of software is due to hit the market, it invariably leaks a great deal earlier than anticipated. History has repeated itself on some of the social network’s just-announced Facebook Home for Android software, with MoDaCo managing to get its hands on a pre-release version. The Google-branded Nexus 4 is said to be one of a handful of devices compatible with this pre-release version of the launcher, which will release officially for five handsets this coming Friday, and although one or two of the features don't appear to be working properly, it's a very nice find.
