Spying on a computer keystrokes with an iPhone

Researches have shown that sensors found in our smartphones can sometimes be misused: as an example some researchers used the built-in iPhone 4 accelerometer to build an app that capture keystrokes.
  

The idea is simple: a smartphone is placed next to the keyboard and the accelerometer is capable of recording the vibrations each time you hit a key.  The app is then able to determine the position of each button according to the vibration.  

The program is not really able to detect every keystroke, it simply divides the keyboard into several areas: the accelerometer can actually detect roughly if the pressed key is on the top left, top right, bottom left or bottom right of the keyboard. Next, an analysis is performed in overlapping areas with a dictionary to try to reconstruct words.

When the keyboard type is known (QWERTY, AZERTY, etc..) and the language used is identified, the recognition rate of the text is quite high, with a success rate between 70 and 80% . Obviously there are some problems with recognition, especially when a one letter word is used, but the results are interesting.
 

The type of the used smartphone has also an influence: an iPhone 3GS, which uses a conventional accelerometer is unusable, while an iPhone 4 which couples the accelerometer to a gyroscope is effective. Overall, any modern smartphone used in an environment free from excessive vibration should succeed to do the same work.

Although this might sound innovative and fun, but the goals of the study were to show that the monitoring method are not always obvious to detect, and to raise awareness about using technology in a responsible and ethical way, while appreciating and embracing your privacy and respecting the others'.

Microsoft agitates the world of smartphones

Since the announcement of the "cooperation" between Microsoft and Nokia at Mobile World Congress 2011 , observers have been waiting for what looked very much like an inevitable logical sequence, with this recurring question: When will Microsoft buy the once was Finnish giant ?  
As I was struggling to sleep -it was 5 am here-, I checked twitter to find out that #Microsoft is trending. We finally got an answer:  Microsoft announced the acquisition of Nokia for $ 7.2 billion. The news were received by surprise and mockery.


In an email sent yesterday evening to employees of the firm, Steve Ballmer , CEO leaving Microsoft , announced the acquisition of Nokia 's Devices & Services business , a deal that includes smartphones and mobile division development and design teams , manufacturing units in the world, and operational teams: marketing and support. In total 32,000 Nokia employees will pass directly under Microsoft's banner.
 
Ballmer said that the transaction is " a big step for the future and is in line with the changes announced on July 11". Lumia and Asha in one basket Besides the Nokia Lumia range smartphones composed exclusively of the Windows Phone operating system from Microsoft, this purchase also covers "basic" Asha phones , which will enable Microsoft to expand its hold on mobile telephony.
A major challenge to the two companies , which have failed to negotiate in good time and in the best of their place in the great upheaval of telephony and mobile internet , especially on the smartphone market , monopolized by Apple , Samsung and Google's Android OS , which in turn has also offered another manufacturer , Motorola .  

So, what remains to Nokia? 

Three activities " software, network and services":  Their mapping service, the network infrastructure NSN and Advanced Technologies, and business license and development .  
For Microsoft , it's not big surprise. Their goal was clear, to regain the special privileges they granted Nokia to adapt Windows phone and then to end Nokia. So it is safe to say that the next phone after the latest Lumia ( to be released on the 2nd of October) will be signed Microsoft.

A security vulnerability affecting 99% of Android devices

The security problem affecting 99% of Android devices has been fixed by Google. And now it's up to manufacturers to deploy the update.

Last week, the security editor Bluebox revealed a security flaw affecting 99% of Android devices and indeed relevant terminals in circulation for four years, since the 1.6 version of Android, or about 900 million devices. This flaw allows a malicious user to modify the installation file an application without changing the signature and insert malware.

"The company has not seen any evidence to support use of the fault on Google Play or other app stores through (their) security scanning tools."  
According to Google's communications manager Gina Scigliano.

Anyway Google confirmed that hey have corrected this vulnerability and sent the patch to its partners.On Samsung, for example, it would already be deployed. Other OEMs task provide a quick update, including the oldest terminals.

Source: ZDnet

Samsung announces 5G

Samsung Electronics has successfully tested a mobile network to the  5G standard _ that will hit the market in 2020 at the earliest_ for ultra high transmission speeds.

The South Korean giant has announced that it managed to transmit data at a speed of 1 Gbps over a distance of two kilometers between two terminals while current 4G networks transmit at 75 Mbps, and download movies in a second.

"Users will benefit from a wide range of services such as 3D movies and playing games and streaming (live) content in ultra high definition (UHD)," Samsung stated in a report.

The new technology uses extremely high frequency bands (EHF) but still doesn't comply with any recognized international bodies telecom standard.

Source : AFP.

Galaxy series are far from being the most secure smartphones!

This is not really new: the security of Samsung smartphones based on Android is not good. And it is clearly not about to be fixed!

Security vulnerabilities seem to multiply on Samsung smartphones based on Android. Evidenced by the testimony of Roberto Paleari, an Italian computer scientist, who explains that the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Tab GT-P1000, just to name a few, are far from being models of their kind.

Thus, to take a single example, Paleari says that taking remote control of Samsung devices is not a complicated exercise.
"All these faults were caused by specific software or customizations made ​​by Samsung in [Android].
Already at the beginning of the month, we saw hatch on the web videos on how to bypass the lock screen Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note II. Since then, Samsung does not seem to have lifted a finger."

Galaxy S4 vs. HTC One

Two great Android smartphones were presented recently this year, the HTC One and the Galaxy S4 which was featured on this blog by a full review.
 
Waiting for their release , we can already engage in a face to face comparison. Technology, material, design and features, what are their strengths, their weaknesses and which stands out most competition?
Galaxy S4 or HTC One.

2013 technique looks like a turning point in the world of mobile telephony. Galaxy S4 was highly anticipated and proved technically on the same level as its competitors. While each of the smartphones we compare today is one of the best, none is really more powerful than his competitor. There are a few small differences, but it is mainly at the level of functionality or technology that the differences become significant.

Design 

It's no secret that the first thing to attract you to a phone was and still is its look and design. Even before turning on a phone to discover its features or even his screen, it always starts with look and a touch. And HTC has showed that they made a real effort to appeal to users.
 
The HTC One presents an all-aluminum design with a slight bend on its back. You can feel an impression of quality with its pleasant finishes and its well studied grip. On the other hand, they might be regretting that this design has condemned battery access as well as a possible port of memory card. Two black dots for the HTC that could seriously handicap them if they did not give a good internal memory (up to 64 GB).

S4 Galaxy don't have such problem. Its look has not evolved since the previous model which was not recognized as the most beautiful of the smartphones. But then, it is the lightest, the finest, and most compact, but it is also the most "cheap". Its polycarbonate shell is not as strong as Samsung wanted us to believe. Fortunately, its slab glass Gorilla Glass 3 catches a little things by ensuring a good degree of robustness.

Ranking

Galaxy S4 before the HTC One under GeekBench 2 

 
 

Galaxy S4 behind the HTC One under AnTuTu 

So as we have seen, Geekbench 2 benchmark puts the S4 Galaxy in first position before the HTC One (3163 points against 2687), whereas AnTuTu showed the opposite. So yes, the HTC One earned a short head only (22446 points against 22678), but still in the first position. Briefly, it's difficult to disentangle the two smartphones, although it would seem logical that with a higher frequency for a same processor, the S4 Galaxy takes the first place. 
But let's keep away from any hasty conclusions, and wait until both smartphones are in action.
 
  

Picture and new technologies?

2013 will be the year of picture resolution, manufacturers are clear about it. Nokia with its technology Pure View and HTC with its Ultra Pixel are perfect examples.

Comparison of the size of the Ultra Pixel sensor and its competitors
 
Well Yes, it is here that HTC defeat the competitors. With a larger sensor and a lower pixel density, it captures more light and can therefore be more effective in the Dark environments. By most, thanks to its opening to f/2.0 (50% larger than that of the iPhone 5, 90% higher than the Galaxy S3, resulting in 300% brighter than the majority of smartphones) it is sensitive enough to overcome digital noise that taints many devices as soon as the light comes out. Finally and this is the icing on the cake, it has ultra responsive optical stabilizer which allows it to avoid blurred pictures in many situations. Indicatively there are stabilizers optical on the NPA and some Bridges.

For the photo part, HTC One takes thus advantage, through its Zoe application and its Ultra Pixel technology. We keep in mind that in terms of image definition remains less efficient than the S4 Galaxy.

 

Screens, precision and high definition

War of the screens has been a turf war between TV manufacturers for many years. It is therefore quickly spread to related devices such as smartphones and tablets. Thus, the 2013 trend was 5 inches and more slabs and the increase of pixel density. 
This round also goes to  HTC that tops the S4 Galaxy with a pixel density greater than that of the S4 Galaxy .
 
However, these feature is not enough to say that a screen is better than another. It should also consider the energy consumption, the display quality, contrast ratio and brightness. The victory is therefore not yet acquired.

At the moment, pending for the release both mobiles, I can only base my comparison on a general observation, the S4 Galaxy AMOled screens are known for their intensity of black but are less efficient in terms of brightness. Finally, coming to color level' s fidelity, it is known that Samsung has regular problems and Galaxy S4 is no exception. As we have seen recently, many critics have already prompted the manufacturer to correct this defect via a calibration free. It is possible that competitors take advantage of this point. But still the S4 is the only smartphone with AMOLED display for customizable calibration.

Battery life

at the time, it is impossible to answer the question of the autonomy of the HTC One and the S4 Galaxy. Galaxy S4 is the device with the larger battery (2600 mAh against approximately 2300 mAh for the other phone) and it has the same OS as the HTC One, only a bit faster. 
Difficult to say more, but  HTC One should worry a lot more than the S4 Galaxy  when it comes to battery life and performance.

In general nowadays, a smartphone's battery should last for 14 hours, a trend against which Google seeks to fight and which could distinguish it from others in the future Motorola XPhone.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is clear to you that designating a winner is not really possible because both smartphones have their strengths and its weaknesses. 
  
HTC One suffers from some hardware deficiencies such as lack of memory card and a non-removable battery, but makes up for it on the features with some surprising picture.

Equally, the Galaxy S4 is also very dense in terms of functionality and won also the neck through his many innovations such as Smart Pause, Gesture or even S Voice Air. However it is blamed for its aging and cheap design that suggest a limited robustness.

So it is a bit hard to say which is going to be more popular. Please, share with me your opinion and let me know which one you would choose?

Samsung confirms the connected watch project

Samsung has stopped the suspense, confirming that they are indeed trying to develop a connected watch.

Young Hee Lee, the executive vice president of Samsung's mobile business division, has enjoyed a recent interview given in Seoul to confirm that his company was working on a connected watch:
"We've been preparing the watch for a while now. We're working really hard to be ready. We develop products for the future, and this watch is undeniably part."


Without providing anymore details, the latest rumors speak of a Galaxy connected watch, whose code name is Altius.

Various rumors circulated on the web, but nothing indicates whether the watch will run under Android or another OS.

In parallel, Apple continues to talk about the iWatch , its formalization is expected by the end of the year.

Samsung Galaxy S4 unveiled : An incomplete revolution and a break from Google.

The minute Samsung announced that the Galaxy S4 launch event will take place in the New York Music Hall and will be broadcasted via a big screen on Times square on a big screen and on YouTube all over the globe, everyone got excited. We felt it's going to be special. Finally! A phone that will meet our high, very high expectations.

White waiting for the event to start, the Broadway orchestra played some beautiful pieces of music then the "Show" started.
Mr. G.K Shin the newest Samsung (and third) CEO introduced the product and spoke briefly about its technical specification while he focused a lot more on how much Samsung cares. How much they care about us, people. How much they are inspired by us to come up with these innovations, and widen their imagination, to perceive every possibility. Hence the slogan, Galaxy S4 life companion : life without boundaries.

After Mr. Shin's introduction, Ryan Bidan Director, Product Marketing at Samsung Telecommunications Ameria, "narrated" the technical specification of the Android phone along of an everyday inspired scenes performed by Broadway's best performers.
So for those who missed the event, keep reading along. You're in the right place.

I will divide the specifications into three categories: General specs, Looks and feel, S4 experience.

Say hello to Google's answer to the iPad

by Casey Newton

October 26, 2012 11:27 AM PDT


BriefMobile posts pictures of what it says is the Nexus 10, the new tablet from Google and Samsung.

We've already seen pictures taken with the upcoming Nexus 10 tablet, thanks to Google's Vic Gundotra. Now we're seeing pictures of the device itself.
Days before the Nexus 10 is expected to make its debut in New York, new images have surfaced purporting to show the device and the updated version of Android it's running on. [Note: Monday's Android event has been canceled because of Hurricane Sandy. We'll update you with a separate post when we know more.]
BriefMobile posted a 16-shot gallery of the new tablet showing a roughly 10-inch screen, curved edges, and a rear camera. The site also posted what it said are the device's specs: 

• Exynos 5250 dual-core processor at 1.7GHz
• Mali T604 GPU 
• 2GB RAM 
• 16GB internal storage 
• 10.1" Super AMOLED display at 2560x1600, or about 300 pixels per square inch. 
• 5MP rear camera, with an unidentified front camera 
• NFC capability

The Nexus 10 appears to be running an updated version of the operating system, Android 4.2, that enables multiple accounts.
We'll be live in New York on Monday morning to see the Nexus 10 unveiled, along with a host of other hardware.