First, the sky is not falling and chances are you are safe, but if you use Google Wallet, you should know that the PIN security has been cracked. Who is affected? You are vulnerable if:

1. You have a phone with Google Wallet set up
2. Your phone is rooted
3. You don’t use lock screen security (PIN, pattern, face unlock, etc)
4. You lose your phone

Basically, you need either a Nexus S or Galaxy Nexus that has been rooted. Everyone else can stop reading now.

What happened?
Google Wallet stores your four-digit PIN number in a database on the phone. It uses SHA256 hex-encoding, which means all that is needed to crack the encryption is to generate at most 10,000 SHA256 hashes…a simple task for any smartphone to accomplish. This is called a brute-force attack.

Google knows about this issue, but to fix it and make it more secure, they would have to move the PIN security to be maintained by your bank. This would force Google to update their terms of service and would require us to trust in the bank’s security. We’re not sure at the moment if this will happen. The banks may decide to simply take the risk of leaving it as it is rather than take on the responsibility of maintaining the PIN security.

Another possible fix would be to switch from a four-digit PIN to a more secure password that requires at least six digits and a mix of letters and numbers. We’re used to these types of passwords online, but not when you’re trying to check out at a store and there are people in line behind you. Plus, anything more complicated than entering a four-digit PIN would essentially kill the product since it would simply be too inconvenient to use. I doubt this will happen.

How can I protect myself?
The best thing you can do to protect yourself is to configure a passcode on your lock screen. If you are rooted, you could unroot, but I’m sure most people who are rooted want to stay that way. Of course, the most important thing is to not lose your phone.

See the vulnerability in action
The folks at zvelo have posted up a video showing how easy it is to crack the PIN.

Click here to view the embedded video.

source: zvelo.com
via: AndroidCentral

Photo Courtesy of Pocket-lint

The Samsung Galaxy Note phone/tablet is no doubt a cool device, that’s a gimme. Well Samsung took the device and threw on some white covers, making it even more attractive than it already was. The fine team at Pocket-lint got a chance to go hands-on with the newest color of the Galaxy Note. While the white version is identical to black version (same processor, RAM, camera, etc.), there are some noteworthy differences that were pointed out. For starters the back of the white version is gloss white, while the original black version was matt-mottled. It is suspected that the gloss white was done on purpose in order to make the shinier plastic being easier to clean and prevent it from getting as dirty quickly. They also note, the S Pen pressure-sensitive stylus has a matt finish, and could become grubby with constant use, but is unlikely since most users won’t be using it very much.

Boy the device sure looks great in white. Let’s see how many people will move towards the white version of the phone/tablet, despite it potentially getting dirtier faster than the black version. Which color do you prefer? Let us know in the Comments section below.

source: Pocket-lint

What better way for Quebec mobile carrier Videotron to step in the world of Android than to begin selling the hottest Android on the planet? Yup you read right folks, Videotron is all set its first Nexus device, the Galaxy Nexus smartphone. That means the lucky French-speaking Canadians will finally be able to enjoy what the rest of Canadians have been able to enjoy for a few months now. Pricing will start at 149.99$ (with a monthly plan of 40$ or more) to a “meager” 599.99$ if you purchase it outright. Of course the price doesn’t quite match up with what the rest of the Canadian carriers have to offer but hey, beggars can’t be choosers at this point. If you’re living out in the Quebec area and have been drooling over the Galaxy Nexus, now’s the time to get it as it’s available in Videotron stores today.

source: Videotron

Thanks to Vodafone, Germany will have their first LTE phone with the HTC Velocity in a few short weeks.  In the US, we know this HTC phone as the Vivid, while in South Korea it’s called the Raider.  In our review of the Vivid, we found it to be a solid device, although the small 1620mAh battery meant that you’ll be charging it more often than you’d like.  Here’s a refresher on the specs:

• 4.5-inch qHD Super LCD display
• 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor
• 8MP rear camera with 1080p recording and a 1.3MP front camera
• 16GB internal memory, expandable memory to an additional 32GB with microSD card
• Android 2.3 Gingerbread with HTC Sense UI

While Vodafone declined to name a release date or price, they were certain the HTC Velocity would be in stores shortly.  The official information will most likely be announced at a press conference next week.

Source: Computer Woche (German)
Via: The Unwired

As you folks know the rumored Galaxy S III announcement at the Mobile World Congress was refuted by Samsung and they went as far to say we wouldn’t see it at their press event in France either. Well it appears that the Korean company is going a step further by saying that they will not be holding a press conference at this year’s global trade show. Known for their elaborate product unveilings, Samsung will still showcase new products in Barcelona, just not in their usual over-the-top fashion. This suggests that Samsung’s presence at MWC will be very low key but we will have to wait and see.

After it was refuted that we would see the S III debut at the event, it was rumored that Samsung would show off their new tablet with the dual-core Exynos 5250 processor. Chances are though we will see the S II Plus that was leaked a week ago and that the Korean company will be hosting their own event for the launch of the S III, as well as any other major product announcements this year. So even though we won’t see a big showing from them you can still expect to see something new and exciting. As Samsung said it in an official response last week, ”Samsung is looking forward to introducing and demonstrating exciting new mobile products at Mobile World Congress 2012.”

source: PC Mag

2012 promises to be an interesting year for Motorola. Ever since Google confirmed their buyout of Motorola Mobility back in Q.3 last year, Android enthusiasts worldwide have been speculating what may come from the partnership. Already this year we’ve seen seen confirmation of the much anticipated Droid 4 and next up is the cheap and cheerful, MOTOLUXE.

Motorola is touting the Motoluxe as an affordable handset for the fashion conscious. This Android 2.3 handset sports a 4″ screen with a resolution of 480 x 854. There’s an 800 mhz processor and 512mb of RAM in the engine room. There’s also an 8mp camera on board to make sure you can get a quality HD snap of that new Prada outfit you’ll no doubt be ordering alongside the phone.

Amazon and Clove are Motorola’s partners of choice for this red-carpet ready beauty, with prices starting from as little as £250!
Full press release after the break.  

Motorola Mobility’s MOTOLUXE™ Smartphone to Launch in the UK

Ultra-stylish, ultra-vogue smartphone from Motorola Mobility coming soon to UK fashionistas. At a price that looks good, too.

Feb. 08, 2012

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LONDON – Feb. 8, 2012 – Calling all British style gurus! Get ready to flaunt your fashion flair with the ultra-vogue, rail-thin MOTOLUXE^™ from Motorola Mobility UK Limited, expected to be available late February.

When it comes to panache, this Android^™ 2.3 powered smartphone sets the bar high. With a 4-inch touchscreen that’s perfect for writing emails, surfing the Web and watching movies, you’ll always be connected, clued-up and entertained – whether at work, hanging out with friends or out on the town.

For photo buffs, an 8-megapixel autofocus camera with flash lets you shoot like a pro. You can even instantly share the pics with friends and family using the phone’s pre-loaded social networking apps.

But there is a reason this is called a smartphone! Incorporating Motorola’s MotoSwitch user interface, the MOTOLUXE learns who you talk to and which apps you use the most, and puts all that information front and center.

The Social Graph feature gives you easy and fast access to the people who really matter. It learns who’s most important to you and uses that information to populate the home screen. The more frequently you communicate with someone, the bigger their icon becomes. The Activity Graph focuses on your app habits; automatically changing to reflect the apps you use the most to provide customised menus.

With Music Now you can now play your favorite music while the Smart Gallery feature displays your favorite pictures as collections.

When you’re on the go, MOTOLUXE’s GPS technology will point you in the right direction and make sure you get to where the action is. If that isn’t enough, the phone is Bluetooth^®1-enabled, as well as your portal into the Android Market^™ where you’ll find thousands of games, apps, music, books and movies.

MOTOLUXE also sets itself apart with a lanyard slot that lights up. So you can see when you’ve missed a call, received a text or have an email waiting for you.

“By combining sleek style with Android brains, MOTOLUXE is ideal for people who want the latest technology in a sophisticated package,” said Marcus Frost, senior marketing director, Europe, Motorola Mobility. “Not only does this smartphone have a big screen and the latest, greatest entertainment tools, it’s affordable and won’t take a bite out of your budget.”

Price and Availabily

Motorola MOTOLUXE is expected to be available from authorized Motorola resellers from late-February.

For more information please click here.

Media Contacts (for media and analysts only):

• Billy Burnett
  +44 7595 708751
  billy.burnett@motorola.com
  Motorola Mobility, Inc.

source: Amazon UK, Clove

We’ve already heard plans for a white HTC Sensation to launch in parts of Europe next mont, but now it appears that the larger version, the white Sensation XE, will be heading to the UK as well. UK retailer Clove will begin selling the SIM-free, alabaster XE from February 20, for £408 ($640) .

In case you had forgotten, the HTC Sensation XE comes equipped with a faster 1.5GHz dual-core processor (compared to the Sensations 1.2), a larger 1730mAh battery, a 4.3 qHD display, and an 8MP camera capable of recording 1080p video. Beats Audio has been integrated into the device and it comes with a pair of in-ear Beats Audio headphones. HTC has also mentioned that the XE will be getting the Android 4.0 update sometime in the coming months as well. Currently the device is running Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

If you are in the UK and are looking to purchase a new dual-core Android phone, I must say this device isn’t a bad choice. One thing to keep in mind though, if you’re the type of person who always wants the latest and greatest I suggest waiting to see what HTC has up their sleeves for Mobile World Congress at the end of this month. Stay tuned as we will be giving a full report as the event unfolds.

source: Clove

Mobile World Congress won’t have the Samsung Galaxy S III, but there’s no question we’re going to see some interesting stuff. For example, the LG Optimus VU just showed up on LG’s YouTube channel so it’s probably a good bet that it will be unveiled next month at MWC. This one features a 5-inch IPS display, which doesn’t seem all that out of the ordinary, but the dimensions do. It’s a 4:3 display, which we don’t see too often anymore.

Other unofficial specs include a 1.5 GHz dual-core Qualcomm WPQ8060 processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, 8MP camera, and Android 2.3. Checkout the video and we will let you know more soon.

Click here to view the embedded video.

source: engadget

When mobile phones first became ubiquitous, the best phones were the smaller ones. Every new model got smaller and smaller and would sell better than the bigger, clunkier models. Then, in 2007, Apple introduced the iPhone…a phone that was all touch screen and was meant to be looked at as much as be held to one’s ear. Suddenly, the tiny phones of the past seemed severely inferior, and the shrinking trend halted and began to reverse.

Product Identity
Fast forward a few years and the trend continues. The proliferation of Android devices flooded the market with devices of varying shapes and sizes. From the iPhone-esque 3.2″ HTC Hero, to the beefy 10.1″ Xoom tablets, Android ran the gamut of sizes. When Dell came out with the 5″ Dell Streak, people didn’t know whether it was a large phone or a small tablet. The common belief of why it ultimately failed was exactly that…product identity.

Samsung has done well with its 5.3″ Galaxy Note overseas, and is about to make a splash with it stateside. But shouldn’t it succumb to the same fate as the Dell Streak since it’s nearly the same weird size? I don’t think so, and here’s why:

1. Android has greatly matured since the Streak, so it runs better and is more intuitive than ever before.
2. People have had more time to get accustomed to larger screens, making the 5.3″ Galaxy Note not quite as intimidating as the Streak was when it first launched.
3. People started to realize that using a touch screen device was much easier on a bigger screen where your own fingers had more room to maneuver. Frequent typing mistakes on smaller screens became a frustration that was alleviated a bit by a larger screen.

The Phablet
As Android phones began to get bigger with each iteration, manufacturers were also creating Android tablets in large and medium form factors. The Motorola Xoom has a 10.1″ screen, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 is…you guessed it…8.9″, and the Kindle Fire is 7″.

Attacking sizes from both ends, we meet in the middle in the awkward spot where it’s too big to be a traditional phone and too small to be a true tablet. This is what some people are starting to call “phablets”. But the timing for such a device may be right.

You Gotta Try It
From personal experience, I have seen people’s minds change after using a device they thought would be too big for them. My wife, for example, loved her trusty Sprint HTC Hero with its modest 3.2″ screen. She hesitated to upgrade to the much larger 4.3″ Evo 3D, citing size as the major concern. But an interesting thing happened when she made the switch. She began using the larger phone in a different way. Suddenly, she was writing more emails and viewing more pictures and video than she ever did on the Hero. When I asked her if she’d ever go back to a smaller phone, she said she wouldn’t want to, but if she did, she would probably use it much less than she does now.

There’s nothing like actually trying a new device to determine if it fits our lifestyle. We may think we don’t want something, but until you give it a chance, we can’t say for sure. I used to always say that I needed a phone with a hardware keyboard, but after using a decent touch screen with a great soft keyboard, I converted and never looked back.

I’m still on the fence about phablets, but the Galaxy Note has gotten me to think about it. The unique stylus interaction and beautiful screen had one of my co-workers, a devout Apple fan, actually say to me “I’ve finally been impressed by an Android device”, and that’s saying quite a lot. Hopefully, Samsung’s Super Bowl ad for the Note will get more people to try one, even if it’s just in a store. I know I want to check it out.

Choice
It all boils down to personal preferences, which is right in line with the spirit of Android. Apple makes only a few different form factors, which makes it easy to choose an iPhone. But if you’re looking for a bigger screen your only iOS choice would be an iPad. Android manufacturers make hundreds of different devices, each with their own styles, shapes, sizes, and feel. Sure, it can cause customer confusion when trying to select one, but the point is that if you do your homework, you can find the device that’s just right for you.

So what’s it gonna be? A phone? A tablet? Or a phablet?

If you own an Infuse 4G, you’ll be disappointed to hear that Samsung and AT&T have put the upcoming update to Gingerbread on hold. It seems that there’s an issue that targets a small number of users and they’re currently working on a fix. Surely the teams at Samsung and AT&T will be able to get this update around to Infuse 4G users sooner rather than later.

Source: Samsung
Via: Android Central