Today’s Tech Sightings:
FILE – An Android mascot is seen in front of a displayed logo of Apple in this illustration taken in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Reuters)
Can Google Win Its Battle With Android Malware?
The Android operating system continues to get the lion’s share of malware and ransomware by virtue of its large market dominance, according to recent data. Unlike Apple, which does not encourage non-Apple apps, Google allows Android users to download apps from other stores, in addition to its own. But these apps are vulnerable to manipulation or could come from suspect websites. Rogue apps have made it to the official Google store either because hackers exploited Google’s open-source philosophy or because the company’s app-vetting process is less rigorous than Apple’s. Google has started securing its store, but experts say more needs to be done.
Scientists Are Turning Amazon’s Alexa into an Automated Lab Helper
Amazon’s AI voice assistant Alexa can turn down the lights, play music, order a pizza, and respond to a host of other tasks. But software developer James Rhodes, whose wife is a microbiologist, has found a new use for it as a lab assistant. Rhodes created a new skill for Alexa called Helix that can help with simple calculations, reading aloud, or researching scientific stuff.
‘Instant Apps’ That Don’t Require a Download Are Coming to Android
A new feature from Google called “Instant Apps” could change the way Android smartphone owners use apps. The feature runs apps immediately without downloading them in their entirety to the phone, which could save space and make the user experience smoother. The product, designed for Android JellyBean 4.1 and up, is being tested and could be released soon. Writer Trevor Mogg suggests Instant Apps could “dramatically transform the way we interact with apps on our Android devices.”
More:
- US Senate Bill Would Make It Harder to Delete Government Data
- Google Echoes Amazon’s Assurance on EU Data Protection Compliance
- Hundreds of Privacy-invading Apps Are Using Ultrasonic Sounds to Track You
- Microsoft’s Novel Approach to Securing IoT
- 147 Teams Will Compete for $5 Million in the IBM Watson AI XPrize
- This Startup’s ‘Software Robots’ Are Taking the Jobs of Low-skilled Office Workers
- Facebook to Hire 3,000 to Stop Violent Videos
- The Death of the Smartphone and the Birth of the Next Big Thing
- Windows 10 S Has Some Skeletons in the Closet You Should Know About
- Hulu Officially Launches Live TV Service
