I was planning to write some article on the mobile trends on this year based on news-feed from MWC 2020 mobile event, but MWC canceled because of Coronavirus COVID-19. And so some other events.
Here are some trends:
It seems that smart phones seem to have as much excitement when a new model is released. Usually there is no new feature that renders the latest model an absolute must-have. Apart from potential prestige, there’s usually very little difference to the user whether the phone cost $300 or $1200.
People still remember the failed promise of foldable phones and 5G. For those 2019 had been a year of failed promises.
Along with foldable displays, the fifth generation of networking technology was touted as being the next big thing in the mobile business. It seems that year 2020 will be a real test for 5G if it will really take on or fails to full-fill the big expectations. This year will be the real test for 5G devices as the 5G device mass market has not yet really started. Read more on that on my 5G trends 2020 post.
The smartphones market was valued at USD 714.96 billion in 2019. It was expected to reach USD 1351.8 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 11.2%. But it seems that this year does not meet those expectations, as IDC expects Smartphone market to drop 2.3% in 2020 due to coronavirus. COVID-19 outbreak is expected to result into 10.6 percent drop in the first half of 2020 and China’s smartphone market will drop by nearly 40 percent year over year in the first quarter. The SMEs in the phone industry, especially retail channel partners, will see the biggest effect.
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Tomi Engdahl says:
Security researcher says to ‘stop buying’ Samsung phones
https://www.tomsguide.com/news/mobile-auth-app-hack-rsa20
Don’t use a mobile authenticator app on an old smartphone, because the app is only as secure as the operating system in which it’s running, two security researchers said at the RSA Conference here earlier this week.
In fact, one of the researchers says to avoid Samsung phones altogether.
The problem is that if an attacker or a piece of mobile malware can get into the kernel of iOS or Android, then it can do anything it wants, including presenting fake authenticator-app screens.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Facebook brings its 3D photos feature to users with single-camera phones
https://techcrunch.com/2020/02/28/facebook-brings-its-3d-photos-feature-to-users-with-single-camera-phones/
Tomi Engdahl says:
All new iPhones might be forced to have a removable battery
https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/all-new-iphones-might-be-forced-to-have-a-removable-battery
The idea behind the change towards removable batteries is to make sure that users can more easily change one of the speediest-wearing parts of the phone without needing to take it to a specialist – thus reducing the amount of electronics wastage dead batteries can incite.
However, this proposal is a long way from being confirmed – it’s currently not even out in the public
Tomi Engdahl says:
CULTURE
Apple won’t allow villains to use its products on screen, says Rian Johnson
https://www.inputmag.com/culture/apple-wont-allow-villains-to-use-its-products-on-screen-says-rian-johnson
“Apple… they let you use iPhones in movies but — and this is very pivotal if you’re ever watching a mystery movie — bad guys cannot have iPhones on camera.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://pentestmag.com/purple-team-like-youre-preparing-for-war/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Emperion teases a ‘phone’ running Windows 10 on ARM that can run Android apps
Emperion packed Windows 10 on ARM and Android apps into a single phone. But is it just a PC shaped like a phone?
https://www.windowscentral.com/emperion-teases-phone-running-windows-10-arm-can-run-android-apps
Tomi Engdahl says:
AAScan is an open source, Arduino-powered 3D scanner that uses your phone
https://blog.arduino.cc/2020/02/18/aascan-is-an-open-source-arduino-powered-3d-scanner-that-uses-your-phone/
The device spins an object on a 3D-printed turntable using an Uno and ULN2003 driver board, allowing it to take ~180 images automatically via a Python script running on the phone. These images are then combined in Meshroom to create a brand new 3D model.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4167615
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple fined millions for slowing down old iPhones
https://www.techradar.com/news/apple-fined-millions-for-slowing-down-old-iphones
iPhone maker claims changes were to protect older generations
Apple has been hit with a multi-million dollar fine for deliberately slowing down older iPhone models via a software update
The €25 million ($27 million) punishment was issued by France’s competition and fraud watchdog DGCCRF, which found Apple did not warn users that updating the latest firmware would slow down their smartphones.
Apple admitted in December 2017 that it did slow down old iPhone devices
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2020/03/02/helmikuun-kannykkatilastot-uutuudet-vasta-tulossa/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2020/03/05/tulevassa-bond-elokuvassa-puhutaan-nokialaisiin/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Exclusive: This Hack Turns Your iPhone Into An Android
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2020/03/04/exclusive-this-hack-runs-android-on-your-iphone/amp/#click=https://t.co/0HPq0W80Gx
Ten years ago, David Wang pulled off a remarkable trick, installing Android on the first-generation iPhone.
Now Wang and his colleagues at cybersecurity startup Corellium are doing it again with the ostentatiously titled Project Sandcastle. And Forbes got an exclusive hands-on look at their Android for iPhone product ahead of its public release scheduled for later this Wednesday.
The hack is currently limited to a handful of devices: the iPhone 7, the iPhone 7 Plus and the iPod Touch, but Chris Wade, cofounder of Corellium, says more support is coming. And it may not ever work on any iPhones older than the 5S or newer than the X. That’s because the hack uses the checkra1n jailbreak to launch, which won’t work on the 11 model or above. If a new jailbreak is found, however, it could be possible that Android for iPhone will work on the most recent Apple devices. And given the underlying vulnerabilities exploited by checkra1n probably won’t ever be fixed by Apple, it should work in perpetuity for relevant devices.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Your rooted Android phone can jailbreak an iPhone with checkra1n
https://www.xda-developers.com/jailbreak-apple-iphone-using-checkra1n-rooted-android-phone/
Tomi Engdahl says:
One billion Android devices at risk of hacking
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-51751950
More than a billion Android devices are at risk of being hacked because they are no longer protected by security updates, watchdog Which? has suggested.
Google’s own data suggests that 42.1% of Android users worldwide are on version 6.0 of its operating system or below.
According to the Android security bulletin, there were no security patches issued for the Android system in 2019 for versions below 7.0.
Tomi Engdahl says:
All the startups threatened by iOS 14′s new features
https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/10/all-the-startups-threatened-by-ios-14s-new-features/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/10536-sim-kortti-katoaa-puhelimista-hitaasti
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/10533-uusi-kannykkamuisti-nopeampi-pienempi-ja-venyttaa-toiminta-aikaa
Tomi Engdahl says:
Inside the brutal war for smartphone dominance: there is a growing divide between those who use Apple’s iPhones and those who use smartphones from HTC, Samsung, and Nokia, which ran Google’s quickly growing open-source operating system, Android.
Samsung vs. Apple: Inside The Brutal War For Smartphone Dominance
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesdigitalcovers/2020/03/13/samsung-vs-apple-inside-the-brutal-war-for-smartphone-dominance/?utm_source=FBPAGE&utm_medium=social&utm_content=3200184535&utm_campaign=sprinklrForbesMainFB#97f58f541425
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://innovate.ieee.org/innovation-spotlight/mobile-theft-security/#utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Innovation&utm_term=Mobile%20Theft?LT=CMH_WB_2020_LM_XIS_Paid_Social
Tomi Engdahl says:
Europe Wants a ‘Right to Repair’ Smartphones and Gadgets
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/12/world/europe/eu-right-to-repair-smartphones.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Lynk sends the first text message from space directly to a normal cell phone
https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/18/lynk-sends-the-first-text-message-from-space-directly-to-a-normal-cell-phone/?tpcc=ECFB2020
Last year Lynk — then called Ubiquitilink — showed that from now on, every phone can be a satellite phone. But they’ve spent the last year honing the product and have just demonstrated the real thing: Sending a plain old text message from a “cell tower in space” to a normal phone on the surface.
It works, as founder and CEO Charles Miller explained to me last year, very much the way normal cell signals work. It turns out that when your radio beam goes straight up instead of passing through buildings and the landscape, it can easily reach low Earth orbit. The problem comes with the physics involved in synchronizing the signals — doppler shift and other factors.
“This is the first time we actually sent a message from space to a standard, unmodified phone,” Miller said. “We did it in the most visible way that people can understand, an emergency alert.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://kotlinlang.org/docs/tutorials/kotlin-android.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
The best Android antivirus apps in 2020
https://www.tomsguide.com/best-picks/best-android-antivirus
Tomi Engdahl says:
Augmented Reality, Mobile Commerce, and More: A Roundup of Top Mobile Research
https://innovate.ieee.org/innovation-spotlight/mobile-research-trends/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2020/03/20/5g-puhelin-nokia-logolla-ja-qualcommin-piireilla/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Android Automotive OS Provides the Smarts for New Polestar 2 Electric Sedan
https://spectrum.ieee.org/cars-that-think/transportation/advanced-cars/android-automotive-os-news-polestar-2-electric-sedan
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mobile app spending to double by 2024, despite economic impacts of COVID-19
https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/01/mobile-app-spending-to-double-by-2024-despite-economic-impacts-of-covid-19/?tpcc=ECFB2020
The spread of COVID-19 has already had a significant impact on the mobile app industry, and that will continue in the years to come. According to a revised 2020-2024 market forecast from app intelligence firm Sensor Tower, a sizable increase in app downloads for industries like remote work and education will lead to a large surge in app installs for the early part of 2020 and beyond, despite other decreases in downloads for ridesharing and fast food apps. However, the expected economic downturn resulting from COVID-19 will somewhat dampen revenue growth in the years ahead, the report found. Despite this, mobile app spending worldwide will continue to grow and will even double by 2024.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mishaal Rahman / XDA Developers:
Google will require a Virtual A/B partition setup on new Android 11 devices, paving way for simpler and seamless background updates, similar to Chrome OS
Google is requiring Virtual A/B on new Android 11 devices, paving the way for mandatory Seamless Updates
https://www.xda-developers.com/google-virtual-ab-seamless-updates-android-11/
With Android 7.0 Nougat, Google introduced a partition scheme designed to speed up software updates. In Nougat, Google added support for duplicating certain partitions so that inactive partitions can get updated in the background and then swapped to active with a quick reboot. This “A/B partition” setup allows for “seamless updates” to take place on supported Android devices, much like Google’s Chrome OS. However, Google has never mandated the use of A/B partitions, so many devices out there that don’t support seamless updates. That could change with Android 11, however, as Google is making it mandatory for newly launched devices to support virtual A/B partitions.
For a bit of background, A/B partitions refer to the set of read-only partitions that are duplicated.
When the phone is downloading an update, the updater patches the inactive set of partitions (one “slot”) in the background. Once the update has finished being applied to the inactive slot, the user is prompted to reboot their device. When the user reboots their device, the inactive slot swaps place with the active slot, finishing the update process. The previously active slot is left untouched if there is an issue with booting the newly updated slot. When the next update rolls around, this process is repeated.
In contrast, devices without A/B partitions, such as the Samsung Galaxy S20, OPPO Find X2, and many others, apply updates through a dedicated updater in a recovery process. This kicks the user out of Android and renders them unable to use their device for several minutes, potentially missing important notifications, calls, or texts. Google believes that simplifying the update process leads to more people actually taking an update once it rolls out; in fact, in May of 2017, Google found that a higher percentage of Pixel users than Nexus users were running the latest security update.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.xda-developers.com/google-virtual-ab-seamless-updates-android-11/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Please, just stop downloading apps from unofficial stores: Android users hit with ‘unkillable malware’
Picked up xHelper ‘matryoshka’ trojan? Best to just nuke the site from orbit
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/04/08/xhelper_android_malware/
An Android malware package likened to a Russian matryoshka nesting doll has security researchers raising the alarm, since it appears it’s almost impossible to get rid of.
Known as xHelper, the malware has been spreading mainly in Russia, Europe, and Southwest Asia on Android 6 and 7 devices (which while old and out of date, make up around 15 per cent of the current user base) for the past year from unofficial app stores. Once on a gizmo, it opens a backdoor, allowing miscreants to spy on owners, steal their data, and cause mischief.
It has only recently been picked apart by Kaspersky Lab bods, and what makes the malware particularly nasty, the researchers say, is how it operates on multiple layers on the tablets and handsets it infects.
https://securelist.com/unkillable-xhelper-and-a-trojan-matryoshka/96487/
Tomi Engdahl says:
KAIKKI MITÄ TARVITSET ÄLYPUHELIMELLA STRIIMAAMISEEN
https://www.thomann.de/blog/fi/kaikki-mita-tarvitset-alypuhelimella-striimaamiseen/
Livestriimaus on iso osa sosiaalisen median toimintoja. Ihmiset voivat striimata livenä pelisessioitaan, konsertteja, treenejä ja oikeastaan mitä vain. Mitä siis tarvitset hyvään livestriimiin jos haluat aloittaa tubettajana tai sosiaalisen median vaikuttajana tai vain näyttää taitojasi maailmalle? Tarvitsetko miljoonia maksavia kameroita kaapeleineen ja antenneineen? Et oikeastaan. Voit saavuttaa paljon ihan simppeleillä sekä edullisilla varusteilla ja aloittaa urasi heti!
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.extremetech.com/mobile/309026-mediatek-now-provides-mobile-benchmark-cheating-as-a-service
Tomi Engdahl says:
iPhone 7 boots postmarketOS, becomes the first Apple Linux smartphone
(Discussion on HN – https://bit.ly/2Vnf66R)
Tomi Engdahl says:
2 Billion Phones Cannot Use Google and Apple Contact-Tracing Tech
https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2020/03/23/open-innovation-to-help-in-covid-19-pandemic/
As many as a billion mobile phone owners around the world will be unable to use the smartphone-based system proposed by Apple and Google to track whether they have come into contact with people infected with the coronavirus, industry researchers estimate. The figure includes many poorer and older people — who are also among the most vulnerable to COVID-19 — demonstrating a “digital divide” within a system that the two tech firms have designed to reach the largest possible number of people while also protecting individuals’ privacy.
The particular kind of Bluetooth “low energy” chips that are used to detect proximity between devices without running down the phone’s battery are absent from a quarter of smartphones in active use globally today, according to analysts at Counterpoint Research. A further 1.5 billion people still use basic or “feature” phones that do not run iOS or Android at all.
https://apple.slashdot.org/story/20/04/10/174224/apple-and-google-are-launching-a-joint-covid-19-tracing-tool
Tomi Engdahl says:
New Software Streams Apps to Save Space on Your Phone
https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/computing/software/new-software-streams-apps-to-save-space-on-your-phone
The way we consume multimedia content has changed over time, and so has the technology that delivers it. What began as downloading evolved into streaming, with remote copies of audio or video files transmitted over the Internet in real time—eliminating the need for a local copy stored on a device.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Android phones will get the COVID-19 tracking updates via Google Play
https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/13/21220033/android-covid-19-tracking-updates-google-play-contact-tracing
The updates will come to Android 6.0 Marshmallow phones and above
David says:
I was really looking forward for foldable phones but it seems like I will have to wait for couple of months.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Fairphone teams up with /e/OS on a box-fresh ‘deGoogled’ handset
https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/29/fairphone-teams-up-with-e-os-on-a-box-fresh-degoogled-handset/
The Netherlands-based device maker has partnered with France’s /e/OS to offer a “de-Googled” version of its latest handset, running an Android AOSP fork out of the box that’s itself built atop a fork of CyanogenMod (remember them?) — called LineageOS (via Engadget).
“The deGoogled Fairphone 3 is most likely the first privacy conscious and sustainable phone,” runs the blurb on /e/OS’ website. “
A pithy explainer of its “privacy by design ecosystem” — and the point of “Android without Google” — further notes: “We have removed many pieces of code that send your personal data to remote servers without your consent. We don’t scan your data in your phone or in your cloud space, and we don’t track your location a hundred times a day or collect what you’re doing with your apps.”
When the Fairphone 3 launched last September it came with Android 9 preloaded. But the company touted a post-launch update that would make it easy for buyers to wipe Google services off their slate and install the Android Open Source Project, which it recommended for advanced users.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mediatekin prosessori on ainoa, joka purkaa AV1-videota
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/10724-mediatekin-prosessori-on-ainoa-joka-purkaa-av1-videota
4K-tasoisen videon lataaminen ja toistaminen älypuhelimessa vaatii melkoisesti laskentatehoa. Kustannustehokkain ratkaisu on purkaa AV1-koodattua bittivirtaa suoraan kännykän prosessorilla, mutta tähän ei tämän hetken prosessorit pääsääntöisesti pysty.
Tämä koskee niin Samsungin Exynos-piirejä, Qualcommin tehokkaimpia Snapdragon-piirejä kuin Huawein Kirin-prosessoreja. Tällä hetkellä ainoa mobiilisuoritin, joka pystyy lennossa dekoodaamaan AV1-videota 4K-resoluutiolla 60 ruudun sekuntinopeudella, on Mediatekin tuore Dimensity 1000 -prosessori.
AV1 on kännyköissä tärkeä kahdesta syystä. Ensinnäkin kyse on AOMedian kehittämästä rojaltivapaasta koodekista, joten se ei osaltaan kasvata älypuhelimen lisenssikustannuksia. Toiseksi AV1 pystyy siirtämään raskastakin videota pakattuna siten, ettei esimerkiksi kuvanlaatuun tule havaittavaa hävikkiä.
Android-käyttöjärjestelmän 10-versio on tukenut AV1-koodekkia ensimmäisistä beetaversioista lähtien. Ennen Mediatekin Dimensoity 1000 -piiriä tarjolla ei ole kuitenkaan ollut prosessoria, jossa AV1-dekoodaus tapahtui laitetasolla.
Käytännössä tämä tarkoittaa, että Dimensity 1000 -piirillä varustetut puhelimet voivat toistaa 4K-videota merkittävästi muita laitteita pienemmällä tehonkulutuksella.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google delays Android 11 by a month
https://tcrn.ch/2YGtIjI
Google today announced that it is extending the preview period of Android 11 by about a month. So instead of launching a beta this month, as it had previously planned, it’ll release a fourth developer preview today instead. The first beta will officially launch on June 3, during an Android-centric online event it’ll hold in lieu of its I/O developer conference.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Huawei looking to take on Apple in the ‘hearables’ space… with an almost identical AirPod clone that costs under £100
Bit lacking in the playback stamina stakes, however
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/05/06/huawei_freebuds_3i/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Dad to kids: I’ve decided you don’t get to take over the family business. Kids to Dad: Who wants to run Samsung anyway?
Lee Jae-yong ends dynastic control and will even let staff join a union
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/05/07/samsung_dynasty_ends/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Jon Fingas / Engadget:
Qualcomm unveils Snapdragon 768G processor with faster graphics performance and global 5G support — Qualcomm isn’t wasting any time following up last year’s Snapdragon 765G gaming chip with a more powerful model. It’s unveiling the Snapdragon 768G, a follow-up that appears to address what many gamers want the most: raw performance.
https://www.engadget.com/qualcomm-snapdragon-768g-063013196.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Yllätys: Vain OnePlus kasvatti myyntiään Yhdysvalloissa
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/10754-yllatys-vain-oneplus-kasvatti-myyntiaan-yhdysvalloissa
Counterpointin mukaan koronaviruspandemia isku rankasti USA:n älypuhelinmarkkinoihin tämän vuoden alussa. Samsungin myynti pieneni 23 prosenttia vuodentakaisesta, Applen 13 prosenttia, LG:n 25 prosenttia, ZTE:n peräti 50 prosenttia ja Motorolankin 34 prosenttia. Googlen Pixel-puhelimissa myynti romahti 64 prosenttia pienemmäksi.
Näin älypuhelimien kokonaismyynti pieneni vuodentakaiseen verrattuna 21 prosenttia. Vastavirtaa ui ainoastaan OnePlus, joka ainoana valmistajan onnistui kasvattamaan myyntiään. OnePlussankin kasvu jäi tosin kahteen prosenttiin.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Writing Android Apps In C, No Java Required
https://hackaday.com/2020/05/13/writing-android-apps-in-c-no-java-required/
Older Android devices can be had for a song, and in many cases are still packing considerable computational power. With built in networking, a battery, and a big touch screen, they could easily take the place of a Raspberry Pi and external display in many applications. As it so happens, Google has made it very easy to develop your own Android software. There’s only one problem: you’ve got to do it in Java.
Looking to get away from all that bloat and overhead, [CNLohr] set out to see what it would take to get 100% C code running on an Android device. After collecting information and resources from the deepest and darkest corners of the Internet, he found out that the process actually wasn’t that bad. He’s crafted a makefile which can be used to get your own C program up and running in seconds.
Build android apps without any java, entirely in C and Make
https://github.com/cnlohr/rawdrawandroid
rawdrawandroid
Ever wanted to write C code and run it on Android? Sick of multi-megabyte packages just to do the most basic of things. Well, this is a demo of how to make your own APKs and build, install and automatically run them in about 2 seconds, and with an apk size of about 25kB.
With this framework you get a demo which has:
To make a window with OpenGL ES support
Accelerometer/gyro input, multi-touch
An android keyboard for key input
Ability to store asset files in your APK and read them with AAssetManager
Permissions support for using things like sound. Example in https://github.com/cnlohr/cnfa
Directly access USB devices. Example in https://github.com/cnlohr/androidusbtest
Tomi Engdahl says:
American Idol is shooting on iPhones amid stay at home orders
https://techcrunch.com/2020/05/11/american-idol-is-shooting-on-iphones-amid-stay-at-home-orders/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ian Fogg / Opensignal:
Analysis of ten 5G operators across US, S. Korea, UK, and Australia finds that while Verizon has the fastest 5G speeds, its users see 5G just 0.5% of the time — Understanding the extent to which 5G improves the mobile experience is critical both for consumers considering upgrading to 5G …
Quantifying the global 5G experience across ten operators
https://www.opensignal.com/2020/05/20/quantifying-the-global-5g-experience-across-ten-operators
Understanding the extent to which 5G improves the mobile experience is critical both for consumers considering upgrading to 5G and also for the mobile industry that’s planning how quickly to invest in 5G. We’ve looked at how the 5G experience compares in four leading countries — Australia, South Korea, the U.S. and the U.K. — across ten 5G operators that all launched 5G well over six months ago. This new analysis complements our recent look at how 5G compares with Wifi, and further examines the world one year after the first 5G launches in South Korea and the U.S. that offered 5G services to smartphone users.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Signal PINs Allow Users to Recover Data When Switching Phones
By Ionut Arghire on May 22, 2020
https://www.securityweek.com/signal-pins-allow-users-recover-data-when-switching-phones
Encrypted messaging service Signal has announced the introduction of a new feature that allows users to recover their data if they switch to a new device.
Offering end-to-end encrypted conversations, Signal was built by default in such a manner that users’ information is always kept private and never sent to a server. What this means is that, if a user’s phone is lost or stolen, the data cannot be retrieved.
The new feature, Signal PINs, is based on Secure Value Recovery, which the company introduced in December, and is meant to help users import data such as profile, settings, and blocked users when switching to a new device.
Signal has been working on adding new features recently, such as the ability to chat with contacts that aren’t saved in an address book, and some of the data might be lost forever.
With the introduction of PINs, Signal wants to change that, to help users transfer some data to a new device if needed, and to facilitate new addressing that isn’t based on phone numbers (users will no longer rely solely on the address book to maintain a network of contacts).
The Signal PINs will be at least 4 digits, with longer PINs and alphanumeric codes also supported.
“Because Signal doesn’t have access to your keys – or your data – your PIN isn’t recoverable if you forget it, so our apps help you remember your PIN with periodic reminders. Don’t worry, these reminders get less frequent over time,” Signal says.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Price is (Not) Right: Comparing Privacy in Free and Paid Apps (PETS ’20)
https://blues.cs.berkeley.edu/blog/2020/03/25/the-price-is-not-right-comparing-privacy-in-free-and-paid-apps-pets-20/
It is commonly assumed that “free” mobile apps come at the cost of consumer privacy and that paying for apps could offer consumers protection from behavioral advertising and long-term tracking. This work empirically evaluates the validity of this assumption by comparing the privacy practices of free apps and their paid premium versions, while also gauging consumer expectations surrounding free and paid apps. We use both static and dynamic analysis to examine 5,877 pairs of free Android apps and their paid counterparts for differences in data collection practices and privacy policies between pairs.
consumers expect paid apps to have better security and privacy behaviors. However, there is no clear evidence that paying for an app will actually guarantee protection from extensive data collection in practice. Given that the free version had at least one third-party library or dangerous permission, respectively, we discovered that 45% of the paid versions reused all of the same third-party libraries as their free versions, and 74% of the paid versions had all of the dangerous permissions held by the free app
Tomi Engdahl says:
The brother of the notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar says he can get you a $2,000 Samsung Galaxy Fold for only $399, but (surprise!) many buyers say their orders never arrived.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/please-stop-buying-the-foldable-phone-from-pablo-escobars-brother
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/10803-sovellus-huawein-appgalleryyn-vain-kolmessa-viikossa