New malware attacks Android phones, Windows PCs to eavesdrop, steal data; iPhone, Mac users unaffected

“A recently discovered new form of Android malware called DroidCleaner can not only infect your smartphone, but also targets your PC to spy on you,” Cadie Thompson reports for CNBC.

“Researchers at the security firm Kaspersky Labs have uncovered new malware which poses as a ‘cleaner’ app — or an app used to free memory on Google’s OS — in the Google Play app store,” Thompson reports. “Once an Android user downloads the app, the malware infects the user’s smartphone and can also be uploaded to the user’s PC if they plug the device into their Windows computer in the USB drive mode. The malware that runs on an infected user’s PC can take control of the microphone on the machine and use it to eavesdrop. As soon as the microphone detects sound, it can begin to record the audio and then send it back to cyber criminals.”

Thompson reports, “As for the malware installed on a user’s smartphone, Kaspersky researcher Victor Chebyshev said in a blog post that it was the first time his firm has seen “such an extensive feature set in one mobile application.”

Some of the functions the malware can perform on an infected device include:
Sending SMS messages
Enabling Wi-Fi
Gathering information about the device
Opening arbitrary links in a browser
Uploading the SD card’s entire contents
Uploading all SMS messages
Deleting all SMS messages
Uploading all the contacts/photos/coordinates from the device master

Read more in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: If the explosion doesn’t kill you, the infection will.

“Open” in all the wrong ways.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader "Take To Task" for the heads up.]

My Journey to the Dark Side: If this is what Android offers, Apple investors have nothing to worry about

“It is no secret to anyone that knows me that I love technology. I’m also usually very loyal once I find a good brand that makes quality products. I used to only buy Hewlett-Packard computers, until I got my first Apple Macbook,” Chad Henage writes for The Motley Fool. “Being exposed to Apple’s technology made me a fan of the first iPhone, and not long after, I bought an iPhone 3G. Given this background, you would think when Apple introduced the iPhone 5 that I would have been itching to upgrade. However, just like Apple solved a problem for me by allowing the iPhone to replace my iPod and cell phone, I was looking for a smartphone that could replace my tablet as well.”

“I did a lot of research, watched video reviews, and read reviews about several devices from the iPhone 5 to the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. Of all of the choices, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 seemed like the one that might be able to replace my tablet and cell phone,” Henage writes. “I figured if I were to make the jump from Apple’s eco-system to Google’s (NASDAQ: GOOG) Android system, the Galaxy Note 2 would be my chance.”

Henage writes, “If you are looking at buying Google because of the Android OS, don’t waste your time. Google is a great company, and the plethora of Android devices only serves to extend their lead when it comes to services like Google Search, Gmail, YouTube, and Google Maps... However, if you are looking for a great device company, look at Apple. The company has tight control over its hardware and software offerings, and the difference in quality apps on iOS versus Android is stark... The tight integration of iCloud, better quality apps and consistent iOS experience is just better. Call me a fanboy if you want, but I’ve tried both systems, and if this is what Android offers, Apple investors have nothing to worry about.”

Read more in the full article here.

Dutch court bans sale of Samsung products that infringe on Apple patent

“A Dutch court has banned sales of Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy products that infringe on an Apple patent describing a way to scroll through a photo gallery using a touchscreen,” Loek Essers reports for IDG News.

“Samsung already lost a case over the same patent after preliminary proceedings in the Netherlands last year, leading to a sales ban on the then-infringing Galaxy S, SII and Ace,” Essers reports. “After the verdict, Samsung adjusted its photo gallery software as a work around, and said it stopped delivering infringing products to clients as of the end of August 2011. ‘The argument raised by Samsung at the hearing that Samsung Benelux does not sell the infringing products any more, cannot lead to a rejection of the ban,’ wrote judge Peter Blok, who presided over the panel of three judges in the verdict. Blok said he would grant the ban because Samsung refused to sign a declaration of abstinence committing to not infringing the patent.”

Essers reports, “The court ordered Samsung to tell Apple how much net profit it made from sales of infringing Galaxy products since June 27, 2011. A separate court procedure will determine how much of that profit Samsung must pay Apple. If Samsung continues to infringe on the patent, it has to pay Apple a penalty of 100,000 euros (US$129,000) for every day it violates the ban, the court ruled.”

Read more in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: Yet another loss for the serial IP infringer Samsung.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader "Jake" for the heads up.]

Enterprises buying iPhones ‘in droves’: Here’s the tipping point

“BlackBerrys are on their way out, and iPhones are ready to take their place in the enterprise space, according to the latest forecast report from research firm IDC,” Zack Whittaker reports for ZDNet.

“Enterprises and large businesses are buying the petite Apple-branded shiny rectangles ‘in droves,’ the report said, and in the coming years will likely outshine its more popular rivals in the business smartphone space,” Whittaker reports. “Looking ahead to 2016, the iPhone will reign over the business space with around 68.9 million shipments, while Android will dwindle due to its fragmented ecosystem, leaving ‘more gaps in security than many organizations are comfortable with,’ the report notes. By contrast, Apple is forecast to ship 78.6 million iPhones to end consumers, with 37.1 million shipping to business workers and 31.1 million directly to companies.”

Whittaker reports, “This is the tipping point. BlackBerry is on its way out as the business and enterprise gold standard in security and functionality, and the iPhone is heading in. “

Read more in the full article here.