Technology - Google News

Google warns of 'hermit spyware' infecting Android and iOS devices - Mashable
Chrome OS update automatically brings photos from Android to your Chromebook - Ars Technica
AirPods Pro 2: Design, features, release date, price, more - 9to5Mac

Google warns of 'hermit spyware' infecting Android and iOS devices - Mashable

Posted: 25 Jun 2022 10:23 AM PDT

As part of Google's efforts to track the activities of commercial spyware vendors, the company's Threat Analysis Group (TAG) released a report Thursday on spyware campaigns targeting Android and iOS users.

Google TAG researchers Benoit Sevens and Clement Lecigne go into detail about the use of entrepreneurial grade spyware dubbed "Hermit." This sophisticated spyware tool allows attackers to steal data, private messages and make phone calls. In their report, TAG researchers attributed Hermit to RCS Labs, a commercial spyware vendor based in Italy.

Hermit poses many significant dangers. Due to its modularity, Hermit is quite customizable, allowing the functions of the spyware to be altered to the will of its user. Once fully situated on a target's phone, attackers can harvest sensitive information such as call logs, contacts, photos, precise location, and SMS messages.

Sevens and Lecigne's full report details the ways in which attackers can access both Android and iOS devices through the use of clever tricks and drive-by attacks. Potential targets of this scam will have their data disabled through their ISP carrier before sending a malicious link via text to get them to 'fix' the issue. If that doesn't work, targets will be tricked into downloading malicious apps masqueraded as messaging applications.

Just last week, cybersecurity firm Lookout reported the use of Hermit by agents working in the governments of Kazakhstan, Syria, and Italy. Google has already identified victims in these countries, stating that "TAG is actively tracking more than 30 vendors with varying levels of sophistication and public exposure selling exploits or surveillance capabilities to government-backed actors."

The Milan-based company claims to provide "law enforcement agencies worldwide with cutting-edge technological solutions and technical support in the field of lawful interception for more than twenty years." More than 10,000 intercepted targets are purported to be handled daily in Europe alone.

When reached out for comment by The Hacker News, RCS Labs said its "core business is the design, production, and implementation of software platforms dedicated to lawful interception, forensic intelligence, and data analysis" and that it "helps law enforcement prevent and investigate serious crimes such as acts of terrorism, drug trafficking, organized crime, child abuse, and corruption."

Still, the news of the spyware being used by state government agents is concerning. Not only does it erode trust in the safety of the internet but it also puts at risk the lives of anyone a government considers an enemy of the state such as dissidents, journalists, human rights workers, and opposition party politicians.

"Tackling the harmful practices of the commercial surveillance industry will require a robust, comprehensive approach that includes cooperation among threat intelligence teams, network defenders, academic researchers, governments, and technology platforms," Google TAG researchers wrote. "We look forward to continuing our work in this space and advancing the safety and security of our users around the world."

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Chrome OS update automatically brings photos from Android to your Chromebook - Ars Technica

Posted: 24 Jun 2022 10:00 AM PDT

Google announced Chrome 103 on Thursday, making it easier to share photos from Android to your Chromebook. The company also said an update that will simplify Bluetooth connections is on the way.

As detailed in a blog post by Alexander Kuscher, director of Chrome OS Software at Google, the update builds on the Phone Hub app released to Chrome OS last year. It works with smartphones running Android 5.1 and later and lets you view the phone's text messages and battery life and bring over tabs from your mobile Chrome browser to your Chromebook's browser.

In Chrome 103, photos you take on your Android Phone will automatically show up in the Phone Hub under a new "Recent photos" section.

Chrome OS Phone Hub app shows an Android phone's recent photos.
Google

You can then download the images to save to your Chromebook so you can edit them, email them, or do anything else you'd prefer to do on a computer instead of a phone.

Google is also updating its Nearby Share feature in Chrome 103. Nearby Share uses Bluetooth Low Energy, WebRTC, or peer-to-peer Wi-Fi to share files over the air between Chromebooks and Android phones. Chrome 103 gives you the ability to connect a Chromebook to a saved Wi-Fi network. The next time a new Chromebook connects to your network, you won't have to find your Wi-Fi password to set it up if your Android phone is already connected.

The process described by Kuscher seems simple enough. On an Android phone, you just go to the Wi-Fi network, hit Share, then tap a "Nearby" tile under a QR code. Afterward, you'll be able to see the Chromebook and can connect it to the Wi-Fi network, the blog said.

Connecting a Chromebook to Wi-Fi without using a password.
Google

"Nearby Share will deliver the Wi-Fi credentials (as in the network name and password), and the Chromebook will automatically connect to the Wi-Fi. And, of course, it will also save for the next time the Chromebook needs to use that Wi-Fi network," Kuscher explained.

Kuscher also said that Chrome 103 will get a Fast Pair Bluetooth update "later this summer." The feature should allow you to connect Bluetooth devices, like headphones, without having to figure out which button to press on the product or do anything in the Chromebook settings other than turning Bluetooth on.

"Just turn on your Chromebook's Bluetooth, and it will automatically detect when a new pair of Bluetooth headphones are on, are nearby, and are ready to be set up. A pop-up notification will appear, and with one tap, your new accessory is connected and ready to go," Kuscher wrote. "No more digging through settings or struggling to figure out the right button to press to pair your headphones."

This feature would differ from similar technologies like Windows Swift Pair, which presents a pop-up on the PC when it senses a Bluetooth device, but only if the wireless device is in its pairing mode.

Kuscher said the feature will work with "hundreds of different headphone models," including, not surprisingly, Google's Pixel Buds. Kuscher didn't specify which models of the Pixels Buds would support the feature but shared an image of the $99 Pixel Buds A-series that came out in June 2021.

Google didn't say if older Pixel Buds would work with the upcoming feature.
Google

Finally, the Screencast video editing app for Chrome OS that Google announced a few weeks ago will begin rolling out this week, Kuscher said.

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AirPods Pro 2: Design, features, release date, price, more - 9to5Mac

Posted: 25 Jun 2022 05:41 AM PDT

Apple is set to release AirPods Pro 2 in 2022. This new generation is rumored to bring a new design, innovative Lossless support, as well as fitness sensors for the first time. Head below as we round up the latest rumors about this product.

AirPods Pro 2: New form factor?

By the beginning of 2022, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that AirPods Pro 2 would feature a new form factor design closer to the 2021 Beats Fit Pro. With that, these wireless earbuds would lose their sterns by likely featuring an in-ear wingtip design.

If that's the case, AirPods' charging case would also be tweaked. Rumors believe it will remain 21mm thick, while it will be 46mm tall and 54mm wide. For comparison's sake, the current AirPods Pro charging case measures 45.2mm tall and 60.6mm wide.

Then in June, a new leak by 52audio, which correctly predicted the AirPods 3 design, shows that AirPods Pro 2 will likely feature a similar design to the current generation, but with a tweak on the ear tips.

As of now, no leaker or analyst predicted new colors for the AirPods Pro 2, although it's likely that Apple will maintain only a white version of the product.

Features

Lossless support

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was also the first to report that Apple is planning to bring Lossless support to the AirPods Pro 2. He wrote back in January:

We expect Apple to launch AirPods Pro 2 in 4Q22 with new selling points, including a new form factor design, support for Apple Lossless (ALAC) format, and a charging case that can emit a sound for users to track. We are optimistic about the demand for AirPods Pro 2 and estimate shipments will reach 18–20mn units in 2022.

AirPods Pro 2: Design, features, release date, price, more

By the end of 2021, AirPods' creator addressed the limitations of Bluetooth in an interview. Gary Geaves, Apple's VP of Acoustics, has said that Apple would really like a wireless standard that allows for more bandwidth.

"Obviously the wireless technology is critical for the content delivery that you talk about," he says, "so we have to concentrate very hard on squeezing the most that we can out of the Bluetooth technology, and there's a number of tricks we can play to maximize or get around some of the limits of Bluetooth. But it's fair to say that we would like more bandwidth and… I'll stop right there. We would like more bandwidth", he smiles.

If analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is right, Apple is probably adopting a new standard to offer Lossless support with AirPods Pro 2.

New chip and low-energy Bluetooth support

9to5Mac sources confirm that the next-generation AirPods Pro – codenamed B698 – will feature the next version of the H1 chip, Apple's own audio processor. In addition, references for LC3 codec support on the AirPods Max beta firmware tease that AirPods Pro 2 could be the first to add Bluetooth 5.2 support.

This codec will bring more stability and efficiency to the wireless earbuds. Not only that, but this new standard will help AirPods Pro 2 improve the sound quality for voice calls and songs with higher-bitrate support. Although low-energy Bluetooth and LC3 codec don't promise "Lossless Bluetooth," it will surely improve sound quality by a lot.

Health sensors

Kuo also believes that "AirPods may support health management functions in the future," corroborating previous reports.

A study led by Apple shows how AirPods could be used to monitor respiratory rate. The study found that this audio can be a "viable signal for passively estimating" respiratory rates, also making it a more cost-effective way of doing so compared to traditional healthcare.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also believes that Airpods Pro 2 will have new fitness tracking features:

Apple has been testing a new design with an even shorter stern or no stern at all, plus new motion sensor for fitness.

In addition, it would not be as surprising if Apple adds health-tracking features as an indie developer released an app that tells whether your posture is good using AirPods' sensors. Pretty neat, right?

Lightning or USB-C connector?

In May, Kuo predicted that the AirPods Pro 2 charging case will still feature a Lightning port for charging, dashing hopes for a switchover to USB-C this year.

Kuo reported in May that Apple is currently testing the iPhone 15 with a USB-C port for charging. The analyst also predicted that when (or if) the iPhone switches to USB-C charging, Apple will also transition AirPods and other accessories to USB-C.

In June, 52audio speculated that the updated charging case for the AirPods Pro 2 will switch to USB-C based on its leaked images, as you can see here.

When will Apple release AirPods Pro 2?

The original AirPods Pro was first released by the end of 2019. Ming-Chi Kuo believes that AirPods Pro 2 is expected to enter mass production during the second half of the year. He also notes that AirPods Pro 2 will be manufactured in Vietnam, signaling a reduction in Apple's reliance on China.

This comes after the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple has informed some of its suppliers that it wants to shift production from China to hubs in Vietnam and India.

Previously, Kuo said AirPods Pro 2 would launch around Q4 of 2022, meaning the product could see the light of day around September-November, depending on Apple's plan to announce this product alongside new iPhones, Mac, or iPads.

How much will AirPods Pro 2 cost?

As of now, rumors don't account for AirPods Pro 2 pricing. Currently, the first generation costs $249. If Apple adds new health sensors to this product + Lossless support, it's likely that Apple could increase its price tag up to $50.

It's also important to take a look at the company's strategy with AirPods 3. Kuo described it as a "failed product segmentation strategy," by saying Apple will likely discontinue AirPods Pro when launching the new model.

AirPods 3 orders for 2-3Q22 have been cut by 30%+. Due to the failed product segmentation strategy, demand for AirPods 3 is significantly weaker than for AirPods 2. AirPods Pro may get discontinued after Apple launches AirPods Pro 2 in 2H22 to avoid repeating the same mistake.

Wrap-up

There's a lot to be excited about the new AirPods Pro 2. If rumors turn out to be true, expect Lossless playback, a new form factor, and health and fitness sensors.

That said, if you don't think you'll need all of these features, this could be the perfect moment to buy the original AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, and even Apple's 20W charger.

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