30,000 to 120,000 Android Users Affected by New Variant of Droid Dream Malware

Between 30,000 and 120,000 users of Android devices are believed to have been affected by new mobile malware which has its roots in an earlier scourge known as Droid Dream. This variant, called Droid Dream Light, appears to have been created by the same developers whose malware had infected over 50 applications back in March. According to Lookout Security, the new malware was found in over 25 mobile applications, all of which Google has since removed from the Android Market.

Droid Dream "Light"

Droid Dream Light is a stripped down version of the original DroidDream, says Lookout. Its malicious components are invoked upon the receipt of a "android.intent.action.PHONE_STATE intent" - for example, an incoming phone call. That means that this variant is not dependent on the manual launch of the malicious application in order to trigger it into action. Instead, explains Lookout via blog post:

The broadcast receiver immediately launches the .lightdd.CoreService which contacts remote servers and supplies the IMEI, IMSI, Model, SDK Version and information about installed packages. It appears that the DDLight is also capable of downloading and prompting installation of new packages, though unlike its predecessors it is not capable of doing so without user intervention.

In other words, despite the malware's designation of "Light," in some ways it's actually more malicious as it requires no user actions to take place in order for it to launch.

Lookout says it identified the malware thanks to a tip from a developer who notified them that modified versions of his app and another developer’s app were being distributed in the Android Market. The Lookout team then confirmed that there was malicious code in these apps and identified those as containing much of the same code as earlier DroidDream samples. Four different developer accounts were used to distribute the malware. The following apps were infected:

Magic Photo Studio

* Sexy Girls: Hot Japanese
* Sexy Legs
* HOT Girls 4
* Beauty Breasts
* Sex Sound
* Sex Sound: Japanese
* HOT Girls 1
* HOT Girls 3
* HOT Girls 2

Mango Studio

* Floating Image Free
* System Monitor
* Super StopWatch and Timer
* System Info Manager

E.T. Tean

* Call End Vibrate

BeeGoo

* Quick Photo Grid
* Delete Contacts
* Quick Uninstaller
* Contact Master
* Brightness Settings
* Volume Manager
* Super Photo Enhance
* Super Color Flashlight
* Paint Master

Lookout reminds users that to stay safe, they should install from trusted sources, check the developer name and reviews, check for the permissions the app is requesting, be aware of any unusual behavior on their phone and, of course, use a mobile security app like the one from Lookout.

Unfortunately, that last requirement is becoming all too much of a necessity on Android devices these days, especially since much of the malware mimics the naming formats, descriptions and even the code of other popular titles. Not only is this bad for the end user, it's bad for developers, whose apps' names are ripped off and used to distribute malware.

Native x86 Android runtime will enable Android apps on Windows

A startup called BlueStacks has developed an Android runtime environment for the Windows operating system. It will enable users to run Android applications alongside conventional Windows software on Microsoft's operating system. The technology impressed some major investors who have supplied $7.6 million in Series A funding so that BlueStacks can turn its software into a business.

As most Android application developers know, running Android software on a Windows PC has historically involved emulation—which impairs performance and adds considerably to resource overhead. BlueStacks has overcome the performance barrier by building a native x86 Android runtime that doesn't have to rely on emulation. The company says that Android applications running on its stack will be highly responsive on Windows and won't suffer from the kind of lag that developers are accustomed to experiencing when using Google's emulator.

As some readers might remember, Canonical briefly explored some similar concepts in 2009 but was never able to offer production-quality support for Android software on Ubuntu. The Android userspace stack is somewhat insular and not particularly conducive to application portability. BlueStacks managed to overcome the obstacles with its own solution.

The BlueStacks runtime got its first public demonstration this week at the Citrix Synergy conference. BlueStacks has made it possible for companies to deliver Android applications through the Citrix Receiver. The partnership with Citrix represents one of many ways in which the BlueStacks runtime can be put to practical use.

To learn more about the underlying technology and the company's business aspirations, I spoke over the phone with BlueStacks CEO Rosen Sharma. He told me that the BlueStacks developers have worked to create a really seamless experience for running Android applications on Windows. It offers tight integration with the underlying platform—including mechanisms that bridge the file systems, networking configuration, and notifications.

The BlueStacks runtime makes it possible for Android programs to run in individual windows and be launched from shortcuts like any other standalone Windows application. It also optionally offers the ability to run a complete Android user experience on Windows, including the launcher and other elements. Third-party applications that are built against the standard Android APIs don't have to be recompiled in order to work with the BlueStacks runtime. Users can even install conventional Android software from Amazon's Android Appstore and run it on Windows.

Sharma says that BlueStacks is establishing relationships with hardware manufacturers that are interested in shipping the x86 Android runtime on consumer devices. He envisions mobile products that can offer the best of both Android and Windows. One example would be a convertible netbook tablet that normally runs Windows but switches to an Android interface for greater touch-friendliness when the screen is flipped.

Such a product would offer the full power and multitasking capabilities of Windows but also benefit from having access to Android's broad touch-enabled software ecosystem. During my discussion with Sharma, he pointed out the dominance of the iPad and the difficulty that hardware manufacturers are facing as they try to compete. He said that BlueStacks could give them a way to add value to their products and make them more competitive.

The company will announce its first hardware partners and OEM customers within the next few weeks and could potentially have some demos to show on prototype hardware at the upcoming Computex event. BlueStacks also intends to offer a downloadable version of its runtime for regular end users. An alpha release of the downloadable runtime could arrive as early as June or July.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 and 10.1 coming soon to a store near you

2010 was Apple’s year with the iPad’s dominance of the tablet market, though one other tablet deserves some attention - the Samsung Galaxy Tab (7-inch), the next best-selling tablet, and the only Android tablet that has sold over 2 million units worldwide. Samsung has already announced two new tablets – the Galaxy Tab 8.9 and the Galaxy Tab 10.1, which were shown off at CES, and then updated versions (slimmer, customized) were shown at at MWC this year. The tablets, especially the 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab, will be directly competing with the new Apple iPad 2.

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 sports a WXGA TFT touchscreen display with 1280×800 pixels screen resolution, an 8MP primary camera with LED flash, 2MP secondary camera for video calls, HD video playback and recording, 3.5 mm jack, 16GB internal memory and more multimedia features. It is loaded with Android Market, Android Browser, Google applications, Social networking, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and USB data connectivity. The Galaxy Tab 8.9 sports similar features with a smaller screen size.

Now that India is too big a market to ignore (corroborated by Apple finally launching the iPad 2 here), Samsung seems to be planning to launch the Galaxy Tab 8.9 and 10.1 in India as soon as June 2011. The Samsung Galaxy S 2 is also slated to launch in the first week or so of June. The Galaxy Tab 10.1's global release date is June 8th, so only expect it to arrive sometime after that, will the 8.9 following in a while.

“We will launch the 10-inch tablet PC at around Rs. 35,000 and the 8-inch device will be priced around Rs. 28,000. While the tablet PC market today stands at around 25,000 units a quarter, we expect it to grow exponentially here on.” said Ranjit Yadav, Country Head, Samsung Mobile and IT, Samsung India.

The exact prices at which all versions (Wi-Fi / Wi-Fi+3G, 16 GB or 32 GB) will be launched are a bit hazy, but it will soon be clearer with time passing by. We’ll bring you the latest updates as soon as we get them.

Source:thinkdigit

Wirefly Takes Pre-Orders for Sony Ericsson Xperia Play

Wirefly has announced to take pre-orders for the new Sony Ericsson Xperia Play for Verizon Wireless. It is also offering bonus Android Market Card for a limited period worth $25 for downloading the latest PlayStation compatible games to make it everlasting fun.

Wirefly customers can also pre-order their very own Xperia Play on Wirefly.com before it officially hits store shelves and that too at special Wirefly price. In portrait mode, the Play lives up to the consumer’s expectations from an Android-powered smartphone, claims the company. The device is equipped with an efficient 1GHz Snapdragon processor and runs on Android 2.3. The handset has a 5-megapixel camera and a front-facing VGA camera, enabling the user to have a perfect video chat. A 4-inch 854 X 480 multi-touchscreen display provides the ultimate viewing experience. Social networking features, access to over 150,000 Google apps from the Android Market, and Wi-Fi support are all designed to provide the best entertainment and usage experience.

Along with its phone functions, it is the ultimate mobile gaming device when its gaming functions slide open. The Play pad exposes a wide range of PlayStation gaming controls including the digital D pad. The handset also has two analogue touchpads and two shoulder buttons. It displays four PlayStation icons: circle, cross, square and triangle wherein each button has its own defined move. Incredible 3D graphics, good stereo sound and support for multi-player gaming enhance the full gaming and viewing experience. The device has in-built popular games such as Madden 11, The Sims 3, Asphalt 6 and Star Battalion HD. It also enables users to access ever-growing selection of additional titles which are available for download through the Android Market.

The pre-order facility is said to come with 30 Day Pre-order price guarantee. Consumers are also comforted with a security that Wirefly would automatically refund the difference to the customer’s credit card if the price of the device drops below the pre-order price within 30 days of the release date. Users looking forward to purchase the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, its accessories, new and upgrade-eligible Verizon users with a two-year agreement can pre-order it from the company’s website.

Source:mobiletor