Facebook Android app caught harvesting users contacts

Facebook, the top-ranking free app in Google Play, has taken advantage of Android's weak platform security to collect users phone numbers as soon as the app is installed, highlighting core differences in apple's approach to protecting users' privacy and those of social-advertising firms like Facebook and Google.

The news of Facebook's latest "leak" was outed by Symantec after it analyzed various Android apps using its Norton Mobile Insight tool designed to "discover malicious applications, privacy risks, and potentially intrusive behavior."

Symantec didn't need to dig deep into Google Play to find pay dirt, but its researchers still noted that it "even surprised us when we reviewed the most popular applications exhibiting privacy leaks."

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Apple Filed for an 'iWatch' Trademark in Japan

'iWatch' is one of the possible names for the long-rumored Apple wristwatch that has generated increasing buzz over the past year. 

Photo of the Pebble watch

Bloomberg reports that Apple has filed for a trademark for the term 'iWatch' in Japan:

The maker of iPhones is seeking protection for the name which is categorized as being for products including a handheld computer or watch device, according to a June 3 filing with the Japan Patent Office that was made public last week.

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How to sign out of the new Skype 4.0 for Android

Skype has done fine work with its new Version 4.0 on Android, bringing about some badly needed performance improvements as well as a redesign. But in doing so, it's buried the sign-out button, as well as the settings — two things that absolutely need to be in the top level of the user interface.

Here's how to get to them:

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Sony's Xperia Tablet Z

Sony's Xperia Tablet Z announced: 1.5GHz quad-core, 10.1-inch 1,920 x 1,200 screen and 6.9mm thickness

Sony Mobile Communications Co., Ltd., has developed a plan of implementation "(*1) Tablet Z Xperia ™" for the Japanese market this spring.

"Xperia ™ Tablet Z" is a tablet while having a waterproof and dustproof performance, equipped with state-of-the-art Sony flat 6.9 millimeters thin, lightweight body, of about 495g. Adopted the "Reality Display" enables the representation of high-brightness and high-definition video WUXGA display of about 10.1 inches, along with "Mobile Bravia (*2) Engine 2", more vivid, beautiful image content representation to.

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1 million Android phones in China could have botnet virus

Up to a million smartphones in China running Google's Android operating system may be infected with a trojan virus after their owners downloaded popular apps from Google's marketplace, according to antivirus firm Kingsoft Security.

The virus, Android.Troj.mdk, is believed to lurk in as many as 7,000 applications and, according to security experts, may have found it way onto as many as a million handsets, creating the single largest botnet—a group of computers controlled by a Trojan virus—in China.

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Sony's luxurious Xperia Z is slim, trim, and seductive

LAS VEGAS--Sony has just stepped up its smartphone game with the new Xperia Z. The flagship handset boasts a number of high-end features including quad-core processing, a massive 5-inch screen, and a 13-megapixel camera.

Design

Encased in an all-black chassis, though Sony plans to offer the phone in a selection of multiple color options, the Xperia Z is a real looker. The device's body is crafted in premium metallics with a back panel made from smooth glass. Also highlighting the Xperia's premium feel is its screen, which is set flatly within the device's trim bezel. This edge-to-edge construction helps the already large display to appear even bigger.

Another nod to the care Sony took in building this handset are the phone's buttons and controls. They sit flush against the handset's chassis, which further enhance its slimness and premium feel. In fact, despite the device's huge screen, it doesn’t look overly large. I also like the way Sony calls attention to the Xperia Z's circular power button, which is silver and relatively big compared with the wafer-thin volume rocker.

Find yourself often caught in the rain or tend to be prone to liquid spills? Not to worry, says Sony, since the Xperia Z is designed to resist water as well.

Features

The Sony Xperia Z's impressive qualities are more than skin deep. Under the hood you’ll find a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor driving the phone’s Android 4.1 Jelly Bean software.

To shoot images, the handset features a 13-megapixel camera with a backside illuminated sensor. That means the camera app has a useful HDR mode to tackle still shots under low-light conditions. One interesting twist is that Sony claims the Xperia Z can also enable its HDR mode while capturing video, the first smartphone I’ve heard to do this. Other camera features include a burst mode, panorama, plus a bevy of special filters and effects.

Since this is a global handset, the Xperia Z operates on GSM networks but should connect to 3.5/4G HSPA+ infrastructure for quick data access. The Xperia's high-capacity 2,700mAh battery is not removable, but the device does have a microSD slot to add additional memory.

Outlook

I have to say I’m impressed with the Sony Xperia Z. It’s the slickest and most compelling handset I’ve gotten my hands on from the company. No pricing or availability has been announced just yet, but I suspect the device will arrive sometime this spring.

Source: Cnet

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