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Tuesday, 3 July 2018

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Google Camera APK teardown hints at RAW support and wide-angle distortion correction

Google Pixel 2 blue camera finger scanner
  • An APK teardown has hinted at potential Google Camera features.
  • These include support for RAW files and a feature that would remove wide-angle distortion on faces.
  • Google Camera is the default camera app for Pixel and Nexus phones.
A Google Camera app teardown has hinted at some interesting features that could appear in future versions of the app.
Android Police took a look at Google Camera app version 5.3 and found hints that Google could add support for RAW files. Google Pixel devices already support RAW files but users currently need a third party camera app to save them, so it would make sense for Google to add RAW support as a native feature.
The second feature hinted at is one that will correct wide angle distortion on faces. This is important for phones with wide-angle lenses as objects, including faces, can appear distorted if they are at the edge of the picture.
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The Google Camera app is the default camera app for Google Pixel and Nexus devices. While the Google Pixel 2 doesn’t have a wide-angle lens, rumors have suggested that the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL will have a dual front-facing camera setup. Perhaps one of these lenses will be a wide-angle one?
Other features hinted at in the teardown include a mode that automatically chooses the best framerate for videos recorded using the camera, and audio recording using more than one microphone.
Before getting too excited, remember that none of these features are guaranteed to be included in future versions of the app. At the very least, though, it reveals some of the things that Google is thinking about.


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Monday, 2 July 2018

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Apps with dodgy databases leak millions of user details — including plaintext passwords

Firebase on two devices.

  • Apps with misconfigured Firebase database servers have leaked 113GB of data, according to new research.
  • The apps leaked plain-text passwords, health records, financial records and other information.
  • The vulnerable apps were downloaded more than 620 million times, suggesting a few popular picks are affected by the issue.

Information belonging to millions of users has been leaked via apps with misconfigured Firebase databases, according to a new report by Appthority (h/t: XDA-Developers).

Firebase is one of the more popular mobile/web development platforms, powering app features like messaging, notifications, and authentication. Unfortunately, many developers aren’t doing the necessary legwork to secure user data related to the platform, Appthority noted.

The team sifted through 2.7 million Android and iOS apps, discovering that over 3,000 apps were leaking data from 2,300 unsecured servers. In hard numbers, Appthority said 100 million records (or 113GB of data) were leaked via these apps.

These records include 2.6 million plaintext passwords and IDs, over four million protected health information records, 25 million GPS location records, 50,000 financial records, and 4.5 million user tokens (e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn, Firebase).

What about affected apps?

The organization said the vulnerable Android apps were downloaded more than 620 million times, suggesting this isn’t limited to niche apps. Moreover, fitness and health apps had the most data leaked. This was particularly concerning, Appthority said, as medical data is considered more valuable than credit card numbers for fraud.

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The team hasn’t disclosed which apps are affected, so there’s no real way to know whether your data is compromised. We’d recommend changing your passwords (though we realize that the affected apps could leak the new password too).

The team said they’ve notified Google about the issue, providing the company with a list of affected apps and database servers.

We’ve contacted Appthority for information on affected apps and will update the article when/if we get a response.



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Huawei could be working on a smartwatch that stores true wireless earbuds

  • Huawei patent shows a smartwatch that stores Bluetooth earbuds within the device.
  • The patent shows three potential designs for how the smartwatch could store earbuds.
  • The earbuds would apparently be waterproof and have active noise canceling.

Huawei has received a patent for a smartwatch that could store a set of Bluetooth earbuds within the device. According to LetsGoDigital (via The Verge), the patent was approved on June 28 by the World Intellectual Property Organization.

The patent shows three potential ways that a smartwatch could store earbuds. In two designs, the smartwatch has built-in slots that would store the earbuds: one where the earbuds are stored on either side of the watch face, and one where they are stored on the strap under the wrist. The third design shows the earbuds placed in a case attached to the watch strap. It appears that this case would be removable.

Huawei Smartwatch earbuds LetsGoDigital

As for the earbuds themselves, LetsGoDigital says they would be waterproof and come with active noise cancellation.

The patent suggests a watch would have to be fairly bulky to accommodate the earbud storage options. Including a pair of noise-canceling earbuds with a smartwatch could also significantly increase the price of the Huawei watch compared to other similar units.

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Huawei released the Huawei Watch 2 in the U.S. back in April 2017. Earlier this year, Huawei CEO Richard Yu confirmed the company is working on a Huawei Watch 3, but also said it is in no hurry to release it. A new, slightly upgraded version of the Huawei Watch 2 was released in China at the end of May.

Earlier this year, Huawei received a patent for a smartwatch with touch-sensitive bezels, and another for a gaming smartwatch. However, as always with patents, there’s no guarantee that they will ever be used in a finished product.

Next up: Best Android watches of 2018



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Huawei Nova 3 will feature two dual-lens cameras, P20-style design

Huawei Nova 3 TENAA renders TENAA

  • Huawei Nova 3 pops up on TENAA with two dual-lens cameras, FullView display.
  • The latest entry in Huawei’s mid-range series is expected to break cover on July 18.
  • Don’t expect to see the phone in the U.S. any time soon.

With the latest P series release still fresh in the memory and the next-generation Mate range still some way off in the distance, Huawei’s next stop for 2018 should see its mid-range Nova phones step back into the limelight.

Judging by a new TENAA listing and a few leaked images, that’s exactly what’s in store with the Huawei Nova 3 which looks set to break cover on July 18.

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Taking more than a few design cues from Huawei’s P20 phones, the Nova 3 will sport a FullView-style 6.3-inch display with a 2340 × 1080 resolution. It’s tricky to tell from the TENAA images, but early speculation suggests Huawei will continue its recent trend and bring the notch to the Nova series.

The listing confirms the Nova 3 will be powered by a Kirin 710 SoC backed by 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage (expandable) as standard, with a 6GB RAM/128GB model also on the way. A 3,650mAh battery is also referenced, as is Android 8.1 Oreo, which will no doubt be covered by Huawei’s EMUI skin.

That’s not all we know, though, as further details leaked on Weibo (via Fone Arena). The most interesting part is a slide which shows the July 18 release date. Otherwise, the main takeaway is the Nova 3’s alleged 24MP + 16MP rear camera and 24MP + 2MP selfie shooter combos.

Huawei Nova 3 slide release date leak Weibo

We’ll likely hear more about pricing and availability for the Chinese market — and potentially news of a larger model, if Huawei sticks with the same options we saw with the Nova 2 — later this month. A European release should follow, although judging by the range’s previous entries and Huawei’s frosty relationship with the U.S. right now, it seems unlikely it’ll reach western shores through official channels any time soon.

What do you think of the Nova 3 rumors? Let us know in the comments.



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Best Apps for Wine Lovers

The world of wine can seem intimidating, but it doesn't have to be. Check out the best wine apps for budding oenophiles, available on Android and iOS.

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Fortnite's Playground LTM Finally Back Up After Numerous Server Woes

Fortnite's Playground LTM is finally back online, as of this evening, and you can jump online right now to give it a spin. It's about time, too, as it's been dealing with quite a few issues over the last few days. After releasing last week to be immediately taken down for maintenance, it's seen its share of hardships.

But now, all that's over, and after Epic Games has continued to update fans on the status of the mode and all the measures the developer has taken to get things going again, Playground Mode is back online. Originally, it was available only in Asia, Oceania, and Brazil, but it looks like everyone is now able to join in on the fun, judging by the official tweet below. It's up globally!

Now you can jump in and try out Playground Mode, which lets you join up to three friends for an hour of free-play. You can practice building, check out new weapons, and mess about with special training rules. It's only available for a limited time, so don't miss out on the cool new mode while it's up and ready for you to test out!



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Shacknews Guys Die Quietly: Shack Plays Summer Games Done Quick 2018 Super Mario Maker Levels

Over the weekend, Summer Games Done Quick 2018 held a 3v3 Super Mario Maker Blind Level Race, pitting teams of three of the best Super Mario Maker speedrunners and streamers against one another. The stages ranged from tough to mind-numbingly difficult.

For today, Shacknews decided to try some of these levels out for ourselves. Specifically, I, Senior Editor Ozzie Mejia, opted to try a handful of these levels.

So welcome, everyone, to SGDQ (Shacknews Guys Die Quietly) and watch as we try to complete [SGDQ] Against All Odds, TeenageMutantNinja[SGDQ]uirtle, and [SGDQ] Six Guys Dash Quickly.

Be sure to check out all of the Course IDs for the Super Mario Maker levels from Summer Games Done Quick 2018. And be sure to subscribe to Shacknews and GamerHub.tv on YouTube.



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