Windows 10: Google releases whitepaper describing Android Platform Security Model

Source: Google Online Security Blog: The Android Platform Security Model

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Android M here's what you need to know

Android M design and interface
We expect Android M to be what iOS 8 was to iOS 7: the big changes in Android’s interface, like the adoption of Material Design, have already been implemented. We doubt Android M will look vastly different to Android Lollipop: expect evolutionary change and refinement rather than a gee-whiz new look.

A concept video for Android M has been uploaded by Android Hackz, and for all it's an unofficial video, we're impressed by some of what's shown – particularly the "app close" animation


Android M features

Improved notifications
Notifications are always being improved upon because they are so frequently complained about. We want relevant notifications, which only appear when we need them, and currently, this is not an exact science.

Rumor has it that the next step Google is taking with notifications is to unify them across all platforms. A notification seen on your PC would not appear on your phone or tablet, for example. It’s early days, but we’re expecting some changes to the way notifications are both displayed and interacted with on Android M.

Smart home
Android 5.0 Lollipop already focuses on consolidating everything Android has brought us thus far and makes attempts at providing a more stable and quality-assured platform.

On the broader front, the Smart Home will be an increasingly important feature of Android, with complete control over your connected devices at home and in the office via Nest and other third-party makers.

Security
With smartphones being increasingly used for, well... everything, security is something which grows ever-more important. Google recently introduced a "find my phone" feature to Chrome, and a "kill switch" option in Android 5.1 to make stolen phones useless, so look out for further security enhancements on Android M.

Android Wear
With reports that the Apple Watch has already shipped one million units (more than Android Wear devices did in the whole of 2015), Google will be searching for a way to fight back. Android M will undoubtedly bring some improvements to how smartwatches and smartphones interact, and probably with regard to notifications (once again) and voice input.

We may even see some AI robots introduced on which Android M will be demoed... or perhaps I'm just getting a little carried away. Whatever happens, we're pretty sure Android M will be all about bringing Android to as many new frontiers as possible: from your pocket, to your wrist, to your car and home to who knows what else.

Android M release date
Android KitKat was around for roughly a year between Android Jelly Bean and Android Lollipop update, so it is possible that the Android M release date could be set for October or November 2015.




Android 6.0 Marshmallow: all the key features explained | AndroidPIT

 

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Android Security Vulnerability

What happened
We recently learned that a component of Android responsible for generating secure random numbers contains critical weaknesses, that render all Android wallets generated to date vulnerable to theft. Because the problem lies with Android itself, this problem will affect you if you have a wallet generated by any Android app. An incomplete list would be Bitcoin Wallet, blockchain.info wallet, BitcoinSpinner and Mycelium Wallet. Apps where you don't control the private keys at all are not affected. For example, exchange frontends like the Coinbase or Mt Gox apps are not impacted by this issue because the private keys are not generated on your Android phone

What has been done
Updates have been prepared for the following wallet apps:

• Bitcoin Wallet: Update 3.15 can be installed from Google Play or Google Code. Key rotation will occur automatically soon after you upgrade. The old addresses will be marked as insecure in your address book. You will need to make a fresh backup.
• BitcoinSpinner: Update 0.8.3b can be installed from Google Play or Google Code. On startup it will advise you on how to proceed.
• Mycelium Bitcoin Wallet: Update 0.7.0 can be installed from Google Play or mycelium.com. A wizard will guide you through the process of moving your bitcoins to newly generated addresses, and put the old keys into archive mode.
• blockchain.info: Update 3.54 can be installed from Google Play. Version 3.54 and above includes an automatic re-keying wizard. Simply update to the latest version and follow the onscreen instructions. Please make a fresh wallet backup after the process completes.

What you should do
In order to re-secure existing wallets, key rotation is necessary. This involves generating a new address with a repaired random number generator and then sending all the money in your wallet back to yourself. If you use an Android wallet then we strongly recommend you to upgrade to the latest version available in the Play Store as soon as one becomes available. Once your wallet is rotated, you will need to contact anyone who has stored addresses generated by your phone and give them a new one.

If you can't update your Android app, alternatively, you can send your bitcoins to a Bitcoin wallet on your computer until your Android app can be updated. You should make sure not to send back your bitcoins to your old insecure addresses.

Android Security Vulnerability

 

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