Highlights: The number of malware attacks doubled in 2018 as compared to 2017. The number of unique malware files decreased suggesting impactful and precise attacks. Trojan-Droppers malware had most significant growth in 2018: Kaspersky Lab In what could raise security concerns among masses, a new report has claimed that the number of attacks using malicious mobile software nearly doubled in just one year, with 116.5 million attacks observed in 2018, compared to 66.4 million in 2017. According to researchers from Russia-based cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab, the number of attacks have risen but the number of unique malware files has decreased. On the basis of this, researchers now believe that the quality of mobile malware has become more impactful and precise. “The channels through which malware is delivered is a key component of the success of modern threat campaigns. As dependence on mobile devices grows, both for business users and consumers, cybercriminals are paying more attention to mobile as an attack vector. Cybercriminals have steadily been increasing their use of mobile malware, aiming to take advantage of those who do not have security solutions installed on their phones,” Kaspersky Lab says in its Mobile malware evolution 2018 report. The firm claims that the success of mobile distribution strategies is not only evidenced by an increase in attacks, but also by the number of unique users that have encountered this kind of malware. It found that in 2018, the number of unique users facing mobile malware rose to 9,895,774 -- an increase of 774,000 those who were affected last year. The most significant growth was in the use of Trojan-Droppers, whose share almost doubled, rising from 8.6 percent of malware observed in 2017 to more than 17 percent in 2018. The Trojan-Dropper malware is designed to bypass system protection and deliver all kinds of malicious files, from banking Trojans to ransomware. “In 2018, mobile device users faced what could have been the fiercest cybercriminal onslaught ever seen. Over the course of the year, we observed both new mobile device infection techniques, such as DNS hijacking, along with an increased focus on enhanced distribution schemes, like SMS spam. This trend demonstrates the growing need for mobile security solutions to be installed on smartphones – to protect users from device infection attempts, regardless of the source,” ViŃtor Chebyshev, Security Expert at Kaspersky Lab, said in a statement. Kaspersky Lab researchers also observed a fivefold increase in attacks using malicious mobile cryptocurrency miners last year. In 2018, 151,359 installation packages for mobile banking Trojans were detected, which is 1.6 times more than in 2017. The firm says that the easiest and most effective way to be safe from attacks is to install mobile applications only from official app stores, such as Google Play for Android devices or the App Store on iOS. Users must also block the installation of programmes from unknown sources in device settings, and install system and application updates as soon as they are available. Related Read: Google removes massive trove of malware apps and shoddy reviews from Play Store
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Highlights: Huawei teases P30 series in yet another video. Company executive confirms “super-zoom” camera capability. The phone may also feature some sound related innovation. Leaks and teasers surrounding the upcoming Huawei P30 series are now pouring in from all quarters and two more developments have surfaced today. Firstly, Huawei has officially teased the P30 phone by posting a video on Facebook, and secondly, a company executive has confirmed that the top variant of the Huawei P30 will feature a periscope-style zoom camera for “super-zoom” capabilities. In the video teaser posted by Huawei Mobile on Facebook hints at an improvement in loudspeaker performance. The video has some animations apparently depicting a speaker and sound waves, suggesting that the the P30 series of phones might have either stereo speakers or some other audio-related technology that will make device sound better than its predecessors. There is a recurring bubbling effect in the video, but we are not sure what they suggests. Huawei’s P series is a photography-oriented line-up and the company did not miss a chance to send a message to its potential buyers. There is short scene in the video that shows that the phone houses a vertically aligned camera setup at the same spot as the P20 series. Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei's Consumer Business Group, has already confirmed the presence of a quad-camera setup on the phone. Last month, Yu shared an image on his official Weibo account leading to speculation that it was taken from the upcoming Huawei P30 Pro's quad-camera setup. The company’s Marketing Vice President, Clement Wong has reportedly confirmed that the picture was taken handheld and processed in-device. This suggests that the phone could have “super zoom” capabilities given the detail in the photo. Wong, however, did not exactly reveal the extent of the zoom capabilities but he claimed that the P30 Pro’s camera will offer “something nobody (has done) before”. This suggests that the P30's periscope camera may include a powered, mechanical zoom lens. There have been a lot of rumours about the Pro variant getting a periscope module with 10x optical zoom capability. The tech has been rumored to feature in the Oppo F19 and Oppo F19 Pro smartphones. Interestingly, the moon makes an appearance in the teaser video as well. This could also mean that the new Hauwei P Series phones will have some special low-light shooting capabilities. We may see a dedicated low-light photography mode in the phone - something like Google’s Night Sight. The phone will be officially launched in Paris on March 26. Earlier this week, the company highlighted a 32MP front camera and a waterdrop notch in an 8-second video. Related Read: Huawei axed Samsung Galaxy Fold-like design for its foldable phone as "It was bad"
Highlights: Samsung Galaxy S10 lineup of handsets launched in India. Samsung Galaxy S10+ starts at Rs 73,900 while the Galaxy S10 costs Rs 66,900. The Galaxy S10e price in India starts at Rs 55,900. Samsung has already launched its Galaxy S10 series of smartphones at the Galaxy Unpacked event last month. However, the formal India launch of the Galaxy S10e, S10 and the S10+ took place today at an event, which was hosted by the company’s President and CEO, DJ Koh. The company reiterated the features and hardware capabilities of the phones, along with their India pricing. The launch offers on the handsets have also been detailed and Samsung also announced the truly wireless Galaxy Buds and has lowered its price as a part of the launch offer. Samsung Galaxy S10e, S10 and S10 Plus specifications The three phones come equipped with an Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED display with HDR10+ support. The Galaxy S10+ sports a 6.4-inch display, while the Samsung Galaxy S10 has a smaller 6.1-inch screen. The Galaxy S10e features a 5.8-inch 19:9 Full HD+ Flat Dynamic AMOLED. The Galaxy S10 and the S10+ also feature an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor under the display. In the camera department, both the Samsung Galaxy S10+ and the S10 sport a triple camera with Dual OIS support. They get 12MP telephoto + 12MP wide-angle + 16MP ultra wide-angle cameras on the back. On the front, the Galaxy S10+ has dual cameras, a 10MP sensor that supports dual pixel AF and an 8MP RGB sensor. The Galaxy S10 has an 8MP ultra-wide selfie shooter. The Samsung Galaxy S10e sports a dual 12MP + 16MP camera setup with a wide angle and ultra wide angle lens respectively. It gets a 10MP camera on the front. The three phones are powered by the 7nm Exynos 9820 SoC. Samsung says that the new processor enables for a 29 percent jump in CPU performance and 37 percent boost in graphics processing. The Samsung Galaxy S10+ is backed by a 4100mAh battery while the Galaxy S10 has a 3400mAh battery. They both also support wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, which the company calls Wireless PowerShare. The Galaxy S10e gets a slightly smaller 3100mAh battery that can also be charged wirelessly. Coming to the Samsung Galaxy Buds, they directly go up against the Apple AirPods and other truly wireless earbuds. The new Galaxy Buds feature a compact form factor and come with new features like wirelessly charging support. In case one is running out of power on the earphones, they can simply use Wireless Power Share on their Galaxy S10, or any other wireless charger, to top them up. As most wired headphones, the Galaxy Buds are also tuned by AKG. The earphones come with adaptive dual microphones that switch the source of audio between the outer and inner mic depending on how noisy the ambient environment is. The device is touted to be 30 percent lighter than its predecessor with an individual earbud and the charging case weighing 5.6g and 39.6g respectively. The device is claimed to stream up to 6 hours of music on a single charge and also comes with Bixby to support voice commands. The Galaxy Buds come equipped with a 5.8pi Dynamic Driver and feature a Type-C connection. It supports SBC, AAC, and the company’s proprietary Scalable audio codec. Samsung Galaxy Buds, Galaxy S10e, S10, and S10+ Price, Availability The Samsung Galaxy S10 series of handsets will be available across select retail stores and online platforms starting March 8, 2019. The Samsung Galaxy S10+ comes to India in 1TB, 512GB and 128GB storage variants, which are priced at Rs 1,17,900, Rs 91,900 and Rs 73,900 respectively. There are also Ceramic White and Ceramic Black colour variants of the 1TB and 512GB storage model respectively, while the 128GB variant will come in Prism Black, Prism White and Prism Blue colours. Coming to the Samsung Galaxy S10, it will be available in Prism White colour model and in 512GB storage version for Rs 84,900. It’s 128GB version comes in Prism Black, Prism White and Prism Blue colours with a price tag of Rs 66,900. Additionally, the Galaxy S10e will be available in only a single variant of 128GB storage and in Prism Black and Prism White colours. It is priced at Rs 55,900. Do note that the Galaxy S10e also comes in other colours but it seems like the company is not introducing them in the market, at least for now. As a launch offer, the Galaxy Buds are being priced at Rs 4,999, along with HDFC cashback offer of up to Rs 6,000 or upgrade offer of up to Rs 15,000 on the Galaxy S10. Operator Offers Samsung has partnered with Jio, Airtel and Vodafone to provide offers for its customers. Jio users who buy the Samsung Galaxy S10 will get to avail an additional one-year of unlimited services for free, along with double data benefits when recharging with the Rs 4,999 annual plan. Airtel users on the Galaxy S10 series of device will get to avail cashbacks of up to Rs 3,600 on 24 recharges when topping up with Rs 349 using the My Airtel App. Additionally, the phones will also be available for purchase via the Airtel online store with a down payment starting at Rs 7,499 and EMI of Rs 2,599, which feature an integrated postpaid plan. Vodafone users that have subscribed to the Red Postpaid plans starting at Rs 499 and above will get to avail one year of free Netflix subscription with the phones. Related Reads: Samsung Galaxy S10e First Impressions: Compact and uncompromising Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus teardown reveals estimated cost of $420 
Highlights: Corning is developing glass that truly folds, unlike the plastic displays first-gen foldable phones are using. The bendable glass will be 0.1mm thin and can bend up to a 5mm radius. Corning expects the glass to be ready in a few years, but Japan's AGC might beat Corning to it. At this point, it’s safe to say foldable phones stole the show this year at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Both Samsung’s Galaxy Fold and the Huawei Mate X had a big presence at the tradeshow even though few were allowed touch and use them. Product videos of the devices, however, revealed the foldable phones aren’t really foldable. They’re bendable at best. The Samsung Galaxy Fold doesn’t really fold flat. When closed, there’s a glaring gap near the hinge. That’s because the Infinity Flex display on the Samsung Galaxy Fold as well as the panel on the Huawei Mate X doesn’t have truly foldable glass. In both the phones, the diplay relies on polymers or plastic which can flex multiple times, but can also get scratched or creased. The issue is expected in the first generation foldable phones. Gorilla Glass maker Corning is reportedly working on addressing this issue. According to a report by Wired, Corning is developing an ultrathin, bendable glass. Glass, mind you. Not plastic. The bendable glass will allegedly be 0.1 millimeters thick and can bend up to a 5 millimeter radius. All that while retaining it’s build and durability. However, it all seems like a complete defiance of the laws of physics. In fact, Corning admits the fact. In the report, John Bayne, Senior Vice President of Corning’s Gorilla Glass told Wired, “In a glass solution, you’re really challenging the laws of physics, in that to get a very tight bend radius you want to go thinner and thinner, but you also have to be able to survive a drop event and resist damage.” The company is not ready to make any official announcement about the development yet, but the report states Corning expects the glass to be ready in a few years. The report also claims Japan’s AGC, the maker of the Asahi Dragontail protective glass for smartphones, might be ready with a similar product even before Corning. However, this is not the first time we're hearing of Corning working on a bendable glass. Earlier, the company had showcased prototypes of the bendable displays to CNET where Corning discussed about how glass will ultimately be the material of choice for foldable devices in the future. Even while foldable phones are yet to truly arrive in the markets (we only have the official announcements and videos to go by), the race is on to make foldable phones, completely foldable, and in that process, hopefully bring the price range of the devices more affordable. Related Reads: Samsung unfolds Galaxy Fold with two displays, six cameras and app optimisations MWC 2019 roundup: Every 5G smartphone announced at the event
