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Twitter and U2opia Mobile bring trending tweets and topics to dumb phones
We're spoiled here in the US. When we want to browse what's trending on Twitter, we just break out our smartphones, launch an app and we're perusing the latest tweets about Joan Didion and the war on Christmas in no time. Those in developing nations don't have that luxury. Twitter knows it needs to crack those markets to stay relevant and competitive, so it's reaching back to its text-based roots in a partnership with Singapore-based U2opia Mobile. Customers of the company's Fonetwish service just dial a special code, and a feed of trending tweets and topics is sent to their handset. The company already provides a similar service for Facebook and Google Talk (now, Hangouts) that delivers content in a text only format via USSD designed for handsets without an internet connection. Sure, it might not seem like an exciting to those of you toting a Nexus 5. But for many in these emerging markets, this will be their first taste of the world's most popular microblogging platform.
Wikipedia expects to offer SMS-based access within months
Wikipedia has long been pushing for access to its communal knowledge among those who can't afford the latest technology, going so far as to strike deals with carriers to deliver free mobile web viewing. It's set to expand that reach to those for whom any advanced cellphone is out of the question. In part through the help of a Knight News Challenge grant and South Africa's Praekelt Foundation, the non-profit's Wikipedia Zero effort will offer its content through SMS and USSD messages in the next few months. Curious users will just have to send a text message to get an article in response, with no web required at all. It's a big step forward for democratizing online information for those who may not even have access to a smartphone, although we're curious as to how it will handle large articles; we can only imagine the volume of messages when trying to look up the known universe.
Former Nokia Money crew kicks off iKaaz mobile payments, lets shops go with or without NFC
It's a big day for mobile payments. Multiple former Nokia Money veterans have formally launched iKaaz, a two-pronged strategy to phone commece where choice is the order of the day. The first components, M-POS and its accompanying Tap & Pay, are rough equivalents to familiar NFC-based services like Google Wallet that rely on an NFC tag and matching app for in-store sales. A Consumer Wallet for Enterprises occupies more familiar territory for the ex-Nokia crew: it provides a mobile account that doesn't require NFC or even an app, letting those in developing countries exchange funds through SMS or USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) if they're sporting basic handsets. Us end users will need to wait for actual implementations before we see iKaaz for ourselves, but the sheer flexibility could have us paying through our phones in some unexpected places.
Samsung has already patched 'dirty USSD' vulnerability for Galaxy S III
If you were worried about stumbling onto a malicious website and accidentally wiping your Samsung Galaxy S III or other TouchWiz smartphone or slate, you can probably breathe easy. It's likely you already have firmware on your device which isn't vulnerable to the so-called dirty USSD code, and if not, you can download it now, according to Samsung. The company issued the following statement on the matter: "We would like to assure our customers that the recent security issue concerning the Galaxy S III has already been resolved through a software update. We recommend all Galaxy S III customers download the latest software update, which can be done quickly and easily via the Over-The-Air (OTA) service." It turns out we couldn't reproduce the bug earlier as we already had the latest update, and you should probably check to see that you do, as well. Meanwhile, we're also checking to see if other Touchwiz devices have been patched, so don't forget to watch what you click.
'Dirty USSD' code could automatically wipe your Samsung TouchWiz device (updated)
The Factory Reset. One of those last ditch efforts that many of us have a fair bit of experience with. However, a malicious embed code could potentially do the exact same thing to your Galaxy S III. The Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) code (which we won't reproduce here) apparently only works on Samsung phones running Touchwiz, and only if you are directed to the dodgy destination while inside the stock browser (rather than Chrome, for example). This means the Galaxy Nexus is unaffected, but it can work the same dark magic on the likes of the Galaxy S II. We've been trying to murder a (UK-based) GS III here at Engadget, but with no luck as yet -- we can cause the malicious digits to appear in the dialer, but we can't force the stock browser to visit them as a URL, even when trying a bit of URL forwarding and QR code trickery. However, this particular GS III has been rooted in the past, even though it's now running an official TouchWiz ROM, and that may be interfering with the process. Aside from our own experiences, the evidence for the vulnerability is certainly strong. It was demonstrated at the Ekoparty security conference last weekend, during which time presenter Ravi Borgaonkar also showed how a different code could even wipe your SIM card. See the video after the break for the evidence. Update: Tweakers.net has been able to replicate the security hole on a Galaxy S Advance, while The Verge has confirmed that it works on both the Galaxy S II and the AT&T Galaxy S III. Samsung has told us it's looking into the issue.
Myriad Updates enables social networking via USSD (hands-on video)
You may not be familiar with USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) but there's a good chance you've used it before -- by dialing *225# (or something similar) to check the balance on your account. Just like SMS, it's a protocol baked into every GSM phone. Unlike SMS, it allows session-based, real-time communication between a handset and an operator's USSD gateway -- without the store and forward mechanism required for text messaging. Basically, it's a simple way to enable data connectivity on phones without deploying an actual data network and while it's pretty slow, it may be monetized. We met with Myriad's VP of Business Development Olivier Bartholot at Mobile World Congress who gave us a demo of Myriad Updates, a solution based on the company's Xumii back-end that delivers social networking services like Facebook, Twitter and Flickr to any GSM handset via USSD. This means no data plan is required and there's no app to install or cumbersome SMS-based UI to deal with. Myriad's partnering with Vodafone, Orange and Mobinil to provide social networking access to customers in emerging markets who may be using very low-end devices (like the Nokia C1 above) with limited or no data functionality. Hands-on video and PR after the break.
SanDisk announces tiny SSD, 8GB M2, and bigger Ultra IIs
Sandisk just kicked out a quartet of announcements for IFA. First up, an 8GB Memory Stick Micro (M2) card for use (primarily) in Sony Ericsson's cellphones expected sometime in Q4. Yeah, that's the world's highest capacity M2 card in case you're wondering. Also of significance is their new 2GB to 8GB uSSD 5000 Solid State Disks which measure just one-fourth the size of a 1.8-inch SSD. The new uSSD is meant for sub $250 PCs with SanDisk specifically calling out Intel's Classmate PC. We bet you'll find it bunged inside the Eee PC as well. Also announced are a $30 Multi Card ExpressCard adapter and new high-performance $80 4GB SDHC Plus and $160 8GB Memory Stick Pro Duo cards from their Ultra II lineup. Read -- 8GB M2 Read -- uSSD 5000Read -- Ultra II lineupRead -- Multi Card Expresscard adapter
