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Lenovo will pay a $3.5 million fine for preinstalling adware on certain laptops
Lenovo came under fire a few years ago for pre-installing adware called VisualDiscovery (developed by Superfish) onto new machines. Now that the legal dust has settled, the laptop maker has agreed to pay $3.5 million in fines to a 32-state coalition "to resolve their concerns" related to the nefarious bloatware app. In 2015, the worry was that the software performed a man-in-the-middle attack on supposedly secure connections and could be used to spy on encrypted communications. The company issued a tool for removing the software at the time.
Verizon flirted with more bloatware for its devices
Engadget parent company Verizon apparently wants to litter your phone with even more crap you don't want. Pre-installed apps from its brand partners would arrive with your new handset from Big Red, according to a report from AdAge. The publication's sources say that it'd cost advertisers between $1 and $2 per device. Verizon supposedly started pitching the idea to retail and finance companies late last year. Apple's tight grip on how iOS works means that this would only be available to Android customers, where the apps would download automatically when a new handset was activated.
Your big-name PC may have a security flaw in its update software
Those problems with security holes in big PC makers' software bundles? They might not be over yet. Duo Security says it found vulnerabilities in the update software for Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP and Lenovo. Some vendors were more secure than others in Duo's testing, but all of them were insecure enough that you could launch a man-in-the-middle attack and run your own code. In the worst cases, they'd send update data without any encryption or validation.
Verizon's Galaxy S7 can install apps on its own, but don't panic
Verizon is notorious in some circles for loading its smartphones with bloatware, but its recent moves have some users more anxious than usual... if not necessarily for the best reasons. A recent update to the carrier's Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge variants has installed Digital Turbine's Ignite, an app that lets carriers install more apps in the background. This has surfaced before on earlier T-Mobile and Verizon phones, but owners on Reddit and elsewhere are understandably nervous that this suddenly gives Verizon carte blanche to install more unwanted apps. Are you going to wake up to find another unnecessary navigation app or media portal on your phone?
Dell is the latest PC maker with a gaping security flaw, but it will fix it
Lenovo and Samsung might not be the only big Windows PC makers pre-installing software that compromises your security. Computer buyers have discovered that Dell is shipping at least some PCs (such as the new XPS 15) with a self-signed security certificate that's the same on every system. If intruders get a raw copy of the certificate's private key, which isn't hard, they have an easy way to attack every PC shipping with this code. The kicker? This is much like Lenovo's Superfish exploit, only written by the hardware vendor itself -- Dell had plenty of time to learn from its rival's mistake.
Apple will (eventually) let you remove some of its iOS apps
Apple's iOS devices have long included apps that you're unlikely to use (do you really need a stock tracker?), and that list only seems to be getting longer. That's potentially a big problem, especially when the company is still shipping 16GB flagship iPhones where every megabyte counts. However, there might be some relief in sight. In a chat with BuzzFeed News, CEO Tim Cook says that his company will eventually "figure out a way" for you to remove some of those apps. You won't get to yank all of them (that "might cause issues" with some device features, Cook says), but this could spare you from creating a folder for the bundled apps that would otherwise gather virtual dust.
Lenovo PCs installed custom software even if you wiped them (updated)
Samsung isn't the only Windows PC maker to have hijacked Windows' update process as of late. Users have noticed that some Lenovo PCs running Windows 7 and 8 (such as the Yoga 3) had firmware that automatically downloaded and installed Lenovo's own update software on boot, overwriting a Windows system file at the same time. More disconcertingly, this was true even if you wiped the system clean. So long as you were reinstalling a compatible version of Windows in the first place (including Windows 10), those Lenovo apps would inevitably return.
You can delete Samsung's phone bloatware in China
Samsung isn't waiting around for the verdict of a Chinese lawsuit over bloatware to take action. The company will offer patches in August that let local Android phone owners delete unwanted pre-installed apps on both the Galaxy Note 3, the example cited in the suit, as well as more recent phones like the Galaxy S6. It's not clear just which apps you can purge, but it's safe to presume that many of the non-essential apps are now eligible.
Lyft's deal with Verizon gives drivers a break on phone service
Lyft isn't going to let Uber's partnership with AT&T go unanswered. The ridesharing outlet has unveiled a team-up with Verizon that not only pre-loads Lyft's app on some of Verizon's Android phones, but gives Lyft drivers a discount on their cellphone bills through the Accelerate perks program. Suffice it to say that this last part is a big deal for drivers whose very livelihood depends on a phone with a good data plan. Yes, the agreement means that you'll have to put up with more carrier bloatware, but the inconvenience might be somewhat justified if it gets more Lyft drivers on the road and gives you more choices in app-based transportation.
Daily Roundup: HTC One M9 review, removing Galaxy S6 bloatware and more!
In today's Daily Roundup, we review the HTC One M9, learn how Samsung will let you remove bloatware from the Galaxy S6 and find out how Redditors uncovered a massive Archer Easter egg. Get the details on these stories and more past the break.
The Galaxy S6 lets you remove most apps (including Samsung's)
It's no secret that Samsung scaled back on bloatware with the Galaxy S6, reducing the clutter and hopefully giving you a leaner, meaner smartphone. However, there's one more treat in store: you can cull many of the apps that are included, too. XDA forum member Jeshter2000 has noticed that a pre-release Galaxy S6 edge lets him disable or uninstall many of the preloaded programs, including some of those from Google and Samsung. If you'd rather ditch S Voice entirely and rely solely on Google's (frankly superior) native voice commands, you can. So long as this carries through to the GS6 you buy in stores, it'll represent a big change of heart for Samsung -- the company is notorious for bundling redundant, non-removable apps, but it's now determined to give you much more control.
Windows 10 takes up less space and lets you easily kill bloatware
Microsoft is finally fixing a few of the most hated things about Windows. In a blog post, the software giant revealed that compared to Windows 8.1, Windows 10 will take up as much as 6.6GB less space, will re-install faster and possibly be easier to rid of crapware. To achieve those goals, Microsoft is using "Wimboot" disk compression to reduce system file and app sizes. To make sure it doesn't compromise performance, the OS will check your system RAM and other parameters before installing it. Also, instead of being stuck with files needed to recover from a failure, you'll create your own to backup and restore the OS and apps on PCs and tablets (Windows phones already have this feature). It added that the new technique will still allow recovery from "severe corruption."
Popular torrent client can steal your CPU cycles to mine bitcoins
If you recently installed or updated uTorrent on your PC, you may have have picked up an unwanted passenger: a bitcoin miner called Epic Scale. If you don't pay attention, that piece of code can be inadvertently installed with the latest uTorrent build (version 3.4.2). It can then use your computer as part of a bitcoin farm (Litecoin, to be exact) to generate revenue for third parties. Users first reported the situation on uTorrent's forums, and it was quickly confirmed by a senior support manager. He said that the app "cannot be installed without permission," but one user claimed that there was "never a warning about it," even though he opted out of other bundled software.
Oracle's now dumping Java crapware bundles on your Mac, too
Since megayachts aren't going to buy themselves, Larry Ellison's Oracle has been picking up extra cash for years by slipping adware to Windows users via its ubiquitous Java software. If you felt smug because you were on a Mac, guess what! Installing Java on your OSX-equipped MacBook could now lead to an unexpected encounter with the dreaded "Ask.com" toolbar, too. Though not as dangerous as SuperFish, the program will hijack your browser's search functions and delivery iffy, ad-laden results while being tricky for neophytes to remove. If you don't pay attention during installation, you can easily end up with it, as you need to purposefully opt out to avoid it.
Lenovo strips some of the unwanted software from its PCs
Lenovo said it was rethinking its approach to pre-loaded software on PCs in the wake of the Superfish security fiasco, and it's now clear that the computer maker wasn't kidding around. It's promising that its home PC software bundles going forward will be limited to Windows, in-house apps and security software. The only exceptions will occur in certain countries, where some third-party apps are "customarily expected." That IdeaPad or Yoga won't be truly bloatware-free (that would limit you to Windows alone), but a lot of the annoying and potentially dangerous cruft will be gone. Just be prepared to wait a while before you see leaner, cleaner Lenovo computers. The system builder is starting to tidy things up right away, but its effort won't be in full swing until Windows 10 arrives.
Lenovo wants cleaner software bundles to avoid security disasters
Lenovo was quick to stop preloading Superfish and clean up its immediate PC security problem, but what about preventing problems going forward? Well, you can relax a little -- the company is thinking about the long term. In an open letter, technical chief Peter Hortensius reveals that Lenovo is investigating a "wide range of options" to avoid software that poses a threat to your data. Among its choices are preloading a "cleaner" software bundle (definitely our pick) and consulting with both security experts and regular users to determine what programs it should use. The computer builder doesn't have a firm plan of action yet, but it's promising one by week's end -- while you probably won't see truly bloat-free Lenovo PCs, your next IdeaPad or Yoga should have a bit less cruft.
New Lenovo PCs shipped with factory-installed adware
Buy a new Lenovo computer recently? Well, it looks like it could be infected with some factory-installed adware. Users on the official Lenovo forums started noticing that search results were being injected with sponsored links (like what happens when a machine is infected with typical adware or spyware) as far back as last September, and some even report that sites including Kelley Blue Book and JetBlue wouldn't render properly at all. This apparently isn't the only problem, however. As Facebook engineer Mike Shaver recently discovered, the program at fault, Superfish, appears to install a man-in-the-middle certificate that allows outside parties to take a peek at secure websites you might be visiting, too. Like your bank's, for example.
Samsung Galaxy S6 reportedly drops bloatware in favor of Microsoft apps
Quite a few smartphone fans will tell you that a Samsung phone's Achilles' heel is its software -- you'll find a ton of (frequently unwanted) apps and features that do little besides chew up space and slow things down. You may get to wave goodbye to that cruft when the Galaxy S6 shows up, however. A SamMobile source claims that Samsung is yanking a lot of its usual pre-installed bloatware, making the GS6 "amazingly fast" compared to a weighed-down phone like the Galaxy Note 4. The titles wouldn't go away forever, but you'd have to download in-house apps if you did want them. Instead, the focus would be on a host of included Microsoft apps: Office, OneDrive, OneNote and Skype would give you some solid productivity out of the box. It's not clear if the Microsoft deal has any connection to a recent truce with Samsung over patent royalties, although it wouldn't be surprising.
iPhones may soon come with Beats Music already installed
Since Apple nabbed Beats earlier this year, we've been wondering what would come of the latter outfit's streaming service. Financial Times reports that the folks in Cupertino plan to lump Beats Music (or whatever it'll be called in the future) in to iOS. Yes, this means that the app will already be installed on that new iPhone or iPad when you unbox it, attempting to get a leg up on the likes of Rdio and Spotify from the jump. The report says the usual "people familiar with the matter" look for the move to happen as soon as March -- perhaps around the same time as the debut of the Apple Watch. As you might expect, you'll still need a subscription to access Dr. Dre's library of tunes, but the app itself will already be there. Of course, this could also end badly: we all remember what happened last time Apple put something on our phones we didn't want. I reached out to Apple on the matter and it declined to comment.
Uber partners with AT&T to bring preloaded apps to your new phone
Uber's growing like a weed, and it's about to get a lot more exposure for people who may not have tried or heard about the ridesharing service. CEO Travis Kalanick announced a strategic partnership with AT&T on stage at Code Conference. Uber drivers will use phones running on AT&T's network, but more importantly, the company's app -- which consumers use to call for a ride and track the cars -- will be preloaded on an unspecified number of devices on the carrier. There's no word on the financial obligations, nor did we hear when this transition will take place. If you haven't used Uber before, be prepared to get to know the service a little better, whether you like it or not.
