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Google's app for the visually impaired adds food and document scanning
Google launched its Lookout app in 2019 for people who are blind or have low-vision to navigate the world with their phones, but it was only available on Pixel phones with languages set to English. The first of the new modes is Food Label, which helps users identify packaged foods by pointing their cameras at the label. According to Scott Adams, product manager for Google’s Accessibility Engineering, this would let Lookout “distinguish between a can of corn and a can of green beans,” for example.
Android spyware Exodus makes the leap to iOS devices
Researchers at security firm Lookout recently discovered an iOS version of Exodus spyware that typically targets Android devices. Before you go wiping your iPhone to ensure you aren't being spied on, it's worth noting that the iOS version of the malware has only been found in third-party app marketplaces and hasn't made its way into the walled garden that is Apple's official App Store.
Google's Lookout app says what it sees for blind users in the US
Google's Lookout is now finally available for download, though it's only compatible with Pixel devices in the US set to English at the moment. The application was first announced at Google's annual I/O Conference in 2018 and was designed to help the blind and visually impaired navigate their surroundings. It comes with three modes: Explore, Shopping and Quick Read. Explore, its default mode, gives users audio cues about their environment, telling them if there's a chair or a cute dog blocking the way, for instance.
Lebanese hackers stole a ton of data then left it on an open server
The Electronic Frontier Foundation and mobile security company Lookout released a report today detailing a major hacking campaign -- dubbed Dark Caracal -- that's believed to have originated from Lebanon's General Directorate of General Security (GDGS), one of the country's intelligence agencies. The companies found information gathered from thousands of victims from over 20 countries through espionage efforts extending back to 2012. Targets included military personnel, journalists, activists, financial institutions and manufacturing companies and some of the stolen data included documents, call records, texts, contact information and photos. Michael Flossman, a Lookout security researcher, told the Associated Press, "It was everything. Literally everything."
New strain of Android malware is 'virtually impossible' to remove
Do you remember the bad old days of computer viruses so invasive that it was easier to nuke your software and start over than fix the problem? They're back... in mobile form. Lookout has noticed a trend toward Android malware that masquerades as a popular app, but quietly gets root-level access to your phone and buries itself deep in the operating system. If that happens, you're in serious trouble. Unless you can walk through loading a fresh ROM or carefully modify system files over ADB, it may be easier to just replace the device, or have your phone company reflash it -- a simple factory reset won't get the job done. Some of the bogus apps are little more than shells for ads, but others will work properly while they compromise your device.
iOS Signal Flare is Find My iPhone with more features
iOS Signal Flare from Lookout is a free app that has proven popular on Android and Blackberry and has now made it to the iPhone. The app has many of the features of Find My iPhone, but it has additional features that you might find compelling. For example, if your phone is running out of battery, it will take note of its location. You can sign in from any browser and see the phone's last-known location. If the phone is lost, you can also send a loud alarm (and it is loud) to locate your phone if you think it is nearby -- even without a SIM card. The alarm starts at a low level, and then continues to ramp up to maximum volume. Another feature is contact backup, which backs up your contacts every day. Signal Flare gives you quite a bit of remote management of your phone. It goes a bit further than Find My iPhone and I find the last location notification with a weak battery a particularly good idea. Some users have reported crashes, but that can be fixed by giving Signal Flare access to your contacts via the settings. Signal Flare has been optimized for iPhone 5, and works on any iOS device. It requires iOS 4.3 or later. %Gallery-169704%
Lookout Security & Antivirus for Android gets a makeover, lets missing phones have one last gasp
Missing phone apps such as Find My iPhone often have a glaring weakness: as they depend on pings at regular intervals, they're not much use at tracking down a lost device if the battery dies first. Enter a major revamp of Lookout's Security & Antivirus app for Android. The updated title's new Signal Flare component takes advantage of a phone's tendency to go out in a blaze of wireless glory that marks its last location. By remembering where a phone was unintentionally laid to rest, Signal Flare helps track down a phone that might have died in the parking lot -- or just underneath the couch. Should your phone remain safely in your pocket, you'll likely still appreciate the reworked interface that blends in with Android 4.0 and beyond, the protection against click-to-call exploits and an activity feed that shows just what Lookout has been doing behind the scenes. Android users can get that extra reassurance today, and iOS users have been promised a parallel app in the future.
Motorola CLIQ 2 gets 1.1.30 update, brings fixes and new apps to your slider
Whether it was the honeycomb keyboard, the FWVGA display or that new phone smell, the intoxication of owning a new CLIQ 2 masked the unpleasant odors within this device. Thankfully, a new update from Motorola promises to clear the air with improved battery life, fewer instances of apps crashing, and better haptic responses when typing. The list of improvements is substantial, so you'll want to check the source if you stand to benefit. After completing the OTA install, users will notice four new applications await, including: Lookout Mobile Security, MobiTV, Motorola's Family Room, and UNO. That's a lot to swallow if you're just wanting your phone to work properly. Even if you'd prefer doing without the added bloat, we're guessing CLIQ 2 fans will still want a whiff of this frozen yogurt laden with toppings. [Thanks, Carlos]
AT&T, Verizon, RIM get serious about security for mobile devices
As commonplace as smartphones have become, it's about time that carriers and manufacturers start getting serious about mobile security (and no, we don't mean iPhone tethers). According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, Verizon is currently working with Lookout, a San Francisco-based company known for remote backup and geolocation apps for BlackBerry, Android, and Windows Mobile devices, while RIM has recently announced a little something called BlackBerry Protect, which promises to lock or even wipe a misplaced phone, pinpoint the thing on a map, and make regularly-scheduled wireless backups. By far the most ambitious plans in the article, however, belong to AT&T, which -- aside from recent deals with MobileIron and McAfee -- is currently opening a new mobile security lab in New York City. From here, the company will research malware, worms, viruses, and other threats as they develop in the mobile sphere. "Everyone is realizing that this is an uncontrolled environment," said AT&T chief security officer Edward G. Amoroso. "We don't want to have the same problems that we had with PCs."
Lookout's App Genome Project warns about sketchy apps you may have already downloaded
If you're an iPhone user, the only privacy notice you'll see from an app regards your current location -- as much a warning about the associated battery hit from the GPS pinging as anything. If you're an Android user, however, things are different, with a tap-through dialog showing you exactly what each app will access on your phone. But, do you read them? You should, with Lookout running a sort of survey across 300,000 apps on those two platforms, finding that many access personal information even though they seemingly don't need to. One particularly scary instance, an app called Jackeey Wallpaper on Android, aggregates your browsing history, text messages, could get your voicemail password, and even your SIM ID and beams it all to a server in China. That this app has been downloaded millions thousands of times is a little disconcerting, but it's not just Android users that have to fear, as even more iPhone than Android apps take a look through your contact infos. What to do? Well, be careful what you download to start, on Android read those privacy warnings... and we're sure Lookout wouldn't mind if you took this opportunity to download its security app. Update: We received a note from Jussi Nieminen, who indicated the data fields being retrieved, as reported by VentureBeat, are incorrect. Texting and browser history are apparently not retrieved, but your phone number, phone ID, and voicemail fields are. And, since it's not unheard of for voicemail entries to include a password when setup on a phone, it's possible they could wind up with that too. Also, the popularity of the app was apparently misstated, with actual downloads somewhere south of 250,000. Update 2: Kevin, one of the Black Hat speakers from Lookout, wrote us to let us know that the full details on the wallpaper apps have been posted here, if you'd like to read. Meanwhile, estimations of just how many people have downloaded this particular wallpaper app are all over the place, ranging from as low as 50,000 to over four million.
Android photo backup app reveals burglars' identities, stupidity
Burglaries are an unfortunately commonplace event in daily urban life, but on some very rare occasions their outcomes give cause for celebration and maybe even a smile. Two young men from the Portland area, keen to get on the smartphone bandwagon without paying, broke in and stole a pair of Motorola Android handsets (along with other electronics) from a nearby household. What they didn't foresee, however, was that one of the phones would have the free Lookout app, which automatically backs up all photos taken with the handset to a user-accessible server every night. So, in the midst of testing out their ill-gotten loot, the criminals provided the phone's legitimate owner with enough visual clues for the police to swoop in and apprehend one of them. The search for his partner in crime continues, but the "gadget versus man" fight has already concluded with a clear win for what we presume was a Droid. [Thanks, John]
Denver is so close to finally getting OTA HDTV
Denver residents are so close to ending a 8 year battle in the name of digital TV. President Bush has the power to sign legislation that would allow 600,000 Denver-its to receive widespreed OTA HD signals via a brand spanking new broadcast tower on Lookout Mountain. We have a feeling that some of you need a bit of background on this crazy battle over digital signals. Apparently, there is a small group of homeowners that simply adore the four broadcasting towers currently occupying a wooded foothill by Denver. So much so that they have held up the construction of a new tower that while, yes, it will be taller, will also consolidate four towers into one. By the way, these are the same type of people that are afraid of the 'harmful' RF waves that digital towers emit. (That kind of sums it up right there doesn't) But the truth of the matter is that this new tower will emit 75% less then the total output of all four of the current towers in place and freeing up 75 acres of open space that the hippie homeowners should love. This battle needs to end sometime soon since that 2009 legislation requiring broadcasters to serve up digital OTA signals is right around the corner but we have faith in President Bush -- he seems like a casual TV watching sort of guy.
TruScene TS-1L keeps watch over your vehicle
If you've ever been the victim of a hit and run, particularly one where you weren't there to see it happen, you'll immediately appreciate the TruScene TS-1L. This in-car camera can be mounted on the front or rear (or both) of your ride and comes with a drop-down LCD to get things aligned and installed correctly the first go 'round. This eagle-eyed camera keeps a constant watch on what's happening around your vehicle when you're not there to bear witness, so you have a license plate and mug shot of the screeching bandit should an accident occur while you're away. The TS-1L constantly records 30 second loops of footage where non-essential clips (i.e. periods where nothing happens) are deleted to make room for the next clip. If someone jolts your whip by, say, ramming into you or clipping your side mirror, TruScene saves the recording, encrypts it, and stamps a digital watermark on it for later use. The video can be used for insurance or court purposes by uploading the file to TruScene's database where it's properly decrypted for playback. The seriousness of this device carries right over to the pricetag, so we'd recommend having a vehicle truly worth protecting -- and make sure your deductible is over a grand to begin with, because the peace of mind provided by the TS-1L requires $1,000 out of pocket. [Via OhGizmo]