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Showing posts with label Mobile Apps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mobile Apps. Show all posts
Kotlin


Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile (KMM) is an SDK which enables developers to share code for both Android and iOS mobile app developments.

While the KMM which is developed by JetBrains draws on the mulitiplatform capabilities already available in Kotlin to streamline the experience of building truly cross-platform mobile applications. And the SDK is bundled as a preview of KMM plug-in for the Android Studio IDE that allows developers to write, run, and debug code in the same IDE.

According to JetBrains, both Android and iOS versions of an application have a lot in common, but also, there are significant differences, particularly in the UI. These differences can range from subtle variations in scrolling behavior to divergent navigation logic.

How KMM will offer flexibility by retaining native programming benefits



Since application business logic includes data management, analytics, and authentication, which can be pretty identical, it’s natural to share parts of an application across platforms while keeping the other parts separate.

Therefore, KMM offers the flexibility while also retaining native programming benefits, so that a single codebase can be used for business logic with platform-specific logic written only when necessary, whether for native UI or working with platform-specific APIs.

The shared code written in Kotlin is compiled to JVM bytecode with Kotlin/JVM and to native binaries via Kotlin/Native.

How to integrating KMM into Your existing projects



KMM business modules can be used like every other mobile library, and developers don't need to switch IDEs or have Apple’s Xcode running to make sure that code works properly using the plug-in.

JetBrains has set up a Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile developer portal and published an extensive guide on integrating KMM into existing projects.

Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile (KMM): SDK to share code across iOS and Android platforms

Microsoft Defender ATP


Microsoft has released the Defender Android app as a preview, and available only to enterprise users with Microsoft 365 E5 license.

While the Defender ATP for Android will focus more on signature-based malware detection, albeit the Defender ATP for Linux and Windows is fully capable of tracking system behaviors and report to the ATP cloud service, which further helps to detect possible threats even before any malware infestation.

The Defender ATP app for Android can also block employees who failed to follow the organization’s security and threat protection policies.

How Microsoft Defender ATP for Android will Function?



The Defender ATP (Advanced Threat Protection) is part of Microsoft Threat Protection (MTP) which offers intelligence, automation, and integration to coordinate the detection, protection, response, and prevention of malware threats by combining into a single solution the capabilities to stop cyber-attacks.

Defender ATP for Android


But Defender ATP for Android mainly targets enterprise users on Android devices, so therefore, there are fewer enterprise security-focused protection capabilities, such as allowing security admins to create custom indicators for web protection, and ability to block users who don’t follow the organization’s security policies.

It also warns about suspicious apps and block malicious web pages opened via WhatsApp, email, and even the web browser; though, it is still a software preview, Microsoft may perhaps have future plans for the non-enterprise users.

How to Download the Defender ATP app for Android



The Microsoft Defender ATP app for Android is now available for download on the Play Store as a software preview, and the app is not a free app, as it is for business/enterprise users who have a valid Microsoft 365 E5 license.

Microsoft also hinted on Defender ATP app for iOS devices, though no specific timeline was mentioned when it would be released.

Microsoft targets Enterprise users on Android with the Defender ATP Application

Microsoft Your Phone


Microsoft is looking to take charge of what’s running on Android with more additions to "Your Phone" app which it released in 2018. Now, the company has announced that Your Phone app can run Android apps on Windows 10 to enable the much-needed cross-device compatibility.

While Microsoft had earlier added several other useful features such as SMS Organizer to help Android users achieve better cross-device compatibility with Windows 10.

The latest addition was made possible through Microsoft's partnership with Samsung, thereby letting Your Phone app link to Windows integration on select Samsung devices, to enable users stay in the flow by allowing them to read messages, take calls, check notifications, and view photos, all from their Windows 10 PC.

And Samsung Galaxy Note 20 users can also access and interact with their favorite mobile apps directly on Windows 10 PC through the Your Phone app.

How the Seamless connection between PC and Android Phone works?



If an app is launched, it will open in a separate window, allowing the users to multi-task and saving the sign-in or set up hassles.

Your Phone app


Therefore, you can pin your phone’s Android apps to Windows 10 taskbar or Start menu for a quick and easy access, so that you can easily check your social feed or order for lunch without ever picking up your phone.

And whether you're working on a doc, or keeping up with friends on your social media or perhaps, you are simply staying connected with family, everything is accessible in one place.

Why Exclusively on Samsung Galaxy Note 20?



Microsoft and Samsung had been developing the feature in an exclusive long-term partnership, so that the new Your Phone features will first arrive on Samsung devices.

And the Android app support for Windows 10 as one of such features is only available on the recently released Galaxy Note 20 via the Link to Windows integration.

However, it is believed that the feature will be coming to more Samsung Galaxy devices soon, and it might also arrive for other Android devices subsequently.

Microsoft brings Android App Support to Windows 10 Via Your Phone

Joker malware


Joker Malware is a family of prevalent Android malware, notorious for billing fraud and spyware capabilities, that was first discovered in 2017.

Infamously called Joker, the malware has found a new trick to bypass Google's Play Store security by obfuscating the malicious DEX file as Base64 encoded strings, and then decodes and loading it on the compromised devices.

According to Check Point’s researchers, the new variant of Joker is fully capable of downloading additional malware to the compromised device, and stealthingly subscribing the user to premium services.

The malware hides under the guise of legitimate apps to subscribe unsuspecting Android users for premium services without their consent or knowledge.

Joker's earlier Malware Campaigns



Joker was first discovered in 2017, as one of the most prevalent Android malware, notorious for billing fraud and spyware capabilities, including stealing SMSes, contact lists, and device information.

Earlier campaigns involving Joker were uncovered by Trend Micro, with a number of malware-infected Android apps which are repeatedly finding ways to exploit security gaps in Google's Play Store malware checks.

The authors behind the large-scale malware operation have resorted to a variety of ways to avoid detection, like using encryption to hide strings from analysis engines, and fake reviews to lure unsuspecting users into downloading the apps.

The old technique was referred to as versioning that involves initially uploading a clean version of the app, and then later, loading malicious code via app updates.

Joker using Android Manifest to hide Malicious DEX File



The lastest trick by Joker involves using Android Manifest to hide its Malicious DEX File, while the goal remains the same, it leverages the Android app's manifest file, which it uses to load a Base64 encoded DEX file or a similar technique of hiding the .dex file as Base64 strings.

And for subscribing Android users to premium services without their knowledge or consent, the new Joker utilizes two components, namely: the Notification Listener and a dynamic dex file loaded from the C&C server to perform the fraudulent registration.

Therefore, it's recommended that Android users should check their mobile and transaction history to see if there are suspicious payments that they don't recognize. Additionally, they should scrutinize the permissions granted to every app installed on their Android device.

Joker Malware: Notorious for Billing fraud returns bypassing Google's Play Store



Google has removed all AnTuTu Benchmark apps from the Play Store, including AnTuTu Benchmark, AnTuTu 3D Bench, and the latter version for the evaluation of AI performance.

While the reason for removal is probably the policy violations tied to Cheetah Mobile, which happens to be a shareholder in AnTuTu Benchmark. According to Amelie Liu, the Global Marketing Manager of Antutu, Cheetah Mobile only invested in the company around 2014, whereas Antutu was founded in 2011, even before Cheetah Mobile.

Google took down the AnTuTu benchmark apps from the Play Store as part of its effort to kick out apps related to Cheetah Mobile that violates its policies.

How AnTuTu got into Google's trouble?



The Chinese company, Cheetah Mobile has a reputation for bad practices, as regards privacy and security of users on its apps. And recently, Google took action by removing all the Cheetah Mobile apps from the Play Store.

Google believes that the popular benchmarking apps are also the property of Cheetah Mobile, due to the fact that AnTuTu used the legal services from Cheetah Mobile, with their privacy policy linking to the address of cmcm.com, the Cheetah Mobile official website.

Albeit, Antutu’s ‘non-HTTPS’ website never mentioned Cheetah Mobile anywhere, but the Wikipedia page has Cheetah Mobile as the developer. And also, the CM page of Cheetah Mobile lists Antutu as one of its apps. Now that Antutu Benchmark apps have all been removed from Google Play Store, how do you download and install them on your Android device?

How to Download AnTuTu Benchmark APK for Android



The AnTutu Benchmark tools help users to find out the potential of their Android device, with the test factors including the device’s multitasking power, graphics performance, and CPU - using all to assign an overall score.

Now, the official Antutu website offers the APK file in place of the Google Play Store download button. And you can also find it on popular APK download websites, such as APKPure.com, APKMirror.com and AppsAPK.com, among others.

AnTutu, however released a statement that it is a misunderstanding on Google’s end, and hope that Google can examine the company's account carefully to resolve this misunderstanding as soon as possible.

AnTuTu Missing on Play Store? Download AnTuTu Benchmark APK for Android

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