Android Malware Detection Provides False Security (Technology)

Today I'm going to discuss adware. Adware is contained in software to generate revenue for the software company. It pushes advertisements of apps and other products, which consists of marketing propaganda designed to evoke emotions in the targeted audience, who are technology consumers.

On an Android smartphone, advertisment revenue generated by adware is shared between Google and app developers for apps offered on the Play Store and by third party providers. Play Store also offers apps to detect adware, but sometimes its detection is misleading.

As an example of this, the antivirus app AVG gave a false positive for Play Music on my smartphone. When I checked out AVG Threatlabs for this "threat", it stated: "Beware of Adware! No potential malware has been detected for this android app for the last 7 days. However, active adware was detected. ( Last updated: Jul 14, 2016 )".

Gee, thank you, AVG; I know all apps have active adware.

As an AVG subscriber, my use of AVG and AVG Zen (a Device Manager clone) provides the company with monthly and yearly revenue, just so they can tell me adware is active on my devices.

It sems as though I'm paying for a false sense of security. So the easy fix is to cancel my subscriptions to AVG and avoid clicking on ads that seem sketchy.

According to the AVG Threatlabs website, Play Music contains active adware: as part of Google's marketing scheme, it is also being included with other useful software for smartphones (Android and iPhone) and desktop computers.

Yet Android adware is included in almost all apps on Google Play Store. Therefore the AVG Threatlabs message that warns me to "beware of adware" is a scare tactic used by the company to influence users of the AVG products to subscribe to their service.

My, how subtle is the marketing propaganda for AVG is.

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Here are optional instructions on how to turn off access to unknown sources of Android apps and how to opt out of ads targeting you. Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for what you do after reading these instructions.

Only two things need to be done:

1) Turn off access to third party providers Unknown Sources) of Android apps by turning that setting off in System Settings: Security under the heading Device Administration. The Unknown Sources option should be deactivated. If it's not, then I am going to assume you know what you are doing.

Optionally, you may want to control what ads you see.

2) In System Settings: Google: Services: Ads, you may opt out of interest-based ads and click on Ads by Google which will run Chrome, loading Ad Settings.

Note: Opting out won't completely stop ads — the Android Central article about Android Malware Scanners article provides details.

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Android Central: Android Malware Scanners: Should You Use One?

Preparing Nexus 4 for Android 5.10 Upgrade

Synopsis: to prepare your Nexus 4, first wipe cache partition and then upgrade to Android 5.10.

• Wiping Cache Partition
1. If your phone is on, hold the Power button to restart it.
2. Hold the appropriate device-specific buttons until you see the word "Start" in green and a large Android robot on its back.
   On the Nexus⁴: Press and hold the Volume Down, Volume Up, and Power buttons at the same time for several seconds.
3. Press the Volume Down button twice to highlight "Recovery mode," then press Power button. The words "Google" will show on the screen followed by an image of a small Android robot on its back with a red exclamation mark and the words "No command."
4. While holding down the Power button, press the Volume Up button. Some menu options will appear.
5. Use the volume buttons to scroll to "wipe cache partition" and press the Power button to select it. It takes up to 10 minutes to complete the process. Problems can occur if one is impatient and attempts to reboot during this process, so it's best to just let it complete.
6. After the cache is wiped, scroll to "reboot system now" and press the Power button again to restart the device.
• Note: If your phone becomes unresponsive at any point during these steps, you can restart it by holding down the Power button for several seconds.

To make the above instructions more meaningful, on Youtube is this video on how to wipe the cache partition on the Google Nexus 4.

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After clearing the cache, download and install the Android 5.10 OTA update.

Commentary: after wiping the cache partition, I upgraded my Nexus 4 to Android 5.1 without any issue.

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Reference:

Thanks to saadro for the Wiping cache partition instructions in: https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=80149#c86

'Casting Content (poem)

'Casting on the net is fun,
Wherever you are,
When you are doing it right.
For who can complain,
When consuming media?

Once, it used to be text, see?
With a modem,
I dial up a BBS —
Today, it is texting —
SMS and MMS.

Yet with two Android smartphones
You broadcast on TV —
Your forty-inch TV —
Pictures, music, and
Even videos — great, eh?

Even so, 'casting is new,
So new that it's like 1969
And Star Trek is in color —
'Casting is like that —
Lost in Space in monochrome.

That is modemming —
Lost in cyberspace back then
When it was all new
And shiny like the first kid
With color TV — great, eh?

One day, broadcasting content
Will be old — what then?
What will be the new toy, eh?
3D using your smarphone
With a thirty dollar toy?

Data Clouds (satire)

After reading that the Chinese government said Ubuntu, Windows and Android are not safe, I went to Google "EU and computer security Ubuntu" to see what I could learn to confirm this.

According to what I found, UK's security branch says Ubuntu is secure, and the Dutch concur.

However, data stored on cloud servers is vulnerable to US Patriot Act. See this article for more information: http://askubuntu.com/questions/58821/how-safe-is-eu-based-ubuntu-one-cloud-data

IMO the safety depends on the OS used.

Android is as safe as the smartphone owner wants it to be, without the complication of entering a throw-away password everytime I boot up my Linux PC. I don't rank securing my data on my smartphone as high as I do on my PC.

As for Windows, a weekly backup onto an external hard drive is recommend from the My Documents folder.

My security trick is I never save pictures I did not create unless it is related to a post on G+, and rely on G+ to store my photos safely. When Photos gets full, I look for the oldest pictures to back up. Sometimes I even purge old pictures if necessary.

Yes, I use G+ as backup for my photos. Drive could be used to archive the oldest album when I run out of space. Since Drive is a Google cloud, I consider it as a temporary file storage area to store these files until I need to store it on a flash drive or on CD-R or DVD-R disc.

However, I am not concerned because it's not full yet. Also, I can always start from scratch in the case of Google+ losing my pictures. That was the reason why I used G+ to backup my photos.

Of course, when I last upgraded my system in December, I used a partition I have created for the purpose to backup almost everything in my user directory. Currently that consists of about 25 MB on my current installation.

Now is the time to backup to format my backup partition and begin the long process of backing up my pictures.

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References:

Results for Googling "Eu and computer security ubuntu":
https://www.google.ca/search?q=Eu+and+computer+security+treaty&oq=Eu+and+computer+security+treaty&aqs=chrome..69i57.13893j0j1&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#q=Eu+and+computer+security+ubuntu

Chinese Government Says Ubuntu Windows and Android Are Not Safe; Launches New OS:
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Chinese-Government-Says-Ubuntu-Windows-and-Android-Are-Not-Safe-Launches-New-OS-418452.shtml

My Next Music Album (satire)

In this article, I am going to write about the creation of my next music album. With the help of two Android apps on my Nexus 4 smartphone and four Linux programs on my PC, a song is created using two source audio tracks derived from two video files created by one of the apps.

Please note that I have used javascript code to hide and show text depending on the familiarity of my followers with the Android apps and Linux programs mentioned in the rest of this article.

None of the links in the main text of this article will crash your computer and the link at the very end of the references points to the author of the code.

My reason for calling this article satire is that I could have written it without hiding any text at all. Then it would have only made sense to a fellow Linux hobbyist who also owns a smartphone with the same specifications as a Nexus 4, and wants to use the Android apps and Linux programs mentioned in the main text to create song too.

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Currently I am using my smartphone to create my next album, Sound of Colors Remixes with the help of the Android app, Color Sounds.

Using the Camera option of Color Sounds, I can create two Flash videos in which the video stream is used to create the audio stream of each video.

Once the videos are made, they are transferred to my PC using Bluetooth.

The following instructions assumes familiarity with Linux and with Blueman applet and familiarity with Nautilus and the Android app Color Sounds. It also assumes the user has Bluetooth File Transfer app on his Android phone and familiarity with using Blueman to pair and trust a phone with his PC.

For Bluetooth connectivity, my phone is paired with and trusted by my PC.

On my phone (a Nexus 4) I use the Bluetooth File Transfer app to turn on Bluetooth

On the PC, I use the Blueman applet to mount the phone's storage folder and use the file manager Nautilus.

After left clicking on the Blueman applet on the PC to bring up the Bluetooth Device window, I then highlight my smartphone and left clicking on the Browse button to access the smartphone.

(The alternative to the previous action is to right click on the Blueman applet on the PC to bring up the menu and left clicking on the Browse Files on Device option.)

After the previous action, the Nautilus window will appear showing storage folder contents on the phone labelled as a mount with the name of the Bluetooth identity of the phone e.g. Nexus4.

In the "Color Sounds" folder are the two video files.

Each file is named in the format of "camera_YYYYNNNN_HHMMSS.flv" where YYYY is the four-digit number corresponding to the year (e.g. 2014), NNNN is the session number which may be from 0001 to 9999 (e.g. 0004), and HHMMSS is the time from 00000 to 235959 (e.g. 190824). E.g. camera_20140004_190824.

Both files are cut from the "Color Sounds" folder on the phone and pasted into an appropriate subdirectory (e.g. nexus4/color_sounds) in the "video" folder of the user's home directory (e.g. ~/video) on the Linux PC.

After transferring both files from the phone to the PC, unmount the phone's storage folder and disconnect the phone using the Blueman applet.

Bluetooth is disconnected by accessing the Bluetooth Devices window which may still be on the desktop. If not, then right click on the Blueman applet to bring up the menu and left clicking on "Devices...".

At the top of the Bluetooth Devices window that appears is a tool list labelled Adapter, Device, View and Help. Left-click on Device:Disconnect.

Once the video files are on my PC, I convert them into MP3 audio files using the audio conversion program Gnac.

The following instructions assumes familiarity with the file manager Thunar. Actions used in Thunar assume each directory is displayed as Icons. It also assumes familiarity with Gnac. See Gnac manual for more instructions on use and how to select MP3.

Highlight both video files "camera_20140004_190824.flv" and "camera_201400004_191004.flv".

While mouse pointer is hovering over the highlighted files, right click and pick Rename...

The "Rename Multiple Files" window appears. It consists of an action area headlined with "Name" and "New Name".

Below the action area are the left action button and the right action button.

When the left action button is left clicked, a pick list consisting of seven actions (Audio Tags, Insert Date/Time, Insert/Overwrite, Numbering, Remove Characters, Search & Replace, Uppercase/Lowercase) appear.

When the right action button is left clicked, the pick list of Name only, Suffix only, and Name and Suffix appear.

A file-name consists of a file Name ("camera_20140004_190824") and a Suffix ("flv"). If you choose Name only, then the action described in the left action button only affects the name "camera_20140004_190824". If you choose Suffix only, then the action described in the left action button only affects the suffix "flv". If you only choose Name and Suffix, then the action described in the left action button affects the name and suffix ""camera_20140004_190824.flv".

Below the left and right action buttons is the options area which provides entry areas in context with the action chosen for the left action button.

In context with Search & Replace, there are two entry areas, Search For: and Replace With:.

After the "Rename Multiple Files" window appears, below the Name | New Name action area, choose "Search & Replace" from the left action button.

Check and make sure the right action button is set to "Name only".

First we change "0004" to "0110" in both video files, "camera_20140004_190824.flv" and "camera_201400004_191004.flv".

In the Search For: entry area enter "0004" and in the Replace With: entry area "0110"

Then left click on the Rename Files button.

The action area under New Name should list the files with the new filenames "camera_20140110_190824.flv" and "camera_20140110_191004.flv"

After renaming both files, close the Rename Multiple Files window.

Run Gnac.

Add "camera_20140110_190824.flv" and "camera_20140110_191004.flv" by left clicking on the plus button.

Choose the files in the subdirectory "videos/nexus4/color_sounds" of the user's home directory and left click on the Add button.

Then the audio files "camera_20140110_190824.mp3" and "camera_20140110_191004.mp3" are created by selecting MP3 and clicking on the Convert button.

At this point I move the two MP3 files to the appropriate subdirectory in the "music" folder of the user's home directory (e.g. ~/music/colorsounds) using the file manager Thunar.

In the "color_sounds" subfolder, highlight both audio files "camera_20140110_190824.mp3" and "camera_20140110_191004.mp3".

Right click on the highlighted files to bring up the menu action list and left click on Cut.

Create the subdirectory "colorsounds" in the "music" subdirectory of the user's home directory.

Then go to the subdirectory "colorsounds".

Right click to bring the menu action list and left click on Paste.

Highlight and right click on each audio files. Choose "Rename" from the pick list.

Rename file name in numerical sequence such as "Colorsounds001".

Click on "Rename" button to rename.

Repeat previous action on the remaining audio file.

You should have two audio files named "colorsounds001.mp3" and "colorsounds002.mp3".

After the audio files are created on my PC, I note the time length for each video using the sound editor Audacity.

Assumes familiarity with Audacity.

Run Audacity

Import the first file into Audacity and note the time length for that file on a piece of paper. Then undo the import.

Repeat import for the second audio file.

Then pick one of the audio files to be the main source track and adjust the time length of the remaining file to match the main source track. Next import the remaining audio file and perform "Mix and Render" on both tracks.

Asssumes familiarity with Audacity.
Assumes Audacity was not closed since previous action.
Assumes the audio files "colorsounds001.mp3" and "colorsounds002.mp3".
Assumes that "colorsounds001.mp3" has a time length of 34.725 seconds and "colorsounds002.mp3" has a time length of 40.125 seconds. The audio file chosen is "colorsounds002.mp3".

Import "colorsounds001.mp3" into Audacity.
Set Tempo so that the new time length will be 40.125 seconds.

Import "colorsounds002.mp3" into Audacity.

Select "Mix and Render" and commit to this action.

You should have one stereo track.

Create your song with a time length of between three and six minutes long.

Assumes Audacity is still running

With the stereo track just created, select all of the track by left clicking on the left information area of the track.

Mark and copy the whole track. Then paste the copy at the end of the current track.

Repeat the previous two instructions until you obtain a track greater than three minutes and less than six minutes.

Using the audio plugins Stereo Reverb, adjust Stereo Reverb for a large room, and click on OK button to confirm. Normalize the track. Check sound quality.

Use the Echo Delay Line or Feedback Delay Line as needed and click on OK button to confirm. Normalize the track. Check sound quality.

While the sound quality is not to your tastes do the following three steps until Step 4 is met:

1) Use Equalize set to RIAA. Click on OK button to confirm

2) Use C * Scape: Stereo delay & filters. Set bpm (beats per minute) to either 124.5 or 144.5 - I would suggest 144.5 for a fast rhythm. Set divider to 2, 3 or 4. I suggest 4. Set feedback to 0.75, dry to 0.25 and leave blend at 0.75 - note that you may change these settings according to your tastes. Click on OK button to confirm.

3) Normalize the track and check sound quality.

4) If the sound quality of the whole track is to your liking, then save the song to your album wherever on your disk you keep your new album and songs.

It is feasible to use Color Sounds on your smartphone to create a three to six minute movie if you have the room on your smartphone.

Just be aware that a 18 second video is approximately 33 megabytes (MB) long while a 34 second video is approximately 43 MB and a 40 second video is approximately 52 MB.

So total file size may vary from 1.26 to 1.83 times the time length, depending on the audio and video streams.

This implies that a three minute (180 second) video could vary from 227 MB to 330 MB in size or perhaps larger.

Then you could just convert the videos made to an MP3 audio file and use that as the source audio stream for your song.

However, the larger size of the video file would result in long wait times for the resulting audio file.

Therefore it is recommended to create video files of no longer than a minute at the most. Then convert to audio files, and use them to create your songs.

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Reference:

Android Apps at Google Play:

Both apps work on a Nexus 4 smartphone running Android version 4.4.3. Please test them out and see if they work on your smartphone.

Color Sounds: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.androidideas.colorsounds
See also at Android Ideas: http://androidideas.org/colorsounds/

Bluetooth File Transfer: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=it.medieval.blueftp
See also at Medieval Software: http://www.medieval.it/blueftp-android/menu-id-68.html


Linux Programs:

I currently use the waldorf version of Crunch Bang Linux. Most of the programs listed below works best on a Debian-based Linux. However, I have not tested any of them on any other system. Windows versions of the follow programs may or may not work as described.

Audacity: fast, cross-platform audio editor; http://audacity.sourceforge.net

Gnac: audio converter for GNOME; http://gnac.sf.net/

Nautilus: file manager and graphical shell for GNOME; http://www.gnome.org/projects/nautilus/

Thunar: File Manager for Xfce; http://www.xfce.org/

Show/hide text code used in this article is from: http://webtechnote.blogspot.ca/2012/09/showhide-text-in-blogger-with-javascript.html - Thank you, Garoner Geoffrey for providing this code.

Predicted Dates for Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) and 4.2

After the upgrade to Android 4.0.4 in late August 2012 for my smartphone, I thought I had the best upgrade ever.

Now with Android 4.2 on its way, my prediction for upgrade to Jelly Bean via my provider is within a year (by October 2013) and Android 4.2 by March 2014

Since these are predictions about when my provider will upgrade Android, I continue to wait patiently until the upgrades get pushed to my phone.

When those upgrades happen, I'll make a note of them in this blog entry.

Fix: Acer Liquid E - SMS working but no Internet

NOTE: do not try the factory reset procedure mentioned in this article without contacting the support team of your mobile carrier. Also the Lookout app recommendation is not a product endorsement.

For the week before April 23, my Acer Liquid E smartphone stopped allowing 2G & 3G data access to the mobile network.

Rebooting didn't work: I'd get 15 seconds of data access, and then it'd stop.

At this point, I decided that my goal is to make my smartphone work with help from my mobile carrier's support team (Basic Support and Tech Support).

After calling my mobile carrier's Basic Support line, I was instructed to reboot my phone and call back on a landline if that did not work.

So I rebooted my smartphone again. No go.

Then I called back on a landline, and was handed over to Tech Support who talked me through the factory reset procedure.

Overall time spent fixing this: about thirty minutes.

Goal attained: a working smartphone!! :)

Note: the mobile carrier support asked for ID information to confirm my ID and to give directions to confirm my ownership of the smartphone (IMEI #). I freely complied with the support team to attain the goal of a working smartphone.

Because Google has an open source policy on Android apps, it's possible for malware to get into the Android Market. This happened recently when 21 apps were removed after Android users complained about the problem.

The Lookout Mobile Security app may be useful for detecting the DroidDream rootkit malware which led to apps being removed.

However, it requires your gmail address and a password (NOT YOUR GMAIL PASSWORD) to backup data (contacts, call history & pictures) and locate a missing phone.

Lookout also gives you the option to use the backup and missing phone features. After using it, I realized that the following security procedures renders the use of Lookout moot, save for the missing phone feature.

A working smartphone must be lean in apps. This especially means NO GAMES. I state this because I used to randomly play a game app for hours until I got bored with it, only to delete that game and randomly pick another game I liked.

As well, website browsing should be limited to safe sites. This means NO PORN SITES because the majority of them may have java malware to compromise Android security.

In order to ensure that my phone keeps working, I can live without games and porn. As well, I will reduce the number of high risk apps on my phone.

To ensure that my smartphone never ends up stolen, I make sure to use it discreetly.

my first blog post via my Android

January 30, 2011:This is awesome.

I'd write more but the XT9 keyboard demands more pause for reflection.

In the future, comments like above will become as verbose as this comment. Only time will tell... :)

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Update: 20130202: This first blog post was made using Blogger-Droid.