Google expands password and phishing protection features in Chrome 79

Google Chrome 79 is rolling out in the stable channel on all platforms this week, and as always, there are loads of new browser features. Some of the most important new features are privacy and security-related. Here’s a highlight of what’s new.

Better Password Protection in Google Chrome

Back in February, Google launched the Password Checkup Chrome extension. This extension warned you when any of your usernames or passwords showed up in a data breach. In October, Google integrated this Password Checkup into the Google Account, making it accessible from passwords.google.com. Now, Chrome 79 is integrating this feature. It can be controlled in the “Sync and Google Services” section of Chrome’s Settings.

Here’s how it works, according to Google:

• Google maintains a database consisting of hashed copies of usernames and passwords exposed in data breaches. The data is encrypted with a secret key known only to Google.
• If you sign in to any website, Chrome sends a hashed copy of your entered username and password to Google. The data is encrypted with a secret key known only to Chrome, so no one – including Google – can derive your username or password.
• Google uses a technique called private set intersection with blinding to compare your hashed and encrypted username and password against their database – all without revealing any information about your or any other user’s login information.
• Only the user is notified if their username and password are compromised.

Real-time phishing protection

Google’s Safe Browsing service warns users if they’re visiting an unsafe website by checking a partial URL fingerprint (the first 32-bits of a SHA-256 hash) against a local blocklist updated every 30 minutes. Google never sees the full URL of the site you visit this way, and for the most part, they’re able to keep up with the thousands of phishing websites on the web. However, some phishing sites switch domains very quickly or hide from Google’s web crawlers, resulting in them slipping under Safe Browsing’s 30-minute refresh window.

In response, Google is enabling real-time phishing protection in Chrome 79. Now, Chrome will anonymously check the URL of websites you visit that aren’t on its safe-list (a local list of thousands of popular websites known to be safe). Google says this new real-time phishing protection has resulted in a 30% increase in protection as users are now warned about newly discovered malicious sites that previously slipped under Safe Browsing’s 30-minute refresh window. This feature can be controlled by the user with the “Make searches and browsing better” setting.

Expanded predictive phishing protection

Back in 2017, Google launched predictive phishing predictions to warn users if they enter their Google Account password into suspected phishing sites. Until now, this protection was only enabled for users who turned on sync in Chrome. Now, this protection is expanding to work for everyone signed in to Chrome – with or without sync enabled. Furthermore, this feature now works with all passwords stored in Chrome’s password manager – not just your Google Account password.

Visual update to Chrome profiles

If you have multiple Google Accounts signed in to Chrome, you’ll see a new visual representation of the profile you’re currently using. The profile menu itself has also received a new look. Both of these UI changes were done for the sake of ensuring you know you’re saving your passwords to the right profile.

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Many of these new features were developed at the Google Safety Engineering Center (GSEC), a hub of privacy and security product engineers in Munich. These newly announced features will be rolled out gradually with the latest Chrome release.

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Google announces Android 10 for Android TV alongside a new ADT-3 developer device

Android runs on over 2.5 billion devices around the world. Most of those devices are smartphones, but there are also millions of smartwatches, tablets, televisions, and set-top boxes. Android for TVs and STBs, also called Android TV, is much more tightly controlled by Google than Android for smartphones. Manufacturers of TVs and STBs, along with operators, aren’t allowed to make many modifications to the core Android TV experience, so what you see with each new release of Android TV is basically what you’ll get on any given device. Today, Google announced the Android 10 update for Android TV along with a new testing device for developers – the ADT-3.

Android 10 on Android TV

Google announced the stable Android 10 update for smartphones back in early September, but they held off on announcing the update for TVs. That’s because the Android version customized for TVs operates under a different release schedule. However, Android TV is still based on AOSP, so the move to a new OS version brings with it several under-the-hood changes that apply to both smartphones and TVs. Notably, Android 10’s new security and privacy features, such as the introduction of TLS 1.3, will help secure user data from malicious apps built for the platform. Project Mainline support will enable Google to serve updates to key framework components directly from the Play Store – bypassing the need for OEMs/operators to push an update. Features like Live Caption, currently a Pixel smartphone exclusive, could be implemented on TVs since the underlying API is part of the Android framework.

In the press release, Google didn’t note any Android TV-specific UX changes or new features, so this announcement may seem a bit underwhelming. I would argue that that’s a good thing, though. Thanks to reduced fragmentation, Android TV doesn’t need major OS upgrades to introduce new features and experiences, unlike on Android for smartphones. Developers can take advantage of Android 10’s new APIs by targeting API level 29 in their apps.

ADT-3 Developer Device

In order to properly develop for the platform, developers need a test device running the latest OS version. The ADT-2 was announced at Google I/O 2018 as a testbed for Android 9 Pie, and the new ADT-3 is, as you might expect, a testbed for the new Android 10 release. It’s a small set-top box with a quad-core A53 CPU, 2GB of DDR3 memory, and 4K60 HDR HDMI 2.1 video output. It’s been pre-certified to run Google apps and services, and it’s guaranteed to receive updates and security patches from Google. The device will be sold to interested developers through an OEM partner in the coming months.

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In mid-September, Google shared a preview of the Android 10 OS release (and their roadmap for the next two Android versions) at the annual International Broadcasting Convention (IBC). This presentation was given to TV/STB manufacturers, operators, and content providers, but it provides a nice overview of Google’s long-term plans for the platform. Google is clearly invested in the success of their TV business, though we wish the same could be said for their smartwatch ecosystem.

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Waze’s new “Snow Warning” allows users to report unplowed roads

As beautiful as snow can be, it makes driving in the winter much more difficult (and dangerous). What makes it even more of a challenge is you don’t really know how bad the road conditions are until you get out there. The roads could be cleared and totally fine or still piled high with snow. Waze is rolling out a new feature to help with this called “Snow Warning.”

Waze has a number of warnings for things like speed traps, accidents, traffic slow-downs, hazards, and more. Google has also been slowly adding these features to Google Maps. Waze is still the leader in community-powered traffic alerts, and now Snow Warnings aim to help drivers in the winter months. Built in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Transportation, Snow Warnings gives users more weather-related options.

The Snow Warning feature allows users to report unplowed roads, icy roads, hail, and other weather conditions. The icy roads alert could potentially be life-saving as black ice is a major road hazard. Users can see these Snow Warnings in real-time as they are driving or they can check the live map to scope out the conditions ahead of time. The feature is available now in more than 185 countries on Android and iOS.

Waze - GPS, Maps, Traffic Alerts & Live Navigation (Free, Google Play) →

Via: 9t05Google

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This Pocket Sensor Helps You Match Colors From the Real World

Anyone who has used Photoshop or other design software will be familiar with the eyedropper. This tool lets you capture the color of any pixel on your screen. But what if you could grab colors from the real world as inspiration? You can with the Nix Mini Color Sensor V2. This pocket-sized device works on most surfaces, and it can even help you find matching paint. You can get one now for $71.40 when you use code MerrySave15 at the XDA Developers Depot.

From website design to home decor, color is a major part of many creative projects. Finding exactly the right shade can be tricky. When you stumble upon that perfect hue, the Nix Mini 2 will help you capture the color.

To use the sensor, you place it flat against any surface. Built-in lights ensure an accurate color reading, with the results sent to your phone in seconds. Scanned colors are saved as sRGB HEX, CMYK, and LAB codes. In addition, the Nix app searches through 100,000 branded paints for a perfect match.

The app also lets you create custom color palettes and share your scans with friends and family.

Normally priced at $99, the Nix Mini 2 is now $71.40 this holiday season with code MerrySave15.

 

Nix Mini Color Sensor V2 – $71.40 w/ code MERRYSAVE15

See Deal

Prices subject to change

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Honor 9X Durability Test – Are Pop-Up Cameras Durable?

The Honor 9X comes in the form of Honor’s budget entry for their 2019 smartphone options. A common sacrifice you’ll find among budget phones is lower quality materials. Using lower quality materials is a logical way to keep costs down while still offering decent specs. The Honor 9X has a simple plastic back and a noticeably softer rim than some of Honor’s flagship phones. The phone still offers great performance with the Kirin 710F and up to 6GB of RAM. We put the phone through a durability test see if this budget option can withstand basic drops and scratches.

While testing the screen against key scratches, the Honor 9X shows no damage at all. The screen also survived several drops onto different surfaces, without any cracks appearing. The “full view” phone doesn’t have any notches or camera holes cut into the screen that could sacrifice the integrity of the display. This results in an overall stronger glass display that adds to the durability of the phone.

An area where we saw the most damage was the soft rim of the phone. Our drop tests showed scratch marks appearing after the very first drop. As long as you don’t have any major impacts on the top of the phone (where the selfie camera and sim tray are located) your Honor 9X should survive with only minor scratches on the rim. The back of a phone is a common place to shatter on impact, for many phones. This is much less likely to happen on the Honor 9X due to the strong plastic material used to make the back of the device.

Honor 9X with minor damage to the corner

The motorized pop-up selfie camera was a big area of concern for durability. Dropping your phone while the selfie camera is out could be a bad situation if your phone falls just right. Honor addressed this by implementing falling detection, which will retract the camera back into the phone when the Honor 9X begins to drop.

It is worth noting that the Honor 9X comes with a silicone case that will protect it from scratches and minor drops. Check out the video to see these tests in action.

Honor 9X Forums

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Accessories Review: Aukey and RAVPower Chargers, Cables, Power Banks, USB Hub, and Storage

Phone accessories can often be indispensable, especially to power users. Whether by trying to extend battery life or listening to some tunes, you probably use some smartphone accessories regularly, if not daily. From earphones to cables, charging bricks, and power banks, these enhance our smartphone experience by accentuating their pros or diminishing their cons. In this article, we will be taking a look at various phone accessories from Aukey and RAVpower, including chargers, cables, and power banks to help you compare and contrast some of the most competitive products in each category.

All accessories in this article were provided by Aukey and RAVPower for review. However, neither had any involvement in the content of this article. All views expressed herein are of the author himself.

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Chargers

AUKEY 63W Dual-Port PD Wall Charger

The Aukey 63W Dual-Port PD Wall Charger is a very nice dual charger. It has two USB C ports with high wattage output. The second USB C port can output a full 60W of power while the first one can only do 18W. If you are using both ports, the charger will limit the first USB C port to 45W to give the second one a full 18W of power. This is useful if you are looking to charge both your laptop and phone quickly, as it should still provide enough power to fast charge both devices.

It does support USB PD-3.0 with dynamic detect, so you’ll be able to get fast charging in phones or laptops that support USB PD-3.0. This makes it a very reliable and relatively universal charger for most Type C devices.

The dual charger uses a GaN technology that actually reduces the weight of the charger by 30% and increases efficiency by 10%, but you probably won’t notice this since most users don’t really look at the power efficiency or weight of a charger. The charging brick is of a good size, coming in at 2.64″ x 2.52″ x 1.14″, so it will easily fit into your bag without issue if you are traveling, and it will also fit into the wall outlet while leaving other nearby outlets open, something that is very rare with high wattage chargers like this.

Aukey Dual Charger

AUKEY 30W PD Wall Charger

The Aukey 30W PD wall charger is an insanely nice charger. It lets you fit a lot of wattage into a pretty small package. This uses the same GaN technology as the 63W dual charger above, which means it’s light and efficient while also being very small. It comes in at 1.42″ x 1.42″ x 1.26″, which is very close in size to the 5W iPhone charger Apple has included with its products for years. It has a single USB C port that outputs 30W with USB PD 3.o. For its compact size, the charger is insanely good.

Aukey 30W Wall Charger

AUKEY 18W PD Car Charger

The Aukey 18W car charger is also a good product. It has a very low profile that causes less obstruction, and for that, this small charger puts out a lot of power. While 18W might not sound like a lot, it is easily able to fast charge my Pixel 4 in the car for a quick top-up while traveling. Unlike the other two chargers, this one uses USB PD-2.0. This difference isn’t a huge deal at 18W, but it should still work out well. It has a single USB C port for power.

Aukey 18W Car Charger

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Cables

Aukey sent me two different cables, the USB Type-C to USB Type-C cable, and the lightning to USB Type-C cable. Both cables are the same in quality and build. They have a very neat braided nylon wrap that protects the cable and feels durable yet premium. This just isn’t something you can say about a lot of cables. They really shouldn’t break from constant bending, but that’s always a possibility if you abuse any cable hard enough. Both cables came with cable ties, but the USB Type-C cable came with a more premium leather band while the Lightning cable came with a cheaper plastic one. The USB C to Lightning cable comes in at a length of 1.2 meters or 3.9 feet. The USB C to USB C cable comes in at 2 meters or 6.6 feet.

The USB C to USB C cable supports up to 60W of power, so you can comfortably use it to charge your USB C laptop. The USB C to Lightning cable supports up to 18W, the maximum power lightning devices can support. Both cables support up to 480Mbps of data transfer. It’s going to be a fast and good cable for your USB C or Lighting devices.

The USB C cable comes in at $16, but at the time of writing, it’s on sale for $10. This is an amazing price for the quality and the length of cable you are getting. The lightning cable cost $22, but at the time of writing, it’s on sale for $16. The lightning cable is a little more expensive and shorter than the USB C cable, but that’s because of the Apple Lightning certification. Even though it’s a little more expensive, it’s not a terrible cable and it’s probably worth the price at $16 if you need a new cable for an Apple product.

Aukey USB C to USB C Cable || Aukey USB C to Lightning Cable

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Powerbanks

AUKEY 8000mAh Wireless Charging Power Bank

The Aukey 8000mAh Wireless Charging Power Bank carries 8,000 mAh of power for your devices, which can just about charge a lot of modern smartphones twice. Even if it isn’t the biggest capacity ever, the USB output and size make up for it.  It has two USB ports: a Quick Charge 3.o capable slot and another standard USB. It also has a USB Type C input/output port and Micro USB input on the side. This makes it a one-size-fits-all solution that gives you almost every charging option you could possibly need for mainstream mobile devices outside of the Apple ecosystem.

Now, what makes this product even more interesting is that it is also a wireless charger. Wireless chargers aren’t very efficient and they are pretty slow, especially with just 5W of power output through this medium. If you had a choice between wireless charging and USB charging, USB charging is the way to go because it supports QuickCharge 3.0 with an 18W output. That said, you can use it to charge wearables or wireless earbuds and also passively charge devices in case you don’t have access to cables. The use case for wireless charging through this power bank is, therefore, more of convenience instead of speed or efficiency.

Aukey Wireless Charging Battery

RAVPower Portable Charger 10000mAh

The idea of having a small charger with a high-capacity is very good, in theory. In reality, this battery pack ends up being a little too bulky for my taste. RAVPower went for a narrow and thick design. This means it’s uncomfortable in your pocket, while a lot of other batteries are not. Ignoring the shape and size, the battery is great. It has a USB C port for both charging and discharging with Power Delivery. This Type C port can output 29W of power, which is perfect for the size. Along with the Type C port, it also has a iSmart USB A port.

My other issue with this battery is the capacity. While it is a comparatively high-capacity, phones are launching with 4000 mAh to 5000 mAh batteries, making the power bank good for two full charges. Though, there are other units that have better shape and design.

RAVPower 10000 mAh battery

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USB Hub

AUKEY 4-in-1 USB-C Hub with Wireless Charging

This USB C hub is actually one of my favorite accessories Aukey sent over in their Omnipower kit. This is a really cool powerhub for a laptop. You connect it to your laptop with the USB Type C and you’re good to go. It has 2 USB A 3.0 ports, 1 USB C pass-through for power and data, and an HDMI port. Those 4 ports go along with the wireless charger built into the hub. You can connect a few different accessories to it, making it a very useful hub. Though keep in mind that its ideal use case is on a stationary desk rather than on the move.

Aukey 4 in 1 USB Type-C Hub

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Storage

RAVPower Mini External SSD Hard Drive

This SSD is very small and very fast. It has a small aluminum and plastic body. The body is about 4 inches x 1 inch while being very light as well. It makes it feel like an all-around awesome SSD. The unit RAVPower sent me is a 512GB drive but there is a 1TB option as well. This drive has a USB Type-C port with USB 3.1 Gen 2, which is amazing because this allows for a lot of data throughput. The drive supports up to 540 Mbps in data transfer speed. In my usage, this was pretty accurate.

There is a catch, though. RAVPower partitions the SSD with a separate drive specifically for their encryption software. This by itself is not an issue as the partition is just about 100Mb. The issue is with that software itself. Windows Explorer recognizes it as a virus, VirusTotal even found 35 engines in the software. It’s hard to recommend a product that has a “virus” included with absolutely no way to remove it. RAVPower sent me an updated .exe file, but I couldn’t test it because Gmail wouldn’t let me download the file because of a virus scan issue too! We are unable to confirm if the SSD is absolutely safe, hence, we are consciously avoiding a direct link to the product.

READ MORE: If you’re interested in more RAVPower accessories, Adam Conway reviewed the RAVPower PD Pioneer 20,000mAh power bank.

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You can now send an email as an attachment in Gmail

Gmail as an email service from Google needs no introduction. Launched in 2004, Gmail boasts of more than 1.5 Billion users as of last year, showing off how many users rely on it for their daily emailing needs. If you count yourself as someone who uses Gmail every day, you would be glad to know that you can now send emails as attachments to emails, without needing to download them either.

Get attached to this #gmail update: You can now attach emails to other emails without downloading them. Learn more → https://t.co/pINcInu7bh pic.twitter.com/nstzFdN0Im

— Gmail (@gmail) December 9, 2019

Many users would find themselves in situations where a few emails need to be forwarded to the same set of recipients. Conventionally, all of these emails would be separately forwarded to the set of recipients, in turn littering their inboxes with threads of emails that they now need to keep track of. While this worked to serve its purpose, it wasn’t the most ideal solution.

Now, Gmail lets you attach emails to emails. This makes the most sense in the abovementioned scenario, where multiple emails all relate to similar topics and are intended to be sent to the same set of recipients. Sending emails as an attachment thus opens up the possibility to write a summary email message and then attach the entire set of supporting emails, which can then be opened up by the recipients in their email client. This helps keep the recipient’s email cleaner and better organized.

To attach emails to an email, you can drag and drop them into the draft window, or select the emails and then from the overflow (three-dot) menu select “Forward as attachment”. To reply to an existing thread with an attachment, you can pop-out the compose window and then drag and drop emails to it. The attached email in all these instances becomes a .eml file. When a .eml email attachment is clicked on, it will open in a new window.

This feature is rolling out to Gmail users gradually. To check if you have received this feature, you can try to locate the “Forward as attachment” option in the overflow menu.

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