400% Increase In Malware For Android

[JB3]

this doesn't seem to be an android problem per se, but a problem with how google services authenticate. this would mean this also could be a problem on your desktop, no matter which OS. from what i have read it must be a very trivial problem, which makes me wonder how on earth google could have missed it, and especially not reacted immediately. also they could severely limit the possibility to exploit this from their server side. i have the feeling something is missing here - i am curious to read details.

Unfortunately its all too 'Google' a problem. Even though I have a soft spot for Android, Google is one of the sloppiest companies I've ever seen when it comes to fit-finish and quality control. Needless to say, its clear that engineers run the company and not normal human beings.

 

[looseliam]

Hey! Engineers are people, too

 

[JB3]

Hey! Engineers are people, too

Sorta.

 

[Corny]

Unfortunately its all too 'Google' a problem. Even though I have a soft spot for Android, Google is one of the sloppiest companies I've ever seen when it comes to fit-finish and quality control

I am sure you have more to back this up?

Most of their software is in terms of quality superior to the competition right from an early start.

 

[maxpowr9]

I am sure you have more to back this up?

Most of their software is in terms of quality superior to the competition right from an early start.

Actually my problem with Apple is their close-mindedness compared to a company like Google, which in the long-run, I feel will hurt Apple in the smartphone market (or as I call it, pocket PC 2.0). I read this article in Wired today at the doctor's office (on my droid BTW). Reckon modding is not for everyone but it is something like this, which makes me love my phone.

 

[JB3]

I am sure you have more to back this up?

Most of their software is in terms of quality superior to the competition right from an early start.

Its not. Google has this horrible habit of neglecting to include basic features in their first release software, or half-assing their execution. Android is the perfect example of this.

EVERY major android release has been a 'beta' release that was inflicted on consumers.

-The original android was a disaster, offering a user experience that mimicked the iPhone's but seriously lacked in anything resembling polish. There was no media player, user customization was slim to none, and the system as a whole was unstable and slow. It was very much software that should never have been released to users.

-Android 2.0 was very much the same. It was very powerful and fixed many of the issues with Android 1.x. But again, there were too many half-assed features, or features that were ambitious but never got off the ground.

-Honeycomb is a repeat of all of this, just on a tablet scale. Its a great looking system, but its clearly been designed by an engineer. Two of the most used buttons on the screen are on opposite corners. Its slow, buggy, and generally not ready for release.

There are also a lot of niggling things that really show how little Google's engineers pay attention sometimes:

-There are no less than three different ways to copy/paste, and they aren't clear to the user.
-The user interface itself is a mess. It doesn't look like it was designed, it looks like 14 different engineers wrote apps and then they were combined into something resembling a final product.
-The music player still looks like shit. And it doesn't have lockscreen controls, which is a major oversight.
-No unified inbox for email
-A general lack of polish

A lot of these same issues have cropped up in other Google projects like Chrome, Wave, Buzz, Voice, and even Gmail. It can also be seen in how they run their search business. Generally, anything Google just has this unmissable stamp of 'created and approved by an engineer' on it. They eventually fix the issues, but anything 'new' for Google always is more challenging to use than it should be.

(It may seem like I'm picking on Google, but I'm not really. Android, for all its flaws, is still very, very good. iOS also has a lot of issues, but this post is about google)

 

[JB3]

Actually my problem with Apple is their close-mindedness compared to a company like Google, which in the long-run, I feel will hurt Apple in the smartphone market (or as I call it, pocket PC 2.0). I read this article in Wired today at the doctor's office (on my droid BTW). Reckon modding is not for everyone but it is something like this, which makes me love my phone.

Better to admit your close-mindedness like Apple than to run a flag of openness to the people, like Google, and behind your back be just as closed-minded as your competitor.

 

[andysayshi]

Here we go again!

Android malware and viruses have continued to proliferate, especially given that Android is now the dominant mobile OS. In the past 5 months, Android apps containing malware have surged by almost 500 percent.

Most of the growth in Android threats comes from applications, or apps, available from sites not associated with Google's Android Market, according to data Juniper collected as of November 10. Apple doesn't face the same issue because iPhone and iPad owners can only get applications from Apple's App Store, which is controlled by the company.

“The open nature of the Android system makes it more susceptible to attack,” Hoffman said in an interview. “If it's on a third-party site, Google can't remove it.”

Making malware is easier with Android software because the applications aren't checked, the source code is open and the apps can be sold on external sites, Hoffman said. Android is free and available for download by anyone, while Apple screens each application added to its store. With Android growing faster than Apple's system, it appeals to hackers seeking greater reach, he said. Of the thousands of infected Android apps, 55 percent contain spyware, which can gather data from phone use.

http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/...lware-surges-472-per-cent-20111116-1nhw2.html

The conclusion? If you use an Android device, and especially if you use Apps from sources outside the Google MarketPlace, it's essential to also use quality security apps as well. And personally, given this info, I'd never use an Android device for sensitive functions like banking transactions.