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Blackphone bug bounty program unveiled

Blackphone is the mobile device that debuted back in June of this year. The phone is focused on privacy and security more than anything else. The Blackphone group has announced a new bug bounty program that will pay people who find bugs in the smartphone.



Blackphone says that the program is more than simply paying folks who find and report bugs. The program is also designed to provide transparency with the industry so everyone knows how many vulnerabilities have been discovered with the platform and who discovered them.


Starting out, the bug bounty program will pay out at least $128 for each bug and there is no maximum award limit at this time. In addition to awarding cash, Blackphone will also award prizes and gifts that vary with the significance of the vulnerability and how it affects the company mission. There is also an annual award in the works.


The only thing that Blackphone asks to those searching for bugs and trying to claim some of the rewards is that they don’t do anything that will disrupt service to users. There will be a system in place in the future for testing DDOS and other service interruption techniques.


SOURCE: Blackphone





WhoSampled music discovery app comes to Android

For true-blue music geeks, finding out the DNA or origin of songs is something that thrills them. After all, as filmmaker Kirby Ferguson says, Everything Is A Remix. But while Google (or Wikipedia) is always there if you want to research, it would be handy to have an app that has a wide database to do that for you. Award-winning app WhoSampled is now finally available on Android, and it is a music aficionado’s dream come true (well, if you’re into that sort of thing).



WhoSampled claims that they have the “largest database of sample-based music” and it is through this that it can let you know what previous songs the artist sampled on this particular track or if there are other songs that have sampled it already. The songs have detailed information, including which artists have done a cover of it. And it is through this discovery of where the song has been or who has experimented with it, then you get to be exposed to new kinds of music which you might enjoy as well.


The app scans your device’s music library and gives you the information you want, if the song is included in their database. And even if a certain song or artist isn’t in your library, you can still search for any song in its extensive database. You can even compare the similar songs side by side and see (or rather, listen) the similarities and differences between them. If you like a certain song, you also have the option to buy them through the connected payment systems.


Of course, sharing these musical trivias that you’ve discovered is important, so all the sharing features are present. You can also look at certain unique musical charts and other “top-rated content” just to make you stay within the app, if the prospect of just looking at songs’ music histories is not enough. WhoSampled is completely free from the Google Play Store.


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SOURCE: WhoSampled


HeadsUp forks Android L’s future type of notifications

As users continue to add more and more apps to their mobile devices, it’s also becoming more important to have an efficient notification system that will stop you from going bonkers. One of the rumored features of the upcoming Android L is a heads up, floating type of notification, which will make it easier to view and handle them. Several apps have already tried to imitate this feature and one of the newer ones is called, what else, HeadsUp.



Actually, the heads up style was already embedded in the source code of Android KitKat and several developers have already come up with stand-alone apps that do this. HeadsUp is actually a fork of one such app, AcDisplay, but with several improvements. You can prioritize which notifications from which apps you really want to see, since not all of them are useful at all. For those apps that you don’t really need to be updated on, you can just disable them through HeadsUp.


You also have the option of enabling notifications even while you’re in full screen mode on certain apps or you can choose to have it not show on specific ones, like if you don’t want to be disturbed while watching a movie or taking a phone call. You also have the option of not hiding the notifications when you’re on “touch outside” mode.




While it is open source and licensed under the GPL, you don’t need to root your Android device to be able to use the app. It will work for devices that are running Jelly Bean 4.1. You can download HeadsUp for free from the Google Play Store.


heads1 heads2 heads3 heads4


VIA: XDA Developers





Android One hardware recovery and root land

We have talked about the Android One devices already. These are the cheap Android devices aimed at emerging markets. Several manufacturers are making Android One smartphones including the Micromax Canvas A1, Karbonn Sparkle V, and Spice Dream Uno.



The good news for Android fans in countries where these devices are available is that recovery and root software is now available. The root owes some of its existence to the fact that all of these Android One devices have publicly available kernel source.


Developer varun.chitre15 at XDA Developers was able to get ClockworkMod recovery ported to all of the Android One devices available. The custom recovery and root access opens the doors for all sorts of custom ROMs for these smartphones.


One thing that people thinking about rooting their Android One device need to know is that, ClockworkMod is currently unable to mount the external SD card of the device. Developers are working on that issue.


SOURCE: xda-developers





Nexus 9 launch rumor points to mid-Oct, Android L Nov 1

We live on rumors around here as we wait in anticipation for the latest smartphones to land just like the rest of you. We have heard launch rumors in the past for the next generation Nexus 9 smartphone launching on October 16. A new rumor is making the rounds that supports that Nexus 9 mid-October launch date.



This rumor reportedly comes from two sources that claim to be familiar with Google's plans for the Nexus 9 launch. The launch is pegged for October 15 or 16 by these sources. Along with the new sources of detail on the Nexus 9 also comes a tidbit about a new smartphone.


The details on this new smartphone are very unclear at this time, but the thought is this might be the rumored Moto Nexus device. Along with that new smartphone hardware will also come something tipped as a new software initiative.


The thought is this new software might be Android L's official launch. The sources claim that Android L will be officially available November 1. What the sources didn't know is if that November 1 date for Android L will be when new Nexus hardware ships with the OS or when other devices will have access to the software.


SOURCE: Android Authority


XDA Xposed Tuesday: How to Shut Up Your Phone – XDA Developer TV

lessfrequentnotifications

So many different applications want to send us notifications that sometimes the vibration and message tone is non-stop. And as a citizen of this Earth let me tell you, it’s not just annoying to you, it is often more so to others. So be kind to your neighbors and control your phone.


In this episode of XDA Xposed Tuesday, XDA Developer TV Producer TK reviews an Xposed Module that lets you minimize the amount of notification sounds your phone plays. XDA Senior Member ofmb created the Less Frequent Notification module. TK shows off the modules and gives his thoughts, so check out this Xposed Tuesday video.




Be sure to check out other great XDA Developer TV Videos



The post XDA Xposed Tuesday: How to Shut Up Your Phone – XDA Developer TV appeared first on xda-developers.


Kindle Unlimited book service hits the UK

Back in July, Amazon launched its new all you can read eBook service called Kindle Unlimited. At launch, the service was available in the US only leaving everyone outside the States out. That has changed this week with Amazon announcing that Kindle Unlimited is now available in the UK.



The service is available in the UK right now for fans of digital books to try out with a free 30-day trial. After that 30-day trial is over, the UK version of Kindle Unlimited will set consumers back £7.99 per month.


That monthly fee will give access to 650,000 books along with thousands of audio books that can be synced across platforms where the Amazon mobile apps function. It's worth noting that in the US Kindle Unlimited gives access to about 50,000 additional books.


As with the US service, in the UK most books from major publishers aren’t offered. There are some major book series available though, including Harry Potter and The Hunger Games.


SOURCE: Engadget


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