Tag Archive for: crop

Many new malicious Android apps crop up, delete them now before they steal your data and cash

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If you’ve downloaded an interesting-looking Android app from Google Play anytime in the last few weeks that for one reason or another felt… kind of sketchy, you might want to check out our latest list of malicious titles caught red-handed by various security researchers employing different data and money-stealing tricks.

While most of these have been promptly kicked out of the official Play Store, at least three apps are still available for new installations at the time of writing, including one that’s racked up over 50,000 downloads around the world, and perhaps more worryingly, a 4.8-star user rating average based on 900+ reviews.

The bulk of those reviews are most likely fabricated, mind you, with a number of others correctly identifying the app as a “fraud” or “total fake”, highlighting one of the easiest ways to avoid these types of dangers. But before elaborating on that, let’s break down the list promised above in two smaller lists.

Here are the newest malicious Android apps you need to get rid of

  • Document Manager
  • Coin track Loan – Online loan
  • Cool Caller Screen
  • PSD Auth Protector
  • RGB Emoji Keyboard
  • Camera Translator Pro

And these are some slightly older apps also discovered carrying malware

  • Fast PDF Scanner
  • Air Balloon Wallpaper
  • Colorful Messenger
  • Thug Photo Editor
  • Anime Wallpaper
  • Peace SMS
  • Happy Photo Collage
  • Original Messenger
  • Pellet Messages
  • Smart Keyboard
  • Special Photo Editor
  • 4K Wallpapers
Unless you’re extremely adventurous (read reckless) and you like to be among the first few people in the world to try out shady apps with features that are in no way special or unique, the chances of you finding any of these titles installed on your phones are microscopic.

 

Unfortunately, we can’t say the same about the first group, which includes at least three apps that managed to break into the five-digit Google Play download territory at one point or another. In theory, that puts tens of thousands if not more than 100,000 Android users in danger of having money, passwords, and other types of personal information stolen without mercy.

Their tricks are taken straight from “popular” Joker and Hydra playbooks, in case you’re wondering, collecting…

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A new crop of shopping tools aims to help consumers beat the supply chain crunch

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“I’ve never been a gambler, but I can absolutely say there’s a thrill to getting something that you know seconds later will be gone,” he said. “It’s almost indescribable. It’s the opposite of FOMO [the fear of missing out]. There’s a huge dose of serotonin the second you get that ‘order completed’ screen.”

Where people once fought over luxuries like concert tickets and Supreme drops, now they’re fighting for household essentials and medical supplies. The grayed-out “purchase” button on websites everywhere is emblematic of a consumer era when virtually everything is at our fingertips, but also perpetually just out of reach.

In response, a small but dedicated community of programmers, journalists and social media content creators has sprung up to announce whenever a retailer such as Amazon or Walmart have restocked, or “dropped,” more product. Over the course of the pandemic, these stock hunters have devised ever more sophisticated methods for learning about impending drops earlier and earlier — and for notifying what has become a loyal following numbering in the hundreds of thousands for some accounts.

Demand for their services is so high, some have transformed stock-hunting into a full-time job, earning a bit of cash every time a user clicks an alert or pays for a subscription feature. Every in-stock notification acts as a dinner bell ringing across the internet, prompting a mad scramble as shoppers try to shave precious seconds off their efforts to secure a Covid test, a game console or a popular children’s toy. For many, it’s even become its own form of entertainment.

“Just getting the gaming console is kind of a game in itself,” said Marc Holgate, founder of the tracking app HotStock.io.

As long as supplies remain tight, the incentive for shoppers to turn to these tools will continue to grow. And the more people flock to these tools, the harder it may become for other shoppers to avoid using them for fear of missing out on an important shopping advantage.

The rise of professional stock hunters

What many widely followed stock hunters have in common is that they began as ordinary consumers themselves, looking for a coveted item.

Matt Swider, a New York-based technology…

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Plum High teacher among newest crop of state certified computer science educators

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Plum High School math teacher Tamar McPherson recently joined an elite group of educators dedicated to the future of technology-based learning.

She is one of 38 teachers in the state to become certified in computer science grades 7-12 through the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The professional development opportunity was made possible through the state’s PAsmart initiative.

Created by Gov. Tom Wolf, PAsmart provides resources on educational training opportunities focusing on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

“PDE is committed to providing certification pathways for educators interested in attaining their computer science certification,” said Kendall Alexander, department spokesperson.

McPherson said she sought the certification to better educate young learners and grow Plum’s computer science program.

“It’s important,” she said. “With everything being digitized, everything being related to computers somehow, I think that it’s important that some kids get experience. They may not all be software engineers, but they can work in information technology or information science or cyber security. There are a lot of different fields that they can get into.”

Math was something that came easy to McPherson.

“The running joke when I was a little kid was, ‘Just call her ‘Doctor’ and get it over with,’” she said. “It was something they said when I was 8 (years old).”

McPherson graduated from Pittsburgh’s Allderdice High School in 1994 and earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh in 1999.

She would go on to work for years as a engineer in research and development for a biomedical company that made materials for hip and knee implants before becoming a teacher.

High school Principal Joe Fishell said district is lucky to have McPherson on its roster.

“Mrs. McPherson is an amazing teacher who has worked tirelessly for her students.” Fishell said. “She saw an opportunity to lead her department in this area and was confident that she could accomplish great things. What an inspiration to her students and colleagues. I extend my greatest congratulations to her.”

McPherson joined the…

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