This WhatsApp vulnerability may let hackers read your encrypted messages

The Facebook-owned mobile messaging service WhatsApp is vulnerable to interception, the Guardian newspaper reported on Friday, sparking concern over an app advertised as putting an emphasis on privacy.
The report said that WhatsApp messages could be read without its billion-plus users knowing due to a security backdoor in the way the company has implemented its end-to-end encryption protocol.
The system relies on unique security keys "that are traded and verified between users to guarantee communications are secure and cannot be intercepted by a middleman," the report said.
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But WhatsApp can force the generation of new encryption keys for offline users "unbeknown to the sender and recipient of the messages," it said.
Tobias Boelter, a cryptography researcher at the University of California told the Guardian: "If WhatsApp is asked by a government agency to disclose its messaging records, it can effectively grant access due to the change in keys."
Boelter said he had reported the backdoor vulnerability to Facebook in April 2016 and was told that Facebook was already aware of the issue but that it was not actively being worked on.
The company said in a statement that it provided a "simple, fast, reliable and secure" service.
It said there was a way of notifying users when a contact's security code had changed.
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"We know the most common reasons this happens are because someone has switched phones or reinstalled WhatsApp.... In these situations, we want to make sure people's messages are delivered, not lost in transit," it said in a statement.
But the Guardian said it had verified that the security backdoor still exists.
The paper quoted Steffen Tor Jensen, head of information security and digital counter-surveillance at the European-Bahraini Organisation for Human Rights, saying: "WhatsApp can effectively continue flipping the security keys when devices are offline and re-sending the message, without letting users know of the change till after it has been made, providing an extremely insecure platform".
Facebook bought WhatsApp in 2014 but it continues to operate as a separate app.

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Android co-founder to take on Google with his own modular smartphone

NEW DELHI: There's hardly anyone out there who's not familiar with the names Google and Android. The company behind the hugely-popular mobile operating system - Android Inc., was founded by Andy Rubin and sold to Google later. This also made Rubin an important part of Google and he oversaw the development of Android for quite some years. However, Rubin left Google in 2014. And now, it seems like he's preparing to go against the company he once was a part of.
According to a new report from Bloomberg, Rubin is planning to announce his new company - Essential. It's claimed to be a 40-person team comprised of former Google and Apple employees. The company will reportedly focus on consumer hardware and is said to be working on a smartphone that will have "the ability to gain new hardware features over time."
Besides hinting at a modular device, the report adds that the modular components will stick with the base device using a magnetic connector. The connector will also charge the battery, while expanding the features of the smartphone. One of the modules is said to be a 360-degree camera.

Also, the modular handset is claimed to have a bezel-less display. One of the prototypes may also have a screen bigger than Apple's 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus. However, the overall footprint would be smaller due to lesser bezels. It is unsure if Essential's first handset will run Android or a different OS altogether.
The report further adds that the proposed modular handset may sport a metal frame and a ceramic back. As for the launch, it may launch sometime in the middle of this year with a high price tag. So premium specifications can be expected.

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You can now pin comments on live streams with YouTube's 'Super Chat

Google is set to launch a new service for YouTube letting users pay a few dollars to pin comments or questions to live streams broadcast by famous content creators. As well as getting comments noticed, it offers YouTubers a new way of monetizing their online activities.
The idea is to connect content creators and fans during live stream events broadcast on the platform, during which viewers can interact with YouTubers by asking questions or leaving comments via a chat function.
To boost visibility -- especially if there are hundreds or even thousands of people watching -- YouTube's new "Super Chat" function will allow viewers to pay a few dollars to pin a message in pride of place at the top of the chat window. "Super Chat" messages will stay pinned at the top of the chat for up to five hours for maximum visibility, grabbing the attention of other viewers, as well as creators, who can reply at their leisure.
Users choose the amount they pay to pin their "Super Chat" message. The more they pay, the longer the comment will be pinned.
YouTube is already launching a beta with YouTube creators iHasCupquake (beauty, 5.2 million followers), Alex Wassabi (comedy, 2.2M) and Great Library (video games, 1.4M).
The new service rolls out more widely from Tuesday, January 31 for creators in 20 countries looking to monetize their activities. "Super Chat" replaces "Fan Funding," allowing viewers to make donations to YouTubers, which closes February 28.

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Nissan to start testing self-driving cars in London

Japanese carmaker Nissan is to officially start testing its self-driving car technology on European roads, starting in London.
Specially adapted Nissan Leaf electric cars will be rolling on to London's roads starting February and will be following what the company describes as a "diverse city environment." As well as testing the latest developments in autonomous driving technology, the project is being used to educate the car-buying public as to the capabilities and benefits that next such systems can bring.
Nissan will be inviting people to travel as passengers in the modified cars to get a first-hand taste of where the automotive industry is heading.
Announcing the project at its UK-based European R&D Centre on Friday, Paul Willcox, Chairman, Nissan Europe said: "In just a few weeks' time, there will be Nissan LEAFs driving on the streets of London using our autonomous driving technology."
Although the truly autonomous vehicle is still a decade away, cars that can take over the driving in situations such as motorway cruising or in dense, stop-start traffic situations will very soon be the norm. "Autonomous city driving is now expected to be a reality by 2020," said Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn.
Premium car buyers are already getting a taste of this future. The latest generation BMWs, Mercedes, Volvos and Teslas feature systems that can keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front, maintain lane discipline, follow the curve of the road ahead, and autonomously stop when traffic quickly slows.
But demand for this technology is already moving to mainstream motoring. During his Detroit Auto Show press conference, Ghosn talked about the impact that offering a similar system on Nissan Serena minivans sold in Japan was having on sales. "So far 60% of Serena buyers have paid for this option," he said.
As cars develop greater autonomy, roads will become safer and that is the short-term goal for all traditional automakers.
However, the long-term goal is to turn the car into a space where people have time to do other things. "In doing so we will offer our customers the most valuable gift of all: time. In fact, we call it the 25th hour," said Audi's head of sales and marketing Dr. Dietmar Voggenreiter, during his Detroit presentation. "Time given back to our customers through advanced technologies such as driver assistant systems and connectivity systems."

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Bajaj Dominar 400 vs Royal Enfield: Who to bet on?

Bajaj Auto has been very clear that its latest, the Dominar 400, is primarily here to take on Royal Enfield. In fact, Rajiv Bajaj has gone on record to say that one could ride a Bullet, but if one wants to go faster, they should get a Dominar. Rajiv also expects its latest – or as Bajaj calls it: its most powerful bike yet – to sell at least 10,000 units a month. That’s as much as the Pulsar 220 sells; Bajaj’s best selling premium motorcycle.

Meet Royal Enfield. It sells around 58,000 motorcycles a month in the domestic market (considering October figures). But, it is the Classic 350 that accounts for more than 60 per cent of those sales. In terms of numbers, the Classic 350 sold a little over 37,000 units in October this year; generally considered the best month for sales. Then there’s the standard Bullet that commands another big chunk followed by the Electra and the Thunderbird; all in 350 guise, mind.

Poaching the RE customer

Royal Enfield has its own new generation of products with higher aspirational co-efficient, namely the Continental GT and the more recent Himalayan on sale as well. But their sales numbers compared to the 350cc lineup are dismal at best. The question then is – if Royal Enfield itself can’t get its prospective buyers to invest in newer REs, what chance does Bajaj have?

The simple answer is, it doesn’t. The Bajaj Dominar 400 will not be able to turn the die-hard RE fan. What Bajaj would be hoping for then, is that there is a good percentage of RE customers who aren’t really RE fans. And, they are buying REs because there’s nothing else in the market, presence of UM notwithstanding. Bajaj, therefore, is probably depending on these customers along with the ones buying KTMs, R15s and CBR150s to gravitate towards the Dominar 400.

The non-RE fan base

Firstly, I don’t think the percentage of non-RE fans buying REs is that significant to get the Dominar its 10,000 units a month target. And, no matter how small, UM Motorcycles will eat into this non-RE fan base as well. The Dominar then will have to make a big dent in the space currently occupied by the likes of KTMs and the R15s to achieve its optimistic target.

And that segment isn’t exactly brimming with numbers either. Going back to October, if we were to combine the sales of every bike that retails around the same price as the Dominar and those that come close to it even in terms of engine capacity, we are still looking at a total figure that’s a tad under 10,000 units. And therefore to achieve Bajaj’s goals, the Dominar 400 must be a game changer, a new benchmark, and a need that’s waiting to be fulfilled.

The Dominar challenge

Coming back to the Dominar vs Royal Enfield argument, there’s no doubt that the latter is at an advantage. We might not rate Royal Enfield motorcycles to be the epitome of performance, but the brand has heritage, fan following, and an aspirational draw that’s very hard to replicate. It would take eons for the Dominar to get there.

The Dominar then needs to speak a different language. The language of modernity, technology, quality, comfort and value. But, that means it isn’t bringing anything new to table that hasn’t already been served by the likes of the KTMs, Yamahas and Hondas. And for the Dominar to harp about these would make it yet another ‘me-too’ product.

That leaves styling and performance – at an affordable price – as the only cards worth playing. Would these be good enough to make a success out of the Dominar 400? I, for one, given my risk-averse nature, wouldn’t confidently bet on it; it will be an uphill task for Bajaj.

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KTM 390 Adventure: adventure is out there

Those of you who are fans of the Pixar movie ‘Up’ will recognise that headline. Just like Ellie Fredricksen, those of us who yearn to get to previously unexplored places with our house have only one real two-wheeled option – the adventure-touring motorcycle. The KTM 390 Adventure promises just that.

In a country where potholes are like those relatives you don’t like (show up at inopportune times and never go away. Ever. ) and all the fun seems to be down dirt roads, a small adventure motorcycle would be perfect. Sure, we’ve got big adv models in the market, but time to explore, money and height all are genuine problems for the Indian consumer. The enthusiasts and practical-minded all prayed and saved, but KTM was focused on other models in its lineup. Eventually, there was the Royal Enfield Himalayan but the quality and execution let it down. We were back to square one. Again, where there is a BMW streetbike, there must be an off-road version, right? Unfortunately the BMW G310 GS is nothing but a streetbike on stilts – the very thing that KTM didn’t want to do with the 390 Duke to make the Adventure. Now there are spy shots all over the internet of what seems to be the 390 Adventure – what happens next?

There’s only one serious-ish contender for the segment in the next year or two, and that’s the Kawasaki Versys-X 300. This is based off the Ninja 300, but with all the appropriate modifications to make it capable of handling off-road situations. However, Team Green will not manufacture the Versys-X here. The only motorcycle in the segment at the moment is the Royal Enfield Himalayan, and while it is a competent product, it doesn’t have the level of sophistication that the 390 Adventure will bring to it. In effect, the segment will be bracketed by these two products, with one offering the joy in a simple, uncomplicated product that can be taken anywhere with no fear of it stymying mechanics should it break down. The 390, on the other hand, will have tons of technology but will market its off-road racing success to convert prospective consumers. Of course, KTM will charge a premium, and most units manufactured at Chakan will head for export, but that also means that spares pricing and service support will be consistent regardless of sales in the Indian market.

These are all things that point to a bright future for those looking for that pocket-friendly adventure motorcycle that will broaden their two-wheeled horizons. Should the Himalayan be running scared? On the face of it, not particularly – the RE customer is a unique personality who walks into the showroom because he is sure he wants a ‘Bullet’. But when you stop and think about it, the Himalayan isn’t a Bullet; it is in a class of one. A close look at how many owners of this model are first-time RE customers will offer a very clear insight into whether the Chennai-based manufacturer needs to have a plan to make sure sales don’t fall when the KTM equivalent launches.

We know one thing for sure, though: if there is one motorcycle model that can change the perception of the adventure-touring motorcycle in the Indian market, it is this one. And for a country whose road network is only half paved, (not to mention the dissolving of most of the paved bits during the monsoon) that’s not a bad thing at all. What’s more, Ellie Fredricksen would have approved of the KTM’s sense of Adventure

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