HoFo Blog

Scary if true, and it's probably true... Someone on reddit alleges that Android malware was installed on both his Moto X4 and his wife's Huawei Mate 10 as they entered overland into mainland China. The redditor describes the incident as follows:

Because this was posted in the security subreddit the current top-voted comment is actually an offer to purchase the two compromised devices for forensic analysis. As to why this person and their spouse were targeted specifically, it might have been because they were crossing into Xinjiang, an area where the police forces are known to be using extreme forms of surveillance targeted at the local Uighur (Muslim) minority.

Source: r/security via Cory Doctorow

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From The Web:

iOS 12 introduced, to run on everything that runs iOS 11

Apple CarPlay will add Google Maps and Waze support with iOS 12

Qualcomm Announces Snapdragon 850: A Second Generation For Windows

This Ridiculous Asus Gaming Phone Comes With an External Cooler

Lenovo's 'all-screen' Z5 phone has a notch after all

From The Forums:

TMFL Question

US Cellular Roaming Live in Eastern WV and Maine

Easiest Way To Switch To Cricket?

Upgrade Android on Cricket Galaxy S4

Coverage in Grand Central Station - NYC

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Apple detailed the next big update to iOS at their WWDC conference yesterday. iOS 12 will be available for the following compatible devices this fall:

iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 5s

12.9-inch iPad Pro 2nd generation, 12.9-inch iPad Pro 1st generation, 10.5-inch iPad Pro, 9.7-inch iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, iPad Air, iPad 5th generation, iPad mini 4, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 2,

iPod touch 6th generation

In addition to performance boosts and security fixes, here are five new features coming your way:

1. Grouped Notifications
iOS finally catches up to Android with notifications grouped by app, greatly reducing clutter and giving you more control over dismissing them.

2. Group FaceTime
With iOS 12 Apple's native video chat application will support video calls with up to 32 people at once. Neat.

3. Screen Time
This new feature will show you how much time you're spending in individual apps and on your device overall. Increased parental controls can also limit individual app usage—though parents could probably get similar results just turning the WiFi off when it's lights out.

4. Siri Shortcuts
Similar to Alexa skills, shortcuts will enable Apple's digital assistant to connect to other apps on your iOS device. Just be prepared to learn some specific commands first.

5. Memoji
Apple copies Samsung, who copied Apple, and the virtuous cycle of tech "innovation" is complete. Apple's version of personalized, animated emoji are definitely less hideous than Samsung's, but no less gimmicky.

Sources: MacWorld UK, The Verge

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(My schedule's a little messed up this week so I'm trying something new...)

From The Web:

Facebook Gave Device Makers Deep Access to Data on Users and Friends

YouTube Music Isn't Even Close to a Spotify Killer

Spotify is asking its users if they'd subscribe to a $30/month data-only plan with Spotify Premium included

We're liveblogging Apple's WWDC 2018 event tomorrow (today) at 10AM PT

Android Phone Launches are so Depressing

From The Forums:

PAYG Allow LTE Phones Yet?

Sprint merger may be blocked.

Antitrust Chief Discusses Sprint, Doesn't Close Door on Deal with T-Mobile

Is this really how you unlock an iPhone? How do I know it's unlocked?

Deezer Forced Trial / Cancel Customer Service BS

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From The Web:

HTC's U12+ shows a smartphone company in free fall

Google unceremoniously removes the tablet section from official Android website

Xiaomi Mi8: the most blatant Apple iPhoneX rip-off yet, and what’s to like about it – first impressions

Latest mobile CPU benchmarks show Apple two years ahead of the competiton

I would happily ditch the selfie camera for a full-screen phone

From The Forums:

AT&T pumps $2 billion into FirstNet's rural coverage

Odd fone failure? Or damage?

Does tracfone use Sprint

TMo upstate NY

Selectel update

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A new report from the CRTC is seemingly at odds with the net neutrality rules just enshrined in law. Previous research on promoting Canadian old and new media content recommended an export-oriented strategy, but that seems to have changed. As Micheal Geist reports:

When it comes to the idea of an Internet tax I myself don't think it's unreasonable for Netflix and Spotify to collect HST. Where it gets problematic is with this country's two largest Internet providers (Bell and Rogers), who also happen to be deeply invested in the creation of Canadian content. They would both collect and benefit from an Internet tax, which seems to me like a conflict of interest.

As for regulation I strongly disagree that there is even a "Canadian content emergency" at all; it's never been easier to find Canadian content via Spotify, Netflix and, for that matter, podcasts and YouTube as well. And any deficiency in CanCon on movie screens or broadcast TV has more to do with the creative brain drain to the Hollywood than any lack of protectionism in this country for those legacy industries.

I'm posting about this here because it would potentially affect all Canadians, on mobile or otherwise. More news as it develops...

Source: CRTC via Michael Geist

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Kiwi dude knows his Mi...

From The Web:

Xiaomi clones the iPhone X for $420, adds in-display fingerprint reader

Xiaomi Mi 8 camera review: Challenging the best - DxOMark

Xiaomi’s transparent Mi 8 Explorer Edition might not show the real internals

Lenovo's true all-screen phone will debut on June 5th

'Amazing' Manitoba double-data offers spark questions over why only some provinces get the best phone deals

From The Forums:

Noticed change in roaming pattern with at&t

Upgrade tips/tricks?

Switched from Pageplus to Tracfone, can't get rid of remaining balance message

Coverage Map?

FreedomPop - 1 cent charges?

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Xiaomi announced a whack of new products yesterday, and here's the pick of the litter. Say hello to the Mi 8 Explorer Edition, featuring a see-through back, in-display fingerprint sensor, 3D face scanner and (unfortunately) a display notch. About the only thing missing is a 3.5 mm audio jack, but Xiaomi will at least include a USB-C to audio adapter in the box. Other specs are as follows:

6.21 inch 1080 x 2248 pixel AMOLED display @ 402 ppi
Snapdragon 845 processor
8 GB RAM / 128 GB storage
12 MP OIS + 12 MP 2x telephoto rear cameras
20 MP selfie cam
3,000 mAh battery
Dual nano SIM (no microSD)
MIUI 10 / Android 8.1

The unlocked price for this beast is expected to be the equivalent of around $580 USD. Whether or not the Mi 8 will support North American LTE bands has yet to be confirmed. And here's the really bad news: this Explorer Edition will only see a limited production run, so it's going to be especially hard to find.

Sources: Engadget, GSM Arena

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From The Web:

The AT&T LG V35 ThinQ is an LG G7 with an OLED screen but no notch

Report: LG is Supplying Google With Notched OLED Displays for Pixel 3 XL

These phones work on Project Fi

Survey: Just 22% of Americans Approve of Sprint T-Mobile Merger

Apple Watch customers in England, India credit heart rate tracking as life-changing

From The Forums:

Need Hotspot advice

Study: Verizon Has Fastest Mobile Downloads at 20.82 Mbps

RedPocket speed after VoLTE enabled

Porting Ontario to MB plan

Unlimited Plan/10GB hotspot

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A student a the University of Guelph has been fined $400 CAD for distracted driving, with the presiding judge ruling that an Apple Watch qualifies as a handheld device.

The student was stopped at a red light when a campus police officer pulled up beside her. The officer saw her head facing downwards and a glow from an electronic device lighting up her face. She failed to proceed when the traffic light turned green and was charged on the spot with driving while holding a handheld communication device, prohibited under the Province of Ontario's Highway Traffic Act.

After the case was heard in court the justice wrote the following in his ruling:

The student pleaded that she was only checking the time—which she's either really bad at or is lying about altogether. The only thing I can say in her defence is that checking the time on a smartwatch would indeed be easier if that smartwatch had an always-on display.

Source: Guelph Today

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From The Web:

The latest Nokia Android handsets are easy on the wallet

OnePlus 6 vs OnePlus 5T vs OnePlus 5 vs OnePlus 3T Camera Shootout

OtherThe Mi8 is probably coming to at least 8 new countries other than China

Pixel Experience brings Google Pixel features to Project Treble supported devices

Apple is releasing iOS 11.4 with support for Messages in iCloud, AirPlay 2 and more

From The Forums:

Verizon's Spectrum Issues

looking for 4G LTE router (using TMO SIM)

Switching from Verizon postpaid to Verizon prepaid - is there anything I should know?

Smasung A5-LTE Issues

Why is Cricket data so S L O W?

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The only thing I can say with any confidence about this photo is that the timing seems right. Google's third pair of Pixel phones will almost certainly be announced this fall, and it would make sense that their design would be more or less finalized at this point. But the source of this alleged leak? Well, that's another matter altogether. It's literally some random Weibo account (crossposted to Slashleaks) and purports to show the tempered glass screen protectors for the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL.

If the photos and what's in them are legit, they give us a pretty good idea of what the new Pixels will look like, at least from the front: the smaller Pixel 3 will have a 2:1 screen ratio for the first time and the Pixel 3 XL will have a notch—entirely expected given that notch support will be native to Android P. The top and bottom cutouts would also suggest front-facing stereo speakers for both devices, and perhaps dual selfie cams as well.

Looking back at last year's Pixel 2s it wasn't until June that we even found out what the codenames were. So this "leak" may in fact be a lie.

Source: Slashleaks via Android Central

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From The Web:

Android's evolution through the years

Exclusive: Moto Z3 Play and 5G Moto Mod Showcased in New Leaked Pictures

2019 iPhone may bring stereoscopic vision & 3X optical zoom via 12MP triple-lens rear camera

BlackBerry teaser shows the KEY2 Android phone with dual cameras

Amazfit Bip fills the simple smartwatch void left by Pebble

From The Forums:

Is cricket a mvno or what?

Rogers feature?

Apple Visual Voicemail Issue on iPhone 8

I still can't figure out how you retrieve applications from Google drive

Is there anything I need to know - switching from Verizon postpaid to prepaid

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We've seen this type of behaviour before: in parts of the country where there's a strong local carrier Canada's Big Three suddenly become competitive. And that's exactly what's happening in Manitoba right now. Rogers launched the opening salvo by doubling the data on its 10 and 15GB family plans; Bell and Telus then upped the ante by offering a new 20GB shared data plan for $95/month—with a bonus 20GB. That's right, 40GB/month for $95 CAD, or $2.375 per gigabyte, along with Canada-wide calling and (probably international) SMS.

What's different this time around is that there's actually no local carrier in this market; Bell acquired MTS last year. So what exactly is going on here?

Daniel Bader, alumnus of Mobile Syrup and currently the managing editor at Android Central, told the CBC that these deals might simply be due to "a legacy of competition" in the province. In other words, it doesn't matter that there's no local competitor now—the mere fact that there used to be one is enough for the Big Three to offer palatable plans to the local public.

And here I was, secretly hoping that Manitoba was being used as a testbed for more reasonable data buckets for the rest of us...

Source: CBC

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From The Web:

Google will always do evil

Facebook and Google hit with $8.8 billion in lawsuits on day one of GDPR

Experts Say Canadians Will Also Benefit from Europe’s New Data Privacy Laws

Internal Documents Show Apple Knew the iPhone 6 Would Bend

Nokia teases May 29 event with 'some new stuff to share'

From The Forums:

T-Mobile/Sprint Combined Coverage Map May 2018

replacement for Motorola flip phone

Google voice issues

Visible "BETA" testing with three months of service for free!

How Many AT&T Sites are Still on T-1's?

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If you're a fan of Android and software freedom I've got some bad news for you this morning.

The first is that Essential has apparently cancelled their second-generation smartphone. Bloomberg broke the story yesterday afternoon, going so far as to say that the entire company might soon be up for sale. CEO (and father of Android) Andy Rubin quickly took to Twitter for damage control:



I can't say that I was a fan of the Essential phone—I had a brief hands-on at a Telus-sponsored event last August—but I certainly appreciated its unlockable bootloader. Whatever Essential's future plans may be, for the moment they don't seem to include modder-friendly phones.

Speaking of unlockable bootloaders, here's some more bad news from Twitter:



If you weren't aware, Mr. O'Brien is a UK-based Android developer responsible for the once-popular MoDaCo ROM. Sadly, his news is true: one of the world's top 3 smartphone OEMs will no longer give its users the keys to take control of their devices.

And the war on general-purpose computing continues...

Sources: Bloomberg, Twitter (1) (2)

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From The Web:

Europe's New Data Protections Will Affect You Too. Here's How.

New YouTube Music starts rolling out today, will eventually have more Play Music features

Moto Z3 Play Specs and Software Features Leaked – Moto Experiences, Cinemagraphs and More

Senators Say FCC Boss Ajit Pai Being 'Evasive' on Net Neutrality

Canada’s House of Commons adopts motion to formally enshrine net neutrality into law

From The Forums:

FreedomPop Unreal Mobile

T-Mobile USA Leading IPv6 Deployments with 94% Deployed

Moto G5 international dual SIM - not always working on data

what a good replacement phone

Rogers double the data plans in Manitoba

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For Moto fans, the wait is over. Kinda.

First leaked back in January, the G6 family—that is, the G6, G6 Play and G6 Plus—were finally made official last month. But no one in North America has been able to buy one. Until today.

The G6 is now available from Verizon, for $240 USD or $10/month.
The G6 Play is now available from Boost Mobile, for $129.99 USD.

As for other U.S. carriers, the G6 is coming soon to Tracfone, while the G6 Play will eventually be offered by AT&T, Cricket and Virgin Mobile—the Cricket version will be re-branded the G6 Forge for some reason. Ting and Republic Wireless will carry both the G6 and G6 Play, as will the usual big box electronics retailers that sell unlocked phones. Apparently Walmart will only carry the G6 Play.

In Canada a carrier-branded G6 will only be available from Vidéotron, but you'll be able to score a G6 Play from Bell, Freedom Mobile, SaskTel, Virgin Mobile and Vidéotron as well. Unlocked Moto devices have traditionally been harder to find in this country, but come 2020 I'm sure there will be some refurbs available at your local Staples.

Happy hunting!

Sources: Android Central, Android Police

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From The Web:

HTC U12+ hands-on: Bigger, better, and just a bit weirder

OnePlus 6 scores a 5 out of 10 for repairability in iFixit's teardown

Qualcomm is able to release the Snapdragon 845 source code in 6 weeks

Starbucks Mobile Payment Service Beating out Apple Pay in Market Share

Freedom Mobile customers now have wireless in Vancouver’s SkyTrain Dunsmuir Tunnel

From The Forums:

NAD recommends T-Mobile stop “Best Unlimited Network” ad claim

Help me pick an iphone on ebay

Cheapest way to get the most amount of 4G w/o LTE hotspot

Texting issues

25% off for life - Big Gig $50 plans or higher... Free Codes

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