{"id":5454,"date":"2016-05-23T05:38:39","date_gmt":"2016-05-23T09:38:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/me-en.kaspersky.com\/blog\/?p=5454"},"modified":"2020-12-11T19:18:35","modified_gmt":"2020-12-11T15:18:35","slug":"google-io16","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/me-en.kaspersky.com\/blog\/google-io16\/5454\/","title":{"rendered":"Google I\/O 2016: Smartphones are not the limit for Android"},"content":{"rendered":"

The annual Google I\/O conference traditionally gathers developers to give them the sense of direction for the upcoming year. This year was no exception: The audience got some insights on the newest Android N OS. By the way, its working name is Android N, and\u00a0anyone can contribute<\/a>ideas for its eventual name. Other highlights: Android Wear, an operating system for wearables, got a serious face-lift; and Google demonstrated its commitment to further develop VR technologies.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s clear Google\u2019s interests go beyond Internet search and smartphones: Automotive technologies enjoyed a lot of attention at Google I\/O as well. Google Home, a voice-control solution for the smart home, was also in the spotlight. However, Google spokespeople chose to neglect security: Representatives never mentioned that security flaws in these technologies would cause many more problems than a compromised smartphone.<\/p>\n

The N<\/h3>\n

The final version of Android N will be out by late summer or early fall. As usual, the update promises both new entertainment features and significant improvements in performance and security. However, the majority of the tweaks will be hidden from average users \u2014 they are meant primarily for developers.<\/p>\n

Well, users should notice and appreciate a few new features. The phone blocklist\u00a0is now part of the OS<\/a>. That means different apps can use a single list of undesirable contacts that, in turn, can be saved and migrated to a new device as part of the usual backup process.<\/p>\n

More good news: First, Google improved the phone\u2019s internal memory encryption, which is now more reliable. Second, Google considerably reworked the operating system\u2019s multimedia handling in response to the notorious\u00a0Stagefright vulnerability<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"goggle-io16-android-n\"<\/p>\n

Third, starting with Android N, system updates will run automatically in the background. In other words, the system will no longer ask a user whether to install an update; it will run the updates automatically and then ask to reboot to apply the changes.<\/p>\n

Alas, in the majority of cases Android\u2019s security problems are not caused by the user\u2019s unwillingness to upgrade to the newest version of the OS. The main problem is that the updates are rarely available to older smartphones, so their owners have to stick to an outdated, vulnerable version of the operating system.<\/p>\n

Allo, is this Google?<\/h3>\n

A new messenger called Google Allo should be out as soon as Android N launches. Although it won\u2019t be a part of the operating system, Allo has a chance to win the attention of users from major players whose audiences reach the hundreds of millions. The messenger supports end-to-end encryption in chats, which is a sign of quality.<\/p>\n

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#Whatsapp<\/a> adds end-to-end #Encryption<\/a> to 1 billion users:https:\/\/t.co\/5EvZXOFpq4<\/a>#CyberSecurity<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/iqFTM2BGCc<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Kaspersky Lab ME (@KasperskyME) April 6, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n