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  • Google Stadia app shows up on Play Store ahead of November 19 launch

    Google is all set to launch its gaming service – Google Stadia – on November 19. Ahead of the launch, Google Stadia app has appeared on the Google Play Store.

    Google is all set to launch its game subscription service – Google Stadia — on November 19. Ahead of the official launch Google Stadia app has surfaced on the Google Play Store. This would allow Android device owners…okay not all Android smartphone users but owners of Pixel 4, Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a series smartphones to stream games directly from Google’s servers on to their smartphones.

    Of course, you would require a high-speed internet connection with a minimum speed of 10mbps along with a compatible device, which apart from the above mentioned Pixel phones includes Chrome OS supported devices such as Pixel Slate, Acer Chromebook Tab 10, and HP Chromebook X2 and a Stadia Pro subscription, which costs $9.99 (Rs 690 approx) a month in the US ($11.99 (Rs 860 approx) in Canada or 9.99 Euros (Rs 790 approx) in Europe) to be able to play the games offered by Google’s gaming service. There is a free tier of Google’s game subscription service — Stadia Base — as well, but that isn’t coming before 2020.

    For those of you who are wondering about the difference between Stadia Base and Stadia Pro, besides the pricing model of course, here are a couple of details for you: Stadia Base will not include additional free games, which as of now includes Destiny 2, and discounts on in-game purchases, all of which will be availed to the Pro service subscribers.

    There is also Stadia Premier Edition, which includes Google Chromecast Ultra, a Stadia Controller and three months subscription of Stadia Pro for free. Stadia Premier Edition costs This would enable Stadia fans to play games on up to 4K resolution their smart TVs and supported devices with a frame speed of up to 60fps along with a gaming experience that combines HDR and Surround Sound 5.1.

    Google Stadia will include a total of 38 gaming titles — Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Baldur’s Gate 3, Borderlands 3, Cyberpunk 2077, Darksiders Genesis, Destiny 2: The Collection, Destroy All Humans!, DOOM, DOOM Eternal, Farming Simulator 19, FINAL FANTASY XV, Football Manager 2020, Get Packed, Ghost Recon Breakpoint, Gods & Monsters, GRID, GYLT, Just Dance 2020, Kine, Marvel’s Avengers, Metro Exodus, Mortal Kombat 11, NBA 2K20, Orcs Must Die! 3, Rage 2, Red Dead Redemption 2, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, SUPERHOT, The Crew 2, The Elder Scrolls Online, Thumper, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, Trials Rising, Watch Dogs Legion, Windjammers 2, and Wolfenstein: Youngblood – upon launch and it willl be available in 14 countries. This includes — Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the US.

    Stadia isn’t launching in India yet and the Stadia app isn’t available for downloading in the country yet. So if you were planning to get your hands on Google’s gaming service, you will have to wait till the company makes a formal announcement.

  • Google Discloses Android Zero Day Vulnerability on Pixel, Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi Phones

    Google has discovered a security flaw in its Android OS’ kernel code that is not only affecting its Pixel phones, but also phones from Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, and others. A similar Android OS flaw was fixed in 2017, but it has now cropped up on newer software versions as well. This vulnerability has been given the zero-day status as instances of it being used in the real world have been found. The vulnerability has been exploited by a company called the NSO Group based in Israel. This company is known for creating exploits, including a mobile spyware called Pegasus.

    Google has published the proof of concept for the Android OS vulnerability, so users can check if it affects other devices as well. The tech giant confirms that affected devices include Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Huawei P20, Redmi 5A₹ 6,498, Redmi Note 5₹ 8,279, Mi A1, Oppo A3, Moto Z3, Oreo LG phones, Samsung Galaxy S7₹ 39,999, Samsung Galaxy S8, and Samsung Galaxy S9. There’s no guarantee that other devices aren’t vulnerable, and therefore the proof of concept will help in ascertaining and adding to the list.

    The vulnerability can be exploited when the target installs a malicious app, therefore rendering it less dangerous than the others. “This issue is rated as High severity on Android and by itself requires installation of a malicious application for potential exploitation. Any other vectors, such as via web browser, require chaining with an additional exploit,” Project Zero member Tim Willis wrote below the post. However, it can be used by an attacker to gain root access of a device.”It is a kernel privilege escalation using a use-after free vulnerability, accessible from inside the Chrome sandbox,” the post adds.

    Google says that it has already notified its Android partners, and has made the patch available on the Android Common Kernel as well. Pixel and Pixel 2 users will get the patch alongside the October update. Pixel 3 series is not vulnerable to this exploit. Project Zero normally offers a 90-day breather for developers to fix an issue before making it public, but in the event of active exploits, the vulnerability was published in just seven days. The Android Project Zero page adds that an Android exploit attributed to the NSO Group was found, and that the bug was allegedly being used or sold by the NSO Group.

    We recommend that you update your Pixel phones as soon as you receive the October patch, and hopefully OEMs should release the patch to affected devices soon.