TECH DIGEST- Google has rolled out version 38.8 of the Google Play App Store, introducing a game-changing feature that allows users to remotely delete applications from devices linked to the same account. This significant enhancement provides users with a comprehensive toolset for managing their app ecosystem across various devices, including PCs, car systems, smartphones, televisions, and smartwatches.

Until this release, users could remotely install applications on connected devices but lacked the corresponding option to delete them remotely. With the new version of Google Play, this gap has been addressed, empowering users to exercise control over their app installations effortlessly. The updated store interface offers a clearer presentation of all installed apps in a user-friendly list format.

The revamped interface introduces practical sorting options, such as organizing apps by size or grouping them by device. This proves particularly valuable for users managing apps on platforms like Android TV, Android Auto, or Wear OS, where interface variety may be limited. Additionally, the update streamlines the process of installing and uninstalling apps, whether users are navigating from their desktop or Android smartphone.

One noteworthy aspect is that while the ability to remotely remove applications has existed for some time, it was primarily in the hands of Google, often used to mass-remove malware from devices with Google Play installed. Now, users are granted the autonomy to wield this feature themselves, adding a layer of control and flexibility to their app management experience.

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TECHDIGEST – Exciting news for Android users, as OpenAI’s ChatGPT app has arrived on the platform. At the moment, users in the U.S., India, Brazil, Bangladesh and others can download the app from the Google Play Store. OpenAI has announced that additional countries will be added gradually over the next week, so Nigerian users can look forward to having access soon.

The Android app launch follows the release of ChatGPT for iPhone two months ago, which initially became available in the U.S. before being made accessible to a broader audience a few days later.

Previously, Android users could use ChatGPT through a mobile web browser, but the app offers a more user-friendly interface for improved ease of use. The app is free to download and allows users to sync their history across devices.

It also promises to incorporate the latest improvements from OpenAI as they become available.

ChatGPT app can be used for various purposes, such as getting answers to questions, finding creative inspiration, learning new things, creating summaries, seeking advice, drafting messages, and more.

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However, users are advised to exercise caution with the app’s responses, as it is powered by AI and still in its early stages. While it impressively converses in a human-like manner, it may occasionally provide inaccurate information.

OpenAI had teased the arrival of the Android app by adding a listing for it on the Google Play Store a few days before its official launch. Now, with the “install” button active, users can start downloading and exploring the capabilities of ChatGPT on Android.

Given the immense popularity of the ChatGPT app on iPhone upon its release, OpenAI likely expects a similar level of interest and downloads for the Android version. As the app continues to evolve and improve, it is sure to become an invaluable tool for users seeking interactive and informative AI-powered conversations.

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TECHDIGEST – The Independent National Electoral Commission has launched a web platform for online training of electoral officials.

INEC in a series of tweets on Saturday, said the app, called INEC e-school, is aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of electoral training of its officials ahead of the elections.

The electoral body said that the website is user-friendly, noting that the app uses face-to-face, and virtual approaches by integrating text-based, audio, and videos in order to help officials gain deeper understanding of its processes.

According to INEC, the app, is available on Google Play Store and was done with the support of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems.

INEC wrote, “The Electoral Institute (TEI) of INEC with support from @IFESNigeria has developed an e-learning website and App called INEC E-SCHOOL. The goal of the platform is to enhance the overall effectiveness of electoral training.

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“The system is built to provide a cutting-edge experience of electoral training using face-to-face, and virtual approaches by integrating text-based, audio, and videos.

“The website is a user-friendly platform with courses for SPO, APO/PO and CO deliberately intended to enhance the capacity of poll workers, INEC staff, and the public.”

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TECHDIGEST – Google has issued a new policy guideline that will require all loan apps on Play Store to present all their licensing documents for the market they are operating in. 

With this, loan apps in Nigeria must now provide an approval document from the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) or risk being removed from the platform effective from January 31, 2023.  

Specifically, the new Google policy guidelines outline requirements for loan apps in Nigeria, Kenya, India, the Philippines, and Indonesia. These countries are known to be the operational base of unlicensed loan apps. 

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Google says the policy applies to apps that offer loans directly and those that connect consumers with third-party lenders. 

It adds that all new and existing apps will receive a grace period of at least 30 days from November 16, 2022, to comply with the changes, while the policy becomes effective January 31, 2023.

“Digital Money Lenders (DML) must adhere to and complete the LIMITED INTERIM REGULATORY/ REGISTRATION FRAMEWORK AND GUIDELINES FOR DIGITAL LENDING, 2022 (as may be amended from time to time) by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) of Nigeria and obtain a verifiable approval letter from the FCCPC. 

“You must, upon Google Play’s request, provide additional information or documents relating to your compliance with the applicable regulatory and licensing requirements.” 

Recall that the FCCPC has in recent times clamped down on unlicensed loan apps in the country, otherwise referred to as loan sharks due to their nefarious activities. The Commission had recently asked Google to remove 4 loan apps being used for unethical practices from the Play Store. The apps included Maxi Credit, Here4U, ChaCha, and SoftPay. 

The Commission said its investigations revealed that the listed apps are owned by other popular apps that are under investigation for unethical practices and breach of consumer privacy. Specifically, it mentioned Soko Loan as the company behind several other apps being used to circumvent the efforts of the Commission.  

However, despite the efforts of the FCCPC, several other unlicensed loan apps are emerging by the day on the app store even as many Nigerians continue to fall victim to their antics. Although some of the apps are operating outside the app store, the new Google policy is expected to curb access to them via the platform.  

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The Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) of the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) says it had discovered a newly-hatched malicious software that steals users’ banking app login credentials on Android devices.

NCC’s Director of Public Affairs (DPA), Dr Ikechukwu Adinde, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, in Abuja.

Adinde explained that the main intent of this malware was to steal credentials, combined with the use of SMS and notification interception to log-in and use potential two-factor authentication tokens.

He said, according to a security advisory from the NCC CSIRT, the malicious software called “Xenomorph”, found to target 56 financial institutions across Europe, had high impact and high vulnerability rate.

“Xenomorph is propagated by an application that was slipped into Google Play store and masquerading as a legitimate application called “Fast Cleaner” ostensibly meant to clear junk, increase device speed and optimise battery.

“In reality, this app is only a means by which the Xenomorph Trojan could be propagated easily and efficiently.

“Fast Cleaner was disseminated before the malware was placed on the remote server, making it hard for Google to determine that such an app is being used for malicious actions.

“This is to avoid early detection or being denied access to the Playstore,” he said.

He further explained that once up and running on a victim’s device, Xenomorph can harvest device information and SMS, intercept notifications and new SMS, perform overlay attacks and prevent users from uninstalling it.

“The threat also asks for Accessibility Services privileges, which allow it to grant itself further permissions.

“The CSIRT said the malware also steals victims’ banking credentials by overlaying fake login pages on top of legitimate ones.

“Considering that it can also intercept messages and notifications, it allows its operators to bypass SMS-based two-factor authentication and log into the victims’ accounts without alerting them.

“The Fast Cleaner app has now been removed from the Play Store but not before it garnered 50,000+ downloads,” he said.

The DPA said that the commission had advised telecom consumers to be on alert in order not to fall victims of this manipulation.

He urged telecom consumers and other Internet users, particularly those using Android-powered devices, to use trusted Antivirus solutions and update them regularly to their latest definitions.

He also implored consumers and other stakeholders to always update banking applications to their most recent versions.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Xenomorph has been found to target 28 banking apps from Spain, 12 from Italy, 9 from Belgium, and 7 from Portugal.

Cryptocurrency wallets and general-purpose applications like emailing services are also some of the target.

The Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) of the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) says it had discovered a newly-hatched malicious software that steals users’ banking app login credentials on Android devices.

NCC’s Director of Public Affairs (DPA), Dr Ikechukwu Adinde, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, in Abuja.

Adinde explained that the main intent of this malware was to steal credentials, combined with the use of SMS and notification interception to log-in and use potential two-factor authentication tokens.

Also read:NCC deploys Revenue Assurance Solution to block revenue leakage

He said, according to a security advisory from the NCC CSIRT, the malicious software called “Xenomorph”, found to target 56 financial institutions across Europe, had high impact and high vulnerability rate.

“Xenomorph is propagated by an application that was slipped into Google Play store and masquerading as a legitimate application called “Fast Cleaner” ostensibly meant to clear junk, increase device speed and optimise battery.

“In reality, this app is only a means by which the Xenomorph Trojan could be propagated easily and efficiently.

“Fast Cleaner was disseminated before the malware was placed on the remote server, making it hard for Google to determine that such an app is being used for malicious actions.

“This is to avoid early detection or being denied access to the Playstore,” he said.

He further explained that once up and running on a victim’s device, Xenomorph can harvest device information and SMS, intercept notifications and new SMS, perform overlay attacks and prevent users from uninstalling it.

“The threat also asks for Accessibility Services privileges, which allow it to grant itself further permissions.

“The CSIRT said the malware also steals victims’ banking credentials by overlaying fake login pages on top of legitimate ones.

“Considering that it can also intercept messages and notifications, it allows its operators to bypass SMS-based two-factor authentication and log into the victims’ accounts without alerting them.

“The Fast Cleaner app has now been removed from the Play Store but not before it garnered 50,000+ downloads,” he said.

The DPA said that the commission had advised telecom consumers to be on alert in order not to fall victims of this manipulation.

He urged telecom consumers and other Internet users, particularly those using Android-powered devices, to use trusted Antivirus solutions and update them regularly to their latest definitions.

He also implored consumers and other stakeholders to always update banking applications to their most recent versions.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Xenomorph has been found to target 28 banking apps from Spain, 12 from Italy, 9 from Belgium, and 7 from Portugal.

Cryptocurrency wallets and general-purpose applications like emailing services are also some of the target.

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TECHDIGEST – Nigerian-American investment strategist and founder of Ajala Studio, Omolabake Adenle has recently won the DEI In Voice award from Women in Voice (WiV), an international non-profit based in Seattle, United States of America for outstanding contributions to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in voice.

The Cambridge University alumna got the attention after building a voice recognition and speech synthesis software for five African languages.

Adenle believes she was singled out among the three other finalists in the category because her solution fills the gap for the availability of voice technologies for African languages.

Adenle, a PhD holder in Bayesian Signal Processing, is the founder of an app development studio, Ajala Studios which was rebranded to become Ajala.ai following a pivot.

After her PhD, she decided not to go into academia, instead, she went with consulting in investment banking.

Inspired by her cousins learning English alphabets via an app, she decided to build an app that could also help them learn the Yoruba language.

Called SpeakYoruba, the paid app was published on Google Play Store in 2010 but it is no longer available on the platform. Subsequently, she got requests to build something similar for other languages, but she couldn’t oblige because of her demanding day job.

“A few years ago when I decided I want to start a business, I thought I could revisit this app that did well and see if I could come up with something that could build up on that. I wanted to add a feature that would allow children to say something to the app, and the app will tell them whether they said the word currently. It was at that point that I realised that voice recognition wasn’t really available for African languages,” she explains in a chat with Techpoint Africa.

So, she decided not to limit the solution to the app and saw it as an opportunity to build something broader. Pitching the idea to Innovate UK, she got a grant to explore the idea further.

And in the first year, she developed complex algorithms and acoustic models for voice recognition and speech synthesis for two African languages using deep learning. Seeing the progress, she received a seed fund from the same agency in 2018.

For context, speech recognition is the underlying technology behind the likes of Siri and Alexa; it makes the digital assistant understand what is said to it and translate it to text, while speech synthesis allows the AI to speak back with articulated voice.

Adenle’s plan is to build a solution-agnostic platform that provides broad support for as many African languages as possible. That means it won’t be focusing on a particular app, but it would allow other developers to build on it for their bespoke localised solutions. Think of it as an API.

Meanwhile, the solution is still in the beta phase, with plans to officially launch in Q4 2021. It will work for five African languages Yoruba, Hausa, Ibo, Kiswahili, and Kinyarwanda.

Apart from the seed fund, Ajala.ai is also in partnership with two large African institutions looking to build voice solutions in African languages.

Speaking of the future of her startup, Adenle’s plan is to build more solutions that address Africa’s unique needs.

In the meantime, watch this place for a detailed piece about who Adenle is and her journey to digitising African languages.

Source: Tech point

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