I continued freelancing whenever I could, after moving on from my role to another career path back in the noughties. Those who know me and are reading this will say that I've been among the most ardent defenders of Android since I first laid hands on the HTC G1 Dream in 2008. While that early HWZ team was evenly divided between iOS and Android loyalists, I endured a lot of good-natured ribbing as one of Android's loudest supporters. I would jump in to defend Google's mobile OS at the slightest hint of debate.
Malware: Never Say Never
When I made my first public appearance with an iPhone 15 Pro Max earlier this month, there were exclamations of surprise and satisfaction from friends and family alike:
"You aren't the real Count! What have they done to him!"
"Finally, you've come to your senses! Better late than never..."
Whether I had "come to my senses" is up for debate, but I knew for certain: I no longer felt safe using Android phones after losing hundreds of dollars in online transactions I did not know of, or approved of.
As you've probably heard by now, there has been an exponentially growing number of scammers exploiting Android's openness to third-party apps and accessibility permissions, which, at the highest levels, even allow a phone to be controlled remotely to perform fraudulent acts of all kinds.
In Singapore's 2023, this really took off in a big way, with affected Android users losing over $334.5 million in the first half of this year alone. For my part, I once malicious inroads.
Having reviewed phones for decades also meant that I should have known what I was up against, but losing money without my knowledge has given me a new lens on how little I understand the complexity of malware regardless of a person's technological proficiency or interest.
What Actually Happened
Denne historien er fra February 2024-utgaven av HWM Singapore.
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Denne historien er fra February 2024-utgaven av HWM Singapore.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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ON THE CUTTING EDGE
The Keychron Q1 HE might look like just another addition to the already packed mechanical keyboard market, but there's something a bit special about this one.
About Singaporeans, iPhones, and the Find X8 Pro's return:
OPPO's tell-all interview with its top executives
Best eSIM Roaming
Data Plans For Trips To China, Japan, South Korea, And Taiwan
Everything You Need To Know About OPPO ColorOS 15
REINVENTING COLOROS 15 For many Android-based phone brands, a reskinned operating system is just a reinterpretation of their design choices and brand image. Sometimes, proprietary features make things more convenient than stock Android, but the rest is a repackaging.
5 Steps To Ensure Your Computer Security
FOR MANY YEARS, HAVING ANTIVIRUS INSTALLED on your PC was all that was needed to keep you safe from cyberattackers. And where Macs used to be the \"safe\" alternative is unfortunately no longer true.
MEANINGFUL REFINEMENT
Now I’ve been reviewing smartwatches and activity trackers for a long time, and the Watch GT 5 Pro is the first watch to actually get attention from my wife, complimenting its looks in the way of a classy wristwatch.
BIGGER DISPLAY, BUT WHAT ELSE?
My initial impression of the Pixel Watch 2 was that it felt like a round Fitbit Sense 2 running Wear OS. The tradeoff was losing iOS compatibility while still facing Fitbit’s paywall for advanced app features.
AMBITIOUS.FEATURE-RICH.OVERLOADED
The Amazfit Balance is designed to compete with Fitbit, Garmin, and Huawei devices, while maintaining independence by being compatible with both iOS and Android. Priced at $352, and often discounted below $300, it's a value-packed option.
It's Upgrade Time
As the tenth anniversary of the Apple Watch approached, rumours about a revolutionary device with a dramatic design change swirled-the Apple Watch X. But as it turns out, we got the Apple Watch Series 10 instead.
Ryzen AI Enters The Fray
This review covers the flagship processor in the lineup, the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, which features a powerful 12-core, 24-thread configuration, 36MB of cache, and Radeon 890M graphics.
