Tag: Android Authority

  • Motorola comments on hijacked shopping apps debacle

    Motorola comments on hijacked shopping apps debacle

    Key Takeaway

    – The Smart Feed app was silently injecting affiliate links by routing shopping apps through a web/affiliate flow, generating commissions for Motorola.
    – Motorola says the behavior was unintentional and caused inconsistencies in user experience; they have corrected the routing to launch apps directly without detours or affiliate codes.
    – Motorola claims it will monitor privacy, user experience, and platform integrity going forward, with updates to prevent recurrence.

    Motorola’s App Routing Issue Explained

    As we reported on Tuesday, Motorola has used the Smart Feed app pre-installed on many Motorola smartphones to insert an affiliate link when opening popular shopping apps such as Amazon. To make this possible, the app had to monitor the network traffic; when a corresponding shopping app was opened, it was first redirected to the browser, which then redirected to the app via a link with an affiliate code.

    What Happened and Motorola’s Response

    As a result, Motorola received a commission every time a purchase was made via the shopping app. Motorola has now commented on this incident to Android Authority. According to the statement, this behavior was “unintentional” and would lead to an “inconsistent user experience”. Motorola has adjusted the routing configuration of the Smart Feed app so that shopping apps can now be opened without a detour and without an affiliate code.

    Privacy, User Experience, and Future Steps

    Motorola claims they take the protection of privacy and the user experience seriously and will continue to monitor the situation. Following this update, smartphones such as the Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 ($799 on Amazon) should no longer hijack shopping apps, but Motorola has yet to explain how this incident could have occurred. A bug in Motorola’s “app search and recommendations”, as the manufacturer calls it, does not explain why affiliate codes were inserted before the apps were opened. Here is the full statement from Motorola:

    Official Statements and What They Imply

    Recently, Motorola acted quickly to resolve an issue that was identified, which caused some users in the US launching the Amazon Shopping app to be routed through a web tracking link before opening the app. This behavior was unintended and resulted in an inconsistent user experience.

    Upon identifying the issue, we promptly corrected the routing configuration. Users can now expect all installed apps to launch directly as intended.

    Motorola takes user experience, privacy, and platform integrity seriously and will continue to closely monitor the system to ensure expected behavior across devices.

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  • Google Pixel 11 Series Codenames Leaked: Pro, Pro XL, and Fold

    Google Pixel 11 Series Codenames Leaked: Pro, Pro XL, and Fold

    Even though the Google Pixel 10 series isn’t launching anytime soon, there’s a lot of chatter about its future models. We already have some insights into the Pixel 11 series’ SoC, thanks to a previous leak. Recently, Android Authority has shared the codenames for these upcoming devices.

    Expected Devices

    If these details are correct, we can expect four different models once again. Each of these devices will feature a Tensor G6 SoC made by TSMC N3P, which includes a 1+6+1 CPU configuration and a 2-core GPU. This new setup should, theoretically, fix the issues associated with the Tensor G5 used in the Pixel 10 series (excluding the Pixel 10a).

    What’s Next?

    Since the launch is quite far off, there’s not a lot of information regarding what Google plans for the Pixel 11 series. It’s possible that the new lineup may introduce under-display face unlock technology along with an improved selfie camera. While moving away from Samsung Foundry may enable it to compete better with Qualcomm and MediaTek, a completely new design will require several iterations to perfect.

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  • Galaxy S25 Series Could Include Free Gemini Advanced Trial

    Galaxy S25 Series Could Include Free Gemini Advanced Trial

    The Samsung Galaxy S25 flagship series is set to be revealed on January 22. This lineup is thought to consist of three models: the standard Galaxy S25, the Plus version, and the Ultra variant. Samsung has put a strong focus on Galaxy AI in the S24 series, and it looks like they might further enhance AI features for the upcoming S25 series.

    Possible Collaboration with Google

    A recent report from Android Authority has uncovered some code within the latest beta version of the Google app. This code hints at a potential partnership between Samsung and Google to provide a trial subscription for the Gemini Advanced service with the Galaxy S25 phones.

    Different Trial Durations

    The code points out that the length of the trial varies between the models. The standard Galaxy S25 is set to receive a 3-month subscription, while the Plus model could offer a 6-month trial. On the other hand, the S25 Ultra is expected to enjoy a full year of the subscription.

    At a price of $19.99 per month, the Gemini Advanced subscription includes several benefits over the free version. It grants access to the 1.5 Pro generation model, which is an upgrade from the 1.5 Flash model available in the free plan. Users will also have the chance to experiment with advanced models like the Gemini-Exp-1206 for more complex tasks.

    Take the News with Caution

    It’s worth noting that Samsung has not yet made an official announcement regarding the Gemini Advanced trial for the S25 models. Therefore, it is best to take this information with some skepticism until there is an official confirmation.

    Source: Link

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  • Slack Develops AI File Summary Feature for Enhanced Productivity

    Slack Develops AI File Summary Feature for Enhanced Productivity

    Slack is said to be developing a new AI feature that will summarize documents uploaded by users. Back in February 2024, the platform launched Slack AI, which came with tools for summarizing chat threads, providing contextual search, and offering channel recaps that highlight important information users may have missed.

    New Feature Discovery

    A report from Android Authority indicates that Slack aims to enhance its features with the addition of AI file summaries. The publication performed an APK teardown on the latest Android version of Slack (24-10-50-0) and found several code strings that hint at this new feature.

    Limitations and Requirements

    Two of the code strings, and , imply that there will be certain restrictions, such as limitations on document size or if the file is password protected. Another string, , suggests that the feature may require documents to meet a minimum word count to be eligible for summarization.

    User Feedback and Control

    Users will also have the option to delete AI-generated summaries and provide feedback on them, indicating whether the information was "inaccurate" or if it "had too much or too little detail." As of now, Slack has not officially announced anything regarding this upcoming feature.

    Source: Link,Link

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