Conquering

Android’s Stagefright

Q. What is this Android bug where your device can get hacked with a message? Is there security software to protect me?

A. The “Stagefright bug” was recently discovered by a researcher at the Zimperium security firm, who showed how a vulnerable Android device could be compromised by malicious code embedded in a video sent via Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS). According to Zimperium, at least 950 million Android devices were at risk from the Stagefright bug, which affects versions of the software as far back as Android 2.2 (Froyo).

After the Exodus Intelligence research firm found problems with the original update, a patch for the patch was created and should be on the way from Google, Motorola and various wireless carriers. Install any update when you are notified one is ready for your phone or tablet. If you have not been notified about an update, check manually in the system’s settings or contact your carrier to ask about Stagefright patches.

Free apps that test your device for vulnerability to the Stagefright bug are also available in the Google Play store. If you want to scan your device with such an app, it is a good idea to get one from a known mobile-security company like Lookout or Zimperium. While these apps do not fix the problem, they can tell whether you have the problem to begin with.

As for security software to protect your device from general threats, several companies offer apps designed to detect and thwart malware on mobile gadgets. Some of the more full-featured security apps include other tools like parental controls, call blockers and message filters. The AV-Test site has a roundup and ratings for current Android security products at www.av-test.org/en/antivirus/mobile-devices.

Stepping Out

With iOS 8

Q. I now know how to turn off the iOS step counter on an iPhone, but where do I go to see the number of steps I have actually taken?

A. If your iPhone has the fitness-tracking setting enabled, you can see your daily step count in the iOS 8 Health app. The app is part of the system and should be somewhere on your iPhone Home screen; its icon shows a small red heart on a white background. The app works on the iPhone 4s (and later) or a fifth-generation iPod Touch running iOS 8.

Once you find the Health app, tap it open. The first screen you should see is the Dashboard, which displays the step count and other health-related data that the phone has collected on its own — or through any other medical or fitness-related apps you install and configure to work with Health.

The Dashboard shows a chart of your step count by the day, week, month or year, and provides a daily average. Another chart shows your footwork as measured in the total walking or running distance for the various time periods, as well as the number of flights of stairs you have climbed.

TIP OF THE WEEK Mac OS X users have long had an option in the Print box to save a document on screen as a PDF file instead of sending it to a printer. While Windows users could quickly convert documents to PDF using Microsoft Word or other third-party tools, Windows 10 users can now make PDFs from files without additional software.

In Windows 10, click the Print button or press Control-P on the keyboard for a web page, document or other file you want to save. In the Print dialogue box, select Microsoft Print to PDF (instead of a connected printer) to convert the item into a PDF to save on your computer, OneDrive or other connected storage location. J. D. BIERSDORFER