Harmony Evans's Blog, page 10
November 22, 2025
I can’t believe Google has solved this long-standing iPhone issue
I’ve dabbled in the world of Android for years – 2012’s HTC One XL was one of the first Android phones I truly fell in love with, even as everyone around me was fawning over the iPhone 4S.
That’s all well and good – competition drives innovation, after all – but there were a few issues when trying to communicate with my Apple-based brethren, especially in the early days.
These ranged from small issues like not having access to iMessage, which had launched to much fanfare the year before, to bigger issues like not being able to send photos and videos without relying on a third-party app like WhatsApp or Google Drive.
While using those apps was an acceptable workaround, it couldn’t exactly compete with the AirDrop experience that iPhone owners had – and still do have in 2025. They simply share the image or video they want via the built-in sharing protocol, and the files automatically appear in the recipients’ Photos app thereafter.
It’s easy to use, and crucially, doesn’t rely on an internet connection, so share times are always rapid – especially helpful when sharing large videos.
Android phone makers like Oppo, OnePlus and Honor have tried various workarounds to make cross-platform local sharing a reality, but these always come with compromises.
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Not Google though; the company has done the impossible and found a way to use Quick Share with Apple’s AirDrop, no clunky apps or workarounds required. And I can’t quite believe it.
The awkward Android workaroundAs mentioned, there have been efforts to bridge the gap between iPhone and Android users when it comes to easily sharing content, with Chinese companies like Oppo and Honor usually leading the charge.
Regardless of whether you have an Oppo, OnePlus or Honor-branded phone, the process is pretty similar – but there’s a catch. They don’t work natively with Apple’s AirDrop functionality. Instead, they alll require a third-party app to be installed on the user’s iPhone beforehand.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)Once installed, the app works much like AirDrop would on an iPhone, using local transfer rather than uploading and downloading via the internet.
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But even with similar functionality on offer, getting an iPhone owner to download a dedicated app for sharing is easily the biggest hurdle for Android users. It relies on someone installing an app when, in reality, they could just get the sender to share the file via other means – messaging app, cloud storage, etc – without the faff of downloading and setting up a dedicated app.
So yes, the idea is great in theory, but the reality unfortunately doesn’t reflect that.
That’s why Google’s upgraded Quick Share tech is so exciting; it doesn’t require any additional downloads, either on the Android side or the iPhone side. As Apple itself would say, it just works.
Pixels can now easily share photos, videos and more with iPhone ownersAs announced by the Big G itself, Android users can finally transfer files via Quick Share with iPhone owners. The company says that the tech is designed with ‘security at its core’, protecting the data you’re sharing with safeguards that security experts have independently validated.
The process doesn’t change in any form either; it’s still the same Quick Share experience that Android users are familiar with – with the exception that iPhones will now pop up in the nearby devices section.
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Once an Android user initiates the sharing process, it’ll appear as an AirDrop request on the selected iPhone. The iPhone owner just needs to accept the request, as usual, with the shared file appearing on-screen soon after. It’s the real deal, folks.
Importantly, it also works the other way around; Android devices should appear as options when iPhone owners try to share via AirDrop.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)There is a big catch here though – there’s always one, right? Google has, for now, limited the rollout of the upgraded Quick Share tech to its flagship Pixel 10 collection – not even older Pixel devices can get in on the fun just yet, let alone Android phones from other manufacturers.
A wider rollout can’t come quickly enoughAs somebody who flits between phones on a weekly basis, that news is bittersweet. While I’m chuffed that Google has finally cracked the code and figured out how to integrate AirDrop into its Quick Share tech, keeping it exclusive to its own flagship smartphone range feels frustrating.
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Yes, Google has to keep interest in its flagship product range high, I get it – but it’s also the creator of the Android operating system in general. It has a moral obligation, if nothing else, to get this tech in the hands of as many Android users as possible.
That said, the company has confirmed that it’ll be “expanding it to more Android devices” at some point. There’s no timeline on when or which devices, but there’s every chance that by this time next year, we’ll all be able to share files with each other, regardless of operating system.
Those walled gardens are finally breaking down.
November 21, 2025
Q&A with Fei-Fei Li on ImageNet, her startup World Labs’ focus on spatial intelligence, superintelligence, regulation, AI bubble, US-China AI arms race, more (Mishal Husain/Bloomberg)
The Talk Show With John Gruber:
‘Lincoln Bio Services’, With Stephen Robles
The director’s commentary track for Daring Fireball. Long digressions on Apple, technology, design, movies, and more.
Subscribe to The Talk Show With John Gruber.
Big Technology Podcast:
Google Pushes OpenAI, Bezos Returns, AI’s No. 1 Hit
The Big Technology Podcast takes you behind the scenes in the tech world featuring interviews with plugged-in insiders and outside agitators.
Subscribe to Big Technology Podcast.
Hard Fork:
We Asked Roblox’s C.E.O About Child Safety. It Got Tense.
The future is already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.
Subscribe to Hard Fork.
Decoder with Nilay Patel:
The DoorDash Problem: How AI browsers are a huge threat to Amazon
A show from the Verge about big ideas – and other problems.
Subscribe to Decoder with Nilay Patel.
Lenny’s Podcast:
Slack founder: Mental models for building products people love ft. Stewart Butterfield
Interviews with world-class product leaders and growth experts to uncover actionable advice to help you build, launch, and grow your own product.
Subscribe to Lenny’s Podcast.
Uncapped with Jack Altman:
Vlad Tenev from Robinhood
Conversations with people I admire about things I’m genuinely interested in.
Subscribe to Uncapped with Jack Altman.
Thoma Bravo acquires a majority stake in Java platform Azul, which received a $340M majority investment from Vitruvian Partners and Lead Edge Capital in 2020 (Chris Metinko/Axios)
The Talk Show With John Gruber:
‘Lincoln Bio Services’, With Stephen Robles
The director’s commentary track for Daring Fireball. Long digressions on Apple, technology, design, movies, and more.
Subscribe to The Talk Show With John Gruber.
Big Technology Podcast:
Google Pushes OpenAI, Bezos Returns, AI’s No. 1 Hit
The Big Technology Podcast takes you behind the scenes in the tech world featuring interviews with plugged-in insiders and outside agitators.
Subscribe to Big Technology Podcast.
Hard Fork:
We Asked Roblox’s C.E.O About Child Safety. It Got Tense.
The future is already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.
Subscribe to Hard Fork.
Decoder with Nilay Patel:
The DoorDash Problem: How AI browsers are a huge threat to Amazon
A show from the Verge about big ideas – and other problems.
Subscribe to Decoder with Nilay Patel.
Lenny’s Podcast:
Slack founder: Mental models for building products people love ft. Stewart Butterfield
Interviews with world-class product leaders and growth experts to uncover actionable advice to help you build, launch, and grow your own product.
Subscribe to Lenny’s Podcast.
Uncapped with Jack Altman:
Vlad Tenev from Robinhood
Conversations with people I admire about things I’m genuinely interested in.
Subscribe to Uncapped with Jack Altman.
General Atlantic purchases a $96M minority stake in Japanese HR software unicorn SmartHR, marking the PE firm’s first growth equity investment in Japan (Lisa Du/Bloomberg)
The Talk Show With John Gruber:
‘Lincoln Bio Services’, With Stephen Robles
The director’s commentary track for Daring Fireball. Long digressions on Apple, technology, design, movies, and more.
Subscribe to The Talk Show With John Gruber.
Big Technology Podcast:
Google Pushes OpenAI, Bezos Returns, AI’s No. 1 Hit
The Big Technology Podcast takes you behind the scenes in the tech world featuring interviews with plugged-in insiders and outside agitators.
Subscribe to Big Technology Podcast.
Hard Fork:
We Asked Roblox’s C.E.O About Child Safety. It Got Tense.
The future is already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.
Subscribe to Hard Fork.
Decoder with Nilay Patel:
The DoorDash Problem: How AI browsers are a huge threat to Amazon
A show from the Verge about big ideas – and other problems.
Subscribe to Decoder with Nilay Patel.
Lenny’s Podcast:
Slack founder: Mental models for building products people love ft. Stewart Butterfield
Interviews with world-class product leaders and growth experts to uncover actionable advice to help you build, launch, and grow your own product.
Subscribe to Lenny’s Podcast.
Uncapped with Jack Altman:
Vlad Tenev from Robinhood
Conversations with people I admire about things I’m genuinely interested in.
Subscribe to Uncapped with Jack Altman.
New York-based emergency alerts platform RapidSOS raised $100M led by Apax Digital Funds, a source says at a $1B+ valuation, for US and international expansion (Bloomberg)
The Talk Show With John Gruber:
‘Lincoln Bio Services’, With Stephen Robles
The director’s commentary track for Daring Fireball. Long digressions on Apple, technology, design, movies, and more.
Subscribe to The Talk Show With John Gruber.
Big Technology Podcast:
Google Pushes OpenAI, Bezos Returns, AI’s No. 1 Hit
The Big Technology Podcast takes you behind the scenes in the tech world featuring interviews with plugged-in insiders and outside agitators.
Subscribe to Big Technology Podcast.
Hard Fork:
We Asked Roblox’s C.E.O About Child Safety. It Got Tense.
The future is already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.
Subscribe to Hard Fork.
Decoder with Nilay Patel:
The DoorDash Problem: How AI browsers are a huge threat to Amazon
A show from the Verge about big ideas – and other problems.
Subscribe to Decoder with Nilay Patel.
Lenny’s Podcast:
Slack founder: Mental models for building products people love ft. Stewart Butterfield
Interviews with world-class product leaders and growth experts to uncover actionable advice to help you build, launch, and grow your own product.
Subscribe to Lenny’s Podcast.
Uncapped with Jack Altman:
Vlad Tenev from Robinhood
Conversations with people I admire about things I’m genuinely interested in.
Subscribe to Uncapped with Jack Altman.
Finland-based NestAI raised €100M led by Finland’s sovereign fund Tesi and Nokia to build AI products for defense applications, including for unmanned vehicles (Anna Heim/TechCrunch)
The Talk Show With John Gruber:
‘Lincoln Bio Services’, With Stephen Robles
The director’s commentary track for Daring Fireball. Long digressions on Apple, technology, design, movies, and more.
Subscribe to The Talk Show With John Gruber.
Big Technology Podcast:
Google Pushes OpenAI, Bezos Returns, AI’s No. 1 Hit
The Big Technology Podcast takes you behind the scenes in the tech world featuring interviews with plugged-in insiders and outside agitators.
Subscribe to Big Technology Podcast.
Hard Fork:
We Asked Roblox’s C.E.O About Child Safety. It Got Tense.
The future is already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.
Subscribe to Hard Fork.
Decoder with Nilay Patel:
The DoorDash Problem: How AI browsers are a huge threat to Amazon
A show from the Verge about big ideas – and other problems.
Subscribe to Decoder with Nilay Patel.
Lenny’s Podcast:
Slack founder: Mental models for building products people love ft. Stewart Butterfield
Interviews with world-class product leaders and growth experts to uncover actionable advice to help you build, launch, and grow your own product.
Subscribe to Lenny’s Podcast.
Uncapped with Jack Altman:
Vlad Tenev from Robinhood
Conversations with people I admire about things I’m genuinely interested in.
Subscribe to Uncapped with Jack Altman.
Alphabet’s stock closed at a record high of $299.66 on November 21, continuing a strong recent run after Google’s Gemini 3 impressed analysts and consumers (Rani Molla/Sherwood News)
The Talk Show With John Gruber:
‘Lincoln Bio Services’, With Stephen Robles
The director’s commentary track for Daring Fireball. Long digressions on Apple, technology, design, movies, and more.
Subscribe to The Talk Show With John Gruber.
Big Technology Podcast:
Google Pushes OpenAI, Bezos Returns, AI’s No. 1 Hit
The Big Technology Podcast takes you behind the scenes in the tech world featuring interviews with plugged-in insiders and outside agitators.
Subscribe to Big Technology Podcast.
Hard Fork:
We Asked Roblox’s C.E.O About Child Safety. It Got Tense.
The future is already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.
Subscribe to Hard Fork.
Decoder with Nilay Patel:
The DoorDash Problem: How AI browsers are a huge threat to Amazon
A show from the Verge about big ideas – and other problems.
Subscribe to Decoder with Nilay Patel.
Lenny’s Podcast:
Slack founder: Mental models for building products people love ft. Stewart Butterfield
Interviews with world-class product leaders and growth experts to uncover actionable advice to help you build, launch, and grow your own product.
Subscribe to Lenny’s Podcast.
Uncapped with Jack Altman:
Vlad Tenev from Robinhood
Conversations with people I admire about things I’m genuinely interested in.
Subscribe to Uncapped with Jack Altman.
Houston police shut down illegal gambling den
A gambling den in Houston was busted by local police, which involved the seizure of $9,000 and resulted in one individual being charged.
Detectives from Constable Mark Herman’s Regulatory Enforcement Unit responded to anonymous tips pointing to a location believed to facilitate the illegal activity.
Houston business used as a front for gambling denThe news of the bust was posted to the Harris County Facebook page, detailing that the store, located in the 900 block of FM 1960 Rd W, Houston, Texas was subject to the police raid.
In the social media post, the heading “ILLEGAL GAMBLING OPERATION SHUT DOWN BY CONSTABLE MARK HERMAN’S OFFICE!” was emblazoned in all caps.
“During the operation, deputies seized over $9,000 in cash gambling proceeds, numerous illegal gambling devices and documentation supporting illegal gambling activity,” read the post.
Phong Thanh Tu photographed following Houston illegal gambling investigation. Credit: Harris County Constable, Precinct 4 via FacebookPhong Thanh Tu has been publicly named as the suspect arrested as part of the coordinated move for alleged “Possession of Gambling Devices/Equipment/Paraphernalia.”
This is a repeat offence, says the Regulatory Enforcement Unit, as Thanh Tu was arrested for the same reason five years prior in 2020.
“Illegal gambling establishments attract a wide range of criminal activity and pose a serious threat to community safety,” said the constable’s office when commenting on illegal locations.
After obtaining the search warrant for the suspected gambling location, officers from Constable Herman’s office enforced the order to search the premises.
The post concluded, stating that “these operations violate the Peace and Dignity of the State of Texas, and that their proceeds often fund dangerous criminal enterprises.”
Illegal gambling in TexasIllegal gambling in the Lone Star State has a history of being swiftly dealt with by local law enforcement.
As we reported, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff Javier Salazar flagged an arrest of 22 individuals, sixty gambling machines and $67,350 in a similar coordinated bust.
Another case investigated at the federal level involved Dominga “Penny” Ledesma, who pleaded guilty to charges related to operating illegal gambling establishments across South Texas, alongside game room owner Rene Gamez.
For this elaborate lattice of false information and front companies, the accused was handed an 18-month sentence for the use of deceased people’s details to process twenty-one million ($21,000,000) USD in cash transactions tied to the El Toro Game Room.
Featured image: Harris County Police Department
Oops. Cryptographers cancel election results after losing decryption key.
One of the world’s premier security organizations has canceled the results of its annual leadership election after an official lost an encryption key needed to unlock results stored in a verifiable and privacy-preserving voting system.
The International Association of Cryptologic Research (IACR) said Friday that the votes were submitted and tallied using Helios, an open source voting system that uses peer-reviewed cryptography to cast and count votes in a verifiable, confidential, and privacy-preserving way. Helios encrypts each vote in a way that assures each ballot is secret. Other cryptography used by Helios allows each voter to confirm their ballot was counted fairly.
An “honest but unfortunate human mistake”Per the association’s bylaws, three members of the election committee act as independent trustees. To prevent two of them from colluding to cook the results, each trustee holds a third of the cryptographic key material needed to decrypt results.
“Unfortunately, one of the three trustees has irretrievably lost their private key, an honest but unfortunate human mistake, and therefore cannot compute their decryption share,” the IACR said. “As a result, Helios is unable to complete the decryption process, and it is technically impossible for us to obtain or verify the final outcome of this election.”
To prevent a similar incident, the IACR will adopt a new mechanism for managing private keys. Instead of requiring all three chunks of private key material, elections will now require only two. Moti Yung, the trustee who was unable to provide his third of the key material, has resigned. He’s being replaced by Michel Abdalla.
The IACR is a nonprofit scientific organization providing research in cryptology and related fields. Cryptology is the science and practice of designing computation and communication systems that remain secure in the presence of adversaries. The associate is holding a new election that started Friday and runs through December 20.
How to know if your Asus router is one of thousands hacked by China-state hackers
Thousands of Asus routers have been hacked and are under the control of a suspected China-state group that has yet to reveal its intentions for the mass compromise, researchers said.
The hacking spree is either primarily or exclusively targeting seven models of Asus routers, all of which are no longer supported by the manufacturer, meaning they no longer receive security patches, researchers from SecurityScorecard said. So far, it’s unclear what the attackers do after gaining control of the devices. SecurityScorecard has named the operation WrtHug.
Staying off the radarSecurityScorecard said it suspects the compromised devices are being used similarly to those found in ORB (operational relay box) networks, which hackers primarily use to conduct espionage to conceal their identity.
“Having this level of access may enable the threat actor to use any compromised router as they see fit,” SecurityScorecard said. “Our experience with ORB networks suggests compromised devices will commonly be used for covert operations and espionage, unlike DDoS attacks and other types of overt malicious activity typically observed from botnets.”
Compromised routers are concentrated in Taiwan, with smaller clusters in South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Russia, central Europe, and the United States.
A heat map of infected devices.
A heat map of infected devices.
The Chinese government has been caught building massive ORB networks for years. In 2021, the French government warned national businesses and organizations that the APT31—one of China’s most active threat groups—was behind a massive attack campaign that used hacked routers to conduct reconnaissance. Last year, at least three similar China-operated campaigns came to light.
Russian-state hackers have been caught doing the same thing, although not as frequently. In 2018, Kremlin actors infected more than 500,000 small office and home routers with sophisticated malware tracked as VPNFilter. A Russian government group was also independently involved in an operation reported in one of the 2024 router hacks linked above.
