Digital currency is in the news these days, and speculators are buying expensive computer hardware to run the incredibly computation-intensive algorithms that create new digital coins. Some clever folks may have found another path to digital riches, though, and they may be using your mobile phone to help them.
Trend Micro has recently reported that two legitimate Google Play applications with one million downloads between them have managed to turn Android smartphones and tables into digital currency miners, all without the users knowing what’s going on. Mobile devices are woefully underpowered for the rigors of digital currency mining, though, so it’s unlikely these attempts have actually produced much.
Though mining for digital currency takes time and mastery to program, it can be done, and, as a result, users can clean up on Bitcoin, Litecoin and Dogecoin currency. Furthermore, such practices can actually cause strain to the devices, through increased energy consumption and building up of heat. As a result, the battery life could be shortened, and the overall performance affected.
The two apps in question are called Songs and Prized, and seem to most effectively mine funds when the device they’re installed on is charging. If you notice excessive heat build-up, slower charge times and decreased performance, you may want to give them a closer look. Now that word has spread, Prized is no longer available in the Google Play store.
Source: BGR
