I’ve written about a lot of different video game hardware over the years, from new consoles to retro gadgets to whatever you want to call the Playdate. But I can’t remember ever being perpetually sore from testing a device; such are the joys of the Virtual Boy. Nintendo has turned its biggest flop into an accessory for the Switch, but the costs involved — to your wallet, eyes, and neck — make it a tough sell. Much like the original, this is a novelty for Nintendo sickos only.
Technology
New Android malware can empty your bank account in seconds
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Android users have been dealing with a steady rise in financial malware for years. Threats like Hydra, Anatsa and Octo have shown how attackers can take over a phone, read everything on the screen and drain accounts before you even notice anything wrong. Security updates have helped slow some of these strains, but malware authors keep adapting with new tricks.
The latest variant spotted in circulation is one of the most capable yet. It can silence your phone, take screenshots of banking apps, read clipboard entries, and even automate crypto wallet transactions. This threat is now known as Android BankBot YNRK, and it is far more advanced than typical mobile malware.
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How the malware infiltrates devices
HOW ANDROID MALWARE LETS THIEVES ACCESS YOUR ATM CASH
Android banking malware is getting harder to spot as attackers use new tricks to take over phones and drain accounts. (Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images)
BankBot YNRK hides inside fake Android apps that appear legitimate when installed. In the samples analyzed by researchers at Cyfirma, the attackers used apps that impersonated official digital ID tools. Once installed, the malware begins profiling the device by collecting details such as brand, model and installed apps. It checks whether the device is an emulator to avoid automated security analysis. It also maps known models to screen resolutions, which helps it tailor its behavior to specific phones.
To blend in, the malware can disguise itself as Google News. It does this by changing its app name and icon, then loading the real news.google.com site inside a WebView. While the victim believes the app is genuine, the malware quietly runs its background services.
One of its first actions is to mute audio and notification alerts. This prevents victims from hearing incoming messages, alarms or calls that could signal unusual account activity. It then requests access to Accessibility Services. If granted, this allows the malware to interact with the device interface just like a user. From that point onward, it can press buttons, scroll through screens and read everything displayed on the device.
BankBot YNRK also adds itself as a Device Administrator app. This makes it harder to remove and helps it restart itself after a reboot. To maintain long-term access, it schedules recurring background jobs that relaunch the malware every few seconds as long as the phone is connected to the internet.
What does the malware steal
Once the malware receives commands from its remote server, it gains near-complete control of the phone. It sends device information and installed app lists to the attackers, then receives a list of financial apps it should target. This list includes major banking apps used in Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and India, along with several global cryptocurrency wallets.
With Accessibility permissions enabled, the malware can read everything shown on the screen. It captures UI metadata such as text, view IDs and button positions. This helps it reconstruct a simplified version of any app’s interface. Using this data, it can enter login details, swipe through menus or confirm transfers. It can also set text inside fields, install or remove apps, take photos, send SMS, turn call forwarding on and open banking apps in the background while the screen appears inactive.
In cryptocurrency wallets, the malware acts like an automated bot. It can open apps such as Exodus or MetaMask, read balances and seed phrases, dismiss biometric prompts, and carry out transactions. Because all actions happen through Accessibility, the attacker never needs your passwords or PINs. Anything visible on the screen is enough.
The malware also monitors the clipboard, so if users copy OTPs, account numbers or crypto keys, the data is immediately sent to the attackers. With call forwarding enabled, incoming bank verification calls can be silently redirected. All of these actions happen within seconds of the malware activating.
BankBot YNRK hides inside fake apps that look legitimate, then disguises itself as Google News while it runs in the background. (AP Photo/Don Ryan, File)
7 steps you can take to stay safe from banking malware
Banking trojans are getting harder to spot, but a few simple habits can reduce the chances of your phone getting compromised. Here are seven practical steps that help you stay protected.
FBI WARNS OVER 1 MILLION ANDROID DEVICES HIJACKED BY MALWARE
1) Install strong antivirus software
Strong antivirus software helps catch trouble early by spotting suspicious behavior before it harms your Android device or exposes your data. It checks apps as you install them, alerts you to risky permissions and blocks known malware threats. Many top antivirus options also scan links and messages for danger, which adds an important layer of protection when scams move fast.
The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.
Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com
2) Use a data-removal service to shrink your digital footprint
Data brokers quietly collect and sell your personal details, which helps scammers target you with more convincing attacks. A reputable data-removal service can find and delete your information from dozens of sites so that criminals have less to work with. This reduces spam, phishing attempts and the chances of ending up on a malware attack list.
While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.
Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com
Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com
3) Install apps only from trusted sources
Avoid downloading APKs from random websites, forwarded messages or social media posts. Most banking malware spreads through sideloaded apps that look official but contain hidden code. The Play Store is not perfect, but it offers scanning, app verification and regular take-downs that greatly reduce the risk of installing infected apps.
4) Keep your device and apps updated
System updates often patch security issues that attackers exploit to bypass protections. Updating your apps is just as important, since outdated versions may contain weaknesses. Turn on automatic updates so that your device stays protected without you having to check manually.
5) Use a strong password manager
A password manager helps you create long, unique passwords for every account. It also saves you from typing passwords directly into apps, which reduces the chance of malware capturing them from your clipboard or keystrokes. If one password gets exposed, the rest of your accounts remain safe.
Next, see if your email has been exposed in past breaches. Our No. 1 password manager (see Cyberguy.com) pick includes a built-in breach scanner that checks whether your email address or passwords have appeared in known leaks. If you discover a match, immediately change any reused passwords and secure those accounts with new, unique credentials.
Once active, the malware can read your screen, steal financial data, automate crypto transfers and intercept OTPs within seconds. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2025 at Cyberguy.com
6) Enable two-factor authentication wherever possible
2FA adds a confirmation step through an OTP, authenticator app or hardware key. Even if attackers steal your login details, they still need this second step to get in. It cannot stop malware that takes over your device, but it significantly limits how far an attacker can go with stolen credentials.
GOOGLE ISSUES WARNING ON FAKE VPN APPS
7) Review app permissions and installed apps regularly
Malware often abuses permissions such as Accessibility or Device Admin because they allow deep control over your phone. Check your settings to see which apps have these permissions and remove anything that looks unfamiliar. Also, look through your installed apps and uninstall any tool or service you do not remember adding. Regular reviews help you spot threats early before they can steal data.
Kurt’s key takeaway
BankBot YNRK is one of the most capable Android banking threats discovered recently. It combines device profiling, strong persistence, UI automation and data theft to gain full control over a victim’s financial apps. Because much of its activity relies on Accessibility permissions, a single tap from the user can give attackers complete access. Staying safe means avoiding unofficial APKs, reviewing installed apps regularly and being cautious of any sudden request to enable special permissions.
Do you think Android phone makers like Samsung or Google are doing enough to protect you from malware? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com
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After nearly 40 years at Microsoft, Xbox chief and Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer is leaving the company, along with Xbox president Sarah Bond. Spencer’s retirement was announced in a memo from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on February 20th, stating, “Last year, Phil Spencer made the decision to retire from the company, and since then we’ve been talking about succession planning.”
Follow along below for the latest updates on Microsoft’s Xbox leadership changes
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Right now, in several American cities, you can open an app, and a car with no driver pulls up and takes you wherever you want to go. No small talk. No wrong turns. No tip. No perfume covering up the cigarette smells.
A driverless Waymo ride in San Francisco averages $8.17. A human Uber in the same city? $17.25. The robotaxi price war is here.
CONGRESS MOVES TO SET NATIONAL RULES FOR SELF-DRIVING CARS, OVERRIDING STATES
I live in Phoenix most of the time, and I see Waymos everywhere. At the grocery store. On the freeway. Sitting at red lights with nobody behind the wheel, just vibing. I still haven’t gotten in one. But I’m giving myself two weeks.
If I survive, I’ll share the ride. Mostly kidding.
A Waymo drives across Congress Avenue on 8th Street in front of the Capitol Building as rain arrives in the Austin area on Friday, Jan. 23, 2025 ahead of anticipated drops in temperature and freezing rain over the weekend. (Sara Diggins/The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images)
Who’s on the road?
Waymo (owned by Google’s parent Alphabet) is the clear leader. It gave 15 million driverless rides in 2025, and today, it’s about 400,000 per week. Valued at $126 billion. Available in Phoenix, San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Austin, Atlanta and Miami. Coming in 2026: Dallas, Denver, DC, London, Tokyo and more.
WOULD YOU BUY THE WORLD’S FIRST PERSONAL ROBOCAR?
Tesla launched in Austin last June but is way behind. Roughly 31 cars. One tester took 42 trips, and every single one still had a safety monitor on board. So supervised.
Zoox (owned by Amazon) is the wild card. Their pod has no steering wheel and drives in both directions. Rides are free in Vegas and San Francisco while they wait for approval to charge.
A Cruise vehicle in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Wednesday Feb. 2, 2022. Cruise LLC, the self-driving car startup that is majority owned by General Motors Co., said its offering free rides to non-employees in San Francisco for the first time, a move that triggers another $1.35 billion from investor SoftBank Vision Fund. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images
How do these things ‘see’?
Waymo uses cameras, lidar (laser radar that builds a 3D map around the car) and traditional radar. It works in total darkness and heavy rain. Tesla uses cameras only. Eight of them, no lidar. Cheaper, which is how they offer rides at $1.99 per kilometer.
Now, are they safe?
WAYMO UNDER FEDERAL INVESTIGATION AFTER CHILD STRUCK
Tesla has reported seven crash incidents to regulators since launching. Waymo says it has 80% fewer injury crashes than human drivers. But NHTSA has logged 1,429 Waymo incidents since 2021, 117 injuries, two fatalities. Three software recalls, including one last December for passing stopped school buses.
A friend of mine took a Waymo, and it dropped her off a full mile from where she was going. No way to change it. No human to flag down. Just a robot car that said, “You have arrived.”
She had not. So yeah. I’m curious. But I’m also cautious.
A Tesla Inc. robotaxi on Oltorf Street in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, June 22, 2025. The launch of Tesla Inc.’s driverless taxi service Sunday is set to begin modestly, with a handful of vehicles in limited areas of the city. (Tim Goessman/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Here’s where it gets spicy
When a robotaxi gets confused, a human in a remote center sees through the car’s cameras and draws a path for it. At a Senate hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 4, Waymo admitted some of those helpers are in the Philippines. Senators were not amused. I wasn’t either.
Your car sits parked 95% of the time. Robotaxis run 15+ hours a day. When a driverless ride costs less than gas and insurance, owning a car feels like a gym membership you never use.
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First released in 1995, the original Virtual Boy looked like a VR headset but wasn’t actually VR or a headset. Instead, the console offered stereoscopic 3D games that you viewed through a pair of bulky goggles that were propped up on a stand. It also rendered games in eye-searing red and black, making for an experience that had some potential but was ultimately ugly and uncomfortable. It was a flop and was discontinued after just a year, amassing a library of less than two dozen games.
Now Nintendo has brought that same experience to the Switch. Virtual Boy games have been added to the Nintendo Classics collection of retro games available to Switch Online subscribers this week, but the twist is, because of the unique nature of the original hardware, you need to buy an accessory to actually play them. There’s a plastic re-creation of the Virtual Boy that’ll run you $100, which is what I’ve been using, as well as a cheaper cardboard headset that’s a much more reasonable $25. Either way, you’ll need both a subscription and an accessory to play these games.
Technically the games will run in portable mode without one of the accessories connected, but without the magnifying goggles, they’re displayed so small that they’re essentially unplayable. It looks something like this:
The plastic Virtual Boy looks like the original hardware, complete with a fake controller port and volume dial. But really it’s an elaborate Switch (or Switch 2) case that turns it into something resembling a Virtual Boy. It works like this: The top of the Virtual Boy opens up, letting you slot in a Switch, sans Joy-Con controllers, inside. When you close it up, the Switch becomes the console powering the Virtual Boy-like experience. Look through the goggles, and you’re awash in pixelated reds and blacks (though other colors will be available post-launch).
Since you don’t wear it strapped to your face, the Virtual Boy doesn’t have the same problems as a typical VR headset, where you’re supporting a bunch of weight on your head. But it’s still far from comfortable in my experience. The stand is adjustable so you can change the angle of the goggles, but I had a hard time finding an optimal viewing angle, despite trying to play it lots of different ways. And man, those red graphics; they were hard to look at in the ’90s, and things haven’t improved much. The Virtual Boy is a system where you need to take frequent breaks to save your eyes and neck. Don’t make the same mistakes I did.
All that said, the Virtual Boy’s lineup is surprisingly interesting to play in 2026. There are seven titles available at launch, and while there are a few duds — I just can’t seem to wrap my head around the first-person robot fighter Teleroboxer — I’ve really been enjoying playing 3D Tetris, Galactic Pinball, and the space shooter Red Alarm. The standout might be Wario Land, a fairly straightforward and occasionally clunky platformer but with 3D elements like enemies that jump out right in front of you, making things feel more tense. It’s not a huge lineup by any stretch, but it gives you a good sense of what the Virtual Boy is all about. Which is to say, there are some solid games with neat 3D gimmicks that are fun in short doses. (Why the tentpole Mario’s Tennis isn’t available at launch, especially given the recent release of Mario Tennis Fever, is a mystery to me.)
Nintendo tends to have a complicated relationship with its own history, often glossing over its failures and doing a poor job of celebrating what makes its games so important. So on one hand, the existence of this Virtual Boy seems like something of a miracle. Few people had a chance to play the original, and here it is available through Nintendo’s most successful platform ever. But it’s also a product that requires jumping through a lot of hoops for a small amount of payoff. And since it’s tied to NSO, you’re spending $100 to play games only for as long as you have a subscription or the service is active. After that, you have a costly paperweight.
The Switch version of the Virtual Boy is a device that’s weird, awkward, and of limited appeal — which, now that I think about it, perfectly re-creates the experience of the original.
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