Google wants to eliminate security holes in Android, as its Patch Reward program now includes AOSP

Financial incentives for third-party contributors are not uncommon, especially when big companies like Google administer tens of open-sourced projects all at once. It's easy to think that since Google is so big, it can easily handle all of this internally, but the very value proposition of open-source is that outside help can be employed, often at a fraction of the cost.

This is why the Google Patch Reward program was launched just a month and a half ago or so. Its goal was quite simple – help the maintainers of a given project patch a security vulnerability and get financially reimbursed for your efforts. Until today, however, the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) wasn't a part of the program, which was just a shame, seeing as its popularity has sky-rocketed to a point of near ubiquity. As you gleaned from the title, that's about to change, as Google has finally added AOSP, along with a bunch of other projects into the mix, and is now offering financial incentives in the $500 to $3,133.7 range (good one). If your submission is particularly creative, Google may agree to pay out even a bigger sum, one that has no set range.

In any case, it's nice to see Android (at least the open parts of it) become part of such incentive programs, so here goes our props to Google for not settling and keeping the effort up.

Source: Google 1, 2

Grab the Pixel 10 at Mint Mobile for $450 off

$349

$799

$450 off (56%)

Mint Mobile now sells the Google Pixel 10 with a massive $450 discount. The promo is available on select color variants with 128GB of storage. You also get a 12-month unlimited data plan for $180 instead of $360.

Buy at Mint Mobile

Pixel 10 Pro: now $475 off at Mint

$524

$999

$475 off (48%)

Grab the pro-grade, compact Pixel 10 Pro at Mint Mobile with a 12-month unlimited plan, and you can save a huge $475. The data plan comes with a discount, too: 50% off, to be exact.

Buy at Mint Mobile

The Pixel 10 Pro XL is $700 off at Mint right now

$499

$1199

$700 off (58%)

The high-end Gemini AI-enhanced Pixel 10 Pro XL is now available with a mind-blowing discount. You can now save $700 on the phone, plus 50% off unlimited 12-month plans.

Buy at Mint Mobile

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is now $400 off

$1399

$1799

$400 off (22%)

The foldable Pixel 10 Pro Fold is another standout holiday offer. Right now, you can get the device for $400 off at Mint Mobile. On top of that, you save $180 on 12-month unlimited data plans.

Buy at Mint Mobile