Technology News
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Facebook has come under fire recently for their decision to make its standalone Messenger app mandatory for mobile users. Many people have stated they are annoyed with having to use two separate apps and find it unnecessary. There were even some privacy concerns with it. But despite people’s feelings about it, Messenger is here to stay.
But it isn’t all bad news. Messenger does offer some useful features that aren’t found on the regular Facebook app. One of these features is the ability to take and send pictures or video directly through the app. Using the front or rear facing camera, tap the send button to snap a picture, or hold it to take a video. You can also share pictures from the web without leaving Messenger. From the drop down menu, select Image Search, type in terms, choose the image from the result and tap to send it to your friend.
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A Facebook app offering to change the color of the person’s Facebook profile is back once again. So far, the scam has affected over 10,000 people, allowing hackers to gain access to their Facebook accounts and computers.
The scam tricks users into downloading an app called “Facebook Color Changer”, which claims to change the blue Facebook header and interface to one of their nine color options. When the app is downloaded, they user is directed to a phishing site. That website first steals the users’ Facebook Access Tokens by asking them to view a color changer video tutorial. If the video is watched, the hacker can gain access to the user’s personal information and friends list.
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What happens when you start to get sick? You can do a quick Web MD search and find out you might have cancer. Or you go the doctor’s office and wait for an hour before finally seeing a doctor. Well there are now companies out there that are trying to put a stop to that, via your smartphone. Both HealthTap and First Opinion are two apps that are striving to bring personal healthcare into your pocket.
First Opinion
First Opinion is an app that connects users with real doctors around the world. To use the app, a person logs in, gives their age and gender and are then matched with a doctor. The user is presented with a brief bio of the doctor, including their specialty, how long they’ve been practicing, where they’re located, peer reviews and how many questions they’ve answered on the app so far. It also includes some personal details, such as if they have children. In the free version of the service, answers from the doctor could take up to 24 hours. For those looking for quicker answers, $9 a month gets you an answer within five minutes. And for $29 a month, it goes down to just three minutes. First Opnion is only available on iOS.Read More -
This week, the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced new security measures on flights coming into the United States. One of these measures is that uncharged cell phones and other electronic devices will not be permitted on planes.
The new rule allows TSA officers to ask travelers to power up their devices during the security checkpoint. Powerless devices will not be allowed on board the airplane and the owner could undergo additional screening. There is no official list of the overseas airports this applies to, but it’s been reported that Heathrow Airport in London is one of them.
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This week, Google announced that it is launching 11 more official apps for Google Glass, and updating a few more. In May, Google announced the addition of a suite of travel apps and in the past six months, Google said that Glassware apps have increased by 80 percent. Here are just a few of the new music, fitness and sport apps for Google Glass wearers to check out.
Music
Shazam is bringing its well-known music recognition software to Glass. While wearing Glass, say “Ok, Glass, recognize this song” and Shazam will tell you the song and the artist. Another great app for music (or karaoke) lovers is MusicXmatch. For those people who can never remember words to songs, MusicXmatch displays on-screen lyrics to millions of songs in dozens of languages.Read More -
After weeks of clues and allusions, on Wednesday, June 18, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos finally announced the Fire Phone. Amazon has had success in the hardware market, with ebook readers and tablets, but the Fire Phone is the first of their attempt to break into the smartphone world. While the phone won’t be released until July 25, here’s a little about what to expect from the Fire Phone: the good, the bad and the ugly.
The Good
The main parts of the Fire Phone are strong, with quality hardware, a high-quality screen and dual stereo speakers. The phone will work seamlessly with all of Amazon’s products and services, including its website, ebooks, tablets, TV streaming and music streaming. One of the most innovated aspects of the Fire Phone is the dynamic perspective feature, which gives a 3-D-like viewing experience. There’s also a function called Firefly, which can real-time identify 100 million objects. It can recognize faces, songs, products, QR codes and TV shows for one-click buying. Other positive features include the May Day button for tech help and free cloud storage for photos. And speaking of photos, the Fire Phone includes four front-facing cameras.Read More -
Wearables are a hot topic in the technology world right now. While the most popular ones tend to be in the category of watches or fitness related, there are a few companies out there who aren’t fans of the design aesthetic that has become a wearable norm. Below are just a few examples of companies working to combine the smart technology with fashionable accessories.
Ringly
Ringly is a ring that alerts the wearer of calls, texts and emails. The stylish smart ring was designed to discreetly alert the wearer of notifications of their choosing. The idea is for users, typically women, to know when they have an alert while their phone is packed away in their purse. Unlike many of its competitors, Ringly wanted their technology to be inconspicuous, which is why no screen is found on their products. Instead, the rings are gold-plated bands with different square-shaped, semi-precious stones. They appear to look like any other cocktail ring found in designer stores. With this strategy, Ringly hopes to appeal to both fashionistas and techies.Read More -
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At its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple unveiled the next major software update for its mobile devices. iOS8 won’t be altering the appearance, like iOS7 did, but will be adding many new and useful features. Here are just a few of the many upgrades that iPhone, iPad and iPhone users can except when iOS release this fall.
Easier Messaging
Apple will be upgrading its group messing, allowing users to now add people to the conversation, leave the group or mute it temporarily. New audio and video controls are being added to make it very quick to record and send a multimedia file. The keyboards are also getting an upgrade with QuickType, which will predict words and eventually learn your language habits. In regards to reading messages, Apple is adding an Interactive Notification feature. This will allow users to respond to text messages, Facebook posts, Tweets, etc. without having to leave the app they’re currently using.Read More -
It seems that every month, or every week, there’s a new hack being disclosed to the public. Between the Heartbleed Bug, the Internet Explorer flaw and the recent eBay hacking, you might be feeling concerned about your privacy and Internet security. This week, CNN ran an article stating that in the last 12 months, hackers have exposed the personal information of 110 million Americans.
The amount of hacked accounts is also a scary number, hitting up to 432 million. Each of these records typically includes personal information, such as names, credit card numbers, phone numbers, birthdays, emails, addresses and security questions. That kind of information in the wrong hands can be severely damaging.
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A diverse group of industry experts believe that the Internet of Things will have a great effect on everyday lives by 2025. According to a Pew Research Center study released on Wednesday, May 14, 83 percent of the 1,600 industry experts surveyed believe that Internet of Things will dominate the mainstream in about 11 years.
The questionnaire also asked the question: “As billions of devices, artifacts and accessories are networked, will the Internet of Things have widespread and beneficial effects on the everyday lives of the public by 2025?” A majority of respondents said “yes.”
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