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Google Maps gets new features on iPhone and Android

December 13, 2019 Dianne Jacobs

Google Maps has announced a major upgrade to its popular service on both Apple and Android. Google Maps users are getting some vital extra features which could make them feel much more at ease when using the hugely popular service. Google has just announced two bonus upgrades which will be available on both Apple and Android devices and they are well worth your attention. The US technology giant says this update to its Maps app will bring Incognito Mode to iPhone users and Android fans are also getting something called Bulk…

Google set to simplify Android Video Calling

October 13, 2017 Dianne Jacobs

Video calling is about as easy as it can possibly get these days. You can do it on computers, mobile devices, and even tablets. It’s popular and widespread enough that you even have options. There are plenty of options available for those looking to video chat with their friends or family. Now, Google is rolling out a new Duo integration for its own Pixel, Pixel 2, Android One, and Nexus phones to allow users to place a video call directly from the Android Phone, Contacts, and Messages apps. Later this…

Android Wear 2.0 on Huawei Watch is finally here

May 9, 2017 Dianne Jacobs

Android Wear 2.0 has finally rolled out to the original Huawei Watch. Despite its popularity and the fact that it was one of the few models to support the new software’s extended beta program, it has only now gotten the final release. Of course, there’s no official word as to why it has taken about three months to finalize the software for Huawei’s last generation smartwatch, but it is very likely due to its new Huawei Watch 2 as to why things got pushed back a bit. Android Wear 2.0…

Google’s battle with Android malware: Who wins?

May 4, 2017 Dianne Jacobs

While most people are aware of the malicious threats targeting their computers, many still don’t realise that their mobile devices are an increasingly lucrative a target for cybercriminals. The main way smartphones are attacked is though apps, often ones which pose as innocent and useful but actually aim to steal data or in the case of ransomware, force users to pay up. Recently, google uncovered the Android version of Pegasus, a mobile spyware created by NSO Group, an Israeli surveillance company considered the most advanced producer of mobile spyware on…

Cybersecurity firms greenlit to decrypt Viber, WhatsApp traffic

October 4, 2016

Russian cybersecurity companies have a greenlight to decrypt traffic of such popular communication tools as Viber, WhatsApp, Skype and Facebook Messenger, a popular business daily reports. The measure is connected to a recently-adopted anti-terrorism law. “We are going to look into the main messengers — WhatsApp, Viber, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Skype both for iOS and Android,” Kommersant cites a letter from an employee of Con Certeza, a company dealing with the development of tools necessary for enforcing law in the telecommunications field. The employee wrote that the company aims to make…

Twitter removes the 140-character limit from Direct Messages

August 13, 2015February 15, 2016 Staff Writer

Twitter has today removed the 140-character limit on direct messages (DMs) for all users. The move was first flagged in June, hours after CEO Dick Costolo announced he’d be standing down as CEO of the social platform. From today, the change becomes reality, as the update is rolled out to users across the world. The changes referred to here being the removal of restrictions on who can DM whom – previously you could only DM those following you, now users have the choice to receive direct messages from anyone –…

Following celebrity hacks, here’s how to secure your iCloud account

September 3, 2014February 18, 2016 Staff Writer

Though Apple says it’s investigating a reported hack on the iCloud accounts of several celebrities, there is an easy way for users to secure their accounts. Over the weekend, reports emerged that a number of celebrities had their iCloud accounts compromised by unknown hackers, and personal photos leaked onto the internet. Apple says it is “actively investigating” the situation. The exact details of the hack are unknown, but some security researchers believe Apple left iCloud vulnerable to a brute force password hacking attempt. Basically, hackers could use a piece of…

Google Earth for Android Gets Street View

May 9, 2013 Staff Writer

Google has updated its Google Earth Android app to version 7.1, bringing several important improvements, most notably the support for Street View. If you want to explore the Earth from the street level, zoom into an area and the Pegman — the little yellow guy signifying the availability of Street View — will appear in the right hand corner. Drag and drop him into a street and you’ll jump right into Street View. Adapted from mashable.com

Location information to make mobile ads more valuable

April 16, 2013 Staff Writer

NEW YORK–Hyper-targeted advertising based on your location is coming to mobile phones and could finally bring money into the mobile advertising market, say experts at the All Things D mobile conference here Monday. In two separate interviews, the CEO of the mapping app Waze and ad executives Jason Spero from Google and Mollie Spilman of Millennial Media talked up the importance of users’ GPS location information to help tailor advertising. Adapted From cnet.com