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WhatsApp says its forwarding limits are slowing the spread of fake news
WhatsApp's measure to restrict the spread of fake news appear to be working.
Apple vows to fix its easily defeated iPhone parental controls
iOS 13.3 just arrived recently with new parental controls, particularly a feature called Communication Limits. It's designed to block children from communicating with people not in their contacts unless their parents let them by entering a code. However, the system can be easily defeated by a simple text message, according to a report from CNBC.
Apple, Google and others condemn UK plan to view encrypted chats
Major players within the tech industry have long-opposed the idea of government access to users' messages and chat conversations -- now they're continuing the fight with an open letter to GCHQ (the UK's government communication headquarters) lambasting proposals that could allow officials to eavesdrop on encrypted chats.
Google is killing its Notifications Widget
As the death knell sounds for Google+, so too comes the end for the Google's Notification Widget. Introduced in 2011 alongside Google+, the bell icon in the top-right corner of every Google page was designed to alert users to activity on the social network, eventually expanding to include Google Photos and Hangout Chat. Now, though, a warning message indicates that the service will end on March 7th. After this date, the navigation bar will only feature your profile avatar and other settings, including the app launcher. Not to worry if you still rely on the feature for Photos, Hangout Chat or Google+ enterprise, though, as you can still enable alerts in the settings section of each individual app.
Google Voice command may take frustration out of text messages
Google Voice is great for a number of things, in particular differentiating between the contacts worthy of your regular number and those you aren't quite there with yet. But as has become apparent recently, it's not great at sending text messages, especially from Android Auto, Android Wear and Assistant. Fortunately, help could soon be on the way in the form of a new voice command.
Windows 10 update message interrupts live weather report
Microsoft made Windows 10 a recommended upgrade for previous versions, and users have reported the desktop operating system asking about a download without warning. There have even been reports of the software installing itself without user consent. It can be rather annoying, and a meteorologist at KCCI in Des Moines observed that first hand. During a live weather report, a pop-up appeared prompting the control room to update to Windows 10. As you can see, these messages are bit more intrusive than the notifications on other platforms, like Apple's OS X for Mac.
Skype gets HoloLens support and help from Cortana
Microsoft isn't just content to work on a universal Skype app -- it has much bigger plans in store. It's developing a version of Skype for HoloLens that, as you'd expect, lets you chat and collaborate with friends using the augmented reality headset. Its exact functionality isn't clear yet, but the allure is clear: you can hold a hands-free video chat while you're walking around the room. Needless to say, that's helpful if you're working on a group project or have your hands full with other tasks. Don't worry if you can't drop $3,000 on a HoloLens unit to try it out, though, as there's plenty coming for regular users.
T-Mobile delivers iMessage-style texting, starting with Samsung phones
What if the default texting app on your phone offered some of the same handy features as iMessage or Hangouts? Well, if you're a T-Mobile customer, you'll soon be privy to more tools. The Uncarrier announced its Advanced Messaging tech today, delivering options like near real-time chat, larger images and more. Like iMessage, BBM and the like, you'll be able to see when a message has been delivered, read and when the person you're chatting with is tapping out a response. Those larger images? The size limit is bumped to 10MB for photos and videos, giving you more space to futz with if needed.
Printer for self-destructing photos brings Snapchat to real life
Normally, you print things out to get a permanent copy. Not with Diego Trujillo Pisanty's new printer, however. His This Tape Will Self-Destruct art project coats its printouts (in this case, Cold War pictures) with glycerol and potassium salt, triggering an exothermic reaction that burns the paper within moments after you read it. Think of it as a real-world Snapchat where photos literally disappear in a puff of smoke.
Great, now Destiny's first Loot Cave is haunted
This is all your fault, Destiny looters. While Bungie was closing up another treasured loot cave in today's hotfix, the game's fanatical subreddit uncovered a secret message left behind by the developers in the first loot cave, which was sealed in late September. Now, when players arrive at the previously popular exploit location, they are met by a pile of bodies with an indicator that allows players to "disturb the remains." As shown in a video provided by YouTube user Jonty Alphaville after the break, players that click on the corpses will hear a spooky message that says, "A million deaths are not enough for Master Rahool." The message refers to the Cryptarch located in the game's Tower, who decodes the engrams players bring to him, including the massive amount of treasure from the now-haunted loot cave. It's okay, Rahool, there will certainly be more Fallen bodies on the way as long as places in Destiny like the Loot Stairs keep appearing. [Image: Activision, Jonty Alphaville (YouTube)]
iOS 8 Messages app to see host of enhancements and long-awaited improvements
Messages in iOS 8 will be receiving a number compelling enhancements that should make the most frequently used app in iOS all the more useful. Here is a rundown of what users can look forward to. One of the more novel additions to Messages is the ability to seamlessly send voice messages without having to leave the app itself, a feature Apple calls "Tap to Talk." As is typically the case, the implementation is simple and intuitive. As you can see above, there's now a microphone icon located to the right of the message window. Users simply need to tap on the icon, record their message and send away. Also worth noting is that users can listen to voice messages by simply raising their iPhone up to their ear. In addition to audio, the Messages app in iOS 8 also allows users to quickly to send short video messages. It's worth highlighting that voice and video messages sent via Messages will self-destruct as to save storage space. Message recipients, though, can pro-actively keep selected audio and video messages of their choosing. Think Snapchat meets iOS. Another welcome improvement to Messages in iOS 8 is that it finally grants users more control over group text conversations that they're a part of. Specifically, iOS 8 finally gives users the ability to leave group texting threads, add or remove other participants, and elect not to be disturbed every time a group text flies in. One of the cooler features in the new Messages app, I think, is the ability to see all the photos and videos ever sent in a particular conversation without having to hit "Load Earlier Messages" ad infinitum. For anyone who has had to press that dreadful button innumerable times to find a photo sent weeks if not months earlier, this feature is a godsend. And speaking of photos, Messages in iOS 8 now supports the ability to send multiple photos and videos concurrently. Lastly, a clever add-on to the upcoming Messages feature set is the ability to quickly share your location with friends. Apple describes the feature thusly: "Where are you?" Answer that question more clearly than ever with a map showing your location. You can also share your whereabouts with people you choose for an hour, until the end of the day, or indefinitely. And you can see people in the message thread on a map if they've shared their locations. This will certainly make connecting with friends much simpler than it's been with "Find My Friends."
BlackBerry landing page prematurely declares 'BBM for Android and iPhone is here'
BlackBerry's messaging tool doesn't appear to be live for Android and iOS just yet, but if this new landing page is any indication, the service is just about ready to launch. A new dedicated page with the banner "BBM for Android and iPhone is here," appeared under the company's Canadian domain this morning, along with an inactive link to download BBM for Android and another for iPhone. Further down the page are references to additional features that won't be included at launch, such as BBM Voice, BBM Video and screen sharing features, which instead are expected this fall. The page has since been removed, but it may reappear any minute/hour/day now at the source link below. [Thanks, Felix]
Apple goes after app news release for being 'at odds' with 'entire reason Apple exists'
Apple took a dislike recently to a press release announcing the availability of a new app. After Tim Cook passed this week on a question about sharing solutions across iCloud, the CEO of a company making an app named Glide, Donald Leka, sent out a press release for his app stating that "consumers really don't care that much what platform they are on, where their files are stored, or what the file types and file formats are." That apparently earned Leka the ire of Apple Worldwide Developer Relations, who sent him a memo suggesting he see things as a bit more Apple-centric. Customers do care about what platform they're on, said Apple's rep, adding that "the tone of your release and your product positioning is at odds with not just our primary marketing messaging, but the entire reason Apple exists." Apple suggested that Leka reword his messaging, to target specifically customers' feelings around the iPhone and the version of Glide for that platform, and not to talk about other platforms or apps connected to it. It is a bit strange to hear about Apple getting so involved in a single app's marketing, and I'm not sure I agree entirely with Apple's customers only wanting to hear about one option on one platform. But then again, Apple is going to be biased about what platforms customers should use -- the company wouldn't want its customers even considering any other platforms than iOS or Mac. The dev relations rep seems overeager, but at least he's pushing the company line, right? [via Forbes]
Mailbox for iPhone targets the "broken to-do list" of email
Feeling oppressed by your inbox? Struggling under the weight of unread messages? You're not alone. With half a billion results for "manage my/your email" there's obviously a need for help. Now add in the new wrinkle: many of us are interacting with email primarily or exclusively via our mobile devices, something that the legacy POP and IMAP protocols were never truly built to handle. Big problems need smart solutions: enter Mailbox, a free app and matching cloud pre-processor for mobile email. The team behind the iOS and web to-do app Orchestra decided to bring its savvy to the email challenge after the experience of trying to manage tasks without integrating the inbox proved frustrating. "In hindsight, it was obvious," said CEO Gentry Underwood. Even with the power of Orchestra in hand, "people kept sending us tasks by email." Underwood doesn't mince words about the effectiveness of email for task management: "Email is a broken to-do list," he says, and "the way we live our lives on email is ridiculous... marking messages unread, sending things to ourselves" -- all symptoms of a round peg in a square hole. For a fuller rundown of what's not right about email, read Underwood's manifesto on TechCrunch and his interview with AllThingsD. Mailbox's approach to dealing with the onslaught is to optimize the heck out of your inbox, specifically tuning it to the mobile experience. The company's cloud servers download and compress your messages from Gmail; the app gives you tools for quickly reading, replying, snoozing ("I want to see this tomorrow morning") and sorting your email. Mailbox tries to keep your attention on critical items while allowing you to do email triage, catching opportunities to deal with messages where and when you can in short bursts of engagement. The app's previews to a selected few testers have garnered some raves, and today's launch of the app is bound to excite many more... if they can use it. %Gallery-178258% Aside from the Gmail-only support in the initial release, users of Mailbox may need to wait in line. The company is scaling out its middleman servers to match demand as it builds, and in order to avoid overloading new users will be added to the system by reservation only. Mailbox has been accepting reservation requests since late January, and now that the app is available for download it's going to start to fulfill them -- queued users will get a text message with a signup link and activation code, and away they go. The app will even tell you where you are in the queue until you get your magic stamp of approval. (I requested a reservation on January 27, and there are only 228,431 people in front of me. Shouldn't be long now!) The pace of reservation fulfillment may seem slow at first, but the company says it should accelerate as the shakedown period for the infrastructure continues. This tiered access may be somewhat atypical for an App Store release, but Underwood says it's the only way to fairly and reliably bootstrap the service. When it comes to the scaling process, Orchestra has done all it can, but "we don't know what we don't know," he says, and "email just has to work." Rather than opening the floodgates and seeing what breaks, the plan is to "add users as fast as we can, but no faster." Mailbox is free at launch and intended to remain so, with premium buy-up features planned down the line. If the app UI sounds confusing, check out this demo video. It's swipe, swipe and hold, and act upon -- all very easy once you get the hang of it. If you're already on the reservation list and ready to start Mailboxing, let us know your impressions in the comments.
Wikipad delayed on launch day, 'refined and upgraded bundles' to be announced soon
The upcoming Android gaming tablet Wikipad was set to launch today, but the company's representatives have sent along a statement from the development team (which you can read in full after the break) saying that the launch has been delayed. According to the statement, the device's release was moved in order to take advantage of a "last minute opportunity" to "ensure our first customers are completely satisfied with the Wikipad." Unfortunately, no new launch date has been set yet.The team says that it's working with GameStop on dealing with current pre-orders, and that anyone who's already pre-ordered the product will not only get the "refined and upgraded" bundle when it's eventually released, but "a special bonus gift" as well. Again, there's no indication when that might happen, so we'll just have to wait and see what Wikipad's plans are going forward.
Gmail composer goes to a simple pop-up, gives multitaskers freedom to fly
As much as Gmail shines when it's on the web, some of its most avid users stay in native apps for the multitasking; having to check a past message in the web client has usually meant putting the current draft on hold, or at least maintaining a near-photographic memory. Google wants to translate some of that desktop experience to the web through a new composition interface it's testing as of today. New messages start off in a shrinkable pop-up that lets us find old threads without having to put the new conversation on ice, even we're indecisive enough to leave multiple unfinished e-mail messages open. Other upgrades lurk in the background for the more focused among us, such as a pared-back composition interface, in-line photos and a reply box that dynamically adapts to the space it needs. Only those in the preview will see the Gmail update for now; Google is promising a wider launch in the months ahead that could save us all a few precious minutes each day.
Skype confirms fix rolling out for instant messaging bug
When one of your main services throws up a pretty embarrassing bug, you're going to want to squash that quick. Skype has stepped up and done just that, according to its blog. The hotfix will be rolling out for version 5.10 for Windows, 5.8 for Mac, 4.0 for Linux and 1.2 for Windows Phone. Skype was also quick to point out that not all clients (and therefore users) were affected. If you were on 5.9 for Windows, version 2.8 for Android or Skype 4.0 for iOS, then the firm assures you that you won't be affected. The official line is that the fix should start arriving in the next couple of days, so still best to keep a lid on those office gossip chats for now. Let us know if you start getting the update in the comments below.
Skype confirms 'rare' bug that sends messages to unintended contacts, promises fix soon
Only a handful of Skype users have reported this problem over at the support forum, but what they're complaining about is pretty hair-raising. They say that, following an update in June, instant messages have repeatedly and unintentionally been forwarded to random people in their contact lists. In other words, third-parties are seeing stuff they were never meant to see, which constitutes a serious breach of privacy. Skype now tells us it's aware of the issue and is working on a fix. Here's the official response in full: "We are aware that in rare circumstances IM's between two contacts could be sent to an unintended third contact. We are rolling out a fix for this issue in the next few days and will notify our users to download an updated version of Skype." [Thanks, Kuldar]
Mozilla giving Thunderbird the (effective) axe, leaving its fate to the community
Mozilla's Thunderbird mail client just hasn't enjoyed the same level of stardom as its Firefox cousin. Their developer must be feeling this discrepancy more than most, as the company has confirmed plans to take the organization out of active Thunderbird development. The shift is officially being spun as an adaptation that lets the Foundation center its energy on Firefox OS and the usual browser plans, but when Mozilla proper will only be handling bug fixes and security updates for a client that's "not a priority," we'd say it's putting Thunderbird on ice. Accordingly, leaked details from TechCrunch show Mozilla moving some of the team out of the project at some point; any new features will have to come from the community, which suggests the future upgrade schedule will be more than a bit unpredictable. The writing is on the wall soon enough that existing owners could have food for thought well before a final strategy is due in early September.
A day in the life of a Gmail email
Electronic mail, or email to those in the know, has become so ubiquitous and transparent that many take for granted the effort and engineering required to make this near-instant communication medium a reality. In an effort to remind the general public about this digital miracle, Google (a company that knows a thing or two about the subject) has launched a new mini-site dubbed The Story of Send. The web novella leverages animations and videos to explain what happens to a Gmail dispatch once it's jettisoned from your mail client of choice. Message transmission, data security and green computing initiatives are just a few of the topics on the menu. Saunter past the break, have a peek at the video primer then make sure to check out the full Story of Send site.
