notification
Latest
YouTube users will get a 24-hour timeout if their toxic comments are removed
YouTube is updating its rules around toxic comments that violate community community guidelines.
Uber's audio recording safety feature is coming to the US
Other new measures include audible seat belt alerts and RideCheck enhancements.
FTC rules that health apps must notify consumers affected by data breaches
The FTC ruled that companies producing health apps must inform users impacted by data breaches, lest they face a financial penalty of over $43,000 per day.
Facebook will tell you when you're about to share old news
You'll see a notification when you're linking to something more than 90 days old.
An unusual character string is causing Apple devices to crash
A new character bug is causing Apple devices to crash.
Android devices stop alerting users to completed app updates
Swiping away unwanted alerts and notifications is part and parcel of smartphone ownership, but it seems that Google is trying to mitigate some of the annoyance. According to a number of reports, the Play Store notification that usually pops up after an app has been updated has stopped appearing.
Chrome will make website notification requests less irritating
Mozilla isn't the only one waging war against annoying website notification requests. Google has announced that Chrome 80 will show a "quieter" notification interface that won't seriously disrupt what you're doing. Whether you're on desktop or mobile, you'll get a brief, relatively non-intrusive alert (with a bell icon to see what you missed) instead of the usual pull-down. You'll have to enable this more respectful approach manually at first, but Google said it would eventually activate the feature automatically for both people who often block notifications as well as sites with "very low" opt-in rates.
Firefox puts an end to annoying notification requests
Firefox already has the option of blocking website notification requests, but Mozilla wants to go further by replacing them altogether. The newly available Firefox 72 replaces irksome notification pop-ups with a speech bubble that appears in the address bar. You'll still have access to notifications if you want them, but your web surfing won't come to a screeching halt when you visit a site for the first time.
Das Keyboard's notification service leaves IFTTT on January 10th
Some of Das Keyboard's highest-end models appear to be losing one of their major selling points. Users are receiving a warning that the Das Keyboard Q notification service, plus its matching applets, will leave IFTTT on January 10th. There's no explanation as to why, but IFTTT is pointing users to other "routers and computer accessories" services as an alternative -- not that they'd likely interact with your keyboard.
Tinder wants to protect LGBTQ users in countries that discriminate
Tinder wants to keep its users safe in the nearly 70 countries that have discriminatory LGBTQ laws. Today, the company is launching a feature called Traveller Alert. When members of the LGBTQ community open the app in one of those countries, the alert will warn them about the potential dangers LGBTQ people face.
Instagram will notify you before it disables your account
Instagram is making a few changes to the way it disables accounts. Currently, the platform removes accounts with a certain percentage of violating content. But it's rolling out a new policy that will also allow it to disable accounts with a certain number of violations in a given timeframe.
WhatsApp lets you block randos from adding you to group chats
There are two types of people on this planet. Some absolutely relish getting a WhatsApp notification letting them know they've been added to a new group chat -- it's time for gossip! Others, however, would gladly fling their phone into the sun rather than contend with the continual onslaught of new and often pointless messages. Now, finally, WhatsApp is adding controls to help mitigate this trauma.
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.
Facebook makes an even bigger deal of your 'Life Events'
Big milestones deserve big announcements, which is why Facebook is giving its Life Events feature a revamp. Previously, when you added a Life Event such as an engagement, new job or birth of a child (or anything you deem noteworthy enough), you could choose an icon to represent the significance of your update. Now, you can include photos and videos, too. Don't have a photo? Facebook will let you include animated art instead, or the profile photos of people and pages involved in the post.
Apple's iOS 12 beta is driving everyone crazy
Apple promised a lot of bells and whistles with its iOS 12 update -- better performance, grouped notifications and the coveted Pixar-like Memojis, for example -- but its pre-launch spiel never mentioned the surprise feature everyone on the public beta is talking about today. Thanks to, presumably, a bug, iPhones are showing update notifications every time you unlock your phone, without an option to actually install the update.
Proposed Senate bill could send execs who conceal breaches to jail
A re-introduced Senate bill is addressing a timely topic, by making it a crime -- punishable by up to five years in prison -- if companies knowingly conceal a breach of customer information. After a slew of cyber attacks (like the one on Equifax) and news that Uber concealed a breach impacting some 57 million people, Sen. Bill Nelson, the ranking Democrat on the commerce committee, is reviving a bill he tried to pass during the last session called the "Data Security and Breach Notification Act (PDF)."
Firefox will soon flag sites that have been hacked
Firefox is having a good run right now, having just released its much speedier and better-looking Quantum browser. It's now working on a new feature that security fans are bound to like: It will warn you if you're visiting a site that has suffered a data breach. Firefox is working on the feature in collaboration with "Have I Been Pwned," the popular site that can check your email and tell you if your credentials have been stolen by hackers.
Windows 10 will remind you to install the latest major update
Are you still running the original version of Windows 10? Microsoft is about to offer a not-so-subtle hint that it's time to move on. The software giant has revealed that it will start sending notifications to users who are still using Windows 10 version 1507, warning them that the operating system is deemed "end of service" and will no longer receive monthly security patches. You'll see a convenient button to upgrade to the latest release (at present, the Creators Update) if you're part of this group.
Find out when you can download 'Super Mario Run' on Android
If you've been staring wistfully at the many iOS folks who are playing Super Mario Run on your commute, wondering when your Android gizmo could get in on the action, maybe stop doing that. First up, it's a little creepy and, secondly, soon enough you'll be able to play on your own device. To find out exactly when, you can pre-register for the app via Google Play and be alerted as soon as the download is ready. Precisely when that is isn't clear, but hopefully the gap will be shorter than it was between announcement and availability on Apple's mobile OS -- a month.
Software update will annoy Galaxy Note 7 owners into a return
While Samsung continues its quest to retrieve every Galaxy Note 7, a software update that reduces how much the phone's battery can be charged is finally rolling out in the US. Even though it's still apparently unclear exactly what caused so many of the phones to overheat, smoke and/or start fires, the idea is that this will increase participation in the recall. Another "feature" of the update is a system of pop-up notifications about the recall anytime an owner reboots, charges or turns on the screen of the device
