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Just how secure are your messaging apps? The EFF knows.
Like it or not, your messages -- those funny, tragic, productive, intensely personal missives you fire off without a second thought -- aren't nearly as safe as we all thought. That's why the Electronic Frontier Foundation decided to do a bit of digging into how secure all those messaging apps we use actually are, and it threw its results into this handsome little scorecard. Unsurprisingly, few entrants (like the security-minded calling and texting apps from outfits like Whisper Systems and Silent Circle) scored full marks on the EFF's rubric. What's even less of a surprise is how many well-known services - services we probably all use everyday - don't fare particularly well by the EFF's standards.
Mobile pushes Facebook to even greater heights, expect more stand-alone apps
...And Facebook's march towards utter market dominance continues unabated. While Twitter enjoys plenty of success, and we're sure someone out there still uses Google+, there's no denying that the king of the social networking hill is Facebook. And during the third quarter of 2014 the company did nothing but extend that lead. In particular the number of mobile users continued to explode at an impressive rate. The average number of monthly mobile users in September was 1.12 billion. (To put that in perspective: Twitter announced just 284 million monthly users across all platforms.) That's 29 percent more than last year. Most impressively many of those users check in every day. The average daily number of mobile users during the quarter was 703 million. And when you take the desktop into account, usage balloons to 864 million per day -- or about 64 percent of its users.
Sound Off! Share your favorite messaging apps
There's definitely no shortage of messaging apps around. With services like Google Hangouts, Facebook Messages, iMessage, Path Talk, Snapchat, Whatsapp and countless others, it's a pretty overwhelming task to figure out the best way to contact your friends. How do you choose which app is the right one for keeping in touch and giving your thumbs a workout? Head over to the Engadget forums and share your favorite way to communicate.
Facebook isn't planning to monetize Whatsapp just yet
Whatsapp has always had a pretty low-key business model: your first year on the service is free, and every year beyond that'll cost you a whopping $1. Now that the ink is dry on its $22ish billion buyout deal with Facebook, is the social juggernaut planning to change things up? Maybe, but according to a new report from Reuters, CEO/chief hacker Mark Zuckerberg isn't planning to try and make more money off the incredibly popular app in the short term. Makes sense: after all, Whatsapp currently has well over half a billion people using it each month, thanks in part to the company's no-nonsense way of making money. There are no obnoxious ads to be found, no sponsored deals -- just a simple, functional way to communicate that runs on nearly any device with a processor and a screen. An attempt to shoehorn in-app purchases or paid services into the mix might only serve to alienate some of Whatsapp's most devoted users... not to mention trigger weeks and weeks worth of meandering opinion pieces. Ugh.
Facebook completes its pricey Whatsapp acquisition
Well, that was quick: it's only been three days since Facebook cleared the last, decidedly European hurdle to closing its $19 billion Whatsapp acquisition (which is now worth closer to $22 billion thanks to FB's surging stock price), and it's already made things official with the SEC. Regulators in the United States and Europe were concerned about the effects the deal would have on competition in the rough-and-tumble messaging realm (though Google is apparently gearing up to give the combine social giant a run for its money), but the other major concern was making sure user data stays private. Jessica Rich, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, put it bluntly back in April (PDF warning): to hear her tell it, "WhatsApp has made a number of promises about the limited nature of the data it collects, maintains, and shares with third parties – promises that exceed the protections currently promised to Facebook users." Facebook apparently managed to ease those fears, but with the deal now closed it's time to see what the folks at 1 Hacker Way actually do with Whatsapp. Our guess? Nothing too great.
Google allegedly working on its own WhatsApp competitor
Google introduced its Android One program earlier this year, which focuses on building budget-friendly, solid quality smartphones for the developing world. Back then, the search giant made it pretty clear that, with help from manufacturers, it wanted to create a big splash in emerging markets -- such as India, where the first Android One devices were revealed last month. But a rumor suggests Google's next step is to build what it couldn't buy when it lost out on messaging king WhatsApp to Facebook. The Economic Times, a trusted Indian news outlet, is now claiming the company from Mountain View has started working on a messaging app of its own that will head to emerging markets first, before potentially launching elsewhere.
EU officially approves Facebook's purchase of WhatsApp
US regulators may have given Facebook's $19 billion acquisition of WhatsApp the thumbs-up some time ago, but the social network was still waiting for the EU to do the same. Now, thankfully, approval has been handed down from European Commissioner Joaquin Almunia, who says that, thanks to the presence of healthy rivals like Line, Viber and iMessage, the deal won't hamper competition in the messaging market. Zuckberg and Co. had to agree to protect user privacy in the States before getting the official go-ahead, and in Europe antitrust watchdogs sent questionnaires to the competition in order to gauge the impact on the messaging game before deciding. In May, Facebook looked into getting the European Commission involved to bypass the holdup of waiting on each country to okay the deal. Of course, there's a lot of sexting to take into account across the pond, so officials had to be careful with the due diligence.
Messaging's mission impossible: One inbox to rule them all
My phone buzzes. I glance at it and see a text message from my husband, who wants to know if I can pick him up from work. Later that day, my phone buzzes again. This time, it's a Facebook Messenger notification from my mother, who wants to chat about an upcoming trip. At the same time, a friend pings me using Twitter's Direct Messages. Next, a colleague strikes up a conversation on Google Hangouts. Realizing it would be easier to handle all of these with a computer, I flip open my laptop so I can chat with everyone simultaneously. Within the span of a few hours, I've chatted with four different people on four completely different messaging platforms. And the juggling doesn't stop there.
Brits will send 300 billion IMs in 2014, and it's all down to sexting
The traditional lull in news during the summer seasons means that throughout August, companies pump out swathes of research that would otherwise get ignored or drowned out. Coincidentally, Deloitte is claiming that the UK population is likely to send around 300 billion electronic instant messages this year, up from 160 billion in 2013. What's the cause of this sudden near-doubling of iMessage, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger chat? Sexting. At least that's what Paul Lee, Deloitte's media and telecoms chief, believes, saying that teenagers sending winky emoticons and Snapchatting pictures of their genitals pets is the biggest contributor to the rise. According to the firm, the average person sends just seven texts, but nearly 50 IMs in a single day, and that if the trend continues, 2014 will be the first year that text messaging numbers fall compared to its free rivals. Just think, it'll be September soon, so we can all go back to reading about actual developments in the world of technology.
WhatsApp for Android Wear will have you talking to your wrist
With over 500 million active users, WhatsApp probably has more than a few customers sporting Android Wear. Starting today, those folks will be able to read and reply to messages directly from their wrist. The new features are launching somewhat quietly though -- the App's Google Play listing hasn't been updated yet, and the direct link on WhatsApp's website makes no mention of the smartwatch features -- but users who update manually will find a new app installed on their Google Wear device. It's more than a simple notification push, too: users can read stacked conversation messages and even reply to them using voice. The update will probably hit Google's servers soon, but if you can't wait you can grab the official download right here.
EU asks rival companies to weigh in on the Facebook-WhatsApp deal
Facebook is prepared to drop a cool $19 billion in cash and stock to buy Whatsapp, but it won't actually get to until both companies gone through a regulatory rigmarole. Part of that process involves getting the blessing of Europe's antitrust crusaders and according to the Wall Street Journal, the European Commission wants to know just what sort of impact the merger will have on the companies' competitors. Its plan to find out? Sending them, erm, questionnaires. The list of rivals that have been asked for input hasn't been disclosed, but c'mon -- does anyone expect them to say "Oh yeah, the merger's cool, we'll be totally fine"?
WhatsApp returns to Windows Phone with new features in tow
Windows Phone users worried that Whatsapp's devs might be enjoying their Facebook money too much to fix the app can now rest easy. Whatsapp is now back on the Windows Phone Store after a couple of weeks' absence, and it even comes with new features, including chat backgrounds, better privacy settings and the ability to customize notification tones. Its devs pulled the app from the store after a lot of users reported having serious issues with update 3 for Windows Phone 8 that permanently disabled notifications or caused persistent errors. Just as Microsoft's Windows Phone guy Joe Belfiore promised on Twitter, though, Whatsapp's back and ready for more cross-platform messaging. [Image credit: Luis/Flickr] [Thanks, Manthan]
Facebook pokes the EU to help push through its WhatsApp purchase
Facebook's $19 billion acquisition of WhatsApp is a done deal in the US, but in Europe, it still has a few more hoops to jump through. In a bid to move things along, the Wall Street Journal reports that the social networking giant is taking the unusual step of actively seeking an investigation into the deal by the European Commission. As it stands, the company will be probed by regulators across Europe, but if the Commission gets involved, Facebook would no longer need to gain approval from each European member state. That could possibly push the deal through a little bit faster. Facebook's decision to go direct likely stems from opposition it currently faces from European carriers, which are worried that the social network would dominate the text and photo messaging market (read: kill SMS revenues). For the Commission to get involved, Facebook needs proof that it's already under review in at least three EU countries. It isn't clear if that's the case, but if it is, a Facebook-owned WhatsApp would likely become a reality a lot sooner than is currently expected.
Iranian court summons Mark Zuckerberg to answer privacy concerns
We've got a feeling that Mark Zuckerberg will, regretfully, be unable to accept this particular foreign invitation -- especially after all the recent name-calling that's been coming out of Iran. Nevertheless, a court in the south of that country has reportedly ordered the Facebook CEO to attend a hearing to answer complaints over privacy, specifically regarding Instagram and WhatsApp. There have been calls for both services to be blocked in Tehran, but they're still operational for now, perhaps partly due to a degree of protection from more moderate forces within the country. The precise details of the court summons are hard to be sure of, because news of it comes not from the court itself, but from an official within the Basij militia -- a voluntary paramilitary force that is regularly called upon to protect Iran's theocracy from dissent. And frankly, that's exactly the sort of geo-political context that might further dissuade Zuckerberg's PA from scheduling an appointment.
Iran censors move to block WhatsApp because it's run by 'zionist' Zuckerberg
There's a tug of war going on between political factions in Iran, and once again it's internet users who are likely to bear the brunt of it. According to Fox News, Iranian censors have suddenly decided to ban citizens from using WhatsApp, in direct defiance of more progressive government ministers who say they're against such a move. There's no concrete evidence that any block or filtering is in place yet, and even President Hassan Rouhani has tweeted his objection to it, but Iran's "Committee for Determining Criminal Web Content" has reportedly called for the popular messaging service to be prohibited on the basis that it's now "owned" [sic] by the "American zionist" Mark Zuckerberg (whose background is Jewish).
Twitter's working on a 'Whisper mode' to make conversations private
When sharing gossip on Twitter, there's always that moment when you have to boldly announce that the conversation will have to continue over DM. Sadly, as well as killing the mood, it means that group discussions get broken up in favor of individual messages behind the veil. It's a problem that Twitter boss Dick Costolo is aware of, and told Bloomberg that the company would look to build a "whisper mode" that lets you grab whole conversations with friends (plural) and make them private at the push of a button. Naturally, an off-hand by a CEO can't be taken as gospel, and we don't know if this is instead of, or beside, the long-mooted private messaging app that would break out Twitter DMs to another platform. Given the rise in real-time messaging platforms like WhatsApp and the anonymity afforded by apps like Secret, however, it looks as if Twitter's going to muscle up so that we never again have to type "Let's take this to DM, k?" ever again.
Whatsapp now has 500 million active users to offer its new social overlord
Some companies lose their following after an acquisition, but not Whatsapp -- apparently, its userbase just continued to grow after Facebook bought it for $19 billion. The FB-owned entity has revealed that it now has 500 million active users, up 50 million from the time the social network snapped it up. According to Whatsapp CEO Jan Kuom, the app has seen the fastest growth in Brazil, India, Mexico and Russia in recent months. Kuom didn't mention whether the buyout helped boost Whatsapp's influence in those regions, but it's worth noting that Brazil, India and Mexico had some of the biggest Facebook user numbers in 2013, according to a statistics analyst. He also mentioned that people have been sharing over 700 million photos and 100 million videos per day over the app. With growth like this, we wouldn't be surprised if it's true that providers everywhere have collectively lost out on $33 billion due to the popular messaging app. Unfortunately, the CEO didn't have anything to share about the VoIP feature for iOS, so the Whatsapp faithful will have to wait a bit more.
US will force Facebook to protect WhatsApp user privacy
When Facebook bought WhatsApp, some were worried that the messenger would go back on its promise not to collect swathes of personal data in the style of its new owner. Luckily for you, the FTC has other plans, and will only give its blessing to the $19 billion deal if both companies swear to respect WhatsApp's original user agreement. In a letter to the pair, FTC consumer protection chief Jessica L. Rich has said that if WhatsApp pulls a privacy bait-and-switch , then Zuckerberg and co. will be in breach of section five of the FTC act, with harsh penalties to follow.
WhatsApp's VoIP feature for iOS revealed in leaked screenshots
Just a few weeks after WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum hinted that his Facebook-owned service will integrate voice communication features (VoIP, specifically) into its apps by this summer, we're finally seeing alleged screenshots that show off what it'll look like on iOS. The shots, which were leaked by iPhoneItalia, show an interface that looks awfully similar to the iOS 7.1 phone UI -- complete with circular buttons, blurred background and even a similar keyboard (is the shift key on or off?), albeit with a camera button on top. We're hearing that you'll be able to make calls for free over WiFi or cellular, which will help WhatsApp compete against the litany of other VoIP apps and services available on the market.
Google denies making a bid for WhatsApp
Rumors that Google engaged in a bidding war with Facebook over WhatsApp are false -- at least, if you ask Google's Sundar Pichai. The Senior VP tells The Telegraph that his company "never made an offer" to buy the messaging giant, and that any claims to the contrary are "simply untrue." We're inclined to believe him, although the denial suggests that Facebook may have paid $19 billion so that it wouldn't have to compete with Google (or anyone else) on yet another important acquisition.
