There's a constant tug of war playing out on the national stage. On one side, privacy advocates are pushing for greater autonomy for end users, and hard limits to the types of searches that law enforcement agencies are allowed to conduct. On the other side are the government agencies themselves, which often cite national security concerns as the justification for more and easier access to the sensitive data contained on personal devices like laptops and smartphones. Generally speaking, … Read more
Vertical Video Support On YouTube For iOS Finally Here
The owners of Android devices have been able to properly view vertical videos for more than two years, but for Apple users, it was a different story. Instead of getting the traditional full-screen experience when viewing vertical videos, Apple users were saddled with annoying vertical bars that would appear on either side of the video itself. It's a small thing, but undeniably annoying. Now, at long last, the problem has been solved and now Apple users can enjoy the same vertical, … Read more
Chrome OS To Get App Multitasking Soon
Chromebooks have brought Android apps to a much wider market, making them accessible to virtually everyone, but the Chrome OS has always lagged behind other platforms developmentally. One of its most serious limitations where running apps was concerned centered on its inability to multitask. Basically, if the app you're using is not "in focus" or in the window you're currently viewing, all activity in the app ceases. There are a few exceptions such as the Spotify app, but most apps that … Read more
Popular Android Keyboard App Collected Private Information, Has Been Breached
How many apps do you have on your smartphone? Do you know how much data they're collecting about you? Most people have scores of apps installed (and often hundreds), even if they only use a few on a regular basis, and shockingly, most users have no idea just how much information those apps are collecting about them. However much you imagine, the answer is probably "more." This point was driven home painfully, courtesy of a recent discovery by a team of researchers at the Kromtech … Read more
Google Can Still Track You With Location Services Disabled
Google recently found itself in a bit of hot water after an investigation by Quartz revealed that the company was intrusively collecting location data on literally every Android device in use today. That's billions of devices all over the globe. There are many instances when there's an expectation that location data can and will be tracked. In fact, one of the most commonly used features of smartphones in general (GPS and directions) demands it. After all, Google Maps can't tell you how to … Read more
Be Careful Of Downloads – Google Play Store Sees Malware Increase
Google's Play Store is under siege. In recent month, there has been a sharp spike in malware campaigns launched against the store, with a shocking number of poisoned apps slipping past Google's robust system of checks designed to prevent, or at least minimize such occurrences. The spike in poisoned apps has been reported by three different security companies: Dr. Web, McAfee and Malwarebytes. According to the latest McAfee report, 144 Play Store apps have been identified as containing … Read more
Popular Chrome Ad Blocker Faked, 30k Users Infected With Malware
“Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me,” as the saying goes. Unfortunately, Google has now been fooled by the same trick twice. For the second time in recent years, Google has allowed a malicious variant of the popular extension “AdBlock Plus” onto its Chrome Web Store. It was noticed by a security researcher going by the alias “SwiftOnSecurity.” Before Google removed it, it had been installed more than 37,000 times by unsuspecting users. This incident underscores a … Read more
Google Has Announced Earbuds That Translate Language In Real Time
Google Labs has produced some amazing ideas. Some of them have found their way to the market, and many others have not. The one thing they have in common, though, is that they’re all intriguing and exciting. That’s especially true of Google’s latest offering, Google Pixel Buds. If you’ve ever read “The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy,” then you know the term “Bable Fish.” If you grew up watching Star Trek, then you know all about the Universal Translator. Well, Google has built the … Read more
