New Technology Update : A Malicious WhatsApp Video Feature Invite Is Spreading Across The Messaging App

WhatsApp recently announced the launch of its video calling feature which has started to roll out for Android, iOS and Windows Phone users. While a number of messaging apps offer this feature, WhatsApp has been a little late, it does however have the biggest user base across the globe.

While the news is welcoming, many users are receiving as well as sharing an unverified link on WhatsApp which is said to be an invite to activate the video calling feature. An invite system was introduced last year on Whatsapp when the voice calling feature was rolled out. It seems that certain scammers are trying to take advantage of this as they have spread a similar looking fake link for the new video calling feature.

WhatsApp has not officially released any links this time to enable any feature, so in case you get any such links, do not visit any of the links. Visiting these links could be harmful and could expose your personal data.

According to a report, the link takes you to what seems to look like an authentic page where it asks you to send the malicious link to other people on your list. It also mentions the existence of group WhatsApp video calling, a feature that is still not officially available on the platform.

If you do happen to get an invite to activate the video calling feature on WhatsApp, do ignore it. To get the feature you just need to update the app to the latest version. In case you don’t see an update, wait for a couple of days as it is rolling out in phases.

Posted by Unknown Saturday, November 19, 2016

News Google Tech Update : Google Launches Allo In The Play Store; Here Is How To Get Started

Image Credit: Google Play Store

Google has finally launched the much anticipated messaging app by the company, Google Allo. It was previously reported that that messaging app would launch today. Allo is the part of communication platform made in conjunction with Google Duo. Duo was released some time back by the company, and it focused on video whereas Google Allo is focused on text communication along with sending media such as photos, audio messages, stickers and locations.

Google Allo main screen

You can start using Allo by going to Google Play Store and installing it on your Android device. The interface is pretty bare bones but quite functional for a messaging app. When you launch the app for the first time, the app asks you to verify your mobile number similar to how things work on Google Duo. The SMS verification servers seem to be in place for Allo verification. After the verification, the app asks you to set a profile picture and name.

Google Assistant

The app interface is reminiscent to how Google Hangout looks like (but without all the features in Hangouts). Nothing has changed since the leaked screenshots for Google Allo in alpha stage. On launching, you get the first (and only) surprise that Google Allo holds, that is “Google Assistant”, the bot by Google while will replace Google Now in the upcoming update, Android Nougat 7.1. It is a vital part of the experience provided by Google Assistant and a step away from how popular messaging apps work. Google Assistant is what Cortana from Microsoft and Siri from Apple are, but inside a chat window currently. The bot is labelled as ‘Preview Edition’ but in the limited tests that we ran, Assistant left us impressed coming from Google Now as the previous native offering in Android.

Sticker Store, Template replies

While diving into the chat experience, Allo does the basics of sending text, photos shot from the front or back camera, pictures from gallery, stickers and location. You can send 20 photos at a time in Allo from the ten photos limited on WhatsApp. Another small change is that in the notifications area, the app shows smart response as a quick reply to contacts who message you. Machine learning is working full time to suggest bubble shape cards in the chat as appropriate message responses to the conversations. Finally, you can search inside your conversations, as against the searchless realm that Google Hangouts are.

 Incognito Chats

There is nothing new when you dive in the Profile section or the General settings menu, and there are just small things like controlling the notifications, sounds, vibration and to download the media when you receive it. There is no status updates or message that you can set for people in your contact list to read. 

Google Allo turns into Snapchat

 

The reason we mentioned that the chatting experience is different from how it is in the conventional messaging is apps is that you can summon Google Assistant in your private conversations to ask questions, play games or device on dinner options or the movie options. This brings a whole different side to the concept of user privacy and the only remedy seen is the use of incognito chat with other users.

Group conversations

Incognito mode features auto-destruct messages just like Snapchat which expire after a fixed amount of time depending on the settings. Infact, you can turn Google Allo into an almost functioning Snapchat clone except Stories or ability to check who saw your stories.

The summon behaviour is consistent across individual as well as group chats where you can call in Google Assistant to ask questions and suggestions on places nearby. However, you can’t tag Google Assistant in incognito chats. Apart from this nothing much stands out in the latest messaging app by Google, Google Allo.

Posted by Unknown Wednesday, September 21, 2016

News Update On Navigation : Navigation App Waze Gets A Huge Redesign – Now Less Cluttered, But Still Needs Improvement

The Google-owned navigation app Waze has a number of standout features – its ability to alert you to traffic conditions and speed traps, and re-route you around traffic jams, for example – but its user interface was not one of its better qualities. Today, the company is attempting to change that with the rollout of an entirely made-over version of its iOS application that introduces a cleaner, less-cluttered interface designed to simplify accessing Waze’s key features, and speed up the time it takes to report traffic problems.

While traditional mapping applications, like those from Apple and Google, are still the most popular among smartphone users, Waze has a strong following among drivers and commuters thanks to its ability to alert you to traffic conditions. Beyond just telling you that traffic is slow, Waze can tell you why – maybe there’s an accident ahead, or a stalled vehicle. Users also like it for its ability to alert you when cops have been spotted nearby – something that makes Waze something of an alternative to radar detectors.

Plus, its ability to route you around bad traffic in real-time as conditions change is especially helpful, as is its ability to let you add a stop while planning your route.

Today, Waze has over 50 million active users who log into Waze monthly, the company says.

But despite having a collection of useful features, the app’s interface itself has needed work for some time. Instead of a modern, clean aesthetic, Waze previously relied on a couple of menus – one with a cartoon-ish car icon to access the main menu, and the other map pin-shaped icon with an exclamation point in the middle for reporting incidents. And the map itself was messy and cluttered, making it hard to read.

With the new version of the app, Waze offers a de-cluttered map, and it makes the alerting feature more prominent – it’s an orange icon with a rounder pin. Meanwhile, the car icon with access to the menu and other settings has been relocated to the bottom-left. When you’re in a hurry – as drivers are behind the wheel (they’re not supposed to be using the app in-route, but of course they do) – this makes it easier and faster to participate in the Waze community because it’s more obvious which button to press to add a report.

In addition, the updated app now features quick access to a contacts section (as indicated by the mail envelope icon), where you can share directions with your contacts, send your location, and your ETA with a tap.


A bottom menu also slides up when tapped to offer you easy access to things like alternate routes, the “add a stop” feature, as well as a shortcut to sending your ETA to a friend or family member.

Nearly everything you do in Waze now takes fewer taps, which is another one of the bigger improvements over the prior version. And the menus themselves have been redesigned, too, to be quicker to use. For instance, the reporting menu now uses big, brightly-colored, round buttons for things like reporting accidents, road hazards, police, and more.

Waze 4.0 also lets you sync your Calendar to the app so you can receive alerts reminding you when to leave, based on traffic conditions. The company says it has made other improvements, too, like better battery life.
Waze Still Needs Work

Unfortunately, the new app still relies on its bubbly, cartoon-ish icons. This is a personal preference, of course, but I think it’s time to move away from this sort of juvenile look. It’s frankly just sort of silly to see cars with bows on their head, or pacifiers in their mouth, or wearing little crowns in an app aimed at adults old enough to drive a car.

The new design is certainly an improvement, but Waze still hasn’t delivered a truly sleek look-and-feel. Even now, there’s too much to look at on the screen.

Because Waze already shows things other mapping apps don’t have – like the other cars and graphics like ads for business as little road signs  – it needs to be even more careful about what other buttons should appear. Now it features an orange reporting button, a MPH indicator, the time, ETA, and distance, and a big button for finding your current geo-location. This latter item is positioned to the left and sort of up near the middle of the screen, though Apple and Google Maps put this feature closer to the bottom of the screen.

Plus, when you tap on the screen, tons of other buttons appear, including the compass, sound toggle, zooming feature, and when at a particular zoom level, your location finder. Combined with all the car icons and icons of signs, alert icons, and more, Waze still struggles with offering a truly clean-looking map.

Off the top of my head, I can still spot a number of things I’d change. For starters, Waze needs to ditch the MPH button entirely – drivers look at this on their car’s dashboard anyway. The geo-location feature needs to be much smaller and closer to the bottom of the screen.The bottom of the screen doesn’t need a greeting (e.g. “Good Afternoon”) when no route is in progress. And there’s no need to flag how many new messages you have and add a red dot to indicate you have unread mail – this could all be handled with a push notification and red icon badge on your iOS homescreen.

That said, Waze certainly looks better than before, if not great.
The updated app, Waze 4.0, is live on the iTunes Store now with an Android release soon to follow.

Posted by Unknown Friday, October 23, 2015

News Update & Deal Of The Day : 8 Paid iPhone Apps On Sale For Free Today

Happy Monday, dear readers. You didn’t think we would let you go through an entire day without a list of paid iPhone and iPad apps on sale for free, did you? Better late than never, and today’s list is worth waiting for.

These are paid iPhone and iPad apps that have been made available for free for a limited time by their developers. There is no way to tell how long they will be free. These sales could end an hour from now or a week from now — obviously, the only thing we can guarantee is that they were free at the time this post was written. If you click on a link and see a price listed next to an app instead of the word “get,” it is no longer free. The sale has ended. If you download the app, you will be charged.

Delete Duplicates + CleanUp

Normally $0.99.

Thanks to this app, you can delete all the duplicate contacts from your address book, you can delete a lot of contacts all at once and you can backup your contacts right from your iPhone or iPad.
Users wrote: “It took me 5 mins what would have taken me more than 2 hours to complete”
“This is the best if you need to delete a lot of numbers all at once”
“So glad I found this!!!”
Features:
-Delete all the duplicate contacts from your address book.
-Quickly delete multiple contacts at once.
-Delete contacts according filters (without phone, notes, etc..).
-Delete contacts from a group.
-Delete groups of contacts.
-Backup your contacts.
This app is compatible with iPhone and iPad.

Download Delete Duplicates + CleanUp

Guardian Sword

Normally $2.99.

From the creators of Tiny Defense comes Guardian Sword – a strategy puzzle RPG with unique gameplay and classic RPG charm.
Set off on an epic journey with Guts – a fearless swordsman who seeks an ultimate legendary weapon that gives the owner infinite power. But his road is not a bed of roses when it is the Guardian Sword that everyone can kill for…
The cause of “The Last War” has started!!
Guardian Sword is a strategy puzzle RPG, full of classic RPG charm that you rarely see in the genre these days.
Guardian Sword Highlight is the unique gameplay that allows the players to customize the puzzles by themselves. You can choose from 40 Tiles with different abilities which means you can devise your own strategy in various ways and limitless.
If you are looking for a game that is all new and if you would like a simple yet very strategizing gameplay, you are looking for “Guardian Sword”.
GAME FEATURES
• Choose a set of Puzzles from 40 Tiles with unique abilities
• Enhance with more than 20 Special Skills and Ultimate Attacks
• Fight alongside your Teammates together with their specific skills
• Meet over 120 different enemies and defeat strong Bosses!
• Level up your character and upgrade as you wish
• Stores to buy Weapons, Armors and Items
• Large world map for you to travel over 90 maps
• Impressive story, from an ordinary man to a hero… How the story goes? Only the ones who play to the end of the legend know!!
OTHER FEATURES
• Game Center Leaderboard and Achievements
• Universal app: play on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch
• iCloud support for you to share your progress across devices
• Official walkthrough and strategy guide
• Recommended Hardware – iPhone 4S, iPod touch 5th gen, iPad 2/mini or better

Download Guardian Sword

GetSpace

Normally $2.99.

Smart and easy way to save tons of disk space on your iPhone!
Keep your camera roll clean and don’t waste your time manually deleting unnecessary photos.
GetSpace helps you to free up your photo gallery from all unwanted photos AUTOMATICALLY.
Simple, elegant and intuitive interface designed with your convenience in mind.
Machine learning algorithms, face detection and neural networks are under the hood.
[Features]:
– Auto-finding of Duplicated photos. No more hundreds of copycats in your gallery! GetSpace keeps the best ones and deletes the worst. Machine learning algorithms and Face detection are under the hood. Also Manual control provided for your convenience.
– Auto-detection of Blurred and Unfocused photos. Lots of illegible photos? We had also. Delete them all in a few seconds!
– Love sharing Screenshots? Choose the unwanted old ones and free your disk space easily!
Plus new features in next updates:
Optimizing photos and videos of your gallery. Reduce the size of your photos up to 6x times with identical looking.
Keep your important photos safe from deletion.
Delete Instagram photos.
Useful tip: the system puts all your deleted photos in the “Recently Deleted” folder of your default Photos app. To delete them finally and free your disk space or restore your photos, please, follow this steps:
– Open default Photos app.
– Go to Albums / Recently Deleted.
– Press Select and Delete All (or Restore All).

Download GetSpace

Web Explorer

Normally $0.99.

Full featured web browser, Ads Remover, Power Downloader, Complete Webpage Saver, FTP client, ….!!!
“Amazing web browsing experience… “
Web Explorer feature highlights:
>>Super fast full screen, tabbed web browser.
— On all devices and all orientations.
>>Integrated text and web page translation.
— Launch translator on a new tab.
>>Download web files and links.
— Press and hold on pictures or file links to start download.
>>Save full content web pages for offline use.
— Complete web page saver.
>>Central media player
— Standard feature. Play all music and videos from one place. All media in App folders including iTunes File Sharing folder, iPod library and Camera Roll videos.
>>FTP browser. FTP upload and download.
— Browse FTP sites, upload and download files.
>>User Agent (Spoofing). By choosing Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad or other options, you can request different content for the same site.
>>Integrated text search.
— Search web with selected text in the web page.
>>File reader supports all major file formats.
— View or play saved content from web or PC/MAC.
>>Configurable Start Page.
— Edit quick links on Start Page for easy access.
>>Power download
— Download multiple files/media/pictures from web page links or FTP directory. (In-App purchase).
>>ADBLOCKER for automatic ads removal.
— Block ads from nearly 3000 ads servers.(In-App purchase)
>> Document interaction.
— Open files from other apps with Web Explorer.
>>iTunes File Sharing with your PC/Mac.
— Exchange content between this app and PC/MAC.
>>Optimized for iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch.
— Customize interface best for different devices.
Support file types:
.xls,.key.zip,.numbers.zip,.pages.zip,
.pdf, .ppt , .doc, .rtf,.rtfd.zip, .key,.numbers,.pages,
.txt .m .h .c .js .css .cpp .php …

Download Web Explorer

Ticket to Ride Pocket

Normally $1.99.

*** Winner of Pocket Gamer 2012 Reader’s Choice Award – iPhone/iPod Touch ***
*** Ticket to Ride just won the 2012 Pocket Gamer Awards for Best Strategy/Simulation Game!! ***
*** Apple Game of the Week (iPhone) in Europe, November 17-23, 2011- #1 in Board Games, #1 in Strategy Games in 32 countries, including UK, France, Germany, Canada and USA!
PUT THE BEST-SELLING TICKET TO RIDE BOARD GAME IN YOUR POCKET!
A UNIQUELY FUN TRAIN ADVENTURE THAT TAKES A MINUTE TO LEARN BUT A LIFETIME TO MASTER!
OVER 2 MILLION PLAYERS HAVE ALREADY HOPPED ON BOARD!
Kotaku Gaming, App of the Day: “If you’ve never played the board game Ticket to Ride, boy, are you missing out… I’ve only played the iPhone version, but can’t put it down.”
Cult of Mac: “Like its bigger iPad-dwelling brother, the iPhone version is very well designed and produced… It’s set to take the mobile gaming world by storm again.”
Epinions.com: “It’s the most enjoyable game I’ve played all year. Call it heresy but Angry Birds just didn’t do it for me like placing colored trains across a map of the United States. “
Gamezebo: “An excellent portable adaptation of one of the best board games of the last 10 years (and) a great point of entry for gamers not familiar with the series.”
TapCentral: “A phenomenal game at a phenomenal price.”
** What is it?
A digital adaptation of the best-selling Ticket to Ride board game, designed from the ground up specifically for the iPhone and iPod Touch.
** What’s in it?
• A SOLO and PASS-and-PLAY version of the US map that made the original Ticket to Ride board game so compelling and popular (2 million copies and counting…).
• LOCAL play support over a same Wi-Fi or Bluetooth network, making it perfect for a game-on-the-go between friends.
• A new MULTI mode for playing asynchronously with one or more online friends, using Game Center under iOS 5. You can even play multiple games simultaneously.
• 30 uniquely fun Game Achievements you can win while playing SOLO!
• Distinct leader boards showing your highest scores in 2-3 and 4-5 player modes and on Game Center.
• Four distinct AI personalities to compete against.
• A new under 2 minute Tutorial video, custom-shot for the iPhone & iPod Touch.

Download Ticket to Ride Pocket

Hatchi

Normally $0.99.

Hatchi is a retro-looking iPhone and watch app sure to get the nostalgia burning for all those who cared for a virtual pet back in the 1990s when they were at the height of their popularity. Just as with the keychain-sized pets of the 90s, iPhone, iPod and iPad users now will feed, clean, play with and generally look after their pets to ensure they grow up to be healthy, happy little Hatchis. He needs YOU!
*** Featured on Touch Arcade Best iPhone and iPad Games***
Your Hatchi monster will go through several stages of growth, and will look different depending on the type of care the player provides. There are also NEW EGGS you can get which give you all new types of Hatchi!
Customise your Hatchi!! You can:
* Choose different backgrounds like the park or the beach!
* Use stickers to customise the background to give Hatchi a better environment!
* Change the color of your Hatchi’s pixels!
How will YOU customise your Hatchi?
Play mini games!! including:
* The Hatchi Matchi memory game
* Hatchi Squares – play against your Hatchi!
* Roshambo – What Hatchi will you pick?
* Hatchi Catchi – move your Hatchi to catch falling food
* Its raining meds – avoid the meds!
* Whack a Hatchi – whack as many as you can!
and now our ALL NEW MULTIPLAYER BATTLING GAME!!
Play Hatchi Battle with your Game Center friends and see who wins!
Feed, clean, play and watch it evolve over several days.
“Say goodbye to your productivity. Say hello to your new friend.” Gizmodo.com
“It’s hilarious, but I really, really, really don’t want Big Poppa Pump (his Hatchi monster) to bite the dust. I’ve somehow bonded with the thing” TouchArcade.com

Download Hatchi

Time Off

Normally $1.99.

Finally, an app that makes it easy to request, remember and report all of your paid time off at work!
Great for tracking vacation days, personal days, or sick time, etc. Time Off keeps track of everything for all your places of employment.
EMAIL REQUESTS:
Email Time Off requests directly to your supervisor and CC yourself.
REPORTS:
Export beautiful looking reports that you can email to anyone! Send them as Excel attachments, or embed them directly in your email as html or plain text.
MULTIPLE JOBS:
Track multiple jobs for yourself or your spouse.
HOURS OR DAYS:
Record time as hours or days, whichever you prefer!
ROLLOVER:
Whether your time rolls over each year or you “use or lose” it, Time Off has got you covered.
5 CUSTOM TIME CATEGORIES:
Vacation, Personal, Sick, etc. Customize the names and colors of up to 5 different categories of time off!
BIRDS-EYE-VIEW:
Get a birds-eye view of the year on one simple overview screen. Each category has a summary for the amount of time available, used and remaining.
TIME OFF STATUS:
Your time is automatically grouped according to status, such as Pending, Currently Using, Reserved and Denied.
BEAUTIFUL AND EASY TO USE:
Time Off is the best looking and most user friendly app of its kind.

Download Time Off

Meeting Box

Normally $2.99.

Meeting box is designed for the serious note-taker in mind. More than just another note-taking app, Meeting Box sets a new standard by also integrating a task manager, as well as map, photo, and webpage annotation. Menus are simple and uncluttered, and the interface is easy to use. Notes can be exported out of the application as PDF files, and shared by email or opened in another 3rd party application.
-Note-Taking Redefined
Meeting box is flexible, giving you the freedom to make your notes as complex or simple as you like. The drawing engine is smooth and fast, allowing you to add text, photos, highlighting, and more. Scribble, sketch, and embrace your creative side. Or simply use the built-in notepad to type to your heart’s content when your notes need to be fast and to the point.
– Form and Function
Meeting box embraces the idea that power comes from simplicity. The interface is designed to be elegant and minimalistic, maintaining a clean and fresh look. Organization is intuitive and clutter free as Meeting Box allows you to sort your notes and meetings into simple, yet efficient lists.
– Perfect for School AND Business
Meeting box is a great solution for students and working professionals. Capture your lectures or meetings with ease and style, and never forget another assignment or appointment again using built in tasks and reminders.
Meeting Box is perfect for lectures, college courses, work conferences, office meetings, journaling, and just about any other situation where you would want to capture something. Give Meeting Box a try today, and find out why it stands out above the rest!

Download Meeting Box

Posted by Unknown Tuesday, October 20, 2015

News Microsoft Product Update Report : Microsoft Office 2016 To Launch On 22 September

After officially rolling out Windows 10, Microsoft is now gradually releasing updates to match up the new operating system. The company is rumoured to release the final version of the Office 2016 next month.

WinFuture learned from a source close to Microsoft that the company will launch Office 2016 on September 22. The report also claims to have sources inside Microsoft who provided them with a leaked screenshot of the company’s intranet site.

A page called the Office 2016 Launch Hub stated, “We’ll release Office 2016 with updates for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Skype for Business, Project, Visio, Access, and Publisher. The innovation wave continues in Q2 with the release of E5 and Skype for Business, and on-premise servers will follow.” Microsoft has apparently already informed its employees in the last few days that the official launch for Office 2016 will take place end of September.

Back in June, Microsoft had released Office 2016 for Mac along with new apps for Android phones as well. An Office 365 subscription gets you – $70 for a single Mac or Windows PC at a time, or $100 for five. Mobile apps are free, though a subscription unlocks advance features that most people won’t need. Mac and Windows versions are sold the traditional way, too, with a one-time payment, though you can’t use Office on another PC without buying it again.

Posted by Unknown Wednesday, August 26, 2015