Google increases Android security with continuous malware filtering

Google has announced a change in its Android security system that will ensure that apps on your smartphone are safe from malicious software. "Verify Apps" by Google earlier used to scan apps for malicious code at the time of installation. "From now on, the program will expand and will continuously check the device even after installation to make sure that apps are “behaving in a safe manner," Google announced in a blog post.

 

The continuous app scanning will mean that if an app changes permissions on a later day, (like the ability to access your calendar, read your messages, etc.), Google’s Android Verify Apps program will keep a check on them and make sure they are not affected by malware. The new continuous checks use the same app-scanning technology that Google already uses for Android and also in its Chrome browser. Google adds that the regular “Verify apps” feature in Android has been used more than 4 billion times till now.

SkinneePix app makes you look 15 pounds lighter in selfies

The new selfie-editing app, SkinneePix is designed specifically to make you look skinnier in your selfies. The app promises to make it look like you've shed 5, 10 or 15 pounds with just the click of a button.

 

SkinneePix app only works for single shots and not group shots. Users can click photos from both the front- or rear-facing cameras on the smartphone or import images from their camera roll. The app uses facial-detection software and shaves pounds from the face and not the whole body. A little bar pops up under the photo which gives you four options to loose weight in your selfies: 0, 5, 10 and 15 pounds.

Adobe Lightroom mobile app released for iPad, coming to iPhone soon

 Adobe, creator of the world's best photo editing suite Photoshop, has released a mobile app of its Lightroom software which has only been available to desktop users till now. The app is currently available on iTunes for iPad only and will soon be released for iPhone also. The new app will automatically syncs with Lightroom 5 on the desktop as well.

In order to fully utilize all the features of the app, you will need to have a Creative Cloud subscription (which is primarily the catch here).

Indian IT graduate launches AWAAZ, a free VoIP Android app

A new VOIP (Voice over IP telephony) app has been released for Android. The app called AWAAZ Android app allows users to call each other using their mobile phones for free as all calls get routed over the Internet automatically. The app has been developed by Anuj Jain, who is an IT graduate from Delhi University.

The app runs more like a plug-in than an app, as the user doesn't need to run the application after installing it for the first time. The user can make calls using the regular phone dialer and the app automatically takes over the call if both phones have it installed and are connected to the Internet. Users can also see which contacts are currently online on the app. Like WhatsApp, a user's phone number becomes their identity, and apart from that the app doesn't ask for any more details. If your contacts start using the app, your calls are automatically routed over the internet with no input from you or your contact.

Office For iPad Hits 12 million Downloads in a Week: Microsoft

One week after the release of Microsoft's Office for iPad, more than 12 million people across the globe have downloaded the productivity tool, according to the numbers generated by Microsoft 

Microsoft shared the number via a tweet that said," More than 12 million downloads of Word, Excel, PPT & OneNote for #iPad from the @AppStore <3 #OfficeforiPad."

Last week, Microsoft officially launched the office suit apps for the most popular tablet device on earth, the iPad. The productivity suit includes Word, Excel, and PowerPoint which made the iPad more productive in nature.

Of course, 12 million is a huge number, but let's not forget that MS office for iPad won't come cheap.

As usual, the office apps are free to download, which allow users to view documents without any additional charge; however, users' have a pay around $70 (Rs. 4200) to edit/create documents on the go.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Becomes First Smartphone To Support Fingerprint Recognition for Payments

While we all know that the Samsung Galaxy S5 is set to officially launch with a dedicated fingerprint scanner, we are yet to see some real-life demonstration related to the same. However, it seems like that wait is about to end.

According to a new report via MIT's Technology Review journal, the Galaxy S5 is the first smartphone to support the ability to use the Fingerprint Recognition feature for making PayPal payments.

What this means is that with the arrival of the Samsung Galaxy S5, owners of the smartphone will be able to make massive use of the device's in-built fingerprint sensor to make payments from anywhere in the world, assisted on the sides via the fingerprint recognition feature.

New Skype for Windows Phone 8.1 Devices Is Integrated With Cortana

At the Microsoft Build 2014 conference in San Francisco yesterday, the Redmond-based software giant Microsoft officially unveiled its latest and most awaited Windows Phone 8.1 update. From the same floor, the company also announced this year's Windows Phone devices from Nokia viz. The Lumia 930, Lumia 630 and Lumia 635. Moreover, Microsoft also made an announcements regarding its partnership with Indian smartphone vendor Micromax.

 

But for Skype users, and lovers of the video call via VoIP, the announcement pertaining to the new iteration of Skype might be of great interest. To be precise, Microsoft's latest Windows Phone 8.1 update which brings Cortana, a virtual assistant feature will enhance the Skype experience in an interesting way. Moreover, in exact words of the company, "Skype for Windows Phone 8.1 will now allow users to seamlessly transition from a voice call to a Skype video call." 

Also via a blog post, the company noted, "For the first time on mobile, you can easily upgrade your regular phone calls to Skype video calls. You can preview the feature in the current Store app, with more to come in the next few months."

Internet Explorer 11 debuts on Windows Phone 8.1, gets updated for desktop

Microsoft's keynote address at the Build 2014 conference saw some major announcements from the company, such as Windows Phone 8.1, Windows 8.1 Update, three new Nokia Lumia smartphones,and also, the new Internet Explorer 11.

The Redmond giant also announced that the Internet Explorer 11 browser has been updated for Windows 8.1 Update and Windows 7 users. The company also debuted Internet Explorer for Windows Phone 8.1.

Notably, this is the first time when the Internet Explorer 11 is arriving on Windows Phone-based smartphones since Microsoft first previewed the web browser in July 2013.

The highlight of the Internet Explorer 11 updated version is that it brings unified features on its mobile and desktops, while improving the user experience on different screen sizes and input methods, whether touch or mouse and keyboard.

Samsung ChatON updated with message recall feature and more

ChatON, the instant messaging service from Samsung, has received an update (to version 3.5) which brings new features such as recalling sent messages and large file sharing up to 1GB.

One of the biggest additions to ChatON v3.5 is ability to recall messages, which can recall a sent message even after the receiver has read it. To recall a message, the sender can tap and hold the message bubble and select the 'Recall' option.

Notably, the latest ChatON update has taken a page out of the popular 'sexting' app, Snapchat's book. The Snapchat app is different from most messaging apps, where users can set a time limit for how long recipients can view their 'snaps', after which they will be hidden from the recipient's device and deleted from Snapchat's servers.

Further, the ChatON v3.5 now supports large file transfers up to 1GB, which allows users to share large data through the app and also increases the capacity of group chats, increasing the maximum limit from 200 to 1,001 persons to send a single message.

FireChat Messaging App: Look Ma, No Internet!

FireChat, an iPhone app designed for anonymous hyperlocal communication, could change the way we connect with one other: It does not require an Internet connection or even a cell signal to work.FireChat, an iPhone app designed for anonymous hyperlocal communication, could change the way we connect with one other: It does not require an Internet connection or even a cell signal to work.

FireChat takes advantage of the Multipeer Connectivity Framework in iOS 7. This feature allows developers to connect devices to each other using Bluetooth, WiFi, and peer-to-peer connections.

Users must be within a maximum of 100 feet of another to use the Nearby feature (though they can connect with other users around their countries through the Internet in the "Everyone" chat room); it works best when users are within 30 feet of each other. However, if there are many people using the app within a close range of each other, the network becomes larger and more robust.