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.

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.