Category: Apps

Adware apps with over 500 million donwloads found in the PlayStore

Yet again, apps ridden with nasty malware were found in the PlayStore. Google has faced some serious criticism in recent months as malicious applications have often found a way to get into the Play Store. These sketchy applications witness millions of downloads before being deemed as dangerous and removed subsequently.

The latest culprits happen to be four VPNs and two selfie apps, which have collectively racked up over 500 million installs. These apps contain harmful adware that seeks sensitive system information which according to researchers, can cause serious damage. The VPN apps in question include HotSpotVPN, Free VPN Master, Secure VPN, or CM Security Applock AntiVirus. All these four apps originate in China and bombard users’ with fraudulent ads. The four Android VPNs have been collectively installed more than 500 million times.

“In case of outside ad fraud ads pop up while apps are running in the background or even outside the app environment (e.g. ad views placed on the home screen and covering app icons that users must reach to start new apps). As a user, not only do I think it’s treacherous for a privacy app to abruptly intrude my phone screen, but the constant HTTP requests keep the phone CPU heated and drain phone battery,” researcher Andy Michael wrote in a blog post.

Meanwhile, the two camera apps deemed as a security risk are Sun Pro Beauty Camera and Funny Sweet Beauty Selfie Camera. Both of these apps were identified by security researchers to have racked up more than 1.5 million downloads infecting devices with adware. These camera apps were bombarding screens with full-screen ads and even continued to display ads when the pop-up remained unopened.

Security researchers at Wandera suggest that the permissions requested by these apps can cause more harm than just filling screens with fraudulent ads. These include installing shortcuts, serving fake system alerts, as well as recording audio without user permission.

“Intrusive out-of-app ads interrupt users in the middle of their workflow, brick their devices, drain the device battery, and in some cases, infected devices need to be replaced altogether,” explained security researchers at Wandera.

Naturally, researchers have advised that if any of these apps are installed on your device, you should delete them right away.

September 20, 2019
Amazon announces lossless streaming with Amazon Music HD

To better compete with the likes of Apple Music and Spotify, Amazon has rolled out a lossless streaming tier called Amazon Music HD. The company claims that this new tier added to its existing music service allows subscribers to listen to more than 50 million songs in high-definition.

Amazon Music HD costs $12.99 a month for Amazon Prime members and $14.99 a month for non-Prime users. The new service will offer songs with a bit depth of 16 bits and a sample rate of 44.1 kHz. Besides, Amazon claims that customers will be able to stream around a ‘million songs’ in Ultra HD, which offers a bit depth of 24 bits and a sample rate of up to 192 kHz.

“We spoke with many artists while developing Amazon Music HD, who were excited about the potential for fans to be able to stream their favorite music and hear as it was originally recorded. From rock to hip-hop to classical and pop, we believe listening to music at this level of sound will make customers fall in love again with their favorite music and artists,” said Amazon Music vice president Steve Boom.

Amazon recommends that users have a data speed of at least 1.5Mbps. Besides, the company also notes that sound quality and compatibility are hardware dependent. Amazon Music HD is compatible with a wide range of iOS and Android devices, including both desktop and mobile. The service is also available on some Echo devices, Fire TV, as well as Fire tablets. Amazon Music HD is now available in the US, UK, Germany, and Japan. The company is also offering a 90-day free trial for users to try out the new lossless streaming tier.

For now, Spotify and Apple Music rule the roost when it comes to music streaming services. Spotify is a globally popular brand and Apple has partnered with several carriers in the US to boost the popularity of its music service. Amazon’s latest move can certainly attract more users to subscribe to its service. And if Amazon’s newly added lossless streaming tier turns out to be a success, we won’t be surprised if the likes of Spotify and Apple Music come up with something similar.

September 18, 2019
Play Store gives developers the ability to tag apps to improve discovery

Users would like to find apps quickly, and so do developer who’d want their apps or games easily found. However, it can be a daunting task for developers to get their application discovered among millions of apps on the Play Store. Now, in an attempt to boost their app’s ranking in search, Google will allow PlayStore developers to tag their applications with keywords to help discovery.

According to a report by 9to5Google, the ability to add tags on the Play Store arrived a few weeks ago. The feature gives Play Store the ability to compare a particular app with others and then decide where to place it.

Developers can choose up to 5 tags out of Google’s predetermined list of 150 tags, which can be found at the top of the tags section. Besides, developers can only change tags if they make noticeable changes to the app’s content or functionality.

For instance, a multiplayer racing game with classic cars is likely to have the tags Racing or Car Racing because that’s what the game is all about. Hence, the game should not have tags like Dirt Racing or Truck Racing because these tags do not reflect what the game’s true genre.

To access Tags, just bring up the Google Play console, then select Store Presence> Store Listing> Categorization> Manage Tags.

The ability to add tags with keywords will definitely improve application discoverability for developers. That said, we hope developers do not abuse the new system in an attempt to boost their app’s ranking on the Play Store.

August 13, 2019
Facebook plans to rename Instagram and WhatsApp

Both WhatsApp and Instagram are essentially household names around the world. With such popularity, one would assume that renaming both these brands would be simply pointless and downright crazy. Though, it appears that’s exactly what Facebook has in mind.

The company confirmed on Friday about it plans to rename WhatsApp and Instagram. Facebook essentially plans to add its own name to these apps. Hence, from now on, WhatsApp will be known as ‘WhatsApp from Facebook’ and similarly, Instagram will be called ‘Instagram from Facebook’.

The whole point behind the name change is that Facebook wants people to know who’s the boss, as it owns both Instrgram and WhatsApp. Sources indicate that the new name will be displayed only on the app stgore pages on both iOS and Android. The name change will also be visible on the login pages.

“We want to be clearer about the products and services that are part of Facebook”. said Facebook.

To recall, Facebook bought Instagram back in 2012 followed by WhatsApp in 2014.Since then, Facebook has allowed to them function as seperate entities, with their own namagers, employees, and different work places.

In the past few years, even Facebook has acquired a lot of features from Instagram For instance, Intagram. stories, a feature inspired by Snpachat, was added to WhatsApp as Status and on Facebook as stories. However, Facebook has also been slammed over data privacy and security concerns over the past few years. For now, Instagram and WhatsApp are not affected by these privacy issues, and we hope it stays the same.

August 3, 2019
Google Play Pass service may cost $4.99 a month on debut

Google has been working on its Play Pass service for quite sometime now. The company recently confirmed that they are currently testing the service, though did not reveal any specifics about its release.

In case you didn’t know, Google’s Play Pass is a new subscription based service that will give members access to a plethora of popular apps and games that usually require recurring or upfront payment. As Play pass mebers won’t have to make any sort of payments with apps or towards in-app purchases.

According to sources, Google is currently testing the service with a monthly subscription plan of $4.99 a month. That said, the pricing could change by the time the service officially launches. Besides, a host of apps will be a part of Play Pass, which includes premium apps as well as several popular gaming titles.

Google’s Play Pass can be deemed as a direct rival for Apple Arcade, which is a similar service offering access to multiple apps for monthly subscribers. However, Apple Arcade subscribers can access the service across multiple platforms such as iPhone, iPad, as well as the Apple TV. As of now, it remains unclear if Google has similar plans. For instance, whether Play Pass apps can also be accessed via Android TV and so on.

However, industry experts are still skeptical whether Google’s plans to launch Play Pass would be a success. Now, this has much to do with the fact that unlike iOS users, Android users aren’t interested to pay for apps they want to use. In comparison, iOS users are more inclined pay for apps they use, hence an Apple Arcade sort of a plan can be a success on iOS.

August 1, 2019
New Android Auto has finally arrived: Here is what’s new

Google has finally started rolling out the latest version of Android Auto for users worldwide. The first set of users have begun receiving the update, while a full rollout is expected to complete in the coming weeks. As expected, the latest version of Android Auto comes with a plethora of improvements and features.

To begin with, it gets a redesigned app launcher which makes it much easier to find apps you use the most. The app launcher has been relocated from the center of the display to the left corner. It displays multiple apps from there, making it easier and safer for users to launch apps they use the most. Favorite apps are now located within the top row of the app launcher. Hence, for someone who just uses Google navigation, a music app, and the phone, the first row is everything you’d need.

Redesigned Navigation Bar

Another major change in Android Auto is the new navigation bar that makes it easier to control apps from the bottom of the display. It now features a dynamic approach, which essentially means that it adapts to what users have on the screen.

The new navigation bar is now located on at the bottom of the display, which allows users to mange applications at ease. For example, users can play, pause, or skip tracks from their favorite music app from the bar itself. Besides, they can also access Google Assistant or notifications directly from the bar.

Android Auto’s new Navigation bar

“The new navigation bar sits at the bottom of your display, and allows you to manage multiple apps, more easily. So if you’re listening to music, you won’t miss your next turn; or if you’re following directions, you can still easily pause or skip a song. You can also jump straight to your app running in the background with one tap.” explained Google.

Elsewhere, Android Auto will also offer deeper integration with Google Assistant. As users will be able to perform more commands through a new assistant icon next to apps.

The latest Android Auto also caters to different display sizes. Hence, some users can take advantage of more screen real estate offered by their carmaker. Besides, it also brings a new dark theme and customized accents that go well with your car’s interiors.

The new Android Auto is rolling out in phases. Tye first set users have started getting the update, and it should arrive on all Android Auto compatible handsets in the next few weeks.

July 31, 2019
Google starts rolling out the latest version of Android Auto

Back at I/O 2019, Google announced that refreshed Android Auto would start rolling out in summer. Now, it appears Google has lived up to that promise as the rollout of the new version has begun. The latest update is a part of Android Auto version 4.4. That said, not everyone is getting the redesigned version just by installing v4.4.

Besides, it’ also important to note that not everyone’s getting the new version, as the rollout appears to be taking place in phases. However, users who did receive the overhauled Android Auto were prompted to unplug and reconnect the phone to the car, following which the new UI showed up on their screens. A posting on Reddit suggests that the redesigned version is now available for some users in the United Kingdom.

The latest version of Android Auto brings a completely new design to make driving simpler, less cluttered, and more personal. Google has promised that the new version remembers your settings and apps, so it’ll just start playing songs and load navigation apps that you mostly use.

The overhaul also brings a redesigned navigation bar that shows turn-by-turn directions, while also providing easy access to apps and phone controls.

“With the new navigation bar, you’ll be able to easily control your apps with one tap. Get turn-by-turn directions, rewind your podcast or take incoming call all on the same screen,” said Google.

Apart from the redesigned navigation bar, the refreshed version also gets a notification center that displays recent calls, messges, as well as alerts.

The new Android Auto update is expected to roll out in the next few days. In the meantime, make sure to watch out for an OTA alert or head over to the PlayStore to check if the latest update is available for download.

June 27, 2019
Firefox 67.0.2 with several improvements and bug fixes rolls out

Mozilla has released the new Firefox 67.0.2 update for all supported platforms. The new version addresses several bug fixes reported by users lately, such as compatibility issues with Apple’s upcoming macOS Catalina 10.15.

Besides, Linux users can now easily install and use additional language packs using the built-in Preferences UI. Additionally, users can now start the web browser in safe mode.

Elsewhere, the proxy authentication dialogue box has been fixed as well. It no longer pops up asking users to authenticate after upgrading their web browsers to the Firefox 67 release.

Finally, Firefox 67.0.2 allows web developers to copy the href/src content from certain HTML tags. Users can download Firefox 67.0.2 for GNU/Linux/, macOS, and Windows operating systems via OTA (Over-the-Air) updates. You can find complete release notes here.

To recall, Mozilla Firefox 67 was officially released back in May for Windows, Linux, Mac, and Android. The latest version offers numerous performance improvements as well as new features to enhance the overall browsing experience.

The open-source web browser is now easier to use for everyone thanks to a toolbar menu for easy access and more transparency of your Firefox Account.

Besides, Firefox 67 brings support for pinning tabs from the Page Actions menu in the address bar, along with the ability to highlight various features, such as Pin Tabs.

Also, Firefox 67 makes it easier to access the list of your saved website credentials directly from the main menu, and allows users to quickly import web data from other web browsers directly from the File menu

Firefox 67 also brings a new Firefox Search widget that features voice input in Android. Users can add the new widget from the Android Widget section directly to their home screen. In addition, Firefox 67 for Android removes the Guest Session feature in order to streamline the user experience.

June 11, 2019
Spotify’s ‘Car View’ mode now rolling out for some users

Drives are a lot more fun if you’ve your favorite music or podcast playing in the background. That said, trying to fiddle with your music while driving poses a threat not only for you, but for others on the road as well. To prevent such mishaps from happening, tech giants are constantly testing several new features to make it easier for drivers to find their music. Spotify has been striving to making its app user-friendly and safe while driving.

Now, it appears Spotify has begun rolling out a new driving mode under the name ‘Car View’, which aims to make listening to music safe and easy while on the go. A report by Android Police suggests that Car View was activated automatically as soon a user connected his device with the car’s Bluetooth.

The layout under Car View is reminiscent of Spotify’s regular interface, though there are subtle changes such as larger fonts and icons which should make Spotify relatively easy to use while driving.

The screen looks pretty minimalist under Car View, featuring a heart icon on the bottom left, a Share button on the bottom right. along with a Play/Pause button in the center. That said, it appears the feature has rolled out only for a handful of users, hence you might have to wait a little while before the feature arrives on your device.

January 16, 2019
VLC plans to bring AirPlay support soon, reaches 3 billion downloads

VLC announced two major milestones during the ongoing Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2019) in Las Vegas. The open-source video player confirmed that AirPlay suuport will soon arrive on VLC, allowing users to stream content from their iOS or Android device to their Apple TV. The feature will be the biggest addition in the upcoming version of VLC, since the addition of Chromecast support last summer.

VLC suggests that Air Play support could arrive for the primary VLC app in about a month for free. That said, they haven’t announced an exact release date yet.

“Just like with Chromecast, we intend to support AirPlay on any platform. There is no release date yet at all. We would like it to be part of VLC 4, which is the next major release we are currently working on. We will let you know in advance once we define a date”, said developers at VLC during CES 2019.

Apart from this, VLC also announced that the video-player app has finally reached a whopping 3 billion downloads. Now, this happens to be a moumnetal growth since May 2012 when the service reached one billion user downloads.

In addition, key sources also indicate that VLC plans to add native supoprt for VR content on the service. Besides, developers at VLC are also keen to bring the service to more platforms such as the PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Roku.

January 11, 2019
Google gets rid of 85 malicious apps from the Play Store

Google has removed 85 dangerous apps from the PlayStore, after security experts found such apps to contain adware. According to researchers at TrendMicro, these apps were available on the Play Store as games, TV, and remote control simulator apps.

“This adware is capable of displaying full-screen ads, hiding itself, monitoring a device’s screen unlocking functionality, and running in the mobile device’s background,” explained the researchers at Trend Micro in the blog.

The report further notes that these malicious apps have witnessed over nine million downloads on the Android PlayStore. One of these apps, called ‘Easy Universal TV Remote’, was the most downloaded among the 85 malicious apps, with over 5 million downloads.

It’s also worth noting that these apps showed and shared the same source code, despite coming from different developers and different APK certificates. Once installed, as soon as the user launched these apps, a full-screen pop-up would appear asking users to perpetually press several buttons to continue.

Every button press would then open a new ad page, and this kept on happening until the app finally crashed. That said, they would still run in the background and suddenly show up after every hour or so on the device. For more information, click on the source link below.

Well, this isn’t the first time Google has removed malcious apps from the PlayStore. In November 2018, Google removed 13 malware-infested apps from the PlayStore. Back then, popular malware researcher researcher, Lukas Stefanko, found 13 malicious apps on the Play Store, which tricked users to install malware on their handsets.

Besides, Stefanko also found 29 other malicious apps on the PlayStore between August until early October 2018 in the Google Play store, which also masked themselves as authentic banking apps and used phishing forms to collect a user’s personal banking information.

January 9, 2019
WhatsApp working on fingerprint authentication feature for Android

Facebook-owned instant messaging app WhatsApp is reportedly working on a fingerprint authentication feature for chats on Android. The feature is essentially designed to protect users’ chats from being seen by others. Once the authentication is enabled, users will be required to use their fingerprint to access chats.

“After working to implement Face ID and Touch ID features on iOS (that aren’t available yet for development reasons), WhatsApp has finally started to work on the Authentication feature on Android, using your Fingerprint!” said a report by WABetaInfo.

Once the fingerprint feature is activated, your chats will be completely secure from others. The fingerprint authentication feature on WhatsApp can be found under Settings>Account>Privacy.

Image Source: WABetaInfo

“The user will need to authenticate his identity in order to open WhatsApp (from the app icon, from the notification or from external pickers). It will protect the entire app, so it’s not used to lock specific conversations,” further added the report.

The feature is expected to arrive for both Android and iOS users in the near future. In other related news, WhatsApp has also started working on several new features for iOS. Sources indicate that the update would allow users to add stickers in images. Besides, the upcoming update should allow iPhone users to edit a sent image by adding a drawing or emoji.

January 9, 2019
WhatsApp starts testing new features for iOS

Popular IM app WhatsApp has reportedly started testing several new features for iOS. A recent beta build of the app gives us an idea of what new features are arriving for iPhones.

According to a report by WABetaInfo, these new features and improvements are a part of beta build 2.19.10.21. The build includes a new feature that allows users to add stickers in images, further adds the report.

The upcoming WhatsApp update should allow iPhone users to edit a sent image by adding a drawing or emoji. Besides, starting with this update, sticker support will arrive on iOS for additional customization options.

Another handy addtion is the private reply option in group chats, somethig similar we’ve seen in Android beta builds of the app. With this functionality, users can tap on a messsage from a particluar contact in a group and then choose to reply privately. A private chat window pops up and the message you chose is highlighted so users know from where the conversation started.

The upcoming WhatsApp update will also bring improved 3D Touch support for iPhones, making it possible for users to peek and pop messages in the Status section.

That said, there’s np specifc timeline as to when the update will be available for everyone. However, given that beta testing has already begun, it’s safe to assume that it wouldn’t take too long before the rollout begins.

January 7, 2019
Pandora update for iOS brings offline playback on Apple Watch
Pandora’s latest iOS update brings a rather nifty feature for Apple Watch users. The music streaming service has updated its iOS app which brings offline playback for the smartwatch, most likely due to popular demand. With the new update, users will be able to control music playback or like whatever song is currently playing on Pandora. Now, this essentially negates the need of carrying your iPhone and allows you to play music on your Apple Watch while on-the-go.

“You asked, and we listened! By popular demand, we bring you a brand new, built-from-the-ground-up app that’s seamlessly integrated into the Apple Watch experience”, confirmed Pandora. Here’s what Apple Watch users can look forward with the new update:
- Access remote playback controls.
- Give your favorites a Thumbs Up directly from the Now Playing screen.
- Listen without an internet connection! Pandora Plus & Premium subscribers get access to offline content – no phone required
That said, only Pandora users can enjoy this feature, so you’ll need to subscribe for Pandora Plus or Pandora Premium to listen to offline music on your Apple smartwatch. Not to mention, users need to upgrade to watchOS 5 in order to enjoy offline playback with Pandora.
January 5, 2019
Facebook tracks Android users who don’t even use the app: Report

Lately, Facebook has received a lot of criticism over user privacy and trust. Come 2019, and the social networking giant has been found to routinely track Android users even if they don’t use the app. According to a study by UK-based charity Privacy International, Facebook tracks users, non-users, and even logged out users. The study further found that after Google, the social network giant is the second most prevalent thrid-party tracking app.

“Data from different apps can paint a fine-grained and intimate picture of people’s activities, interests, behaviors and routines, some of which can reveal special category data, including information about people’s health or religion,” the report said.

Privacy International has unearthed a total of 34 Android apps with 10 to 500 million installs. These include apps such as TripAdvisor and Duolingo. The research suggests that app developers share data with the network via Facebook Software Development Kit (SDK). As many as 61 percent of the apps that Privacy International tested automatically transfer data to Facebook as soon as a user opens the app.

“At least 61 percent of the tested apps automatically transfer data to Facebook the moment a user opens the app. This happens whether people have a Facebook account or not, or whether they are logged into Facebook or not,” explained the study.

Facebook says it’s OK to share user data

In response, the network told Privacy Interntaional that sharing data is a common partice for most companies, as it turns out to be useful for both users as well as comapnies.

“This information is important for helping developers understand how to improve their apps and for helping people receive relevant advertising in a privacy-protective way. We do this in a transparent manner by explaining the practice through our Data Policy and Cookies Policy, and by using Google’s advertising identifier, which can be controlled centrally by people using their device settings,” the social networking giant told Independent.

As already mentioned, Facebook has been embroiled in several controversies off late. Last year, it was critcised for harvesting personal data which resulted in election interference. A survey conducted by also Uber found that users trusted Facebook the least with their personal information, followed by Twitter and Amazon.

January 5, 2019