Tag: iOS

  • Here is everything you should know about the new Twitter voice note

    Here is everything you should know about the new Twitter voice note

    Twitter is rolling out tweets with audio, similar to voice note, on iOS, and according to the firm, the feature is to add a more human touch to the way users interact on the microblogging platform.

    According to Twitter, some conversational nuances are lost in translation when users tweet with 280 characters instead of tweet with audio, rather, voice note.

    “Over the years, photos, videos, gifs, and extra characters have allowed you to add your own flair and personality to your conversations.

    “But sometimes 280 characters aren’t enough and some conversational nuances are lost in translation. So starting today, we’re testing a new feature that will add a more human touch to the way we use Twitter – your very own voice.

    “Tweeting with your voice is not too different from Tweeting with text,” Twitter stated

    To start, open the Tweet composer and tap the new icon with wavelengths. You’ll see your profile photo with the record button at the bottom – tap this to record your voice.

    Each voice Tweet captures up to 140 seconds of audio. Once you reach the time limit for a Tweet, a new voice Tweet starts automatically to create a thread. Once you’re done, tap the Done button to end your recording and go back to the composer screen to Tweet.

    People will see your voice Tweet appear on their timeline alongside other Tweets. To listen, tap the image.

    On iOS only, playback will start in a new window docked at the bottom of your timeline and you can listen as you scroll. You can also keep listening while doing other things on your phone or on the go.

    Creating voice Tweets will be available to a limited group of people on Twitter for iOS to start but in the coming weeks everyone on iOS should be able to Tweet with their voice. Everyone will be able to see (hear) them and reply.

    “There’s a lot that can be left unsaid or uninterpreted using text, so we hope voice Tweeting will create a more human experience for listeners and storytellers alike.

    “Whether it’s #storytime about your encounter with wild geese in your neighborhood, a journalist sharing breaking news, or a first-hand account from a protest, we hope voice Tweeting gives you the ability to share your perspectives quickly and easily with your voice.

    “We can’t wait to see how people will use this to make their voices heard and add to the public conversation,” Twitter stated.

  • WhatsApp working on key new features

    WhatsApp working on key new features

    WhatsApp has been said to be working on several new features like ‘Advance Search,’ Dark Mode, a group invitation control system, and more.

    The new ‘Advanced Search’ feature will now reportedly be available to all iOS beta app users in a future update.

    According to reports, the feature will allow users to search for photos, links, audio, GIF images, and even videos, apart from the usual text search that is already enabled.

    The Advanced Search feature will also show recent searches as well, and this feature will trickle down to Android users eventually.

    Of course, WhatsApp already has a Search feature that allows you to search for specific chats, but it is limited to text only.

    The ‘Advanced Search’ feature will reportedly allow users to search multiple types of message and you will be able to search between photos, GIFs, videos, documents, links and even audio.

    WhatsApp beta tracker WABetaInfo made this claim in a report earlier this week. Once you tap on the advanced search bar, the screen will report on how many media files are stored in your WhatsApp Storage.

    If you tap on Photos, WhatsApp will open all photos shared in all groups and chats in a list format. The search result will also include a preview, so you avoid opening the search result in order to see it. This result can then be filtered further by typing more keywords in the search bar.

    The same thing will occur if you tap GIF images, links, or documents in the new search bar. The new Advanced Search feature also reports your search history, and it also comes with an option to clear all of those recent searches, if you so prefer.

    As mentioned, this feature is still under development, and will roll out to all iOS beta app users in a future update.

     

  • How to use Face ID, Touch ID on WhatsApp

    How to use Face ID, Touch ID on WhatsApp

    WhatsApp for iPhone recently received an important update that allows users to lock the app by deploying the native Face ID or Touch ID.

    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports the latest update brings the much anticipated biometric authentication through build version 2.19.20.

    The update essentially applies biometric authentication to open WhatsApp.

    However, the feature does not add the additional security to individual WhatsApp conversations.

    With the new update, WhatsApp users can lock the app with Face ID or Touch ID by going to Settings > Account > Privacy > Screen Lock.

    Once on the Screen Lock screen, the app shows the available authentication method – either Face ID or Touch ID – that you can enable to lock WhatsApp.

    Users can also choose whether to use the biometric authentication requirement immediately or after an interval of a minute, 15 minutes, or an hour.

    However, WhatsApp still allows users to reply to messages from notifications and answer calls, without requiring biometric authentication.

    Also, once unlocked after successfully detecting the correct biometrics – either through Face ID or Touch ID feature – the instant messaging app opens access to all your messages.

    This means the latest development doesn’t lock your WhatsApp chats on an individual basis.

    To experience the new change, you need to download the latest WhatsApp version from the App Store.

    The app is 137.7MB in size and is compatible with iPhone models running iOS 8.0 and above.

    WhatsApp for Android is also in the rumours to bring a similar form of authentication layer in the coming future.

    The use of biometrics to unlock could help WhatsApp officially launch its payments feature.

     

  • Apple disables Group FaceTime

    Apple disables Group FaceTime

    Apple has temporarily disabled Group FaceTime while it works to release a permanent fix.

    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports this is coming after a bug with major privacy implications was discovered in Apple’s implementation of the feature.

    The bug allows an iPhone user placing a call using Apple’s FaceTime video calling feature to hear audio from the recipient’s phone even if the recipient has not yet picked up the call.

    The Apple FaceTime bug was first revealed late-Monday, when an unofficial Apple blog reported on the matter and it soon went viral because of its significant ramifications.

    The iPhone maker soon released a statement saying it had identified a fix and the same will be released over a software update later this week.

    “We’re aware of this issue and we have identified a fix that will be released in a software update later this week,” an Apple spokesperson said in a statement.

    The Cupertino-based company has updated its system status website to notify that the Group FaceTime is currently unavailable.

    It is unclear how long Apple plans to keep the Group FaceTime offline, but it is quite possible that Apple users will be able to use Group FaceTime again only after the company’s patch for the bug is released publicly.

    Apple originally announced Group FaceTime last summer and the feature finally made its way to the public in late-October as a part of iOS 12.1.

    One-on-one FaceTime calls are still working and doesn’t seem to be affected by the bug.

     

  • Nigerians react as Whatsapp reportedly crashes worldwide, except in Nigeria

    WhatsApp users in the country on Wednesday rejoiced that the messaging app did not crash on Tuesday contrary to what was experienced in some parts of the world.

    It would be recalled that several users worldwide, both on Android and iOS, were unable to log into their apps on Tuesday.

    The development manifested itself just a few hours after the messenger announced that it would be curbing the number of forwards for users worldwide.

    However, it was observed that the app did not crash in Nigeria as many Twitter users claimed the app worked perfectly well for them throughout Tuesday.

    Some Nigerians reached to the development differently .

    Some said the country’s President Muhammadu Buhari deserves a second term of office since we didn’t experience any crash.

    “We are now the most powerful country in the world. What a time to be alive, “Wizz official tweeted.

    Aquila_Olaniyi tweeted, “At least we can see the evidence of the prayer meetings we have been holding for Nigeria.

    “Even, the Bible worked for us this time, Psalm 91:7 says, `A thousand shall crash at thy side and 10,000 at your right hand but it will not come near us, Oniyi said.

    Nishant Kumar tweeted “Everybody checking on Twitter if Whatsapp is down, including me, reminds me of childhood days when everyone would check with neighbours to confirm a power cut.

    “What a good day to be a Nigerian.’

    Princewill Felix tweeted: “Nigeria WhatsApp is operating on a very high level encryption, reason why the app didn’t crash in Nigeria.

    “In summary Nigeria is the most secured cyberspace in the world, “he tweeted.

     

  • WhatsApp will stop working on these phones from today

    WhatsApp announced end of support for a slew of mobile devices a few years ago, and this includes devices that run on BlackBerry 10, BlackBerry OS, Nokia Symbian S60, Windows Phone 8.0, Nokia S40, Android versions 2.3.7 and older, iPhone iOS 7 and older.

    WhatsApp no longer invests in developing its service for these platforms, and it will stop working on all of them by 2020.

    It already does not work with devices that run on Nokia Symbian S60, BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry 10, and Windows Phone 8.0 OS.

    After December 31, i.e., today, WhatsApp will also stop working for devices that run on Nokia S40.

    To recall, Nokia series 40 was one of the most popular smart feature phone operating systems a few years back, but after the acquisition by Microsoft, the OS was put to an end.

    The Nokia S40 OS was seen in the company’s mid-tier devices like Nokia Asha 201, Nokia Asha 205, Nokia Asha 210, Nokia Asha 230, Nokia Asha 500, Nokia Asha 501, Nokia Asha 502, Nokia Asha 503, Nokia 206, Nokia 208, Nokia 301, Nokia 515.

    WhatsApp says that devices that run on Nokia S40 won’t be able to use WhatsApp after December 31, i.e., today.

    Support was expected to end in June this year, but WhatsApp extended it till December, bringing some relief to the few Nokia S40 users.

    It is presumed that the number of people affected by this will be very few, as the Nokia S40 OS is extremely old – first unveiled in 1999, updated in 2005, and last used on Nokia 515 in 2013.

    The app will stop working on phones running Android 2.3.7 and older (Gingerbread) and iPhone 3GS/ iOS 6 from February 1, 2020.

     

  • Google to discontinue popular service

    Google to discontinue popular service

    Google has announced, starting March 30, 2019, it will discontinue its uniform resource locator (url) shortener service, goo.gle, while beginning a transition process March 30, 2018, to replacing it with Firebase Dynamic Links (FDL).

    The Internet giant announced the development in a blog post, while stressing that it will turn down support for goo.gl url shortener beginning March 30, 2018.

    “To refocus our efforts, we’re turning down support for goo.gl over the coming weeks and replacing it with Firebase Dynamic Links (FDL),” the blog post read.

    “From April 13, 2018 only existing users will be able to create short links on the goo.gl console. You will be able to view your analytics data and download your short link information in csv format for up to one year, until March 30, 2019, when we will discontinue goo.gl. Previously created links will continue to redirect to their intended destination,” a statement read on the goo.gl platform.

    TheNewsGuru reports FDLs are smart URLs that allow users to send existing and potential users to any location within an iOS, Android or web app, with Google expressing excitement “to grow and improve the product going forward”.

    Aside using FDL, Google recommends other popular url shortener services like Bitly and Ow.ly as alternatives.

     

  • All Macs, iOS devices affected by chip security flaws – Apple warns

    U.S. tech giant Apple warned that all Mac and iOS devices have been affected by security vulnerabilities in Central Processing Units.

    In recent days, cybersecurity experts have released information about design flaws in microchips produced or designed by such companies as Intel, AMD and Arm Holdings, which control almost all the chip market.

    According to a statement by the company, the vulnerabilities dubbed Meltdown and Spectre could allow hackers to get access to sensitive information on the users’ computers and other devices.

    “Security researchers have recently uncovered security issues known by two names, Meltdown and Spectre.

    “These issues apply to all modern processors and affect nearly all computing devices and operating systems.

    “All Mac systems and iOS devices are affected, but there are no known exploits impacting customers at this time … Apple Watch is not affected by Meltdown,” the company said.

    The IT giant recommends all the users to download software only from trusted sources, adding that the company has already released patches aimed at protection from Meltdown and Spectre and will continue its efforts in the sphere.

    According to media reports and statements issued by cybersecurity experts, the hardware bugs could allow malicious software installed on the devices to get access to the information without responding to the operating systems that should prevent such software from doing this.

    Almost all the devices with chips produced in the two recent decades are believed to be affected by Meltdown and Spectre.

     

  • How to make Touch ID better on iPhone and iPad

    It is annoying when you tap your finger on the Touch ID button of your iPhone or iPad only to have it rejected.

    Here’s a quick and simple way to improve the accuracy and reliability of Touch ID. It’s really simple.

    Since iOS allows you to register multiple fingers, what you do is register the same finger multiple times.

    By doing this you can press your finger (or thumb) on the sensor in different ways so it gets registered from a variety of angles.

    Another thing you can do is since dirty or damp fingers fail to pass muster with Touch ID because it sees them differently to clear, dry fingerprints, you can also register a finger when it is damp (not soggy or wet) and dirty.

    This can be a real timesaver if you have sweaty fingers or operate your iPhone or iPad with dirty hands.

    To do this:
    • Click on Settings and go to Touch ID & Passcode
    • You’ll be prompted to enter your PIN or passcode and from there you can add more fingerprints by clicking Add a Fingerprint.
    • You can add as many prints as you want, and you can give each enrolled fingerprint a unique name (which might come in handy for fine-tuning this trick).

     

     

  • Microsoft officially ends support for Windows Phone

    Microsoft officially ends support for Windows Phone

    Microsoft has officially ended support for Windows Phone 8.1 just over 3 years after its April 2014 debut, according to media reports.

    Although this doesn’t mark the end of Microsoft’s mobile ambitions as Windows 10 Mobile is still hanging around, this only means that from now on, devices operating on WP8.1 won’t get software updates or technical help, according to Engadget.

    Windows Phone 7 was launched in 2010 as Microsoft’s formal response to the iPhone and Android rave, and according to Engadget, “This was the release that was going to prove Microsoft could make a truly consumer-focused mobile platform instead of catering primarily to the business crowd”.

    But Microsoft was unable to make concrete impression on the mind of smartphones consumers to be able to win them over with its innovative effort.

    The tile-based home screen and other interface elements were breaths of fresh air, but the so-so device lineup and lack of feature parity (it launched without copy-and-paste text) set the tone. It was always a bit lacklustre compared to what Apple and Google were doing, even if there were occasional bright spots.

    Another case in point was the Windows Phone 8 upgrade; which although was huge, no Windows Phone 7 device could run it.

    Millions of users were faced with the prospect of having to upgrade their handset early to stay current. Windows Phone 8.1 finally provided a truly complete answer to Android and iOS, but it was still a little bit behind and never got the sustained big-name app support that Microsoft had tried so hard to cultivate.

    That Microsoft ditched Windows Phone entirely in favour of Windows 10 Mobile says a lot.