Google bans developer with half a billion app downloads from Play Store
#Google is banning a major #Android developer #DOGlobal and removing its apps from the Google Play Store after it was discovered the company was committing ad fraud. Nearly half of the developer's more than 100 apps have already been removed from Google's app marketplace and it's expected the rest will disappear in the coming days, according to BuzzFeed. Apps published by DO Global, which is in part owned by massive Chinese tech firm Baidu, have racked up more than 600 million downloads in the Play Store.
While DO Global isn't the first app developer to get banned from Google's marketplace, it is one of the biggest. In addition to having its apps removed from the platform, DO Global also appears to have been given the boot from Google's AdMob network. That would mean the company is no longer allowed to market its products through Google's massive mobile advertising service.
#Google is banning a major #Android developer #DOGlobal and removing its apps from the Google Play Store after it was discovered the company was committing ad fraud. Nearly half of the developer's more than 100 apps have already been removed from Google's app marketplace and it's expected the rest will disappear in the coming days, according to BuzzFeed. Apps published by DO Global, which is in part owned by massive Chinese tech firm Baidu, have racked up more than 600 million downloads in the Play Store.
While DO Global isn't the first app developer to get banned from Google's marketplace, it is one of the biggest. In addition to having its apps removed from the platform, DO Global also appears to have been given the boot from Google's AdMob network. That would mean the company is no longer allowed to market its products through Google's massive mobile advertising service.
Huge new iPhone 11 leak reminds us how much better Apple is at hardware than Android vendors
Despite the fact that we still have nearly five months left to wait before #Apple releases its next-generation #iPhone11 series smartphones, the pace of leaks has really picked up in recent weeks. The iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Max, and iPhone 11R (or whatever Apple ends up calling it) were shaping up to be boring updates a few short months ago, but more recent reports suggest that Apple is cooking up far more new features and upgrades than we had previously thought.
Notes over the past month from the world’s top Apple insider, TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, have revealed a number of big upgrades coming to this year’s iPhone 11 lineup. According to Kuo, the #iPhone 11R will be bumped up to a dual-lens rear camera, while the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Max will both get huge camera upgrades, including a new triple-lens array.
👉 Read more
Despite the fact that we still have nearly five months left to wait before #Apple releases its next-generation #iPhone11 series smartphones, the pace of leaks has really picked up in recent weeks. The iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Max, and iPhone 11R (or whatever Apple ends up calling it) were shaping up to be boring updates a few short months ago, but more recent reports suggest that Apple is cooking up far more new features and upgrades than we had previously thought.
Notes over the past month from the world’s top Apple insider, TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, have revealed a number of big upgrades coming to this year’s iPhone 11 lineup. According to Kuo, the #iPhone 11R will be bumped up to a dual-lens rear camera, while the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Max will both get huge camera upgrades, including a new triple-lens array.
👉 Read more
Windows preview brings Android notifications to your PC
#Microsoft has fulfilled one of the larger promises behind its Your Phone software -- if you're willing to experiment a bit. The developer has released a Windows Insider Preview that displays #Android notifications on your PC. If you allow apps to display alerts, you can find out about an important message or status update without reaching for your handset. You can clear notifications one at a time or all at once, and anything you dismiss on your PC will be reflected on your phone.
The feature is gradually rolling out to Windows Insiders using at least the 1803 (RS4) build. You'll also need a phone running Android 7.0 Nougat or newer and a minimum of 1GB of RAM. You can't respond to notifications (at least not yet), but this could be particularly vital for Snapchat and other apps that don't really have a presence on the desktop.
#Microsoft has fulfilled one of the larger promises behind its Your Phone software -- if you're willing to experiment a bit. The developer has released a Windows Insider Preview that displays #Android notifications on your PC. If you allow apps to display alerts, you can find out about an important message or status update without reaching for your handset. You can clear notifications one at a time or all at once, and anything you dismiss on your PC will be reflected on your phone.
The feature is gradually rolling out to Windows Insiders using at least the 1803 (RS4) build. You'll also need a phone running Android 7.0 Nougat or newer and a minimum of 1GB of RAM. You can't respond to notifications (at least not yet), but this could be particularly vital for Snapchat and other apps that don't really have a presence on the desktop.
Spotify Tops Estimates With 100 Million Paid Users
#Spotify has reached 100 million paid subscribers, a first for any online music service, adding more customers in the latest quarter than analysts expected and boosting confidence the company has lots of room to grow.
Spotify took on 4 million customers in the quarter, compared with the 3.3 million forecast by analysts. But its first-quarter loss was 79 cents a share, wider than the 41-cent loss analysts expected. After a brief rise, the stock fell as much as 2 percent to $135.50 in New York trading.
Competition from #Apple, #Amazon and #YouTube has done little to slow Spotify’s growth around the world, and the company has relied on its independence from some of the world’s largest companies to its advantage. It has boosted its customer base through promotional deals with #Hulu, #Samsung and even #Alphabet Inc.’s #Google.
“The music industry market is way bigger than most people realized,” CEO #DanielEk said on a call with analysts.
#Spotify has reached 100 million paid subscribers, a first for any online music service, adding more customers in the latest quarter than analysts expected and boosting confidence the company has lots of room to grow.
Spotify took on 4 million customers in the quarter, compared with the 3.3 million forecast by analysts. But its first-quarter loss was 79 cents a share, wider than the 41-cent loss analysts expected. After a brief rise, the stock fell as much as 2 percent to $135.50 in New York trading.
Competition from #Apple, #Amazon and #YouTube has done little to slow Spotify’s growth around the world, and the company has relied on its independence from some of the world’s largest companies to its advantage. It has boosted its customer base through promotional deals with #Hulu, #Samsung and even #Alphabet Inc.’s #Google.
“The music industry market is way bigger than most people realized,” CEO #DanielEk said on a call with analysts.
Foxconn reportedly developing micro-LED technology for future Apple iPhones
According to a report from Economic Daily News, #iPhone assembly giant is expanding its investments in micro-LED screen manufacturing with an eye to capture orders for future iPhones.
micro-LED is generally seen as a superior display panel to OLED displays, the latter is what #Apple currently uses in the #AppleWatch, #iPhoneX and #iPhoneXS. micro-LED screens need no backlight as the pixels themselves emit their own light, just like OLED screens. This means you can get the same rich colors and high-contrast appearance.
What tips the scales in micro-LEDs favor is that it does not rely on any organic substance, which means it should not degrade. This is a problem for OLED screens which are afflicted by burn-in issues and gradual reduction in brightness over time.
According to a report from Economic Daily News, #iPhone assembly giant is expanding its investments in micro-LED screen manufacturing with an eye to capture orders for future iPhones.
micro-LED is generally seen as a superior display panel to OLED displays, the latter is what #Apple currently uses in the #AppleWatch, #iPhoneX and #iPhoneXS. micro-LED screens need no backlight as the pixels themselves emit their own light, just like OLED screens. This means you can get the same rich colors and high-contrast appearance.
What tips the scales in micro-LEDs favor is that it does not rely on any organic substance, which means it should not degrade. This is a problem for OLED screens which are afflicted by burn-in issues and gradual reduction in brightness over time.
‘Hidden backdoors’ were found in Huawei equipment, reports Bloomberg
Vodafone Italy discovered “hidden backdoors” in #Huawei equipment that would have allowed the Chinese company to access users’ home networks as well as Vodafone’s Italian fixed-line network, reports #Bloomberg. The vulnerabilities were discovered between 2009 and 2011 in Huawei’s home internet routers, as well as its equipment used in parts of Vodafone’s network infrastructure. There was no evidence of data being compromised.
Bloomberg reports that both the router and network vulnerabilities continued to exist beyond 2012, and also existed in the company’s networks in the #UK, #Germany, #Spain, and #Portugal. Sources say that Vodafone continued to use the equipment because it was cheaper than the competition and the cost to remove it was prohibitive.
Vodafone Italy discovered “hidden backdoors” in #Huawei equipment that would have allowed the Chinese company to access users’ home networks as well as Vodafone’s Italian fixed-line network, reports #Bloomberg. The vulnerabilities were discovered between 2009 and 2011 in Huawei’s home internet routers, as well as its equipment used in parts of Vodafone’s network infrastructure. There was no evidence of data being compromised.
Bloomberg reports that both the router and network vulnerabilities continued to exist beyond 2012, and also existed in the company’s networks in the #UK, #Germany, #Spain, and #Portugal. Sources say that Vodafone continued to use the equipment because it was cheaper than the competition and the cost to remove it was prohibitive.
Forwarded from Sponsored Ad:
DO YOU WANT TO SAVE MONEY??
Dollar Savers brings you the hottest online deals every day! Make sure you never miss a deal - get instant alerts via Whatsapp or Telegram!!
Whatsapp Groups:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/BoZGdOmuKKK3eyYdVxMaxX
https://chat.whatsapp.com/C9Tak3oJPVOFJ9H11dVZIJ
Whatsapp Status:
https://wa.me/15025096774?text=Subscribe%20to%20Dollar%20Savers%20Updates
Telegram:
https://t.me/dollarsavers
Dollar Savers brings you the hottest online deals every day! Make sure you never miss a deal - get instant alerts via Whatsapp or Telegram!!
Whatsapp Groups:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/BoZGdOmuKKK3eyYdVxMaxX
https://chat.whatsapp.com/C9Tak3oJPVOFJ9H11dVZIJ
Whatsapp Status:
https://wa.me/15025096774?text=Subscribe%20to%20Dollar%20Savers%20Updates
Telegram:
https://t.me/dollarsavers
Instagram is testing hiding your likes
What is #Instagram without likes? Some users are about to find out.
On Tuesday, the Facebook-owned photo sharing app announced it is running a test in Canada starting later this week that hides the total number of likes on photos and videos. Likes, which are shown as hearts on the app, will be removed from the main feed, permalink pages and profiles.
While followers won't be able to see the total number of likes a post has received, the owner of the account still can.
What is #Instagram without likes? Some users are about to find out.
On Tuesday, the Facebook-owned photo sharing app announced it is running a test in Canada starting later this week that hides the total number of likes on photos and videos. Likes, which are shown as hearts on the app, will be removed from the main feed, permalink pages and profiles.
While followers won't be able to see the total number of likes a post has received, the owner of the account still can.
Huawei’s phone sales are ballooning while Apple and Samsung’s slump
IDC and Strategy Analytics have released their latest smartphone shipment numbers, and the clear winner of the last few months has been #China’s #Huawei, at the expense of incumbent global leaders #Samsung and #Apple, both of which lost ground.
Huawei has been flirting with the position of world’s second-largest smartphone vendor for a while, having taken over from Apple for the first time in 2017, before switching back and forth in 2018. The company’s improvement in 2019, however, appears to set it up with a firmer control of the second spot: Huawei jumped from 39.3 million phones shipped in the first quarter of 2018 to 59.1 million shipments in Q1 2019, as noted by both IDC and SA.
IDC and Strategy Analytics have released their latest smartphone shipment numbers, and the clear winner of the last few months has been #China’s #Huawei, at the expense of incumbent global leaders #Samsung and #Apple, both of which lost ground.
Huawei has been flirting with the position of world’s second-largest smartphone vendor for a while, having taken over from Apple for the first time in 2017, before switching back and forth in 2018. The company’s improvement in 2019, however, appears to set it up with a firmer control of the second spot: Huawei jumped from 39.3 million phones shipped in the first quarter of 2018 to 59.1 million shipments in Q1 2019, as noted by both IDC and SA.
Apple Pay is coming to New York City’s MTA transit system this summer
It’s been nearly two years since we wrote that #NYC would finally be upgrading its transit system to take “tap-to-pay” contactless payments, but #Apple’s #TimCook says it’s finally coming true — on the company’s Q2 earnings call today, the CEO told investors that #ApplePay will begin rolling out to New York City’s #MTA transit system starting in “early summer” of this year, letting you tap a phone or watch to pay instantly.
But it probably won’t just be Apple Pay, because a few quick web searches show that NYC has actually already announced a specific date for a contactless payment system that should support other phone-based wallets (perhaps rival Android Pay?) and even contactless credit cards.
It’s been nearly two years since we wrote that #NYC would finally be upgrading its transit system to take “tap-to-pay” contactless payments, but #Apple’s #TimCook says it’s finally coming true — on the company’s Q2 earnings call today, the CEO told investors that #ApplePay will begin rolling out to New York City’s #MTA transit system starting in “early summer” of this year, letting you tap a phone or watch to pay instantly.
But it probably won’t just be Apple Pay, because a few quick web searches show that NYC has actually already announced a specific date for a contactless payment system that should support other phone-based wallets (perhaps rival Android Pay?) and even contactless credit cards.
Google Pixel 3a features leak in exquisite detail
If #Google wanted to preserve what few secrets were left about its #Pixel 3a phones, it's probably out of luck. Droid Life has obtained images and extensive feature lists for both the 5.6-inch Pixel 3a and its 6-inch 3a XL counterpart, including what appear to be graphics for the devices' promo website. It's now virtually certain that they'll come in purple (described in one leak as "Purple-ish") in addition to the usual black and white options, and they'll come with photographic perks of the high-end Pixel 3 like Night Sight.
If #Google wanted to preserve what few secrets were left about its #Pixel 3a phones, it's probably out of luck. Droid Life has obtained images and extensive feature lists for both the 5.6-inch Pixel 3a and its 6-inch 3a XL counterpart, including what appear to be graphics for the devices' promo website. It's now virtually certain that they'll come in purple (described in one leak as "Purple-ish") in addition to the usual black and white options, and they'll come with photographic perks of the high-end Pixel 3 like Night Sight.
Qualcomm Scored $4.5 Billion or More in Settlement With Apple
Semiconductor and telecommunications equipment manufacturer #Qualcomm said on Wednesday it will take home a one-time payment of between $4.5 billion to $4.7 billion from its settlement with tech giant #Apple over the next quarter, the #NewYorkTimes reported.
Last month, Qualcomm and Apple put to bed a massive, long-running patent and antitrust case that started when Apple sued the other company for alleged unfair patent licensing practices for $1 billion and escalated when Qualcomm filed a countersuit for $7 billion. Qualcomm came out the apparent victor, scoring a six-year licensing deal and a chip supply agreement as well as the massive one-off payment (though it had also ended up shut out of supplying chips for a line of iPhones during the legal battle).
Semiconductor and telecommunications equipment manufacturer #Qualcomm said on Wednesday it will take home a one-time payment of between $4.5 billion to $4.7 billion from its settlement with tech giant #Apple over the next quarter, the #NewYorkTimes reported.
Last month, Qualcomm and Apple put to bed a massive, long-running patent and antitrust case that started when Apple sued the other company for alleged unfair patent licensing practices for $1 billion and escalated when Qualcomm filed a countersuit for $7 billion. Qualcomm came out the apparent victor, scoring a six-year licensing deal and a chip supply agreement as well as the massive one-off payment (though it had also ended up shut out of supplying chips for a line of iPhones during the legal battle).
Google Will Soon Let You Automatically Scrub Your Location And Web History From Your Account Every Few Months
It’s no secret that #Google tracks a lot of data about you, from the websites you visit to the videos you watch, the things you’ve searched for, and the places you have visited. Scrubbing this data from your Google account has required you to manually dig into your settings each time. That’s changing soon.
In the next few weeks, Google will be rolling out a feature to users around the world that will let them set this information to be deleted automatically every three or 18 months.
👉 read more
It’s no secret that #Google tracks a lot of data about you, from the websites you visit to the videos you watch, the things you’ve searched for, and the places you have visited. Scrubbing this data from your Google account has required you to manually dig into your settings each time. That’s changing soon.
In the next few weeks, Google will be rolling out a feature to users around the world that will let them set this information to be deleted automatically every three or 18 months.
👉 read more
Microsoft unveils HoloLens 2 developer edition for $3,500
#Microsoft is launching a developer edition of the company’s #HoloLens 2 headset today. Priced at $3,500, it’s the exact same pricing as the version that will be sold to businesses later this year. While the original commercial pricing of the HoloLens was $5,000, the original development kit was always $3,500, so there are no price cuts for developers this time around.
The kit will include the HoloLens 2 hardware and Azure credits alongside free trials of Unity Pro and Unity PiXYZ Plugin for CAD data. Microsoft is also revealing that Unreal Engine 4 support for HoloLens 2 will be available for developers to start using by the end of May. This is a key addition for developers, and it will allow apps that include photo-realistic renders for use in manufacturing, product design, architecture, and more.
#Microsoft is launching a developer edition of the company’s #HoloLens 2 headset today. Priced at $3,500, it’s the exact same pricing as the version that will be sold to businesses later this year. While the original commercial pricing of the HoloLens was $5,000, the original development kit was always $3,500, so there are no price cuts for developers this time around.
The kit will include the HoloLens 2 hardware and Azure credits alongside free trials of Unity Pro and Unity PiXYZ Plugin for CAD data. Microsoft is also revealing that Unreal Engine 4 support for HoloLens 2 will be available for developers to start using by the end of May. This is a key addition for developers, and it will allow apps that include photo-realistic renders for use in manufacturing, product design, architecture, and more.
Facebook Seeks Reported $1 Billion for FB Coin Amid Talks With Visa, MasterCard
Social media giant #Facebook is seeking investments worth $1 billion for its rumored cryptocurrency stablecoin, the #WSJ reported on May 3. Citing people familiar with the plans, the publication revealed Facebook was currently talking to major payment networks Visa and MasterCard about potential support, along with payment processor First Data Corp.
The cryptocurrency project, dubbed “FB Coin,” has fuelled rumors for around a year that Facebook wants to provide in-house payments to users. As more information trickles down to the outside, it appears various options are under consideration by executives, including payments via a user’s Facebook profile.
Social media giant #Facebook is seeking investments worth $1 billion for its rumored cryptocurrency stablecoin, the #WSJ reported on May 3. Citing people familiar with the plans, the publication revealed Facebook was currently talking to major payment networks Visa and MasterCard about potential support, along with payment processor First Data Corp.
The cryptocurrency project, dubbed “FB Coin,” has fuelled rumors for around a year that Facebook wants to provide in-house payments to users. As more information trickles down to the outside, it appears various options are under consideration by executives, including payments via a user’s Facebook profile.
US Ride Share Drivers Will Strike On May 8th Ahead of Uber IPO
#Uber and #Lyft drivers in major #US cities have united to strike during peak hours on Wednesday May 8th for two hours from 7AM to 9AM local time, according to a report from Autoblog. Cities which may see rush hour even more rush-y include #NY, #SanFrancisco, #Chicago, and #LosAngeles, among others. The strike is a protest of business and payment practices ahead of Uber’s planned IPO on May 9th with trading on the stock exchange to begin the following day.
#Uber and #Lyft drivers in major #US cities have united to strike during peak hours on Wednesday May 8th for two hours from 7AM to 9AM local time, according to a report from Autoblog. Cities which may see rush hour even more rush-y include #NY, #SanFrancisco, #Chicago, and #LosAngeles, among others. The strike is a protest of business and payment practices ahead of Uber’s planned IPO on May 9th with trading on the stock exchange to begin the following day.
Holographic tech could be key to future quantum computers
A breakthrough in studying light might just be the ticket to the future of quantum computing. Researchers at EPFL have found a way to determine how light behaves beyond the limitations of wavelengths, opening the door to encoding quantum data in a sci-fi style holographic light pattern. The team took advantage of the quantum nature of the interaction between electrons and light to separate beams in terms energy, not space -- that let them use light pulses to encrypt info on the electron wave and map it with a speedy electron microscope.
A breakthrough in studying light might just be the ticket to the future of quantum computing. Researchers at EPFL have found a way to determine how light behaves beyond the limitations of wavelengths, opening the door to encoding quantum data in a sci-fi style holographic light pattern. The team took advantage of the quantum nature of the interaction between electrons and light to separate beams in terms energy, not space -- that let them use light pulses to encrypt info on the electron wave and map it with a speedy electron microscope.
Firefox disabled all add-ons because a certificate expired
Many #Firefox users around the world are browsing without their usual set of extensions after they suddenly stopped working earlier this evening. The event occurred as the clock rolled over on UTC (Coordinated Universal Time, aka GMT or Greenwich Mean Time), and impacted users quickly narrowed it down to "expiration of intermediate signing cert" -- as it's described on #Mozilla's bug tracker.
Many #Firefox users around the world are browsing without their usual set of extensions after they suddenly stopped working earlier this evening. The event occurred as the clock rolled over on UTC (Coordinated Universal Time, aka GMT or Greenwich Mean Time), and impacted users quickly narrowed it down to "expiration of intermediate signing cert" -- as it's described on #Mozilla's bug tracker.
This media is not supported in your browser
VIEW IN TELEGRAM
#Spotify testing voice-enabled ads that listen to your voice
Apple Releases Its Second iOS Game Ever, and It's a Tribute to Getting Filthy Rich
If you haven’t already heard the news, #WarrenBuffet’s #Berkshire Hathaway investment firm recently pumped a bunch of money into ‘cash-strapped’ #Apple. To say thanks for helping to keep the company afloat, Apple released its first #iOS game since 2008: a Paperboy ripoff called Warren Buffet’s Paper Wizard that’s supposed to pay tribute to Buffet’s humble beginnings.
If you haven’t already heard the news, #WarrenBuffet’s #Berkshire Hathaway investment firm recently pumped a bunch of money into ‘cash-strapped’ #Apple. To say thanks for helping to keep the company afloat, Apple released its first #iOS game since 2008: a Paperboy ripoff called Warren Buffet’s Paper Wizard that’s supposed to pay tribute to Buffet’s humble beginnings.