Facebook is already the biggest social network on the planet, but that doesn't mean it has everything its own way. For every user that actively updates their feeds with new content for their friends to read, there must be many, many more that simply visit Facebook in order to keep up with what their old school pals are doing.
It's a predicament many of us face on a frequent basis; our friend wants to connect to your Wi-Fi, and we're left scrambling around for that torn up piece of paper on which we scribbled that long and elaborate, alphanumeric code. Either that, or we're left playing the guessing game, trying to remember a password we only ever think about in these very situations. Sure, there are ways to make this system a whole lot smoother, but by far the easiest method is to generate a QR code and stick it on top of your router. Is this a new technique? No. Is it particularly groundbreaking? Definitely not. But the fact is, you don't do it, and if you don't ever want to bother reeling off your Wi-Fi password ever again, check out the very simple method outlined after the break.
In this Digital Age, we're certainly using paper a great deal less than we used to. Whether reading, writing or corresponding, the ease in which one can send an e-mail, purchase and read a new book or create a document is something often taken for granted, but as one French company has correctly pointed out, there are still plenty of uses for paper in our day-to-day lives. Humorously portrayed in an advertisement, a husband constantly taunts his bemused partner by enjoying a more efficient, digital life than his altogether more traditional other half; but soon comes a cropper in a certain situation where a tablet simply cannot be of any use.
Sometimes a story comes along that requires more than a few deep breaths before being written. This one needed some deep breaths, some coffee and some strong words. But before we launch into the absolute stupidity of the whole thing, let's get into the nuts and bolts of the story first.
Google has just announced that Andy Rubin, chief of the search company's Android mobile platform, is stepping down from his role, with Chrome and Apps Vice President Sundar Pichai taking his place. Rubin has been at the helm of Android since the company acquired it way back in 2005, and has helped it become one the most widely-used mobile OS in the world. Pichai will take the reigns at Android, but will also continue his role as VP of Chrome and Apps for the foreseeable future.
If you are an iOS developer who has been looking for the next project to undertake that involves something unique and innovative, then Philips might have what you are looking for. The Philips hue LED lighting system, which has been proven to be extremely popular with consumers, has now been opened up to external developers in the hope of seeing some great accompanying apps hitting the iOS App Store.
Apple has its fair share of hardware and software partners the world over, but one new partner may come as something of a surprise.
If you live in the United States and have signed a contract with a major phone carrier, chances are that your device is permanently locked into your network, stopping you from switching networks long after your contract has expired. A new petition calling for legalizing phone unlocking has been officially endorsed by the White House, following a decision by the Library of Congress late last year to make the practice illegal.
Angry Birds has been a huge success story of the modern mobile platform, and the franchise has branched out considerably since starting out as a simple game for iOS. As I write this, I am surrounded by several Angry Birds plush toys, but products have ranged from phone cases, to speaker docks, to books. The natural progression would probably be a movie, but with that particular venture scheduled to be happening in years to come, fans will have to make do with a new Web cartoon series, which premieres on March 16th and 17th.
Mozilla has just released Firefox 19 for users of the Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems, and among a plethora of new features comes an in-built PDF viewer. Since increasing its release schedule, Mozilla has stuck almost religiously to its six-week cycles, and although it's rare - in software terms - to see a whole number update pertaining to only a few minor changes, it helps Mozilla keep up with Google's rampant Chrome browser.
