The WhatsApp for Android client is susceptible to malicious intrusion thanks to the way conversations are both stored and encrypted, a security expert has discovered. The bug opens up the potential for stored chats to be accessed via other apps, and even though the problem is, if anything, largely attributable to the way that Android is constructed rather than just being a WhatsApp issue, the apparent ease in which conversations can be gotten hold of and decrypted will no doubt leave users of the app feeling rather disconcerted.
Samsung's relentless quest to shower the market with as many new smartphones as possible has only continued in 2014. January brought us the announcement of the Galaxy Note 3 Neo range, and last month, the Korean outfit finally took the wraps off the Galaxy S5. As we continue to await the key details of the S5's pricing and availability following the unveiling at Mobile World Congress, there has been persistent talk of a premium Galaxy S5 version of the newly-announced flagship, known in Android circles as the Galaxy F. While there's no word on when it will hit the scene, one designer has, based upon leaks, sought to give us an idea of what's in store with some life-like renders.
Ookla's Speedtest.net app for iPhone, a popular choice for folks looking to keep tabs on data speed and performance, has just been updated to version 3.2, bringing with it - among other things - optimization for the iPad. The newly-universal app, which is used by millions worldwide, also offers landscape mode for users of the Apple tablet, and we've got the full run-down of the new features coming right up.
Most iPhone users would consider their device to be something of a lifesaver, in that it keeps them connected to the world and those around them no matter where they may be. But in the case of Utah-based U.S. solider Shaun Frank, the device literally saved his life - bearing the full impact of shrapnel from an explosion that may otherwise have proven fatal. In the end, the man escaped with only minor wounds, and has since personally sent his thanks to the Cupertino company.
The iDevice community is still adjusting to the new iOS 7.1 software, and although the recently-dropped update isn't a landmark release by any stretch of the imagination, it's still the most significant bump that Apple has made since iOS 7.0 arrived back in September. As well as the more notable enhancements made to features like Siri and iTunes Radio - allied to the introduction of CarPlay - there have been several other minor tweaks applied, but in addition, there have also been one or two teething problems. Some iPhone 5s users, for example, have encountered troubles in using Touch ID, and if you're one of them, we've got a little tutorial to help you overcome them.
Flappy Bird was undeniably one of the biggest successes in mobile gaming we’ve witnessed since the Angry Birds franchise made the scene. And being pulled by its developer when the game had reached an all-time high in terms of fame and revenue - on both the iTunes App Store and Google Play Store - it was strongly believed that the game will never see the light of day again, until now.
Turning water into wine is the kind of stuff that miracles are made of, but now, there's a machine that enables you to do exactly that. And as if that wasn't cool enough, the Miracle Machine is also controlled by an app for iPhone, providing what is, without doubt, the most awesome way to create and ferment your own wine.
In the ongoing patent dispute between Apple and Samsung, it has now emerged that the Cupertino-based company has demanded, in front of a jury, that its Korean competitor stumps up the almighty sum of $40 per infringing device. The total, which Apple has arrived at by highlighting five separate patents per device (around $8 a pop), would equate to an eye-watering total sum, and even FOSS Patents' Florian Mueller - a guy that tends to see these matters from Apple's side - seems to think this is a step too far.
Fans of Microsoft's Surface tablet have been waiting patiently for additional news about the new Surface Power Cover. The interesting new accessory was originally teased back at the end of the third quarter last year, but there's been relatively little buzz about the product in the time that has followed. The original speculation suggested that Microsoft had every intention of releasing the powerful new cover alongside the second-generation Surface hardware, but for a number of reasons that plan didn't come to fruition. Still, all good things come to those who wait, and we can now welcome in some additional details about the cover, including a release date and price.
Apple finally brought folder functionality to iOS way back in 2010 with iOS 4, but up until September's iOS 7 update, the feature was extremely limited. As well as making some dramatic aesthetic alterations with the latest firmware, several features, including folders, were greatly expanded. The limitation of around a dozen icons - arbitrary in the eyes of many - was lifted, and pages were introduced, meaning we didn't have to make several folders for one category. As well as all that, iOS 7 also accidentally made it possible for nested folders to exist, but now, thanks to iOS 7.1, the jig is up.
