Tech news

Snapchat soon may have a Connected Apps feature that is similar to the functionality at the heart of the Cambridge Analytica brouhaha, which has Facebook writhing under congressional scrutiny and consumer backlash. The latest beta features a new Connected Apps tab within the setting page. The page displays the following text: "These apps are connected to your Snapchat account. Choose an app to control what it has access to." Snapchat already allows Bitmoji and Shazam apps to connect directly to users' Snapchat accounts. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2Gr91fF

Nearly a week after it became the target of one of the largest ransomware attacks to date, the City of Atlanta has made progress toward recovery, but it is still far from business as usual. Hackers encrypted many of the city government's vital data and computer systems. The ransomware attack, which Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms characterized as "a hostage situation," forced the city to shut down municipal courts and even prevented residents from paying bills online. The city has been unable to issue warrants. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2pPxsgC

Smart homes are here. Although not every home in the U.S. is tricked out with the latest technologies, they're no longer a rarity. For example, a hefty 41 percent of the people who responded to an online survey conducted last year said they already owned smart home devices. Sales of smart refrigerators and washing machines more than doubled in 2017. Meanwhile, shipments of voice-controlled devices such as the Amazon Echo and Google Home speakers were 159 percent higher in 2017 than in 2016. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2uviTU7

Mozilla has announced Facebook Container, a Firefox browser extension that is designed to segregate users' activity on Facebook from their other Web activity, limiting Facebook's ability to track them and gather personal data. Mozilla recently has engaged in an aggressive strategy to counter Facebook data management policies that many see as intrusive. The extension is the culmination of more than two years of research into developing a more private browsing experience, Mozilla said. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2pLmg4e

Apple on Tuesday announced a refresh of its iPad as part of a new approach to the education market. CEO Tim Cook and other Apple officials also outlined a number of new education initiatives at an event held at Lane Tech College Prep High School in Chicago. The new 32-gigabyte, 9.7-inch iPad, which will sell to consumers for $329 and to students for $299, has a more powerful processor -- Apple's Fusion A10 chip. It sports a 2048-by-1536-pixel retina display with a ppi of 264. It also supports the Apple Pencil, discounted $10 for the education market. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2Gk1HlI

You've seen the ad: A family is vacationing out of town and the parents suddenly wonder if the house is locked up properly. They use their smartphone to remotely activate the smart locks and security system. Or this one: Someone rings the doorbell or merely approaches a home, and the homeowner uses a smartphone to speak through the video doorbell system, even when not at home, perhaps bewildering the visitor -- or potential intruder -- who can't tell where the voice is coming from. This picture has a dark side, though. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2Gi6wQw

Facebook on Sunday confirmed that its Messenger and Lite apps for Android smartphones routinely collect call and text histories. The call and text history logging are opt-in features for people using Messenger or Facebook Lite on Android devices, the company said in a post. The feature is designed to help users stay connected, and it improves the Facebook experience, according to the company. The Messenger feature can be turned off at any time through the app's settings. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2DYWbTI