Apps

iOS isn't Google's preferred mobile platform but, in order to keep users from going outside of its ecosystem, it naturally has to play ball. That doesn't mean, however, that all its mobile apps are created equal and, ironically, sometimes Android apps lag behind their iOS counterparts. Gmail for iOS, however, is different and it has, for years, lacked one important functionality. Fortunately, it has finally caught up and Gmail on your iPhone will no longer automatically load external images unless you say it's OK.

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Mozilla previously put third-party and cross-site tracking on notice and now it is finally flipping the switch. Starting with today's release, Firefox will have its Enhanced Tracking Protection turned on by default. Additionally, it will also be blocking cryptominers by default so that hackers won't be able to make money off your CPU cycles and battery life. Ironically, it won't yet do the same for sites that try to track your computer based on certain "fingerprints".

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Today Facebook released an off switch for facial recognition in their social media system. Today, a Facebook representative by the name of Srinivas Narayanan, Applied Research Lead, Facebook AI said that Facebook has "only used face recognition technology to automatically suggest tags for your friends in photos."

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There's a new game coming to the Star Wars universe with content from all 9 of the main-series films as well as Clone Wars and Rogue One. This means we've got everything from Porgs to Boba Fett, AT-ATs to the Millennium Falcon. The game goes by the name LEGO Star Wars Battles, and it'll be a free download starting in 2020.

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AI and machine learning have crept into almost every part of modern technology and products but one of its most whimsical applications is face-swapping. Dubbed "deepfakes", these programs can almost convincingly stitch your face on someone else's. One such app named ZAO became an overnight sensation in China because of how impressively convincing its end results were. That, however, quickly gave way to fear and concern once it became evident how the technology could be misused for criminal acts.

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Spotify has made it easier to share tracks on Facebook, the company announced this week. With the update, tracks from Spotify shared on Facebook Stories will offer 15-second previews of the audio before the user taps to listen to it. The feature is particularly useful for creators who share their music to an audience on Facebook, but viewers will need to tap through to Spotify to hear the entire track.

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Today Nike introduced the Nike Adapt Huarache, an update and re-thinking of the original 1991 Nike Huarache. This pair of shoes originally sported a neoprene bootie and an "exoskeletal" upper for an entirely unique sort of shoe experience. Now Nike's decided to use the fond memories sneakerheads have of that semi-retro piece of work to create a technologically-enhanced new set of shoes - the Nike Adapt Huarache.

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If you haven't noticed by now, Spotify is really excited about podcasts. For quite some time now, Spotify has been offering podcasts alongside its vast music library, letting Premium users subscribe to their favorites and download episodes for offline listening. Spotify also allows pretty much anyone to list their podcasts, but it may soon take that one step further by offering easy access to tools to actually create a podcast.

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It isn't news that an Android app gets past Google's security system and stays on the Play Store to spread malware to unsuspecting users. Most of the time, however, those apps are blatant copies or ripoffs of popular apps and games. Rare but not unheard of is the case of a legit app carrying malicious code to catch users unawares. Unfortunately, that is exactly the case with the popular CamScanner app that, even more unfortunately, has been download more than 100 million times.

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Microsft is finally bringing a proper Dark Mode to its Android and iOS apps for Outlook, the company's email service, as well as the Outlook.com website. The company announced the rollout on Wednesday, explaining that it will also bring its Dark Mode to 'the broader [Microsoft] 365 product suite.' This Dark Mode is the result of what Microsoft calls a cross-company design collaboration.

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Google Maps and, later, Waze have changed the way we navigate through roads and streets but another revolution also changed the way we travel. While it's not unusual for many to take multiple modes of transportation on a single trip, nowadays some people prefer to cover that last mile with less conventional means, like two-wheeled bicycles and the even more recent ridesharing system. Fortunately, Google Maps is now adapting to the latest trends and will inform users of such options when trying to find their way to their destination.

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A potential new Snapchat alternative app "Threads" was tipped in-the-making at Facebook and Instagram. The app seems to be part of Mark Zuckerberg's vision for a private messaging tie between each of the company's main social ecosystems. That'd likely include account connections between Facebook and Instagram, but mention of WhatsApp integration was notably absent from report details.

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