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The latest news on all your favorite apps.
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Twitter adds chronological timeline button to its Android app
You no longer need an iOS device to easily see your Twitter feed the right way. Twitter is rolling out its chronological timeline button on Android, giving you a quick way to switch between the latest tweets and the social network's algorithm-sorted top tweets. This isn't a once-and-you're-done switch, but it will make sure you can follow along with an awards show or sports extravaganza rather than wading through hours-old posts.
ESPN+ adds personalized recommendations and offline viewing
ESPN is making some welcome (and arguably overdue) improvements to its ESPN+ service that could change how and where you watch. Its updated app now includes personalized recommendations for ESPN+, starting with on-demand videos. Watch a lot of hockey? You'll probably see more highlight clips from the latest NHL matches. Recommendations will "soon" spread to live and future events, so you might spot big matches you would otherwise miss.
China will make TikTok-like video apps responsible for what users upload
China's growing crackdown on internet media now includes some tight limits on short-form video apps like TikTok. Recently imposed guidelines make app creators responsible for the content their users post, and ask platforms to review every bit of content -- no mean feat when TikTok alone has roughly 150 million users in China.
TiVo will add apps for smart TV boxes and WiFi for Mini this year
It's been a few years since TiVo released a limited app for Amazon's Fire TV platform, but as it promised last year, the next-generation platform will reach third-party boxes. Those include not only Fire TV (and Android) but also Roku and eventually Apple TV. We got a brief demo of the experience on those boxes at TiVo's booth, where it streamed transcoded video from a connected Bolt DVR without issue. If everything goes according to plan, you should see the full app for Fire TV in Q2, followed an app for Roku, and later, perhaps in the fall, access will extend to the Apple TV. Additionally, it's not planning to charge for access to the apps, although TiVo owners will only be able to stream to two third-party devices at once.
Google activity cards now help you find previous searches
After months of teasing, Google is making it easier to resume your past searches. The internet pioneer is rolling out activity cards that will show what you've looked for based on various topics, whether it's a new workout regimen or a recipe. So long as you're logged in, you can tap a "your related activity" option to see links you've already visited as well as past queries. There's even a dash of Pinterest to it -- you can save pages to a collection if you need to look at them later.
'David Bowie Is' AR exhibit puts Ziggy Stardust on your phone
Sony Music has a fitting tribute for David Bowie on what would have been his 72nd birthday: its promised virtual museum exhibit dedicated to the music legend. David Bowie Is has launched for both Android and iOS, giving you an augmented reality tour of memorabilia that previously required a lengthy physical visit. You'll see famous costumes, photos, handwritten notes and videos, including items that were either limited to the Brooklyn Museum appearance or are exclusive to the app. You can see documents and props from the Blackstar era, watch live performances and glimpse at footage from the experimental DIamond Dogs movie.
Over a dozen iPhone apps talked to a known malware server
Apple's App Store has generally had fewer security concerns than the Google Play Store, but that hasn't stopped questionable apps from slipping through the cracks. Security researchers from Wandera have discovered 14 games that all communicated with the same server used to control Golduck malware for Android. While the apps themselves appeared innocuous, they were loaded with ads. It would have been feasible to use ads to trick users into granting permission for malware installed outside the App Store, Wandera told TechCrunch.
Charter launches its zero sign-on Spectrum app for Apple TV
Charter just completed the other half of its zero sign-on puzzle. The cable giant has launched its delayed Spectrum app for Apple TV, giving you access to both live programming and on-demand shows without having to enter your credentials. If you set up the app while you're connected to Spectrum broadband service, it'll use tvOS 12's smarter authentication to sign in you in automatically -- you can focus on watching instead of remembering your password. There's Siri support, too, so you just have to speak to tune into a given channel.
LA sues Weather Channel app owner over 'fraudulent' data use
Los Angeles' city attorney has filed a lawsuit against the company behind The Weather Channel app, claiming the app didn't adequately disclose to users how their location information would be used. The lawsuit calls The Weather Company's practices "fraudulent and deceptive" and says they violate California's Unfair Competition Law. "For years, TWC has deceptively used its Weather Channel app to amass its users' private, personal geolocation data -- tracking minute details about its users' locations throughout the day and night, all while leading users to believe that their data will only be used to provide them with 'personalized local weather data, alerts and forecasts," says the suit.
Neutrogena app 3D scans your face to create perfect-fit sheet masks
At CES last year, Neutrogena unveiled an iPhone attachment that lets you examine the condition of your skin in excruciating detail -- pores, moisture levels, wrinkles you didn't even know were there, the lot. Now, branching off the Skin 360 tool, the company has unveiled an app that accurately measures your face to ensure a good fit for the sheet masks designed to counteract these skin woes.
Google's Fuchsia OS will be able to run Android apps
It might take years before Google's Fuchsia OS starts showing up on devices, but when it does, it will apparently be able to run Android apps. 9to5Google has spotted a new file posted on Android's open source project website that says "These targets are used to build ART for Fuchsia." In other words, Google is developing a special version of ART or Android Runtime that will be able to run Android apps on the upcoming operating system.
Popsugar’s celebrity look-alike app is leaking users’ photos
I can't think of a more fitting way to end 2018 than with another, final data leak. This one is from #Twinning tool, the popular new app from Popsugar that matches your selfie with your top five celebrity look-alikes. Turns out, while you were uploading your face and crossing your fingers for who you would or wouldn't be compared to, Popsugar was doing a poor job of protecting your images.
Google is testing group calling in Duo
Google's upgrade strategy for Duo could include some highly sought-after features. Android Police sources say Google is testing a group calling feature in at least the Android version of its video chat app. It only supports seven people at once (no 32-person parties here), but it's relatively straightforward. You just have to create a group and then start a call with those people. If there's a limitation, it's that you can't add anyone into a group in mid-call.
More popular apps are sending data to Facebook without asking
It's not just dating and health apps that might be violating your privacy when they send data to Facebook. A Privacy International study has determined that "at least" 20 out of 34 popular Android apps are transmitting sensitive information to Facebook without asking permission, including Kayak, MyFitnessPal, Skyscanner and TripAdvisor. This typically includes analytics data that sends on launch, including your unique Android ID, but can also include data that sends later. The travel search engine Kayak, for instance, apparently sends destination and flight search data, travel dates and whether or not kids might come along.
HQ Trivia's 'Wheel of Fortune' game is now open to everyone
It's a sad time for the HQ Trivia team following the loss of co-founder Colin Kroll, but there is some consolation for the company. Intermedia Labs has made its word game, HQ Words, available to all users (currently only confirmed for iOS) following weeks of beta testing. As before, it's a Wheel of Fortune-style live game where you'll have to correctly guess the missing letters in phrases during successive rounds. If you make three mistakes or don't complete the phrase, you're out. Unlike HQ Trivia, then, you'll have to be much more active if you hope to win real money.
Tesla's mobile app can remotely heat your seats
Tesla has rolled out an update for its mobile app that can ensure you're sliding into a warm and toasty car in this wintry weather. You can now use the app to remotely activate your electric vehicle's heated seats -- you only need to tap on that part of the car's virtual model within the application. If your EV has a heated steering wheel, you can use the app to activate it remotely, as well. It looks like you can even choose how hot you want the seats to be, so you don't accidentally turn your car into a sauna on wheels.
Android apps used by troops in combat contained vulnerabilities
Two Android apps used by the US military in live combat situations contained severe vulnerabilities that could have allowed attackers to gain access to troops' information, a Navy Inspector General report revealed. The mobile apps offered real-time messaging to coordinate with other military branches, displayed mission objectives and goals, showed satellite images of surroundings and highlighted locations of nearby enemy and friendly forces.
Apple's new rules can make gifts out of in-app purchases
It looks like Apple will soon allow users to gift in-app purchases to friends and family thanks to a recent change to the company's App Store Guidelines. First spotted by MacRumors, the updated text shows developers can allow people to buy in-app purchases for one another. That includes everything from ongoing subscriptions to one-off boosts. Apple's policy previously barred such gifts.
DC Universe starts streaming on Amazon's Fire TV
DC Universe just closed a glaring gap in its device support. The comic-based streaming service is now available through Amazon's Fire TV devices, giving you another way (and in some cases, a cheap way) to catch up on Titans in the living room. It's best-suited to video, of course, but DC and Warner Bros also say that you can read comics, shop and socialize while you're lounging on the couch. A subscription will still cost you $8 per month or $75 per year.
Microsoft Office app for Windows 10 provides a hub for all your work
Microsoft's revamped Office.com portal has apparently been a hit with the productivity crowd (over 40 percent of Office 365 users start there), and now it wants to turn that experience into a native app. It's launching a simply-titled Office app for Windows 10 that serves as a hub for every modern version of Office, whether it's a 365 subscription, the free Office Online suite or offline tools like Office 2016 and Office 2019. Consider it a starting point for the day's work, especially if you regularly use more than one productivity app.