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The latest news on all your favorite apps.
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Google denies launching optimized version of Maps for China
Google's presence in China has increased marginally in recent times, but those excited about a rumoured optimized version of Maps for the country will be disappointed to learn the claims are untrue. Earlier this week Japan news site Nikkei reported that Google had launched a China-specific version of Maps for the first time in eight years, along with an accompanying app for Chinese iPhones, but Google quickly shot this down. "There have been no changes to Google Maps in China. Maps has been accessible on desktop for years, but does not have an official presence in Android or iOS app stores in China," a spokesperson said.
Airbnb now gives you the option to pay less up front
Airbnb rentals present affordable, sometimes even unique, alternatives to hotels, but one of the downsides of using the platform is having to pay in full upon booking. Now, the company is finally -- thankfully! -- giving you an option to pay less up front. Starting today, you'll be able to reserve a rental by paying a deposit worth around 50 percent of the total amount in most cases. You'll still have to pay the rest off before you arrive unlike Expedia or Agoda, which sometimes allows you to pay at the hotel itself. But having the option means you can book places much earlier than usual, since you won't have to worry about paying the whole reservation months in advance.
Google's museum app finds your fine art doppelgänger
If you've ever wondered if there's a museum portrait somewhere that looks like you and you're ready to have your ego crushed, there's now an app for that. Google Arts & Culture's latest update now lets you take a selfie, and using image recognition, finds someone in its vast art collection that most resembles you. It will then present you and your fine art twin side-by-side, along with a percentage match, and let you share the results on social media, if you dare.
Telegram targeted by fake apps that serve malware and ads
Make sure you check an app's name before you download it: Telegram, for instance, had an evil twin on Google Play named "Teligram." According to Symantec, which discovered its existence, its profile and description on the store mirrored the authentic app's, with the only difference being the slightly altered logo. It was also branded as "New version updated" in an effort to fool users into thinking it's the new version of Telegram. And it probably could've fooled people, too, since it actually works as a messaging platform.
Facebook is testing a dedicated section for local news
Facebook is testing a new section dedicated to local news and events, Recode reports. Called "Today In," it's currently being tested in six cities -- New Orleans, Louisiana; Little Rock, Arkansas; Billings, Montana; Peoria Illinois; Olympia, Washington; and Binghamton, New York. It's accessible through the menu button on the bottom right of the mobile app and will include stories from local publishers -- which will be approved by Facebook's News Partnerships team -- as well as emergency updates and local events.
Waze's crowd-sourced traffic info comes to Ford Sync 3 cars
In 2016, Ford wisely decided to offer Apple's CarPlay and Android Auto on all its Sync 3 infotainment system-equipped 2017 vehicles, and owners are seeing more benefits from that at CES 2018. Ford announced that it now supports Waze's traffic and navigation app directly from your iPhone. After you plug it into any of the vehicle's USB ports, the app will appear on the Sync 3 touchscreen, letting you control it from there or use voice commands.
A closer look at the Hyperloop One test pod
Here at CES, Virgin Hyperloop One is showing off a new partnership with mapping company Here, and we sat down with the company's Matt Jones to explore it further. He, alongside Dr. Anita Sengupta, talked us through the app in greater detail, but there was an additional surprise in store. The company has dragged its XP-1 test pod from the Nevada desert to the show in order to let the public gaze upon it for the first time.
Hyperloop One and Here made an app for imaginary Hyperloops
Virgin Hyperloop One has teamed up with mapping company Here to build an app that lets you pretend that Hyperloops are real. The app is designed to be your transportation portal in a future where vacuum tubes are connecting all of our major cities as one. Imagine a version of Citymapper that let you choose between cars, planes, trains or Hyperloops as you jump between, for instance, Las Vegas and LA.
Yale's Nest-controlled smart lock arrives in early 2018
Yale, the lock company that recently purchased August, recently joined forces with Nest on a new smart lock, and we now know more about the product and when it will arrive. The Nest x Yale lock gives you a key-free, touchscreen deadbolt with a lot of options for remote unlocking and granting access to family or guests. For one, you can unlock it by entering a passcode (it holds up to 250), which can be limited to specific times of day for cleaners or others who need limited access.
Alexa is coming to Windows 10 PCs from HP, ASUS and others
Amazon's Alexa recently arrived on headphones and even toilets, but it's about to become much more ubiquitous by hitting Windows 10 PCs later this year. HP, ASUS and Acer have revealed that the voice assistant is coming to various models, including ASUS's ZenBook and VivoBook lineup, the HP Pavilion Wave, and select Acer Spin, Swift, Switch and Aspire notebooks. Amazon will release a special Alexa app in the spring, and laptop builders are tapping Intel's Smart Sound tech to make sure that the app can pick up your voice when you're not right next to your PC.
Samsung's smart TVs are getting ESPN and Freeform
If you have a 2017 Samsung Smart TV, you can now install ESPN and Freeform, thanks to the deal the Korean company struck with their overlord Disney. While both apps have been around on phones, tablets and streaming devices for a long time, this makes things much easier if you'd rather stream directly on your TV. The ESPN app gives you access to all things sports, obviously, including the upcoming Alabama-Georgia College Football Playoff National Championship. Freeform, on the other hand, is for binging on movies and TV shows, including Gilmore Girls and Shadowhunters.
Telegram for Android now supports multiple accounts
Telegram has been busy parrying government attempts to collect user data over the past year, but it hasn't forgotten its users. It's ushering in 2018 with a handful of offerings you'll likely find helpful if it's your chat app of choice, starting with the ability to support multiple accounts on Android. The latest version of Telegram for the platform supports up to three accounts with different phone numbers. You can quickly switch between them on the side menu, but you'll get notifications for all of them regardless of which one's active.
Kodi comes full circle with a return to the Xbox
Media streaming software Kodi used to be known as XBMC (Xbox Media Center), but ironically, one of the few devices it hasn't worked on is the Xbox One -- until now. Kodi has unveiled version "18.0-Alpha1" for the Xbox One, giving owners of the console a (rough) streaming option. While it looks just like the Windows 10 and other versions of the app, the current version may be unstable and can't access your Blu-ray drive or attached storage (via USB 3.0), unfortunately.
LastPass fixes fingerprint security flaw in its Authenticator app
Password manager LastPass has an extra layer of protection for its Authenticator app, in the form of a fingerprint and/or PIN that ostensibly keeps people out of your passwords if they find your phone unlocked. Last week, a developer posted that he'd been able to bypass this security feature on the Android version of the app. As of right now, though, LastPass users can download an update to the app that fixes the issue and adds a one-time code when the fingerprint/PIN feature is first enabled.
Live trivia hit HQ comes to Android on January 1st
Intermedia Labs is making good on its promise to deliver HQ for Android by the holidays, if only just. The company has revealed that it's planning to make its previously iOS-only live trivia show available to "all" Android users by January 1st. The app arrived in limited beta on Christmas, and Intermedia is "working quickly" to expand availability over the following week. In short, just wait until the new year if you can't jump in right away.
Edward Snowden's Haven app uses your phone to detect intruders
Forget phone calls — a new app from The Guardian Project, the Freedom of the Press Foundation and Edward Snowden aims to turn Android smartphones into tiny, unobtrusive security systems. Haven, released today in public beta, was designed to use a phone's built-in sensors to track sudden changes in the environment around it. Let's say you'd like to keep tabs on a room while you're away from it — the app can direct compatible devices to record unexpected sounds, look out for changes in ambient light, and notice if it's being picked up or tampered with. You can even prop the phone up and set up the camera for use as a motion tracker, just for good measure.
Apple will allow apps built from templates
Apple has revised its App Store guidelines to allow apps built using templates and other app-generation services. The decision -- a one-eighty on its previous policy that banned such apps in the name of preserving quality -- is supposed to make it easier for small businesses and non-profits to offer their own apps without the expense or expertise of building their own. But it's Apple, so there are of course some caveats.
Android apps must have 64-bit support by August 2019
Android has supported 64-bit apps ever since Lollipop arrived in 2015, but they haven't been necessary. Now, however, Google is laying down the law... or rather, it will. As of August 2019, Android apps will have to support 64-bit code. They won't have to ditch 32-bit compatibility, but they can't cling exclusively to the past, either. There will eventually be Android devices that will only support 64-bit code, Google noted, so it's important that developers make the leap.
DHS finds first responder apps are plagued by security issues
While it's great that a consumer app like Waze started offering traffic data to help first responders avoid traffic, emergency professionals have been using their own suite of apps for awhile. But how safe are they? The Department of Homeland Security initiated a pilot program to vet the security of 33 different apps provided by 20 developers -- and found that 32 of them had potential security and privacy concerns and more serious vulnerabilities.
Reddit app update brings more of the website to mobile
Reddit launched its mobile app last year and today it's getting a major update. The iOS and Android versions are getting a bunch of new features for both users and moderators that will more closely align the app's functionality with that of the web version.