Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson

Google has expanded Android's Emergency Location Service to more people in the US, making it easier for emergency services to locate people when responding to a 911 call out.

Emergency Location Service (ELS) has been around in Android for a couple of years now, and it uses a combination of GPS, Wi-Fi, mobile networks and sensors to provide responders with accurate location information about callers, no matter whether they are inside or outside.

Continue reading →

Just 15 lines of code was all it took for hackers to hijack the checkout of online retailer Newegg. The month-long attack took the form of a huge card skimming operation and is believed to have been carried out by the same group that was responsible for hacking both British Airways and Ticketmaster recently -- Magecart.

The hackers inserted car-skimming code into Newegg's payment page, and this script remained in place between August 14 and September 18. It is not known how many people may have been affected by the incident, but with millions of visitors each month, the numbers are potentially huge.

Continue reading →

Following years of questionable behavior and ranting, the grandfather of Linux Linus Torvalds issued an apology and announced his intention to take a break from kernel work. Now the Linux community is adopting a new code of conduct to help make the environment more welcoming.

Based on the Contributor Covenant, the new Code of Conduct seeks to make participating in the community "a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of age, body size, disability, ethnicity, sex characteristics, gender identity and expression, level of experience, education, socio-economic status, nationality, personal appearance, race, religion, or sexual identity and orientation".

Continue reading →

Google is in the process of rolling out Chrome OS 69 to the stable channel, giving more users the chance to enjoy the new Material Theme and take advantage of new features such as support for Linux apps.

The updated look will be familiar to Android users -- rounded corners abound -- and there are numerous other changes and additions including a new Night Light mode, better dictation options, and an updated Files app.

Continue reading →

The latest version of the popular Android emulator for Windows, BlueStacks 4, is now available, bringing with it a huge performance boost over its predecessor. The new release also sees the emulator jumping from KitKat to Nougat as its base -- specifically Android 7.1.2.

The developers say that BlueStacks 4 is many times faster than the Samsung Galaxy S9+ -- or "any mobile on Earth" according to the blurb -- and features Hyper-G Graphics for unparalleled visuals in games. But besides performance, there are lots of other changes in the latest version of this emulator.

Continue reading →

Donald Trump has imposed import tariffs of $200 billion on Chinese goods brought into the US, with the threat of even more on the way.

The tariffs have been blamed on China's "unfair policies and practices", but despite the president's pleas for Apple to shift production from China to the US, the Apple Watch will be exempt from the 10 percent import tax. Also exempt are Apple's AirPods and a range of other technology products.

Continue reading →

People have many complaints about Twitter, but one that crops up time and time again from users is how the timeline is displayed. Like many other social media sites, Twitter ditched the idea of showing your tweets in the order in which they were posted in favor of using algorithms to show you what it thinks you want to see.

But now this is about to change again. After vocal outpourings from critics of the algorithm-driven timeline, Twitter is going to give users a choice -- have your timeline controlled by an algorithm, or view a chronological timeline instead.

Continue reading →

Looking to extend its product range, OnePlus has revealed that it plans to release a smart TV -- called OnePlus TV. Details are sketchy at the moment, but the company is planning to launch the product some time in 2019. And this is not all OnePlus has planned.

In a post on the OnePlus forums, co-founder Carl Pei explains that he wants the company to take "the first step in building a connected human experience". He fails to go into detail, but suggests that OnePlus wants to work in the "four major environments we experience each day: the home, the workplace, the commute, and being on-the-move".

Continue reading →

Linux creator Linus Torvalds has used his regular Sunday email to the Linux Kernel Mailing List to apologize for unprofessional behavior, and to announce that he is taking a break from his Linux kernel work.

Acknowledging that he has previously launched "flippant attacks" on people -- something he labels as "unprofessional and uncalled for" -- Torvalds says he wants to "apologize to the people that my personal behavior hurt and possibly drove away from kernel development entirely".

Continue reading →

Amazon has been hit with allegations of staff bribery which the company says it is investigating.

A report in the Wall Street Journal this weekend claims that employees have been accepting bribes in return for leaks of sales data. It is also alleged that staff help out independent sellers by deleting negative reviews in exchange for payment, and restore accounts that have been banned.

Continue reading →

Earlier in the year it was revealed that a security flaw made it possible to determine not only the location, but also the HIV status of Grindr users. Months down the line, Grindr is still exposing the precise location of its users by failing to block third-party access to a private API.

Using a trilateration technique, and exploiting the fact that Grindr lets users know -- with some degree of accuracy -- how far away they are from others, it is very easy for just about anyone to build a tool that shows precise locations.

Continue reading →

If you have enrolled in the beta version of Twitter -- and, in some instances, even if you haven't -- you may well have noticed the appearance of Twitter bug reporter icon in the Android status bar. It very likely annoys you, and you probably want to get rid of it.

Hunt through the app's settings, and you'll find nothing that relates to the icon. So, what can you do? You could move away from the official Twitter app and try one of the third-party options, but you may not want to. Read on to find out how to stick with the app you've come to know and love (perhaps) and banish the Twitter bug reporter icon once and for all.

Continue reading →

Just a couple of days ago, Apple revealed its new range of iPhones and an updated Apple Watch. Today most of these devices are available for pre-order, ready to ship in a week.

If you mosey on over to the Apple website, or head down to a physical Apple Store, you can now place your order for an iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max or Apple Watch Series 4. If you're ready to hand over your money, you can pre-order your phone or watch right now.

Continue reading →

News about the OnePlus 6T is coming thick and fast now, and the latest revelation comes direct from the horse's mouth. Company co- founder Carl Pei has confirmed that the upcoming handset is ditching the headphone jack, saying that it helps make way for "more new technology".

So, moving forward you'll have to use either wireless headphones with the OnePlus 6T, or use a USB-C pair. And funnily enough, OnePlus has a set of Type-C Bullets earbuds that fits the bill!

Continue reading →

Google has been working on RCS messaging for a little while now, hoping that the successor to SMS will take off. Earlier in the year, the company moved its Allo team to work on the RCS-based Chat. Now it has teamed up with Samsung.

The two companies are working together to help speed up the adoption of Rich Communication Service, ultimately aiming for global coverage. One of the first goals, however, is to ensure compatibility between Android Messages and Samsung Messages.

Continue reading →