Latest Technology News

Tweaking tools used to be all the rage for Windows, but not so much these days. The phenomenon has, however, spread to the mobile world to a certain extent. OnePlus owners have the streamlined OxygenOS to work with for an experience that's near to pure Android; but there's always scope for tweaking.

Whether you have rooted your phone or not, JOnePlus Tools gives you the opportunity to tweak your phone to within an inch of its life (in the best possible way, of course). As well as working with rooted and non-rooted phones, it even works with the Oreo betas that are available from OnePlus at the moment.

Continue reading →

Google has already used Cybersecurity Awareness Month to announced details of a new bug bounty program for Android apps, as well as a new Advanced Protection Program for G Suite users. Now the company has revealed that most web traffic in its Chrome web browser is protected by HTTPS.

The precise figures vary from platform to platform -- with ChromeOS and macOS faring the best -- but between 64 and 75 percent is now secured. Google humblebrags about the results of its mission to "secure the web, one site at a time," after opting to mark non-encrypted pages as being insecure.

Continue reading →

The level of interest in the iPhone X is huge. The latest addition to the iPhone range is certainly expensive, but it's also the most radically different iPhone we've seen in ages.

Pre-orders for the phone start on October 27 (this Friday) ahead of the November 3 launch, and availability of the handsets is expected to limited -- not least because Apple is said to have a relatively small number of them to sell. What if there was a way to jump the queue and secure your iPhone X so you avoid disappointment? Well... there is! Sort of...

Continue reading →

With promises made by Jack Dorsey and a leaked email indicating that Twitter was ready to do more to start tackling abuse on the site, it should come as little surprise that the company has now published a timetable for what it intends to do over the coming months.

Entitled the "Calendar of Our Safety Work," the document details the changes that Twitter is going to make between now and the middle of January. The timetable covers subjects such as non-consensual nudity, hateful imagery, violent groups and hateful display names. There's an unprecedented level of transparency that Twitter will hope convinces people that it is taking matters seriously.

Continue reading →

Ahead of a public beta launch, Apple has released new developer betas for iOS 11.1 and watch OS 4.1.

iOS 11.1 beta 15B92 and watchOS 4.1 beta 15R846 come just days after the third beta version were released, and only a month after iOS 11 itself was launched. Both are really bug-fixing releases, but iOS does see the return of a feature from an earlier beta.

Continue reading →

Calling up the Google Assistant on your Android phone takes nothing more than bellowing "OK, Google" at your handset. But you may be someone who feels that this is just too many syllables to utter.

Google Home users have a slightly easier time. As well as "OK, Google" it is also possible to say "Hey, Google" -- meaning you can start getting help in two thirds of the time! Now the same option is making its way to Android phones.

Continue reading →

A shockingly large proportion of businesses have no idea how to behave when GDPR comes into play, a new report by the DMA has claimed.

More than half of marketers surveyed (56 percent) believe they’re on the right track, with four percent actually saying they’re ahead in their plans of being compliant by May 2018.

Continue reading →

European businesses are set for an increase in IT spending which should greatly accelerate digital transformation efforts within the next 12 months.

That's according to new research from CenturyLink, which found that over half of companies are set to boost IT spending over the next year to allow them to embrace the benefits of new technology sooner than expected.

Continue reading →

I have sort of a love/hate relationship with Cortana. She is actually quite the good voice assistant. When I used Windows 10 Mobile, I found her to be superior to Siri. With that said, I don't really need a voice assistant on my desktop computer, so it feels like Cortana is invading my space when I use Windows 10. In comparison, Siri is much less apparent on macOS -- I forget she is there, to be honest.

Since I no longer use Windows 10 Mobile, and I don't really leverage Cortana on my desktop PC, I guess Microsoft's assistant is largely out of my life, right? Not so fast. On October 22, the Cortana-powered Harman Kardon Invoke speaker hits stores. Actually, I got one early, and I will be playing with it this weekend in the BetaNews Lab. With this speaker, the virtual assistant can serve me in a standalone setup -- no need to go to my PC. Intriguing...

Continue reading →

Despite growing concerns over the impact that Brexit might have on fintech startups in the UK, new figures have revealed that the sector has seen record investment throughout the year so far.

According to data from London and Partners and Pitchbook, over $1 billion has already been invested in UK fintech by venture capitalists which is more than double that of the same last year.

Continue reading →

5G networks are set to take off faster than any other mobile technology as users flock to faster and more reliable connections, new research had predicted.

A report from analyst firm CCS Insight has forecast a huge explosion in 5G growth in the time after the first networks are expected to launch, with over one billion 5G users connected by 2023.

Continue reading →

Developers who want to sell apps or offer in-app subscriptions on Google Play have to give 30 percent of the revenue up. It's the cost of doing business on Google's popular app store -- and the same goes for the App Store and Microsoft Store as well.

However, in a move that mirrors Apple's policy change last year, Google will soon take a lower cut from developers who retain subscribers for more than a year.

Continue reading →

Building on an existing partnership, Facebook and PayPal are now making it easier than ever to send and receive money online. If you're in the US, it is now possible to make PayPal payments in Facebook Messenger.

In addition to announcing the new payment option, PayPal has also beefed up its Messenger chat bot. Users will now be able to get access to customer service by chatting with the bot.

Continue reading →

Fans of Plex will very soon be able to access their music through Android Auto. Whether you have Android Auto built into your car, or you're going to rely on the app on your phone instead, Plex can now sit alongside your travel directions.

Plex for Android Auto allows for voice-control of music playback, and the interface has been enlarged and simplified for ease of use when in your car.

Continue reading →

Arianna Huffington has teamed up with Samsung to create an app called Thrive. The aim of the app is to encourage users to: "Unplug & recharge. Take a break from your phone. Reconnect with yourself."

When it is released in December, the app will be a Samsung exclusive and it will force you to disconnect from your phone and make sure no one can get in touch with you. To help you feel smug and superior about what you're doing, anyone who tries to contact you will be informed that you are taking enforced time out.

Continue reading →