Navigate your way across a busy city using these three apps


Getting around a city is easier than ever and you could use a mix of transport from a hired bike, the underground, bus or even hire a "car club" vehicle for a few hours.
Using a bicycle is the preferred option for many as it includes health benefits as well. However, how do you know where to go? Do you use a GPS? Decent options, but they are designed for cars and not for bikes which can create routing issues, especially in terms of safety. You’d want to cycle on paths which are safer for cyclists and also where you can take in a bit of scenery without getting yourself in danger.
Malicious mobile apps fool consumers by imitating leading brands


By impersonating brands and fooling consumers, malicious mobile apps are on the increase, according to digital threat management leader RiskIQ in its latest Q3 mobile threat landscape report.
Apps available outside of official stores are most likely to be malicious. Google’s percentage of malicious apps decreased to a low of four percent in Q3 after reaching a high of eight percent in Q2. However, one of the most prolific creators of malicious apps worked exclusively in the Play store.
Huge Janus bug leaves Android apps open to unauthorized code modification


Researchers from security firm GuardSquare have discovered an Android vulnerability that allows for app code to be edited without affecting the apps' signature. Dubbed Janus, the vulnerability has massive potential for malicious use, and affects Android 5.0 onwards.
The security hole would allow an attacker to tweak an entirely legitimate app to behave maliciously without triggering any security alerts. Although vulnerability CVE-2017-13156 has been patched in December's Android update, very few people will have access to this security fix.
Stuck for transport? Get to your destination with these 3 ride-hailing apps


Walk around any major city and you quickly lose the will to continue. Thanks to ride-hailing apps, you can now grab your smartphone and simply locate a ride from where you’re standing, without having to worry about public transport.
Ride-hailing apps have certainly revolutionized how we navigate a city. Whilst between meetings in London recently, it dawned on me that I had minutes to get to my next meeting. It would take longer to walk to the nearest Underground station. Solution? Grab my smartphone, hail a local taxi and arrived in time for my next meeting.
Privacy: Popular ai.type keyboard leaks personal details of 31 million users


Third-party Android and iOS keyboard ai-type is at the center of something of a privacy nightmare after a misconfigured database leaked the personal details of more than 31 million of its users.
Researchers at Kromtech Security Center discovered an unprotected database had been exposed by developers, revealing incredibly detailed information about its users. The database was found to be freely available for anyone to download, with no password required to access a treasure trove of information.
Use these three iOS apps to find the cheapest flights


In this globalized society, we’re traveling more than ever. But, how do you get to your destination as quickly as possible? Direct, using one stop and what’s the best time to travel?
If you’re flexible, prepared to travel off-peak, reduce your luggage, then you will find the best options. Hunting down flight deals is made far easier through a dedicated app and we’ve rounded up three of the best.
After a year of silence, VLC for Android is updated with much-needed new features


When an app goes silent for more than a year, it's reasonable to assume that it has been killed off -- but that's not the case with VLC. The Android version of the popular media player has been updated to version 2.5 after getting stuck at 2.0 for 13 months.
Work has been going on for VLC 3.0, but you would have been forgiven for thinking that the app had just been forgotten about. With the launch of VLC 2.5 there are a number of new features to enjoy including a new dynamic UI, a night mode, and picture-in-picture support for Oreo users.
Privacy: Google updates Safe Browsing rules so apps must warn when they collect personal data


Google is introducing changes to its Safe Browsing policies, requiring Android apps to display their own privacy warning if they collect users' personal data. The company says that if app developers refuse to comply, Google will display a warning of its own.
Developers have been given 60 days to comply with what is described as an expansion of Google's existing Unwanted Software Policy. Interestingly, it does not matter whether apps are featured in Google Play or they come via other marketplaces.
Microsoft brings Edge for iOS and Android out of Preview -- stay in sync with your PC


Microsoft has launched the first stable version of its web browser for mobile with the release of Edge for iOS 1.0 and Edge for Android 1.0.
Both browsers are targeted at Windows users who have Edge as their default -- the primary purpose of both is to allow users to sync settings and content between desktop and mobile, following a similar path trodden by the likes of Chrome and Firefox.
Google reveals the biggest apps, games, movies, songs and books of 2017


As we approach the start of a new year, the inevitable "best of" lists are starting to crop up. Never one to miss a trick, Google has released its own top five lists for 2017.
The lists cover the US, and there are a few obvious names taking the top spots -- Super Mario Run is unsurprisingly shown to be the most popular game, while Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and It make appearance high in the movie and book charts respectively. But in addition to the top five new apps, new games, streamed songs, movies, TV shows and books, Google has broken things down even further.
Google bans most Android apps from displaying lockscreen ads


It is near impossible to avoid ads these days, but Google has just introduced a new policy that makes at least one area of your smartphone a safe haven.
The new policy means that most apps will no longer be permitted to display ads on the lockscreen. But while this is something that will please Android users, it's not something that the company has really trumpeted.
Google launches Datally for Android, a tool to monitor and control mobile data usage


For many people -- particularly in certain parts of the world -- mobile data is an expensive commodity. If you're someone who likes to keep an eye on exactly what's using up all of your allowance -- and take control of it -- Google's new Android app, Datally, can help.
Datally has been designed to not only reveal which apps are using up data, but to provide a way to rein it in. Formerly known as Triangle whilst in beta, the app lets you block background data usage on a per-app basis, and makes it much easier to access data-related settings.
Over 90 percent of cryptocurrency mobile apps contain vulnerabilities


In the week when cryptocurrency values have reached new levels some worrying research from web security firm High-Tech Bridge reveals that more than 90 percent of the most popular cryptocurrency mobile apps on Google Play have common vulnerabilities and weaknesses.
The company used its free Mobile X-Ray service to test apps for security flaws and design weaknesses that can endanger the user, data stored on the device or sent and received via the network, or the mobile device itself.
Privacy: a huge proportion of Android apps are secretly tracking you


A joint research project between Yale University's Privacy Lab and French non-profit Exodus Privacy has uncovered widescale tracking in a large number of Android apps. The likes of Tinder, Spotify, Uber, Twitter and Snapchat -- as well as masses of lesser-known apps -- were found to be riddled with snooping components relating to no less than 25 well-known trackers.
In all, around three quarters of apps were found to gather personal information about users via a variety of third-party tracking techniques. Researchers have published their findings online so Android users can check if their favorite apps are snooping on them.
Find the best local craft coffee shop from your smartphone


We can’t be the only people who make finding the best coffee one of our priorities when visiting a new city. Frankly, it’s become a bit of a mission.
You could do some research in advance, scour websites and recommendations, but there’s an easy way of finding the best location for a good coffee without requiring tedious pre-planning. We’ve collated three of the most popular apps for searching, locating and enjoying the best coffee in your new city.
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