Advertisers are keen for their ads to be seen, that goes without saying. But it's more important to be seen by the right people, hence the explosion in targeted advertising. Social media is a great way to gather massive amounts of data about people and deliver ads accordingly, but some mobile games take things further.

There are a large number of games for both iOS and Android which include Alphonso software. This uses smartphones' microphones to record audio which is then used to determine which TV shows and commercials you're watching -- and then deliver targeted ads accordingly. Is this being done in secret? Not really. Details of the activities are included in Alphonso software's privacy policy.

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After admitting to slowing down older iPhones, Apple subsequently apologized for the lack of transparency about the issue. In addition to the apology, the company also announced that iPhone owners would be able to replace their batteries at a discounted rate of $29 starting in late January.

In an update to the original statement, Apple has now brought forward its replacement program so you can get a new battery for your iPhone 6 (or later) handset starting right now. Alternatively, you can do it yourself, with a discounted iFixit kit.

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After officially treating OnePlus 5 users to Android 8.0 Oreo last week, OnePlus is now rolling out another update. This time around it is for its latest flagship killer, the mighty OnePlus 5T.

OxygenOS 4.7.6, as it's called, comes with some pretty useful changes for the camera and system that improve performance and usability. The most useful addition -- at least for me -- is the new assistive lighting feature for face unlock.

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The start of a new year means saying hello to new beginnings and waving goodbye to a few old things. As 2018 rolls around, WhatsApp is killing off support for both Windows Phone 8 and BlackBerry 10.

This should hardly come as major news. Windows Phone 8 and BlackBerry 10 are both very niche platforms, and WhatsApp had previously announced -- and then extended -- that support was coming to an end.

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If you're the owner of a OnePlus 5, you've no doubt been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Oreo on your phone. Well, the wait is over; you can now upgrade to Android 8.0.

The release served as a great present for anyone who had their ear to the ground on Christmas Eve, and a nice surprise for anyone who was too wrapped up in festivities to notice. As ever, the update will roll out gradually, but if you're feeling impatient, it's easy to force the download.

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We now know for certain what many people have suspected for some time: Apple really is slowing down older iPhones. The phone-maker has finally come clean about what's going on -- it really is purposefully degrading the performance of its phones.

While there has been speculation that the company has been putting the brakes on aging handsets in a bid to encourage people to upgrade to newer models, Apple says that there's actually a different reason for old iPhones performing less impressively in benchmarks. That reason is battery life.

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Over the weekend, Apple pushed out iOS 11.2 a little earlier than planned to address a crashing problems affecting iPhone users. The update included a non-functioning version of Apple Pay Cash, but now Apple is flicking the switch to activate the new payment options.

Apple Pay Cash makes it possible for people to send and receive payments through iMessage. It serves as an alternative to the likes of PayPal, and it's a payment option that's now rolling out across the US, with other parts of the world to follow in due course.

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Every now and then OnePlus introduces a limited edition of its flagship killer. They're usually nicer than the original, but not quite close to collector's item status in my opinion. The latest one might be different.

Why? Because the new one, which is based on the awesome OnePlus 5T, gets Star Wars branding. The limited edition arrives in anticipation of The Last Jedi's debut in movie theaters next week.

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Today is December 2, and some iPhone users have found that their phones are constantly crashing. A problem with iOS 11.1.2 means that repeated crashes have been triggered by notifications from 12:15am this morning.

Apple is not only aware of the problem, but has already issued an update that addresses the issue. Here's what you need to know.

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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.

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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.

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It does not take long to realize that the OnePlus 5T is designed to impress. The new flagship killer ticks all the right boxes with its high-end processor, cutting-edge display, dual camera and premium unibody construction. It is a tour de force, and that is before we even consider the price.

But specs do not tell the whole story. There is more to the OnePlus 5T than meets the eye. It feels balanced, as my colleague Joe Wilcox would put it, unlike any other flagship killer before it and many of its rivals. Undoubtedly, it is the most attractive smartphone that OnePlus has released so far.

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More than three quarters of Android phones are vulnerable to screen and audio recording by attackers. By exploiting the MediaProjection service, an attacker can easily trick a user into granting the relevant rights to a malicious app.

Although the vulnerability has been fixed in Android 8 Oreo, users running Lollipop, Marshmallow or Nougat remain at risk. MediaProjection is -- by design -- able to capture screen activity and audio, and it does have legitimate uses, but by using a technique known as tap-jacking permission can be given for it to be used for more nefarious things.

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Next week is one of my favorite holidays -- Thanksgiving! I'm not gonna lie, I like to eat, and since this is a day dedicated to chowing down on some good food, I am beyond excited! Oh yeah, it is also a day in which we spend time with family and reflect on all the things for which we are thankful.

Once the eating is done, the shopping begins. What used to just be "Black Friday" now begins the night before on Thanksgiving -- sacrilege to some. Yeah, while still digesting turkey and stuffing, consumers will queue up in front of stores such as Best Buy, Target, and Kohl's to take advantage of some deep discounts. Surprisingly, according to a new survey, technology devices are not the most wanted products. Actually, clothing seems to be what many people want most. Make no mistake, however -- products like televisions, laptops, and smartphones will be very popular on Black Friday too.

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When looking at the OnePlus 5T, it is difficult to believe that it is not a completely new flagship killer. You can thank the novel new display for that. It takes up more space on the front, giving you the impression that you are in for a completely different experience.

The new display is also larger, but it has small bezels all-around, which means that the whole device feels manageable in the hand. The aluminum body, which sports a Midnight Black finish on my review unit, has a quality feeling, which is what you expect from a OnePlus device.

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