Google Wallet now lets you send money to anyone via text
The likes of PayPal have long made it possible to send money to friends, family, and businesses via email. The same is true of Google Wallet, but a new update means that an email address is no longer needed -- a text is all it takes.
If you have someone's mobile number, you have everything you need to send them money. Google assures payers that the SMS-based system is secure, but it remains to be seen how popular an option it proves to be.
Apple loses ground to Android in Europe
Google is succeeding in keeping Apple at bay in Europe. The latest figures from Kantar show that Android is growing in popularity in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain (known collectively as EU5), while iOS growth is slowing.
The data covers smartphone sales in Europe's five largest markets in the three months ending October 2015. Android's popularity had been falling over the previous year, but sales in the last quarter see a return to growth that Google will hope to see continue into 2016 and beyond.
Facebook becomes more adept at dealing with crappy connections
With projects like Internet.org, Facebook has shown that it is interested in getting the world connected. But the truth of the matter is that no matter where you may be in the world, there are times when it can be impossible to get a decent phone signal to allow you to post a photo of your meal.
Joking aside, in countries where people are struggling with 2G connections or otherwise unreliable signals, making use of Facebook's News Feed can be difficult. The social network is rolling out new technology that will make it possible for people with slow connections to now only see relevant news stories on a poor connection, but also post comments when offline.
Apple releases iOS 9.2, OS X 10.11.2 El Capitan, watchOS 2.1 -- here's what's new
Apple must believe that all good things come in threes, because it just released new updates for its three major operating systems, bringing iOS 9.2, OS X 10.11.2 El Capitan and watchOS 2.1 to its users.
The updates are quite extensive, packing lots of bug fixes, performance and stability improvements, and new functionality. Most changes are brought by iOS 9.2 and watch OS 2.1, while OS X 10.11.2 El Capitan is more focused in the areas it is designed to improve upon.
Apple releases Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader for iPhone and iPad
My iPhone 6s Plus is a wonderful smartphone -- long battery life, great performance, and strong security. One of the biggest benefits, however, is the class-leading camera, which takes amazing photos. While I use the iPhone for day-to-day shots, I also own a fairly nice camera (Nikon 1 S2) that I use for more serious work. The problem, you see, is that the camera does not have built-in Wi-Fi, so uploading and sharing the photos means carrying my laptop.
Today, this changes, as Apple releases the Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader for iPhone and iPad. I can now connect the storage card from my camera to my iPhone for easy backup and sharing. I totally need this, and I bet many of you do too.
Apple releases official battery case for iPhone 6s, iPhone 6
Battery cases have proven to be very popular with iPhone users, as they protect the device and greatly improve battery life without having to sacrifice much in terms of usability. Even though there are lots of options to choose from, even for Plus-sized models, Apple is now adding its own interpretation to the fold.
Unlike other accessory makers which focus on both the standard and the Plus models, with its first iPhone battery case, called Smart Battery Case, Apple is now only targeting iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s users. Is it worth considering?
Is HTC's A9 the One? [review]
So you bought iPhone 6. You love the understated styling of the aluminum enclosure and how the device feels in your hands. But iOS is a dog brain. It's loyal and friendly, but you want more than a tail-wagger that needs to be let out to pee. HTC has your back, with the shockingly similar-looking One A9. The imitator gives you close-enough design benefits with the extra bang of the freshest Android (Marshmallow).
Over the Black-Friday-to-Cyber-Monday weekend, one in ten A9 buyers moved up from iPhone 6 or 6s series devices, according to HTC. The manufacturer has a holiday special ending Jan. 7, 2016 that allures some switchers. Trade-in one of the Apples for full discount off the A9's purchase price (HTC mails a $499.99 check after receiving the old device). Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge traders get $200 and LG3 and LG4 owners $100.
The most important Windows 10 Mobile smartphone is now available
When you look at which smartphones are most-popular with the Windows Phone crowd, you will not see many mid-range or high-end offerings making the top 10. That is because low-end devices, like Lumia 520, dominate the charts, a trend that is unlikely to change with the launch of Windows 10 Mobile.
This makes Microsoft's new Lumia 550 the most important Windows 10 Mobile device for the foreseeable future. Officially available starting today, it is first being released in Europe, with other major markets across the globe to follow shortly.
Samsung updates Lollipop firmware to show Android security patch level
Responding to a spate of Android vulnerabilities and exploits, Samsung was one of the first companies to announce a move to monthly security updates for its handsets. This is great news for those concerned about the security of their phone, but for people running Lollipop there has been no way to check that the latest updates are installed.
Now this changes. Samsung is bringing the previously Marshmallow-only "Android security patch level" information to Lollipop handsets such as the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 edge+. With just a few taps, it is now easy to check which month's security updates have been installed.
Windows 10 Mobile is dead in the water
Windows Phone's market share took a huge hit last quarter, dropping to a ridiculously low 1.7 percent. Things could improve following the introduction of Lumia 950, Lumia 950 XL and other Windows 10 Mobile smartphones, but, in the long run, the platform is not expected to regain much of the ground it lost to Android and iOS.
Windows Phone's market share for 2015 is expected to be around the 2.2 percent mark, according to an IDC forecast, which would be a major decline compared to last year, when its market share was 2.7 percent. But, that's not the real bad news. By the end of 2019, Windows on smartphones is expected to only see a slight bump to 2.3 percent.
Steve Ballmer: Windows 10 Mobile needs Android apps
Microsoft held its yearly shareholder meeting this week in Bellevue, Washington. According to executive vice president and chief financial officer Amy Hood, the company did well during the fiscal year of 2015 and it has already reported a strong start when it comes to the current fiscal year.
However, former CEO of Microsoft Steve Ballmer was displeased with the level of disclosure at the meeting concerning Microsoft’s revenue. He believes that revenue is a key metric and that it should be reported as opposed to the run rate.
Windows 10 Mobile now available for Xiaomi Mi 4
Now that Windows 10 Mobile is ready for prime time, having launched alongside Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL earlier this month, Xiaomi has released a fresh build for its Mi 4 smartphone. The device received support for Windows 10 Mobile earlier this year, with a developer preview arriving in June.
The Windows 10 Mobile build that was just released is only for the 4G LTE version of the smartphone. And, also, Xiaomi warns that there might be "some unpredicted bugs still".
iOS 9's adoption rate dwarfs Android 6.0 Marshmallow
This fall we saw the release of iOS 9 from Apple just before the company launched the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.
The success of these new models along with an uptick in the adoption rates of iOS 9 showed how quickly Apple users were to upgrade their devices. So far iOS 9 has an adoption rate of 70 percent which is significantly higher when compared to Marshmallow’s adoption rate.
A Surface phone might just be what Windows 10 Mobile needs
Even though it already has a smartphone line, rumors suggest that Microsoft wants to release a smartphone under the Surface brand. It may sound a bit far-fetched, but this might just be what Microsoft and Windows 10 Mobile really need to become a serious contender in the high-end smartphone market.
While Surface tablets are increasingly more appealing, following the introduction of Surface Pro 3, the Lumia line is proving to be increasingly less attractive in consumers' eyes, as proven by its tiny 1.7 percent market share. Moving an upcoming flagship product from a fading to an up and coming brand starts to make a whole lot of sense.
GCHQ accused of "persistent" illegal computer hacking
Court documents released during a court case brought by Privacy International show that GCHQ -- the UK version of the NSA -- has engaged in "persistent" illegal hacking. The targets of the intelligence agency's surveillance include computers and phones around the world without the need for individual warrants.
There is concern about the use of "thematic warrants" which allows GCHQ to hack computers with very little justification or oversight, and with very broad remits. Privacy International is involved because there are clear privacy issues involved in GCHQ's activities, and it is seen as being of greater importance than ever with renewed interest in the Investigatory Powers Bill.
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