February, 2019 - Softonic English

App-controlled NBA jersey can change name and number

Buy one jersey, change it to any player and any team!

Fairweather fans, rejoice! At its All-Star Technology Summit, the NBA revealed a brand new smart jersey that can change player names and numbers through an app. See it in action below:

Buying a jersey is a large commitment for a fan. You’re literally wearing your faith in that player on your sleeve, and if that player gets embroiled in controversy, switches teams, or just flat out sucks, people are going to mock you for it. When this smart jersey comes out, you’ll be able to avoid ridicule by changing your jersey’s name and number within seconds. While the jersey didn’t change color, all you LeBron fans can at least change freely between 23 and 6. Unfortunately for them, it looks like the jerseys are many years away, so who knows where King James will play in the meantime.

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These smart jerseys beg several questions. What incentive does the NBA have to sell jerseys that can transform into other jerseys? Unless the smart jerseys are ludicrously expensive to the point where they make up for the sale of individual jerseys, it doesn’t seem to make business sense. Also, will people be able to put whatever names and numbers they want onto the jerseys? Or will they only be able to select from official NBA player and number combinations? In that vein, would it be possible to hack someone’s jersey to say something hilarious or offensive?

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When presenting the jersey, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver did not mention Nike at all, which is curious because Nike is the official jersey apparel partner of the NBA. Nike had previously created their own smart NBA jerseys called Connected Jerseys. These jerseys feature patches that offer special content when scanned with a smartphone app, including exclusive shoe drops, courtside tickets, and player highlights.

“Hopefully, I just put Michael Rubin [Fanatics CEO] out of business,” Silver joked.

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Facebook could be tracking your location

Facebook security teams can track users deemed as threats through location and IP data

What can be classed as a credible threat? You might think that such a classification would be better suited to a story about the NSA, FBI, or CIA than a story about Facebook, but you’d be surprised. According to a story by CNBC, Facebook security teams have been drawing up lists of people who they consider to be ‘credible threats’ to the company. So, what does it all mean?

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Credible threats are those that carry too much weight to simply be ignored. If you’ve posted on Facebook that you want to blow up Facebook HQ, you likely won’t be considered a credible threat. If, however, you said you’re going to attack a particular Facebook location at a particular time, then there is a very good chance Facebook’s security teams will consider you a credible threat. Other examples include people who’ve been to shareholder meetings and issued verbal threats.

Facebook is shredding people's privacy — If you end up on Facebook’s list, you can say goodbye to your privacy.

This move is a reasonable one, considering Facebook recently had to evacuate its headquarters due to a bomb scare and other tech companies, like YouTube, have seen their headquarters attacked by gunmen.

Facebook security teams can track users deemed as threats through location and IP data

The issue with Facebook doing the tracking (and this fits in with privacy concerns raised last week over the Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram merger) is that if it wants to, Facebook can track people extremely well. Facebook has access to a sea of data about every one of its users, including location and IP data, which means if it deems a user to be a credible threat, it is very easy for Facebook security teams to then track their every movement. Facebook can even track Android users who aren’t on Facebook.

According to the CNBC report, Facebook’s list of credible threats includes hundreds of names, including almost all people that have been fired by the social giant. The list is updated weekly, and whenever a new name is added to it, all Facebook security personnel are notified, receiving information like their name, photo, location details and why they’ve added to the list. This then makes them eligible for tracking and could lead to their details being passed to law enforcement.

If this all seems reasonable to you, you’re not wrong, but there is something else to consider. CNBC also reported that whereas some people were reasonably added to the list, others were added for smaller offenses like commenting things like, “’F— you, Mark,’ ‘F— Facebook’ or ‘I’m gonna go kick your a–,’” on posts by CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Offensive trolling this might be, but it hardly warrants the massive violation of civil rights that being a part of Facebook’s “be on lookout” (BOLO) list represents. In theory, if you’ve ever said anything negative about Facebook, they could be tracking your location right now.

The key in all of this is regulation. Facebook is adamant that it is able to regulate itself and ensure it is always acting in a way that isn’t contrary to public interest. If, however, people are having their civil liberties infringed for saying something mean about Facebook’s big boss, it looks they might not be. With the UK government now aggressively calling for Facebook to be regulated and going as far as to call Facebook execs gangsters, it might not be long before matters like this one are taken out of Facebook’s hands.

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Twitter news: We’re slowly moving toward an “Edit Tweet” button

Twitter is working on a way to “clarify” past tweets and give them new meaning

Even though Twitter has recently upped its maximum character count from 140 to 280, it is still a quick and lean social machine. Thanks to their short length, tweets can come and go at breakneck speed. The flip side of promoting a fast-flowing platform for streams of consciousness as well as factual news reporting is that people often get things wrong. You’ll commonly see tweets with spelling mistakes or bad grammar and you’ll even see tweets that just don’t make sense.

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At the heart of all this apparent madness is the lack of an “Edit Tweet” button. People have been calling for such a button since what seems like the beginning of time, but Twitter has always remained steadfast in its refusal to add one. Recently, Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey, said that the reason there was no edit button is because Twitter didn’t want to facilitate fake news by giving people the ability to change the tweets that first broke the story. He did, however, recognize that the issue needed addressing and it looks like he might finally be coming good on that promise. Sort of.

Twitter is working on a way to “clarify” past tweets and give them new meaning

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey — Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey

Speaking at a Goldman Sachs event in San Francisco on February 14, Dorsey again spoke about the ability to change old tweets, but what he said is not quite what everybody has been waiting for. When addressing the recent cultural scandals that have arisen from past tweets, like James Gunn being dropped by Disney for things he tweeted years ago, Dorsey said that Twitter was working on a way to allow people to clarify something they’ve said in the past. In this way, they could add more words to their old tweets to show that they’ve grown beyond the original comment.

This sounds suspiciously like a quote retweet, but Dorsey did go further to show how the feature would work differently. The Twitter CEO said, “How do we enable people to quickly go back… and to add some context and some color on what they might have tweeted or what they might have meant. By doing so you might imagine that the original tweet then would not have the sort of engagement around it. Like you wouldn’t be able to retweet the original tweet, for instance. You would just show the clarification, you would be able to retweet the clarification, so it always carries around with it that context.” He also went on to say that Twitter isn’t working on the feature specifically, but that those are the sorts of questions the social network is asking itself.

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If we were to see a feature like the one Dorsey has described, it would give users the chance to take old tweets and turn them into something else, while the original tweet remained intact. The original text would still be visible but there’d be other text explaining what is going on in it. This would work just as well for clarifying spelling mistakes and bad grammar as it would for clarifying jokes you made back when you were in college.

As we’ve pointed out, there is still no news on whether this feature will make its way onto Twitter, but as soon as we hear more news, we’ll let you know.

Gmail update will make your email inbox much more functional

Gmail is overhauling and updating its right-click feature.

Gmail is the preferred email client of 1.5 billion people around the world. That means any and all changes to Gmail will affect, in one way or another, the lives of almost a quarter of all people on the planet. We’re very happy to fill you in on what is going to be a very positive change to the way Gmail works.

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Gmail is overhauling and updating its right-click feature

I know what you’re thinking. That sub-headline is hardly a thing of rock and roll legend, but bear with me. At the moment, right-clicking in Gmail will only bring up a very limited four option menu. These are the Move to tab, Archive, Mark as Read, and Delete options. You can already see just how useful these features are in an email inbox context. They’re probably the most used email features, which is why Google likely chose them for its right-click menu in the first place. Having these features just one click away makes it a lot easier to stay on top of your inbox. Ask yourself though, why could right-clicking not do more?

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It seems that is exactly what Google has been asking itself recently and now it looks like the internet giant has come up with a few answers. In a recent blog post, Google announced that it has begun a phased roll-out of a ton of new features for Gmail, including a new and improved right-click menu. Yep, it is all happening already. There is a chance the new features will already be available on your Gmail. If they’re not, all you’ll have to do is be patient. They’re on their way.

new improved right-click on Gmail — Image via: Google

Once the update hits your Gmail account, what can you expect to see? The new right-click menu will include a whole host of new options like Reply, Reply all, Forward, Archive, Delete, Mark as unread, Snooze, Move to, Label as, Mute, and Open in new window. These are all commonly recognized email tools, but you’ll also see a cool new feature, which will allow you to search your inbox for all emails written by the author of the message you’ve right-clicked on.

The Mark as read option is no longer on the right-click menu, which means now you’ll have to select the email you want to mark as read, using the tick box to the left of the message in your inbox. Then you’ll need to hit the Mark as read icon at the top of the page, just below the search bar.

All-in-all this is a small change, but it is one that could have a big effect on the productivity of a lot of people all around the world. Let us know if you think this will affect how you use Gmail in the comments below.

Twitter update will make it easier to see who is behind the threads you’re reading

Twitter tests a new Profile Preview feature for mobile.

Twitter is an amazing tool for keeping yourself updated on all the latest news and developments around the world. If you follow the right people, they’ll keep you updated with short tweets and longer threads of tweets about the issues they specialize in. Your feed isn’t just made up of tweets and threads by the people you follow, though. When scrolling through your Twitter feed, you’ll also see tweets from people you don’t know, with a small “Liked by…” or “Retweeted by…” at the top of the tweet.

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Your Twitter feed will show tweets that have been liked or retweeted by anybody you follow. If you add comments and replies, your comments can be fed back to your network as well. Because of the ease of tweets and threads crossing networks, you may not know anything about who has written the tweet or thread you’re currently reading. Twitter is now moving to change this.

Twitter tests a new Profile Preview feature for mobile

The new feature is designed to address the situation outlined above, particularly relating to long threads of tweets. Should you be reading through an interesting thread and see a comment that catches your eye, the new profile preview feature will allow you to see who made that comment much more easily.

We’re testing an easier way to check out profiles on iOS without leaving your timeline! Simply tap any @ handle in a Tweet, take a peek, follow, and get right back to it. Let us know what you think! pic.twitter.com/dIUFxI2r4C

— Twitter (@Twitter) February 13, 2019

The feature allows you to simply tap on the Twitter user’s @ handle to see a floating preview of their Twitter information. This will include their full bio, follower count, and the date they joined Twitter. Furthermore, the feature will also work on your main feed as well as in comment threads. This means if you see that somebody you follow has retweeted, liked, or commented on a tweet about Nike 110s, you’ll then be able to easily find out that that person has “never had a cavity.”

Twitter has had a Profile Preview feature on desktop for some time now.

According to Twitter, the new Profile Preview Feature is being tested first on iOS devices. This means it is likely that the feature will get a roll-out to iPhone users first once the testing phase is over.

This might not be a massive change by Twitter, but it will allow users to stay focused on what they’re reading. At the moment, if you want to see who has said something in a comment thread, you have to click on their @ handle and go to their Twitter homepage. This creates a break in the thread and then there is no guarantee you’ll be returned to the comment you were just reading. As the saying goes, small changes can make big differences.

Privacy scandal: Thousands of Android apps have been recording everything you do

More than 17,000 Android apps have been collecting identifying information and creating permanent records.

Permissions are supposed to be a big deal for mobile apps. Our phones are constantly collecting all sorts of data based on what we do with them and apps are only supposed to be able to access that data, if we give them permission. When we say apps here, we also mean the companies behind the apps. They can only access the data we give them permission to access. At least, that is how it is supposed to go.

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More than 17,000 Android apps have been collecting identifying information and creating permanent records

This latest Privacy Scandal has hit the news thanks to research by the International Computer Science Institute (ICSI). The report by the ICSI shows that these apps go against Google’s best practices for app developers and that the data collection methods used straight-up violate Google’s policies on collecting user data for advertising purposes.

The way these apps have been collecting data is by matching various ID numbers with data that is unique to your mobile phone. For example, your Advertising ID may be a resettable number, but your phone’s IMEI, Android ID, and MAC address are much more difficult (if not impossible) to change. Rather than simply taking your advertising ID number, like Google’s guidelines point out, the apps in question have also been pilfering all of the permanent data unique to your device. This makes the data they can send to advertisers much more valuable and takes away what little control you had over your own data.

Screenshots of mobile ad permissions — Image via: Serge Egelman

According to Serge Egelman, who led the research team at the ICSI, “Privacy disappears,” when tech companies act in this way. Egelman also mentioned a few of the 17,000 apps they found to be acting in this way, which included Angry Birds Classic, Audiobooks by Audible, Flipboard, and Clean Master. To show just how far and wide this problem goes, Egelman pointed out that Clean Master alone has been downloaded and installed on over 1 billion devices.

Google has responded to the ICSI’s research, with a spokesperson saying, “We take these issues very seriously… Combining Ad ID with device identifiers for the purpose of ads personalization is strictly forbidden. We’re constantly reviewing apps — including those listed in the researcher’s report — and will take action when they do not comply with our policies.” The problem Google raised, however, is that it can only enforce its policies when the violating data is sent to its own ad networks. If the data is sent to external ad networks, Google can’t enforce its policies.

Google is working on the problem, but only when it shows itself, which seems like a massive dereliction of duty on the part of the internet giant. If it is unable to enforce its policies properly, what is the point in having them?

For more information on the ICSI report click here.

What we can expect in Avengers Endgame (if it’s anything like the comics)

INFINITY WAR SPOILERS BELOW

After the infamously bold ending to “Avengers: Infinity War” in 2018, the Marvel fandom has been running wild with rumors, conjectures, and theories as to what direction the upcoming sequel might take. Every scrap of idle gossip spoken by the Russo brothers, the cast, or by Kevin Feige has been shared, documented and dissected to the point where the fan base is second guessing practically everything. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe has certainly taken liberties with the franchise and characters, the original comics are still the roots they’re grown from, and the MCU dusts a sprinkling of nods and references wherever they can.

Obviously, there were some huge changes that took place between the comic and the film, most notably Thanos’ relationship and motivations involving Mistress Death, the role of the cosmic entities, the critical roles played by Dr. Doom and the Silver Surfer, and of course the glaring fact that at the start of the comic Thanos was already in control of all the gems.

While not accurate panel for panel, “Infinity War” was chock full of respectful allusions to the Jim Starlin’s 1991 Infinity Gauntlet series. Aside from the neat visual cues, the story arc for “Infinity War” also matched up pretty neatly with the concept from the comics: Thanos acquires the Infinity Stones and uses them to wreak havoc on Marvel’s superheroes, eliminating half the universe with a snap of his fingers.

Need a refresher? Watch “Infinity War” online.

Given both the general tone and the current state of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s abundantly clear that they will not be following the comics frame for frame. However, we think it is likely that certain crucial concepts will be adapted to the yet-to-be-titled Avengers 4. We’ve listed what we think are the five most likely:

1. Nebula will be hugely important

Since audiences first saw her in the 2014’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” Nebula’s background and motivations were crystal clear: Like Gamora, she is the daughter of Thanos, molded into a deadly weapon of destruction. Unlike Gamora, Nebula was not the favored child. While her sister was praised time and time again for her successes, Nebula’s failures resulted in her being tortured and grotesquely mutilated with the twisted intent of enhancing her combat abilities.

Nebula has made it no secret that she wants Thanos deader than dead, and that she wants to be the one to do the deed. We’ve already seen that she was not affected by Thanos’ snap at the end of the film, and is currently with Tony Stark on the ruins of Titan. But what will be her role in Avengers 4? If it’s anything like the comic, you may be surprised just how important she’s about to become.

The power of the infinity gauntlet unsurprisingly sends Thanos on a huge power trip. In the comics his search for power and control go far beyond killing half the universe – rather, that’s where the power trip begins. Thanos’ conquest eventually leads to him overpowering even the cosmic entities of the universe – omniscient, almighty beings such as the Living Tribunal, Galactus, and Eternity. Upon defeating Eternity, Thanos himself becomes bonded with the very fabric of the universe, attaining literal godhood.

But this godhood is brief. When Thanos usurps the mantle of Eternity, his material body is left uninhabited. Nebula reaches forward and takes the gauntlet for herself, healing her injured and broken body, and reverting Thanos back to his physical body.

Considering that her revenge on Thanos is the driving motivation behind Nebula’s character in the MCU, we think that this scenario is very likely to play out on-screen, at least in some way. Perhaps she and Tony Stark will go directly to the farm planet where we saw Thanos at the end of the movie. They’ll make a plan to take him down together, but Nebula betrays Stark and takes the gauntlet for herself. Either way, her character has been building up to this moment from the start. Definitely expect a resolution.

2. Someone will play the role of Adam Warlock

If you’re at all familiar with the Infinity Gauntlet comic arc, you know that Adam Warlock is the linchpin from start to finish. The closest character Marvel has to a Christ figure, Adam Warlock is a cosmic demigod with superhuman abilities and power so vast that he is able to both foretell the future and to manipulate space on a quantum level. In the Infinity Gauntlet comics, Adam Warlock was the figurehead leading the charge against Thanos, and ultimately the one who defeats him and receives the gauntlet, resolving the crisis – at least for a time.

Though Adam was referenced at the end of “Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2,” it is highly unlikely that he will make an appearance in Avengers 4, seeing as he’ll have had no screen time or introduction prior to its release date. As such, a different character would have to take up his role as the leader. There’s a good cast of characters for the MCU to choose from, but here are our three most likely candidates. Two we’ve listed below. The third we’ll get to just a little later:

Iron Man

Tony Stark has been the connecting piece for the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the very beginning. He’s the character that launched the MCU’s initial success, and we think it would be most appropriate if he were the one to see the Infinity War through to the end. Additionally, Tony Stark is one of the few characters we’ve seen interact equally with Spider-Man, Dr. Strange, the original Avengers, and the Guardians of the Galaxy. Of the heroes to engage Thanos directly on Titan, he and Nebula were also the only two to survive.

If Iron Man takes on the role of Adam Warlock it would also be in line with what Dr. Strange said – the time stone had to go to Thanos and Dr. Strange had to die so that Tony Stark would live; only he can bring the band together to face off with Thanos. It’s also a great excuse for him to make amends with Captain America, something that Avengers 4 will undoubtedly highlight.

Captain Marvel

Scheduled to be the next hero introduced to the MCU, we already know much about Captain Marvel’s importance in Infinity War 2. Kevin Feige and James Gunn have both confirmed that she will not only be the most powerful female character on the roster, but one of the most powerful characters that the MCU has ever seen. With a resume like that, it certainly sounds like she could fit the role of a game-changing character like Adam Warlock. It’s also telling that in his last few moments before being sadly disintegrated, Nick Fury’s first instinct was to immediately reach out to her, of all people.

Lastly, we feel Captain Marvel is a logical choice because of the character’s connection to the Kree-Skrull wars. While it’s unlikely that we’ll actually be seeing Thanos face off against the cosmic entities as he did in the comics, we do think it’s logical that we would see other factions in the universe try to oppose the Mad Titan. If you’re interested in other Marvel villains we might see on the big screen after Avengers 4, check out our list here:

5 Marvel villains who could follow Thanos

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Since the upcoming Captain Marvel film is set to take place in the 1990s, it could very well be that we get to see Carol Danvers make some deal with the Skrull that they need to “pay in the future.” It’d be cool to see the Skrull coming to the aid of Earth’s Mightiest Superheroes to acknowledge a deal they made with Captain Marvel decades ago. And it’d be cooler still if the Skrull afterward reneged on their deal, making for a smooth segue into the Secret Wars saga.

3. Soul World will come into play

Since Thanos has gained the elusive soul stone, it has remained the only stone about which we still know next to nothing. While we’ve witnessed other stones hypnotize, create wormholes, alter reality, and bend time, the unique powers of the soul stone remain a mystery.

Soul World was first alluded to in Jim Starlin’s Strange Tales 179, published in 1975. Closely tied to Adam Warlock, Soul World served as a kind of purgatory for the souls captured by Warlock, and acted almost as a “pocket dimension:” A realm housed within the soul stone itself. If time travel is not involved in Avengers 4, the most likely explanation for Thanos’ finger snap is not that those victims were killed per se, but “removed” – their consciousnesses transferred into the soul stone.

This brings us to our third candidate for a character to take on Adam Warlock’s role from the Infinity Gauntlet story arc – Dr. Strange. Seeing as we’ve established that the Infinity Stones do work on each other (Thanos uses the time stone to repair the broken mind stone), it would make sense that Dr. Strange saw himself in the Soul World along with the half of the universe that was imprisoned there.

Given his notorious ego, Strange may not have been referring to Tony Stark when he told him that “it had to be this way,” but rather to himself: The only way that the universe could come out on top was if the lives trapped within the soul stone were unified and assembled unbeknownst to Thanos.

Adam Warlock had a very close relationship with the soul stone, and was able to even live inside of it. He was also able to emerge from it when he needed to, which is how he was the one to wrest control of it from Nebula’s grasp. Dr. Strange seems the type to know his artifacts well enough. It would be awesome to see him and a bunch of other “dusted” superheroes emerge from the soul stone to take down Thanos when the time was right.

2. Characters killed by the gauntlet will be restored

In the comics, any and every character that was killed by the Infinity Gauntlet ended up being restored by Nebula. It wasn’t at her behest, however. Surprisingly enough, it was Thanos who pushed her to restore them; more as an act of guile and manipulation than any earnest desire to restore them.

While it was a refreshingly dark spectacle to see Marvel actually kill some of its cast of characters, does anyone really believe this is the last time we’ll be seeing some of these guys? They’ve already confirmed “Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3,” “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” and rumors abound pertaining to a “Dr. Strange” sequel. After the record-breaking success of “Black Panther,” we’re sure to be seeing a return of King T’Challa as well. As such, this is one similarity to the Infinity Gauntlet comic you can count on making it to the big screen.

1. Captain America will face down Thanos by himself

The final allusion to the comics that we’ll be seeing comes down to Captain America. For the second time in his life, the First Avenger’s closest friends and allies have disappeared, this time before his very eyes. In Infinity Gauntlet, Captain America was one of the many heroes to take on Thanos on the titan’s own turf. He fought his damnedest while his brothers in arms heroically died in the line of duty around him until he was the last man standing. Despite Thanos’ cynical jeers, Captain America stood strong, delivering an stalwart speech about fighting the good fight and dying with dignity. It’s one of the most beautiful moments for his character.

Chris Evans’ portrayal of the star-spangled hero resonates perfectly with this aspect of Captain America’s character, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see this scene play out in the movie exactly as it did in the comics. It may also be Evans’ farewell to the character seeing as it’s the end of his contract with the studio. If it really has to happen, it’d be hard to have a more poignant sendoff.

We’ll be armed with tissues.

We hope this list has given you some insight as to what elements of the Infinity Gauntlet comics the MCU might try and incorporate into Infinity War 2, and look forward to seeing you in theaters come 2019!

Black Panther

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You have until the end of the month to redeem Google’s Valentine’s Day giveaway

Valentine’s Day isn’t over yet! You can redeem $1 off all apps over $3.

Love is a tricky business. So much so, that is easy to feel left behind at a time of the year that has been hallmarked for love and romance. If you’re not in a relationship, hearing your friends talking about candlelit dinners or surprise flowers at the office on Valentine’s Day can leave you feeling sad and alone. Even if you’re normally fine with being single, February can be a hard month. Trust me, I know.

Google Valentine's gift — Google is giving you until the end of the month to take your Valentine’s day “gift”

If you didn’t receive anything special on Valentine’s Day, don’t worry. Google has a gift for you, and you have until the end of the month to redeem it. For Valentine’s Day, Google is giving everybody $1 to spend on the Google Play Store. The only catch is that you can only redeem the code on apps or games that cost more than $3. To redeem your free dollar, all you have to do is type in VALENTINE2019 when you’re purchasing your app.

We’ve got an offer for you this #ValentinesDay that will get your heart racing. Visit the link to redeem your code. US: https://t.co/mU1QHdmCXD UK: https://t.co/ISSs9sMCc5 Japan: https://t.co/lOPNuVw6Pz pic.twitter.com/CiS3T5DUdr

— Google Play (@GooglePlay) February 14, 2019

OK, so it isn’t quite a giveaway but if there are paid apps or games out there that you’ve been thinking about downloading for a while, this could be your chance to get your hands on one of them at least. Let’s have a quick look at three of the best apps on the Google Play Store that cost more than $3.

Infinite Painter Download now ►

If you’re looking for an excellent alternative to Adobe Photoshop to use on your Android phone or tablet, look no further than Infinite Painter. Our users love it. Comes with excellent brushes, tools, an easy to use interface and multi-layer support. Download now for a free 7-day trial and then pay only $7.99 to unlock the premium features.

djay 2 Download now ►

Djay 2 is a full version dj platform that is powerful enough to see you playing full gigs and parties from your mobile phone. Djay 2 integrates with Spotify and allows you to perform live or to record your mixes to post on your webpage and share across social media. If you want to be a DJ, you need djay 2.

Monument Valley 2 Play Now ►

Monument Valley 2 is one of those rare mobile titles which manages to create an emotional experience within the restricted medium. The puzzles are clever but never frustrating, the world engaging but simple and the characters open to interpretation. While the game is more expensive than similar titles, it is worth the money.

WhatsApp will make it easier to control annoying groups

WhatsApp group invites update could let you reject invitations to new groups.

WhatsApp groups are one of those things in life that you either love or hate. We’re not talking about the concept, we’re talking about individual groups. You either love them or you hate them. Some groups can be funny, informative, entertaining, a vital way to stay in contact with lots of people you love and care for, or a quick and easy way to find out important information.

WhatsApp Messenger Download WhatsApp ►

Other groups though, are different. The annoying groups send you too many notifications, offer little of value, or make you want to throw your phone at the wall. WhatsApp is now moving to help you stay on top of all those bad groups.

WhatsApp group invites update could let you reject invitations to new groups

The new Group Invitation System has been spotted in an upcoming beta version of WhatsApp for Android. A report by WABetaInfo claims that the feature will be available for all users of WhatsApp TestFlight beta program when it next updates. The report also claims that the feature will be coming to Android users too, although it doesn’t offer a time-frame on when that might happen. Although the feature isn’t available just yet, it looks like its development has come a long since WABetaInfo first mentioned something about it back in May last year.

? WhatsApp doesn’t allow to add Enterprises in groups anymore: new feature coming?https://t.co/DG6Zhj7HX3

It opens doors to a new possible group privacy feature for all WhatsApp users in future, seen that the server is configured for it.

— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) May 15, 2018

The new Group Invitation system will work by giving all users the ability to control who can invite them into groups in the first place. By opening WhatsApp Settings and clicking Account, then Privacy, and Groups, users will come to the WhatsApp Group Invitation menu where they’ll be able to control who can and can’t add them to groups. There, users will find the following settings:

Everyone: the user can be always added in groups. No invites will be received.
My Contacts: the user can be always added in groups from his contacts. He will receive an invite to join a group from people not in his contacts list.
Nobody: the user cannot be directly added in groups, in any situation. He will receive a request every time someone wants to add him in a group.

WhatsApp Group Invitation screenshots — Image via: WABetaInfo

The key point here is that if somebody doesn’t have permission to add a user to groups, whenever they try, the user will receive an invite rather than being added automatically. The invite will remain active for 72 hours and after that, it will expire, and the invited user will no longer be able to join the group. The user will need to receive a new invite before they can then join the group and only one active invite per group will be permitted at a time.

When this feature does get a general roll-out the “Nobody” option will be best as it will always give you the chance to accept or decline an invitation to new groups. If you feel uncomfortable leaving groups you’ve been added to, this option will give you total control over the groups you join.

Google Maps gets a privacy boost

Google Maps update could add an “automatically delete location history” feature.

The modern era is dominated by tech giants that make money through harvesting our personal data and selling it to advertisers for profit. Consequently, one of the big issues of this day and age is privacy. It is in the tech giants’ financial interest to encroach on our privacy, which means it is an uphill battle for us, the little guys, to hold on to whatever scraps of privacy we want to keep.

One of the biggest apps out there that draws criticism from privacy advocates is Google Maps. The app takes all your location data sends and it back to Google HQ. If the idea of a tech giant knowing your every move is a little sinister to you, you’ll happy to hear about an update that could be coming to Google Maps very soon.

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Google Maps update could add an “automatically delete location history” feature

According to 9to5Google, the code to the recent Google Maps beta version update contains something very interesting indeed. It looks like the internet giant is testing out a feature that will automatically delete a user’s location history. This would mean a user could protect their privacy without having to go into the Google Maps menu and delete their location history every time they’ve been somewhere.

The new beta version of Google Maps is available on the Play Store, but it is still very much in the testing phase. At this point, there is not even a guarantee that the feature will even make its way onto the full version of the app. With the EU recently stepping up efforts to protect user data and showing a propensity for handing out huge fines there is now a financial incentive for Google to think more clearly about the privacy of the users of Google products.

On top of the financial incentive represented by the huge stick the EU is willing to yield, it is becoming more and more clear that the public is more switched on about privacy issues. With Facebook going through privacy scandal after privacy scandal, mobile app developers intent on taking as much of our private data as they can, and the true value of user data becoming more and more apparent everyday internet users are much less likely to feel comfortable handing over our data than we would have been in the past.

It is good news then that Google is testing a feature that will make it much easier to stop the tech giant from automatically recording all of our location data. Unfortunately, however, there is still no word about when all Google Maps users will get access to this feature. If you want to try the feature right now, you can become a Google Maps beta tester.

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