Author: James Thornton

WhatsApp updates iOS app, adds encrypted messaging

WhatsApp finally supports encrypted messaging, thanks to the latest update of the iOS version of the popular chat app.This significantly increases the security of the billions of messages sent every day using the app.

Although it’s unclear what type of encryption is being used, secure messaging has been announced in the change log of version 2.8.3 of WhatsApp for iOS. It’s unclear when this important change will be added to other versions of the chat application.

Was WhatsApp unsecure up until now? Why?

Continue reading “WhatsApp updates iOS app, adds encrypted messaging”

5 reasons to update Facebook for iOS

A new version of Facebook for iOS has been released that promises to be twice as fast as the previous version. Facebook 5.0 has been completely rewritten to make it quicker to load and also includes some key functionality changes to make it smarter and more enjoyable to use.

Here are the most important changes that make this an essential update:

Continue reading “5 reasons to update Facebook for iOS”

How to create a Wi-Fi hotspot on an Android phone

Imagine you’re out with your friends. You have an urgent message to send via WhatsApp, you need to check Facebook, or check a route with Google Maps. But you can’t do it. You’ve exceeded your monthly data limit or you simply do not have a data subscription on your mobile device. What do you do?

The answer is that you ask one of your friends to share their connection with you from their Android phone. They can do this by creating a Wi-Fi hotspot – i.e. an access point on the device with a web link. Here’s exactly how to do it.

Continue reading “How to create a Wi-Fi hotspot on an Android phone”

How to change the color of Facebook

If you’re a long-time Facebook user then you’re probably fed up of looking at that same blue and white page design, day after day, year after year. You needn’t suffer any more because now it’s actually possible to change the color scheme of the Facebook interface.

Follow the steps below and you’ll have a new-look Facebook in no time. Not only will the Color My Facebook application give you a break from that blue design, but you’ll also look cool and original too. Give it a try and see what weird and wonderful Facebook color schemes you can create.

Continue reading “How to change the color of Facebook”

Follow the Olympics on your phone

In case you hadn’t noticed the 2012 Olympics is now upon us. If you’re keen to know what’s going on at the Games or if you just want a bit of sports-related fun, then it’s well worth checking out the official Olympic apps that have been released to coincide with the London Games.

There are three official apps available for both Android and iOS – the London 2012 Results App, the London 2012 Join In App, and the London 2012 Official Game. The London 2012 Results app is also available for Windows Phone devices. Both of the apps are free, and there are free and paid versions of the game.

Here’s the lowdown on the apps and games:

Continue reading “Follow the Olympics on your phone”

FIFA 13 Preview: The best soccer sim ever?

FIFA 13 will bring with is a host of improvements that EA hopes will help it defeat rival soccer sim, PES 2013 once again. FIFA is already so far ahead of its nearest competitor that this year’s battle for the affection of soccer gamers is akin to match-up between Germany and Burkina Faso.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the gameplay enhancements in FIFA 13:

Continue reading “FIFA 13 Preview: The best soccer sim ever?”

Get every game in Atari’s Greatest Hits for free

Nostalgic gamers rejoice! Today you can grab any of the 100 old school games in Atari’s Greatest Hits iOS app for free, as part of the game company’s 40th anniversary celebrations.

Atari’s Greatest Hits is free to download from the App Store, but normally you only get one free game and must pay to download and install more games. For today only, you’ll be able to grab any games you like and they will be playable for as long as you have the app installed.

Continue reading “Get every game in Atari’s Greatest Hits for free”

Use the new version of YouTube before everyone else

A revamped version of the YouTube will soon be launched and if you want to get a sneak peak at the redesign you can, by following some simple steps.

In the last two years YouTube has been treated to a redesign several times. The last major overhaul introduced several changes to both the look and functionality of the site.

This time around the changes are more subtle. There’s much more white used in the interface design, and the new YouTube offers even quick access to all your channels and social activity. It has more of a feel of Google+ about it and perhaps this is an attempt to bring Google’s social network closer to the video site.

The new YouTube design has only been activated for certain users until now. However, with a simple trick you can activate the new site now in Firefox or Chrome.

Continue reading “Use the new version of YouTube before everyone else”

Android Jelly Bean rumor round-up

Both Apple and Microsoft have announced their new mobile operating systems in the last 10 days. On Wednesday 27th June it will be the turn of Google to show us its vision of the future of mobile, with its expected announcement of the new version of Android, Jelly Bean.

With some very promising new features added in both iOS 6 and Windows Phone 8, it’s clearly time for Google to up its game, or risk having its Android OS superseded by the pioneering feats of other mobile platforms.

But what exactly will we see announced in Google’s presentation of Jelly Bean? As you’d imagine there are plenty of rumors circulating around the web that might give us an idea. Here are some of the more plausible changes to Android that will be announced:

Continue reading “Android Jelly Bean rumor round-up”

Preview: Asphalt 7: Heat

Tomorrow sees the iOS launch of Gameloft’s hotly-anticipated racing game, Asphalt 7: Heat. We’ve tried out a preview version of the game already and it looks like it’ll be a real smash hit.

With more game modes, better graphics and two multiplayer options, Asphalt 7 improves significantly on the previous version of the game.

There are 16 different courses in Asphalt 7, all of which have been lovingly rendered, making for a stunning backdrop to races. Locations include London, Hawaii, Havana, Tokyo, LA, The Alps and Reykjavik, and the diversity between the courses really lifts the game.

Continue reading “Preview: Asphalt 7: Heat”