7 Apple iPhone apps that are perfect for Ramadan

There are now dozens of apps for your Apple iPhone to help you during Ramadan.

Features include anything from iftar recipes for breaking your daily fast, access to religious scripts, directions to Mecca and reminders to pray.

Here are seven of the best Ramadan apps around at the moment.

1) iQuran

This app is perfect for having easy and quick access to Koran readings and recitations.

The iQuran app is great because verses are translated into many different languages and fonts and background can be customised. Audio control is also available so you can playback verses and easily memorise them.

2) Athan Pro

This app calculates the times you should be praying. It is particularly useful as it does this using your actual geographical position so you will always pray at exactly the right time.

3) Ramadan Fitness Challenge

It’s pretty hard to keep up with your daily fitness routine when you are struggling to get through your daily fast – but this Ramadan Fitness Challenge app gives you realistic daily challenges to keep you trim and your mind focused.

4) Ramadan Legacy

Ramadan Legacy is basically like an online journal to help you through the holy month. The idea is that it helps you stay organised and plan your personal goals while also sharing photographs and reflections in your social stream.

5) My Halal Kitchen

This is perfect for reipe ideas for iftar from red lentil soup to shrimp harissa tagine.

6) ShareTheMeal

And it isn’t just about your own meals. ShareTheMeal makes sure you think of those in need, allowing you to donate 50 cents to help feed refugee children each time you tap the app.

7) Muslim Pro

The Muslim Pro app works out your prayer time according to your geographical location. There is a calendar and compass to help you find the direction of Mecca, plus Koran scripts and directions to the nearest mosque and halal restaurants.

SourcE: Metro uk

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Uber has the ability to access one surprising piece of information from your mobile phone

Taxi app admits to having capability to pull data straight from the smartphone of many of its customers

The taxi app Uber has admitted to having the ability to detect the battery level on its users' phones.

However, it denied using this information to charge customers the more expensive "surge" price just as their mobiles are about to run out of juice.

Keith Chen, head of research at the firm, told NPR Uber had access to "tremendous amount of data" about its customers.

The Uber app being used on an Apple iPhone 5

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It can work out the battery life on people's phones, although Chen said this was used to work out when to switch into low power mode and save the last bit of battery.

"When your phone is down to 5% battery and that little icon on the iPhone turns red, people start saying I’d better get home or I don’t know how I’m going to get home otherwise," he said .

"We absolutely don't use that to push you a higher surge price."

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Tube app update lets you find the best station exits and entrances to save time on your journey

A travel app aims to shave precious minutes off journey times by pinpointing Underground platforms and the best station entrances.

Moovit: Commuters take part in a 'race the Tube' challeng

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The latest version of Moovit includes real-time tracking of Tube trains, which the tech firm said they hoped will to “take the guesswork” out of navigating the most time effective entrances and exits for London’s hubs such as King’s Cross.

Tube-only and train-only options have also been added in the latest version, along with departure times for the next few services to ease the stress of knowing the length of waiting times.

As the battle for increasing data accuracy heats up with rivals such as Citymapper, Moovit said they wanted to reduce the “panicking about where to go when you get off the train or that last minute feeling of dread that you’re about to miss your connection”.

A journey, for example, between Oxford Circus and Angel, gives the best route between the two stations as the Victoria Line to King’s Cross, then the Northern Line one stop south.

But while the two-minute difference between the Victoria Line arriving at King’s Cross and getting to the Northern Line for the next departure is too tight, Moovit advises the next southbound trains leaving from platform six are in six-minute intervals.

Moovit’s Alex Mackenzie Torres said: “The new version of Moovit is an important step towards making it even easier to get around London via public transport.

“Giving information like station entrances or exits to take and the time needed to reach a different platform, take an important part of the guesswork out of travelling.

“It’s a daunting task knowing which exits to use, especially in some of London’s biggest stations like Waterloo, where nearly 100 million travellers pass through each year, Victoria at 85 million or Liverpool Street at 64 million.

“Shaving off valuable, and more importantly often stressful, minutes off your journey will make commuting a lot smoother for travellers in the capital.”

SourcE: Standard UK

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One million people have now paid for Tinder Plus

Dating app Tinder has revealed one million users have taken up the option of paying for the Plus version of the app, allowing for unlimited swipes.

The hugely popular dating platform has risen astronomically since its launch in 2012 and now competes alongside other prominent online dating services, including Match.com and OkCupid.

The app is free to use, but by upgrading to the Plus version for £4.99 a month, users can remove ads, undo previous swipes and change your location.

This sort of growth and the willingness of users to pay for Tinder suggests the app is beginning to move beyond its initial image as a quick-fire place to pick up fellow users to something more meaningful and the sort of experience that other dating services have been providing.

According to estimates, Tinder has around 50 million active users, more than 10 million of which use the app every day. More than 1.4 billion swipes take place every day, while over 10 billion matches have so far been made.

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Smartphone app to help Londoners cope with paranoia

SlowMo: The app was created by clinical psychologist Amy Hardy and innovation design engineer Anna Wojdecka

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A smartphone app aims to help about a third of Londoners who experience paranoia or fears that others want to do them harm.

Studies show people living in urban environments are most affected by paranoia, which causes sufferers to become distrustful and suspicious.

A study by King’s College London and University College London found about one in three Londoners often experienced such thoughts.

Now an app that provides the first “digital therapy platform” to help calm sufferers is in clinical trials.

Called SlowMo, it was developed by psychologists from the Psychosis Research Partnership at King’s College London, and designers at the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design at the Royal College of Art, led by Professor Philippa Garety.

It helps people visualise troubles using on-screen thought bubbles and slows their thinking to ease distress. Bigger and faster bubbles reflect the more upsetting worries related to paranoia.

The app offers tips for coping, encourages people to come up with their own reassuring alternatives and keeps a record of what has been helpful during times of stress.

Research clinical psychologist Amy Hardy innovation design engineer Anna Wojdecka and patients from the South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust co-created the app.

Dr Hardy said: “Showing worries as bubbles helps us to understand that they may come and go, and there’s things we can do to change, or pop them.” <>

Source: Standard UK

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London Marathon 2016: How to track a runner with your iPhone using the tracking app

If you know someone running the London Marathon 2016 – you can actually track their progress on your iPhone.

Yes, the organisers of Britain’s biggest charity fundraiser have created a special tracking app so you can see your loved one whizzing around the course.

The app was officially released last year, but given its success the London Marathon team have promised the same service for spectators again.

All you need to do is go to this link HERE on your iPhone and download the app.

The app will only work on race day when you will be able to input your loved one’s runner number to see where they are. Througout the route it will then update automatically from the start to every subsequent 5km timing interval.

It should also predict where your runner should be on the course according to their pace.

The team at the London Marathon describe the app as XXX saying: ‘The app lets you find and track participants along the race route, helping you to keep up with split times and finishing positions throughout the day.’

Unfortunately, the only catch is that the app only works on iPhones at the moment.

If you have an Android or any other phone than Apple, you can still track your runner’s progress – but it will need to be via the web.

All you need to do is go to the London Marathon 2016 homepage HERE and search for your runner by surname or their running number and it’ll pinpoint exactly where they are.

Happy spectating!

Source: Metro UK

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Avoid crime hotspots in London with new app

Crime mapped: The RedZone app

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RedZone aims to become a “virtual neighbourhood watch” with GPS navigation similar to the A-to-B directions of Google Maps, but with a verbal warning when the user nears a crime hotspot.

Algorithms “geo-fence” troublespots using sources including Met police data, news stories, crowdsourcing and social media.

Users input to and from points and are offered a slower route deemed safer or a faster, but allegedly riskier, one.

RedZone, free on Apple iOS, also features reporting buttons for users to “broadcast an incident” by dropping pins on a map, including the option of attaching photographs and video.

Founder Ted Farnsworth told the Standard he planned releasing a London version within a month and denied it could unfairly stigmatise neighbourhoods after some Twitter users claimed the US version was racist.

A “view crime” button shows incidents, including stabbings, assaults and thefts, as pins over the past six months and clicking on a pin shows the date it occurred.

Users can drop their own pins for crimes and also alert others to hazards, traffic cameras, road closures or police activity.

Mr Farnsworth said its uses could include allowing Tube harassment victims an anonymous way of instantly reporting perpetrators by dropping a pin on a map, although this will not be sent to police.

He added it was not a substitute for calling 999, but could be a helpful tool for police to monitor.

RedZone aims to be more comprehensive than apps such as CrimeWatch and Crime Map, which use only official sources, through a model similar to the Waze traffic and navigation community app, where drivers alert each other to incidents.

Mr Farnsworth said: “London is our next market and we will be there in the next 30 days.

“Police can use the app as another resource, another set of eyes on the streets, almost as a virtual neighbourhood watch.

“If officers start to notice many pins dropped in one neighbourhood at a certain time of day, for example, it would make sense for them to patrol that area more closely.

“People are still encouraged to call 999 if they witness a serious crime but when they also report it through the app, they’re able to warn others who might be nearby.

“You can look on the map to see where there’s been a stabbing or fight or assault or incident or sexual harassment or robbery.

“You can also put in your destination and you get two routes, a safe route and a risky route.

“The safe route is usually about 12 to 15 per cent longer but it will calculate and take you around those pins, around that red zone.”

It follows the shutdown of US app SketchFactor, which crowdsourced tips for pedestrians to avoid “sketchy” areas, but drew headlines such as: “Want to Avoid Black Neighbourhoods? There’s an App for That”.

Mr Farnsworth said: “In the long-term the crowdsourcing side of it will be even more critical, where people are reporting what’s going on.

“It’s for the citizens to take control of their neighbourhoods and work with the police to reduce crime, it’s not racist at all.

“We’re taking factual data and making you aware of your surroundings.”

Scotland Yard spokeswoman said: “Any technology that helps to reduce crime and keep the public safe can only be seen as positive.”

Source: Standard UK

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Reddit's official mobile app has finally arrived - and it comes with three months of premium membership

Reddit is changing a lot today - on the same day it announced it would finally be introducing a block button to the site, it also launched its first official mobile app.

Reddit apps already exist, but they've mostly been created by unofficial third-party developers.

The company bought the popular Alien Blue Reddit app in 2014, but rather than building and rebranding it, they've released an entirely new one, the catchily-named 'Reddit: The Official App'.

Inline images, themes, and simpler navigation: coming soon to a smartphone near you. pic.twitter.com/NlR4uZE3mx

— Reddit (@reddit) April 6, 2016

Alien Blue will now be retired, and the team behind it will re-focus on the official app.

It looks fairly polished and colourful, but there's not many features you wouldn't find in any of the alternatives. It's available now (for free) for iOS and Android, although The Next Web reports it's not available in every country yet.

Even if you're happy with your existing app, the free three months of Reddit Gold which come bundled with the download may change your mind.

This bonus only applies if you get the app in the first week of release, so head to your app store quickly before it expires.

Source: Independent UK

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Samsung app confirms company plans to release Galaxy S7 Active

Samsung plans to release an Active variant of the Galaxy S7 — at least if one of the company’s own apps is any indication.

In the most recent update to Samsung Level, the app’s revised list of supported devices adds a mention to the Galaxy S7 Active. Based on that information, it seems like the Active is definitely coming. What we don’t is how the device will be different from the company’s two recently released devices.

When Samsung adopted an all-metal design with the S6, it dropped waterproofing as a feature. As a result of that decision, one of the selling points of the S6 Active was that it was waterproof.

Obviously, that’s no longer the case; with the S7 lineup, both the standard and edge models are IP67 certified. If an S7 owner wants to pour champagne on their new device a la Lil Wayne, they don’t need to get the more rugged active to do so. According to SamMobile, which first noted the mention of the Active in the new version of the Level app, the Active could feature a larger battery and a rugged, military-esque exterior that’s also shock proof.

Another possibility is even better waterproofing.

In a tweet posted last week, VentureBeat editor and serial device leaker Evan Blass said Samsung’s codename for the S7 Active is Poseidon, a name that suggests the phone could feature more comprehensive waterproofing than the company’s two more consumer-facing handsets.

As always, we’ll have to wait for Samsung to announce the Active before we know all the details, but for fans of more rugged phones, the good news is that the company hasn’t forgotten about you.

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5 apps to help families stay in touch and on task

This photo provided by Wistiki shows a new app and gadget called Wistiki that uses technology to pinpoint the spot where items were lost. Lost keys and wallets can cost families time, money and stress.

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We hear a lot about families spending too much time distracted by digital devices. But screens do have some family-friendly benefits: New apps can help family members stay connected and co-ordinated.

Here is a handful of Apple- and Android-friendly apps that might help keep your little group in touch and on task:

MINI-NETWORK: Slack

Slack functions as your own private social network. It's as simple to use as Facebook, but more customizable. And you can use the bulk of the service for free (though prices are listed at Slack.com for additional services).

Popular with small companies and work groups who need to share information and plan projects, Slack works well for families too. You begin by including several people in a group, and then you can create distinct channels within the group. Perhaps one channel is parents-only communication, while others are for parents with each kid. Maybe another includes the whole family plus grandparents, aunts and uncles.

You can post anything from private messages and daily schedules to photos or URLs. Slack also serves as a free messaging app, and you can use it to store PDFs of things like the address of a restaurant or a flight itinerary. And you can integrate it with Google Calendar and Google Drive.

One speed bump: While you can respond to a family member's post with emojis, you can't create a conversation thread by commenting on it. The app's developers say that feature is coming soon.

FINDING EACH OTHER: Family Locator by Life360

Life 360 is one of many family and friends locator apps. Once you add family members to your account, you can check their cellphones' locations via GPS at any time. Want to know if your child's bus is nearing home? Or if your spouse has left work yet? It's all there.

In testing the app, we found that it sometimes confuses locations that are very close. If two places are near each other, Life360 may tell you that a family member has arrived at one when they're actually at the other. So the app is helpful but not infallible.

The free version works well, but you're limited to logging just two locations.

FINDING YOUR STUFF: Wistiki

The idea of never again losing your keys, phone or other important items is pretty appealing.

Wistiki offers Philippe Starck-designed little cards, tags and key fobs that can be tracked with the app. You attach them to something you treasure (your wallet, your dog, your TV remote). Then if (when) you can't find the item, you can make the Wistiki sound an alarm. If it's not close enough for you to hear, you can look at the app to find its location.

Best part: If your lost item is in range of anyone else's Wistiki, theirs will anonymously (and without their knowledge) send GPS co-ordinates to the system. So other people are essentially helping find your stuff and you're helping find theirs, without having to do anything.

Parents can attach the tags to a child's backpack, coat or other item that tends to get misplaced by little ones.

Bonus: All that time you no longer spend searching for your phone is time you can devote to face-to-face conversation with family members.

Wistiki comes in three shapes and four colours.

BUYING... : AnyList

If you've ever remembered on the way home from the supermarket that you actually needed three more things, a shopping-list app may save you time and heartache in the future.

AnyList allows group members to contribute to a running list, which you can scan through when you're out running errands. It also offers a recipe manager, so you won't be stuck in the produce department trying to remember whether tonight's dinner requires leeks or scallions.

...AND SELLING: Totspot

And when you're ready to clear out clutter, you might be able to earn money for it at the marketplace app Totspot. Originally created as an online market for new or gently used kids' clothes, Totspot now lets you buy and sell grown-up clothes and even (shhhh!) unload gifts you don't want. It's sort of the virtual yard sale you don't have time to have.



Online:

https://slack.com/

https://www.life360.com/

https://wistiki.com

https://www.anylistapp.com

https://www.totspot.me/


Source: The Province

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The top iPhone and iPad apps on App Store

App Store Official Charts for the week ending Mar. 13, 2016:

Top Paid iPhone Apps:

1. Face Swap Live - Switch faces with friends & photos in live video, Laan Labs

2. Minecraft: Pocket Edition, Mojang

3. Heads Up!, Warner Bros.

4. Geometry Dash, RobTop Games AB

5. Bloons TD 5, Ninja Kiwi

6. 7 Minute Workout Challenge, Fitness Guide Inc

7. Facetune, Lightricks Ltd.

8. Plague Inc., Ndemic Creations

9. KIMOJI, Whalerock Digital Media, LLC

10. NBA 2K16, 2K

Top Free iPhone Apps:

1. Clash Royale, Supercell

2. Snapchat, Snapchat, Inc.

3. Stack, Ketchup

4. Color Switch, Marc Lejeune

5. Messenger, Facebook, Inc.

6. Facebook, Facebook, Inc.

7. Instagram, Instagram, Inc.

8. Damn Daniel - Game, Josiah Jenkins

9. YouTube, Google, Inc.

10. MSQRD — Live Filters & Face Swap for Video Selfies, Masquerade Technologies, Inc

Top Paid iPad Apps:

1. Minecraft: Pocket Edition, Mojang

2. Face Swap Live - Switch faces with friends & photos in live video, Laan Labs

3. Geometry Dash, RobTop Games AB

4. Toca Dance, Toca Boca AB

5. The Room Three, Fireproof Games

6. Assassin's Creed Identity, Ubisoft

7. Pixelmon Mod for Minecraft - Pocket Mine Edition for PC, Ancor Software, LLC

8. Akinator the Genie, Eloquence

9. Bloons TD 5 HD, Ninja Kiwi

10. Terraria, 505 Games (US), Inc.

Top Free iPad Apps:

1. Clash Royale, Supercell

2. Dragon Land, Social Point

3. Netflix, Netflix, Inc.

4. Color Switch, Marc Lejeune

5. YouTube, Google, Inc.

6. Simulator Overboard, Mariya Ivanova

7. Messenger, Facebook, Inc.

8. Facebook, Facebook, Inc.

9. Toca Kitchen 2, Toca Boca AB

10. Tooth Fairy Princess - Magical Adventure, TabTale LTD

Source:Chron

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If Quitting iPhone Apps Doesn't Help Battery Life, What Does?

A quick search on Apple's online support communities shows numerous discussions by users over the years about how turning off iPhone apps helps save the device's battery life. But an Apple executive has confirmed that common wisdom isn't true.

Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, recently responded to a March 6 e-mail sent to CEO Tim Cook by a customer named Caleb with the question, "Do you quit your iOS multitasking apps frequently and is this necessary for battery life? Just wanting you to put this controversy to rest."

"I know you asked Tim, but I'll at least offer my input," Federighi e-mailed back the following day, adding "No and No. :-)." The brief exchange was reported Thursday in 9to5Mac.

Low Power Mode an Option

We reached out to Apple to learn whether it planned to offer any additional battery-saving tips beyond what was in Federighi's e-mail but did not receive a response. However, the company's online iPhone help pages offer some suggestions for improving battery life.

Under the What's New page detailing improvements introduced with iOS 9 last year, for example, Apple suggests that iPhone users can help the batteries in their devices last longer by turning on the low power mode. "Turn on low power mode, and iPhone reduces or disables non-essential features, helping your battery charge last longer," according to Apple.

Low power mode can "significantly increase the life of the battery charge" by limiting background activity on the phone and tuning performance for essential tasks, Apple said. That helps users preserve performance when the battery power runs low or when they don't have access to electrical power for recharging.

Avoid Damaging Heat

Another thing that can cause an iPhone battery to drain more quickly is using 4G or LTE to load and view online content, Apple said. "If you're making a lot of phone calls, you may want to turn 4G/LTE off to extend battery life, although that option might not be available in all areas, according to the company.

The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus and later models provide a couple options for turning off 4G/LTE, i.e., selecting voice and data or data only. Choosing slower data speeds also helps to increase battery life.

For iOS devices in general -- including iPhones, iPads, iPods and Apple Watches -- it's also wise to avoid exposing them to ambient temperatures greater than 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius). High temperatures can permanently hurt battery capacity, and charging in the heat can make damage even worse, Apple said. However, the reverse isn't true: while very cold temperatures can drain a battery more quickly, the effects of cold on a battery are temporary, according to the company.

Charging iPhones in certain types of cases can also generate excess heat, which might hurt their batteries. And users planning to let their iPhones sit idle for long periods of time (weeks or months), should store them when they're about 50 percent charged. Low-battery storage can lead to a "deep discharge state" that leaves the battery unable to hold a charge later, while a fully charged battery in storage can also lose some capacity.

Finally, while switching off apps doesn't do anything for battery life, turning off the iPhone feature that automatically refreshes background apps can help.



Source:SCI-TECH TODAY

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WhatsApp major update: Five new features coming your Apple iPhone

UPDATE: Apple users can know download a major update to WhatsApp

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There's a new update to the world's most popular messaging service and, if you own an iPhone, you can download it right now.

WhatsApp has just released its latest version on the Apple App Store and there's plenty of new features to make it worth updating.

The Facebook owned messaging app gets an improved design, new wallpapers and it will even fix a bug that was taking up storage on some iPhones.

There's also a new feature that allows you to send documents, including PDFs, to your WhatsApp contacts.

HERE'S THE FULL LIST OF NEW FEATURES:

• You can now send and receive PDFs. You can choose PDFs to send from other apps installed on your phone, like iCloud Drive, Google Drive, Dropbox, or Microsoft OneDrive. (iOS 8+)
• Improved design for browsing photos and videos
• You can now share photos or videos from other apps installed on your phone, like Google Drive, Dropbox, or Microsoft OneDrive. When you open "Photo/Video Library", just tap "Choose from another app...".
• Pick from a variety of solid colors for your chat background
• Zoom in on videos while they're playing
• Fixed some crashes and an issue that was using a lot of storage space on some iPhones

This new update comes just a week after WhatsApp revealed it will no longer be supported on a number of popular devices.

From the end of 2016 WhatsApp won't work on Nokia S40, Nokia Symbian S60, Android 2.1 and Android 2.2 and Windows Phone 7.1.

There's also bad news if you own a Blackberry as WhatsApp will no longer work on the devices, including BlackBerry 10.

WhatsApp recently turned seven and the firm says that people's use of mobile devices looked very different from today.

In a statement on their blog WhatsApp states: "As we look ahead to our next seven years, we want to focus our efforts on the mobile platforms the vast majority of people use. So, by the end of 2016, we will be ending support for WhatsApp Messenger on some mobile platforms."

WhatsApp recently confirmed that it now has one billion active users making it the world's most popular messaging app.


Source:DailyStar UK

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8 apps every parent needs to know

Keeping track of your teen's smartphone activity can be challenging if you're not familiar with the latest apps. Bullying is also happening in various messaging apps.

Here's a list of apps every parent should know:

Apple's App Store and Android's Play Store both have pages of file lockers. Apps like Secure Vault for Apple use encryption and passcodes to lock away files from prying eyes. Without the secret code, folders of photos, videos and notes can be locked away from parent's view.

KeepSafe, another app to lock up potentially revealing photos, goes one step further. If someone tries to break-in, without the correct security code, the app captures a photo using the front-facing camera.


Another example of a file vault is Calculator%. The app works like a regular calculator, but when your child enters period period, a hidden menu appears. Inside, users can secure files, documents, illicit photos or more from those without the code. There's even an emergency button that quickly puts the adding machine back on the screen.

ASKfm is a social networking app gaining traction. Users ask questions and receive back anonymous replies. This often results in bullying and has led to numerous cases of suicide. The app's owners have promised to help prevent bullying.

Snapchat is perhaps the most popular. The photo and video-sharing app caught the attention of many parents when it was released a few years ago. Taking a photo, adding a caption, graphics, and then sharing with your friends for a few seconds. While the app does delete the photos, screenshots can be taken and photos a child thought was private, may not be.

LINE is a fast-growing messaging app capable of sharing photos and video as well as free texting and video chat. Among the dangers for parents, this app includes various in-app purchases that may lead to surprises on a parent's credit card. The app suggests you need parental permission, but doesn't verify.

kik. has become an instant messaging app for sexting. Without authentication or parental controls, users can hide behind the app lying about their identity, age or location.

BurnNote is a messaging app where users exchange super secret messages. The feature to send links to any user, even if not using the app, may cause curious recipients to get trapped in the app.

Messaging apps generally promise photos, text, or videos are deleted after viewed by the recipient.

Unfortunately, there's just no way to guarantee all messages are completely removed.

Many smartphone apps bring danger. Parents should spend some time familiarizing themselves with the apps to avoid surprises or child bullying.

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What is Android Pay and how is it different from PayPal wallet and Apple Pay?

Google has announced that Android Pay will come to the UK later this month, thus bringing the ability to make contactless payments to millions of Android phone users in the country.

While this is great news for owners of Android phones, the success of Android Pay will depend on how soon users can adapt to making cashless transactions through an entirely new system.


The launch of Apple Pay in June of last year had an immediate impact on the way people made payments for using public services. As per data released by Transport for London, journeys that were paid for via smartphones increased seven-fold ever since Apple Pay was launched. Over 200,000 smartphones were used in the last six months of 2015. On a daily basis, over 35,000 journeys are made on the system and more than 1,000 unique smartphone users are added to the network every day.

The success of Apple Pay is encouraging for Android Pay given that the number of Android phone users far outnumber iPhone users in the UK. However, the success of Android Pay also depends on the number of phones that will support the feature and if the compatibility will be restricted to premium phones only.

So how does Android Pay work?

Android Pay is based on a technology that will enable you to make in-store payments from your Android phone without having to swipe your credit card every time you make a purchase.

The feature works very much like your e-wallet, letting you store your credit cards, loyalty cards and other sensitive information on your phone through which you will be able to perform transactions from your phone.

Last year, Google entered into a partnership with Visa for Android Pay to enable Visa cardholders to make contactless payments using this feature. This takes place through an integration of Android Pay’s secure APIs with Google’s existing Host Card Emulation (HCE) functionality. In the United States, numerous banks, retailers, mobile carriers and payment networks are now working with Android Pay to let you make contactless payments through any of your accounts.

Is it any different from Apple Pay?

Apple maintains that Apple Pay is the most secure form of making payments and storing credit card information. Once a credit card number is saved on the Passbook app, it is assigned a Device Account Number which is separately saved on a chip inside iPhones. While making payments, the Device Account Number is shared via NFC accompanied by a one-time dynamic security code to verify the transaction. Stored credit card information is also never uploaded to iCloud.

Apple's Device Account Numbers and dynamic security codes ensure that payments are completely verified and also ensure credit card information isn't compromised either through public sharing or via system hacks.

While making payments through Apple Pay, your iPhone will automatically open the Passbook app where you can choose the credit card you wishes to pay from. The best part is that the vendor will know nothing about the credit card used except for the amount of the transaction. Once a transaction is completed, a light vibration and a beep will let you know that transaction has been successful.

Just like Apple Pay, Android Pay also uses a virtual account number to represent your account information to keep your card details safe. The system also notifies you about every transaction including location of transaction, details of merchant and transaction amount.

Is Android Pay any different from PayPal wallet?

PayPal is widely known for facilitating financial transactions on the web by letting you transfer funds from one account to another. You can use it to send money to a relative/friend and even make a purchase online or in a shop.

Vodafone has now launched a service to allow its users to make contactless PayPal payments through smartphones, thus making it easier for you to travel anywhere without carrying your wallet. In Spain, Vodafone customers can make contactless payments with PayPal in their Vodafone Wallet at more than 710,000 stores and the number is rising in other European countries as well.

While Android Pay and PayPal were till now different because of the contactless payment option in the former, the arrival of Vodafone Wallet has now bridged the gap and you will now be able to use both services to make contactless payments with equal speed and ease.

What other cashless payment options do Android phone users have?

Samsung Pay is yet another cashless payment platform which lets you make contactless payments with ease. The system is currently available only to owners of Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus phones but according to Thomas Ko, global co-general manager of Samsung Pay, it will be available on cheaper Samsung phones within the next year.

Ko also revealed that you will also be able to use Samsung Pay to make online payments. If this really happens, you'll be able to use the service just like PayPal, making online payments for fun.

Samsung Pay is based on MasterCard's MDES technology which enables tokenization of credit, debit, co-brand, prepaid and small business cards for use in e-wallet services. In addition, MasterCard is also working on a new biometric technology named ID Check which will let you to make payments at stores just by clicking your selfie!

Back in February of 2015, Samsung acquired wireless payment system LoopPay with a view to counter the increasingly popular Apple Pay wireless payment technology. Using add-on devices for smartphones, LoopPay can transmit stored credit card information to magnetic card readers to ensure smooth payments.

LG has also launched its own LG Pay mobile payment platform in Korea and will launch it in Europe soon. It will work in premium phones like G4, G3, G Flex 2, V10 and G5 which are NFC-enabled and if LG supports magnetic secure transmission technology as well, a lot of its users will be able to use the new platform in the coming days.


Source:MobileChoiceUK

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WhatsApp now lets you send documents

WhatApp has received an update adding a much requested feature allowing users to attach and send documents to eachother

WhatApp has finally unlocked the ability to send documents to other users online.

The new feature is available after the latest update, allowing users to attach and send PDFs. That's a pretty unusual file format to start with, but one that's locked and relatively secure, so we would expect more options in the future. The attachment list now includes Documents, Camera (combining video and pictures from before), Gallery, Audio, Location and Contact. That's a comprehensive suite of settings for WhatsApp users.

The updated version of the app on Android and iOS also includes over 100 new emoji and the very welcome addition of Google Drive backup for your chats and media - migrating a WhatApp account can be surprisingly difficult so hopefully this will help to improve matters. There are additional new features on iOS, including the ability to see whether your message has been delivered and read right from the main chat window.

So go update your app now and enjoy the new features.

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This £70 gadget attaches to your smartphone and lets you scan your moles for signs of skin cancer

This gadget lets you test for skin cancer using your smartphone

Skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the UK - with around 40 new cases of malignant melanoma diagnosed every day

But diagnosis is often delayed due to people not spotting or misunderstanding the symptoms - or just being too busy to visit a doctor.

Now one company is encouraging people to test for skin cancer themselves, using their smartphone and a small £70 device that can be purchased on Amazon.

The device, called HÜD, is what is known in the medical profession as a dermatoscope - a magnifying glass with an LED light source that can be used to inspect skin lesions unobstructed by skin surface reflections.

HÜD is a medical-grade lens that attaches to any smartphone camera, allowing you to take crystal-clear images of the moles on your skin

Traditional dermatoscopes cost hundreds of pounds, but HÜD, made by a company called 3Gen, is made with plastic, making it much cheaper than the devices used by most doctors.

The HÜD can be attached to a smartphone and used to track moles, or ask a dermatologist for health information using the First Derm app.

"We're very excited to be releasing a groundbreaking new feature, which will help the dermatologists to give a better answer regarding moles," said Alexander Börve, founder and chief executive of First Derm.

"For rashes, an iPhone camera is fine, but regarding possible skin cancer lesions, the dermatoscope help the dermatologists give better answers."

Skin cancer isn't just a problem for the elderly or fair-skinned, all ages and skin tones are susceptible

The HÜD costs $79.99 (£57.06) on Amazon, but there are likely to be hefty postage and packaging costs, as 3Gen and First Derm are based in San Francisco.

Börve said that the company is in currently discussion with two pharmacy chains in the UK, where it would cost less than £70 off the shelf.

Of course, part of the idea is to get people to sign up for the First Derm app, that allows people to send in a picture and a description of their symptoms and get an answer back from a licensed dermatologist.

An answer within eight hours costs $100 (£72), an answer within 24 hours costs $40 (£29), and an answer within two days costs $25 (£18). The service is available in six languages and 160 countries.

The First Derm app will teach you the skin cancer warning signs and remind you track your spots over time

However, you can also use the HÜD to track changes in your skin, and share medical-grade images with your local GP.

First Derm works with UK dermatologists including Jonathan Bowling, who is an advisor and a member of the melanoma task force in the UK.

Bowling believes that devices like HÜD could be a great help to get people with possible skin cancer into the dermatologist's office sooner rather than later.

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Being pulls app after Instagram blocks API access

Instagram has blocked Being app's access to its APIs. The Being app enabled users to see the Instagram feed of celebrities.


Within a week of Being's launch, its access to Instagram's application programming interface (API) – a set of codes that enables data sharing between apps – was blocked. Reports suggest the app was using Instagram's API to share feeds with other unintended users.

A Being app spokesperson said the company did not know why its app had been pulled by Instagram.

On 25 February, "the founder of Being, Adam Mashaal, discovered that his app's access to Instagram's API had been disabled. Adam and the Being team are investigating the issue but have not heard anything from Instagram as to whether this was intentional," Jennifer Sinski, a Being spokeswoman, told IBTimesUK.

The online publication Motherboard reported that Mashall pulled it from the app store in order to stop potential users from "downloading an essentially useless app".

According to Sinski, Being was created as a companion app to leverage on Instagram content and enhances user experience. Till date, the app has generated roughly thousands of likes and follows on Instagram.

Using Being, a football fan, for example, could see the timeline of Cristiano Ronaldo. The fan would see a cloned version of Ronaldo's timeline, seeing who the footballer follows as well as all of the pictures of Ronaldo uploaded on Instagram. However, Being only allowed users to view other people's timelines – they could not like, unlike or share the posts.

"Seeing Instagram from someone else's perspective unlocks a whole new layer of discovery. From pop stars to presidential candidates, Being lets you see what Instagram looks like from the perspective of any other user based on who they're following," Being's app description read.

"Being has had incredible success since its launch on February 18, 2016. To date, over half-a-million feeds have been viewed on the app from over 40,000 active users. 11,000 people have downloaded Being in the last 24 hours alone and it was of the top 30 social media apps in the App Store," she added.


Source:IBT TIMES UK & Verge

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Paypal redesigns Android app from the ground up

You probably really didn’t care much about the design and user interface of PayPal, as long as you were able to receive money or make payments or transfer cash, etc. This is one of those functional apps that you don’t spend much time on, but is necessary of course, especially if you depend on it for daily transactions. So you might notice a huge change when you update your mobile app, since they have redesigned the app from the ground up.


But the company assures its users that everything was done in order to have a faster and more efficient process and customer service, even though it might take some people time to get used to it. It’s a bit radical in a sense that it doesn’t look entirely Android and focuses more on quick actions rather than organized navigation menus. Quick actions include accepting and denying payments, paying a pending request, sending another payment and viewing your history with a specific merchant.

Some new things that you can also expect from the updated app is the ability to request money from family members and friends, which can be good news for you and bad news for them. You can also now view and update your personal information easily from the app. And if for some reason you need another PayPal account, you can now sign up for one from within your current account in the app. One thing you can’t do anymore with the update? Take screen caps from the system level, for security reasons probably.

The update has not rolled out for all users yet, but if you can’t wait for it to appear for your account, you can download the APK and install (at your own risk).


Source: Android Police

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PayPal unveils a revamped iPhone app with new design and much more

The official PayPal app has just been updated to version 6.0 and is featuring a number of new and notable improvements.

A new look

You’ll notice the changes from the second you open up the app. Along with the completely new design, the start screen has received a fresh coat of paint. Users can view transaction details, pay pending requests, or send payments to recent contacts.



here is also a new personalized hub to send and request money from friends, family, and other PayPal users. It allows you to quickly and easily add people directly from your phone’s contact list. The new request money flow allows others to pay you with just one click.

PayPal says it has seen more than a 100 percent increase in the last two years of growth in peer-to-peer transactions using the app. And the new hub makes it even easier to handle those transactions.

Users should also be glad to see that they can now view more account info using the app. You can view up to the last three years of history, how you funded your payments, and the money sent.

Finally, PayPal has also made it easier to use the in-store functionality like order ahead through partners including Yelp Eat24.

Wrap-up

PayPal is designed for the iPhone/iPod touch and can be downloaded now on the App Store for free.

Pretty much anyone has had to deal with PayPal at one time or another, whether its paying for

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