app

A pair of summer interns at Microsoft have collaborated on a project to create an Android application capable of interpreting photographs -- complete with the identities and activities of the individuals involved -- via a smartphone camera without ... any human input whatsoever. 'TagSense', as it's called, is the brainchild of Microsoft Research interns Chaun Qin and Xuan Bao. The software works by utilizing Android's accelerometers to determine the exact physical activity the person in the photograph is involved in. This is supported by built-in microphones that can determine whether the ... (view more)

Apple iPad and iPhone owners are being targeted by a new scareware-like scheme this week, which uses a unique phishing strategy to frighten them into giving up their personal data. Fake Email Spoofs Apple App Users The scam is being reported by ... security company F-Secure, who say that hackers are using carefully designed emails to fool Apple fans. An email appears in a target's inbox from the "Apple AppStore," telling the recipient that their recent app order "has been successfully cancelled." Those users who don't want that to happen are asked to click on the link "order information" to find ... (view more)

Last week's report that thousands of U.S. libraries were set to receive Kindle eBooks marked a major step ahead for digital reading devices. But a new app-based copy of a book written by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore is not only changing the ... approach to commercialized reading, but also the very definition of what we consider a "book" to be. Push Pop Press, a company established by former Apple employees Kimon Tsinteris and Mike Matas, has published an app version of "Our Choice," the popular 2009 book about global warming. Apple Features Alter Book Layout The app is said to take full ... (view more)

A controversial new Trojan virus is creeping onto Android smartphones everywhere, but poses no danger of compromising personal data or stealing confidential banking information. The threat is virtually harmless to "victims". Rather, the sole intent ... of the Trojan is to target, and later humiliate, those Android owners who download pirated material rather than pay for an authentic version of the same content. Pirated Android Walk and Text App Devious Referred to as the "Batman of Mobile Malware" the Trojan (also called Android.Walkinwat) poses as a pirated version of the popular "Walk and Text ... (view more)

An innovative smartphone application is causing great distress for police officers everywhere. It features a built-in warning system that informs motorists when a hidden police vehicle is in the area. Anti-Police Speed Trap App a Hit with Motorists ... "Trapster" was designed by a car enthusiast in San Diego and has since become an overnight sensation in terms of its download figures and usage. Many are referring to the system as a hi-tech version of the age-old scenario in which people flash their headlights to warn one another that a speed trap is in the vicinity. In this same spirit ... (view more)

There are currently about 100,000 different applications (commonly known as "apps") available for the Apple iPhone. The running total, however, is constantly changing and has probably increased since this article was written. But it's rare to see an ... app removed from the list, which was the case for a new application which speaks out against homosexuality. The app, which is available for both the iPhone and iPad, was designed by the Christian organization Exodus International and released for download last month. It reportedly advocates "freedom from homosexuality through the power ... (view more)

In an effort to capitalize on the rising popularity of smartphone apps, Microsoft is now allowing their employees to moonlight as self-directed entrepreneurs to help improve the image of the company in the mobile market. To make smartphones that ... house their Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system more marketable in an industry dominated by iPhone and Android-based devices , Microsoft is planning to offer their prospective customers more apps than any other smartphone on the market. App Rules Relaxed in Light of Development While an admirable endeavor, putting the plan into practice still ... (view more)

A Facebook "relationship notifier" application -- originally designed as a joke -- has proven to be a major hit. The app, which lets users know when a Facebook user changes their relationship status, has been downloaded more than 100,000 times. The ... app works in a simple manner: you click a list to confirm which of your existing friends you want to track, and then you receive an email whenever their listed relationship status changes. Facebook Users Love 'Breakup Notifier' Aptly named "Breakup Notifier", the Facebook app notifies you if a "friend" on your list changes their ... (view more)

Google has unveiled two new tools for its Android phone system. One is genuinely useful while the other appears to be an impressive gimmick. The first tool is an extension to the existing Google Translate feature. As well as offering traditional ... translation services, the phones could recognize voices and offer a translation of spoken words. However, as with most automated translation tools and traditional phrasebooks, this was limited in conversations with foreign speakers. That's now been solved by the introduction of a conversation mode. For example: a Spanish user can speak into the phone ... (view more)

A recent Wall Street Journal report has revealed that some popular mobile apps have been sending personal data of their users to third parties without consent. A whopping 56 applications using the Apple iPhone and Google Android systems were found ... guilty of such practices. In a recent statement, Alex Deane, director of Big Brother Watch, was outraged with such activity. Founded in 2009, Big Brother Watch is a British-based group dedicated to combating intrusions of privacy and protecting civil liberties. Personal Info Breach "Alarming News" "This is alarming news. Most users of ... (view more)