In a challenge to Apple Arcade, Google Play Pass offers ad-free games and apps
Had enough of ads on your apps and games? Google Play Pass is the latest service from Google that offers Android device owners ad-free access to select apps and games. You also won't see in-app purchases, and won't have to pay upfront fees. At the moment, only 350 apps and games are available.
California’s gig economy bill could fundamentally change Uber and Lyft
Legislators in California just passed a bill requiring app-based companies like Uber and Lyft to treat their contractors the same as regular employees. Under the bill, contractors would be eligible for basic protections like minimum-wage requirements, health benefits, and Social Security.
Period-tracking apps are sharing people’s intimate data with Facebook
Some period-tracking apps are reportedly sending Facebook personal information about the women who use them. The apps MIA Fem and Maya sent information about contraception use, when women's monthly periods were, and whether or not they experienced symptoms like cramps swelling to the social network.
Apple favored search results for its own App Store apps over more relevant ones
If you searched for an app in Apple’s App Store over the past year, chances are good that one of the first results showed you software made by Apple, even if it had little to do with what you were searching. Apple said it has since changed the algorithm to give less preference to its apps.
How to offload apps on your iPhone
Apps occupy a lot of storage space on your device, so offloading the ones you don’t use is an easy way to free up more space quickly and easily. The Offload feature is convenient because offloading apps from your iPhone retains the data associated with it. We show you several ways to accomplish that task.
With period-tracking apps, the fate of your fertility is far from clear
Fertility and period-tracking apps promise to be an easy way to keep tabs on menstrual cycles or help users become pregnant. Yet their accuracy isn’t flawless, and the consequences can be quite critical. In addition, users have to enter a lot of personal data, and it’s not always clear how apps use that information.
Best alternatives to Google’s preinstalled Android apps
Want to get away from Google's preinstalled Android apps? Usually, Google apps like Google Maps, Gmail, and so on, are central to the Android experience -- but they don't necessarily have to be. Here are the best alternatives to the preinstalled apps that come with your phone.
Security vulnerabilities found in three quarters of mobile apps
Three quarters of Android and iOS apps have security vulnerabilities related to insecure data storage, according to a new report. The insecure storage of data from apps could lead to information like passwords, financial details, personal data, and communications being accessible by hackers.
Volvo’s new app walks you through what to do after an accident
Volvo's Accident Advisor sends information on what to do after an accident directly to a driver's smartphone. Drivers can also use it to notify their insurance companies and find a repair shop. Volvo is making Accident Advisor available free of charge on all 2015.5 model year and newer vehicles.
Think your kid might have an ear infection? This app can confirm it
Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a new artificial intelligence-powered smartphone app that’s able to hear ear infections with high levels of accuracy. Here's how it works -- and, more importantly, when it will be available for download by users.
The 2019 Google Play Awards honor self-care apps and alien-blasting games
Google has announced the winners of its annual Google Play Awards, and it's honoring some of the best of the best out there, from self-care apps, to gorgeous games that reward you for blowing up aliens. Here are all the winners of the 2019 Play Awards for the very best Android apps and games.
The best budgeting apps for Android and iOS
Saving money can be an absolute pain, so here are our picks for the best budgeting apps designed to help you rein in your expenditures. If you want to get a handle on precisely where your money goes every month, or you need some help saving up for a specific goal, then these budget apps can help you.
Hey Google, why did you kill off Allo, your best messaging app in years?
Allo, Google's messaging app, has shut down. I convinced my closest friends and family to swap to the app two and a half years ago when it debuted, and we've been using it since. With its death, I say farewell to a beautiful app that offered genuinely fun features found nowhere else.
Google insists it’s doing what it can to purge Play Store of malicious apps
Google is continuing with efforts to provide a secure and safe app store, this week revealing that rejected app submissions increased by 55 percent in 2018 compared to 2017, while those that did get through were spotted and removed more quickly than before — often before anyone could install them.
Apple wants app developers to be a lot clearer about subscription costs
Apple wants developers to be more up front with cost information when it comes to in-app subscriptions. In a set of revamped guidelines, the company laid out a raft of recommendations to ensure there are no nasty surprises for iDevice owners when they sign up for a paid subscription.
Wipe off that wing sauce and tap into the game with the 9 best Super Bowl apps
The Patriots and the Rams will take the field for Super Bowl LIII, but before they do make sure you're prepared with the best Super Bowl apps on your phone. From apps to help get you your food and drinks, to apps that help you stay up to date with everything happening, here are the best Super Bowl apps.
IBM’s new A.I. warns diabetes patients of dangerous blood sugar levels
IBM has teamed up with medical device maker Medtronic to develop a mobile app that’s designed to work as an early warning sign for people with diabetes about the dangers of 'going low' on their blood sugar levels. Here's how it works, and why it could literally prove to be a life-saver.
The best New Year’s resolution apps
If you want to be happier and healthier in the new year, it pays to have the right New Year's resolution apps for achieving your goals. But keeping your resolutions can be hard, especially without support. These apps can help you keep your New Year's resolutions, whether you're on iOS or Android.
Twice as many publishers earned first million on Apple App Store vs Google Play
Apple's App Store has created 164 new millionaire publishers in 2018, compared to only 88 from the Google Play Store. Games continue to lead the way for both platforms in terms of revenue, but the breakdown of the publishers in terms of app categories that they focused on were very different.
Google to end support for Android devices running Ice Cream Sandwich
Anyone with an old phone that is still running Android 4.0 may want to look into upgrading their phone, as Google has announced that it will be ending support for this older version of Android. This change will only affect the 0.3 percent of Android users who are running Ice Cream Sandwich.
The best browsers for Android smartphones and tablets
Browsing on your Android device should be painless, easy, and fun. But not all browsers are built equal, and you might be after a very different browser than the next person, so we have loads of options here. Check out our picks for the best browsers for Android, so you can browse easily and safely.
Google strips the color from its redesigned apps, but a little goes a long way
Google has been redesigning most of its apps this year, throwing in a ton of white space while removing a lot of color first introduced with Material Design in 2014. Why is Google abandoning color? It's actually limiting it to highlight the product more, and to spotlight key Google actions.
Opinion: Apple needs to modernize its antiquated annual app update routine
Much is made of Apple’s swift software update schedule, but the annual iOS update encompasses core app updates as well as system tweaks, whereas Google pushes out core app updates year-round. We delve into the differences, ask why Apple does things this way, and discuss whether Google’s approach is better.
Get the most out of your S Pen! 12 apps to use with the Galaxy Note 9
So, you've got a Samsung Galaxy Note 9 but no apps to really test the limits of your S Pen? Don't worry, we've got your back. No matter which Galaxy Note or other stylus phone you have, these apps and games will help you make the most of your S Pen or other stylus. Grab your stylus and give these a try.
You know that brain-training app you downloaded? It’s probably worthless
The idea of brain-training apps which improve your mental abilities by making you play games sounds almost too good to be true. Sadly, according to a recent study by neuroscientists at Canada’s Western University, it is. Here's what their recent experiment demonstrated.
6 amazing examples of game-changing technology for the blind community
In the United States there are roughly 8.4 million people who are either blind or have some other visual impairment. In the entire world, that figure increases to 253 million. Here are six amazing examples of pieces of potentially game-changing technology that is designed to help them.
Best Gear VR apps and games
Whether you're looking for action games or immersive experiences, these are the best Gear VR apps and games you can download. If you own Samsung's Gear VR, you'll want to check these titles out for immersive action, puzzles, adventures, scares, and more. These virtual reality hits are sure to entertain.
Some Android apps could be secretly recording your phone’s screen
Worries that phones have been listening to our private conversations or watching us have been around for years, but now a study has revealed that some apps may be secretly recording parts of our phone screens and sending the data to analytics companies. Is this a real security concern?
The best guitar tuner apps
For guitarists, keeping your instrument in tune is paramount. There's nothing rock and roll about hitting a flat note when you didn't intend to. As long as you have a smartphone, though, you can always stay in tune, thanks to guitar tuner apps. We've rounded up some of the best.
Nintendo’s Miitomo app shuts down two years after its launch
Nintendo has shut down Miitomo, its debut smartphone app that launched two years ago. The company released the final winners of its "Miifoto" contest, which paid tribute to the social app. Miitomo was one of Nintendo's first attempts at a dedicated smartphone experience and was followed by Super Mario Run.
How to uninstall apps in Windows 10, MacOS, iOS, and Android
Is your computer or mobile device getting crammed with apps that you don't use? All those extra apps that slow down your computer and may even create problems with updates or data vulnerabilities. It's a good idea to clean house - and we can help by showing you exactly how to uninstall apps!
Material Design 2.0: rounded corners, darkened palette, and more
A now-privatized mention of "Material Designs 2" in a Chromium commit suggests that Google could be working on some new user interface elements for its Chrome OS browser and beyond.
Microsoft gives OneNote Windows 10 a promotion, kills off OneNote 2016
If you've been using the OneNote desktop application since it was first released in 2002, then you are going to have to make a decision sometime this year. Microsoft is demoting OneNote 2016 and making its OneNote for Windows 10 app its note taking favorite going forward.
The amount users spent on iPhone apps in the U.S. rose 23 percent last year
In 2017, U.S. iPhone owners spent nearly a quarter more money on in-app purchases than they did in 2016. The average user spent $58 on in-app purchases -- up 23 percent from 2016. While that's not a staggering amount, it is about a dozen Starbucks lattes. The average iPhone owner had 45 apps installed.