Matson's Voice

Google Assistant Can Now Send Money Using Google Pay

Google has announced that users in the US would be able to send or request money from the contacts on their Android device or iPhone just by giving Google Assistant a voice command that starts with "Hey Google".

"You can ask your Google Assistant to pay your friends back with Google Pay. You can easily send or request money from your contacts for free - using the Assistant on Android and iOS phones in the US," Sam Kansara, Product Manager, Google Pay, wrote in a blog post late on Thursday.

"To get started, just say 'Hey Google, request $20 from Sam for the show tonight' or 'Hey Google, send Jane $15 for lunch today' and let your Google Assistant do the rest," Kansara added.
Users who do not have a Google Pay account would be prompted to set one up the first time they want to send money.

Google said that in the coming months, users will be able to send money on voice-activated speakers like Google Home as well.

Transactions made via Google Assistant would require authentication beyond just your voiceprint to send money, either with their Google password or fingerprint, according to The Verge.
The tech giant has not made clear if the new feature would be rolled to other countries, including India.

Meanwhile, Facebook-owned WhatsApp is also testing a new payments feature in India that aims to allow people to send money to their friends on the app.

The feature is currently in beta, but has not been publicly announced because it is not widely available at this time, TechCrunch had reported.

WhatsApp for Android has been updated with a couple of new group-focused features. There is the ability to let users add a description to a group. This was debuted on the beta versions for WhatsApp for Android and Windows Phone. The app also includes an option to enable searching of group participants directly from the Group Info screen. Users can now also switch from a voice call to a video call, by tapping a button.

Among other features, the option to add a description to a group is designed to give group members a way to know about an important information or the topic of the group. Group descriptions are available on the chat screen as a pinned box and are also visible when inviting someone via the group's invite link. The feature was initially a part of the WhatsApp beta version 2.18.54 on Android and WhatsApp beta version 2.18.28 on Windows Phone.

To add a description, go to Group Info screen and then tap Add group description option that is available below the group name. The description can notably be in as long as 512 characters.

In addition to the way to add a description to a group, the updated WhatsApp for Android has a search bar on the Group Info screen that allows users to search the list of group participants. WhatsApp for iPhone received the same search feature earlier this month.

The updated WhatsApp for Android lastly includes an easy switching experience between voice and video calls. There is a video button that appears during voice calls to let users switch from a voice call to a video call. This was first seen in the WhatsApp beta for Android in January, and came to the iPhone version in February.

Non-practicing entity Portal Communications has filed a lawsuit against Apple for alleged infringement of three patents related to natural language voice query systems - the technology being used by the iPhone-maker in its products in the form of the Siri virtual assistant.

According to tech website AppleInsider, in its filing with the Eastern Texas District Court, Portal Communications said that the three related patents were invented by Dave Bernard, CEO of technology solutions firm The Intellection Group. All the patents titled "Multimodal natural language query system and architecture for processing voice and proximity-based queries," were transferred from The Intellection Group to Portal Communications in January.

The company alleged that Apple's Siri infringes on each of the patents-in-suit, as the voice assistant is capable of understanding - or makes an attempt to understand - natural language queries and returns their answers.

Portal Communications' complaint targets all iPhone and iPad models, Mac computers dating back to 2009, iPod touch, Apple Watch Series 3, the fourth-generation Apple TV, Apple TV 4K and HomePod.

Along with devices not compatible with Siri, including iPhones older than the iPhone 4S and iPads older than the third-generation model, the suit targets devices running iOS 3.1 or later, but does not specify what programmes or technologies are in infringement. Siri debuted with iOS 5, the report said.

Apple purchased Siri in 2010 and integrated it into its products' hardware with iPhone 4S in 2011 - nearly three years after one of the patents was granted. The company expanded the voice assistant's capabilities to its other devices, including iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and its smart speaker HomePod.
Each patent deals with methods of parsing user queries from natural language patterns into machine decipherable commands -- in the form of voice or text. It also details the methods of further processing requests using GPS location data, or other proximity information, to provide a context and environment for narrowing down a response.

Parsing is the method of receiving input in the form of sequential source programme instructions, interactive online commands, markup tags, or some other defined interface and then breaking them up into parts that can be managed by other programmes and return a meaningful response.
A non-practicing entity (NPE) is someone who holds a patent for a product or process but has no intentions of developing it.

BlackBerry on Tuesday filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Facebook and its WhatsApp and Instagram apps, arguing that they copied technology and features from BlackBerry Messenger.
Litigation over patent infringement is part of BlackBerry Chief Executive John Chen's strategy for making money for the company, which has lost market share in the smartphone market it once dominated.

"Defendants created mobile messaging applications that co-opt BlackBerry's innovations, using a number of the innovative security, user interface, and functionality enhancing features," Canada-based BlackBerry said in a filing with a Los Angeles federal court.

"Protecting shareholder assets and intellectual property is the job of every CEO," BlackBerry spokeswoman Sarah McKinney said in an email. However, she noted that litigation was "not central to BlackBerry's strategy."

The lawsuit followed years of negotiation and BlackBerry has an obligation to shareholders to pursue appropriate legal remedies, she added.
Facebook Deputy General Counsel Paul Grewal said in a statement that the company intended to fight the lawsuit.

"Blackberry's suit sadly reflects the current state of its messaging business," Grewal said. "Having abandoned its efforts to innovate, Blackberry is now looking to tax the innovation of others."
BlackBerry is trying to persuade other companies to pay licencing royalties to use its trove of more than 40,000 global patents on technology including operating systems, networking infrastructure, acoustics, messaging, automotive subsystems, cyber-security and wireless communications.
BlackBerry is also selling cyber-security software for self-driving cars.

BlackBerry sued Nokia Corp in February 2017, alleging infringement of patents relating to 3G and 4G wireless communications technology. That case is still pending in federal court in Delaware.
Last year Qualcomm Inc agreed to pay BlackBerry $940 million to resolve arbitration over royalty payments.

In October 2017 BlackBerry announced a confidential settlement with Blu Products, a Florida-based maker of low-cost mobile devices it had also sued for patent infringement.
© Thomson Reuters 2018

WhatsApp's long-requested and only recently introduced Delete for Everyone feature looks set to get an update. The most recent WhatsApp beta (v2.18.69) for Android now gives users up to 4,096 seconds (68 minutes and 16 seconds) to delete a message for everyone in a chat. Currently, in stable builds, the window a user has to delete a message for everyone is 420 seconds (or 7 minutes). Depending on how well it's received, this extension can be expected to make its way to the stable build soon. It is also reportedly making its way to the iPhone app soon.

The change was first spotted by WABetaInfo, the WhatsApp update tracking site. The site notes that v2.18.68 WhatsApp beta version for Android includes an update to the Stickers feature that disabled by default - a slight modification of its icon. Since the news was reported on Friday, WhatsApp has released two more beta versions for Android (v2.18.70 and v.2.18.71), and WABetaInfo has spotted new disabled-by-default features like Locked Recording (locking the voice message record button into place when recording), and sticker pack size display.

Another feature WhatsApp was recently spotted in testing, but once again disabled by default, shows whether a message has been forwarded. The Forwarded Message label shows up on top of message if it has been forwarded from another, or same chat. The move if nothing classifies forwards, and could be amongst the first steps to combat spam and fake news. The feature was spotted in WhatsApp beta (v2.18.67) for Android. The same version also brought Stickers to Android - but can't be used.

Android P will be the next big upgrade to Google's popular mobile operating system, with an official announcement expected at Google's I/O event later this year. New developments now reveal that Android P Developer Preview 1 may be released as early as mid-March 2018. We can expect the release to happen around March 14, i.e, Pi Day. Additionally, Android P is reported to come with "enhanced call blocking features" that might help users filter spam and unknown calls effectively.

As per a tweet by prolific tipster Evan Blass, Android P Developer Preview 1 will be available for eligible users around mid-March. Some users have speculated that it could be around Pi Day (March 14) considering the software could have a "Pie" moniker. While he does not mention any other details, we can expect the stable build of Android P to be available in the second half of 2018.

Separately, a report by XDA Developers states that Android P might be bringing enhanced call blocking to the native dialler app. AOSP commits, added by a Sony engineer, spotted online show certain new criteria that will allow users to block calls from different sources. The report says these include cases when "The phone number is not in your contacts list", "The phone number is not disclosed by the caller (Private), "The phone number is from a pay phone", "The phone number does not have any caller ID information (unknown/ unidentified)."

The report also claims that the options will appear only if the mobile carrier allows them. Additionally, it is also said that call blocking would not be applicable while making an emergency call. While the feature hasn't yet been merged into the AOSP of Android P, chances of it making it into the final build are highly likely.

Previously, reports have stated that Android P will get features such as native support for iris scanning, support for notch design, native call recording, and ability to hide signal strength (for carriers).

Microsoft has announced that its Office 2019 suite -- to be available in the second half of 2018 -- will only work on Windows 10 operating system.

"Office 2019 will ship in H2 of 2018. Previews of the new apps and servers will start shipping in the second quarter of 2018. Office 2019 apps will be supported on any supported Windows 10 Semi-Annual Channel (SAC) release," the company wrote in a blog post late on Thursday.

"Office 2019 will provide five years of mainstream support and approximately two years of extended support. This is an exception to our 'Fixed Lifecycle Policy' to align with the support period for Office 2016. Extended support will end 10/14/2025," the company added.

However, there was no change announced regarding the support term for existing versions of Office.
This release has no effect on Office for Mac, which is a separate product with a different release schedule.

Last year at Ignite, Microsoft announced Office 2019 -- the next perpetual version of Office that includes apps (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, and Skype for Business) and servers (including Exchange, SharePoint, and Skype for Business).

The company also announced servicing extensions for Windows 10 and changes to the Office 365 ProPlus system requirements.

The support for Windows 10 (versions 1511, 1607, 1703, and 1709) for enterprise and education customers running certain versions of the operating system was extended for another six months to help them move to the latest supported versions of the operating system.

WhatsApp Messenger has eventually reached your in-vehicle connectivity system through the latest Apple's CarPlay integration. The new update, which comes via WhatsApp v2.18.2 for iPhone, enables push notifications to let you easily communicate with your contacts while on the move. Previously, users were required to use Siri integration on their vehicles to interact with the WhatsApp app installed on their iPhones and iPads, but the arrival of the official CarPlay support allows you to receive messages as and when they reach your mobile devices. A dedicated WhatsApp icon will also be available on the CarPlay dash interface to provide easy access.

Leveraging the new CarPlay integration, you can check what are the new messages you've received on your WhatsApp account and can even read them loud by asking Siri. Also, you can use Siri to send messages via WhatsApp to any of your contacts. It is additionally interesting to note you can use the new integration to dictate your WhatsApp messages to Siri.

The updated WhatsApp for iPhone with the CarPlay integration is available for downloadvia the App Store. The official changelog on the App Store doesn't define the integration. However, folks at iCulture report that it comes just after installing the latest version. The integration is quite similar in nature to what has already been available for iMessages, but it reportedly doesn't allow users to browse through the list of chat conversations available in a particular account.

Companies such as Pioneer and Sony are already offering CarPlay-supported in-car audio systems. Automakers, including Ford, are also bringing their in-car communication and entertainment systems with CarPlay support to deliver a new-age in-vehicle experience

British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Thursday that taxi company Uber should not be shut down but instead should comply better with labour and safety standards.

"We need to make sure that our employment law keeps pace with the way that technology is shaping modern working practices," May told business leaders meeting at the Swiss ski resort of Davos.
"Take the example of Uber ... a company that has got things wrong along the way, with safety issues and concerns over protections for its workers," she added.

"The answer isn't to shut Uber down but rather to address those concerns and to establish and enforce the standards and protections that can make this technology work for customers and employees alike."

© Thomson Reuters 2018

Launched alongside other announcements at Google's Android Oreo (Go edition) event in December last year, the Google Files Go app is getting three new upgrades. A new SD-card only view allows users to filter content based on where it is stored. Files Go also adds support for Android tablets, allowing for a seamless transfer between phones and tablets. Lastly, a new "Open With" flow lets users choose the app that they want a file to be opened with. Files Go is available widely for Android devices.

According to a blog post by the Next Billion Users team at Google, the Files Go Android app has received an update with three significant changes to its functionality. Google claims that many of its Files Go users use SD cards to back up their files. Thus, the update has made it easier to distinguish between files stored on inbuilt storage or external storage with the new "Show SD card only" button that helps find only those files saved on the SD card.

In an attempt to create a seamless experience for users, Google Files Go app is now available on Android tablets. This allows users to "manage storage and transfer files between your small and big screen Android devices without using any data."

And, lastly, a new "Open With" tab has been rolled out to the Files Go app. It allows users to choose the app they want to open specific files with. For instance, users might want to choose their preferred word processing tool to open a word document through Files Go.

The changelog on the Play Store link also suggests that hidden files will now be hidden by default on the app.

The Files Go app has been custom built for Android Go edition phones and will come pre-installed on them. The app prompts users to regularly delete large files to make up for space on phones with limited storage space.

"With these new features, we hope it's even easier to free up space, find files faster and share files offline with Files Go," said Devesh Sarwate - Software Engineer at Files Go.

Google announced on Wednesday that it is now rolling out the Smart Reply feature to messaging app Android Messages. The AI-based Smart Reply feature was launched with Google Allo back in September 2016. It will be available only for Project Fi users currently, with no timeline on a wider rollout. Google will require access to your SMS history to help it generate intelligent responses.

The announcement was made through a tweet on Project Fi's official Twitter account. Smart Reply, launched with Google Allo, automatically suggests responses to messages that you have received. It provides contextual replies by analysing the recent message in the thread. It can be turned off by going into Settings in Android Messages, under Smart Reply. The feature currently works with Google Allo, Gmail, Google Assistant, and, now, Android Messages - but the last as we mentioned is only for Project Fi users.

Notably, this addition of Smart Reply to Android Messages comes a week after a teardown of Google's Gboard beta APK revealed that the Smart Reply intelligent suggestions are coming to the Gboard app on Android. The keyboard is expected to offer phrase-length suggestions in the topmost row. Thanks to the upcoming integration, the feature will work on wide variety of apps, negating the need for third-party app developers to bring Smart Reply support or similar features on their offerings. Apart from first party apps like Allo, Android Messages, and Hangouts, the feature was also spotted working on Facebook, Messenger Lite, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Tencent's platforms. It also works on Snapchat, albeit with limited functionality.

While Allo offers encrypted messaging, Google has been known to store your chat history and data to help enhance the Smart Reply feature. The company can decrypt your data on its servers. The process on Smart Reply on Android Messages is yet to be revealed.

Google has been shuffling between Hangouts, Allo, and Android Messages with no apparent streamlined approach to mobile messaging. It has offered features on different apps from time to time.

Project Fi is Google's virtual mobile phone service that provides phone, messaging, and data services through a combination of Wi-Fi and cellular networks. The service has partnered with Sprint, T-Mobile, and other cellular operators in the US with roaming capabilities in over 135 countries. A basic Project Fi plan starts at $20 (roughly Rs. 1,300) monthly with access to unlimited domestic voice calls, unlimited domestic text messaging, and unlimited international text messaging. Data is additional at $10 (roughly Rs. 635) per gigabyte.

Apple has released iOS 11.2.5 as the next update to the iOS 11 family. The new version is not full of many great features, unlike some of the past releases, but it does include the ability for Siri to read news - initially exclusive to the US, UK, and Australia. The iOS update also brings HomePod support ahead of its formal launch that is scheduled for February 9. Separately, Apple has also pushed watchOS 4.2.2 and tvOS 11.2.5.

Among other features, the iOS 11.2.5 updatefinally empowers Siri to read news, a feature that would make Apple's voice assistant a stronger contender against Google Assistant and Amazon's Alexa. Users in the US, UK, and Australia can initially avail the new feature and catch all the latest happenings from the world of sports, business, and music. If you're living in the supported regions, you just need to ask, "Hey Siri, read the news." You can also pick a specific news category to precisely listening to what's new in the section that interests you the most.

Folks at 9to5Mac have reported that Siri by default plays a daily news feed from The Washington Post, while users can switch sources to Fox News, CNN, or NPR as well. There is no word on the mass availability of Siri as a newsreader on iOS devices. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that the US, UK, and Australia are also the first regions where the HomePod is debuting next month.

Apart from the news reading option, the iOS 11.2.5 update comes with HomePod support. This allows you to set up and automatically transfer your Apple ID, Apple Music, Siri, and Wi-Fi settings directly to your HomePod unit. The same HomePod support was initially spotted in the iOS 11.2.5 beta.

The iOS 11.2.5 update also addresses an issue that could cause the Phone app to display incomplete information in the call list and fixes the issue that disabled Mail notifications on the Lock screen specifically from some Exchange accounts when unlocking iPhone X with Face ID. Further, there are bug fixes for issues such as the one that could cause Messages conversations to temporarily be listed out of order and CarPlay making Now Playing controls unresponsive after changing multiple tracks. The update also adds the ability for VoiceOver to announce playback destinations and AirPod battery level. Besides, the new iOS version is expected to include a fix for the chaiOS message bug that was discovered earlier this month. The security update contents of iOS 11.2.5 can be found here,

You can download the iOS 11.2.5 update on iPhone 5s and above models, iPad Air and above models, iPad mini 2 and above models, or the sixth generation iPod touch. To download the update, you need to go to Settings > General > Software Update and then follow the on-screen instructions. Your device should be running on a Wi-Fi connection to download the over-the-air (OTA) update. Also, it is advisable to back up your data before beginning the update process.

watchOS 4.2.2 and tvOS 11.2.5

In addition to the iOS 11.2.5 rollout, Apple has released watchOS 4.2.2 for all Apple Watch models, including the Series 1, Series 2, and Series 3, and tvOS 11.1 for the fourth- and fifth-generation Apple TV devices. The current watchOS build is 15S542, while the new tvOS build is 15K552.

The watchOS 4.2.2 update has some unspecified improvements and bug fixes. Some watchOS beta testers have reported that the update basically makes the navigation in the redesigned Workouts app faster. We can also expect an overall uplift in the performance of all the Apple Watch models through the latest software version. There are numerous security fixes in the watchOS 4.2.2 update however, including those in audio, Bluetooth, kernel, and WebKit.

Here's how you can update your Apple Watch to watchOS 4.2.2. First, you need to have at least 50 percent charge on the Apple Watch before you start the update - it is also recommended to keep it charging while updating. Your iPhone will to be in close proximity to the Apple Watch and will need to be on Wi-Fi. After this, users will need to launch the Watch app on their iPhone and head to the My Watch tab and then General > Software Update. Enter the Watch passcode if prompted and then follow the prompts from your iPhone. The Apple Watch should restart twice before the update is completed.

Similar to the latest watchOS version, the tvOS 11.2.5 doesn't have a feature-rich changelog, beyond "general performance and stability improvements". It simply enables the compatible Apple TV models to display a Now Playing tile in the Control Center on iPhone and iPad. This comes as an early part of AirPlay 2 that would debut sometime later this year. There are several security fixes available in the update however.

To update your Apple TV to tvOS 11.2.5, you need to open the Settings app on your TV and then navigate to Settings > Systems > Software Update. Once this is done, the Apple TV will search for the update and you can proceed to download tvOS 11.2.5 following the on-screen instructions.

Alongside the new iOS, watchOS, and tvOS updates, Apple has also released macOS El Capitan 10.11.6, macOS Sierra 10.12.6, and macOS High Sierra 10.13.3. The new macOS El Capitan and macOS Sierra updates prominently fix the recently discovered Meltdown bug.

Facebook-owned image sharing platform Instagram has collaborated with Giphy to announce the rollout of a new millennial-focused feature on its Android and iOS app. Starting Tuesday, GIF stickers will be available globally as a part of the Stickers tab in Instagram Stories. Instagram Stories were first revealed back in August 2016. In this time, it has grown to 300 million DAU (Daily Active Users).

Thanks to the partnership with Giphy, Instagram users can now add funny GIF stickers to their public and private stories. "Users can add as many stickers as they'd like from a growing library, and will have hand-curated recommendations to turn even their seemingly mundane moments into fun, expressive and artistic moments to share," Instagram stated. GIF stickers will be available as part of version 29 on Android and iOS.

The feature was first spotted by The Next Web in a beta update in November 2017. Gadgets 360 got early access to the official update and here are our initial impressions of GIF stickers.

GIF stickers on Instagram Stories
To access the new feature, you need to take a photo, choose one from the gallery, or record a video on the Instagram Stories tab in the app. Next, click on the Stickers icon on the top right of the screen. Within the list, you will find the new GIF button to add the animated stickers to the photo or video you chose.

Clicking on the button will take you to a list of the top trending GIF stickers. You can now choose from any of the stickers you like and place it anywhere on the image or video. You can resize the GIF sticker, place more stickers, and add text as usual. You can also tap on the GIF sticker to reverse it.
The GIF search library is commendable, and you can search for hundreds of thousands of stickers present in Giphy's GIF database. Instagram has kept things minimal without too many additional options, a good thing for social media apps. Its sibling Facebook Messenger could probably learn a thing or two.

In our testing of the feature, we searched for GIF stickers of pop culture characters like Michael Scott from The Office, Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother, Jon Snow from Game of Thrones, among others, and were impressed with the variety of stickers available for use.

Instagram recommends searching for keywords like "Accessories" to find interesting face stickers such as sunglasses, hats, lips, and so on. Searching for "Effects" will return results of stickers that you can use to enhance the ambience in your story. Additionally, stickers in the "Peekers" category give a 3D illusion; they pop up and disappear.

Alternatively, you can search for "Word Art" to get fancy words in the form of a GIF; or even search for "Emoji" to get some special emoji packs.

How it fares against competition
In terms of market size, Instagram Stories only has 'competition' from the likes of WhatsApp Stories. In terms of features though, Instagram is known to borrow several features from Snapchat in the past. Things like face filters, self-destructing private stories, and regular stickers were first seen on Snapchat. At the time of writing, Snapchat does offer animated stickers albeit with an extremely limited library. It does, however, claim that seasonal stickers are released around events like Christmas.

With the Giphy partnership, Instagram has reiterated its stronghold in the market and given users yet another chance to interact on the platform. Instagram's next public announcement will be when we find out whether users spend time on the new feature or not.

"In the coming weeks, we're also rolling out the ability to upload photos and videos of any size to your story - so you never have to lose part of a photo or cut a friend out of a group video," said Instagram in a blog post. However, we are already able to see this feature on Instagram Stories.

Snap said it is launching a new feature on Snapchat on Tuesday, allowing users to share public stories with friends and family who aren't on the app.

The company, which reported lower-than-expected 178 million daily active users in the third quarter ended September 30, has been trying to attract new users and rolling out features, aiming to increase the time users spend on the app.

Snap's shares were up about 1 percent in premarket trading on Tuesday.
Snapchat users will be able to press and hold on the tiles in Discover feature to share Official Stories, Our Stories and Search Stories via a shareable link, the company said. These links will then open through a player on Snap's website.

Snapchat, known for its messages that disappear seconds after they are read, said Our Stories and Search Stories will be available on the website for 30 days, while Official Stories will disappear after 24 hours.

The company also added that it is not ruling out monetisation of the stories.
Earlier this month, Snap said it would partner with Fox Sports to showcase stories with matchday highlights on the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament to be hosted in Russia later this year.

The Snapchat app was revamped last November to simplify navigation after complaints that it was difficult to use.

© Thomson Reuters 2018

A federal judge refused to grant preliminary approval for Uber Technologies's proposed $3 million class-action settlement with 2,421 New York drivers who accused the ride-sharing company of retaining excessive fees from their fares.

In a decision on Friday, US District Judge Nicholas Garaufis in Brooklyn objected to a provision allowing the revival of breach of contract claims he had dismissed, so long as the settlement won final approval.

Garaufis said such a "conditional stipulation" appeared to leave "in limbo" whether the settling drivers' claims had enough in common for him to approve the proposed settlement.

The judge also objected to a $2,500 payment to a driver whose claims had been deemed subject to arbitration. Garaufis said the drivers could submit a revised settlement for approval.

"We anticipate refiling our motion early this week," Jonathan Greenbaum, a lawyer for the drivers, said on Monday.

Uber did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Drivers had accused Uber of accounting improperly for sales taxes and a "Black Car Fund" fee, which relates to workers' compensation, in fares when calculating service fees, thereby increasing the amounts owed.

They also accused the San Francisco-based company Uber of falsely advertising guaranteed compensation for drivers without disclosing the conditions.

Uber has denied all allegations.

The settlement covered drivers who used the Uber app to arrange rides in New York since December 29, 2009, and whose claims were not subject to arbitration.

It was reached after Uber paid more than $80 million to roughly 96,000 drivers in New York, following its admission that it had inadvertently underpaid drivers for two-and-a-half years, court papers show.

Google is rolling out a new feature on Android 8.1 Oreo that shows the speed of Wi-Fi networks before users connect to them. After teasing the feature for a while now, Google has finally announced the new feature. This Wi-Fi speed labels on Android Oreo is applicable to open Wi-Fi, which means users can gauge the speed before connecting to public networks.

It should be noted that Android's new feature will not be able to show the exact network speed. It just gives a close idea of the signal strength for users to determine whether they wish to connect to a Wi-Fi network or not. Another vital requirement is that the smartphone must be running Android 8.1 Oreo to avail the feature.

In order to check the network speed, users will have to go to the Settings app on their smartphone. Under the Network and Internet tab, they have to go to the Wi-Fi list. From the listed networks, the user needs to select one that needs to be connected. Further, connection speed will be shown under the names of public networks. Notably, the displayed speed can change with signal strength.

Based on what users can do with the signal strength, Google has divided the speed into four categories - Slow ("If you can use Wi-Fi calling, you can make phone calls and send texts"), OK ("You can read webpages, use social media, and stream music"), Fast ("You can stream most videos"), and Very Fast ("You can stream very high-quality videos"). Orrin, a Pixel User Community Manager, explained the speeds for each label in a forum, as - Slow (0 to 1 Mbps), OK (1 Mbps to 5 Mbps), Fast (5 Mbps to 20 Mbps), and Very Fast (20 Mbps+).

Users can also disable the functionality by going to Wi-Fi Preferences, under the same Wi-Fi tab. Further, under the Advanced option, select 'None' in the Network rating provider tab.

WhatsApp has leveraged the enhanced notification support on Android 8.0 Oreo by bringing support for app notification channels. The new support is already available through the latest WhatsApp beta versions and is likely to soon be available to the masses via the next public release. It ultimately allows you to disable the certain WhatsApp notifications you find inconsequential and prioritise those that matter to you. Importantly, notification channels were first implemented for Google Chromenotifications to let users adjust notifications for individual sites back in July last year.

The latest beta versions of WhatsApp for Android support 10 notification channels, namely group notifications, message notifications, chat history backup, critical app alerts, failure notifications, media playback, uncategorised, other notifications, sending media, and silent notifications. Each of the available notification channels has discrete settings to help you give high importance to only the notifications that are important to you. For instance, you can go to the group notifications channel and set importance level for group messages to 'Low' from the default 'Urgent' to stop receiving notifications on a regular basis. There is also an option to manage group notifications distinctly, apart from the group message notifications. Additionally, you can use the new update to even set WhatsApp notifications to override the 'Do Not Disturb' feature.

You can see the available types of notification channels for the WhatsApp app by long-pressing its icon and then go to the 'Notifications' section after tapping the 'App Info' option. In case, you'd like to adjust notification priority for WhatsApp Web, you just need to go to the 'Other notifications' channel and then select your preference from 'Urgent', 'High', 'Medium', and 'Low' importance settings. Moving to the 'Low' importance preference will completely disable the WhatsApp Web notification icon from your mobile device and a simple line will be available in the notification panel that will help you know that the WhatsApp Web access is currently active.

Alongside the notification channel integration, the latest WhatsApp beta versions also include the ability to let users switch from voice to video calls. This means that you can move between the voice and video calls without hanging up any of the two. Moreover, a video button is available in the in-call menu to let you make video calls during your voice calls.

Folks at Android Police have reported that both the features are available through the WhatsApp v2.18.18 beta, which is available for download in the APK form through APK Mirror, as well as through the Google Play beta programme. We're separately seeing the notification channel update on the WhatsApp v2.18.19 beta downloaded via Google Play. It is worth noting here that the changes are only visible if you're using a device running Android 8.0 Oreo or above.

Twitter in October had announced that it is developing a bookmarking feature to save tweets for later. The social media giant appears to be finally testing the new feature on Android smartphones. While the feature was called Save For Later earlier, the name was changed to Bookmarks in the following month. In November, the company said that it had started testing the feature. With the latest update, it is clear that Twitter has stayed with the name and the feature is aimed at helping Twitter users privately flag tweets for personal viewing at their convenience.

A report from 9to5Google has revealed that the Bookmarks feature was spotted in the latest beta (version 7.29) for Twitter's Android app. We were not able to see the same feature however, despite being on the same version. It thus appears to be a limited test for beta users. The report says, "Tapping the carrot in the top-right corner of every tweet reveals a new "Add Tweet to Bookmarks" option that is now the very first item in that menu. A snack bar pops up at the bottom of the display to confirm the action, with it featuring a shortcut to view the full list of saved tweets." Meanwhile, the Bookmarks can be accessed in the navigation drawer placed below the Moments tab, the report adds.

To recall, Twitter had announced in October 2017 that it is developing the feature to save tweets. Additionally, Keith Coleman, Head of Product, Twitter, had revealed that a new feature #SaveForLater was in the works. Later, in November, Tina Koyama, a staff product designer at the company, had tweeted "News from the #SaveForLater team! We've decided to call our feature 'Bookmarks' because that's a commonly used term for saving content and it fits nicely alongside the names of the other features in the navigation."

Bookmarks, which essentially keeps a private copy of a tweet for the user instead of liking or retweeting, has been a much-awaited feature. Twitter's product manager Jesar Shah had said in October last year that the feature was popularly requested by users.

Meanwhile, Twitter has not made any official announcement regarding the feature as of now. It also raises questions such as what will be the time limit until when the tweets will be saved, or whether the private copy will remain with the user even after the original tweet is deleted.

The WhatsApp Business standalone app was announced by Facebook on Wednesday in an effort to make business communication with customers more streamlined for SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) on the popular messaging platform. A part of its WhatsApp for Business initiative that was first officially announced back in September last year and tested with businesses like BookMyShow and MakeMyTrip in India since, the new app for SMEs is now available to download via Google Play in Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, the UK, and the US. The WhatsApp Business app is free, and will be rolled out across the world in the coming weeks, which is when it can be expected in India. It will be only available for Android phones at launch, but the company will eventually have a version for iPhones too.

The WhatsApp Business app is aimed at making it easier to for small companies to connect with their customers, and more convenient for the 1.3 billion WhatsApp users to chat with businesses that matter to them. The app will help customers with useful information such as a business description, email or store addresses and website.

It will also save time with smart messaging tools - quick replies that provide fast answers to frequently asked questions, greeting messages that introduce customers to your business, and away messages that let them know you're busy.

"People will know that they're talking to a business because you will be listed as a Business Account. Over time, some businesses will have Confirmed Accounts once it's been confirmed that the account phone number matches the business phone number," WhatsApp said in a statement.

Regular users can continue using WhatsApp as usual as there's no need to download anything new. "People will continue to have full control over the messages they receive, with the ability to block any number, including businesses, as well as report spam," the company added.

The statement claimed WhatsApp helps over 80 percent of small businesses in India and Brazil communicate with customers and grow their business, citing a Morning Consult study. WhatsApp also claimed that 84 percent of SMBs think that WhatsApp helps them communicate with customers, andA80 percent of SMBs think that WhatsApp helps them grow their business.

The new business accounts are aimed at firms that receive a high volume of WhatsApp messages and need help keeping up, WhatsApp Chief Operating Officer Matt Idema said. "What we saw was a need for businesses to have more efficient tools," Idema said in an interview with Reuters.

Idema, who was a Facebook executive before he joined WhatsApp last year, said WhatsApp intends to charge businesses in some form in the future, but he said it was too soon to discuss when that would happen or what the future business services would look like.

WhatsApp competes in a crowded market that also includes Facebook's Messenger application, Tencent Holdings's WeChat and numerous other messaging services.

Written with agency inputs

A NEW STRAIN of Android malware dubbed 'AdultSwine' infiltrated more than 60 apps and exposed potentially 'millions' of children to pornographic material.

AdultSwine was first uncovered by researchers at Check Point security, who claim that the threat's malicious code had hidden inside around 60 apps in the Google Play Store. These apps have been downloaded onto as many as seven million Android devices, according to the researchers, and a number were targeted squarely at children.

This is especially bad news at AdultSwine, once installed on a device, would display adverts from the web that were often highly inappropriate and pornographic.

"As for the ads being displayed, they come from two main sources; the first is that of the main ad providers, which forbid such illegitimate display of their ads," Check Point said.

"The second is the malicious code's own ad library, which contains ads of an offensive nature, including pornographic ads. All these are displayed to children while playing the game that the app is masquerading as."

As well as throwing up explicit content, AdultSwine also attempted to trick users into downloading other apps, including dodgy 'security' apps that, ironically, promised to help protect the device against malicious content. The malware did so by displaying advertisements in the victim's web browser that claimed the device was infected or prompted them to download an app to remove a virus.

AdultSwine also attempted to get the user to sign up for premium services, such as text messaging scams, which would charge the victim and generate profit for the attackers.

While many of the infected apps were relatively obscure, Check Point notes that a handful of them were popular. A game called 'Five Nights Survival Craft', for example, had as many as five million downloads, while a kid-focused app called 'Mcqueen Car Racing Game' had been downloaded one million times. A full list of infected apps can be viewed on the Check Point blog.

However, you needn't worry too much, as Google said in a statement that it has removed the infected apps from the Play Store and disabled the developers' accounts.

"We appreciate Check Point's work to help keep users safe," a Google spokesperson added.

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