Author: Daniel (The Tech Blog UK)
Beeper Mini debuted on Tuesday, promising to bring secure iMessage functionality to Android, and initially, it performed exceptionally well. However, in less than a week, the app appears to have encountered issues. Recently, iMessage apps for Android have grown more common, often with questionable security arrangements. Beeper Mini took a unique and innovative route by entirely reverse engineering iMessage, enabling users to directly sign into their Apple ID and link their Android phone number. Remarkably, the company even devised a method to solely link a phone number, bypassing the requirement for an Apple ID. The functionality was highly effective. The…
It looks like Threads is gearing up to launch in the European Union next week, specifically on December 14. Instagram subtly hinted at this through a countdown timer on the Threads website visible only to EU users and a new “ticket” feature in the Instagram app, suggesting the imminent arrival of Threads. Although Instagram hasn’t made an official announcement yet, these teasers strongly indicate the December 14 launch date. Additionally, EU users can find an invitation to use Threads by searching for the word “ticket” in the “Search” tab on Instagram, providing personalized information, including a QR code, about when…
The latest Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer video has achieved a record-breaking milestone by amassing nearly 100 million views on YouTube within just 24 hours. This remarkable achievement, excluding music videos, surpasses the previous record-holder, a video created by the renowned YouTuber MrBeast. When music videos are taken into account, the leading spot is secured by the K-pop sensation BTS with their song “Butter,” which garnered a staggering 108 million views within a single day. Initially scheduled for release on Tuesday, video game publisher Rockstar was set to unveil the first trailer for the game. However, due to an online…
Unlike hashtags, each post can only have one tag or topic assigned to it. On various platforms like Instagram, flooding posts with numerous hashtags is common, cluttering the content. Threads takes a different approach, avoiding this issue entirely. According to Meta, this approach “makes it easier for others who care about that topic to find and read your post,” ensuring a more focused and streamlined browsing experience. Another key distinction with tags lies in their appearance within posts. Tags are incorporated by typing the # symbol alongside the text. However, in the published post, they don’t display with the symbol.…
After three years since the announcement that Facebook and Instagram users could communicate via Messenger, Meta is changing direction. The social media giant merged the direct messaging services of both platforms in September 2020, aiming to integrate Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp chats, creating a more unified experience within Meta’s ecosystem. However, starting in mid-December, this cross-app communication will cease to exist. Meta recently updated the Instagram help center, revealing that users won’t be able to initiate new chats or calls between Instagram and Facebook via Messenger. Existing cross-platform conversations will become read-only, preventing any further message exchanges. Furthermore, Facebook users…
Spotify seems to be reintroducing in-app payments within its iOS app, as hinted by coding clues found in the latest beta. Aaron Perris, a contributor to MacRumors, unearthed these new code references, showcasing an in-app payment system. This includes glimpses of an IAP checkout screen and panels for retrying purchases that didn’t go through. While it’s unclear what exactly these IAP references indicate, their inclusion is intriguing. For the past seven years, Spotify hasn’t allowed customers to sign up for a Spotify Premium subscription through the App Store. Instead, the company restricted sign-ups to its website to avoid Apple’s fees.…
The recently launched EE TV platform in the UK is making quite a splash with its tailored Apple TV 4K integration! This groundbreaking offering provides access to a wealth of entertainment options, including more than 70 Freeview channels, a Netflix subscription, and premium channels from renowned providers such as Sky, Discovery, Eurosport, and TNT Sports, among others. Subscribers have a variety of options to access this platform. They can choose between a standard “mini” box, a “pro” box equipped with a hard drive for live TV recording, or, in a pioneering move termed a “UK-first” by EE, a specially customized…
Exciting news for iPhone users! WhatsApp has unveiled a new feature that allows sharing photos and videos in their original quality through the messaging platform. In the recent update, version 23.24.73, WhatsApp has introduced an option to send media files without compromising their quality. This improvement comes shortly after the previous update that enabled users to send media in high resolution or “HD quality,” which still involved compression. The latest feature bypasses compression entirely by enabling photos and videos to be shared as files, preserving their pristine quality. The rollout of this new option is set to occur gradually over…
Mobile phone use to be banned during the school day, including at break times, new guidance recommends. Mobile phone use should be banned in schools across England to improve behaviour, the Education Secretary Gillian Keegan announced today. New guidance from the Department for Education will back head teachers in banning mobile phone use throughout the school day, including at break times, to tackle disruptive behaviour and online bullying while boosting attention during lessons. It aims to support the wider work the government is doing to raise standards in schools by increasing students’ focus and reducing distractions. This ban supports the hard work of…
Currys’ MVNO iD Mobile has amassed 1.5 million subscribers using Three’s network, up from from its 800,000 customers five years ago. This milestone arrives eight years after iD Mobile’s launch through Carphone Warehouse, Dixons Carphone, Currys, and PC World stores, as well as online. iD Mobile initially partnered with Three in 2015 and claimed the titles of the fastest-growing post-pay MVNO and the first UK MVNO to introduce Wi-Fi calling and VoLTE. “We are delighted to reach this milestone, which reflects the trust and loyalty our customers have placed in iD Mobile. Achieving 1.5 million subscriptions is more than just a…