messages

Apple, Google remove Trojan spamming app from stores

Apple and Google removed an app from their app stores after it was revealed to be harvesting users' phone contacts as spam targets.

The Find and Call app was originally thought to be an SMS worm but later discovered to be a Trojan, according to Kaspersky Lab. The Russian software security firm said it alerted by Apple and Google to the presence of the malware in their stores, leading to the app's removal.

Apple confirmed it removed the app for violating App Store rules.

"The Find & Call app has been removed from the App Store due to … Read more

What to do when Messages beta is not functioning

Since installing the beta version of Messages (on day one), I have quite enjoyed its capability to sync with my iOS device messages as well as Google Chat, AIM, and other Jabber accounts. Today though, Messages did not open as expected.

At first I thought it had something to do with the beta version running out. Recently, Apple took down the capability to download Messages, so perhaps disabling the beta version was part of the plan all along. But, that doesn't really make sense without a clear replacement intact.

With Mountain Lion still being tested, I needed to find … Read more

HDD Health monitors S.M.A.R.T. data in many systems

PanteraSoft's HDD Health is a compact piece of freeware based on a good idea: monitoring your hard drives' S.M.A.R.T. data to alert you when temperatures get too high, disk space gets too low, or signs point to impending disk failure. HDD Health then issues pop-up, audible, or e-mail alerts in any combination you choose. But while the latest build claims compatibility with Windows 7, we found that HDD Health wouldn't display S.M.A.R.T. data in 64-bit Windows 7 installations, something other users have had issues with as well.

HDD Health is … Read more

National Weather Service alerts headed to smartphones

Live in an area prone to flash floods, hurricanes, blizzards? Smartphone users will soon get a severe-weather alert from the National Weather Service, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The new nationwide emergency alert system, called the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), sends 90-character text messages to smartphones of people facing extreme weather conditions. Severe weather defined by the NOAA includes tornadoes, flash floods, hurricanes, extreme wind, blizzards and ice storms, tsunamis, and dust storms. Note that thunderstorms aren't on the list because they occur so frequently. … Read more

Mountain Lion shipping in July

Mountain Lion, originally seeded to developers in February, will be available from the Mac App Store in July for $19.99.

Apple's new operating system takes the Mac OS in a new direction, with Apple integrating a number of iOS-inspired features from its mobile devices. Apple SVP Craig Federighi says the new OS has over 200 new features, including notifications, Reminders, Game Center, Documents in the Cloud, and Messages. Many of these features are standalone programs, but some such as the Notification Center and sharing tools are systemwide services. Apple is also enhancing security options with its Gatekeeper technology, … Read more

Cute Pantech Swift messaging phone joins AT&T for $69.99

AT&T is trotting out a new QWERTY messaging phone, the Pantech Swift, going on sale today.

With its lavender accents, there's little question of Pantech's young audience, and the compact phone is appropriately priced at $69.99 with two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate.

The QWERTY keyboard, by the way, supplements the otherwise too-small 2.8-inch QVGA touch screen. Pantech has also added some curvature -- a slightly curved screen that also angles up when you slide it open. Button-pushers will also get a single hardware select button beneath the phone's face.

The … Read more

Google buys Meebo to bolster Google+

It looks like the rumors were true: Google has picked up Web IM company Meebo.

Meebo announced the news in a blog post today (which was brought to our attention by TechCrunch):

We are happy to announce that Meebo has entered into an agreement to be acquired by Google!

For more than seven years we've been helping publishers find deeper relationships with their users and to make their sites more social and engaging. Together with Google, we're super jazzed to roll up our sleeves and get cracking on even bigger and better ways to help users and Web … Read more

Quickly delete multiple Facebook messages in Chrome

With all of your private Facebook communication now happening in the Messages area, clutter can build up quickly. Looking at the list of messages you'll see an option next to each one for Archiving. Unfortunately, this doesn't actually delete the message, it just removes it from the main list. If you want to permanently delete a message, you have to open the thread, click a button at the top and then delete.

Instead of visiting each message thread, check out Facebook Fast Delete Messages, a handy extension for Google Chrome. Here's how to get started:

Step 1: … Read more

Let Timehop remind you what you were doing exactly one year ago today

Ever wonder what you were doing exactly one year ago? Or how about what you said on Twitter or Facebook last year? Instagram? What were you saying in text messages? There's an easy way to find out.

Take a trip in a virtual time machine each morning when you wake up by using Timehop.

Timehop will curate your Facebook status updates, your tweets, your Foursquare check-ins, your Instagram photos, and even your text conversations from one year ago, package them together in an entertaining e-mail, and send it to you each morning.

You can get started by visiting the&… Read more