Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Software : You no longer need Facebook to use Messenger

Software : You no longer need Facebook to use Messenger

You no longer need Facebook to use Messenger

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You no longer need Facebook to use Messenger

Facebook today announced that it is now giving users the option to sign up for its Messenger chat app without needing to have a Facebook account.

"If you're in Canada, the United States, Peru or Venezuela, we are starting to roll out a new way for you to sign up for Messenger – without a Facebook account," Facebook said in a blog post.

You will, however, need a phone number (and to live in the above mentioned countries, until Facebook rolls out the new feature to the rest of the world).

After opening up the app on a phone, tablet or the web, you'll be asked if you want to sign up with a Facebook account or if you're "Not on Facebook".

If you don't have an account, you'll then be given the option to upload their phone contacts, and from here it will match users that have their number linked to their Facebook (or Messenger) accounts.

A Messenger for all?

The new update to the chat application will give Facebook-less users regular Messenger features, like photos, videos, group chats, voice and video calling and stickers.

However, if you don't have a Facebook account, you will miss out on things like syncing across phones, tablets and web as well as accessing Facebook friends' contacts and older messages.

Still, by opening up Messenger to people who just don't want a Facebook account should put Facebook's chap application in a better position against its competition, like Whatsapp and Viber.

Will you be signing on to a Facebook-less Messenger?

Updated: Microsoft Office now available for free on Android smartphones

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Updated: Microsoft Office now available for free on Android smartphones

Update June 24: Microsoft's Office suite is now officially available for Android smartphones. The gamut of Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps are available for download (for free) from the Google Play Store.

Original article below...

After having been available for Windows Phone, iPhone, iPad and Android tablets, an improved Office experience is now headed to Android smartphones. In this initial release, Office for Android phones is only available as a beta, or preview, with three apps in the Google Play Store – Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

"The Office for Android phone apps are modern, optimized for touch and designed for work on the go," Microsoft said of the experience in a statement. "Familiar navigation and menu options in the ribbon are placed at the bottom of the screen within reach of your thumbs so you can easily review and edit documents on your phone."

How to download

In order to download the app, you must join Microsoft's Office beta program for Android devices. You'll need to join the community, and opt to become a beta tester for Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

It may take up to a few hours for your beta request to register, but once that happens you'll be good to download the apps from the Google Play Store.

Collaboration and sharing

According to Microsoft, you can create, open, edit and save files in the cloud from your Android phone so you can access them through services like OneDrive, SharePoint, Dropbox, Google Drive and Box. If you're collaborating with others on a project, Office for Android phones allows you to track changes, comment and markup documents.

Office for Android smartphones will compete with Google's Docs, Sheets and Slides apps along with a number of third-party Office alternatives.

During this preview period, the Office Mobile app for Android phones will continue to appear in the Play Store. "We will disclose more about our plans for this app later in the year when we announce general availability of the new Office for Android phone apps," Microsoft said.

Has Google been listening to us via Chrome?

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Has Google been listening to us via Chrome?

Google has angered privacy campaigners and open source developers after claims surfaced that it has secretly installed eavesdropping software inside one of its most popular programs.

The developers behind the Chromium browser have reportedly found audio-snooping code inside Chrome that is able to listen to users, a function that was remotely installed by the company behind the browser, Google, according to the Guardian.

Designed to support the "OK, Google" feature that has recently been rolled out to Chrome, the feature was automatically turned on without the user's permission. Google has since denied that this is the case.

"While we do download the hotword module on startup, we do not activate it unless you opt in to hotwording," according to a post by Google on its developer boards.

The crux of the issue surrounds the open-source version of Chrome, Chromium. Campaigners are unhappy at the fact that the listening code has been installed as part of Chromium despite it being considered "black box," not a part of the open source audit process.

Chromium isn't Google

"We don't know and can't know what this black box does," said Rick Falkvinge, founder of the Pirate party.

Google later clarified that Chromium "is not a Google product" and that it doesn't "make any guarantees with respect to compliance with various open source policies." Google also leveled some blame at Linux distribution Debian's door for automatically providing the non open source component with Chromium.

Instagram's latest update puts Twitter on notice

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Instagram's latest update puts Twitter on notice

Instagram got a sizeable update today that overhauls its Explore page and introduces trending Tags and Places. The update looks like Instagram's move to position itself as the place to be for real-time events and moments (sorry, Twitter).

Unlike the previous Explore page, which listed personalized posts based on things you've liked and users you follow, the new Explore page pulls up Trending Tags.

The more targeted posts from the previous iteration of the Explore page will still be available to users below the new Trending Tags bar.

There are also curated collections featured at the top of the page that will be updated twice a week, featuring collections like "towering rocks" and "extreme athletes" for users to explore.

Seeing is better than reading?

Instagram's search also got a power-boost with the option to search places, not just people and tags. Instagram has also added Top Search, which gives the option to search across people, tags and places together.

"With more than 70 million photos and videos posted to Instagram every day, wherever something is happening, chances are you can see it here," Instagram wrote on its blog introducing the new features.

But Instagram has a clear target in mind with the update. Seemingly taking a jab at the more text-heavy Twitter, Instagram added on its blog: "Rich visual content captures everyone's unique take - not just what the community is talking about, but also what they're doing and seeing."

Instagram 7.0 can be downloaded starting today, and while the new Explore features are US-only for now, Instagram assures us it's working on introducing the new features globally.
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