Smarter ways to save in 2021: The ‘autosave’ apps that analyse your bills and spending to calculate how much you can squirrel away Plum & Chip are two such apps that can help you with potential savings Some round up payments to the nearest pound and stash away the difference Others look at your spending … Read more
Smartphone fitness apps and wearable activity trackers really boost physical activity levels, a new study reveals. After analysing data of 7,454 people, researchers found smartphone apps or activity trackers increased physical activity by an average of 1,850 steps a day. Apps and tracker programmes that included text-messaging involving prompts and cues, and more tailored and … Read more
Amazon and Sky have agreed a new partnership to host each other’s apps for UK streaming fans in time for Christmas. The deal means customers in the UK and Ireland can watch content from across both platforms in one place for the first time over the festive period. From today, Amazon Prime Video, the US … Read more
A car management app is launching a new product that promises drivers motor cover in under a minute. Caura says it is the first app that allows users to pay for and manage all aspects of their car through their phone. It has partnered with six insurers to cover nearly all UK drivers with the entire … Read more
Two new artificial intelligence apps use your smartphone camera to screen for urinary tract infections (UTIs) or possible signs of chronic kidney disease. Designed to cater for people in lockdown, the apps from Israel-based health technology company Healthy.io claim to turn your smartphone into a ‘clinical-grade medical device’. With the UTI app, called Velieve, users order … Read more
With most UK Covid restrictions limiting us to local exercise, websites and apps listing the best walks close to home have been booming. The National Trust has seen visits to 1,300 walking trails pages on its website double already this month, while the Ramblers, which offers more than 3,000 routes on its website, has recently … Read more
Apple is requiring developers to include privacy ‘nutritional labels’ with apps that disclose what type of user data is collected The labels help users see developers’ practices before downloading an app Labels show if apps record users’ browsing history or location, among other data Some data-gathering is exempt, like info in optional feedback forms The new … Read more
Facebook rolls out testing for Dark Mode for its iOS and Android apps five months after launching the feature on its desktop site Dark Mode reduces eye-strain in low-light areas and can save on battery life Facebook has already rolled out Dark Mode for Messenger and desktop Now it’s rolling out more widely on the … Read more
Experts ‘easily hijack’ the election apps of both Biden and Trump just days after the President falsely declared ‘nobody gets hacked’ Mr Trump made the false claim at a campaign event in Arizona on October 21 Norwegian experts used a well-known Android vulnerability to alter the apps They tweaked the Republican app so that it fundraised … Read more
Why white noise apps won’t help you to sleep: Hum of a fan or synthetic sounds from a smartphone may cause more harm than good, study suggests Millions have downloaded white noise apps in desperate bid to beat insomnia Calming noises such as crashing waves or the sounds of nature are though to aid restful … Read more