Tech trick: Use your phone to identify plants and animals
Thanks to smartphones, you don’t need to carry a camera anymore. Modern phone cameras are pretty advanced and offer many features to satisfy even professional photographers.
With the potential to take thousands of photos, finding that one image you want to share can be challenging. And what about those photos you don’t want anyone seeing. Tap or click here to learn how to find your photos fast and keep your private ones hidden.
What do you do when you spot a plant, animal or landmark and want more information? You don’t need to do a Google search. Your phone can identify it for you. Keep reading to find out how.
Just tap the star
What breed of dog is that? What species of flower is growing out of that hedge? Who painted this beautiful portrait?
If you enjoy questioning the world around you, you will love Visual Lookup. This feature, introduced with iOS 15, helps identify and learn more about certain subjects found within your photos.
All you need to do is take a picture with your iPhone, or you can use one you already took. Next:
- Open the image in the Photos app.
- Look for the i symbol at the bottom of your screen. If it has two stars attached to it, the image is compatible with Visual Lookup.
- Swipe up on the photo or tap the starred i symbol to get more information about the photo.
- Tap Look Up on your iPhone and you’ll get more information about the subject in the photo as well as search results from the web.
Try testing the feature’s accuracy by using it on a photo of a subject you already know about.
Try it with Google
Here’s why one-third of apps could disappear from iOS and Android stores
Millions of apps are available on the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Naturally, not all of them are of the highest quality, with a few simply terrible or severely outdated. You might wonder why these types of apps are still available.
Trouble reading your prescription labels? There's an app for that
Americans spend more on prescription drugs than any other country globally, with more than $358 billion in costs in 2020. The amount is staggering, and you feel it if you take one or more prescription drugs.
You may also think you have no other options. Luckily, there are ways you can save a good chunk of cash on the pills you take every day. Tap or click here to learn how to get your meds for less.
These free antivirus and cleaning apps are putting your phone at risk - Delete them now
You’re never 100% safe from cyberattacks, no matter how careful you are. From malware to viruses to breaches, the best you can do is take precautions to lower your risk.
You may think it’s easy to detect a hacker on your phone. It’s not. The longer a hack goes undetected, the more damage it can do. Tap or click here to learn about signs that your phone is under attack.
Google is banning this popular type of app from the Play Store
Tons of apps are available for Android devices, spanning various categories from games and daily planners to smart home apps. You might even run into some spoofed apps created by hackers.
Most app categories have specific purposes in mind. For example, did you know there is a category dedicated to comics? There is also a section for casino games, and there are nearly 5,000 apps in the parenting category.
Protect your sensitive info with this AI-powered tool
Is sending a document to another person online inherently dangerous? You never know who might be waiting for your personal information on the other side. A healthy sense of paranoia might save you a lot of trouble.
Sharing personal documents is nerve-wracking enough to say nothing about sensitive information in a professional context. What if you forget to censor or remove something essential and compromising?
Watch out for Mac apps that trick you into paying for subscriptions
While it doesn’t happen often, malware and computer viruses can get onto Apple devices. It is a common misconception that iPhones, iPads or MacBooks are impervious to cyber attacks.
There are just more Windows computers and Android devices globally, making them more lucrative for criminals to target them with malware. There are also strict transparency regulations that developers must follow to have applications on Apple’s App Store. When something malicious pops up on Apple devices, it usually sounds an alarm.
This PC ‘toolbox’ is hiding malware that secretly generates revenue
The launch of Windows 11 might not have been as smooth as Microsoft anticipated, but users were nonetheless excited to tinker with the new features. One of these, exclusive to the latest operating system, is the ability to run Android apps on a desktop PC.
Apps removed for secretly collecting data from millions - Delete them now
There are tons of mobile apps available, all with different functions and capabilities. Tap or click here for five great apps for iOS and Android. No matter which apps you download, you have a reasonable expectation that they will work as promised.
Check your phone - Antivirus apps caught spreading banking malware
When it comes to smartphone apps, proceed at your own risk. When you decide to download an app, even if it’s from a trusted source, you could be exposing your data, privacy and even financial information without knowing it.
This app is one of the biggest drains on your battery - Here's how to stop it
Even though mobile phones released in the last few years have larger batteries, there seems always to be something that drains them faster than before. A recent update to Apple’s operating system caused battery issues.
A fun new way to chat with your grandkids across the country
It might have been difficult for grandparents to travel across the country over the last two years. COVID-19 and increasing flight prices meant that many lost out on valuable time playing with their grandchildren and seeing them grow up.
These apps collect the most private data from you
In today’s fast-paced digital world, no one has time to read the fine print. Many people click “Accept” without reading through the whole deal when downloading an app. The apps that collect the most private data love it when you agree to data collection without understanding what you give away.
Malware in popular Android app steals your Facebook credentials - Delete it now
Imagine downloading a fun photo-editing app in hopes of turning yourself into a cartoon. Instead, the app doesn’t even work — and to add insult to injury, it steals your Facebook credentials. This isn’t imaginary: It’s based on a true story of about 100,000 people who recently downloaded a malicious app.
Check your phone! More bad apps caught hiding in the Google Play Store
The official Google Play Store is the only place you should download applications for your Android devices. Third-party stores don’t have a robust vetting process and often harbor dangerous malware. But what happens when the official app store is also a source for spreading malware?
Hackers built a tool to let you text Russian citizens about the war
Shortly after the invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin started to tighten his government’s grip on information. Not only blocking what average Russians can say but also preventing sources from broadcasting about the invasion to Russian audiences.
That COVID passport app may put your privacy at risk
Even though the world’s attention has shifted to Ukraine, the COVID-19 pandemic is still a matter of concern. Millions of people have already stood in line to get their vaccinations and were issued a certificate as proof. Tap or click here for the places you are most likely to pick up the virus.
Dangerous antivirus app is hiding malware - Remove it from your phone now
Cybercriminals are getting craftier by the week, managing to sneak dangerous malware into different places. Last week a QR code app was caught hiding the banking trojan TeaBot.
In a worrying trend, cybercriminals are becoming more effective in sneaking malware into official apps stores. Even though Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store have strict guidelines, now and then, a malicious app slips through the cracks.
Ancestry.com: What you can do with a free trial and how to cancel once it's over
Genetic testing illuminates your past and present. By rubbing a cotton swab on the inside of your cheek and mailing it off to a company, you can learn which countries your ancestors came from. You can even pinpoint risk factors for different genetic conditions, which can help you make healthier decisions in the future.
QR code app caught hiding malware - Check your phone!
Malware is always problematic, but the worst kind of infection is those that steal your money and wipe your phone.
While new malware is constantly developing, security researchers closely watch for updated variants. Banking trojans like TeaBot can hide in any mobile app and wreak havoc with your finances.