STATES CHRONICLE – A brand new Nokia device has long been rumored, but no official release date has been offered so far. However, Nokia’s official website from China left out by accident several promotional shots with the upcoming Nokia 8. This might be a hint that the release is just around the corner.

Nokia 8 images accidentally posted online

The Chinese Nokia Mobile website, owned by HMD Global, offered us a glimpse of how the new Nokia 8 will look like. However, this was not meant to happen yet. As soon as the company realized the images had leaked, it took down the announcement immediately. However, some fans were quicker, and managed to take screenshots of Nokia 8’s front panel.

These images show how Nokia 8 resembles Nokia 5 quite a lot. It has the same curved glass typical of Nokia 5, the camera placed in the top left corner, with the speaker and sensor placed right below. The right side displays the Nokia logo. At the bottom, there are the three buttons classic buttons: Home in the middle, the triangle-shaped Back on the left, and the square-shaped Recents on the right.

The images attracted all the media attention

Were these photos posted accidentally, after all? Many mobile manufacturers “accidentally” let out photos of their upcoming devices just to make customers curious and more interested in the products. Older rumors suggested Nokia 8 would be launched at the end of this month. Now, the company managed to attract all the attention towards it.

This device will definitely be a hit on the market, as it already promises strong specs and features. Rumors say it will cost around $675, and will come first for the lucky inhabitants of the Scandinavian countries. Then, it will start rolling out all over the world, starting with the end of this month.
Image Source: Pixabay

STATES CHRONICLE – After so many phishing scams targeted users via emails, and many of them were directed even towards Gmail users, Google decided to take extreme measures and improve its security features. They should help people stay safe online, and warn them when they stumble upon a questionable app.

Google will now warn you of unverified apps

Some apps might be designed to look legitimate and trick users into accessing them, and then go on and steal private information. Now, Google will add interstitial screens which detect these unverified apps, and then warn users right before using them. Also, they perform a new screening on their scripts.

This warning will apply to all unverified apps which require access to a Google account. If you want to open those apps in Chrome, a screen will automatically pop up and tell you that app is unverified. It will encourage you to access it only if you know for sure that the developer is trustworthy. Then, you can either close the app and remain safe, or open an additional menu informing you on the dangers of unverified apps.

This is an effective way to learn which apps you can trust

You can still opt to use the app despite the warning, but there is quite an ample process before you are allowed to do so. Google will ask you to type the word “continue” in a box, making sure it did its job and warned you of the risks you are exposing yourself to.

This ample process unverified apps have to go through is great for users, as they can learn what they can and cannot trust. Also, all new apps have to undergo the same verification. It might become tiring at some point, but you can make sure you stay protected and avoid questionable apps which can steal your personal info.
Image Source: Flickr

STATES CHRONICLE – This Monday, Twitter took new measures to combat trolling and abusive behavior on the platform. The social media service has always been struggling with such issues, so it decided to update the filters and allow users to block certain comments.

New filter settings on Twitter

Twitter’s filter settings are now more advanced, and help users avoid unpleasant comments. Now, they can choose to block those notifications coming from users they didn’t follow, as well as those from users who are not following them. This already sounds good, but there’s more.

Some notifications might have poor quality, while others might not. This is why Twitter now allows you to filter the content and get rid of the bad things, or of Tweets coming from bots. Also, you can choose certain words or phrases you don’t want to see and keep away those comments and Tweets which contain them.

Trolling has always been a problem for Twitter users, since they are often bombarded with malicious comments and are constantly harassed with messages full of hate. If you have been one of the victims, you can now do something about it. Go to the Notifications tab, where you should select Settings. Then, choose the Advanced Filters section, and benefit from the mute options or apply any other filters you like.

The new options don’t actually solve the trolling problem

These changes follow a series of March updates, which also tried to handle the trolling issue. These updates allowed users to block accounts without a profile picture, a valid email address, or a phone number. Also, some time before that, new messages were directed to a folder of requests instead of coming directly to the inbox.

Twitter has always been criticized for its lack of action against trolling and harassment, so it finally decided to help users see less disturbing content. However, this doesn’t actually solve the problem, and is only a temporary measure to hide its results.
Image Source: Max Pixel

STATES CHRONICLE – After more than ten years since its release, Google will finally kill off Google Talk in favor of Hangouts. This slow transition from one service to the other started in 2013, but its culmination came only now, when the tech giant decided to keep only one of the messaging platforms.

Google gives up on Google Talk

Google Talk was created as an instant messaging platform for Gmail users, and was often nicknamed Gchat. However, it started losing popularity when Hangouts was released, since the latter comes with modern features and is more user-friendly. Even so, active Google Talk users are still around, and they will have to switch to the other Google-owned messaging service.

There’s no need to worry, since there won’t be any dramatic disruption occurring after the switch. Hangouts is a good replacement for Google Talk, meaning that all your contacts will be transferred to the new account, and you will still be able to chat with other Gmail users.

The new platform comes with new features and improvements

What is different is the appearance of the platform which, as mentioned before, looks more modern. Also, it brings some new features, such as GIF support. Some users might not find this impressive but, if you are up-to-date to all the tech and social media novelties, you will enjoy all these extras on Hangouts.

Among other special features offered by the new platform, there’s the possibility of making group video calls, which might be incredibly helpful for companies. Also, many other Google products are integrated. Also, organizing meetings will be easier, with the help of Hangouts Chat and Hangouts Meet.

Google will disable Google Talk not only from web, but its Android version will also go. Therefore, if you used the service on your mobile, you will have to download Hangouts. Also, if you are not satisfied with the new platform, Google comes with other alternatives, such as Duo, Allo, Google Voice, or Android Messages.
Image Source: Flickr

STATES CHRONICLE – After fourteen years of waiting, Beyond Good and Evil fans will finally be able to enjoy the sequel to their favorite game. During the E3 conference, Ubisoft brought this surprise for them, when nobody was expecting any follow-up to the original game.

The game gets released 14 years after the first title

At the time of its release, Beyond Good and Evil charmed gamers all over the world with a captivating mystery which took them at the end of the galaxy. Since then, they kept waiting for more titles in the series and, in 2008, Ubisoft launched a teaser trailer for the second game. However, they offered no other news regarding the release, and players started thinking this game will never see the light of day.

In the end, Ubisoft decided to no longer keep fans in suspense, and released an announcement trailer for Beyond Good and Evil 2. The trailer shows how the sequel will follow a whole new direction, by presenting the protagonist as a new character, namely Knox, a monkey hybrid.

The exciting trailer gets fans ready for the launch

We can see how Knox performs an exchange with gangster Zhou Yuzhu, a pig hybrid. This exchange turns out to be a scam on the part of Knox, who gives Zhou a fake statue and runs for his escape. Then, he finally stumbles upon his partner who’s been waiting for him, but police are following them.

They manage to escape from the police and reach their home ship, where Knox gives captain Dakini the disk he managed to get from Zhou in exchange of the fake gold statue. This is where all the action begins, as the disk contains the map to a mysterious place called Moksha.

At the end of the trailer, the developers, visibly moved by the fans’ support which lasted for so many years, revealed that Beyond Good and Evil 2 would be, in fact, a prequel. It would present the story of the crew and how their world ended up like it was presented in the first title.

Image Source: Flickr

STATES CHRONICLE – Remember having to type difficult Wi-Fi passwords and having a hard time sharing them with your friends? Apple thought of this, and wanted to fix the problem, so iOS 11 comes with a special feature which allows you to share a Wi-Fi password remotely, without the need of typing it.

Making it easier to introduce difficult Wi-Fi passwords

We all know those long and intricate Wi-Fi passwords which are not only hard to remember, but they are also hard to type. It might be easy for you to introduce it once, and then have your device remember it for you, but sharing it with a friend becomes difficult. Therefore, Apple thought of a way to give someone else a Wi-Fi password without actually disclosing it.

The latest Apple operating system, iOS 11, allows devices to obtain these passwords directly from another iOS phone or tablet. When you try to connect to an unknown network, you will receive a message telling you to hold your iPhone close to another iOS device which is already connected to the network.

iOS 11 is still in a beta version

Then, the device in question will receive a dialog box which asks it to grant the device permission to access the Wi-Fi network. If it receives the approval, then the password is sent to your phone automatically.

You don’t need to type it by yourself, it will just appear in the field and allow you to connect to the network. Also, this is great for those people who use the same password everywhere, and might not feel comfortable with revealing it to their friends. This technology is similar to the AirPod pairing mechanism, and works only between iOS devices.

At the moment, iOS 11 is still in beta, so Apple might decide to change a lot of features before the final version is released. However, such a feature will come in handy, and users would most surely be happy to use it.
Image Source: Flickr

STATES CHRONICLE – Yesterday, Bethesda released the long-awaited The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowing. The new version of the game switches from the single-player RPG take of The Elder Scrolls 3 to an MMO style, so certain players might find it peculiar at the beginning. However, Bethesda assures them it was worth the wait.

Bringing back the Morrowind atmosphere

This new take on the open world RPG has everybody excited, as Morrowind is regarded as the favorite game in the series by many players. It might not have the advanced graphics or gameplay of other titles released later, but it charms everybody with its setting. The bizarre world where warriors live in mushrooms and giant shells manages to keep us constantly engaged in the game.

The main quest of Morrowind also contributes to the charm of the title. It successfully combines the gameplay and setting, asking the player to explore the entire continent and become the embodiment of an ancient hero.

Will the new game reach all the expectations?

All of these had a feeling which many failed to find in other Elder Scrolls titles, and they hoped Bethesda would bring back this depth. It might not have happened with an entirely new game in the series, but the online version of Morrowind is here to feed our nostalgia.

However, some players have their doubts. They want the same feeling back, but coated into a new atmosphere and gameplay. Now, they fear The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind will bring back the same RPG experience converted into an MMO.

Bethesda wanted to assure players they won’t be disappointed. Apart from the multiplayer option, they will also be allowed to opt for single player, in case they want to roam Vvardenfell by themselves and discover new adventures without any intrusion. Let’s hope that the game will meet their expectations and acquire the same popularity as the other titles in the series.
Image Source: Flickr

STATES CHRONICLE – Despite facing serious competition from Android, Apple managed to pass another milestone. After paying $50 billion to its app developers last year, the tech giant revealed it reached developer payouts of $70 billion.

Increasing number of downloads for iOS apps

Apple might not have had their best smartphone sales lately, as the number of iPhone purchases was increased only by 3 percent during the last year. However, the Apple app market is thriving. Over the past 12 months, the company reported the app purchases went up by 70 percent.

The top downloads were marked by popular games like Pokémon Go or Super Mario Run. Other apps which were also among the most popular purchases included Havenly, CancerAid, Zones for Training with Exercise Intensity, SPACE by THIX, Ace Tennis, and Vanido.

As expected, the most downloaded apps are games and others related to the entertainment field. Health and lifestyle apps became more popular as well, also registering a soaring number of downloads over the past year. However, the first place is occupied by photo and video apps, which remain the most preferred among users.

Will Android surpass Apple in app purchases as well?

For several years, Android devices have constantly been outselling iPhones. However, Apple has always been the leader of apps, with the highest number of downloads registered every year. But does Android threaten this position as well?

Some have estimated that Apple will generate a revenue of around $60 billion per year by 2021. On the other hand, the same estimates expect Google Play to bring $42 billion, while other Android app stores will bring $36 billion.

Apple wants to defy these estimated and show how many benefits they bring to their developers, which makes iOS apps the most downloaded apps on the market. The company is optimistic, and thinks they can keep the leading position.
Image Source: Flickr

STATES CHRONICLE – On May 25^th, Check Point revealed that several Android apps were, in fact, malicious ad-click which infected the devices with malware. One of these apps has been available on Google Play Store for more than a year until recently, when it has been removed due to these security concerns.

The security firm cannot say for sure how much the malware spread, but it is estimated that it affected around 36.5 million Android devices. Also, Check Point said that most users downloaded the malware from Google Play.

Hackers disguised the malware into fashion games

Hackers had disguised the malicious software into the brand Judy, which consisted mostly of fashion or cooking games. In fact, the malware itself is called Judy. It succeeded to escape Google’s security systems as it was siphoned from a different server. After the malicious code reached the device, it started clicking random ads, which brought revenue to the hackers.

These serious of apps have been produced by Kiniwini, a Korean company registered on Play Store as ENISTUDIO corp. This company produces apps for both Android and iOS. However, being an open software, Android is at more risk of getting infected with malware. Therefore, users are warned to take precautions against the malicious software.

How to keep your device safe

Always check the reviews before downloading an app, even if the developer seems official. Most of the times, other users have already discovered possible issues and want to warn people about them. Also, it is really important to always keep your system up-to-date. Developers constantly release patches meant to fix all vulnerabilities.

Don’t always count only on the security patches, as malware might infiltrate in your system. Use a good antivirus software even on your phone, and opt for a VPN when you connect to a public network. Also, secure your device with a strong password which is not easy to guess.
Image Source: Flickr