Google pays $550,000 to people who found security holes in Android

From CNET: Google paid 82 people a total of $550,000 in the last year for finding security vulnerabilities that could let hackers compromise phones, tablets, cars and other gadgets powered by the company's Android software.

The company launched the Android Security Rewards program in June 2015 in...

Microsoft buys Wand to improve chat capabilities

From InfoWorld: Satya Nadella wasn't kidding when he said earlier this year that he believed in using chat as a platform for computing. Microsoft just bought Wand, a chat app for iOS, to further that vision.

The Wand team will be joining Bing's engineering and platform group, Corporate Vice...

Samsung buys Joyent to build its a cloud of its own

From PC World: Samsung Electronics is acquiring U.S. cloud services company Joyent as it builds its services business around mobile devices and the Internet of Things.

The financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. Joyent will operate as a standalone subsidiary under the new...

Windows 10 beta build 14366 features Edge extension

From InfoWorld: Last night, Microsoft released the latest Windows 10 beta build for Insiders in the Fast ring. Build 14366 has, to a first approximation, exactly nothing new -- except for an Edge extension. Yes, there are speed improvements to the Store. Yes, the Recently added list appears above...

Pokemon Go and 'Plus' wearable coming next month

From CNET: Pokemon Go could be the game that Pokemaniacs have dreamed of for years -- and it's coming out next month, reports Gamespot.

The iOS and Android title brings Pokemon into AR (augmented reality). Once the free app has been downloaded, your smartphone will buzz if one of the catchable...

Safari 10 to turn off Flash by default

From InfoWorld: Apple's Safari is driving another nail in the coffin of Adobe Flash by no longer telling websites that offer both Flash and HTML5 that the plug-in is installed on users' Macs.

The Mac maker is planning similar measures with other plug-ins like Java, Silverlight, and QuickTime. This...

Facebook Messenger adds texting support, but only for Android

From CNET: Facebook lovers on Android have another reason to never leave the social network's entangling arms with the addition of SMS support directly through the Facebook Messenger app.

The update, announced yesterday by David Marcus, Facebook's VP of Messaging Products, will let you send not...

Microsoft fixes critical flaws in Windows, IE, Edge, and Office

From PC World: Microsoft has fixed more than 40 vulnerabilities in its products Tuesday, including critical ones in Windows, Internet Explorer, Edge, and Office.

The vulnerabilities are covered in 16 security bulletins, six of which are marked as critical and the rest as important. This puts the...

Game Center is first Apple app to fall from the iOS tree

From CNET: Users of iOS who have longed dreamed of deleting Apple's preinstalled apps from their devices will finally get their wish with iOS 10. And now, Apple is taking its own step in that direction by removing its Game Center from the first iOS 10 beta update to developers.

Though Apple did not...

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