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This popular Android app’s aggressive adware ruins your phone — get rid of it now

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By Darragh Murphy

Google Play app with over a million downloads plagues phones with full-screen ads

A newly discovered adware app on the Google Play Store with over a million downloads is sneakily hiding an aggressive form of adware, and the developer has made it hard to spot the source of the annoying full-screen ads the app comes with.

Tracked down by Malwarebytes (opens in new tab), the PDF reader app uses common ad software development kits (SDKs) and its own SDK to display full-screen ads that pop up on a phone, even when the app is not being used.

As the report points out, the SDKs used such as Applovin and Facebook Ads are fine to display ads within the app, which allows it to be free. However, bombarding users with frequent ads, even video ads, outside the app makes this a malicious form of adware.

PDF Reader app with adware example via Malwarebytes (Image credit: Malwarebytes)

What’s more, the full-screen ads take a few hours to start displaying in order to make it harder for the user to figure out where the displayed ads are coming from. Malware researcher Nathan Collier logged each step of how the adware is executed and notes the PDF reader app will “sound a charm” when the screen is locked, and initiate a full-screen ad once unlocked.

Even after the first ad is displayed, another ad in the form of a video comes soon after. Collier states that after the initial ads, they start coming in more frequently. The app is said to have existed since November 2021, and with over a million downloads according to its Google Play listing, many users could unknowingly have the app downloaded.

Example of PDF reader adware via Malwarebytes  (Image credit: Malwarebytes )

Don’t let adware ruin your phone

It’s always a good idea to be cautious about what apps you download, and many malicious apps hiding adware or even malware will have clear signs that it’s suspicious.

As an example. the PDF reader has a few suspicious indicators. Firstly, it’s rated as “Mature 17+.” There’s no reason for a PDF reader to have any kind of age restriction, especially one that’s for “mature” audiences. Secondly, the app is developed by “Fairy games,” which doesn’t exactly match the type of app on offer.

Adware is a sneaky way for threat actors to generate revenue by automatically displaying an obnoxious number of online advertisements, usually without the user’s knowledge or consent. Unfortunately, it can also lead to malware, meaning it’s worth getting rid of it.

The PDF reader app, known as “PDF reader – documents viewer,” is currently on the Google Play Store (here), so be sure to stay well away from it and look for more trusted PDF readers. If you recognize this app on your device, make sure to delete it so you can get rid of any annoying pop-up ads.

The best way to get rid of adware (and any malware they may bring with them) is by downloading one of the best antivirus apps. These cybersecurity programs can scan your device and remove adware, along with preventing future adware downloads and malicious pop-up ads.

Feature Image credit: Getty Images / Suwaree Tangbovornpichet / EyeEm

By Darragh Murphy

Darragh Murphy is fascinated by all things bizarre, which usually leads to assorted coverage varying from washing machines designed for AirPods to the mischievous world of cyberattacks. Whether it’s connecting Scar from The Lion King to two-factor authentication or turning his love for gadgets into a fabricated rap battle from 8 Mile, he believes there’s always a quirky spin to be made. With a Master’s degree in Magazine Journalism from The University of Sheffield, along with short stints at Kerrang! and Exposed Magazine, Darragh started his career writing about the tech industry at Time Out Dubai and ShortList Dubai, covering everything from the latest iPhone models and Huawei laptops to massive Esports events in the Middle East. Now, he can be found proudly diving into gaming, gadgets, and letting readers know the joys of docking stations for Laptop Mag.

Sourced from Laptop

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App appeal: four steps to successful app engagement

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By Steve Peretz

The attrition rates for app users are staggering – but do they have to be? Steve Peretz, group director (health experience and product strategy) at Appnovation, shares four strategies for engagement and retention.

Abandoned shopping carts, neglected Netflix series, snap decisions on Tinder. There’s plenty of evidence that audiences in the digital age have low attention spans and rely heavily on first impressions.

It’s no different with apps. The average app loses 77% of daily users within three days of installation. Within 30 days, it’s 90%. Three months in, 95%.

Often this rapid disengagement results from something simple, such as an error in the app’s design or a frustrating experience. But this negative first impression invariably has adverse commercial consequences for the brand or company behind the app.

Dubbed the ‘halo effect,’ app users can base their entire perception of a business on this initial interaction. They express their dissatisfaction by taking their purchasing power elsewhere.

Fortunately, the halo effect can also work in reverse. Get that first impression right, and customers will stay for longer. Follow up with great customer experience, and they’re likely to spend more, stay loyal and increase frequency of impulse purchasing.

Here are four first impression strategies to help brands achieve a match and ensure initial interactions result in successful engagement:

1. First contact: convey benefits simply and succinctly

Users judge apps by their descriptions. App descriptions and reviews are a fundamental reason people consider a download, so keep it focused. Use relevant keywords. Explain the app’s value proposition concisely. App users don’t want to scroll endlessly to understand the point of a product, so craft a message that cuts through.

Challenger bank Monzo’s app couldn’t be clearer about what it does: ‘Banking made easy.’ Likewise, Deliveroo entices app users by saying: ‘Food: we get it. We all have our favourites. With Deliveroo, get your favourite local restaurants and takeaways delivered straight to your door.’

If the initial messaging easily answers questions around why someone should engage with a digital solution, the brand has hit the bullseye.

2. Debut experience: try before you buy

Sharing a flavour of the app’s experience makes sense before customers commit to the download. If possible, offer the app for free – at least upfront (tiers can come later). Share content that gives a sense of the experience without requiring consumers to hand over personal data. Avoid blitzing people with ads, which will build frustration, not engagement.

Wellbeing app Headspace tells potential customers it will help them ‘Get happy. Stress less. Sleep soundly.’ It then supports app users from the first point of engagement with free educational resources on managing stress, improving sleep and learning to meditate. Users get ample opportunity to build trust in the brand before confidently purchasing the app.

Consider offering a preview video, which increases app conversions by over 20%. A well-crafted video delivers a compelling first impression, building immediate engagement and showing how the app works. For example, podcast and audiobook service Audible differentiates itself with a preview that doubles up as a mini-tutorial and a short promo.

3. Onboarding: use gradual disclosure

After downloading an app, users want to use it immediately. They get frustrated if they can’t engage with an experience quickly. Avoid complex registration processes and complicated tutorials.

Instead, brands need to use gradual disclosure techniques to educate and inform customers about the app in bite-sized chunks. The goal is to tell the audience what they need to know when they need to know it, not overload them.

This can take the form of streamlined content previews, ‘accordion’ elements, mega-menus, sliders or animated hints. Start with the basics and then disclose the more complicated aspects of the solution once the customer needs them.

Shopify is especially adept at gradual disclosure, incorporating the method right from the sign-up page via a non-intrusive pop-up window that explains the domain. Registration processes should be user-friendly and well-tested.

4. Retention: prompt action with instant reward

So far, all the brand has done is get its customer to the starting line. But the main battle begins once the customer is onboard. Work to sustain their early enthusiasm by rewarding their effort immediately and providing instant gratification.

New users should realize that brand interactions will directly lead to personalized rewards. Caffe Nero’s app immediately offers users the opportunity to accumulate stamps for a free coffee, which draws them into an app experience that positions them against competitors through positive reviews on Apple’s App Store.

Elsewhere, health group The Mighty invites new members into the community by extending an invitation to make an introduction. Right away, they feel like a part of the group, having found an online home.

Beware of deterring new users with a barrage of push notifications. It’s a tricky balance, particularly for digital health solutions that require regular inputs (for example, to monitor chronic conditions). If in doubt, err on the conservative side, and restrict communication to relevant, purposeful messages.

Some user attrition is bound to occur, no matter how well-designed the solution. But a strong first impression undoubtedly contributes to committed customer engagement. First impression strategies can help build impactful, purposeful apps with longevity.

By Steve Peretz

Sourced from The Drum

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IOS 14.5 App Tracking Transparency rewires digital marketing

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By Don Fluckinger,

If your business strategy fully relied on iOS tracking for survival, your company was probably in trouble before 14.5 came out this week, marketing experts say.

Apple’s iOS 14.5 App Tracking Transparency for mobile devices gives phone and tablet owners more control over data surveillance — apps tracking behaviour in other apps to customize ads. For marketers, that may mean one of their go-to tools has been taken out of the digital toolbox, or at least will be severely blunted.

Apple made its intentions known that it would require app developers to give users a choice to opt in to data tracking across apps late last year. Facebook immediately hit back, claiming that less-targeted Facebook ads would harm small businesses. Small businesses and agencies that cater to them reaffirmed that notion.

Experts said that while less iOS tracking will change how digital marketing is done, it probably won’t have a big effect on marketing strategy and technology for many large businesses. That’s because in the last two years, marketing teams have worked hard to comply with new consumer privacy laws that lay the groundwork for customer opt-ins on data use.

Google and Apple both plan to eliminate third-party browser cookies, too. Taken together, privacy opt-outs and the slow death of third-party cookies either already have or will in the very near future dilute the value of data gleaned from digital ads.

“If marketers were really being honest about why we’re freaking out about this — and why Facebook is freaking out about this — it’s because shady behaviour begets shadier action, and we’ve been doing it since the dawn of time,” said Liz Miller, an analyst at Constellation Research. “The losers in this situation are companies who look at giving customers control of their own data as a bad thing.”

Who will opt out?

Apple turned on iOS 14.5 App Tracking Transparency this week, which manifests as a pop-up window in apps. Some developers, however, turned on the features earlier in preparation of iOS 14.5. AppsFlyer, which manages mobile attribution of digital ads — keeping track of what ads drive what activity — analyzed 13 million consumer answers to data-tracking prompts among about 300-plus apps hosted by these early adopters during a three-week period before iOS 14.5 went live.

AppsFlyer found that people opted in for ad targeting approximately 41% of the time. Half the apps had at least 32% opt-in rates. But there was a difference in the kinds of apps people said “yes” to, said Shani Rosenfelder, head of content and mobile insights at AppsFlyer. The more well-known and trusted a brand was, such as in the utilities, shopping or social arenas, opt-in rates tended to be higher.

Brands that had less of a connection to their users, such as game developers, saw lower opt-in rates. Only the largest, most well-known game developers saw opt-in rates comparable with non-game apps. Brands that app users have done business with in the past, such as shopping apps, tend to be more trusted when the opt-in window pops up.

iOS 14.5 Software Update

Apple

Apple mobile device users get App Tracking Transparency in the iOS update released this week.

“Things may change, but we are cautiously optimistic that opt-in rates will be higher than anticipated for marketers and for users,” Rosenfelder said. “It remains to be seen what the real opt-in rate will be.”

To persuade app users to opt in to ad tracking, AppsFlyer found that three messages Apple allows developers to put in the App Tracking Transparency pop-up may effectively drive positive results: Opting in helps the app to remain free, opting in helps show users content that is relevant to them and “we prohibit the use of your data for any purpose other than providing you with relevant experiences.”

AppsFlyer notes that Apple prohibits the use of discounts or other offers to induce users to opt into iOS data tracking across apps.

Marketing strategies will change

In anticipation of a drop-off in cross-app tracking data, agencies and consultants who work with marketers have been developing strategies to replace it. The companies that are panicking now are the ones that put off planning for App Tracking Transparency during pandemic disruptions, said Zach Baze, chief intelligence officer at Hawkeye, a digital agency that runs Epsilon adtech as well as first-party data platforms.

The hardest-hit marketers will be those that built businesses on mobile advertising or hyper-targeted ads, and they will have to adjust to survive, Baze said. For small businesses, those ads were cost-efficient. For most companies, though, the loss of cross-app data will reinvigorate the creativity that precision advertising tools made obsolete, and they probably have at least gotten started on cleaning up their first-party data on the customers they already have.

Apple’s iOS moves, in tandem with Google eliminating third-party cookies by next year, will force companies to use that first-party customer data to drive better customer experiences, instead of outsourcing tracking to Facebook and its competitors.

Apple iOS tracking

Apple

Tracking via iOS can still happen as it did before — but in version 14.5, Apple forces developers to explain themselves to iPad and iPhone users.

“Responsible marketers have seen this coming; it’s part of a tidal wave of a cookie-less future, and it’s probably a part of a market correction,” Baze said. “Apple is a lifestyle brand, not a data company, so it is diametrically at odds with Google or Facebook. Apple is just looking out for the experience of the consumers that they market to — which is what marketers should have been doing all along.”

Facebook, in a blog post, said small businesses will be adversely affected by the iOS tracking changes. Consultant Athan Slotkin, who works with small businesses and entrepreneurial startups on marketing and business planning, said companies that offer specialized products and sell exclusively online will be hardest hit.

Many small companies, he said, start and end their advertising plans with Facebook and Instagram. Sometimes they aren’t even aware of targeting tools those platforms run to lower costs and more precisely find customers more likely to be interested in what they’re selling.

Slotkin said he advises clients to diversify investment over different online channels, whether it’s straight SEO, TikTok, Clubhouse or other ad platforms. New and emerging social platforms typically offer more organic reach, he said, so they may represent better returns for cash-strapped small businesses. More than that, though, Slotkin advises businesses to collect and invest in their own customer data.

Get their email address, and don’t just get their consent, because that feels a little like it’s under duress. Get them enthused to share their email address because they’re interested in hearing from you and they value what you do.

Athan SlotkinSmall business consultant

“Part of my thought process — even before all this happened — is the value of owning the customer relationship and communicating with them directly,” Slotkin said. “Get their email address, and don’t just get their consent, because that feels a little like it’s under duress. Get them enthused to share their email address because they’re interested in hearing from you and they value what you do.”

CDPs move up in priority

The customer data platform (CDP) is one way to activate first-party data a company owns for marketing purposes. As Apple, Google and privacy-minded legislators put more control over data surveillance into the hands of consumers, CDPs may provide new paths for marketers to reach customers.

Many companies have mixed-vendor stacks for CRM, marketing automation, e-commerce and customer service. CDPs function as a customer data traffic manager to update marketing efforts in real time as customers buy things, browse, call customer service and fill out surveys. In turn, marketing tools can send offers to those customers or add them to campaigns as they reveal more about their preferences and needs.

For their part, CDP vendors are watching how interactions between companies and their customers will be governed by future privacy laws and those already on the books. BlueConic, a CDP vendor, strives to build flexibility into its data management features to anticipate scenarios that go much further than iOS 14.5.

“We need to be looking at the potential that every interaction with a customer will need to be consented — at the moment of interaction,” said Cory Munchbach, COO of BlueConic. “We play that out all the way — every time you come to a website or every time you come in-store, you, as a brand, have to earn the right for the customer to authenticate who they are and give you that identity. That raises the bar on customer experience.”

Optimizely, formerly Episerver, acquired the Zaius CDP last month. Peter Yeung, CIO and general counsel at Optimizely, agrees that companies that are more transparent about their customer data use will be better off in the long run.

As for App Tracking Transparency, Yeung said he feels that Apple is playing catch-up in a marketplace where consumers feel increasingly insecure about data breaches. Apple, he added, also probably wants to distance itself from Facebook and its subsidiary WhatsApp, whose data-tracking methods are under Federal Trade Commission scrutiny.

Yet iOS 14.5 gives a “romanticized vision” of choice to consumers, he said. It sounds good. But anyone who has tried to opt out of data tracking in apps then looks at their Gmail to see what is left, for example, realizes just how convenient personalized notifications and tailored emails are for things like keeping in touch with friends.

It’s great that technology companies are empowering individuals to choose to whom they give their data, Yeung said. Consent will become the product roadmap bedrock for many digital marketing vendors. But personalization is still in early stages, and the experiences will at first have much room for improvement.

“I don’t believe it’s the end of personalization,” Yeung said. “What you’ll find is that technology companies will find ways to become more and more clever in terms of how to create a personalized experience without identifying you as an individual, building a profile of an anonymous user that they kind of, sort of know what they look like or their activities are, but they can’t identify as an individual.”

Hawkeye’s Baze said that CDPs might become the tool that saves personalization, taking it to heights that cross-app tracking never could as marketers begin to use more of their features and integrate them more fully into their tech stacks. But CDP users must first get their data in order before they can effectively deploy those features. His company’s third-party data will enhance the insights that first-party data reveals, he said.

“First-party data is the best data; it’s the most actionable,” Baze said. “But a lot of CTOs have spent a lot of money on data infrastructure the last five to eight years. What they’re finding out is that the data that’s in those is incomplete, badly organized, its hygiene is not good, and it’s not that hardworking.”

By Don Fluckinger,

Sourced from TechTarget

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4 of the Best Advertising Apps for Android

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It is a known fact: That advertising through social media is the trend in creating a buzz for different businesses.

But do you ever wonder how these form of advertising gets done?

Well, wonder no more since there are advertising apps for Android devices that will teach you how to sell your products or contents in a much better way.

Here’s the thing…

Business management is not as easy as you think it is since it takes a lot of time and effort to create a successful business. So, it’s such great news that there are now apps that can help you in your business ventures.

There’s nothing wrong with traditionally managing a company if that is what you prefer. But, knowing that there are apps that can make your management process much quicker and easier is such a relief, and there’s no shame in using those applications.

But how do these advertising applications work?

Well, you create some form of an advertisement like a picture, a video, or a gif with these advertising apps. Then some of these apps might also question you about a bunch of information that can help your advertisement’s reach. It will ask your goal, target location, budget, and more. There are also a few of these apps that will let you know the stats of your advertisement like if your ad is gaining the traction you expect it to.

Cool, right?

Now, we know how hard it can be to look for the most suitable apps for yourself. It can take too much time to check out all the available applications on the market. So, to help you with your search, we curated this list of the best advertising apps for Android devices. Without further ado, let’s get to it.

The Best Advertising Apps for Android Devices

Advertising is an essential part of the business, and there are tons of ways to execute it. Now, with the technological advancement that’s happening, it is no wonder that there are now businesses that use social media as their medium for advertising their products. And to make it even more convenient for companies, there are apps that they can use for making these ads.

So, if you are one of those people that are looking for the best advertising apps for Android, then look no further, and let’s get started.

  1. Campaign Making in the App

    But, those are not the only great things you can get from this app.

    The Google Ads app offers companies to see the statistics of their campaigns in real-time. It shows the impressions and clicks it gets from viewers. The app even gives high-impact recommendations on how to optimize the ad’s performance. Nifty, right?

    And if you are not satisfied with your pitch’s traffic, then you can call or chat Google Ads’ support. This way, you can get an expert’s opinion in improving your ad’s performance by giving strategic insights.

    advertising apps

    Categorizing of the Campaign and Setting of Budget

    Note: Contains in-app purchases.
    download advertising apps on google play

  2. Online Ad Maker for Google & Facebook Ads

    advertising apps

    App Logo

    If you are looking for a stylish ad maker that is in with the mass currently, then this is the app for you. This online ad maker for Google and Facebook is produced by Desygner Pty Ltd.

    I have to be honest that in my experience, as you create an online advertisement for your product or business, you might have a hard time on how to start. You may have a gist of what you want it to look like, but do not know what to do first. Well, if you also experience this, then this ad making application is right for you.

    advertising apps

    App’s Homescreen

    The app helps users to create a picture advertisement for their products. It gives templates or blueprints of easy to do and pleasing to the

  3. Google Ads

    google ads

    App Logo

    Google Ads is an advertising application offered by Google LLC to business owners. With this app, you can create and keep track of your online campaigns on the go.

    This application gives businesses a chance to create their own advertisement on the Google site. You can choose what are the headlines you want for what you want to sell. Once you have decided what the announcement would look like, then you can add a link that would lead to the item or product you are advertising.

    After choosing and placing all the necessary text for your ad, you can choose how much you want to pay for it. How much you pay will equate to the estimated number of clicks and reach you can get for your advertisement.

    advertising apps

Campaign Making in the App

But, those are not the only great things you can get from this app.

The Google Ads app offers companies to see the statistics of their campaigns in real-time. It shows the impressions and clicks it gets from viewers. The app even gives high-impact recommendations on how to optimize the ad’s performance. Nifty, right?

And if you are not satisfied with your pitch’s traffic, then you can call or chat Google Ads’ support. This way, you can get an expert’s opinion in improving your ad’s performance by giving strategic insights.

advertising apps

Categorizing of the Campaign and Setting of Budget

    1. Note: Contains in-app purchases.
      download advertising apps on google play

  1. Online Ad Maker for Google & Facebook Ads

    advertising apps

    App Logo

    If you are looking for a stylish ad maker that is in with the mass currently, then this is the app for you. This online ad maker for Google and Facebook is produced by Desygner Pty Ltd.

    I have to be honest that in my experience, as you create an online advertisement for your product or business, you might have a hard time on how to start. You may have a gist of what you want it to look like, but do not know what to do first. Well, if you also experience this, then this ad making application is right for you.

    advertising apps

    App’s Homescreen

    The app helps users to create a picture advertisement for their products. It gives templates or blueprints of easy to do and pleasing to the eyes ads. And if you have no idea which size to use for your banner, then worry no more. This app has the right sizes for Google and Facebook ads. You just have to select which site and size you want, and you’re ready to go. Also, if you already made an ad but only wish to resize it to fit Google or Facebook, then you can also do that using this. Isn’t it cool that with just a few clicks, you can now create an effective advertisement?

  2. Note: Contains in-app purchases.
    download advertising apps on google play

  3. Microsoft Advertising

    advertising apps

    App Logo

    Are you one of those people that can’t seem to help but check if there are outcomes immediately? Well, I am guilty of being one. So, knowing that there is an app that can help me with checking my campaigns while I’m on the go is such a relief. Microsoft Advertising is an application offered by Microsoft for businesses that want to be updated with their ads’ performances.

    advertising apps

    Advertisement Statistics

    With this app, you will know the real-time stats of all your ads. It shows you if the amount of money you spent is worth all the clicks you gained from the ad you made. So if you see that your ad is not gaining traction using this app, you can take the actions you think are necessary immediately. Microsoft Advertising also has a notification feature that would let you know if there are big updates or issues with your ads.
    download advertising apps on google play

  4. Gainbuzz: Buy/ Book Advertising Space Online

    advertising apps

    App Logo

    Are you having trouble deciding whether to use a physical ad or a digital one? Well, with the Gainbuzz app, you can do both. Gainbuzz is a booking application for advertisement spaces online and offline.

    The Gainbuzz app lets business owners book advertisement spaces available in their area. You only have to provide your location and Gainbuzz will provide results of spaces available for you. The app also gives insights on how much your ad can reach if you place it on those places. You can choose your market and the kind of ad you want to place.

    advertising apps

    Gainbuzz Homescreen

    The app is easy to use since there is a step-by-step tutorial on how to use it. And you can choose how much money you will be spending on your ads. So, if you are low on budget, then you can specify the amount you are willing to spend.
    People Also Want To Ask
    download advertising apps on google play

    People Also Want To Ask

    What are the best free advertising apps for Android devices?

    All of the applications mentioned on the list we curated in this article are free advertising apps for Android devices. Although, most of them have some in-app purchases for when you want to make better ads and earn greater traffic.

    Now, if you want to know what the best one is, then we recommend the Google Ads. The application is quick to learn and easy to use. But in the end, you are the one who’s going to chose which application is the best for you and your company. So, we suggest that you look into the pros and cons of every app.

    How much would it cost to use an effective advertising app for Android?

    The average cost of ads you can post on most social media sites is, generally, $2.00 per day. With that amount you are sure that your ads will show on the website you like. But if you want to gain more traction on your ad, then you should increase the budget for your online ads. Still, you are the one that is going to decide what is most suitable for your business. So, it is better to look at your own stats and see how much you should be spending on advertising.

    To Sum It All Up

    If you own a business and trying to find a way to advertise a product, then an advertising application is what you need. These apps can help your business boom with just a few clicks here and there.

    Now, all of the apps listed above are the advertising applications we found to be the best in gaining traffic with small effort. All of them are easy to use and can be learned quickly. So, with minimal to no trouble at all, you can now create an ad for your business in only a few minutes.

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Sourced from Joy of Android

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What the Hell Is That Device, and Is It Spying on You? This App Might Have the Answer

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Sourced from Vice.

Since companies won’t secure the internet of broken things, researchers are trying to educate consumers as to the security and privacy risks.

There’s really no escaping the internet of broken things.

On any given day, Americans connect thousands of internet-enabled devices to the internet, despite repeated warnings from cybersecurity experts that such devices often lack even the most rudimentary privacy and security protections.

The results haven’t been pretty. From “smart” televisions that hoover up your living room conversations to webcams that can be hacked and used in DDoS attacks in a matter of seconds, the problem is monumental. And it’s enabled by companies that routinely prioritize profits over consumer privacy, security, or the well being of the internet.

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have released a beta of an app they hope can address some of these problems. Dubbed the The Internet of Things (IoT) Assistant, (iOS, Android) the app will scan any unidentified IOT nearby, tell you what they do, and guide you toward the ability to opt out of data collection (assuming such an option exists).

IOT devices are often designed with little to no end user transparency into what devices do once they’re connected to the internet. Studies have shown IOT devices routinely collect far more data than consumers realize, then sell and share that data with a laundry list of companies.

One recent study showed a popular IOT camera made contact with 52 unique global IP address destinations when transmitting data, while one Samsung television made contact with 30 different IP addresses. Some of these points of contact are innocuous, and some aren’t. Few are revealed to consumers, and often the data isn’t secure in transit.

“Many people do a pretty poor job disclosing what data they collect and what they do with it,” Professor Norman Sadeh, a CyLab faculty member in Carnegie Mellon’s Institute for Software Research told Motherboard. “Sometimes this is intentional, sometimes it’s due to a lack of expertise, and sometimes it’s a combination—privacy engineering is challenging.”

Some efforts, like Princeton’s open source IOT Inspector, have tried to help consumers take a closer look at IOT device traffic itself in a bid to see what’s collected and where it’s sent.

Sadeh says his group’s new app takes a different approach.

“We don’t rely on scanning in this release,” Sadeh said. “In general, it’s not sufficient—especially when the traffic is encrypted, which ideally would always be the case. Even if traffic is unencrypted—which is a red flag—this will not tell you how long the data is retained.”

Instead, the new app relies on a database compiled by volunteers, cybersecurity experts, and companies trying to simplify compliance with new privacy legislation like the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) or Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

“People need to be informed about what data is collected about them and they need to be given some choices over these processes,” Sadeh said. “We have built an infrastructure that enables owners of IoT technologies to comply with these laws, and an app that takes advantage of this infrastructure to empower people to find out about and control data collected by these technologies.”

Sadeh said such solutions are particularly important in bringing some transparency to the ever expanding use of IOT surveillance in public areas, where signs will sometimes inform the public they’re being watched, but little else.

“These signs tell you nothing about what is being done with your footage, how long it’s going to be retained, whether or not it uses facial recognition, or with whom this is going to be shared,” Sadeh said. He’s hopeful his app, once the database is fleshed out, can help fix that.

Sadeh’s team at Carnegie Mellon aren’t the only ones trying to address the IOT problem. Consumer Reports has also been building an set of open source standards to include privacy and security issues in product reviews, letting consumers avoid dubious products before they even have a chance to make it into your home.

Sourced from Vice.

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Finally, There’s a Social Network Without Any People

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By Gita Jackson

Botnet is a social media app without people. Perfect.

This article originally appeared on VICE US.

Ever wanted to post something to social media just for the cheap, dopamine-fueled thrill of seeing a stream of favs and comments, but not risk interacting with a real human being? Botnet, a social media simulation for iOS where you’re the only human in a sea of bots, might be just what you need.

When you download the app, you enter a fantasy world where you’re the most popular user—and only non-bot—on a social network. It feels like a blend of the big three apps: the overall layout of Facebook, the commenting system of Instagram, and the anarchy of Twitter. While it feels real enough when you’re posting about your cat or the weather, Botnet’s views on politics are baffling, though not moreso than a particularly obsessed Twitter rando.

According to the makers of the app, when you post, all the comments are made by bots trained on thousands of “real conversations.” For a dollar each, you can buy bots that will troll you or make dad jokes. It’s deeply refreshing in some ways. All the minutiae that I post about is treated like the most fascinating and mind blowing content to this army of bots. I love being popular.

Posting about my cat or my boyfriend yielded an eerily accurate facsimile of what happens when I post something stupid on social media. Bots in the replies to both pictures said “great pic!” or posted the “100” emoji. In general, Botnet’s use of emojis is stellar. Just like on Instagram or Twitter, the first replies I get to any post are the same emojis people use to get in their first reply—stars, crying laughing faces, and hearts.

Some of the replies were so convincing, I reached out to Billy Chasen, artist and creator of Botnet, to ask if there were any real users on the app other than myself. The company told Motherboard that it uses GPT-2, an algorithm created by OpenAI, and trained it on “millions of internet comments.”

“Everything they write is original and based on training,” Chasen said.

When I posted about politics on Botnet, things got weirder.

Botnet functions basically like a diary. While the bots give you the impression of there being interaction, you’re actually just writing down your thoughts in a closed system that no one but yourself will see. What I do in my real life diary is try to decompress and untangle my stresses, and on Tuesday, February 11, one of my greatest stresses is the New Hampshire primary election. I wrote in Botnet, “Bernie Sanders will be victorious in New Hampshire.” Instead of hearts and smiley faces, one of the first replies I got was “The Democratic Party will not abandon Marianne Williamson.” The bots, it seems, have some pretty wild political opinions.

From there, I started to test more general political opinions. By this point I had paid a buck to get some troll bots, which have red hued icons. When I mentioned socialism, they all insisted I’d be better off volunteering.

A picture of the Botnet feed with comments like

When I said that socialism is the only path to an ethical society, one of my bots attributed the quote, hilariously, to JFK.

A picture of the Botnet feed, where a bot attributes the quote

The friendly bots didn’t really understand what I meant when I wrote, “workers of the world unite,” but the troll bots were right on cue with telling me that queer people should go fuck themselves.

A picture of the Botnet feed with comments like

It’s incredible not just how deranged these bots are, but how much like real social media these replies are. I’ve had exchanges like these with real human beings on Twitter, confusing anger and Marianne Williamson stanning included. That said, Botnet did generate a comment leagues funnier than anything I’ve seen on Twitter when I’ve tried to talk politics:

New Hampeeeeeeee!

New Hampee, indeed.

Feature Image Credit: Getty Images

Sourced from Vice

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Pandora puts its personalization powers to work in a revamped app

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By Sarah Perez

Pandora is doubling down on personalization and revamping its app in order to better compete with rivals like Spotify and Apple Music. Today, the company is introducing a new mobile experience that includes a dedicated “For You” tab where a continually updated feed of content is presented to users, including both music and podcast recommendations (and more). This content is personalized to the individual, based on factors like the day of the week, the time of day and Pandora’s predictions about your mood, among other things.

The new personalized feed will also help the company to better showcase more of its exclusive content — like its music-and-podcast combos, called “Pandora Stories,” for example. Or the dozens of SiriusXM talk shows that became Pandora podcasts following its acquisition.

“Our listeners have told us that they love the utility of Pandora — it’s drop-dead easy, it works, it knows me, it’s really simple,” explains Pandora’s Chief Product Officer Chris Phillips. “But what they haven’t been able to understand and have easy enough access to is all the content and programming that we have available on Pandora — the new content, new programming and the unique content that you can’t get other places,” he says.

The For You tab aims to change that by turning Pandora’s personalization capabilities onto its broader catalog and exclusives, then crafting a scrollable feed with dozens of ways to listen.

Here, you’ll be able to tap into Pandora Modes, for example, which is a new way to listen to Pandora Stations. The feature was previously available on the web, and has now come to mobile for the first time with today’s launch.

Pandora Modes let you toggle between ways to customize your stations. You can opt for modes that will tweak the station to play things like the most popular songs (“crowd faves”), the deep cuts, new releases, artist-only tracks and more. You also can opt for a “discovery” mode to have Pandora introduce you to new artists you may like, as related to the station in question.

Another section in the For You tab lets you browse by categories, including genre, new music, podcasts, moods, playlists, decades and trending.

The “Moods & Activities” section, meanwhile, will present collections of music based on current trends — for example, one of the available “moods” is “fall,” and another could be “rainy day,” matched up with the day’s weather. You also can dig into this section for moods to match your activity, like workout, gaming, studying, family time and more.

As you scroll down the For You page, you’ll come across your podcast recommendations and personalized playlists. And Pandora can create some 80 different versions of the latter, which include playlists by moods, activities, genres and more, all powered by its Music Genome.

Plus, the combined Pandora and SiriusXM editorial team of around 25 creates hundreds of human-curated playlists, too.

In total, there are some 35 different modules in Pandora’s new For You feed, some of which are shown to every user while others appear dynamically based on time of day and day of week. Its suggestions will also be tailored to your own likes and interests, thanks to your own listening behavior and explicit signals, like thumbs up and thumbs down.

That means your For You tab will be unique to you, and you can later be targeted with specific promotions — like the content to emerge from that deal between SiriusXM/Pandora and Drake, for example, if relevant to your interests. (Hey, it’s better than that time when Spotify put Drake’s face on every playlist.)

Despite the personalization, the feed will still include some insights powered by the larger Pandora population, so you can see what’s popular and trending more broadly across the service.

In time, Pandora plans to roll out even more modules to build out the experience further.

“100 billion thumbs are what’s powering all this,” adds Phillips, speaking of Pandora’s recent milestone, which measured the number of thumbs up and down clicks from users. Until now, he says, Pandora “hadn’t really brought together the community…and the power of our personalization, but not just for stations — for all the playlists, albums, songs and artists,” Phillips continues. “And then the idea that we lay on top of all of this…the idea of what time of day it is, and what might be interesting based on what we predict your mood is right now,” he says.

The “For You” tab and other features are arriving today on Pandora for iOS and Android.

By Sarah Perez

Sourced from TechCrunch

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Terrifying reality of what actually happens when you give an app access to your camera and microphone

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By Catherine Murphy

A series of tweets highlight potential dangers which users need to know about

A tech expert has revealed the shocking truth behind what an application can do once mobile phone users gives it access to their devices.

Most applications nowadays will request access to your device’s camera and microphone, but most users may not realise how much they’re leaving themselves open to possible exposure by allowing this process.

Dylan Curran , who describes himself as a Privacy Consultant in his Twitter bio, shared a thread of tweets detailing what an application could do once its gained access to your mobile phone.

Crediting the work of Felix Krause for his knowledge, his tweets detail how users could find apps taking photos without their permissions along with many other uses.

But by far the most sinister thing that could happen however is the fact applications could potentially be able to detect if the user is on their phone alone, or watching together with a second person.

He tweeted: “When you give an app access to your camera and microphone, here are the permissions you’re really giving

“1. + Access both the front and the back camera + Record you at any time the app is in the foreground + Take pictures and videos without telling you + Upload the pictures and videos without telling you

“2. + Upload the pictures/videos it takes immediately + Run real-time face recognition to detect facial features or expressions + Live stream the camera onto the internet + Detect if the user is on their phone alone, or watching together with a second person.

While mobile phones have become almost essential to many of our lives they do pose some dangers

“3. + Upload random frames of the video stream to your web service and run a proper face recognition software which can find existing photos of you on the internet and create a 3d model based on your face

“4. This is the access every single app that has camera/microphone permissions can use, from Snapchat to LinkedIn to Twitter to Facebook to Instagram. Short thread, but please keep in mind what you’re allowing these apps to see in your life when you click ‘Yes’.”

Unsurprisingly his series of tweets has gained plenty of response from concerned Twitter users gaining more than 2,000 retweets and hundreds of responses.

The tweets do not suggest any applications in particular doing the things listed, but are designed to highlight what could potentially happen (Image: Chris Radburn/PA Wire)

The thread is based on a blog post from Google tech developer Felix Krause, with the claim very much referring to what apps can technically do if they wanted to and raise awareness as oppose to singling out any particular apps for doing these things currently.

No applications is known to have carried out any of the things listed in the tweets, but if they wanted to they could.

One way users can protect themselves from any of these dangers is to use camera covers.

You read read the full thread of tweets here.

The ECHO has contacted Apple for a comment, but at the time of publication no response was gained.

By Catherine Murphy

Sourced from ECHO

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What Are The Best App Marketing Strategies?

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Sourced from Forbes

What are the best app marketing strategies? originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.

Answer by Julia Tokareva, Software Development Consultant at RubyGarage, on Quora:

If you have built a mobile app, you already have faced the tough turf of competition. If you want to stand out, use the following app marketing strategies that can guarantee success to a large extent.

Research target market.

To start marketing your app, you should define your target audience. Don’t try to reach everyone. Choose a particular group of consumers at which your product is aimed and create their profile. Define such important details as demographics, psychographics, habits, lifestyle. The effect will be stronger if you attract target audience instead of all people.

Perform competitor research.

Knowing about your competitors will help you to communicate with your target audience, distinguish your business from competitors, improve your processes, and navigate challenges in your market. Determine their main advantages and try to improve on them.

Create a landing page that sells.

Create a mobile app landing page that keeps readers informed in a creative and unexpected way. Make sure that the key elements of your mobile app landing page are included: app name, features, clear call to action, promo video.

Make your app visible in app store.

This is a process of optimizing mobile apps to rank higher in an app store search results. The higher your app ranks in an app store search results, the more visible it is to potential customers. Main factors that affect your ASO:

  • Title – make it readable, focused and it should have a high recognition value.
  • Description – make sure to point out what problems your app solves and use keywords.
  • Icon – focus on one element that reflects your app’s essence and design it in a unique shape.
  • Screenshots – show an app’s core features and most important functions.

Create viral video content.

Humans are visual creatures, which is why videos are the most popular form of content today. You can create video for YouTube as it’s a powerful tool to spread the word about your product. An effective way to market an app is to create a fun video using famous heroes or playing on sensational memes.

If you want to create a promo video, keep it short and to the point, focus only on your app’s best features and provide a strong call to action. As a final check, mute your video. If it still makes sense, it’s well done.

Start a blog.

Tell your audience about the development process. Blogging can build interest around your product and provides better search visibility. Select target keywords, create quality content, and link to influencers to improve your blog’s search engine rankings.

Reach your audience with social networks.

Social media can help you to reach your potential customers more easily. Social networks provide you an access to important data about users’ interests, hobbies, and so on. This information can help businesses to target their advertisements. For example, Facebook Ads allows you to customize advertising as accurately as possible since ads are targeted solely at your potential users.

Measure your app KPIs.

Regular analysis of your mobile app KPIs will help you gain the best insights into your idea so you’ll know how well your app is doing. Let’s consider the most important KPIs to pay attention to when assessing your app’s success.

julia

Always keep in mind your users and their feelings about your app. When dealing with mobile application marketing, every detail is essential.

If you’re interested in mobile app marketing strategies and how to use them, read this article to know more about this.

This question originally appeared on Quora – the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. More questions:

Feature Image Credit: Shutterstock

Sourced from Forbes

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Over Half of Millennial-Owned Small Businesses Have a Mobile App

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Millennial small business owners are more likely to build a mobile app than Gen Xers or baby boomers, but overall small business app growth is stagnant.

By MediaStreet Staff Writers

The younger small business owners are, the more likely they are to build a mobile app to support their business, according to a new survey by Clutch, a B2B ratings and reviews firm.

Fifty-five percent (55%) of millennial-owned businesses have a mobile app, compared to 13% of small businesses owned by baby boomers.

However, even as more small business owners of all generations recognise the value of mobile apps, small business app growth has stagnated, the survey finds.

In 2017, Clutch found that 42% of small businesses had a mobile app, and another 25% planned to build one by the end of the year. The 2018 survey reveals no change in the 42% of small businesses that currently have an app.

This finding does not surprise experts, given that building a well-crafted mobile app requires significant resources. “With less capital and smaller teams, I would expect these barriers to be even harder for smaller business to overcome,” said Woody Zantzinger, vice president of business development at WillowTree, Inc., a mobile app development company.

Businesses Need to Consider Goals of Mobile App

Small businesses should ensure they are building a mobile app for the right reasons, say experts.

Nearly 30% of small businesses surveyed say they primarily built a mobile app to attract new customers. Experts say this objective is misguided, since most customers don’t browse for apps. Rather, they seek out apps for a particular purpose.

If and when a small business decides to build a mobile app, experts advise that the goals and target audience be clearly defined. “The more rigorously you assess whether to invest or not to invest in a mobile app, the better,” said Peter Mezyk, chief operating officer of Nomtek, a mobile application development agency in Poland.

Mobile Apps Build on Existing Client Relationships

Mobile apps are best for enhancing communication with existing customers, say experts.

“When I think of a mobile app, companies with a lot of repeat customers benefit the most,” said Zantzinger. “If you’re going to have an app that lives ever-present on someone’s phone, that app provides businesses with new marketing opportunities to reach out to customers again and again.”

Mobile apps work well for businesses with loyalty programs. Mobile apps can keep track of rewards points, send push notifications on discounts and new products, and offer other functionalities that make existing customers even more invested in your small business.

Clutch’s 2018 Small Business Survey includes 351 small business owners and managers. The small businesses surveyed have between 1 and 500 employees, with 55% indicating that they have 10 or fewer employees. More than half (57%) reported annual revenue of less than $1 million.

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