Category: Apps

The inconvenient cost of convenience using Apps like #Uber #Deliveroo #Laundrapp #Apps

A new study by consumer finance website www.satsuma.co.uk has revealed the potential damage the use of so called convenience apps is having on personal finances.

 

  • 76% say convenience apps like Uber, Deliveroo, Laundrapp and others make it easy to spend more money than they wanted to

  • 40% say they regularly overspend​ via apps

  • 61% are spending £720 a year or 3.6% of net annual salary on convenience apps

  • 71% say they have no budget ​allowance for this type of spending

  • 14% have no idea how much they spend per month on convenience apps

Driven by the rise in the use of smartphones, we are increasingly living in an age of on demand gratification; where getting a taxi, ordering food or having your laundry done is easier, faster and much more accessible than ever before. A few quick clicks and it’s easy to have whatever you want. But what impact is this quick convenience having on our personal finances?

Are apps like this increasing our impulse spending? And if so, what responsibility, if any, do these apps have to help consumers manage their transactions better?

www.satsuma.co.uk wanted to find out, so it asked 1400 users of convenience apps in the UK a series of questions around their spending habits, to understand whether convenience really is a price worth paying.

The results from these 1400 respondents were really surprising.

Satsuma discovered that 71% of spending by respondents via convenience apps is unbudgeted; 61% of respondents are spending almost 4% of their annual net salary; 14% of respondents have no idea how much they spend per month on convenience apps.

The data from our respondents shows that these convenience apps are not being included in traditional budgeting techniques, leading to overspending.

Satsuma spokesperson Tim Anson commented: “This study shines a light on people’s perception of how healthy convenience apps are for their personal finances. It’s all too easy to pull your phone out and order something with little or no thought of the cost of your actions. The fact that 39% of respondents say they regularly overspend via apps and 14% have absolutely no idea how much they are spending is a red flag for me”.

Tim added: “Obviously retailers and service providers are in the business of taking your money as fast as they possibly can, and fulfilling that request equally as fast. However, it is clear as a nation we are not in control of our spending via these apps. Consumers need app developers to help them out with functionality to assist responsible spending. I’m also concerned that 47% of people have no idea how convenience apps make their money which suggests the majority of people are not aware of potentially hard to spot service charges and fees.

The key points from the responses of 1400 users of conveniences apps are summarised below:

  • 40% use convenience apps once a week or more.

  • 71% do not have a budget allocated for this type of spending and say they should

  • 61% spend up to £60 a month or £720 per year or 3.6% of their annual net  salary

  • 10% spend up to £100 per month or £1200 per year or 6% of annual net salary

  • 45% said they do not overspend on convenience apps

  • 39% said they overspend on convenience apps

  • 15% are unsure if the overspend on convenience apps

  • 76% say convenience apps make it too easy to spend more money than you should

  • 55% say convenience apps should have spending caps or notifications like mobile phone data usage to help stop overspending

  • 23% say that the have uninstalled convenience apps because they spend too much money

  • 47% say they have no idea how convenience apps make money

  • 11% think convenience apps are free

  • 24% believe convenience apps make money by adding service charges

  • 14% believe convenience apps make money by marking up goods/services

A Dozen Must- Have Medical Apps ( Infographic ) #Apps #Medical

It’s great to see so many apps available these days to help doctors keep up with a wealth of medical information. For example, on Doximity, doctors can review drug prescribing and safety information on thousands of different drugs – it just isn’t possible to memorise all of this information so this is a wonderful little app. There is also a great app called ‘MyChart’ that allows for doctor/patient interactions without the need to always schedule an appointment. Very handy for quick interactions and feedback between doctor and patient.

Aris Grigoriou, is a Student Recruitment Manager at Study Medicine Europe who has sent us this infographic check it out…

 

 

Thousands of Android-spying apps in the wild: what to do about #SonicSpy #Apps #SophosLabs

Android users have a new threat to be aware of: spyware apps that steal data from the devices they infect. Some samples made their way to Google Play, but the vast majority is coming from other online sources.

Researchers from SophosLabs and elsewhere have found three cases of SonicSpy-infused apps in Google Play: Soniac, Hulk Messenger, and Troy Chat – messaging apps that hide their spying functionality and await orders from command-and-control servers.

Google booted the apps from its store after they were discovered. Researcher Chen Yu said the Google Play versions had “tiny installation numbers and existed for a very short time”. Though three were found on Google Play, SophosLabs has counted 3,240 SonicSpy apps in the wild. Some reports place the number at 4,000.

According to multiple reports, a single bad actor – probably based in Iraq – has released these apps into the wild since February.

How it operates

The various SonicSpy-infused apps share the ability to:

  • Silently record audio
  • Take photos with the device’s camera
  • Make outbound calls
  • Send text messages to whatever phone numbers the attacker chooses
  • Retrieve data from contacts, Wi-Fi hotspots and call logs

On the devices it infects, SonicSpy removes its launch icon to hide itself. It then connects to a control server on port 2222 of arshad93.ddns[.]net, according to Michael Flossman, a researcher from Lookout who first reported the spyware’s appearance.

Defensive measures

Sophos customers are protected from the SonicSpy apps, which are detected as Andr/HiddenAp-W, Andr/Axent-CY, Andr/FakeApp-BK and Andr/Xgen-Y.

The continued presence of malicious Android apps demonstrates the need to use an Android antivirus such as our free Sophos Mobile Security for Android.

By blocking the install of malicious and unwanted apps, even if they come from Google Play, you can spare yourself lots of trouble.

In the bigger picture, the average Android user isn’t going to know what techniques the malware used to reach their device’s doorstep, but they can do much to keep it from getting in – especially when it comes to the apps they choose. To that end, here’s some more general advice:

  • Stick to Google Play. It isn’t perfect, but Google does put plenty of effort into preventing malware arriving in the first place, or purging it from the Play Store if it shows up. In contrast, many alternative markets are little more than a free-for-all where app creators can upload anything they want, and frequently do.
  • Avoid apps with a low reputation. If no one knows anything about a new app yet, don’t install it on a work phone, because your IT department won’t thank you if something goes wrong.
  • Patch early, patch often. When buying a new phone model, check the vendor’s attitude to updates and the speed that patches arrive. Why not put “faster, more effective patching” on your list of desirable features, alongside or ahead of hardware advances such as “better camera” and “higher-res screen”?

Read the full article HERE 

 

 

Swiping Right This Summer? @SuperBreak Launch New Travel Tool. #Travel #Dating

Are you unable to keep off Instagram and spend most of your evenings pouring over travel inspiration online? A new travel tool allows you to swipe right or left, like a dating app, but instead based on your travel preferences.

Get your wanderlust fix with the new interactive created by travel brand Super Break. Discover Your Destination (http://www.superbreak.com/inspiration/discover-your-destination) is designed to allow users to browse for their ideal short break through a journey of “instagramable” photographs.

Top travel influencers such as Glasses Girl and Cruise Miss have shared their photography for the game, which includes stunning destinations and experiences from all over the UK and Europe.

Super Break launched their brand re-fresh in June this year, which included a whole redesign of their website and a full branding overhaul, promoted through the launch of a new TV advertising campaign. Their new travel tool Discover Your Destination epitomises the new identity of the brand by inspiring potential customers with experience led content.

 

How to Play

At the beginning of the game you will be presented with an introduction screen that explains the game and what you are about to experience. Once you select the “play now” button, multiple Instagram images will appear – these photographs visualise a type of experience that you may have on a short break.

Once presented with the image, you will be given the option to swipe left if you don’t find the experience attractive, or right if you do. Once the decision is made, another image will instantly appear – this will happen for a total of 15 times until you are presented with your result.

The results screen tells you which kind of experience you should pursue. There are 8 categories in total:

  1. Thrill Seeker
  2. Culture Vulture
  3. City Escaper
  4. Entertainment Lover
  5. Stress Buster
  6. Food Fanatic
  7. Fun Finder
  8. Active Traveller

At the end of the game, you will be given the option to play again and be presented with a new range of images. Click below to play the game online and find out what kind of break you are in need of: http://www.superbreak.com/inspiration/discover-your-destination

 

RunPee – An app that alerts when you can run for a whizz at the cinema. #RunPee #Cinema

If you are a cinema goer this could be an invaluable app but again you could argue its something that occurs naturally but this app is designed to let you know when a certain part of a film is boring and it also tells you if there is extras after the film which is something many flick lovers like myself included.

The app is constantly updated too so you need not worry if something should be missed. This is quite a handy app when you think about it because in many films there is always the boring part and this cn go on for some time but then again so can the best bits but this is when you can control nature as the app will tell you when its best to dash off to the loo and not annoy too many cinema guest in the process. There is an alert function which works by vibration so for those who detest phones in the cinema it’s another bonus.

The App itself is clean and has a simple UI with an array of settings and you can also sign in,search for movies,update and sort alphabetically,You can also go back from 6-12 months in the app,get ratings running times and release dates.

As RunPee say they have your bladder covered and there is for now sadly no pause option in the cinemas. Download below and let us know what you think.

endur8 launches the first nutrition app for endurance athletes. #Nutrition #Athletes

A unique new fuelling app has launched today. It has been created to simplify nutrition-based performance for cycling, running and other endurance activities.

Using a science-backed, peer-reviewed formula for carbohydrate intake, endur8 calculates the optimum fuel consumption for an individual using their personal data and endur8’s proprietary algorithm. Tailored to their personal profile and the demands of their specific sport or course, whether cycling, running or other endurance activities, it then alerts the user when to fuel and by how much.
endur8 has today launched a unique nutrition app that alerts endurance athletes exactly when to refuel during training and competition.

Using a science-backed, peer-reviewed formula for carbohydrate intake, endur8 calculates the optimum fuel consumption for an individual using their personal data and endur8’s proprietary algorithm. Tailored to their personal profile and the demands of their specific sport or course, whether cycling, running or other endurance activities, it then alerts the user when to fuel and by how much.
Aimed at endurance athletes of all standards, from beginner through to elite, the endur8 app not only gives users the tools to fuel correctly but it also stores and applies data for training and event use. It is available on iOS at launch and shortly afterwards on Android.
“Knowing exactly when to take on fuel is crucial to success as an endurance athlete,” commented Daniel Slight, co-founder at endur8. “We created endur8 to boost an athlete’s training and refine their race performance. Performance nutrition is incredibly complex and cannot be left to guesswork, so we designed endur8 to simplify and manage nutrition intake, enabling the athlete to focus solely on their personal performance, safe in the knowledge that endur8 will tell them when it’s time to take on fuel.”
Before a training session or event, the user inputs their profile data, nutritional preferences and chosen discipline – from running, cycling or triathlon – and uploads or designs their training or competition route or course via endur8’s web-based interface. endur8 then uses Google’s mapping software to incorporate factors such as changes in gradient and calculates when they will need to refuel at the optimal times, based on the user’s predicted pace or time to complete their training or event.
Full functionality of the app will be available on iOS from launch and athletes will be able to receive alerts on their iPhone in the form of visual (on screen), audio (voice command) and vibration alerts. They will shortly be able to receive fuelling prompts via the Apple Watch or via their Fitbit or Garmin devices. The app also works alongside other existing training and monitoring apps, meaning it will send push notifications even when running in the background.
Users can log workouts, store performance information, and access event-focused and distance-oriented training programmes, enabling them to record and monitor changes in performance, times and nutritional variants. endur8 works for endurance athletes at all levels, whether they are an aspiring athlete looking for guidance on when to fuel, an intermediate athlete who needs to take the guesswork out of refuelling or an elite athlete needing to draw on the latest in performance nutrition research.
The app’s use of Google Maps, GPS location technology and endur8’s proprietary algorithm enables it to precisely identify the changing demands of training courses and race routes – such as elevations or user behaviours on different roads – and in so doing it adapts the nutritional intake alerts to match the individual and the course.
Specific features – including a dark background for the app and reduced API calls – extends battery life and is suitable for even the longest training session or event. Additional features – to be added shortly – will include access to professional coaches for tips and training insight, and the ability to follow other endur8 athletes who’ve reaped the rewards for their training programmes and race planning.
Whilst endur8 works alongside existing apps, it’s been specifically designed to be a very different tool. It serves to instantly inform and assist the user and, as local training routes are ‘drawn’, built into the system and shared by individuals, it will benefit whole communities of runners and cyclists.
The app is available now on iPhone 5 and above for a free 30 day trial on the App Store and soon on Google Play.
For a list of Frequently Asked Questions, go to https://endur8.com/faqs/.
Once the trial is over, users can choose from the following plans:
  • The Every Athlete – Plan your events for free. Calculate your nutritional needs and receive ‘in event’ alerts at the optimum time to refuel during your race.
  • Nutrition Planner – Upload training routes and nutrition alerts for every training session for just £6.49 per quarter or £19.99 per year.
  • Full details are below and you can download the app at https://appsto.re/gb/cWVdkb.i.
Coaches who would like to list their details on the app should get in touch via operations@endur8.com.

The 10 Must-Have Apps for Dog Lovers. #Apps #Pets #Dogs

From training advice to walking routes, seeking dog sitters to minding your dog’s health, there are plenty of great apps that cater for all aspects of owning a dog so that you’ll always have somewhere to turn if faced with uncertainty.  Tom Clarke who works with Greyhounds as Pets in Australia picked out 10 of the best that you’ll find on iTunes or the Google Play Store. Check out this inforgraphic below for all the deets.

You Can Now Send Money with #PayPal in the #Skype Mobile App.

PayPal and Skype users in 22 countries – including Ireland – can now send money from PayPal directly in their Skype mobile app. With this new app, people in Ireland can send money ‘in the moment’ to friends and family in Ireland and 21 other countries, including the United States and UK. More than $7 million an hour is sent to family and friends globally through PayPal services.

The partnership with Skype is another example of how PayPal is enabling users to send money in more places and in new contexts, online and on mobile. This year, PayPal has also integrated with Siri for iPhone users, in the Slack messenger app and in email via Microsoft’s Outlook.com.

“At PayPal, we are committed to putting our customers’ needs first. That’s why we aim to provide people with choice and flexibility in how they send or receive money. Over the past year, we’ve partnered with Apple, Slack and Microsoft to enable peer-to-peer (P2P) payments with PayPal and Venmo in more places and in more contexts where people are connecting online and on mobile, such as a voice command with Siri, in chat with iMessage and Slack, and in email via Microsoft’s Outlook.com.

“Today, we’re excited to announce that PayPal is now partnering with Skype to allow users in 22 countries to send money to other Skype users with PayPal via their Skype mobile app. With over one billion Skype mobile downloads to date globally, users will be able to use PayPal directly from their Skype app to seamlessly send money in the moment – like for a gift for a family member across the country or internationally.”

The ability to send money with PayPal on Skype is starting to rollout today to PayPal and Skype users in the United States, United Kingdom, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain. The feature will initially be rolled out to Skype customers on the latest version of Skype for iOS and Android mobile devices.

Read more HERE

#TechWorld – Tech News & Deals App Now Available On Windows Platform #WPDev

The founder of “TechWorld” Siddhant Jain whom is a technology lover and also writes about tech and sports a You-Tube channel.. Not only this he creates apps and now has entered into the Windows Phone space with a brand new app following on from the previous apps last year he created called Tech World. Following the launch of TechWorld on Android he then went on to create an app for motoring fans called Autoworld. Given Windows phone is dying a slow death there is still plenty of users and news feeds are slowly dying along with it so this app which is excellent on Android should be no different on the Windows Platform..

Siddhant Tells us..

I HOPE THROUGH MY APP, CHANNEL AND WEBSITE, TECH LOVERS GET THE LATEST NEWS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE PROBLEMS IN USING THESE TECHNOLOGIES, FIND SOLUTIONS TO THEIR PROBLEM.

 

 

Siddhant is continually adding content to the app as before with previous versions as its a work in progress,With a nice clean UI you can just scroll down the page or select from the list of content providers in the list which is present right now which is been updated as we speak.. Currently present now on the app is tech sites like The Verge, CNET ,Windows Central,Android Central,Sidtech and TechbuzzIreland is also in there too, Watch out for more in the coming weeks..

 

Siddhant also adds..

In this technology based era , Tech world is offering the most comprehensive daily breaking news from trusted sources worldwide. It is packed with inspiring articles, interesting facts, latest tech deals, and high quality tech videos, making it an exceptional read for anyone with a professional or at-home interest in the world of science and technology . Our writers(Sid Tech) are as passionate about gadgets as you are and this is reflected in insightful articles that cover every aspect of technology . Tech world allows you to stay on top of the latest tech news and rumours in one elegantly designed reader . Finger swipe your way through the day’s headline about latest technology and gadgets .

Find Sid Tech On Website : http://techworldsid.com

Snapchat – sidtech (https://goo.gl/TTULYJ)

Twitter- https://twitter.com/SidTechWorld

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/sidtechworld

Insta – https://instagram.com/sidtechworld/

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