What’s new
Gmail will block JavaScript file attachments starting February 13
Google has announced that its e-mail service Gmail will soon block JavaScript files from being uploaded and sent over email as they are increasingly being used as a form of malware. This is the reason why Google does not allow .exe and .bat files on their e-mail, and after February 13, .js files too will be banned. If a user downloads a malicious JavaScript file, hackers can use it to gain access to their PC to steal data or perform other damaging functions.
You can read more here.
Xiaomi executive Hugo Barra joins Facebook as vice president of VR
Hugo Barra, the most prominent global executive at Xiaomi Inc will lead Facebook’s virtual reality business including the Oculus unit.”Hugo shares my belief that virtual and augmented reality will be the next major computing platform,” said Zuckerberg. Barra is going “to help build that future, and I’m looking forward to having him on our team,” he added.
More info are available here.
New products
Blu Vivo XL2
The successor of the Vivo XL will have a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display, quad-core MediaTek MT6737T processor, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. The XL2 comes with a 8MP front camera, a 13MP back camera and a 3,150mAh battery.
More info here.
Pentax KP
Pentax KP is a slim weatherproof DSLR camera designed for outdoor use. It features a 24-megapixel CMOS sensor, 5-axis in-body image stabilization and it is priced at $1,099.
More info here.
You might want to know about this
Google expands Daydream VR platform to developers
Starting this week, anyone can publish an app for Google’s Daydream VR platform, which had previously been limited to a select group of partners. In order to ensure that Daydream apps meet a certain level of quality, Google has also published a page of Daydream app quality requirements to ensure that any VR experiences meet Google’s standards.
You can read more here.
Facebook updates Trending topics to limit fake news
The company’s trending section was previously based on user engagement to highlight topics and stories popular on the platform. The changes will use a new method to determine what stories are trending, and will check to see if multiple publishers are discussing a story or topic. “Today’s update may also help prevent hoaxes and fake news from appearing in Trending because the updated system identifies groups of articles shared on Facebook instead of relying solely on mentions of a topic,” said Will Cathcart, Facebook’s vice president of product management
More info can be found here.
Fun stuff
Personal Privacy Assistant learns users’ app preferences with the help of AI
The app is designed to make privacy decisions more manageable. “Using AI and machine learning technology, we’ve been able to build a privacy assistant able to look at the apps you’ve got on your cellphone, ask a few questions, and make recommendations about how you may want to configure your settings.” Norman Sadeh, a professor at Carnegie Mellon’s School of Computer Science said.
You can read more here.
