Telegram says Apple is blocking its app updates globally

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov says that Apple has stopped approving updates for its mobile app on a worldwide basis. He says that it coincides with Russia implementing a block on Telegram, and it means there have been no updates rolling out to users anywhere in the world for a month and a half. Apple has said nothing about the apparent update block, and the lack of transparency has forced Durov to go public. See also: Download all the information Apple holds about you from its new Data and Privacy portal Apple to add details of government app takedown requests to… [Continue Reading]

#BetaNews20 Giveaway: Linksys Velop Dual-Band Whole Home Mesh Wi-Fi System

Today is officially the day -- BetaNews is celebrating its 20th birthday! While people typically get presents on their birthday, we are flipping the script a bit. To celebrate the occasion, we will be doing giveaways all month long. This is our way to thank our dear readers for two decades of loyalty. Whether you have been a reader since the beginning or you are new to the site, we wish you luck in our many June giveaways. The first giveaway is a really exciting new product from Linksys -- the all new Velop Dual-Band Whole Home Mesh WiFi System. If… [Continue Reading]

Court rules that Samsung doesn't need to update older phones

One of the problems with choosing an Android phone is that it is difficult to know quite how long it will be supported. While Apple tends to offer updates for quite a number of years, it's a very different story for Android users. Now -- in something of a blow for consumers -- a court in the Netherlands has ruled that Samsung does not need to offer updates for its older handsets. A consumer association filed a lawsuit against the company, arguing that it should be forced to keep phones updated for at least four years; the court disagreed. See… [Continue Reading]

Arxan launches new protection solution for Android apps

Application protection specialist Arxan Technologies is launching its latest Arxan for Android product. It offers the industry's first protection technology for apps developed using Kotlin, the rapidly growing development language supported by Google for Android app development. Arxan's protection for Android apps written in Kotlin or Java shields against reverse engineering and tampering to protect businesses from brand damage, financial loss, intellectual property theft and government penalties. "Arxan for Android is unique in that it is the first application protection solution to offer full support for Kotlin while directly manipulating the DEX files to provide the greatest security and control," says… [Continue Reading]

BetaNews' Big 20th Birthday Giveaway #BetaNews20

On June 1 1998, BetaNews hit the web for the first time. We’re celebrating the site’s 20th birthday with a huge, month-long giveaway, and there are some truly spectacular products up for grabs. Throughout the month of June, we will be giving away thousands of dollars worth of hardware products, including a mesh Wi-Fi system, Xbox router, digital art frame, robot vacuum cleaner, hardware encrypted hard drive, smart home camera, keyboards, mice, and more! There will be the opportunity to enter multiple times for each product, giving you more chances to win. Below are just some of the the products… [Continue Reading]

Best Windows 10 apps this week

Two-hundred-and-eighty-five in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 on the Windows Store in the past seven days. Microsoft published a bunch of new PWA applications to the Windows Store. These applications work only on Windows 10 version 1803 or newer. New additions are: Rand McNally, EasterSales, News.com.au, Boots.uk, Rocketmiles, and EBTH. As always, if I've missed an app or game that has been released this week that you believe is particularly good, let me know in the comments below or notify me via email. Discounts this week The following… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft updates parental controls and allows for location tracking through Android Launcher

Ever keen to bolster its family-friendly image, Microsoft has revealed a number of updates to parental control options across a range of apps, services and devices. The company says it want to "make it easier and safer for families to interact with technology and, each other, across devices and platforms". The changes include updates to Edge and Microsoft Launcher for Android, which allows parents to not only limit what children can see, but also track their whereabouts. Microsoft is also introducing a specially-curated MSN Kids. See also: Microsoft will roll out 'key' GDPR rights globally... not just in Europe Spectre… [Continue Reading]