Google to crack down on fraudulent app installs in Play Store

Google has enhanced its systems for identifying and stopping fraudulent app installs meant to affect app rankings in the mobile app store. “If an install is conducted with the intention to manipulate an app’s placement on Google Play, our systems will detect and filter it,” Google Search Quality Analyst Kazushi Nagayama and Google Product Manager Andrew Ahn wrote in a blog post. “Furthermore, developers who continue to exhibit such behaviors could have their apps taken down from Google Play.” Aside from this, Nagayama and Ahn remind developers that if they promote their apps, these must be done through legitimate means.

Toyota turns your smartphone into a car key with Smart Key Box

Toyota is getting in on the car-sharing industry with a new technology the company has created. Called the Smart Key Box, the Bluetooth-enabled device lets you unlock and start the car with your smartphone. The technology is simple to install. Just place the Smart Key Box on your dashboard. If you plan on earning some money through car-sharing, your customer will be sent a code via an app to access the box—and by extension your car. This code will then be authenticated via Bluetooth when you and your smartphone are near the car. Toyota calls this interaction a “handshake.” The time when your customer can access the Smart Key Box is set and managed by Toyota and based on vehicle reservation. The car manufacturer plans to test this tech in San Francisco next year in partnership with peer-to-peer car-sharing service called Getaround.

Source: The Verge

Rear-view cameras to be required on all cars made after May 2018

Once a fringe feature used to upsell customers buying new vehicles, rear-view cameras have proven to be one of the best safety features on new cars today and they will soon be mandatory on passenger cars made after May 2018.

Transport Canada says new cars and small trucks will have to be equipped with rear-view camera in order to avoid accidents involving young children, disabled  persons and the elderly. Transport Canada estimates that such accidents killed 27 people and injured more than 1,500 from 2004 to 2009.

The new requirement applies to new light vehicles, including passenger cars, light trucks, three-wheelers and small vans and buses.

“This helps children be seen and provides Canadians with one of the best safety technology systems to reduce back-over collisions,” Transport Minister Marc Garneau said in a statement.

Source: National Post

Giphy provides new home for Vine content

Vine’s sudden closure is leaving a lot of creators without home for their creations. While there are a lot of other social media sites out there, not all of them can work with the six-second clips Vine hosts. One that can take advantage of the shutdown is Giphy. The GIF-centric site has indeed created a tool to help Vine creators convert and transfer their content to Giphy. By simply signing up to Giphy, you gain access to the GIPHY Vine tool where all that’s needed is to input your Vine profile URL and let it do the rest. According to Android Headlines, full resolution and visual quality stays roughly the same. But like other GIF files, it would lose sound. Giphy wouldn’t say until when the tool will be available. Same goes for Twitter. They haven’t announced when they plan to shut down the site. But it’s better to cut your ties with Vine sooner instead of later.