Google to shut down Plus Photos on August 1st

It was bound to happen. With the debut of Google Photos, we’ve expected Google to shutter Google Plus Photos. Now, the announcement has been made and the service will be shut down by August 1^st. The shutdown will hit Android first with iOS and the Web following “soon thereafter.” Google’s encouraging the remaining users of Google Plus Photos to download the Google Photos app so they can continue having “uninterrupted access” to their photos, videos, and albums. Those who don’t want to switch or failed to do so by August 1^st, you can access it at the photos portal and export them using Google Takeout.

Source: Google | Via: The Next Web

Ashley Madison breach raises another red flag on online security

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Ashley Madison's entire business plan is hinged on their ability to securely store customer's information including intimate photographs, personal profiles and chats. The website was recently hacked and 37 million customer's accounts were reportedly taken and hackers are threatening to leak all this information online unless the site is completely shut down.

Ashley Madison is a website and online community that unabashedly encourages people to have extramarital affairs. It is a dating site designed around making it easy to find various attached partners for casual encounters and no-strings attached sex.

Ashley Madison's entire business plan is hinged on their ability to securely store customer's information including intimate photographs,  personal profiles, sexual fantasies and intimate chats. Their homepage boasts a 'Trusted Security Award,' it promises a '100 % Discreet Service,' and is an 'SSL Secured Site.'

Despite this, Ashley Madison was recently hacked and 37 million customer's accounts, mostly from the US and Canada, were reportedly taken and hackers are threatening to leak all this information online unless the website property is closed down. 

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Spotify outs user-specific ‘Discover Weekly’ playlist

Spotify’s new feature is bringing you a more personalized playlist. The automatically generated and aptly named Discover Weekly playlist gives you an instant playlist based on the music you’ve been listening to. It also takes into account the taste of the people who listen to music similar to you. If you like a particular song, make sure to save it because the playlist updates every Monday. Spotify plans to bring this new feature to all its users in the coming weeks. For now, you’ll have to look for new stuff to listen to the “old-fashioned way” on Spotify and tap on that Discover tab or stalk your friends and see what they’re listening to.

Source: Gizmodo

New iPhone ad focuses on extensive app ecosystem

Apple's continuing its new iPhone ad campaign which highlights what sets it apart from the competition. The most recent ad, which is titled 'Amazing Apps' pays homage to the App Store's 'one and a half million of the best apps available.'

This highlights the iPhone-first strategy of many developers who know that getting their games, applications and utilities on iOS gives them more opportunities to earn. Of note is the mention that Apple carefully curates which apps make it to the walled garden, which means less crapware and bogus applications available (although, you can't avoid some abandoned or outdated ones). The ad is a refreshing 'if you got it, flaunt it.' reminder of how much power our iPhones have thanks to a thriving app ecosystem.