Facebook Messenger now gives access to users without Facebook accounts

Facebook is looking to bring its messaging app to more people as it now lets users sign-up without a Facebook account. All you need is your phone number and you gain access to all Messenger features like photos, group chats, video, stickers, voice and video calling, etc. The feature is currently available to users in Canada, the US, Peru, and Venezuela.

Facebook stresses though that using Messenger with a Facebook account is still beneficial though. “People can easily message with their Facebook friends and contacts, access their Facebook messages and take advantage of multi-device messaging across mobile devices, the web and tablets,” Facebook Software Engineer Louis Boval said in a blog post.  

Source: Facebook Newsroom

Android phones now get Microsoft Office apps

Microsoft’s goal to expand its cross-platform development bears another fruit today. The company just released its Office apps to Android smartphones. Office for Android tablets has been around since the start of the year. Now, the apps have been optimized for a smaller screen. One of the big changes is the placement of the formatting settings at the bottom of the screen to make editing that much easier. OneDrive integration is a given but the app also adds support for Google Drive, Box, and Dropbox. Microsoft said some Android manufacturers will also be preloading Office apps into different Android phones. It’s bloatware admittedly but at least it’s something useful. You can find the free download links for Word, PowerPoint, and Excel below.

Source: Mashable | Download: Word + PowerPoint + Excel (Free)

Apple to protect users’ privacy further by preventing iOS apps from seeing other installed apps

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook released a letter last fall emphasizing how their company works to sell products and not harvest data, which is a criticism for the likes of Google and Facebook. Taking it a step further, the company plans to not let apps access download data for advertising purposes. Apps like Facebook and Twitter make use of this data so we’re not sure what will happen after the changes will reportedly happen once iOS 9 is released.

Source: Apple Insider

Instagram introduces a new search and explore section

Instagram’s explore section isn’t exactly the most vital part of the photo-sharing app. Instagram hopes the latest update for Android iOS might change that perception. Version 7.0 of the app introduces a new explore and search section that brings rather similar features to Twitter. You get trending tags to show the most popular images up top. You also get trending place as well as a way to search for places in addition to being able to search for people and tags. You can look view all these categories at once through the “top results” shown across the service. It’ll now be easier than before to see event-related photos.

If you want to view amazing, curated images (which is a concept you’ve probably seen on VSCO), Instagram is also introducing curated collections. It’ll feature things like “interesting accounts and places, from musicians and extreme athletes to stunning architecture and gorgeous beaches.” You’ll be able to see banners for these collections at the top of the explore section. The update is rolling out first in the US. According to Instagram, “We’ll work to bring it to the rest of the world after we fine tune the experience and set it up to work well in other countries.” You just need to keep an eye out for this and it should make it to your device soon.

Source: Instagram | Via: The Verge