Watch Out for This Fake 2FA App

A fake 2FA app was recently removed from the Google Play store, as it was concealing very dangerous malware.

January 31, 2022 It's January 31, 2022, and National Backward Day. We're not gonna type out a whole message in reverse, but we encourage you to do so just once, if only to mess with a friend.     ⏰ Today's Big Stories... in 30 Seconds Today We Watched, Read, and Listened to (so you don't have to): 390 articles, 18 podcasts, 15 press releases, 329 tweets, and 3 YouTube videos 1. Malicious 2FA App Found on Google Play Cybersecurity researchers have helped delist a fake 2FA app from the Google Play store, which concealed banking info-stealing malware. The app, named 2FA Authenticator, was removed on Jan 27, but only after it was downloaded over 10,000 times. If you have this app installed, remove it immediately. 2. Facebook Messenger Get New End-to-End Encryption Updates Facebook's Messenger app has received a new update, adding end-to-end encryption for group chats/calls, message forwarding, and more. Most of the new features are available now, while others, like screenshot notifications, are set to arrive "in the coming weeks." We'll try to be patient. 3. iOS 15.4 Beta Adds 37 New Emojis If you're tired of the selection of iOS emoji you've been sending to your friends, you may be happy to know that the iOS 15.4 beta has over 30 new ones for people to play with. Among them are a melting face, saluting face, and a face holding back tears. Hopefully they all make it to the full release. 🦑 Go Deeper Sure, hydrogen-powered cars are cool and fairly capable, but we wouldn't recommend you rush out to buy one just yet. According to Roberto Baldwin, the infrastructure to properly support them simply doesn't exist yet.     🎱 By the Numbers A lot of people crying in 2021? Makes sense. Data: Emojipedia Emojis continued to be a popular way to communicate in 2021. On Twitter, specifically, people really took to using the Loudly Crying and Tears of Joy faces a lot, but many also used laughing, smiling, and heart emoji, too. Needless to say, 2021 was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster.   🔥 Today's Hot Deal Look, you're way past due for a new audio system. Fortunately, Vizio's 5.1.2-Channel Sound Bar with Wireless Subwoofer is $150 off at Best Buy right now, making it $349.99. Did we mention it supports Dolby Atmos, too? Yeah, go snatch this one up. Don't Miss This Deal 🤓 Nerd Out "Will my insurance cover robo-medicine?" —Kyree Leary, Associate News Editor In another demonstration of how good robot doctors can be, a robot has successfully performed surgery on pig tissue without human help. We imagine they get less distracted and stressed out. (Share on Twitter) 💎 You Know You Want It  You always need a new keyboard Image: Logitech Looking for a new mechanical keyboard that ditches the number pad? The new G413 TKL SE from Logitech is just that. Sleek design, tactile switches, white backlighting, and a small desk footprint? What more could you want? 🎧 Listen Up What'd you do now, Spotify? The Vergecast crew convenes yet again to discuss recent happenings in the tech world. Want to hear how profitable tech companies were last year, or the latest Spotify controversy? This episode's for you. Give it a listen.     🗞 Extra! Extra! We've got you covered with the best in daily tech news! See the latest on our site or follow us on Apple News and Google News. Did someone forward this to you? Sign up here. Have something you'd like us to write about? We're always open for suggestions, too. You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the Tech Today newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here .   Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our review process here. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. A Dotdash Brand 28 Liberty Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10005 2020 Dotdash • All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.   [View in Browser]

Accepting Direct Payments on iPhone? Finally

A new report claims Apple is working on a way for iPhones to accept direct payments without third-party hardware.

January 28, 2022 It's January 28, 2022. On this day in 1999, Yahoo! bought GeoCities for $3.65 billion. Remember GeoCities? If you spent any amount of time online in the late 90s and early 2000s, you should.     ⏰ Today's Big Stories... in 30 Seconds Today We Watched, Read, and Listened to (so you don't have to): 290 articles, 14 podcasts, 10 press releases, 429 tweets, and 23 YouTube videos 1. Your iPhone May Be Able to Accept Direct Payments Soon A new report suggests Apple has plans for a new service that would let your iPhone accept payments directly, rather than just make payments. The concept has been in development since 2020 and will likely use the same NFC chip already used for Apple Pay. Come on, Apple, get to announcing already!  2. Apple Says It Has Fixed the iCloud CloudKit Synching Bug Apple has finally fixed a CloudKit bug that caused problems with iCloud syncing for many third-party developers and their users. If you've dealt with this bug before, your apps' syncing should work now. If the developer shut off sync features, however, you'll need to wait for them to be re-enabled. 3. GeForce NOW Launches on Select LG TVs Nvidia's GeForce NOW cloud gaming app has exited beta and is officially releasing on select LG TVs. An update is rolling out now to implement its new graphical features, and to celebrate the launch, people who buy a supporting LG TV will get a free six-month Priority membership. Talk about enticing. 🦑 Go Deeper The EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) is taking on targeted ads, but Charlie Sorrel wants you to know that, while it does take big swings, it doesn't take enough of them to address what you really want it to.     🎱 By the Numbers How does Siri put up with so many people? Data: Business of Apps We shouldn't be surprised by how many iPhones are roaming around the world, but it is kinda neat to see how far the smartphone has come since its debut. Back in 2008, 10 million active units would've been a lot, but now it's well over a billion. At least 30 of those came from us here at Lifewire.   🔥 Today's Hot Deal Of course you need a new pair of headphones, which is why we're highlighting JBL's Tour One Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones. They're down to $150 at Best Buy right now, exactly 50% off their usual price. Have at it! Don't Miss This Deal 🤓 Nerd Out "In a parallel universe, this game actually came out." —Rob LeFebvre, Senior News Editor What's more nerdy than watching new footage of a cancelled Star Wars game? Very little. Regardless, new gameplay has surface from what would have been Star Wars 1313, featuring Boba Fett. Check it out. (Share on Twitter) 💎 You Know You Want It  But what if it was wider? Image: Dell Look, if you desire something, you may as well go big. Or in this case, wide. The 49-Inch Dell UltraSharp Curved Monitor is perfect for those ready to graduate from two monitors to a single unit that can do it all. Imagine all the windows you could fit on this. Shame it's so expensive, coming in at $1,359.99. 🎥 Behind the Scenes See, same-day streaming releases can be great Movie studios want you to think releasing a movie in theaters and on streaming services is bad, but services like HBO Max have increased subscriber numbers because of it, too. Thanks, The Matrix Resurrections.     🗞 Extra! Extra! We've got you covered with the best in daily tech news! See the latest on our site or follow us on Apple News and Google News. Did someone forward this to you? Sign up here. Have something you'd like us to write about? We're always open for suggestions, too. You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the Tech Today newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here .   Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our review process here. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. A Dotdash Brand 28 Liberty Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10005 2020 Dotdash • All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.   [View in Browser]