Along with an update for its Mac app, Twitter announced today that it is introducing a new security feature to protect accounts against hackings. Twitter’s new two-factor authentification feature should help reduce the number of hacked accounts that have plagued the service recently.

To set up the new two-factor authentification feature on your account, log in and go to your Account Settings page. From there you can choose to require a verification code when you sign in, and add a phone number to your account.

The whole process takes about a minute, but if you get lost, Twitter made this handy video to help you out:

Source: Twitter

This post was written by Cult of Android from Cult of Mac.
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Earlier this month we noted that Apple was asking courts to add the Galaxy S4 as an infringing device in its ongoing patent dispute with Samsung in California. Now, Apple has officially filed a motion (via FossPatents) outlining five patents infringed by the Galaxy S4 and another two Siri related patents infringed by the device’s Google Now voice controlled search feature.

Apple had previously claimed that the Android Google search box feature on Samsung devices infringed the same patents, but is now moving to have Google Now included alongside the S4. Excerpt from Apple’s filing below:

To further complicate matters, Apple’s infringement analysis of the ’604 and ’959 patents focuses on Google functionality that Samsung incorporates into its devices. For example, in its original contentions, Apple identified Google’s “Quick Search Box” found on the accused Samsung phones as satisfying the limitations of the ’604 and the ’959 patents. Since Apple initially served those infringement contentions, however, Google released the Google Now search application, which,in some instances, replaces the Quick Search Box, but incorporates the relevant ’604 and ’959 patented functionality. Google did not begin production of the source code for this application until at least the beginning of April.

Moreover, as a direct result of the new claim construction, Apple was required to investigate the Google Play Books, Google Play Music, GooglePlay Movies and TV, Google Play Store and Android Market developed by Google. Google did not fully produce the source code for these apps until May 13, 2013.

Apple has agreed to remove one of the 22 infringing devices it claims in the case in order to have the S4 added ahead of a trial scheduled for spring 2014.

This post was written by Jordan Kahn from 9to5Mac.
You can view the original post by clicking here.

Google has brought the new voice search features announced at Google I/O last week to its Google Chrome web browser for desktops. The latest version of the app (version 27) puts a little microphone icon alongside the search bar on Google.com which lets you find the things you’re looking for without touching your keyboard.

When you click the microphone icon, you’ll be taken to a dedicated search page that’ll listen to your voice commands. It works just like the voice searching feature inside Google’s search apps for Android and iOS, and it’s just as quick and as accurate.

Chrome usually installs its updates automatically when you’re not using it, but if you haven’t closed it in a while, you can install it manually by opening up the “About Google Chrome” page from within the settings menu and clicking the restart button. If the update wasn’t already waiting for you, you may have to search for it.

Once you have the latest Chrome release, visit Google.com and try out voice search for yourself.

Via: Android Central

This post was written by Killian Bell from Cult of Mac.
You can view the original post by clicking here.

Apple began adding the Galaxy S4 to its ongoing patent-infringement case against Samsung last week, and it has now specified five patents which it believes the device is breaching. The Cupertino company has also taken aim at Google Now, which allegedly infringes its unified search patent.

FOSS Patents has obtained a copy of Apple’s motion, which highlights five patents that are allegedly infringed by the Galaxy S4.

Two of those patents cover Siri’s “universal interface for retrieval of information in a computer system” (8,086,604 and 6,847,959), and another covers a “graphical user interface using historical lists with field classes” (5,666,502).

The other two cover ”asynchronous data synchronization amongst devices” (5,946,648), and a ”system and method for performing an action on a structure in computer-generated data” (7,761,414).

Apple prevailed over HTC with that fifth patent, and the company claims that Android infringes it on an operating system level. So, technically, any device running Google’s platform could be guilty of infringing this one.

In addition to these claims against the Galaxy S4, Apple also added Google Now to its complaint, which allegedly infringes a patent that covers unified search boxes.

Apple’s motion does now mention the upcoming Galaxy S4 Google Edition, which runs stock Android rather than Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface, and instead focuses on the existing model that’s currently on sale right now.

However, we assume the Google Edition will also be added once Apple has had a chance to look at it.

Source: FOSS Patents

This post was written by Cult of Android from Cult of Mac.
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Walmart’s video on demand service, Vudu, just rolled out a new update for its iOS app. Version 2.0 of Vudu now lets you download videos from the service, and then watch them even if you’re offline. The player itself is streamlined, and Closed Captioning–already supported on the iPad version of the Vudu app–is now available on the iPhone, too.

Vudi is a Netflix-style video on demand service that is owned by Walmart that lets users stream videos to Mac, PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Roku, various Blu-Ray players, Android phones, and iOS devices. Vudu claims its advantage over Netflix is that Vudu movies come out the same day as the DVD versions, and users can access their UltraViolet codes via the service, as well. Plus, there’s no monthly fee; you only pay for the movies you rent to stream, with a rate of two dollars per two night rental period.

The new update is only for iOS at this time, leaving Android users wishing they had an iPhone or iPad.

What’s New in Version 2.0
• You can now download and watch your collection of movies and TV shows offline.
• We’ve listened to your feedback and made the Player easier to use.
• Closed Captioning for the iPhone is now supported. (Closed captioning is already supported for iPad).
• General bug fixes have been applied.

Source: iTunes App Store
Via: TUAW

This post was written by Rob LeFebvre from Cult of Mac.
You can view the original post by clicking here.