We’re used to hearing about cybercriminals using hidden servers or dark web addresses to buy and sell their wares. But these scofflaws are going about their business pretty much right in the open, via Facebook groups, according to a report published Friday from Cisco Talos. The intelligence firm discovered 74 Facebook groups that were buying …

It’s common to test blood sugar by pricking a finger if you’re diabetic, but what if there was an easier way? Apple appears to be working on it. The US Patent and Trademark Office published two patent applications Thursday that suggest Apple is working on devices that could potentially smell the environment.  One application details the “systems and methods for environmental sensing.” …

Tired of getting added to random WhatsApp groups from strangers? Good news. WhatsApp’s latest changes give you control over groups you engage with on the messaging app. Instead of being added to a group without your consent, the app now lets you decide who can add you to a group, WhatsApp said in a blog post Wednesday. Now you can …

Google Duplex, the voice assistant that sounds remarkably human, is making its way to more devices. The new Google Assistant feature for booking restaurant reservations is rolling out for more Android and iOS devices in the US, a Google spokesperson confirmed Wednesday. The support page for Duplex, spotted earlier by 9to5Google, says Android devices running version 5.0 or later and iPhones …

Apple has released the fifth-generation iPad Mini. So, of course, the repair experts at iFixit needed to tear it apart. The new 7.9 inch tablet, launched two weeks ago, sticks to its roots as a revamp of the iPad Mini 4, according to iFixit’s teardown published Tuesday. One notable change is the battery connector design, which could prevent people trying to …

By next year, 100 million consumers will shop using AR either online and in stores, market researcher Gartner predicted Monday. As part of that shift, 46 percent of retailers plan to integrate augmented reality or virtual reality tech into shopping experiences, according to Gartner’s Unified Retail Retailer Survey conducted last summer. The introduction of 5G wireless networks will help push …

If you visit the website for Apple’s digital magazine app, Texture, on Friday, you’ll see a goodbye message. The tech giant is retiring Texture on May 28 and advertising its newest service, Apple News Plus. Apple announced News Plus during the Apple Event on Monday, along with other news.  “Texture is ending. Continue reading your favorite magazines, and so much …

After a month of lobbying by the gay rights community, Google removed a controversial app that promoted conversion therapy from its Play Store Thursday. The app was called and created by Living Hope Ministries, a Christian group that seeks “sexual and relational wholeness through a more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.” “After consulting with outside advocacy groups, reviewing our policies, and …

Microsoft’s Windows 10 October 2018 update is finally ready… in 2019. After a long, bumpy road, Win 10 version 1809 is launching next month, Microsoft says. “Based on the data and the feedback we’ve received from consumers, [manufacturers], [software vendors], partners and commercial customers, Windows 10 version 1809 has transitioned to broad deployment,” the company said in a blog post …

Almost everyone would agree that robocalls are annoying, and the Federal Communications Commission has been ramping up efforts to crack down on illegal calls. Since 2015, the FCC has ordered violators of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, which governs telemarketers and robocalling, to pay a total of $208.4 million, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal on Thursday. …