Facebook has recently released an Android-based Express Wi-Fi app in the Google Play store and is currently available for download in Kenya and Indonesia.

This app helps users in locating and purchasing internet connection from local business owners operating Wi-Fi hotspots termed as “Wi-Fi zones” in their vicinity.

People in developing nations can now get access to high-speed bandwidth through these local telecoms at reasonable rates instead of paying high prices for cellular connections that are mostly slow and erratic.

As opposed to Facebook’s overly criticized program, Free Basics (previously known as Internet.org) which aimed at providing only low-bandwidth services approved by the company, Express Wi-Fi offers a complete unrestricted version of the web.

While the Express Wi-Fi is already live as a local service in five developing countries, namely India, Tanzania, Indonesia, Kenya and Nigeria, the app is currently available in two countries only.

In a statement given to TechCrunch, a spokesperson said: “Facebook is releasing the Express Wi-Fi app in the Google Play store to give people another simple and secure way to access fast, affordable internet through their local Express Wi-Fi hotspots.”

At a time when Facebook’s user base is reaching it’s saturation point or even declining in developed countries, this app can help in boosting its popularity in the developing nations by overcoming weak or expensive internet connectivity issues.

When it comes to privacy features, Facebook probably has gone where no company has gone before. It includes unchartered territories like asking people’s naked pictures to help victims of revenge porn. Now, Facebook has introduced another privacy feature that can tell whether someone has uploaded your photo to Facebook’s network.

Although it was first announced in December last year, recently the company has reached out Facebook users through their News Feed, notifying them that the face recognition system is being used “for more features.”

Analyzing people’s faces and storing them has its benefits. For instance, people can know if someone has uploaded their picture, regardless of whether they’re tagged in it or not. Also, Facebook could tell you whether a stranger is using your photo as their profile picture and help visually impaired users identify people in photographs.

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Facebook doesn’t store people’s images directly; it creates a blueprint or faceprint of the face. The faceprint is somewhat unique because every human face has a unique design with different noes, eyes, jawline, etc.

While the use of face recognition seems to be helpful and would decrease unauthorized image uploads, still, it’s a tradeoff between privacy and comfort. Facebook has been using face recognition to tag people in images for years. Maybe, after having anxiety for some time, many people wouldn’t have much problem accepting the latest changes Also, it’s currently opt-in and you can Turn off Facebook face recognition.

The massive amounts of biometric data that Facebook will feed its machine learning systems has sparked concerns. Perhaps, it’s not what it appears from the crust. Moreover, the social network is also fighting legal battles focused on the face recognition itself.

However, the news feed also includes a vital piece of information. It tells how the face recognition can be turned off. Facebook says that the feature is ‘Off’ by default, but if you have enabled ‘tag suggestions’ feature, then it will be set to ‘On.’ You can turn it off anyway.

How to turn off Facebook’s Face Recognition?

To turn off Facebook’s face recognition on your Android, go to Settings > Account Settings > Face Recognition Settings. There tap “Do you want Facebook to be able to recognize you in photos and videos?” options. Choose ‘No‘ to disable the feature.

On Desktop, visit, Settings > Face Recognition. There click the same option and disable face recognition. It’s a one time process to turn off Facebook face recognition. You disable it on one device, and the setting is applied to your Facebook account.

The new Photos Companion app is a fresh creation straight out of Redmond’s skunkworks division named Microsoft Garage. This experimental app is available for Android and iOS devices. What it does is it simplifies the transfer of images and videos from Android and iOS to Windows 10.

But wait, you can already sync your photos via OneDrive. What if you don’t have a Microsoft account? Although, being a Windows 10 user it’s quite unlikely. The Photos Companion app is designed to be used by people who don’t have a Microsoft account.

Similar to other apps like Share It and Xender, Microsoft’s Photos Companion lets you transfer photos and videos over WiFi. So, there isn’t the need for a high-speed internet connection, an advantage over cloud-based options.

How to use Photos Companion?

You can download Photos Companion from Google Play or App Store, depending on your operating system. The app works together with the Photos app in Windows 10 (version 2018.18011.13110.0 and above) and utilizes a feature that’s currently a part of the Photos app preview program.

Follow the steps:

1. In Windows 10, open the Photos app > Three-dot button > Settings.
2. Under Preview, turn on the toggle button that says “Help Microsoft test the mobile import over WiFi feature.” Restart the Photos app.
   
3. Again in the Photos app, click the Import option in the top right corner and click “From mobile over WiFi” option in the drop-down menu.
   
4. Now, make sure your phone and Windows 10 PC are connected to the same WiFi network. Also, network sharing should be turned on for the network. Otherwise, the sharing process won’t begin.
5. On your Android or iOS device, tap the Send Photos button and scan the QR code from your PC.
6. On the next screen, you can select the photos and videos you want to send to your Windows 10 PC over WiFi.
   
7. Click Done to start the transfer.

Depending on the number and size of the photos and videos, the transfer process could take a few seconds to minutes.

Using Photos Companion is pretty quick when compared to OneDrive. Also, it can help you save on your data bills. Being all wireless, the photo-sharing app frees users from the hassles of connecting USB cable.

However, there are a couple of downsides. For instance, you have to scan the QR code every time you want to sync your photos. So, for some users, the app might not be their cup of tea. Another drawback is that the app works oneway, i.e., you can only transfer photos from Android and iOS to Windows 10, vice-versa isn’t possible.

There are tons of stories how some of the world’s biggest companies and brands got their name. In the past, we’ve told you why Windows was named Windows. Or, more interestingly, why is JavaScript has the word Java in it. Today, I’m going to tell you the story behind the name of one more interesting technology — Bluetooth.

But, how did Bluetooth get its uber-cool name?

History of Bluetooth and its name

I don’t think I’d be wrong to assume that you haven’t spent much time looking for the answer to this question. Some of you might be knowing that Bluetooth’s name has something to with a medieval Scandinavian king whose nickname was blátǫnn in Old Norse or Blåtand in Danish. These words mean Bluetooth–no cookies for guessing. The king was named Bluetooth as he had a dead tooth that looked blue.

But, why was this particular mid-90’s king’s name was chosen? What does his tooth have to do with a wireless technology standard?

In 1996, the companies like Intel, Nokia, and Ericsson were developing short-range radio technologies. Intel was working on a program called Business-RF; Ericsson was working on MC-Link; Nokia was working on Low Power RF. It was evident that having a single short-range standard would be much better than having 3 or more competing standards. So, these interested parties got together and created the Special Interest Group (SIG) for developing a common standard.

In the summer of 1997, Intel’s Jim Kardach went to a pub with Ericsson’s Sven Mattisson. There, they started talking about history and Mattisson mentioned a book he had recently finished reading. The book was called The Longships, and it was about the reign of Danish King Harald “Bluetooth” Gormsson. After this meeting, Kardach went home and read a book named The Vikings. In that book, he learned more about the king Bluetooth and how he united Scandinavia.

Later, he proposed that SIG should be called by the codenamed Bluetooth. “Bluetooth was borrowed from the 10th century, second King of Denmark, King Harald Bluetooth; who was famous for uniting Scandinavia just as we intended to unite the PC and cellular industries with a short-range wireless link,” he wrote in a column a decade later.

The codename Bluetooth was an instant hit in the marketing group and it was never changed.

What’s the story of Bluetooth’s logo?

Well, as one might expect, the team again looked at its Nordic origins. The iconic Bluetooth logo is a combination of King Bluetooth’s initials (Hagall (ᚼ) and Bjarkan (ᛒ)) in The Younger Futhark, also called Scandinavian runes. It’s a runic alphabet in use from the 9th century.

Facebook Stories, a separate Messenger app, etc., are some of the irritating features that nobody asked from Facebook. In the latest addition, just like Messenger and WhatsApp’s last seen activity of users, Instagram users can now see the last seen activity of other users.

The new Instagram last active feature can be spotted by visiting your direct messages. There, you can see small timestamps showing the last time someone you chatted with visited Instagram. The timestamps let you see up to the minute someone used the service.

Here’s how it looks:

This move should be seen in the light of another recent launch by Instagram in the form of its standalone messaging app. Given Facebook’s past track record, Instagram can force users to install it to access direct messages. Meanwhile, you can disable this last active option and protect your privacy. Let’s see how to do it:

Disable Instagram’s Last Active Feature

To disable the feature, open your Instagram profile page. There, tap the gear/settings icon to open the settings.

After accessing the settings page, scroll down to “Show activity status.” If you’re running an updated Instagram app, it should be active by default. Tap on the toggle to disable the feature. That’s all you need to do.

Note: After disabling the feature and hiding your last seen, you won’t be able to see the last active status of other users as well.

Just days after its initial rollout, the WhatsApp Business app has now debuted in India. The standalone app offers a simple tool for small businesses to let them communicate with their clients and customers in an easy way. Facebook-owned WhatsApp announced the plans to kick off its WhatsApp for Business initiative back in September last year and launched a pilot by partnering with companies such as BookMyShow, Netflix, and MakeMyTrip. The new app, for small businesses, arrived first in a handful of markets, including Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, the UK, and the US, on Friday. Interestingly, the app was initially tested in India and Brazil ahead of its public release.

The WhatsApp Business app is now available for free download via Google Play in India. It is compatible with devices running Android 4.0.3 and above. A version with similar features is also expected to be available for iOS devices in the coming future.

Targeted at small businesses, the WhatsApp Business app allows companies to connect with their customers and be a part of the messaging platform that has over 1.3 billion users worldwide. Unlike the original WhatsApp app, the business-centric offering allows businesses to create their own profiles with information such as business description, email, or store addresses, and website. It also provides smart messaging tools to let businesses use quick replies and give fast answers to frequently asked questions. The app also has options to send greetings messages to new customers and set away messages when the companies are busy. Further, there are metrics such as the number of messages read and WhatsApp Web support to let companies send and receive messages directly through a desktop.Alongside delivering the features to enable corporate communication for small businesses, WhatsApp is in plans to mark some businesses as Confirmed Accounts over time. Citing a study conducted by Morning Consult, more than 80 percent of small businesses in India and Brazil consider WhatsApp helps them communicate with customers and grow their business. As many as 84 percent of SMBs (Small and Medium Businesses), particularly from India, think that WhatsApp helps them communicate with customers, while 80 percent of Indian SMBs believe that WhatsApp helps them grow their business, as per the data provided by the company last week.

In terms of some major similarities with the original WhatsApp, the WhatsApp Business app allows businesses to set privacy for their profile photo, about information, and status as well as lets them block any of their contacts and enable read receipts. The app also has a live location feature that helps companies share their live location with their clients and customers. It additionally allows businesses to make voice and video calls. Notably, the app offers end-to-end encryption for all the messages and calls it circulates to restrict any third-party access.

We’ve reached out WhatsApp for more clarity regarding the rollout and will update this space accordingly.

As per the official data provided in February last year, WhatsApp has over 200 million monthly active users in India. The instant messaging platform is making things difficult for its rival by introducing compelling features such as Delete for Everyone, YouTube integration, and Notification Channel support for Android Oreo devices. Moreover, it is exploring new avenues and is apparently even set to integrate a UPI payments feature in the near future.