Domestic workers have been illegally sold via Instagram and other apps on Google and Apple's stores.
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Thursday, October 31, 2019
On the inside of a hacking catastrophe
A massive data breach can cause chaos within a company and put IT staff under extreme stress.
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Top 10 Best ES File Explorer Alternatives 2019
There are almost hundreds of file manager apps available on the Google Play Store. Some of them are really good, and some of them add spyware to the devices like ES File Explorer. If we talk about the ES File Explorer, the file manager app has remained the popular choice for Android users, but it was caught adding spyware to the user’s devices.
Although the company behind ES File Explorer has denied all allegations, it had made lots of users skeptic. The popular file manager app, of course, ES File Explorer is now banned from the Google Play Store, but users can download it from third-party apps. Since it’s not available on the Google Play Store, lots of users search for ES File Explorer alternatives.
So, if you are also searching for the same, then you are in the right place. In this article, we are going to share some of the best ES File Explorer alternatives 2019 that you can use on your Android. All these apps provide similar features like ES File Explorer, and most of them are free to download and use.
Top 10 Best ES File Explorer Alternatives 2019
Before we share with you the list of best ES File Explorer alternatives, its worth to note that there are hundreds of file manager apps available on the Google Play Store and mentioning all of them is not possible at all. So, in this article, we have only shared the apps that are trusted and used by millions of users. So, let’s explore the list of 10 best ES File Explorer alternatives 2019.
#1 Solid Explorer
After the removal of ES File Explorer, Solid Explorer gained in lots of users. Actually, Solid Explorer used to be the best competitor of ES File Explorer, but since ES File Explorer is removed from the Google Play Store, its the only file manager app that comes close to it. The file manager app for Android features a Material design, and it has all the features that you find on ES File Explorer.
#2 Total Commander
If you are searching for a powerful file manager app for your Android smartphone, then you need to give Total Commander a try. Guess what? Total Commander is one of the best and popular ES File Explorer on the list which got cloud storage support, plugin support, file bookmarking, etc. Apart from that, Total Commander can be used to perform basic things like moving files around, renaming, etc.
#3 X-plore File Manager
X-plore File Manager is one of the powerful and most advanced file manager apps for Android 2019. It’s known for its dual-pane view which can be used to manage two windows at the same time. That means you can drag and drop files between folders. Apart from that, X-plore File Manager also has features like cloud storage support, root support, pdf viewer, app manager, file compressor, etc.
#4 ASUS File Manager
ASUS File Manager is the stock file manager of ASUS smartphone and its available on the Google Play Store. The app shows ads, but its completely free and doesn’t asks users to purchase anything. The key feature of ASUS File Manager is its user interface and the storage optimizer. Guess what? Just like ES File Explorer, ASUS File Manager also got a Recycle bin feature that can be used to recover files that were accidentally deleted.
#5 ASTRO File Manager
If you have been searching for a full-featured file manager app for your Android smartphone, then you need to give ASTRO File Manager a try. Guess what? With ASTRO File Manager, you can quickly move files between folders and cloud storage. Apart from that, ASTRO File Manager also packs a battery saver, app manager, and app uninstaller as well. So, ASTRO File Manager is definitely the best ES File Explorer alternatives 2019 that you can use right now.
#6 Cx File Explorer
Cx File Explorer is one of the best and lightweight file manager app on the list which is known for its user-friendly UI. While most of the other file manager apps for Android focuses on improving the usability of file access, Cx File Explorer focuses on accessing files on NAS (Network-attached Storage). With NAS what we mean is that you can access files stored on shared or remote storage like FTPS, FTP, SFTP, SMB, etc.
#7 EZ File Explorer
EZ File Explorer is a replica of EX File Explorer app. The developer of EZ File Explorer just replaced the ‘X’ of EX File Explorer with ‘Z’. That’s the actual difference between both of the app. Everything else, including the icons, are the same as of EX File Explorer. Just like EX File Explorer, EZ File Explorer also allows users to explore, edit, copy and paste files in the root partition. Apart from that, EZ File Explorer got a Storage analyzer, app manager, document viewer, etc.
#8 Amaze File Manager
Amaze File Manager is for those who have been searching for a feature-rich file manager app for Android. The app is available for free, and guess what? It doesn’t show a single ad. It’s an open-source file manager app that focuses on speed and provides users smooth user experience. Apart from that, the file manager app for Android supports FTP and SMB file sharing, offers an app manager, root explorer, etc.
#9 Files by Google
Files by Google might not be the best ES File Explorer alternative on the list, but its a worthy one. The file manager app for Google is known for its smart recognition of storage junks. It automatically detects and shows the junk files that need to be cleared from the smartphone. Apart from that, Files by Google have all basic file managing features that you expect from a file manager app.
#10 FX File Explorer
FX File Explorer is an ad-free file manager app for Android that you can use today. The user-interface of FX File Explorer is not the strongest part of the app, but it fulfills that loophole by providing lots of amazing and advanced features. FX File Explorer supports multi-window, which means you can manage multiple folders at the same time. When it comes to Privacy, FX File Explorer takes it pretty seriously. The app doesn’t show any ads and doesn’t track any user’s activity.
So, these are the ten best ES File Explorer alternatives 2019 that you can use right now. If you know any other such apps, let us know in the comment box below.
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Facebook sues OnlineNIC for domain name fraud associated with malicious activity
Facebook today announced it has filed suit in California against a domain registrar OnlineNIC and its proxy service ID Shield for registering domain names that pretend to be associated with Facebook, like www-facebook-login.com or facebook-mails.com, for example. Facebook says these domains are intentionally designed to mislead and confuse end users, who believe they’re interacting with Facebook.
These fake domains are also often associated with malicious activity, like phishing.
While some who register such domains hope to eventually sell them back to Facebook at a marked up price, earning a profit, others have worse intentions. And with the launch of Facebook’s own cryptocurrency, Libra, a number of new domain cybersquatters have emerged. Facebook was recently able to take down some of these, like facebooktoken.org and ico-facebook.org, one of which had already started collecting personal information from visitors by falsely touting a Facebook ICO.
Facebooks’ new lawsuit, however, focuses specifically on OnlineNIC, which Facebook says has a history of allowing cybersquatters to register domains with its privacy/proxy service, ID Shield. The suit alleges that the registered domains, like hackingfacebook.net, are being used for malicious activity, including “phishing and hosting websites that purported to sell hacking tools.”
The suit also references some 20 other domain names that are confusingly similar to Facebook and Instagram trademarks, it says.
OnlineNIC has been sued before for allowing this sort of activity, including by Verizon, Yahoo, Microsoft, and others. In the case of Verizon (disclosure: TechCrunch parent), OnlineNIC was found liable for registering over 600 domain names similar to Verizon’s trademark, and the courts awarded $33.15 million in damages as a result, Facebook’s filing states.
Facebook is asking for a permanent injunction against OnlineNIC’s activity as well as damages.
The company says it took this issue to the courts because OnlineNIC has not been responsive to its concerns. Facebook today proactively reports instances of abuse with domain name registrars and their privacy/proxy services, and often works with them to take down malicious domains. But the issue is widespread — there are tens of millions of domain names registered through these services today. Some of these businesses are not reputable, however. Some, like OnlineNIC, will not investigate or even respond to Facebook’s abuse reports.
The news of the lawsuit was previously reported by Cnet and other domain name news sources, based on courthouse filings.
Attorney David J. Steele, who previously won the $33 million judgement for Verizon, is representing Facebook in the case.
“By mentioning our apps and services in the domain names, OnlineNIC and ID Shield intended to make them appear legitimate and confuse people. This activity is known as cybersquatting and OnlineNIC has a history of this behavior,” writes Facebook, in an announcement. “This lawsuit is one more step in our ongoing efforts to protect people’s safety and privacy,” it says.
OnlineNIC has been asked for comment and we’ll update if it responds.
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Facial recognition technology code of conduct call
The technology has the potential for "widespread invasiveness", the information commissioner said.
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'I was a victim of the WhatsApp hack'
Faustin Rukundo had no idea that a strange call over WhatsApp had infected his phone with spyware.
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Daily Crunch: Twitter is banning political ads
The Daily Crunch is TechCrunch’s roundup of our biggest and most important stories. If you’d like to get this delivered to your inbox every day at around 9am Pacific, you can subscribe here.
1. Jack Dorsey says Twitter will ban all political ads
Arguing that “internet political ads present entirely new challenges to civic discourse,” CEO Jack Dorsey announced that Twitter will be banning all political advertising — albeit with “a few exceptions” like voter registration.
Not only is this a decisive move by Twitter, but it also could increase pressure on Facebook to follow suit, or at least take steps in this direction.
2. Apple beats on Q4 earnings after strong quarter for wearables, services
Apple’s iPhone sales still make up over half of its quarterly revenues, but they are slowly shrinking in importance as other divisions in the company pick up speed.
3. Facebook shares rise on strong Q3, users up 2% to 2.45B
More earnings news: Despite ongoing public relations crises, Facebook kept growing in Q3 2019, demonstrating that media backlash does not necessarily equate to poor business performance.
4. Driving license tests just got smarter in India with Microsoft’s AI project
Hundreds of people who have taken the driver’s license test in Dehradun (the capital of the Indian state of Uttarakhand) in recent weeks haven’t had to sit next to an instructor. Instead, their cars were affixed with a smartphone that was running HAMS, an AI project developed by a Microsoft Research team.
5. Crunchbase raises $30M more to double down on its ambition to be a ‘LinkedIn for company data’
Good news for our friends at Crunchbase, which got its start as a part of TechCrunch before being spun off into a separate business several years ago. CEO Jager McConnell also says the site currently has tens of thousands of paying subscribers.
6. Deadspin writers quit after being ordered to stick to sports
The relationship between new management at G/O Media (formerly Gizmodo Media Group/Gawker Media) and editorial staff seems to have been deteriorating for months. This week, it turned into a full-on revolt over auto-play ads and especially a directive that Deadspin writers must stick to sports.
7. What Berlin’s top VCs want to invest in right now
As we gear up for our Disrupt Berlin conference in December, we check in with top VCs on the types of startups that they’re looking to back right now. (Extra Crunch membership required.)
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Google given green light for Toronto smart city
It is on a smaller scale than it had wanted and must treat any data it collects as a "public asset".
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Top 10 Best Linux Distro For Old Laptop and Desktops
Many times we change computers taking another one, although it works perfectly, but falls short for today’s software. Many times it stays around the house without knowing very well what to do with it. The case: if it is capable of being turned on, know that you can install quite updated software (and not an operating system with thirteen years of age and without technical support).
It is part of the magic of Linux-based OS: the kernel is very light, and it can work with very few resources (in terms of RAM and processor). It is enough to complement it with light but functional software. Let’s see 5 distributions of Linux ready to work on old computers but still have a war to give.
Top 10 Best Linux Distro For Old Laptop and Desktops
Do you have an old laptop that no longer works like it used to? With the correct Linux distribution, you can restore your old glory and enjoy it for a few more years as we told earlier. Hence, to help you get the most out of your old machine, we selected the 5 best Linux distributions for an old laptop.
Also Read: How to Create A Linux Bootable USB/Pendrive
Lubuntu
For many users, Linux is synonymous with Ubuntu. And many are already accustomed to the way of working in the distribution created by Canonical. Ubuntu, especially with Unity, is not made for old computers. But we have more flavors of this distribution, and one of them seems built thinking directly in this use.
Its name is Lubuntu. The initial L comes from LXDE, the desktop environment used by default. And in fact, the initial L of LXDE comes from Lightweight. It is a desktop environment designed primarily to function in modest hardware. As a window manager, it uses OpenBox, a word that you will read a lot in this article because it is one of the fundamental components of many of these distributions.
It also includes customized software and lighter than other alternatives. LXPanel, LXMusic, Leafpad and much more. Basically, this is a software that perhaps does not have all the features, but it does have the fundamentals which are enough for many of the users.
Anyway, as usual, nothing prevents us from replacing these applications for which we want. What do we prefer Metacity (the default window manager used by the GNOME 2 desktop environment) to OpenBox? Just install it with the preferred package manager that’s it.
Lubuntu requests 128MB of RAM and a Pentium II or Celeron of 1999 to work (in spite of being a processor released at the end of the last millennium, still works acceptably well if we remove from the equation the use of Flash and Web applications that make an intensive use of JavaScript). There are cases of users who have managed to run it successfully on computers with 64MB of RAM (although it requires 128MB to be installed). Moreover, do not use the Live CD, which does require 1GB of RAM, hence, simply install it using the alternate version.
Puppy Linux
The name of this distribution already evokes it. Puppy Linux already indicates from the beginning that it is a very light distribution designed to work everywhere. It has several versions, although the most updated (January 20, 2019) is compatible with Slackware, and therefore carries the prefix Slacko.
Something quite striking is that by default it does not include an installation as we know it in other operating systems. This distribution starts directly to a desktop session ready to be used (although with some adjustment, such as the network connection that we are going to use). What we can save is the information of the session itself in the same unit from where we booted, or in a different one.
We can run it, for example, directly from a USB drive on computers that do not have a hard drive or we do not want to touch it, and it continues to run without excessive slowdowns. Even with a couple of modifications, we could start our system from a local network, and store all the information on a different computer.
As for its desktop environment, which is what the user interacts with on a daily basis, we find JWM (the J is from Joe, the name of its developer), used in modest equipment such as a Raspberry Pi. The minimum requirements, however, are somewhat higher than those of Lubuntu. We require a Pentium III or higher processor (should be clocked at 733MHz), as well as 256MB of RAM. Moreover, what is recommended is to have a 900MHz processor and 512MB of RAM.
Damn Small Linux
If we have a machine that is too old (of the first generation Pentium type, or even an i486), it may be worth sacrificing the latest software for having a functional machine. Damn Small Linux is the lightest distribution that we are going to talk about in this article, although at the expense of some functionality and the latest software versions.
We speak of an ISO that occupies just 50MB, ready to save on an optical disk the size of a business card. We can also store it in a Compact Flash card, installing it in saving mode. What’s really interesting: Damn Small Linux requires, at a minimum, just one Intel 486DX (or an Intel 486SX with coprocessor for floating point operations) with 16MB of RAM. If we get 128MB, we can run the entire operating system from the main memory.
As a graphical environment and window manager, JWM proposes to us, like Slacko Puppy Linux, although in previous versions it used by default Fluxbox. It includes somewhat old versions of the basic software. To get an idea: Firefox 2, and kernel 2.4.31. Although it is still functional for certain tasks, despite the fact that we will have to install many pieces of software manually, we might expect, like some version of OpenOffice. In 50MB we can not ask for compressed Debian media, of course.
SliTaz
Even lighter than we would expect, SliTaz proposes an ISO of just 40MB that allows us to start a fully functional system, or install it on a hard drive with barely 100MB of free space. It is a very light distribution and luckily brings us something more updated software (although we should not be surprised if we see still old versions by today’s standards). To contextualize: the latest version in development includes kernel 3.2.53.
They are currently testing the Release Candidate of SliTaz 5.0. The development, as we can see, is very much alive and as a desktop environment, it offers us OpenBox.
Minimum requirements? There is not much documentation about it, but a Pentium III with 256MB of RAM should work very smoothly, and with half of the main memory, it would be quite usable for less intensive tasks (the system takes for itself something less than 60MB).
Arch Linux
Arch Linux can be as compact and fast as you want. In fact, some Arch Linux users have replaced all graphical applications with their CLI equivalents to prove to themselves that beautiful icons and visual effects are overrated. Although it is unnecessary to say, an operating system without any graphical application can run on virtually anything, including your previous laptop as well.
With Arch Linux, you have the freedom to create the operating system that best suits your needs, but you must be prepared to work. In Arch Linux, the Wiki is your best friend, since it explains everything from the installation of the distribution to its configuration.
Peppermint
Peppermint is a cloud-based Linux distribution on the list which is known for its simplicity and ease of use. The great thing is that unlike all other Linux distribution, it doesn’t need high-end hardware. The lightweight Linux distribution is based on Ubuntu and it uses the LXDE desktop experience to give you a neat and smooth experience.
Technically, Peppermint requires 1GB of RAM and any processor based on Intel x86 architecture to run on a computer. It needs at least 4GB of available disk space to install on a computer.
#7 Linux Lite
As the name of the Linux distro says, it’s a lightweight Linux distro that doesn’t need high-end hardware to run. The great thing about Linux Lite is that it has a clean interface and it easily runs on older computers. Another best thing is that Linux Lite has lots of pre-installed apps like Thunderbird, Dropbox, VLC Media Player, etc.
You won’t believe it, but Linux Lite requires less than 1GB of RAM to run and it works on any 700MHz processor. Apart from that, Linux Lite needs at least 5GB of free disk space to install on the computer.
#8 LXLE
Well, if you have ever use Lubuntu and if you have loved it, then you will love LXLE for sure. This Linux distro is basically a revamped version of Lubuntu which had been listed above. You can expect similar features as of Lubuntu. If we talk about the software, the Linux distro packs lots of software that runs on low-end computers.
Talking about the minimum hardware requirements, LXLE needs less than 1GB of RAM and Pentium 3 processor. However, it needs at least 8GB of free disk space to install on a computer.
#9 CrunchBang++
Remember the Crunchbang Linux which is always known for its simplicity? CrunchBang++ is a clone of that Linux Distro. Since its a clone of popular Linux distro Crunchban, you can expect similar features. The Linux distro is based on Debian 9 with a clean interface. It’s fast and you will definitely love to use it for sure.
If we talk about the minimum system requirement of CrunchBang++, the Linux distro needs less than 512MB of RAM and Pentium 4 processor to run.
#10 Bodhi Linux
Bodhi Linux is another best Lightweight Linux distro on the list which you can use on your old laptop or desktop. The operating system had been created by keeping simplicity at mind. It’s fast and it runs without using much memory.
If we talk about the minimum system requirement of Bodhi Linux, the Linux distribution needs at least 256MB of RAM and a processor with 1Ghz clock speed. It needs less than 4GB of disk space to install.
Conclusion
As we see, a computer is old is not an excuse to install relatively updated software and provide an extra time of life. We can take advantage of this kind of computer, for example, to be used as digital typewriters, to check email with a client such as Thunderbird, or to make light Internet browsing.
Also Read: Top 10 Best Linux Distros For Programming and Developers
It can also be coherent to use a lightweight distribution in a slightly more powerful device, above all in order to get the most out of our applications. This already depends on the skill of each one and the use that he/she will make for his/her machine.
So, do not hesitate to propose any options if you have, as we will love and appreciate that if you will do it. What do you think about this? Simply share all your views and thoughts in the comment section below.
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Facebook challenged over political ad policy
A California man is running for office in attempt to highlight flaws in Facebook's policies.
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Facebook content moderation firm Cognizant quits
It says the nature of the work was not in line with its vision for the company.
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Top 10 Best Websites To Create Brochure for your Business
The brochure is the well-designed template that describes the whole features and the products of any business in a really quick and easy to read manner. This is all designed in such a way that the reader gets influenced and even gets the whole information about the business instantly.
The branded businesses do acquire the designers for making their top-notch brochure designs. Yet for those people who are working on an individual basis or are running small businesses, hiring a full-time designer is not the best option. The good way is to have some tools with you that could really prove to be useful in making the brochures.
Fortunately, there are numerous websites available on the network through which the whole brochure designs can be made easily and quickly. Here in this post, we have written about the best available websites on the internet that all could be used for making the ultimate designs.
Best Websites To Create Brochure for your Business
So if you are interested to know about the brochure creating websites then please keep on reading this post till the end. Below I have selected some of the websites by user reviews, ratings and some of our personal experience. So have a look at these websites below.
#1 Canva
This multi-functional website could be used for any kind of purpose like creating off the post designs, infographics, brochures, etc. The only thing here is that there are only a few of the templates and crafts which are free to be used, otherwise, apart from this, you can even utilize this website to create your unique brochures within minutes. Simply make use of this ultimate brochure designing tool to build up the best brochures.
#2 Lucidpress
This online tool will assist you to create the professional-looking brochures. Make all the customizations that you wish to go into the pre-built templates, add the information of your business easilyl. This is the standalone website for the designing of the brochures. Anyone can cess it anytime and therefore make use of it for getting the unique looking brochures!
#3 Mycreativeshop
Go to this website and then choose the template that suits your business needs out of all those 10,000s of templates available for usage. This is simply an amazing website to create the brochures, choose the template and then you are eligible to add the content to it through drag and drop. Make use of the highest quality brochure designing tools on this website and you would end up with the high-class results.
#4 Publitas
If you have the PDF designed for you and you wish to convert your PDF into the brochure design then this is the website that would help you up. The process is simple enough, upload your brochure design and then click on the button to make use of the function to convert your file to pdf. The whole process is automated and you will never ever require doing something from your end. The outputs are useful enough for business purposes.
#5 AnyFlip
AnyFlip is one of the best sites which you can visit right now to create a brochure. The great thing about AnyFlip is that it allows users to create and upload the brochure in PDF format. That means the created brochure can be used in online purposes as well. Apart from that, the site provides different types of customization options like you can customize the title, description, and keywords of the brochure.
#6 Jukebox
Jukebox is another interesting site on the list which can help you create interesting brochures online. The best thing about Jukebox is that it allows users to choose from two different modes to create an online brochure – Portrait and Landscape. In both modes, there are different templates and customization options.
#7 PubHTML5
Well, PubHTML5 is one of the best and most advanced digital brochure makers which you can use right now. The platform provides users a perfect online marketing solution. With PubHTML5, you can easily create mind-blowing brochures in just a few minutes. So, PubHTML5 is definitely the best online brochure maker that you can use today.
#8 PsPrint
If you are searching for an online brochure maker that provides lots of built-in templates, then PsPrint might be the best pick for you. Guess what? PsPrint is a free web tool that can be used to create attractive brochures in just a few minutes. On the web interface, you can upload your own custom logo, texts, and branding elements.
#9 Adobe InDesign CC
Adobe InDesign CC is a professional and most advanced software for Windows computers and Mac. Its widely used by the designers to create attractive banner images, marketing images, brochures, logos, etc. However, the software is not for beginners and it does have a web interface, but it’s limited to only a few features.
#10 Venngage
Venngage is one of the popular web-designing apps that you can use right now. The web app is centered around infographics, tutorials, brochures, etc. However, Venngage doesn’t offer many features in the free account. So, to avail the full potential of the web app, one needs to subscribe to a premium account.
Also Read: Top 20+ Websites That Will Make You Smarter
So now you have got to know about all those websites through which you would be able to create the classic business brochures. We have tried to present you with the list of the best brochure sites that you could efficiently utilize for all your purposes. We believe that you might be liking the style and the date of this post. If it is so then please try to take some more time to share this post with others. Do share with us the reviews of this post, you know you have the comments section with you for that purpose. At last never the fewer thanks for reading this post!
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Entire drone fleet grounded by US government agency
The 800 drones used to monitor endangered species and federal land are being investigated for security risks.
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Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Top 5 Best Apps To Animate Photos On Android
Well, it’s of no doubt that images and videos are right now the mainstream of social networking platform. Every other day, user shares new images and videos. If you are one of those, who spend endless hours scrolling down and exploring the social media feeds, then you might know that the trend of animated photos, GIFs and videos is high on these platforms.
These days, adding filter effects and animation to the videos is quite easy, thanks to the number of photo editing apps available on the Google Play Store. So, if you are also searching for ways to animate a still photo, then you are in the right place. In this article, we are going to share some of the best apps that could help you to animate a still photo.
Top 5 Best Apps To Animate Photos On Android
It’s worth to note that there are hundreds of apps to animate photos available on the Google Play Store, but only a few of them work. So, in this article, we have listed the manually tested apps. These apps are working and highly popular on the Google Play Store. So, let’s explore the list of best apps to animate photos on Android 2019.
#1 Pixaloop
Well, Pixaloop is one of the best and top-rated Android photo editing app available on the Google Play Store. Guess what? With Pixaloop you can quickly animate still photos and turn them into something short and interesting. What’s more interesting is that Pixaloop also allows users to freeze a few parts of the images, apply filters, etc. So, Pixaloop is one of the best Android apps to animate photos in 2019 that you can use today.
#2 ImgPlay
Well, if you are searching for ways to create GIFs using your photos and videos, then ImgPlay might be the best pick for you. Guess what? The user interface of ImgPlay is much cleaner than Pixaloop and its not bloated with useless features. However, the only downside of ImgPlay is that it sticks a watermark on your images, which can’t be removed unless you purchase the premium version. The app is available for both Android and iOS and its one of the best Android app to animate photos.
#3 Movepic
Movepic is another best photo animation app on the list which is pretty much similar to the Pixaloop app listed in this article. What’s interesting about Movepic is that it allows users to apply filters even after creating an animated version of images or videos. The only downside of the app is that it adds a watermark on the edited image. However, the watermark can be removed by purchasing the premium version.
#4 StoryZ Photo Motion
Well, if you have been searching for ways to create visual stores from still images, then StoryZ Photo Motion might be the best pick for you. Guess what? StoryZ Photo Motion can really make your pictures move and come to life. The app is a little bit advanced, but it offers lots of interesting and useful features. To make your picture come to life, it uses programmed paths of movement, overlays, and color filters. So, StoryZ Photo Motion is another best Android app to animate photos 2019.
#5 PixaMotion Loop
PixaMotion Loop is a relatively new, yet popular live photos, live wallpapers, and moving background creator that you can use on your Android smartphone. Unlike all other animator apps, PixaMotion Loop also got a video maker which can be used for creating amazing short videos. Its motion on image editor is capable enough to create stunning live photos in motion. So, PixaMotion Loop is another best Android app to create Moving pictures 2019.
So, these are the five best apps to animate photos on Android. If you know any other such apps, let us know in the comment box below.
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Twitter banning political ads is the right thing to do, so it will be attacked mercilessly
Twitter founder and CEO Jack Dorsey announced abruptly — though the timing was certainly not accidental — that the platform would soon disallow any and all political advertising. This is the right thing to do, but it’s also going to be hard as hell for a lot of reasons. As usual in tech and politics, no good deed goes unpunished.
Malicious actors state-sponsored and otherwise have and will continue to attempt to influence the outcome of U.S. elections via online means including political ads and astroturfing. Banning such ads outright is an obvious, if rather heavy-handed solution — but given that online platforms seem to have made little progress on more targeted measures, it’s the only one realistically available to deploy now.
“Not allowing for paid disinformation is one of the most basic, ethical decisions a company can make,” wrote Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) in a tweet following the news. “If a company cannot or does not wish to run basic fact-checking on paid political advertising, then they should not run paid political ads at all.”
One of the reasons Facebook has avoided restricting political ads and content is that by doing so it establishes itself as the de facto arbiter between “appropriate” and “inappropriate,” and the fractal-complex landscape that creates across thousands of cultures, languages, and events. Don’t cry for Mark Zuckerberg, though — this is a monster of his own creation. He should have retired when I suggested it.
But Twitter’s decision to use a sledgehammer rather than a scalpel doesn’t remove the inherent difficulties in the process. Twitter is just submitting itself for a different kind of punishment. Because instead of being the arbiter of what is appropriate, it will be the arbiter of what is political.
This is slightly less fraught than Facebook’s task, but Twitter will not be able to avoid accusations — perhaps even true ones — of partisanship and bias.
For instance, the fundamental decision to disallow political advertising seems pretty straightforward and nonpartisan. Incumbents rely on traditional media more and progressives tend to be younger and more social media–savvy. So is this taking away a tool suited to left-leaning challengers? But incumbents tend to have bigger budgets and their spend on social media has been increasing, so could this be considered a way to curb that trend? Who this affects and how is not a clear-cut fact but something campaigns and pundits will squabble about endlessly.
Or consider the announcement Dorsey made right off the bat that “ads in support of voter registration will still be allowed.” Voter registration is a good nonpartisan goal, right? In fact it’s something many conservative lawmakers have consistently opposed, because unregistered voters, for a multitude of reasons, skew toward the liberal side. So this too will be considered a partisan act.
Twitter will put out official guidelines in a few weeks, but it’s hard to see how they can be satisfactory. Will industry groups be able to promote tweets about how their new factory is thriving because of a government grant? Will an advocacy organization be able to promote a tweet about a serious situation on the border? Will news outlets be able to promote a story about the election? What about a profile of a single candidate? What about an op-ed on an issue?
The difference between patrolling the interior of the politics world, and patrolling its borders, so to speak, may appear significant — but it’s really just a different kind of trouble. Twitter is entering a world of pain.
But at least it’s moving forward. It’s the right decision, even if it’s a hard one and could hit the bottom line pretty hard (not that Twitter has ever cared about that). The decision to do this while Facebook is dismantling its credibility with a series of craven, self-interested actions is a canny one. Even if Twitter fails to get this right, it can at least say it’s trying.
And lastly it should be said that it also happens to be a good choice for users and voters, a rare exception to the parade of user-hostile decisions coming out of the big tech and media companies. Going into an election year, we can use all the good news we can get.
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Zuckerberg defends political ads that will be 0.5% of 2020 revenue
As Jack Dorsey announced his company Twitter would drop all political ads, Facebook CEO Zuckerberg doubled-down on his policy of refusing to fact check politicians’ ads. “At times of social tension there has often been an urge to pull back on free expression . . . We will be best served over the long term by resisting this urge and defending free expression.”
Still, Zuckerberg failed to delineate between freedom of expression, and freedom of paid amplification of that expression which inherently favors the rich.
During today’s Q3 2019 earnings call where Facebook beat expectations and grew monthly users 2% to 2.45 billion, Zuckerberg spent his time defending the social network’s lenient political ad policy.
One clear objective was to dispel the idea that Facebook was motivated by greed to keep these ads. Zuckerberg explained “We estimate these ads from politicians will be less than 0.5% of our revenue next year.” For reference, Facebook earned $66 billion in the 12 months ending Q3 2019, so Facebook might earn around $330 million to $400 million in political ads next year.
Zuckerberg also said that given Facebook removed 50 million hours per day of viral video watching from its platform to support well-being which hurt ad viewership and the company’s share price, Facebook clearly doesn’t act solely in pursuit of profit.
Facebook’s CEO also tried to bat down the theory that Facebook is allowing misinformation in political ads to cater to conservatives or avoid calls of bias from them. “Some people say that this is just all a cynical political calculation and that we’re acting in a way that we don’t really believe because we’re just trying to appease conservatives” he said, responding that “frankly, if our goal was that we’re trying to make either side happy then we’re not doing a very good job because I’m pretty sure everyone is frustrated.”
Instead of baning political ads, Zuckerberg voiced support for increasing transparency about how ads look, how much is spent on them, and where they’re run. “I believe that the better approach is to work to increase transparency. Ads on Facebook are already more transparent than anywhere else. We have a political ads archive so anyone can scrutinize every ad that’s run.”
He mentioned that political ads are run by “Google, YouTube, and most internet platforms”, seeming to stumble for a second as he was likely prepared to cite Twitter too until it announced it would drop all political ads an hour earlier.
Dorsey had tweeted that “We’ve made the decision to stop all political advertising on Twitter globally. We believe political message reach should be earned, not bought.”
Twitter’s CEO took some clear swipes at Zuckerberg, countering his common arguments for allowing misinformation in politician’s ads. “Some might argue our actions today could favor incumbents. But we have witnessed many social movements reach massive scale without any political advertising. I trust this will only grow.” Given President Trump had outspent all Democratic candidates on Facebook ads as of March of this year, it’s clear that deep-pocketed incumbents could benefit from Facebook’s policy.
Trump continues to massively outspend Democratic rivals on Facebook ads. Via NYT
Miming Facebook’s position, Dorsey tweeted “It‘s not credible for us to say: ‘We’re working hard to stop people from gaming our systems to spread misleading info, buuut if someone pays us to target and force people to see their political ad…well…they can say whatever they want!”
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Facebook shares rise on strong Q3, users up 2% to 2.45B
Despite ongoing public relations crises, Facebook kept growing in Q3 2019, demonstrating that media backlash does not necessarily equate to poor business performance.
Facebook reached 2.45 billion monthly users, up 1.65 percent from 2.41 billion in Q2 2019 when it grew 1.6 percent, and it now has 1.62 billion daily active users, up 2 percent from 1.587 billion last quarter when it grew 1.6 percent. Facebook scored $17.652 billion of revenue, up 29 percent year-over-year, with $2.12 in earnings per share.
Facebook’s earnings beat expectations compared to Refinitiv’s consensus estimates of $17.37 billion in revenue and $1.91 earnings per share. Facebook’s quarter was mixed compared to Bloomberg’s consensus estimate of $2.28 EPS. Facebook earned $6 billion in profit after only racking up $2.6 billion last quarter due to its SEC settlement.
Facebook shares rose to 1.84% in after-hours trading to $191.71 after earnings were announced, following a day where it closed down 0.56% at $188.25.
Notably, Facebook gained 2 million users in each of its core US & Canada and Europe markets that drive its business, after quarters of shrinkage, no growth, or weak growth there in the past 2 years. Average revenue per user grew healthily across all markets, boding well for Facebook’s ability to monetize the developing world where the bulk of user growth currently comes from.
Facebook says 2.2 billion users access Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, or Messenger every day, and 2.8 billion use one of this family of apps each month. That’s up from 2.1 billion and 2.7 billion last quarter. Facebook has managed to stay sticky even as it faces increased competition from a revived Snapchat, and more recently TikTok. However, those rivals might more heavily weigh on Instagram, for which Facebook doesn’t routinely disclose user stats.
Facebook’s earnings announcement was somewhat overshadowed by Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey announcing it would ban all political ads — something TechCrunch previously recommended social networks do. That move flies in the face of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s staunch support for allowing politicians to spread misinformation without fact-checks via Facebook ads. This should put additional pressure on Facebook to rethink its policy.
Scandals Continue, But So Does Growth
Overall, it was another rough quarter for Facebook’s public perception as it dealt with outages and struggled to get buy-in from regulators for its Libra cryptocurrency project. Former co-founder Chris Hughes (who I’ll be leading a talk with at SXSW) campaigned for the social network to be broken up — a position echoed by Elisabeth Warren and other presidential candidates.
The company did spin up some new revenue sources, including taking a 30% cut of fan patronage subscriptions to content creators. It’s also trying to sell video subscriptions for publishers, and it upped the price of its Workplace collaboration suite. But gains were likely offset as the company continued to rapidly hire to address abusive content on its platform, which saw headcount grow 28% year-over-year to 43,000. There are still problems with how it treats content moderators, and Facebook has had to repeatedly remove coordinated misinformation campaigns from abroad. Appearing concerned about its waning brand, Facebook moved to add “from Facebook” to the names of Instagram and WhatsApp.
While it escaped with just a $5 billion fine as part of its FTC settlement that some consider a slap on the wrist, especially since it won’t have to significantly alter its business model. But the company will have to continue to invest and divert product resources to meet its new privacy, security, and transparency requirements. These could slow its response to a growing threat: Chinese tech giant ByteDance’s TikTok.
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