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<ul><li>Outage in some of the world's most popular social media and messaging apps rattled netizens around the world.</li><li>A Facebook spokesperson blamed the outage on a 'technical issue' in a statement to Business Insider.</li><li>Stay tuned to Business Insider for the latest news and updates.</li></ul>There are reports of WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram being down and not accessible to users across several parts of the country. Downdetector reported 38,008 reports for WhatsApp, 30,707 reports for Instagram as of 11:03 PM (Indian Standard Time). However, none of the three Facebook-owned platforms have issued any statement so far. Complaints started surfacing around 10:40 PM., according to Downdetector, which showed that users couldn't access other Mark Zuckerberg's apps including Messenger, not just in India. "Earlier today, a technical issue caused people to have trouble accessing some Facebook services. We resolved this issue for everyone, and we apologize for any inconvenience,” a spokesperson for Facebook told Business Insider. <div type="image" title="whatsapp outage" msid="81593730" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;A screenshot from the downdetector site at 11:44 PM India time.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> "The appearance of error messages between services also varies. On Instagram, the outage may manifest as a "5xx Server Error," while WhatsApp simply shows the clock icon next to messages that aren't being delivered," <a href="https://www.androidpolice.com/2021/03/19/its-not-just-you-whatsapp-instagram-and-facebook-messenger-are-down/" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">the Android Police reported</a>. <div type="image" title="Facebook outage" msid="81593832" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;More than half the complaints on Downdetector reported a complete blackout for Facebook users.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> So far, the worst outage in Facebook's history was in March 2019 when the social network went down for hours. In its response, the company said that it was caused by a cyber-attack that involves flooding a target service with extremely high volumes of traffic. However, today's downtime is the second one this month for the platform's users in India. <div type="image" title="messenger outage" msid="81594168" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;More than 2 out of five users complaining about the outage in Facebook Messenger were not able to receive texts.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Social media platform </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Number of monthly active users in India </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">WhatsApp </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">530 million </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">YouTube </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">448 million </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Facebook </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">410 million </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Instagram </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">210 million </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Twitter </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">17.5 million </td></tr></tbody></table>Source: Government of India SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/nazara-technologies-ipo-subscribed-by-175-times/articleshow/81588602.cms">Rakesh Jhunjhunwaala-backed Nazara Technologies IPO subscribed by 175 times</a><a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/nazara-technologies-ipo-subscribed-by-175-times/articleshow/81588602.cms"></a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/accenture-announces-one-time-bonus-for-all-employees-as-the-tech-giant-sees-robust-revenue-growth/articleshow/81572548.cms">Accenture announces one-time bonus for all employees as the tech giant sees robust revenue growth</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/the-man-who-bought-beeples-69-million-nft-reveals-his-identity-to-show-the-equalising-power-of-crypto-but-is-caught-in-a-controversy-himself/articleshow/81583375.cms">The man who bought Beeple’s $69 million NFT reveals his identity to show the equalising power of crypto — but is caught in a controversy himself</a><a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/the-man-who-bought-beeples-69-million-nft-reveals-his-identity-to-show-the-equalising-power-of-crypto-but-is-caught-in-a-controversy-himself/articleshow/81583375.cms"></a>

WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram down for at least an hour for users across the world

<ul><li>WhatsApp is currently working on several new features for its Android and iOS apps.</li><li>The upcoming features include an edit button, polls, undo button and more.</li><li>In this post, we look at some of the best <keyword id="8275114" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="upcoming-Whatsapp-features" source="Orion">upcoming WhatsApp features</keyword>.</li></ul>Meta-owned WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging applications and the app is currently working on several features that will help improve the user experience. Some of the features have already been spotted on the Android and iOS beta app. One of the most interesting features that are expected to be available soon is the ability to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-will-soon-allow-you-to-edit-sent-messages-heres-how-it-will-work/articleshow/91936807.cms">edit sent messages</a>. In addition to this, the company is also working on an undo button that will allow you to recover deleted messages. In this post, we look at some of the best features expected to be available on WhatsApp in the coming days. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Best upcoming WhatsApp features" comment="subhead" text="Best upcoming WhatsApp features">Best upcoming <keyword id="2817784" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Whatsapp-features" source="Orion">WhatsApp features</keyword></cmsannotation> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Edit messages" comment="subhead" text="Edit messages">Edit messages</cmsannotation> According to a <a href="https://wabetainfo.com/whatsapp-is-working-on-editing-text-messages/">report</a> by WaBetaInfo, the messaging app is reportedly testing an edit feature. This will allow you to edit messages after you have sent them, allowing you to easily fix typos and errors in your messages. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Undo deleted message" comment="subhead" text="Undo deleted message">Undo deleted message</cmsannotation> WhatsApp is <a href="https://wabetainfo.com/whatsapp-beta-for-android-2-22-13-5-whats-new/">reportedly</a> working on a feature that will allow you to undo message deletion. The undo button will be visible for a few seconds after you have deleted the message. Sometimes, when you are trying to delete a message, you accidentally click on “delete for me” instead of clicking on “delete for everyone”. This feature will allow you to rectify such mistakes. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Polls" comment="subhead" text="Polls">Polls</cmsannotation> WhatsApp is also looking to introduce polls on the app, a feature that has been available on its rival Telegram for quite some time now. It will allow you to select a question and add several options to it. The feature is initially expected to be available for WhatsApp groups and may eventually make its way to status. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Sharing large media files" comment="subhead" text="Sharing large media files">Sharing large media files</cmsannotation> WhatsApp has rolled out a feature to selected users that allows them to share files up to 2GB in size on the app. The company is expected to begin a larger rollout in the coming days. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Skin-tone reactions" comment="subhead" text="Skin-tone reactions">Skin-tone reactions</cmsannotation> WhatsApp recently released reactions on its app, allowing users to react to messages. The company is now working on a small update that will allow you to change the skin tone of the reactions, similar to emojis. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Cover photos" comment="subhead" text="Cover photos">Cover photos</cmsannotation> WhatsApp Business users will soon be able to add cover photos using the desktop app. Similar to Facebook, WhatsApp users will be able to use a cover picture in addition to a profile picture, allowing them to showcase their brand or business details. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/passengers-not-wearing-masks-in-planes-and-airports-will-soon-be-fined-and-put-on-no-fly-list-in-india/articleshow/91982362.cms">Passengers not wearing masks in planes and airports will soon be fined and put on no-fly list</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/the-indian-government-may-soon-have-more-control-over-how-social-media-companies-moderate-content-and-block-users/articleshow/91959142.cms">The Indian government may soon have more control over how social media companies moderate content and block users</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/new-vpn-rules-expressvpn-removes-its-servers-from-india-other-companies-may-pull-out-too/articleshow/91959389.cms">New VPN rules: ExpressVPN removes its servers from India, other companies may pull out too</a>

Best upcoming WhatsApp features – edit messages, recover deleted messages, polls, cover photos and more

London, Popular mobile messengers like <keyword id="790242" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="WhatsApp">WhatsApp</keyword> expose personal data via discovery services that allow users to find contacts based on phone numbers from their address book, say researchers. When installing a mobile messenger like WhatsApp, new users can instantly start texting existing contacts based on the phone numbers stored on their device. For this to happen, users must grant the app permission to access and regularly upload their address book to company servers in a process called mobile contact discovery. The study from the Technical University of Darmstadt and the University of Würzburg in Germany, shows that currently deployed contact discovery services severely threaten the privacy of billions of users. Utilizing very few resources, the researchers were able to perform practical crawling attacks on the popular messengers WhatsApp, Signal and <keyword id="1275203" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telegram">Telegram</keyword>. The results of the experiments demonstrate that malicious users or hackers can collect sensitive data on a large scale and without noteworthy restrictions by querying contact discovery services for random phone numbers. For the study, the researchers queried 10 per cent of all US mobile phone numbers for WhatsApp and 100 per cent for Signal. Thereby, they were able to gather personal (meta) data commonly stored in the messengers' user profiles, including profile pictures, nicknames, status texts and the "last online" time. The analyzed data also reveals interesting statistics about user behaviour. For example, very few users change the default privacy settings, which for most messengers are not privacy-friendly at all. The researchers found that about 50 per cent of WhatsApp users in the US have a public profile picture and 90 per cent a public "About" text. Interestingly, 40 per cent of Signal users, which can be assumed to be more privacy concerned in general, are also using WhatsApp, and every other of those Signal users has a public profile picture on WhatsApp. Tracking such data over time enables attackers to build accurate behaviour models. When the data is matched across social networks and public data sources, third parties can also build detailed profiles, for example to scam users. For Telegram, the researchers found that its contact discovery service exposes sensitive information even about owners of phone numbers who are not registered with the service. "Which information is revealed during contact discovery and can be collected via crawling attacks depends on the service provider and the privacy settings of the user," the researchers wrote. Since there are no noteworthy restrictions for signing up with messaging services, any third party can create a large number of accounts to crawl the user database of a messenger for information by requesting data for random phone numbers. "We strongly advise all users of messenger apps to revisit their privacy settings," the team said. The study is scheduled to be released in February 2021 at the 28th Annual Network and Distributed System Security Symposium (NDSS), a top conference for IT security. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/economy/news/rbi-governor-shaktikanta-das-speech-highlights-on-16-september-2020/articleshow/78143035.cms">RBI Governor highlights five key areas that will determine India's growth in the post-COVID world</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/gadgets/news/apple-watch-series-6-ipad-air-ipad-8-and-apple-one-will-be-available-in-india/slidelist/78141813.cms">Apple Watch Series 6, iPad Air, iPad 8, and Apple One will be available in India — here’s how much they cost</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/amid-india-china-standoff-tencent-is-back-with-an-investment-in-flipkart/articleshow/78140794.cms">Amid India-China standoff, Tencent is back with an investment in Flipkart</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/-indias-surging-covid-19-infections-is-testing-the-health-infra-once-again/articleshow/78143000.cms">India’s surging COVID-19 infections is testing the health infra once again — beds added during lockdown aren’t enough</a>

WhatsApp and Telegram may not be as secure you think hints new study

<ul><li>The recent news about spyware making its way onto WhatsApp has everyone re-checking their security settings. </li><li>The first step is to ensure that your app always has the latest updates so that there aren’t any security vulnerabilities. </li><li>And data is only safe within the realm of end-to-end encryption — the same luxury doesn’t extend to backups. </li></ul><keyword id="7640461" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="whatsapp-malware">WhatsApp malware</keyword> is in the news again as the messaging app’s parent company, Facebook, is filing a lawsuit against the NSO Group — an Israeli hacker collective. Even though NSO hasn’t admitted to any wrong doing, there’s no denying that at least 1,400 users were affected by the spyware. It wasn’t all that hard to pull off either. Hackers apparently used a bug in the software to by-pass the encryption and install malware by giving a missed call. Once it was installed, the hacker could control the phone remotely using its cameras and microphones to spy on the user. Here are a few things to keep in mind to keep such spyware from finding its way onto your phone: Update, update, update — and then update some more Negative factors are constantly looking for vulnerabilities to exploit or a weakness in software in order to break through. The NSO Group hack of WhatsApp was done through giving missed calls. So, the user really didn’t have a lot of control over how the malware came to be installed on their phone. For any app, not just WhatsApp, updates don’t bring new features but extra security. Most updates include security patches that make the app more secure to use and keep hackers from getting through. Always update your apps and your phone as soon as possible. Note that if you don’t connect to the Wi-Fi, Google won’t automatically update the apps on your phone — you’ll have to manually tell the Play Store to download updates over the phone’s network. 2-factor authentication takes a little more time, but it’s worth it There was a time when people didn’t necessarily stop at red lights in order to shave off a few seconds from their commute to work. Then the awareness campaigns asked drivers if those few seconds were really worth their life. The same logic applies to WhatsApp. It takes a few extra seconds to login but 2-factor authentication can make the difference between your data staying private or falling into the hands of a stranger. This isn’t just a good practice to have in place for WhatsApp but also for any online interface — including popular platforms Gmail, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. WhatsApp is encrypted, the cloud is not Yes, WhatsApp has end-to-end encryption but that courtesy is only restricted to messaging service. The minute you backup your data to the cloud or any external server, the data is no longer WhatsApp’s responsibility. This means that if a hacker wants access to your data, they don’t need to hack your WhatsApp account — they can directly hit your drive instead. In November last year, WhatsApp said that it wouldn’t be backing up data to its own servers. User data will now be saved on their respective Google Drive or the iCloud. So if you’re really paranoid about your safety — backing up WhatsApp might be something that you want to disable. Know what’s going on in your settings Deciding whether to back up your WhatsApp chats is only one part of the story. The messaging platform offers a whole host of other settings as well — like controlling if ‘last seen’ shows up, how many people you share your ‘Status’ with, and even the blue tick marks that indicate whether a message has been read or not. It might not keep your account from getting hacked, but does give you more control over the information being disseminated. Ask yourself if it’s a really big deal Getting hacked isn’t the most pleasant feeling in the world but you really have to ask yourself if it’s that big a deal. Individuals who are in the public eye or are sharing state secrets over WhatsApp might have a reason to be paranoid. Otherwise, it’s probably better to take a deep breath, relax and let it go.

How to stay safe on WhatsApp and protect your data

New Delhi, July 15 (IANS) WhatsApp went down for a brief period on Wednesday morning as users in India and worldwide were unable to send or receive messages for couple of hours. The app would still open but a connecting loop was displayed while the service experienced issues. The service was later restored. A Facebook spokesperson told The Verge: "Earlier today, an internal update made to our WhatsApp servers caused some people to have trouble sending messages. "We quickly resolved this issue for everyone and we apologise for any inconvenience". Affected users found that WhatsApp was "connecting" when trying to send a message. WhatsApp went down on June 19 for millions of users in India and elsewhere who reported issues with privacy settings as well as last seen online status not working. According to outage monitor portal Down Detector, there was a 66 per cent spike in WhatsApp down reports, with last seen online status not working for them as well as 28 per cent reporting connection issues. Both Android and iOS WhatsApp users took to Twitter to report the issues. On June 16, Facebook, Messenger and Instagram suffered outages in various parts of the world, and Instagram users were not able to post direct messages. WhatsApp now has 2 billion users globally and India has over 400 million users. --IANS na/

WhatsApp suffers brief outage in India, up now

<ul><li><keyword id="6577366" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="kimbho-app">Kimbho app</keyword> was launched under the <keyword id="6356684" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="patanjali">Patanjali</keyword> banner about a week ago. </li><li>It was soon pulled from the Play Store after its security flaws were exposed.</li><li>Acharya <keyword id="360666" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Balkrishna">Balkrishna</keyword>, co-founder of Patanjali, says that the app will be available again once it has been fixed.</li></ul>An Indian billionaire, Acharya Balkrishna and his partner, the celebrity yoga guru, <keyword id="6355107" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Baba-Ramdev">Baba Ramdev</keyword> have been creating waves with their new messaging app, Kimbho. And, they have no plans of giving up even after having to pull the app from the Play Store after its initial launch. In an interview with <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-08/a-billionaire-and-a-yogi-team-up-on-a-mobile-app-no-not-a-joke">Bloomberg</a>, Balkrishna stated that the app won’t be available again until it’s been properly vetted by a team of hacking experts and security specialists. He reiterated that Kimbho would likely make a return once all the security and privacy issues have been addressed. But why messaging? The question really is, why not? Between the two of them, that is Balkrishna and Baba Ramdev, they’ve already built a business empire that has an annual <a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/acharya-balkrishna/">revenue</a> stream of ₹111.41 billion ($1.65 billion). Propagating ‘swadeshi’ goods, Patanjali Ayurved claims to sell only home-grown and all-natural products. So, when there’s an app like <keyword id="790242" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="WhatsApp">WhatsApp</keyword> dominating in India but isn’t of Indian origin, why not build something local? It’s not surprising that in the aftermath of the Cambridge Analytica scandal that Balkrishna would want to build a messaging app that keeps user’s data within India. Not to mention that currently, India is the world’s <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-01/india-s-recovering-economy-puts-june-rate-increase-on-table">fastest</a> growing economy with a <a href="https://www.livepopulation.com/country/india.html">consumer</a> base of 1.3 billion. Kimbho a.k.a. What’s up? Building on the hype of Patanjali’s Samriddhi Swadeshi SIM cards, the Kimbho app managed to attract 10,000 <a href="https://yourstory.com/2018/05/patanjalis-whatsapp-rival-kimbho-disappears-app-stores-day/">installs</a> within 24 hours of being announced. And, that’s pretty much when things got weird. First, a French security researcher who’s known for pointing out the security flaws with India’s government portals like the Aadhar App, pointed out how Kimbho basically has <a href="https://www.indiatimes.com/technology/apps/baba-ramdev-s-kimbho-chat-app-is-accused-of-being-unsafe-copy-of-another-app-disappears-346491.html">no security</a> whatsoever. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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This was followed by a barrage of tweets claiming how inconsistent the app was and how the interface, and even the content, was directly <a href="https://beebom.com/patanjali-kimbho-app-fake/">copied</a> from another app called Bolo. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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And then came the disappearing act. The official statement is that the ‘servers are being upgraded’. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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That being said, speculations also point towards Apple or Google being responsible since Kimbho was essentially trying to become the ‘swadeshi’ WhatsApp. Not that they were trying to hide it. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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It’s hardly been a week since these events unfolded and there’s already a <a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/technology/kimbho-saga-fake-apps-continue-to-thrive-pose-threat-2584935.html">horde</a> of <keyword id="1019131" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Fake-apps">fake apps</keyword> in the Play Store trying to emulate Baba Ramdev’s messaging app. Forget the security issues discovered by <a href="https://yourstory.com/2018/05/patanjalis-whatsapp-rival-kimbho-disappears-app-stores-day/">Baptiste Robert</a>, the fake ones pose a greater threat posing as potential malware and ground for cyber attacks. 
	
	
	
	
	











	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	<div type="image" title="rise and fall ofPatanjali'skimbho app (1)" msid="64507058" hostid="261"></div>

Here’s what’s up with Kimbho, the Indian messaging app that wants to take on WhatsApp

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Honeywell had a big server outage, and its smart, internet-connected thermostats were not working as intended.&#xa0;</li><li>Customers were unable to control their heating via the Honeywell app as promised.</li><li>However, Honeywell says that affected thermostats&#xa0;are still working to control heating and cooling - they're just under manual control, like a normal thermostat. It's the smart features that are on the fritz.</li><li>A spokesperson said the issue lasted for only a few hours on Tuesday, but customers say there have been problems for weeks.</li></ul>The internet-enabled thermostats made by $122 billion appliance giant Honeywell has been having server issues, leaving some customers unable to control their temperature via an app as advertised - and they're furious about it.Customers flocked to Twitter to complain about technical issues that plagued Honeywell Home, the 112-year-old company's recent line of internet-connected devices. They said a major outage started several days ago, and problems have been ongoing for weeks.&#xa0;Those same customers have also complained about what they say is a lack of communication from Honeywell.In a statement, Honeywell disputes those complaints, and says that the problems were only for a short period on Tuesday."Earlier today, a small number of customers using Honeywell's Total Connect Comfort app experienced delays, which have been resolved. Their thermostats performed as designed locally, however the temperature could not be set remotely," said Honeywell spokesperson Bruce Eric Anderson in a prepared statement.&#xa0;As Anderson says, the thermostats were still controllable if owners have physical access, but the ability to control the temperature remotely via app - the main selling point of these devices - had been offline. This can cause issues for people managing multiple properties, like landlords, or those customers with mobility issues.&#xa0;The outage highlights one of the persistent problems with the so-called "internet of things:" The usefulness of products are often dependent on the reliability of internet services they have no control over - and when they crash, there's nothing people can do.Despite Honeywell's assurances, one customer told Business Insider they first encountered issues four days ago, and had run into issues earlier in the month before that. There are also multiple Honeywell customers complaining on social media about technical problems before Tuesday.Got a tip? Contact this reporter via Signal or WhatsApp at +1 (650) 636-6268 using a non-work phone, email at rprice@businessinsider.com, WeChat at robaeprice, or&#xa0;Twitter DM at&#xa0;<a href="https://twitter.com/robaeprice">@robaeprice</a>. (PR pitches by email only, please.)&#xa0;You can also&#xa0;<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-tip-business-insider-securely-guide-signal-securedrop-2017-6">contact Business Insider securely via SecureDrop</a>.<div id="categorypromo"><h2>Read more:</h2><ul><li><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/top-internet-of-things-companies-to-watch-invest-2016-8">Top IoT Companies to Watch &amp; Invest In</a></li><li><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/internet-of-things-conferences-2016-12">Best IoT Conferences &amp; Expos</a></li><li><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/wearable-technology-iot-devices-2016-8">IoT Wearable Devices &amp; Technology</a></li><li><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/internet-of-things-security-privacy-2016-8">How the IoT Will Affect Security &amp; Privacy</a></li><li><a href="http://read.bi/iotultimate">Ultimate IoT Research Bundle</a></li></ul></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-mock-facebook-privacy-woes-iphone-2018-9">Apple took another subtle jab at Facebook during its iPhone XS event</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Honeywell's 'smart' thermostats had a big server outage and a key feature stopped working entirely - and customers were furious

<ul><li>It’s important to have a good internet connection and finding out whether you have one is quite easy.</li><li>There are tools available online that let you check your <keyword id="1534340" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="internet-speed" source="Orion">internet speed</keyword> in just a few steps.</li><li>You can check your mobile and broadband internet speed.</li></ul>In this online first world, having a good internet connection is very important. Even if it’s just to check your <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/how-to/heres-how-to-check-if-someone-has-blocked-you-on-whatsapp/articleshow/72369027.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">WhatsApp </a>messages, watch YouTube videos, stream movies you need a fast internet connection. But you also need to know whether your internet speed is actually fast or not, and you can do that in just a few steps. You can check your internet speed in real time without having to download any app. It can be either your mobile internet or broadband internet connection. While there are dedicated apps and tools to check your internet speed, we tell you the easiest way to do so. Follow these steps to check your internet speed. Open Chrome on your phone or computer/laptop. Type internet speed test in the search bar. A box with information on the internet speed test will appear on top of the search results. Tap the option to “run speed test”. The internet speed test will run giving you the download and upload speed. It will also show the latency and server, and tell you if your internet speed is fast or not. While you’re on the same search results, you can choose to check your internet speed through other sites like Fast.com and Speedtest by Ookla. These tools are available as Android and iOS apps as well. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-10-pro-vs-oneplus-9-pro-price-specs-features-comparison/slidelist/88828528.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">OnePlus 10 Pro vs OnePlus 9 Pro — Here’s what’s new in the latest flagship phone</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/how-to/how-to-check-pan-aadhaar-linking-status/articleshow/73027292.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">How to check PAN-Aadhaar linking status</a>

How to check your internet speed

<ul class="summary-list"><li>You change your profile picture in <keyword id="6380504" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="signal">Signal</keyword>, the open-source messaging app, anytime from the app's Settings menu.</li><li>Tap the avatar icon at the top left of the screen to get to the profile picture settings. </li><li>If you are using Signal on an Android device, you can blur your picture as well. </li></ul>%MCEPASTEBIN%<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/signal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Signal</a>, the secure open-source messaging with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/end-to-end-encryption" target="_blank" rel="noopener">end-to-end encryption</a>, allows you to set a profile picture for your account. If you set up a picture when you first created your Signal account and want to change it – or you never set a picture to begin with – it's easy to choose a new photo. <h2>How to change your profile picture on Signal</h2>1. Open the Signal app on your mobile device.2. Tap your account icon at the top left of the screen to open the Settings menu (which will either be an image or just your initials).3. Tap your account avatar again at the top of the Settings menu.4. On your Profile page, tap your current profile avatar. <div type="image" title="How_to_change_your_picture_on_Signal 1" height="1312" width="1242" msid="78497985" hostid="261"></div>5. In the pop-up, choose the option to set your new picture. You can snap a photo using the camera or choose a photo from your camera roll. <h2>How to blur your face on the Android version of Signal</h2>If you are using the Android version of Signal, you can blur your photo. After you take a picture with the camera, tap the "Blur" icon at the top of the screen – it's the circle with white and black squares.<div type="image" title="How_to_change_your_picture_on_Signal 2" height="2300" width="1440" msid="78497987" hostid="261"></div>There are two ways to blur your photo:<ul><li>Using your finger, "paint" the picture with a blur effect wherever you want the image to be blurred.</li><li>Turn on "Blur faces" by swiping the button to the right. Signal will automatically add a blur square to the middle of your face.</li></ul><div type="image" title="How_to_change_your_picture_on_Signal 3" height="2711" width="1440" msid="78497988" hostid="261"></div>When you're done, tap the check mark at the top right.<h2>Related coverage from <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tech-reference" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tech Reference</a>:</h2><ul><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-change-discord-password" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How to change your Discord account password, and keep your data secure </a></h3></li><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-change-nickname-on-discord" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How to change your nickname on Discord for a particular server, or change your username for all servers</a></h3></li><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-hide-online-status-on-whatsapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How to hide your online status on WhatsApp to protect your privacy</a></h3></li><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-change-whatsapp-background" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How to change the WhatsApp background in your chats to a wallpaper, color, or custom photo</a></h3></li><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-change-whatsapp-number-on-android" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How to change your WhatsApp number on an Android, if you want to use your old WhatsApp account on a new phone</a></h3></li></ul>

How to change your profile picture on the Signal messaging app, or blur your photo on an Android for added privacy

New Delhi, July 2 (IANS) Well-known French security researcher Elliot Alderson claimed that the website of Globussoft, the company behind social media app Chingari, a desi alternative to Chinese TikTok, has been compromised. The company said that the app is completely safe. According to the security researcher, the website's drop script has reportedly been inserted with a malicious code which redirects the user to various other websites. "The website of Globussoft, the company behind #Chingari, the so-called Indian #TikTok alternative, has been compromised. The malicious drop has been inserted to all the webpages," Alderson tweeted late Wednesday. Sumit Ghosh, co-founder and Chief Product Officer, Chinagri replied, saying that although the Chingari app was incubated by Globussoft, the security or privacy of the app have not been compromised. "Thanks for pointing the wp (Word Press) issue to me. Chingari was incubated under Globussoft and built by us, the security of Chingari app/website and our users is not compromised by any of this," replied Ghosh. He noted that the user data is safely stored on a dedicated and secure AWS server. "Globussoft website and Chingari app have very different security/engineering teams and are totally unrelated. Chingari will soon be an independent company," Ghosh added. Downloaded over 3 million times, Chingari app was founded by Bengaluru-based programmers Biswatma Nayak and Siddharth Gautam last year and it is witnessing nearly 1 lakh downloads and over 2 million views per hour since the government banned 59 Chinese apps over national security concerns. It allows a user to download and upload videos, chat with friends, interact with new people, share content, and browse through feed. A Chingari user gets the opportunity to get creative with WhatsApp status, videos, audio clips, GIF stickers, and photos. The app is available in languages including English, Hindi, Bangla, Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Punjabi, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu. --IANS wh/na

Security researcher finds flaw in Chingari site, firm says app safe

<h3 class="sub-heading"><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image">REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi Free Syrian Army fighters sit as they look at a mobile phone in Deir al-Zor, eastern Syria February 17, 2014. </div></div>It's now worth $19 billion to Facebook, but it's priceless for Syria's rebel fighters</h3>
In March 2012, the Syrian government banned the free and safely encrypted messaging application WhatsApp from all national networks, primarily to disrupt the rebel opposition's cellular privacy. Judging from online search trends, the ban isn't working. It's doing the opposite of working.
Syrian rebels and journalists in huge numbers are finding new ways to use the messaging service to organize, share news, track government security forces and warn of national army movements.
In the past 12 months, WhatsApp, written in Arabic, spiked 1,350 percent in Google searches within Syria, according to Google Trend. Facebook, in second place, spiked 350 percent over the same period.
<div id="attachment_8020" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
Multiple spellings of Facebook, games and Samsung were the other items on the list of 10 terms that spiked in Syria. There was no spike in searches relating to the daily carnage in Syria, the government or the rebels.
</div>
"WhatsApp is very popular among Syrians, and particularly Syrian opposition activists," says Tuma, a citizen journalist from border town of Tal Al Shihab. "Even Free Syrian Army soldiers are using the app, but not all of them."
The Free Syrian Army, the primary opposition group inside the country, posted a link on its website to download the application. It also included a contact number where it could be reached via WhatsApp.

The government's block of WhatsApp (primarily used by Syrians on the Android platform but also available in Apple's App Store) seems to only have inspired Syrians, anti-government and otherwise, to discover new ways of circumventing it. 
In southern Syria, people are tapping into the Jordanian cellular networks, and in the north, near Aleppo, they are jumping on Turkish ones, a Syrian citizen journalist named Ali tells Vocativ. In other parts of the country it is possible to access WhatsApp using a satellite connection.
According to Ali, recent spikes in WhatsApp users was partly due to Syria's ban on Skype, another communications app. Although using Skype would be possible with the same loopholes as WhatsApp, The New York Times reported that the regime of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has "developed tools to install malware on computers that allows officials to monitor a user's activity" specific to Skype.
"WhatsApp is considered safe, free and easy to use," says Tuma, the citizen journalist. "We can easily share photos and videos using the app."
WhatsApp <a href="https://www.demworks.org/blog/2013/05/instant-messaging-smartphones-whatsapps-lack-security">has not specified</a> what type of cryptography is used for its service, leaving some wary of how safe it truly is. But according to the company's website, "WhatsApp communication between your phone and our server is fully encrypted. We do not store your chat history on our servers."
Syrians were outraged at the initial WhatsApp ban. A Facebook group "Bring WhatsApp Back to Syria" was created and began publicly posting proxy numbers to access the app.
<a href="http://media.vocativ.com/photos/2013/06/whats-app-2.jpg"></a>
Tom Sanders, a co-founder of Whatsapp Status, a service that monitors the app's outages and availability, tells Vocativ he was not aware of the app's popularity in Syria.
"We don't track Whatsapp usage in Syria, and don't track Syria in general," says Sanders.
The Saudi Arabian government announced last week that they might also ban the app if the developers didn't comply with their requirements for easier monitoring before Ramadan.
<a href="http://www.vocativ.com/">Read more stories at Vocativ &gt;</a>

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