Ten Stories That Have Us Geeked Out About New Tech

1. Twitter Updating Its Feed

Twitter is in the testing phase of new features that will make it easier to share videos, take public conversations private, and avoid missing key tweets while offline. These updates are necessary for Twitter since user growth has declined and investors have begun asking how big the company can really get. Twitter CEO Dick Costolo said, “We think it will be the combination of the changes, and the cumulative effect of these changes, that will bolster growth”

2. Instagram Upgrades To Allow Post Edits

Who doesn’t have typos, especially on Instagram, with all the hashtags and crazy captions on pictures? Well, worry no more. You can finally fix typos with the new updated Instagram app which allows edits to photo posts plus offers recommendations through the new ‘Explore’ menu.

3. Facebook Makes It Easier To Unfollow

Ever get sick of some of your friends’ Facebook posts spamming your news feed, but not sure you want to ‘unfriend’ them? Facebook to the rescue. Now, you can control more of what you see in your news feed. In settings, you can find a list of friends or pages that show up the most, along with buttons to unfollow these accounts. These ‘unfollow’ buttons will not remove a person from your friend list, but will let you control how often you see posts from him/her.

4. Microsoft’s Lumia Defines Windows Phone Future

After Microsoft bought Nokia, the company tracked low demand for the brand in comparison with other manufacturers like Samsung and Apple. So now, Microsoft has removed the ‘Nokia’ name from the smartphones, and is set to unveil the new Microsoft Lumia 535. Microsoft’s Lumia 535 isn’t all that different from the Nokia devices that have come before it, but it’s the first to drop the Nokia branding in favor of Microsoft.

5. Microsoft Announces Smartwatch, Microsoft Band

Microsoft announced its first smartwatch, the Microsoft Band, on October 30. The software is similar to the Windows Phone’s UI with its compatible tile design. This smartwatch is selling at $199 and Microsoft is set to compete with other smartwatch manufacturers like Motorola, Samsung, LG, Apple, and the Kickstarter-based ‘Pebble’.

6. New Inbox App By Gmail

The team at Gmail announced a new cross-platform app called Inbox that they say will revolutionize email. It started out as an invite-only app, but as of last weekend, anyone can now enjoy the awesomeness of this app.

7. Nexus 6 And 9 Are Out, Plus Android 5.0 Lollipop

The new Nexus 6 phablet by Motorola and the new tablet Nexus 9 by HTC are on the market, along with the new Android software 5.0 Lollipop. The Nexus 6 has already has already sold out twice despite the fact that its price is almost double that of its predecessor, the Nexus 5.

8. iOS Malware Spotted

A new malware was discovered that can listen to your phone calls, check your emails, texts and other private stuff in your iPhone or iPad. This malware can get access to all of these through an app that does *not come through the Apple store. So beware, and don’t download any apps from outside the app store, even if someone you know sends you a text to check it out.

9. Apple Sales On The New iPhones and iPads Soar

Apple launched its new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in September and the new iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 in October. Reports indicate sales are incredibly high, making iPhone the fastest selling mobile in smartphone history.

10. Hodor Is On Google Now

And last but not least, for those of you who just love the HBO series Game of Thrones, Hodor and his uni-reactions, Google now has a new update on both Android and iOS that lets you talk to Hodor 24/7. And I think you can guess what he says… a lot… HODOR.

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