apps Archives » Technically Well

iOS 8.0.2 Brings HealthKit to the Masses

Ryan — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 23:24:13 +0000

While a bug prevented Apple’s new Health app from being fully functional at the iOS 8 launch, an update is now available that corrects the bug and allows HealthKit-compatible apps in the App Store. You can check them out here.

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Why Does Facebook Messenger Need So Many Permissions?

Ryan — Sun, 17 Aug 2014 18:15:00 +0000

Oh, Facebook… why must you always get everybody so worked up? We’ve been happily replying to messages from within the Facebook app for years, but now suddenly, we must download a whole new app that wants a whole lot of permissions on our phone?

While Facebook may market their Facebook Messenger app as “free texting from Facebook,” (in an age when everyone basically has unlimited texting to begin with) the new mandatory app requires quite a lot of permissions.

When installing the app, you’re prompted to allow Facebook Messenger to access your camera, microphone, and contacts. According to Facebook, here’s why each item is needed:

Take pictures and video: this is to allow Facebook Messenger to send picture messages
Record audio: this allows the app to send video and voice messages
Call Phone Numbers and Receive Text Messages: Android users will see this in order to allow the app to use the messaging and free VOIP calling features within the app
Contacts: this allows Facebook Messenger to see which of your contacts are also using the same app

Apple users: remember that if you change your mind, you have the option of going to your phone’s Settings > Privacy area to turn off these features as you see fit.

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Apple Announces Health App

Ryan — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 22:29:16 +0000

Apple today announced a new “Health” app at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference. The new app provides iPhone users with an easy-to-read dashboard of health and fitness data.

The new tool includes a “HealthKit” for developers, which allows all those great health and fitness apps in the App Store to work together. Things like heart rate, calories burned, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels can be kept together in one app that makes the information easily accessible. Users will also be able to create an emergency card with important health details — like blood type, current medication and allergies — that is available from the Lock screen.

Secure sharing options will also be available, such as being able to send certain vitals to a health care provider or allowing a nutrition app to communicate calorie numbers to a fitness app.

No iWatch was announced at today’s event, but Apple’s interest in tracking health information does open the door for a new type of activity tracker.

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