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Monthly Archives: March 2018

Your Phone data is no longer PRIVATE now. Was it before ?

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It’s official now from Facebook, that they are collecting phone call records from your phone (if you are on Android). Here is the link. https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2018/03/fact-check-your-call-and-sms-history/

Oh and Iphone users are not effected by this new.

So if you are using android phone, and have used Facebook app (chances are that you have), there are chances, that the data being shared by your cellular company, would be shared by Facebook. Who is the mostly called number, who is the longest called number, so on and so forth.

The best bet to find out is to login to your Facebook, and grab your Data.

  1. Goto Settings followed by download your data.
  2. Enter your password and request all your data.
  3. Facebook will email you once your data is ready.
  4. Download that data and then inspect it using Zip / text files

So what’s there to worry, if my data is exposed ?

Technically, nothing. There is nothing you can do. In fact it will be used against you to advertise products to you. No matter it’s Facebook, Google, Twitter, any other social network. They are all in for the long haul. Anything provided to you for free, there is reason it is provided for free, since you are their Product. Your movement, your data is their product, and they might be selling something else to you in turn. So why worry.

Following are some of the links, which will show that Google is tracking you too.

Below are some interesting tweets from this Facebook data exposure thread.

So in the end, why worry. Keep calm and let the facebook track you.

Still reading and thinking what the hell. This guy doesn’t have any thing to worry. Well, if you are so concerned about your privacy, there are two things you can do.

  1. Un-install Facebook app from your phone and start using facebook from your browser. Facebook from browser is quite lite on phone and it will be lighter, which will provide performance boost to your phone
  2. Keep using Facebook app and visit privacy control settings in app and check out the new options facebook is providing after this news.

As always, happy facebooking. In fact, this news will also be published over facebook.

 

Grab stuff from people, without any USB / HDD, over Dropbox, without them signing up on Dropbox

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Dropbox new feature, FILE REQUEST allows you to do just that. Simply open a file request, send your loved one, aka the person from whom you want to file (s), a link or email them. They will just be uploading the file from browser and you will be get that file in your DropBox. They won’t be signing up with Dropbox if they don’t have dropbox. Cool isn’t it.

Qouting below from Dropbox file requests.. https://www.dropbox.com/help/files-folders/create-file-request

Use file requests to collect and receive files from anyone, right in your Dropbox account. With file requests:

  • Anyone can send you a file, whether they have a Dropbox account or not
  • All the files you collect are automatically organized into a single Dropbox folder.
  • People who upload files to your file request cannot access your Dropbox. Only you can view files uploaded by others, unless you decide to share them.

Sections in this article:

How to create a file request

  1. Sign in to dropbox.com.
  2. Click Files.
  3. Click File requests.
  4. Click Request files.
  5. Enter a name for the folder that will store all collected files under What are you requesting?
  6. Under Where should these files go in your Dropbox?, you’ll see the path to the new folder populate. If you’d like to change the folder’s location, click Change folder.
  7. If you’re a Dropbox Professional or Business customer, you can add a deadline for these submissions. Click Add a deadline to set your deadline. You can also Allow late uploads and choose a timeframe.
  8. Click Next.
  9. Click Copy link to copy the file request link and send it to anyone you want to request files from. Or you can enter emails of the people you need files from and send the file request directly from Dropbox.
  10. Click Done.

You’ll receive an email whenever people upload files to your file request.

Note: By default the uploaded files are private. You can share the uploaded files by selecting a shared folder or by sending a link to the files.

If you want to change your file request once it’s created, follow these steps:

  1. Sign in to dropbox.com.
  2. Click Files.
  3. Click File requests.
  4. Click the … (ellipsis) icon.
  5. Click Edit.
  6. You can edit both What are you requesting? and Where should these files go in your Dropbox?
  7. Click Save.

How to close a file request

You can close a file request when you’d like to stop receiving files. Once a file request is closed, people with an invitation link can’t upload files to your Dropbox.

  1. Sign in to dropbox.com.
  2. Click Files.
  3. Click File requests.
  4. Click the … (ellipsis) icon.
  5. Click Edit.
  6. Click the Close request button.
  7. View your closed file requests from the Closed tab.

Note: You can reopen a closed file request. From the Closed tab, hover over the file request you’re interested in and click Reopen.

Do file requests take up space in my Dropbox account?

All files collected for a file request will take up space in your Dropbox account. To ensure that you can accept the files that you’re requesting, check how much spaceyou have in your account.

Note: You need enough space in your Dropbox account to receive the files sent through a file request. The people you invite to upload files will receive an error that your Dropbox account doesn’t have enough space.

Watch “Erlang Factory SF 2015 Keynote – From WhatsApp to Outer Space” on YouTube

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Little do we know that Whatsapp, the de facto messenger we take for granted, is made on Erlang and that many other superior, high voluminous traffic software are made on Erlang. Watch the video to see.

Whats App for business launched in Pakistan.

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Ok. So today, when I re formatted my phone, I realized Whatsapp for business is launched in Pakistan, and I was excited to use it and see it in action.

Here is the link of what’s app for business to install it in your phone.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.whatsapp.w4b

So if you have a small business, then this is awesome tool to keep in touch with your to be associates, sending them marketing related information, timely information, giving them support, and automated messages which we frequently use in dealing with people, like thank you notes, welcome messages.

Plus it has FAQs section in the profile which will already clear out many first time customers. I would say, a great app feature.

Following is the excerpt from what’s app for business from play store.

WhatsApp Business enables you to have a business presence on WhatsApp, communicate more efficiently with your customers, and help you grow your business.

If you have separate business and personal phone numbers, you can have both WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp Messenger installed on the same phone, and register them with different numbers.

In addition to the features available in WhatsApp Messenger, WhatsApp Business includes:

• BUSINESS PROFILE: Create a profile for your business to help your customers find valuable information — like your website, location, or contact information.

• BUSINESS MESSAGING TOOLS: Be more responsive to your customers by using Away messages to indicate that you’re away.

• LANDLINE/FIXED NUMBER SUPPORT: You can use WhatsApp Business with a landline (or fixed) phone number and your customers can message you on that number. During verification, select the “Call me” option to receive the code over a phone call.

• RUN BOTH WHATSAPP MESSENGER AND WHATSAPP BUSINESS: You can use both WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp Messenger on the same phone, but each app must have its own unique phone number.

• WHATSAPP WEB: You can more efficiently respond to your customers right from your computer’s browser.

WhatsApp Business is built on top of WhatsApp Messenger and includes all the features that you rely on, such as the ability to send multimedia, free calls*, free international messaging*, group chat, offline messages, and much more.

Have a look at the following videos to know more.

Now the pros.

  1. Well it looks like what’s app for business has some performance issues. The comments at what’s app for business show that users complaining heating issues.
  2. Also one person said that he had one mobile number for personal and business and he wished if what’s app and what’s app for business could run on one mobile number. Personally I doubt it, it would be case if one person is using one mobile for both purpose. Still if one is doing, I do see a use case there.
  3. Also just like any other app, we might be seeing some bugs which needs to squashed, and it will have some rough edges

Still with all that, I think what’s app might be solving the problems of small business problem. Overall, it looks like the small business should join what’s app band wagon to come in touch with their customers.

I see our small business, delivery services, TCS, Deliver IT providing services to us on what’s app.

Oh and by the way, did I tell you that there is a cool way to display your business number to be displayed on your site and on clicking that link, the viewer, if whatsapp is installed on his phone, will directly open a whatsapp chat opened with your number and he will just have to type a message. Below is the code where you just have to replace Xxxxx with your number in your website html.

<a href="intent://send/+XXXXXXXXXXX#Intent;scheme=smsto;package=com.whatsapp;action=android.intent.action.SENDTO;end">Connect with us over WhatsApp chat.</a>

This will open another nifty way that small business could open up their what’s app to online / web / mobile world.

Reference.

https://www.themarketingtechnologist.co/open-a-whatsapp-conversation-directly-from-your-ad/

And the /command line thing they have provided, it’s so cool, and they have borrowed it from Telegram.