Smartphone apps

In Japan, influenza insurance products can now be purchased and paid for through smartphone payment apps, a move highlighted by the Oita Godo Shimbun. The products cover medical costs related to flu infections, and the shift to app-based settlement makes signing up quicker and simpler for consumers. Interest in flu coverage is rising during the season, and insurers are increasingly turning to digital payment methods to reach customers.

The Guardian explores complaints that bus passengers who buy tickets with cash instead of smartphone apps are charged more. Critics argue digital-only discounts penalise older, poorer or less tech-savvy riders and risk excluding people from public transport, while operators say app ticketing cuts costs. Readers are debating whether fare structures should be required to treat all payment methods equally.

A report circulating in Japan claims that with iOS 27, Apple will let iPhone users install apps without App Store review, and urges people to turn a certain setting off now. The warning adds that leaving the setting on could make monthly smartphone bills more expensive, telling users to check their phones immediately.

Security coverage is reminding smartphone users that a software update alone does not fully protect their device. After installing the latest version of their phone's operating system, people are advised to review other settings, such as automatic updates, app permissions, and security features that may need to be switched on manually.

How-To Geek has published a rundown of five gadgets the author bought after concluding that smartphone apps could not do the same jobs. The piece lists physical devices that outperform their app equivalents and explains the reasoning behind each purchase. It fits into an ongoing debate about whether dedicated devices still beat all-in-one phones for things like alarms, cameras, music and navigation.

Acrylic figures covering every character from the mobile game White Cat Project NEW WORLD'S go on sale October 7, with the first and second waves featuring 106 characters in total. The merchandise announcement is circulating among Japanese mobile gaming and smartphone app audiences, who follow the franchise's collectible releases.

A tech how-to guide explains how to search for anything on the three major smartphones: Apple's iPhone, Samsung's Galaxy line and Google's Pixel. It walks users through built-in search features on each device so they can quickly find apps, settings, messages and files. The piece is being picked up by multiple US radio and news outlets.

Engadget explains that despite modern smartphone operating systems being designed to update apps automatically, users should still check for updates manually from time to time. The piece walks through the reasons automatic updates may not always be enough and why giving your apps a periodic manual refresh is worth the small effort.

WhatsApp will prevent users from logging in on smartphones running outdated operating systems. The move, reported by Tecnoblog, means people with older versions of Android or iOS will need to update their software or upgrade their device to keep using the messaging app, which is one of the most widely used communication tools in Brazil and worldwide.

Webroot Mobile Security has been presented in a product showcase, highlighting three core features: screening text messages for malicious content, blocking risky websites, and checking whether a user's personal data has been exposed in leaks. The offering targets smartphone users seeking protection from smishing, phishing sites, and data breach exposure in one mobile app.

A developer has laid out the case that a birth chart is a purely deterministic calculation: the same birth time and place always produce the same result, with no data or randomness involved. That makes the job ideal for local computation, and the argument is that a smartphone is a better astrology computer than a remote server, removing latency, cost and privacy concerns.

A new device called the Freckle Phone is being introduced as a way to give children some independence while keeping them off the open internet. The phone is pitched at parents looking for a safer alternative to smartphones, allowing basic communication without unrestricted apps, browsing or social media. It adds to a growing category of minimal phones designed for kids.

Engadget has published a piece explaining why smartphone users should keep their apps updated, highlighting the security and performance reasons behind routine updates. The article is being shared across tech communities, with readers discussing how delayed updates can leave devices exposed to known vulnerabilities and bugs that developers patch in new releases.