Apps
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram coming to Huawei AppGallery soon
At least, their CEO believes so

At a press briefing following the launch of the Huawei Mate Xs, Huawei CEO Richard Yu told GadgetMatch that our most used social media apps like Facebook and Twitter should be arriving on the AppGallery soon.
At a press briefing with Huawei Mobile CEO Richard Yu. I asked him about the absence of the world’s most essential apps on Huawei’s Play Store alternative – App Gallery (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) he says believes they will be available soon. pic.twitter.com/Ch1lP2xJde
— Michael Josh (@michaeljosh) February 24, 2020
Huawei has been on the unfortunate receiving end of the US government’s ire following accusations of spying for the Chinese government. In 2019, tech news headlines were dominated by the rift between the US and Huawei — the biggest of which happened when the US banned companies like Google from working with Huawei.
It was a huge hit as the company relied on Google’s mobile operating system Android for its smartphones.
The company has started rebounding since. Over the last six months, they’ve announced their own HarmonyOS. It’s not only meant for their smartphones but it’s more of a single OS that connects all of their products.
They have also heavily invested in getting more apps on the AppGallery. This is why Yu strongly believes that all the apps we usually use like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter will soon be able to easily make their way to all new Huawei phones.
Ban affected their first foldable
Yu also noted that the ban heavily affected the global release of the Huawei Mate X — the predecessor of the Huawei Mate Xs.
Richard Yu says US Ban and Google withholding Play Services got in the way of the global rollout of original Mate X. Now with its own App Store @HuaweiMobile is full speed ahead with the foldable Mate Xs. pic.twitter.com/GFRnYRDjjL
— Michael Josh (@michaeljosh) February 24, 2020
The Huawei Mate X never made it out of China specifically because of the lack of Google Mobile Services. This wasn’t an issue in China since the company’s HongMengOS had already gotten a wide adoption in the country.
Now, Huawei hopes to make the same wide adoption through the AppGallery. In the meantime, Huawei is also pushing HTML5 based Quick Apps as an alternative to apps that are not available in AppGallery.

Apps
WhatsApp delays roll-out of new privacy policy until May
Signal and Telegram are trending instead

WhatsApp rolled out a new privacy policy that clearly specifies how the instant messaging app will leverage your data for monetization. But the new privacy policy is on hold.
WhatsApp, owned by Facebook, has announced that it will delay enforcing its new privacy terms from February 8 to May 15. In the blog post, the company says that none of its privacy-focused features are changing.
“We’re also going to do a lot more to clear up the misinformation around how privacy and security works on WhatsApp. We’ll then go to people gradually to review the policy at their own pace before new business options are available on May 15,” the statement said.
It faced massive backlash as users are worried about their personal data. When the privacy policy changes went public last week, the response from the public was downright brutal. Alternative apps like Telegram and Signal started trending worldwide as users started joining it in hopes of ditching WhatsApp.
Even though WhatsApp is end-to-end encrypted, Facebook will still fetch some crucial information like your transactions, location, and other behavioral data from linked Instagram profile. And, we all know Facebook has a nasty reputation as far as personal data management is concerned. What makes it even more outrageous is that the policy is leave or take, and there’s no third option.
In the wording used, WhatsApp says the new privacy policy will change how it partners with Facebook to “offer integrations” and that businesses can use Facebook services to manage WhatsApp chats. It said that hat all private messages between friends and family members will remain end-to-end encrypted.
According to a CNBC report, India’s technology ministry also asked WhatsApp to withdraw planned changes to its privacy policy that has drawn widespread backlash.

Staying physically and mentally fit is extra challenging during a pandemic, but it’s become essential now more than ever. Ultrahuman is a fitness app launched that offers a very convenient platform that targets the three main health points: physical exercise, meditation and sleep. It helps you stay fit from the moment you wake up until you go to bed!
This newest app, which debuted on CES 2021, features different content per category. It includes home workouts and yoga programs from world-class athletes and professional trainers to focus on your physical strength. You can choose from various workouts — from running and yoga to weightlifting and HIIT. The app is designed for all fitness levels.
With the app’s biofeedback technology, you can also track your heart rate and calories burned in real-time.
There’s also content focusing on mindfulness, including guided meditations, bedtime stories, calming meditation music, nature and sleep sounds, breathing exercises, among others. Manage stress and anxiety better by improving your mental health and sleeping patterns with the help of this series.
You can also listen to “brain music”, a section where you can find songs curated by “neuro-musicians” that aids focus, sleep and productivity.
Ultrahuman also partnered with UCLA, Mindsize, and Unified Mindfulness to bring the best of mind science and technology together.
The app is available on iOS and Android, and is already rolled out across 50+ countries globally. It’s been recognized by Apple as one of the top apps they love. Apple Watch users can also integrate their app to track their health progress real-time.
Apps
Prepare your meals through your phone, fridge using Samsung SmartThings
The kitchen, simplified

With everything going on in the world, it’s no surprise that people are spending more time in the kitchen and looking out for new recipes.
The good news? Samsung has just the thing to get it sorted quickly and easily. They’re bringing in Family Hub features into mobile users through the SmartThings app.
Samsung’s SmartThings Cooking service helps bring all of your Samsung kitchen appliances together. How? It lets you search, plan, purchase, and meal prep seamlessly through your phone or fridge through the SmartThings app.
On top of that, it recommends customized recipes based on your taste and preferences while considering ingredients available to you. You can scroll through recipe collections when you’re undecided or quickly zero-in on meals that suit your cravings.
SmartThings Cooking, powered by Whisk, is accessible through Samsung’s SmartThings. If you’ve got the Family Hub in your smart kitchen arsenal, there’s no need to fret.
The fridge keeps tabs of what you have and don’t, adding missing ingredients directly to your online grocery cart for at-home deliveries. Not to mention, you can shop through Walmart, Kroger, Instacart, and Amazon Fresh, using the Whisk network.
With SmartThings added to the Family Hub smart fridge, you get to enjoy all the cool features and more! You get to access your other smart kitchen gadgets through widgets on the screen, prioritize most used apps, and feature family photos, notes, and recipes.
And, if cooking is what you’re worried about, Samsung has you covered for even that. SmartThings guides you through easy cooking steps and lets you control cooking modes, temperatures, and time settings with one touch. Leaving you with little room for error.
So, with all that in mind, was it really a surprise to see Samsung’s Family Hub win its sixth consecutive CES Innovation Award this year? For us, not quite.
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