Online journal trendingbytes.com shares the latest digital, web and user insights, as well as social media news, with Communicate Levant.

New iPads and iMacs?

Hey fanboy, are you not over the iPhone 6 yet? Because Apple has already got some new gear for you… However, this month’s announcements won’t be as exciting as the last ones for Apple. No new device will be launched, but you can expect some updates on iPads, iMacs and the release of OSX Yosemite. Read more…

Legitimate medical advice on the Internet

Goodbye waiting rooms! So long sneeze-fests in cluttered areas! Hello germy keyboards… Soon you won’t have to book an appointment with your doctor to see what’s wrong with you: Google is testing a new service that will connect patients with doctors over a paid video Hangout. Read more…

Could it be the end of USB?

If you’ve ever owned a USB drive, you’ve probably passed viruses around like Buzzfeed articles on Facebook. Two months ago, Karsten Nohl, a security researcher, demonstrated an attack he called BadUSB (which can affect all USB devices and is unpatchable) at the Black Hat security conference, but decided not to release the code. Today, researchers Adam Caudill and Brandon Wilson announced that they have reverse-engineered the said code and will release it to force producing companies to take action. Read more…

Twitter UK launches live TV ratings

Your opinion matters to Twitter, because it is marketable to TV stations and advertisers. And this is why the platform is launching a listening tool (in the UK only for now) that will allow Kantar Media to measure which TV shows are talked about the most, how tweeps feel about the latest episode of their favorite series and a lot more. This is a way for the company to retarget audiences, shuffle schedules and enhance the overall TV experience for users. Read more…

New Google ad format on the way

If you hate in-app ads and wish they’d disappear, you’ve got another thing coming! Here’s the problem with these: They pop-up at any time, often interrupting whatever you were doing and causing accidental clicks. Google is going to war against these nuisances with a new ad format that supposedly only comes up when you’re not active on the app. Read more…

Bash bug puts your Linux and Mac at risk

Ok, so we have to say it: We’ve been seeing more bugs lately than Egypt under the plague. So, listen up Mac and Linux users! Stephane Chazelas, a Unix/Linux and telecom specialist, discovered a new vulnerability in the Bash software, present on both operating systems. In short, the bug allows an attacker to remotely attach a malicious file. Read more…

GM Naming First Cybersecurity Chief

Are you happy with your car’s navigation system and iPhone sync and phone integration…? The longer the list of features, the smarter the car, the higher its chances of getting hacked. Few car manufacturers are doing anything about that issue, but GM is on the move. It has just appointed engineer Jeff Massimilla as Cybersecurity chef, a move that promises both safe and technologically advanced cars. Read more…

Facebook will track you and your habits even further

Yes, Facebook tracks the heck out of your online activity, all the time. But, the privacy invader is taking things further now with its enhanced Atlas System. In a few days, Facebook will launch an automated ad space buying tool, dubbed Demand-side Platform. It will compile data on what websites you check and what ads you see or interact with, and a whole lot more!  Read more…

iPhone 6 and 6 Plus hit 10 million sales on opening weekend

Hey Apple fanboys! We have some news for you to brag some more! After being announced on September 9, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus finally hit the stores on September 16. It took only three days for the devices to hit the 100 million sales mark. What’s even more impressive is that the phones have been launched in only 10 countries so far, China not included. Read more…

The ‘Snappening’ isn’t as exciting as it sounds

Remember all of those disappearing nudies you sent to your boyfriend/girlfriend? Well, they’re still here! Some hacker broke into the database of a website called snapsaved.com that lets you save snaps and pulled – get this – 98,000 hacked files! More than 13GB of pictures and videos were stolen. Read more…