31 December 2018

Finally Master Time Management in 2019 With Our Free Course!


stress-relief-adult-toys

Let me guess. Feeling chronically overwhelmed and stressed is not a habit you want to carry over to 2019. Instead, you want to stop feeling rushed. You want to feel free to do your best work, rather than battling to stay on top of your to-do list.

Join our free 10-day time management email course and save 10+ hours each week!

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You’re far from alone. But it’s too easy to delude yourself into thinking that, if only you worked a little harder now, then next week, next month, everything will finally be under control. It rarely works like that.

Instead, you need to figure out and implement the systems that will keep you on track, save you time, and reduce your chronic overwhelm once and for all.

By doing this, you’ll finally find the free time to pursue the projects and hobbies you’ve been putting off for so long. Sounds tempting, right?

Sign Up to Our Free Time Management Course

This is exactly what our free time management course was designed for. Each day for 10 days, a new lesson will land in your inbox, taking you through:

  • Proven strategies to take back control of your time.
  • How to prioritize and schedule your to-do list so everything gets done on time.
  • How to eliminate distractions so you can focus on getting results.
  • How to beat procrastination once and for all.
  • How to stop wasting your life in your inbox.
  • And much more.

Now’s your chance to start off 2019 the right way. Simply enter your email address into the form at the top of this page, or click here to learn more about our free “Time Management Strategies” email course.

There’s nothing to lose, and hours of free time to gain!

Read the full article: Finally Master Time Management in 2019 With Our Free Course!


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The 5 Best PDF Reading, Editing, and Annotation Apps for Android

How to Access iCloud on Android: 5 Tips and Solutions

Joyoshare Data Recovery Makes It Easy to Recover Files from iPhone


Maybe it was a video or series of photos that captured a crucial moment in time such as your wedding or the last holiday that included a loved one who has since passed. Perhaps it was a vital report for work that you needed to share with your boss — yesterday. Or it could be a long-lost WhatsApp or Kik chat with your best friend.

For those times when you might have erased an important file from your iPhone, you should consider turning to Joyoshare’s iPhone Data Recovery software for Mac.

What Joyshare iPhone Data Recovery Software for Mac Does

The product, which is available through a free trial, is a surprisingly simple to use data recovery tool that helps you recover data from your iOS device, iTunes, and iCloud backups through three different modes.

With the Joyoshare iPhone Data Recovery tool, you can recover various types of files, including photos, videos, contacts, messages, notes, call logs and more. In total, it can help you retrieve over 20 different types of lost files.

The software is compatible with the latest iPhone models, including the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. It also works with the iPhone X, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone SE, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5, iPhone 4s, and iPhone 4.

How to Do It

Just how simple is it to use the Joyoshare iPhone Data Recovery tool? Let’s take a look:

Restore From Your Device

When I use Joyoshare, I typically use this first method to recover data since it only requires connecting my device to my MacBook Pro.

  1. Once the devices are connected, start Joyoshare. The software will automatically detect your device. When it does, the software identifies necessary information about your iOS device under its “Recover from iDevice” model. This information includes details such as product version, deleted data, existing data, data capacity, and more.
  2. On the right side of the screen, check the type of information you’d like to recover.
  3. Press the Scan button.
  4. Select the Stop button when you see the recovered data on the screen. You can also wait for the process to complete.
  5. Next, select the Only show the deleted option to filter out the data that is no longer on your device.
  6. Click Recover to save this data to the computer.

In the following example, I’m recovering deleted contact information from my iPhone XS Max:

Joyoshare-scan-contacts

Joyoshare Deleted Contacts

Restoring from iCloud and iTunes Too

The Joyoshare iPhone Data Recovery tool also gives you the ability to restore deleted data from an iCloud backup and through iTunes. The process from each is similar to the steps you would take to find data directly from your device. The use the former, you’ll need to log into your iCloud account through the Joyoshare software. For the latter, you’ll need an iTunes backup on your computer or external hard drive.

Joyoshare-iCloud-recovery

An Incredibly Useful Tool

If you need to recover data from your iOS device, you can’t go wrong with Joyoshare iPhone Data Recovery tool. Available for both Mac and Windows through the Joyoshare website, you can download the tool through a free trial.

With this trial, you can scan your device or backup for missing files. You’ll need to purchase the software, however, to recover the actual data. When buying the Joyoshare iPhone Data Recovery tool, you’ll receive free upgrades when new iOS devices and software launch, so you always have compatibility.

Image Credit: feshap/DepositPhotos

Read the full article: Joyoshare Data Recovery Makes It Easy to Recover Files from iPhone


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A Guide to Facebook Symbols and What They All Mean


Have you ever noticed how many Facebook symbols are scattered across the social network? While most of them are necessary, the sheer number can make Facebook confusing for newcomers.

With that in mind, in this article we take a look at what all of the Facebook symbols mean. From the all-too-obvious ones to the odd and obscure. This is a short guide to Facebook symbols.

Simple Facebook Symbols

The following are some of the more common icons that most people who use Facebook regularly will recognize.

  • facebook symbol like icon One of the most recognizable images that’s core to the Facebook brand is the famous “Like” icon. You can like a status update, quote, link, an image, or anything else. Just click this image and let everyone know.
  • facebook notifications symbol At the top of your Facebook home page, you’ll notice three dark icons. The image of a bell represents your notification list of the latest updates from your friends, as well as your favorite pages and groups.
  • facebook message symbolClick on this little conversation bubble icon, and you’ll see a dropdown box displaying the latest Facebook messages you’ve received.
  • friend request symbolThe last image at the top of the home page is the Friend Request icon. Click on this, and if you have any new friend requests, they’ll show up in a drop-down box.

Aside from the icons above, the other most common icons you’ll see on Facebook are the ones that display while you’re creating new posts.

Below the edit field, you’ll see a variety of symbols. By default, you’ll see an icon to add a photo or video to your post, an icon to tag (mention) friends in your post, or add a feeling or current activity tag to your post.

new facebook post

Under this, you’ll see a variety of other icons to update post settings.

On the left you’ll see the News Feed icon to post directly to your wall, and the Your Story icon to add the post to your story timeline. On the right you’ll see privacy settings to set your News Feed or Your Story privacy to Public or Friends.

Facebook Symbols to Enhance Posts

If you click on See More, you’ll see all of the other items you can add to your post.

facebook post icons

This is a big batch of icons, but they do exactly what you would expect them to do.

Starting from the top left:

  • Photo/Video: Add a photo or video to your post.
  • Feeling/Activity: Tag your post with how you’re feeling or an activity you’re doing.
  • Check in: Tag the post with the location you’re at.
  • GIF: Add a fun GIF to your post.
  • Poll: Poll your family and friends about any topic.
  • Watch Party: Watch live or prerecorded video with friends.
  • Support Nonprofit: Encourage friends to contribute to your favorite nonprofit.
  • Tag Friends: Tag (mention) your friends in your post.
  • Sticker: Add one of Facebook’s many fun stickers to your post.
  • Live Video: Go live and stream what you’re doing now to all of your friends.
  • Ask for Recommendations: Get Facebook recommendations from your friends.
  • Tag Event: If you’re at a Facebook event, tag it in your post and let everyone know.
  • List: Insert a quick list of anything into your post.
  • Answer a Question: Answer a random question to start a fun conversation with your friends.

By the way, if you want to see the largest collection of Facebook symbols anywhere, while you’re editing or creating a post, just click on the “emoji” face on the lower right of the edit field.

facebook emoji

This is where you’ll find a big list of emojis available for you to use. As you can see from the row of other icons, you can find pages and pages of emoji. You’ll find everything from animals and electronics to sports and flags.

Managing Other Facebook Posts

The last few most common icons are the ones that show up alongside posts, when you click the down arrow on the upper right corner of a post window.

facebook post options

This window appears with different options depending on where the post is and who posted it. In the example above, the post was published by someone else and shows up on my timeline.

  • Bookmark (Save post): Saves the post to your list of saved items.
  • Box with an X (Hide post): Tells Facebook’s algorithm you don’t like that post, or other posts like it.
  • Clock Icon (Snooze): Lets you silence any post from a person, group, or page for a limited time.
  • Comment with an Exclamation (Give feedback on this post): Report the post to Facebook for any reason.

Some other things you can do with individual posts is turn on notifications for comments (the Bell icon), or embed the post using embed code (the HTML end tag icon).

Managing Your Own Facebook Posts

If you click the down arrow at the upper right of one of your own posts, you’ll have many more options.

options on your own facebook post

These options let you change the post in some way, save it or enable notifications, or even delete it entirely.

Just above the post, next to your name, you’ll see an icon of either two people or a globe. Click on the arrow and you’ll see another window like the one below.

set your own post privacy

This is an important dropdown, because it allows you to set the privacy level of your posts. For more help on securing your social networking, check out our guide to Facebook privacy.

This is something too few people pay attention to, but it can mean the difference between things being seen only by family and friends, or by the entire internet.

What do these icons mean?

  • Globe (Public): Make your post visible to anyone on the internet (use with caution!)
  • Two People (Friends except): Block specific friends from seeing your post.
  • One Person (Specific friends): Show your post on the feed for only certain friends.
  • Lock (Only me): Only you can see the post. Useful for posting important notes to yourself.
  • Gear (Custom): Add or remove friends or friends lists who can see the post.

As you can see, it’s very easy to customize the privacy of every Facebook post.

Other Facebook Symbols

The next batch of Facebook symbols will be well known to regular Facebook users, but not quite as recognizable to new users.

If you click on the Home tab, under your name you’ll see four icons in the left navigation bar.

facebook navigation icons

These are Facebook’s core navigation areas.

  • News Feed: This is the frequently updated feed of your friends’ posts that you review every day.
  • Messenger: Takes you to the Facebook chat area where you can IM with friends.
  • Watch: Navigate to Facebook’s video streaming page.
  • Marketplace: Visit your local Facebook Marketplace to buy and sell goods.

If you scroll further down the Home page, you’ll see an Explore area in the left navigation bar. There are many unusual icons here.

other facebook posts

These are areas of Facebook that aren’t all frequently visited by most Facebook users. In fact, many people don’t even know about them.

In this navigation pane you’ll find the following Facebook symbols:

  • Events: Create Facebook events or explore scheduled ones in your area.
  • Groups: Public or private groups of other Facebook users who share your interests.
  • Pages: Facebook pages devoted to a business or public person.
  • Fundraisers: Create or promote a fundraiser for your friends to contribute to.
  • Friend Lists: Create lists to organize groups of friends to share posts with.
  • Memories: Review and repost your Facebook updates from many years ago.
  • Manage Apps: This is where developers can create and manage apps that integrate with Facebook.
  • Games: Play Facebook games with friends.
  • Ads Manager: Buy or manage your Facebook ads.
  • Offers: Find special discounts and promotions.
  • Live Video: Check out the latest Facebook Live videos posted by Facebook users.
  • Notes: Write full-length posts (like blog posts) and see what friends have written.
  • Recent Ad Activity: See all of the ads you’ve clicked on or viewed recently.
  • Movies: See showtimes for movies near you, and buy tickets without fees.
  • Messenger Kids: A special messaging area made for kids, with built-in parental controls.

If you scroll down further, you’ll see even more Facebook symbols.

other facebook symbols

In this area, you can explore any of the following areas of Facebook:

  • Town Hall: Find and follow your elected officials.
  • Discover People: Explore profiles of people you may know.
  • Jobs: Find local businesses who are hiring and apply for jobs.
  • Saved: See saved posts and organize them into collections.
  • Buy and Sell Groups: All your local buy and sell groups organized into one place.
  • Gaming Video: Browse and watch gamers who livestream their gameplay.
  • Crisis Response: Get updates on active crisis and check if your friends are OK.
  • Weather: Check your local weather forecast.
  • Oculus: Read the latest virtual reality news.

Didn’t realize you could do so much on Facebook?

Once you start learning all about what all of the various Facebook symbols mean, it’s clear that Facebook is good for much more than just scrolling through your news stream and posting status updates.

Another great way to explore everything available in Facebook is just to start searching. There are many different ways to do this. A great place to start is our simple guide filled with Facebook search tips.

Image Credit: rvlsoft/Shutterstock

Read the full article: A Guide to Facebook Symbols and What They All Mean


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8 Tasker Tricks to Better Automate Your Android Phone

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TerraMaster F2-221 Budget NAS: It Even Runs Plex

The Pros and Cons of Partitioning a Hard Drive: What You Need to Know


disk-partitioning

When you set up a new hard drive or buy a computer, the drive likely comes with a single partition. This places everything onto one logical sector of the drive.

But you can easily create partitions to keep different types of data separate. Here’s what you should know about partitioning and the benefits and drawbacks of doing so.

What Is Disk Partitioning?

When you install Windows on a fresh hard drive, the installer sees your disk as a bunch of unallocated space. You need to create a segment so the operating system knows what part of the hard drive it can use. This is called a partition. When you format a partition with a particular filesystem so it’s usable, it’s known as a volume.

A standard Windows installation might have a single partition that holds everything, including the OS files, your personal data, installed programs, and more.

If you bought a computer off the shelf, it might also have a secondary small partition for recovery purposes. This is separate from the main partition so that even if your Windows installation becomes corrupted, you can still restore it with the backup partition.

The Pros of Partitioning a Hard Drive

Why might you want to partition your hard drive? Here are some good reasons.

1. Ease of Reinstallation

Keeping your Windows system files separate from your personal information makes it easy to perform operations on Windows.

For example, it’s relatively trivial to reinstall Windows when it’s on a separate partition. All you have to do is format your Windows partition and reinstall the OS. Your installed programs and files will stay where you left them.

If you like, you can even clone your Windows partition so you have an exact copy of your OS setup to return to.

2. Simpler Backups

Backing up your files is vital. While putting files on a separate partition isn’t an actual backup, it can make your backup scheme much simpler.

Like with your Windows installation, you can clone the entire partition to have an exact copy of its data. For a simpler approach, you can point your backup app to protect the entire drive, instead of having to pick and choose individual folders.

3. (Potentially) Improved Security

Partitioning your drive can also keep your data safer from malware attacks. If ransomware lands on your Windows partition, it would have a lesser chance of locking your personal files on another partition. You can easily reinstall Windows per above.

Of course, this depends on the specific attack, so we recommend keeping yourself protected against malware in the first place.

4. Better Organization

Maybe you’re someone who loves to put everything in a certain place. Partitioning lets you add more dividers between data types. Perhaps you’d like to create a partition for games and apps and another for documents, music, and similar files.

If you find that the organization methods available to you on a single partition aren’t enough, adding new ones could help keep your data straight.

5. Install Multiple Operating Systems

We’ve discussed separating your OS files and personal data in most of the above reasons. But that’s not the only use for partitioning a hard drive. You can also add a partition to a drive to install another operating system on it.

Perhaps you want to run Linux alongside Windows, but your computer can’t handle a virtual machine. You can create a new partition for Linux without touching your existing Windows system.

Alternatively, you could install an older version of Windows for backward compatibility.

6. Use Many File Systems

Another multi-platform use for partitioning is to work with multiple file systems. While you probably don’t need to do this with your internal drive, it makes external drives more useful if you use them with multiple OSes.

For example, you might split a 1TB external HDD into partitions. Making one FAT32 or exFAT would work with Windows, while the other as Mac OS Extended would be compatible with your Mac. This lets you best use the available space for your needs.

The Cons of Partitioning a Hard Drive

On the flipside, there are several reasons you should avoid partitioning your hard drive. Here are a few of them.

1. False Sense of Security

If you’re not careful, having multiple partitions could lead to a data loss disaster. While Windows shows separate entries for each partition you’ve created, those partitions are all still on the same physical drive.

Because of this, if your hard drive fails, is destroyed by a natural disaster, or otherwise stops working, you’ll lose everything on it. This could be a shock for a new user, who’s used to every drive in the This PC window representing a separate physical device.

Thus, backing up your data in Windows, no matter what partition it’s on, is crucial.

2. Complexity and Chances for Errors

One of the biggest hassles, when you have several partitions is keeping them straight. With any more than three or four partitions, you’ll likely lose the organization benefits just trying to keep track of them.

And even with an extra partition or two, you’ll still have to set up Windows to save your files and software on the other partitions. This is more complex than saving everything on one.

Additionally, the complexity of having multiple partitions introduces more chances for a mistake. When formatting one partition, you might accidentally erase another.

3. Juggling Partitions and Wasted Space

Windows 10 Disk Management

With one partition, you don’t have to worry about disk space aside from filling up the drive completely. But with multiple partitions, you might be cramped for space on one partition but have plenty of free space on another.

The limited space also means you could run into surprises. For instance, a major update to Windows 10 could require more space than you have free on its partition. You’d then have to remove some games from a separate partition, shrink that partition, then extend the one with Windows installed.

Thankfully, Windows makes it pretty easy to shrink and extend partitions, so you’re not locked into your initial sizes. But resizing partitions frequently is inconvenient.

4. It’s Generally Unnecessary for the Average User

Many power users like to partition for the reasons listed above, which is great. But for the average user, it’s often not necessary. Light users don’t typically have enough files that they need a different partition to manage them. And they don’t often install other operating systems.

While partitioning isn’t overly complex, it also introduces some potential for issues for a novice user. Compared to the low benefit, it’s generally not worth the effort for them to partition.

5. SSDs Negate Many Past Benefits

Many of the historical reasons for partitioning don’t matter as much now, due to the inclusion of SSDs in modern computers. See the below section for a discussion on this.

HDD vs. SSD Partitioning

As you may be aware, older hard disk drives (HDD) are mechanical. They have moving platters and a head that reads and writes data.

Because of this, the organization of data on the drive affects how quickly you can access it. If the drive has to spin all around to access data that are far apart from each other, it will affect performance.

For some time, partitioning was a solution for this. Your primary partition, with Windows installed, would live at the outside of the platter which has the fastest read times. Less important data, like downloads and music, could stay on the inside. Separating data also helps defragmentation, an important part of HDD maintenance, run faster.

But none of this applies to solid-state drives (SSD). They use flash memory to quickly access information no matter where it’s located on the drive. Thus, optimizing the placement of files on the disk is not a concern. And you don’t need to defragment SSDs.

Don’t worry about “wearing out” your SSD by partitioning it, by the way. The SSD organizes files on its own regardless of the partitions, so there’s no “uneven wear” issue. And modern SSDs are designed for loads of read/write cycles, so the chances that you’ll wear one out before you’d replace it anyway are low.

How to Partition Your Drive in Windows

Decided that you want to create a new partition on your hard drive? We have you covered. Check out our guide to managing hard drive partitions in Windows 10.

Is Partitioning Worth It for You?

We’ve looked at some benefits and drawbacks of partitioning your disk. In summary, the potential hassle involved compared to the relatively small gain for the average user means you should stick to what you have now. But partitioning offers benefits for power users who want logical separation of data and don’t mind juggling free space.

For more discussion on this, check out our comparison of partitioning, cloning, and backing up.

Read the full article: The Pros and Cons of Partitioning a Hard Drive: What You Need to Know


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How to Make Your Instagram More Private: 8 Useful Tips

Consensus New Year


Consensus New Year

MIT researchers are now 3D printing glass


While the thought of a machine that can squirt out endless ropes of molten glass is a bit frightening, the folks at MIT have just about perfected the process. In a paper published in 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing, researchers Chikara Inamura, Michael Stern, Daniel Lizardo, Peter Houk, and Neri Oxman describe a system for 3D printing glass that offers far more control over the hot material and the final product.

Their system, called G3DP2, “is a new AM platform for molten glass that combines digitally integrated three-zone thermal control system with four-axis motion control system, introducing industrial-scale production capabilities with enhanced production rate and reliability while ensuring product accuracy and repeatability, all previously unattainable for glass.”

The system uses a closed, heated box that holds the melted glass and another thermally controlled box where it prints the object. A moveable plate drops the object lower and lower as it is being printed and the print head moves above it. The system is interesting because it actually produces clear glass structures that can be used for decoration or building. The researchers take special care to control the glass extrusion system to ensure that it cools down and crystallizes without injecting impurities or structural problems.

“In the future, combining the advantages of this AM technology with the multitude of unique material properties of glass such as transparency, strength, and chemical stability, we may start to see new archetypes of multifunctional building blocks,” wrote the creators.


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29 December 2018

The Internet Answers Your Craziest Hypothetical Questions


Who would win in a fight between Elsa from Frozen and Spider-man from the Marvel universe? What would happen if we made an entire planet out of legos? The internet has all the answers to such ridiculous but intriguing questions.

There are astrophysicists weighing in on things like how many calories superheroes burn. There are heated discussions between self-proclaimed experts on what the future holds, as well as what the past would have been like if history was a little different.

There are no silly questions here. Only amazing, crazy, ridiculous, madcap answers. Have fun.

What-If (Web): XKCD’s Scientific Takes On Ridiculous Questions

xkcd's what if gives scientific answers to weird questions

The webcomic XKCD is tremendously popular among geeks, since creator Randall Munroe loves to deep-dive into scientific theories. “What If” is a book by Munroe as well as a web series where he tries to deliver scientific answers to weird questions.

In Munroe’s typical style, it’s a humorous and light-hearted take on the question. That said, the science behind it is well-researched and authoritative. Munroe also intersperses the answers with plenty of illustrations, making it easier to understand.

There are over 150 silly questions and answers available to read. You can also send Munroe your own questions, and if it’s interesting enough for him, you’ll get an answer. And feel free to jump into the XKCD What If message boards for further discussions.

Quarks and Coffee (Web): Astrophysicist Tackles Silly Questions

Astrophysicist matt answers strange questions logically at quarks and coffee

What cool thing could be built if all seven billion people on the planet made something together? If we divided everything up equally among everyone, what is our “fair share”? If a person bit by a vampire turns into a vampire after they die, how long till the whole world is only vampires?

Astrophysicist Matt doesn’t shy away from such vexing questions that keep you up at night. The responses, usually about 500-1000 words, acknowledge the silliness of the question, and Matt is unafraid to have fun with it. At Quarks and Coffee, he uses math, science, research, and logic to come up with a plausible answer to just about anything you think of.

Quarks and Coffee isn’t updated as regularly as it used to be, but it still has plenty of great reads to go through.

WWWF Grudge Match (Web): The Original “Who Would Win”

hypothetical grudge matches at world wide web fights

We’ve all spent many hours discussing who would win a fight between two people we’re fans of. World Wide Web Fights’ (WWWF) Grudge Match is the internet’s original and favorite resource for silly matchups taken seriously.

The site shut down a while ago, but the 248 completed matches are classics. There are some ridiculously fascinating matches here, like Forrest Gump vs. Rainman, Tarzan vs. Aquaman, Scooby Doo vs. X-Files, and much more. Naturally, they’re hilarious and take the technicalities of each side far too seriously, but that’s part of the fun of it.

r/WhoWouldWin (Web): The Current “Who Would Win”

subreddit for "who would win in a fight between"

Grudge Match may have retired, but questions continue to trouble netizens. In this time of need, the Reddit community gathered together to discuss these problems at r/WhoWouldWin.

From simple one-on-one matchups to specific scenarios, you’ll find everything here. Be warned that there’s some offensive language and crude content here. That’s natural with the no-holds-barred approach to ridiculous questions like “Who would win in a fight between 12 average-sized 12-year-old boys and an adult male?”

As usual, it’s best to read the subreddit’s rules and etiquette before you dive in. Sort by “Top” of “All Time” for the most popular Q&As. And if you’re new to Reddit, we always recommend reading our awesome guide to Reddit.

Alternate History (Web): What If The Past Was Different…

Alternate History discusses different historical timelines

One tiny change in history can have ripple effects across ages, and the world as we know it today may not exist. Or would it? Alternate History ponders what would happen if a major historical event played out differently.

Alternate History is the older of the two forums and encourages more detailed and thorough posts from its users. You will find entire timelines of major events, like what would happen if ancient Egypt survived until the present day.

The Finished Timelines and Scenarios sub-forum is better if you’re looking for fun reads without actively participating in a question. Otherwise, hop into the other parts of the forum to angrily discuss why you’re right and they’re wrong.

r/HistoryWhatIf, r/FutureWhatIf, and r/WhatIf (Web): Reddit’s What If Discussion Forums

r/FutureWhatIf has hypothetical discussions about the future

For an answer to almost any other question you have ever wondered about, head to one of the major “what if” subreddits. If it isn’t already answered, you can ask it. But chances are, someone else has already discussed it.

Of these, r/HistoryWhatIf and r/FutureWhatIf are the most active. The former discusses hypothetical events of the past, and the latter wonders how tomorrow will play out. The standalone r/WhatIf isn’t as active as the others, but it’s a fun place to discuss weird ponderings anyway.

For More Weirdness…

If these sites haven’t given you enough of a dose of the weird and wonderful side of the web, fret not, there’s more. Whether you seek history, science, or humanity, there is a little for everyone.

Check out Wikipedia’s official unusual articles as well as other websites with funny, weird, and fascinating stories. It’s a guaranteed good time.

Read the full article: The Internet Answers Your Craziest Hypothetical Questions


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8 Ways to Email Large Attachments


Many email servers prevent you from sending (or the recipient from receiving) messages over a certain size. When this problem happens most users don’t know how to send large files. To send large files via email, you can either upload your attachment to cloud storage and get a link to email the recipient or use a file sharing service.

Whatever method you choose, in the long run, you won’t be restricted by size limits and you can reduce the clutter from your inbox too. We’ll show you some easy ways to send large files for free.

1. Google Drive: Use With Gmail

With Gmail, you can send attachments limited to 25MB and receive files of up to 50MB. It makes sense to use the built-in Google Drive to send big files. Open your Gmail account and click the Compose button. Click the Google Drive icon at the bottom of the compose window.

click the google drive icon to attach files

The Insert files using Google Drive window appears. Select the files you want to attach. At the bottom of the page, decide how you want to send the file.

  • Drive link works for any files stored in Drive, including files created using Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, or Forms.
  • Attachment only works for files that weren’t built using Docs, Sheets, or Slides.

Then click Insert.

insert files using google drive

Gmail checks to see if your recipients have access to the file. If they don’t, it’ll prompt you to change the sharing settings of your file stored in Drive before sending the message. You can set permissions to prevent the file from getting misused and send them to selected recipients.

2. OneDrive: For Outlook and Outlook.com

When you try to attach one or more files that are over 33MB in size, Outlook.com will prompt you to upload the files to your OneDrive account. If you follow this prompt, the file gets uploaded to the OneDrive Email attachments folder. The recipient will receive a link to the file instead of the file. You can also share a file from OneDrive with a limit of 2GB.

upload attachment with onedrive

Once the file gets uploaded, choose if people can edit the file or only view it. Select Change permissions and decide what you want to do with a file you just shared. There are two options you can choose from.

  • Recipient can view: Others can copy or download your file without signing in.
  • Recipient can edit: Others can edit, add or delete files in a shared folder.

change permission of the file in onedrive

3. Dropbox: Integrate With Gmail

If you use Dropbox, then the Dropbox for Gmail Chrome extension can let you send, preview files and links without leaving your Gmail window. The extension adds a Dropbox icon to the compose window. Click the Dropbox icon and choose the file from your Dropbox account. A link gets attached, instead of a file in the email message.

As a recipient, you get rich previews of all Dropbox links shared in emails. Just like attachments, you can use these links to download the files directly from Gmail or add it to your Dropbox. With a free Dropbox account, you get a maximum file size limit of only 2GB.

send large files with dropbox

If your file transfer fails, then it could be due to multiple reasons— your shared link or request could have generated a large amount of traffic or exceeded the bandwidth and download limits. For more details, see the Dropbox bandwidth restrictions page.

4. iCloud Mail Drop: Use With Apple Mail

If you want to send large files via email, you can use iCloud Mail Drop feature. When you send an email of size more than 20MB, Mail Drop automatically kicks in. Instead of sending the file through the Apple email server, it uploads the file to iCloud and posts a link or preview to your recipients. The link is temporary and will expire after 30 days.

use mail drop for attaching large files in apple mail

If the recipient also has macOS 10.10 or later, the attachment gets quietly auto-downloaded in the background. And if you’re sending it to another email provider, the message contains an indication of the file’s expiration date and a Click to Download link.

With Mail Drop, you can send big files up to 5GB in size. You can send them from Apple Mail, the Mail app on iOS, and iCloud.com on Mac and PC. Mail Drop support every file types and attachments don’t count against your iCloud storage. For more details, see Apple’s Mail Drop limits page.

5. Firefox Send: Use With Any Web Browser

Firefox Send is a useful option to transfer big files with people who don’t want to rely on Google, Microsoft, or Apple. It lets you upload and encrypt large files (up to 1GB) to share online. To use Firefox Send, you don’t have to install an add-on. Point your web browser to the Firefox Send homepage and click the Select a file to upload button.

upload files with firefox send

Once the uploading gets completed, Send creates a link which you can then send it via email. At a time, you can send a link to 20 recipients (one download per recipient). You can also set a password to encrypt the file. Each link created by Send will expire after 24 hours. The file also gets deleted from the Mozilla server and leaves no traces.

sharing files with firefox send

6. pCloud Transfer: Simple Encrypted File Transfer

pCloud Transfer is a part of the pCloud storage that lets you send large files for free without any registration. Go to pCloud Transfer page and add your files using the Click here to add files option.

You can email large files up to 5GB, and every single file should not exceed 200MB. Then click Encrypt Your Files option and set a password.

share files with pcloud transfer

pCloud will not send the password to your recipient on your behalf. You can share your files with 10 recipients at once. Type in their email addresses in the Send to field. Type an optional message and click Send Files. Your recipients will receive an email link after a few hours. The link remains valid for seven days. You’ll get a reminder a day before the expiration date.

7. DropSend: Send Large Files From Any Device

DropSend allows you to quickly send large files from its homepage without signing up. Type the recipient’s and your email address, browse to the file location, and click the Send Your File button.

Before sending the file, make sure to complete the verification procedure. The free plan gives you a maximum file size limit of 4GB and five sends per month. The link remains valid for seven days.

share files with dropsend

The premium plan increases the limit to 8GB with 15–45 sends per month. There is no limit on the downloads, and you can specify the validity of the link from 1–14 days. DropSend uses 256-bit AES security to keep your files secure.

The paid plan also gives you access to DropSend Direct. It’s a nifty drag-and-drop uploader for Mac and PC to upload and send large files. DropSend also offers Outlook plugin and mobile apps for Android and iOS.

8. SendThisFile: End-to-End Encrypted Transfers

SendThisFile is a different kind of file sharing service. It places limits on the number of transfers you do rather than on the individual file size itself. Create a free account and click the Send Files button to start uploading files. Type in the recipient email address and click Send. The free plan lets you send files up to 2GB with unlimited file transfer.

share large files with sendthisfile

The premium plan starts with 25GB encrypted file transfer and remains valid for six days. The paid plan also includes Outlook plugin, option to use password protected download capabilities, and embed files on your website with access control features. All plans include AES–256 encryption and 128-bit TLS encryption for end-to-end-transmission.

Managing Large Email Attachments

When you want to send large files via email, it’s always wise to rely on specialized, secure cloud storage and transfer tools. The services discussed in this article are some of the best ways to send large files without any issues and for basic use they’re free.

Also, remember that emails travel across multiple servers on its way to the recipient. An attachment you send from an email service can get rejected by another email provider. If you use Apple Mail, make sure to read this piece on how to avoid common issues with attachments.

Image Credit: Fenton/Depositphotos

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The 10 Best Places to Find Your Next iPhone Wallpaper

Google’s Game of the Year Tests Your Knowledge of 2018


How well do you think you know what trended in 2018? If you think you have your finger on the pulse of popular culture you should play Google’s Game of the Year 2018. This short and simple quiz tests you on what people searched for on Google through 2018.

2018 has been a rather strange year, with Trump’s tweets, Musk’s meltdown, Facebook’s failings, and more besides. Lots of people, places, objects, and phrases have also trended upwards. And it’s all on show in Google’s Game of the Year for 2018.

Play Google’s Game of the Year 2018

The quiz is conducted by a virtual host, which is nothing more than a set of colored shapes. However, you can customize the unnamed host by changing the speed and pitch of his voice before you start. Doing so will elicit a series of sarcastic responses.

Google’s Game of the Year is a series of questions related to what people searched for in 2018. You’ll be asked up to 20 questions, plus play some bonus rounds. However, you only have three lives, so once you’ve answered three questions incorrectly you’re out.

Google's Game of the Year 2018 Score

The questions all pitch various things together and ask you to identify which one people searched for more in 2018 than in 2017. And it’s a lot harder than you might imagine, especially when Google asks you to choose from more than just two things.

Once you’ve been knocked out you’ll be awarded a score, and Google will invite you to share it on Facebook or Twitter. I’d recommend playing the quiz a few times first though, as you’re bound to score more highly the second or third time of playing.

Google’s Top Searches of 2018

If you play Google’s Game of the Year 2018 and score badly, you should check out Google’s top searches of 2018 before giving it another go. After all, who better to know what was trending in 2018 than Google itself. Because Search is literally its business.

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How to Read a Mac Formatted Drive in Windows: 6 Methods


sharing-windows-mac

Do you need to read a Mac drive on Windows? Unfortunately, it’s not a straightforward process; you can’t just connect the Mac drive and expect it to work. Here’s everything you need to know to get it working.

Why Can’t Windows Read Mac Drives?

Windows and macOS use different file systems. Windows uses the NTFS file system for its internal drives, whereas Apple replaced HFS+ with its successor—Apple File System (APFS)—in early 2017. Today, APFS is used on Macs, iPhones, iPads, and Apple TVs.

External hard disks and USB drives are generally formatted with the Windows FAT32 file system for maximum compatibility. Most devices, including Macs, can read and write from FAT32 devices. There’s even a way to make a Mac read an NTFS drive.

All new Macs will be formatted with APFS. Older Mac drives may still be formatted with the HFS+ file system. Windows can’t read either file system by default.

We’ll show you how to access your Mac-formatted APFS or HFS+ drive on Windows.

How to Read APFS on Windows

Firstly, let’s look at how to read the newer Apple File System format on Windows. All these apps will allow you to read drives from any updated Apple device, not just Macs.

1. MacDrive

macdrive home screen

MacDrive has been one of the go-to apps for a long time. The first version was released way back in 1996. If you’re prepared to spend some money, you don’t need to look elsewhere.

The app works with APFS drives and HFS+ drives.

Unlike some of the options we’ll discuss later, MacDrive lets you read and write data to your Mac-formatted drive directly from Windows.

The app is focussed around the freshly redesigned Disk Management Window. It acts as a hub for all the Mac drives connected to Windows.

You will also be able to see your APFS or HFS+ drive directly within File Explorer, allowing easy integration with the rest of the Windows operating system.

Other useful features include the ability to create and partition Mac disks direct from your PC, a powerful disk repair feature, and robust security tools.

The standard version costs $49.99. There’s also a Pro version. It adds several extra features, including automatic file defragmentation, support for RAID setups, and a way to create Mac ISO files.

A five-day free trial is available.

Download: MacDrive ($49.99)

2. Paragon APFS for Windows

paragon apfs windows hard drive mounted

Paragon APFS for Windows is another paid app. It is the main competitor of MacDrive.

The app provides read and write access to APFS-formatted partitions, read and write access to compressed and cloned files, and read-only support for encrypted volumes.

It supports disk auto-mounting at start-up, but doesn’t have MacDrive’s partition tools.

MacDrive has one big advantage over Paragon’s app: HFS+ support. Paragon APFS for Windows only supports APFS-formatted drives. If you have some older Mac drives lying around that are still running HFS+, you would need to separately purchase Paragon HFS+ for Windows. MacDrive, therefore, is a more economical option.

One license—which costs $49.95—works on three Windows PCs.

Download: Paragon APFS for Windows ($49.95)

3. UFS Explorer Standard Access

UFS Explorer Standard Access exploring mac drive windows

Our third and final recommendation for reading APFS drives on Windows is UFS Explorer Standard Recovery. Once again, it’s a paid option. The app will cost you €21.95.

UFS Explorer Standard Recovery is the most versatile app on this list. It can read the two formats we care about—APFS and HFS+—as well as NTFS, FAT, FAT32, exFAT, SGI XFS, Linux JFS, Unix/BSD, UFS/UFS2, and VMware VMFS.

As such, this is the app you should choose if you find yourself hopping between lots of different operating systems during your day.

UFS Explorer Standard Recovery also comes with RAID support as standard. The app has a built-in RAID builder, so you can customize it for your array.

There is a free version of the app with no time limits, but it will only let you copy files smaller than 256KB in size.

Download: UFS Explorer Standard Access (€21.95)

How to Read HFS+ on Windows

If your Mac-formatted drive is still running HFS+, use one of these three methods instead.

1. Install Apple HFS+ Drivers

If you only need read access, you can install the Apple HFS+ drivers for Windows. Be sure to remove Paragon or MacDrive before proceeding.

Download the correct Windows driver package, then follow these steps:

  1. Copy the ApplsHFS.sys and AppleMNT.sys files to C:\Windows\System32\drivers
  2. Merge the Add_AppleHFS.reg file with your Windows registry.
  3. Restart your system.

The video above also demonstrates the process.

After restarting, your Mac-formatted drive should show up under This PC. This method only gives you read access to the drive. If you would like to edit or delete files, try one of the alternative methods below.

2. HFSExplorer

hfsexplorer mac drive on windows

HFSExplorer is completely free. You can use it to access Mac file systems from Windows without paying a dime. The developer hasn’t updated it since October 2015 due to the arrival of APFS, but it still works on older systems.

HFSExplorer requires Java. We generally recommend against having Java installed, but it’s necessary here unless you want to spend money. You also need to run the app as an Admin.

This tool is simple to use. Connect your Mac-formatted drive to your Windows system, open HFSExplorer, and click File > Load File System From Device. HFSExplorer can automatically locate any connected devices with HFS+ file systems and open them. You can then extract files from the HFSExplorer window to your Windows drive.

Note that HFSExplorer is read-only, so you can’t modify or delete files on your Mac drive. It also doesn’t integrate with Windows File Explorer—files are available in the HFSExplorer application and you must copy them elsewhere.

Download: HFSExplorer (Free)

3. Paragon HFS+ for Windows

paragon hfs plus mac volume

Paragon HFS+ for Windows is a paid application, but it distinguishes itself with additional features.

Unlike HFSExplorer, Paragon HFS+ for Windows provides full read/write access to Mac drives and promises high performance. It even integrates HFS+ file systems with Windows Explorer or File Explorer on Windows. Any Windows program can read from or write to the Mac drive.

The app costs $19.95, but it also offers a 10-day free trial. If you just need to recover files from a drive, 10 days is plenty of time to install this file system driver, copy your files over, and uninstall it.

Paragon HFS+ doesn’t need Java to work.

Download: Paragon HFS+ for Windows ($19.95)

Or Format the Mac Drive for Windows

If you have a Mac drive lying around and you no longer have a Mac, you’re not stuck with the Mac file system forever. After recovering the files from your drive with one of the tools above, you can then format the drive and convert it to a standard FAT32 partition that will work with most devices.

Formatting will erase all the files on your drive, so make sure you have backed up your files. To format the drive, just use the dialog that appears when you connect the drive to your computer.

Check out our guide to learn more about using FAT32.

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