MoviePass says those cancellation bugs have been fixed

MoviePass is about to roll out its new subscription plan, which will keep prices at $9.95 while imposing a new limit of three movies per month. But it seems that the transition hasn’t been going entirely smoothly.

The Verge reports that several users have complained about previously canceling their plans, only to receive emails from the service suggesting that they were still subscribed.

We reached out to a MoviePass spokesperson, who confirmed that there were “bugs” in the cancellation process, but said they’ve since been fixed:

On Monday, August 13th, we learned that some members encountered difficulty with the cancellation process. We have fixed the bugs that were causing the issue and we have confirmed that none of our members have been opted-in or converted to the new plan without their express permission. In addition, all cancellation requests are being correctly processed and no members were being blocked from canceling their accounts. We apologize for the inconvenience and ask that any impacted members contact customer support via the MoviePass app.

The company also said that all members are being given the option to either opt in to the new plan or cancel their memberships. If someone doesn’t respond by the end of their billing cycle, their subscription will be automatically canceled.

The new plan is part of a broader effort at MoviePass to try to get the company to profitability. In addition to capping monthly tickets, the company is also keeping big releases off the service for the first couple weeks — and apparently, forcing subscribers to choose between only two movies at a given time.

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9 Great BBC Micro:bit Accessories to Augment Your Next DIY Project

This bipedal robot has a flying head

Making a bipedal robot is hard. You have to make sure maintain exquisite balance at all times and, even with the amazing things Atlas can do, there is still a chance that your crazy robot will fall over and bop its electronic head. But what if that head is a quadcopter?

University of Tokyo have done just that with their wild Aerial-Biped. The robot isn’t completely bipedal but it’s designed instead to act like a bipedal robot without the tricky issue of being truly bipedal. Think of the these legs as more a sort of fun bit of puppetry that mimics walking but doesn’t really walk.

“The goal is to develop a robot that has the ability to display the appearance of bipedal walking with dynamic mobility, and to provide a new visual experience. The robot enables walking motion with very slender legs like those of a flamingo without impairing dynamic mobility. This approach enables casual users to choreograph biped robot walking without expertise. In addition, it is much cheaper compared to a conventional bipedal walking robot,” the team told IEEE.

The robot is similar to the bizaree-looking Ballu, a blimp robot with a floating head and spindly legs. The new robot learned how to walk convincingly through machine learning, a feat that gives it a realistic gait even though it is really an aerial system. It’s definitely a clever little project and could be interesting at a theme park or in an environment where a massive bipedal robot falling over on someone might be discouraged.

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Tinder founders sue parent companies Match and IAC for at least $2B

A group of Tinder founders and executives has filed a lawsuit against parent company Match Group and its controlling shareholder IAC.

The plaintiffs in the suit include Tinder co-founders Sean Rad, Justin Mateen and Jonathan Badeen — Badeen still works at Tinder, as do plaintiffs James Kim (the company’s vice president of finance) and Rosette Pambakian (its vice president of marketing and communications).

We’ve reached out to IAC for comment, as well as Pambakian, who’s served as our main contact at Tinder. We’ll update the post if we hear back.

The suit alleges that IAC and Match Group manipulated financial data in order to create “a fake lowball valuation” (to quote the plaintiffs’ press release), then stripped Rad, Mateen, Badeen and others of their stock options. It points to the removal of Rad as CEO, as well as other management changes, as moves designed “to allow Defendants to control the valuation of Tinder and deprive Tinder optionholders of their right to participate in the company’s future success.”

The lawsuit also alleges that Greg Blatt, the Match CEO who became CEO of Tinder as well, groped and sexually harassed Pambakian at the company’s 2016 holiday party, supposedly leading the company to “whitewash” his actions long enough for him to complete the valuation of Tinder and its merger with Match Group, then announce his departure.

In response, the plaintiffs are asking for “compensatory damages in an amount to be determined at trial, but not less than $2,000,000,000.”

“We were always concerned about IAC’s reputation for ignoring their contractual commitments and acting like the rules don’t apply to them,” Rad said in the release. “But we never imagined the lengths they would go to cheat all the people who built Tinder. The Tinder team — especially the plaintiffs who are currently senior leaders at the company — have shown tremendous strength in exposing IAC/Match’s systematic violation of employees’ rights.”

As-filed complaint.pdf by TechCrunch on Scribd

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Tinder founders sue parent companies Match and IAC for at least $2B

A group of Tinder founders and executives has filed a lawsuit against parent company Match Group and its controlling shareholder IAC.

The plaintiffs in the suit include Tinder co-founders Sean Rad, Justin Mateen and Jonathan Badeen — Badeen still works at Tinder, as do plaintiffs James Kim (the company’s vice president of finance) and Rosette Pambakian (its vice president of marketing and communications).

We’ve reached out to IAC for comment, as well as Pambakian, who’s served as our main contact at Tinder. We’ll update the post if we hear back.

The suit alleges that IAC and Match Group manipulated financial data in order to create “a fake lowball valuation” (to quote the plaintiffs’ press release), then stripped Rad, Mateen, Badeen and others of their stock options. It points to the removal of Rad as CEO, as well as other management changes, as moves designed “to allow Defendants to control the valuation of Tinder and deprive Tinder optionholders of their right to participate in the company’s future success.”

The lawsuit also alleges that Greg Blatt, the Match CEO who became CEO of Tinder as well, groped and sexually harassed Pambakian at the company’s 2016 holiday party, supposedly leading the company to “whitewash” his actions long enough for him to complete the valuation of Tinder and its merger with Match Group, then announce his departure.

In response, the plaintiffs are asking for “compensatory damages in an amount to be determined at trial, but not less than $2,000,000,000.”

“We were always concerned about IAC’s reputation for ignoring their contractual commitments and acting like the rules don’t apply to them,” Rad said in the release. “But we never imagined the lengths they would go to cheat all the people who built Tinder. The Tinder team — especially the plaintiffs who are currently senior leaders at the company — have shown tremendous strength in exposing IAC/Match’s systematic violation of employees’ rights.”

As-filed complaint.pdf by TechCrunch on Scribd

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6 Booking.com Tips to Get Cheap Hotels and Holiday Home Deals

If you’re looking for a hotel room or holiday home rentals, your first stop should be Booking.com. Launched in 1996, it is among the oldest and best hotel search engines to book rooms, apartments, hostels, holiday homes, and other types of accommodation.

Booking.com’s easy interface lets you quickly find a hotel room that fits your needs. But dive deeper and you’ll find much more happening under the hood. From price matching to loyalty rewards, you can get some great deals on hotels.

1. Become Part of the Genius Rewards Program

Once you book five separate trips on Booking.com, the site upgrades you to a Genius member, which is its travel rewards program. It’s completely free to become a member, it’s all about making those five bookings. It’s totally worth it since Genius unlocks 10% discounts on several Booking.com partner hotels.

The Genius rewards membership also has a few other perks. Some hotels offer a free airport shuttle for Genius members, as well as welcome drinks, and a two-hour extension on check-in or check-out.

This is why joining a rewards program is among the best ways to save money on hotels.

2. Use Free Cancellation (And Search Again)

In your search results on Booking.com, filter the list by hotels that have free cancellation and no prepayment. You can save some big bucks this way. How?

Well, you aren’t the only Booking.com user who is doing this. In fact, that’s one of the biggest draws to this site. So users often reserve multiple rooms and release them on a later date.

When you book a room without cancellation charges or any sort of upfront payment, you will get a deadline after which the room is charged to you. A day before the deadline, search Booking.com again.

In my experience, you are more likely to find travel deals at the last minute, closer to the travel date. Now you will be in a position to pounce on them. Once you grab the new deal, release your old rooms, which is easier without the rigamarole of asking for refunds.

3. Use the Price Matching Feature

Booking.com has a price match guarantee, which means that if you find the same hotel room for a lower price somewhere else, Booking.com will change your price to match the lower one.

Booking.com honors this price matching till the date of your stay, so in case the price falls, go to your listing and click “Found this room cheaper elsewhere?” You will need to confirm that all the conditions are the same (travel dates, cancellation policy, etc.), and then submit a claim. If everything matches, you’ll get a refund from Booking.com soon.

To check for cheaper prices elsewhere, try the Gopher extension for Chrome. When you see the final price on Booking.com, Gopher will automatically check if there is a better price available for that elsewhere. If you find it, make your booking and lay your claim. It’s one of the best ways to find cheap hotels or hostel rooms.

4. Check the Map View to Save on Transport

Generally, hotels outside the main tourist hotspot will be cheaper than hotels in the main space. But while they’re cheap, you end up having to spend on transport costs and even have to cut your evenings short if late-night cabs are too expensive.

You will actually end up saving money and having a better time if you get a room that is closer to the tourist center. Booking.com’s map view lets you check hotels based on their location. Every time you zoom in or out, or pan across areas, Booking.com will reload the available properties in that zone.

Take some time and do this. You will almost always find a great spot that meets all your needs, while still being close to where you want to be. The map view also lets you apply filters on the fly, and check the basic information about a hotel by hovering over its price tag.

5. Pay Attention to Date Suggestions

Unfortunately, there is no hotel booking site that lets you search with flexible dates, or show you the cheapest month to travel like Skyscanner does for flights. But Booking.com has a manual trick to do this.

Before you plan your trip, search on Booking.com for your dates. At the top of the search results, you might see a bar that says, “Prices may be higher than usual for the dates selected.” Booking.com will suggest similar travel dates for two days before and after, which are cheaper.

If your travel dates are flexible, click the furthest suggested dates. Check the bar again to see if the rates will go even lower if you change the dates further. Keep trying this till you see the cheapest possible time to visit the place.

6. Save Filter Settings and Check Full Prices

Usually, Booking.com shows the price including taxes. But sometimes, there are a few hidden taxes that hotels will charge you when you reach there, like a city tax or some fees that are particular to that location. Booking.com Power Tools is a Chrome extension that reveals the full price, including those hidden charges.

It also adds a neat feature to save your favorite filter settings. You can save multiple filter “presets”, each for different types of travel situations. It’s a handy feature when you’re planning a trip across cities and with different people.

Download: Booking.com Power Tools for Chrome (Free)

Also Consider Searching for Accommodation on Airbnb

While Booking.com is a fantastic search engine for hotels, hostels, apartments, and bed and breakfasts. But it doesn’t show you listings from Airbnb. This is a big miss since you can get some fantastic deals from booking an Airbnb over a hotel. For now, you will need to search AirBnB separately, or use an aggregator like All The Rooms.

Read the full article: 6 Booking.com Tips to Get Cheap Hotels and Holiday Home Deals

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Is Intel Optane Memory Cheap DDR3 RAM?

Create Beautiful Mockups in Minutes With Placeit

If you want your brand and products to stand out, you need slick and attractive materials. But you don’t want to spend money on something before you know how it looks for real.

That’s where Placeit comes in. This service allows you to easily generate high-quality product mockups on all sorts of products. Let’s take a look at what it offers and how to use it. It just might change the way you do business!

Meet Placeit

Head to Placeit’s homepage and you’ll see a sampling of the templates on offer. These include Sports Logos for Your Team, T-Shirt Design Templates, and much more. Click on one if it interests you.

If none of those catch your eye, you should start off with the four options at the top of the screen. Mockups, Designs, Logos, and Videos collect the general types of content available on Placeit. Select one to see what’s on offer and start making it your own.

And if you prefer, try the search bar below the marquee to look for the exact smart template you need.

Mockups

On this tab, you have all kinds of options to see how your design looks on shirts, smartphones, hats, computers, and much more. The default view shows all available choices, but you can filter by type on the left. Some of the ones we think are the coolest are:

• Jersey
• Facebook Ad
• Flyer
• Smartwatch

Aside from the type of mockup, you can filter by various tags as well. These include the race, gender, and age of models in the image, specific type of clothing, what sport it depicts, and similar. These let you drill down to the exact mockup image you need for your project.

Designs

Need to create a flyer, coupon, banner, or similar? This is the spot for you. On the left side, choose from templates like Social Media Images, Business Cards, or Poster Maker. You can filter these further with tags like Small Business, Restaurant, or Education.

Logos

A good logo represents your company and builds brand recognition in an instant. No matter your industry, you can mock up a new logo with Placeit and create something stunning. It makes the logo-creation process quick and painless, even if you’re not experienced in graphic design.

Enter your company name at the top of this page to see at once on all the examples. Represented fields include Sports, Gaming, Coffee Shop, Automotive, and much more.

Videos

The final category makes creating awesome short social media videos a cinch. Placeit has presets for Instagram videos, logo introductions, and more. These are great for connecting with your social audiences, or embedding onto your website.

Using the Mockup Editor

Whether you choose a highlight from the marquee, browse through one of the tabs described above, or search for what you want, you’ll end up on the editor before long. This allows you to tweak the samples to your liking. And depending on what you’re editing, you’ll see various tools to play with.

Creating a Logo

For example, when editing a coffee shop logo, you’ll have all sorts of coffee-related images on the right side. Pick one and it appears on your mockup. You can select the color of this element as well as the background.

On the left side of the editor, you’ll have access to text options. Enter the text you want for your logo on various lines, then choose the font and its color. Most logos also have different layouts to preview, too.

If you scroll down, you’ll see your logo design added to some related mockups. For a coffee shop logo, per our example above, this shows an apron, mug, and menu.

Creating a Mockup

The design uploader is an awesome tool that allows you to preview your design on many mockups at once. For instance, if you select hoodie templates, you’ll see an Upload Your Design Here button at the top. Adding your image will then reflect on every sample below.

Clicking on a specific image gets you a closer look. You can also change the color of the object on the right side. For device mockups, you can add images from URLs instead.

Placeit Pricing

Once you’re satisfied with your mockup or logo, clicking the Download button on the page lets you download a high-quality version for a set price. This depends on the type of mockup you’re downloading, but can range between $8 for a flyer and $39 for a logo.

If you design a lot of mockups, it’s definitely worth looking at Placeit’s Unlimited Subscription plan. For $29 per month, you can download as many designs as you want (with a three per month minimum requirement). This will pay for itself if you use the service often.

Make Awesome Designs With Placeit

Hopefully this helped you understand how simple it is to create a stunning graphic with Placeit. The straightforward editing tools and professional designs take the hard work off you and let you create sharp mockups in minutes regardless of your experience level. With a huge library of content, you’re bound to find just what you need no matter what you want to design.

And if anything isn’t clear, check out Placeit’s FAQ page. In addition to text instructions, it has video tutorials for all the most important functions.

Read the full article: Create Beautiful Mockups in Minutes With Placeit

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11 Chrome Extensions That Help You Stay Healthy at a Desk Job

Your fingers travel a mile when type on a keyboard every day. But, that does nothing for your health when you scarcely leave the desk. A desk job can be deadly for your health in the long term.

If you’re someone (like me) whose job involves sitting in front of a computer all day, you need a solution. Fortunately, there are a few extensions for Google Chrome which can help you be more mindful of your health while working. Here are eleven of them.

1. Fresh Air: Pause For a Few Deep Breathes

Fresh Air is a Chrome extension which simply reminds you to breathe everytime you open a new tab. It replaces your existing New Tab page with just an empty circle. The circle begins filling up as soon as you launch a fresh tab and guides you to gradually inhale, hold for a few seconds, and gently release it.

Fresh Air also lets you customize these individual periods but I’ve personally found the default settings to be quite calming. You can even switch the background to a different color if you’re not into the minimalistic white it comes preloaded with.

Download: Fresh Air (Free)

2. Calm: For More Mindful Browsing

Calm, in a way, is similar to Fresh Air since it’s too designed around the science of long breaths to destress and relax. Except, in this case, you’re doing it before heading over to addictive websites like YouTube or Facebook.

Here’s how it works: You add the services you think will make you procrastinate more such as Instagram to Calm’s blacklist. Once that’s done, whenever you’re about to launch any one of them, Calm will present you with a little breathing exercise which will make you rethink your decision and return to work.

Also, Calm also offers options for playing nature or meditative sounds instead of hitting “Continue” and be on your way to the blacklisted website.

Download: Calm (Free)

3. DeskAthelete: Quick 30-Second Exercises

Sitting on a chair for prolonged periods can lead to rigid tension points and muscle pain. The easy way out is to perform quick exercises at your desk itself every now and then. How? Install an extension called DeskAthelete.

DeskAthelete lets you learn 30-second exercises for several body parts like the neck, a lot of which you can do without even standing up.

Whenever you feel like stretching, just click the extension’s icon on the omnibar and it will show instructions along with a video tutorial of an exercise you can work out to.

Download: DeskAthelete (Free)

4. PostureMinder: Mind that Lose Posture!

PostureMinder is yet another free extension which will help you be a bit healthier while sitting on a chair. As the name suggests, PostureMinder will periodically nudge you to fix your posture which can take a toll when you haven’t moved in hours.

Moreover, you can also enable reminders that will ask you to get up and walk around for a few minutes. If you’re someone who constantly suffers from back pain, this is undoubtedly a must-have.

Download: PostureMinder (Free)

5. Water Reminder: Periodic Water Reminders

Water Reminder is a tiny Chrome extension which can have a significant impact on your wellbeing. As you’d expect, it’s essentially a basic water reminder tool. You can configure the time frame between notifications and choose whether it should have a sound in addition to a normal alert.

Download: Water Reminder (Free)

6. Stretch Reminder: Know When It’s Time to Stretch

Stretch Reminder, as you’d probably guess, reminds you to get up and stretch every few minutes. The extension pops up a notification based on the defined duration. Like other extensions in this list, you can personalize the time periods too including between which hours it should be active.

Download: Stretch Reminder (Free)

7. Healthy Browsing: All-in-One Health Reminders

This extension is for users who want reminders for all those aforementioned activities and a few more. Healthy Browsing can send you notifications for four things: water, blinking, posture, and stretch. You can, of course, change the time frames for each of these and set them up as per your preferences.

Download: Healthy Browsing (Free)

8. Screen Shader: For Comfortable Browsing at Night

It’s no secret that your eyesight is one of the most adversely affected part of your body when you’re staring at a screen for hours. A Chrome extension called Screen Shader makes the impact a little less severe.

Screen Shader switches your browser’s color tones to more comfortable gradients for reducing the blue light impact which in turn decreases eye-strain and allows you to sleep better at night.

The science of blue light filters is the same as in the popular F.lux and Night Shift apps. While the extension can automatically configure the temperatures based on your whereabouts, you can go ahead and manually alter them as well. You can even select the primary color if you find the default one a little harsh.

Download: Screen Shader (Free)

9. Dark Reader: Switch to the Dark Side

While Screen Shader will certainly diminish the impact of blue light, it still won’t be as effective as a dark theme at night. Dark Reader, a free Chrome extension brings a dark theme to every website without messing up the graphics.

Dark Reader also allows you to edit several individual settings such as brightness, contrast and even whitelist websites where the extension shouldn’t be activated.

Download: Dark Reader (Free)

10. Tabtics: Health Tips on the New Tab Page

Tabtics, unlike others, won’t notify or nudge you to be more active while working. Instead, it shows various health tips and suggestions on new tabs in a modern and minimal interface. Moreover, the extension displays the time and weather and can even sync with your Fitbit if you have one.

Download: Tabtics (Free)

11. Marinara: A Pomodoro Extension

Marinara is a straightforward Pomodoro extension which you can customize as you like. Pomodoro, for the uninitiated, is an approach to time management where you break down work in short sessions separated by mini and long breaks.

It’s a clever time management technique which has proved successful for many including me. Marinara, in addition to serving as timer, also produces your statistics so that you can view your performance in the past.

Download: Marinara (Free)

One Step at a Time Towards a Healthier Desk Job

While these extensions may seem trivial, they can easily assist you in living a healthier desk job by simple nudges for stretching, drinking water, and more throughout the day. All of them are free too, so you should definitely give them a whirl if you haven’t already yet.

Good health starts with awareness and you can always turn to the web and focus on your own health and fitness.

Image Credit: Rawpixel/Depositphotos

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Yi Smartphone Gimbal: Silky Smooth Footage, But Could Be Better

Bye Bye, Addresses: What3Words Gives Every World Location a 3-Word Address

Google Maps can take you anywhere around the world. Google Maps alternatives like Bing Maps and Apple Maps are also catching up. So, you’d be right to wonder why another mapping service is joining the fight—and how is it using just three words to describe any address on the planet?

What Is what3words?

It’s a three-word address for any place on the map. what3words is an innovative mapping platform that wants to cut your dependence on large (and sometimes unpronounceable) street addresses.

It makes it simpler by giving each 3m x 3m square on the map a unique three word address. For instance, The White House is kicks.mirror.tops.

You can use what3words in the browser and with its mobile apps. In short, it gives you an alternative way of typing an address:

1. The world map is divided into grids.
2. Each square grid is 3m x 3m, so there are 57 trillion squares.
3. Every square has a unique three-word address that can be found and shared via the map.

The real-life benefits aren’t difficult to understand. 

Think of the three words as a shortcode for an address. Long addresses can be easily understood and shared faster. With voice navigation becoming a part of modern automobiles, the compact what3words addresses can be easily understood by computers and humans alike.

They are easily shareable via messaging apps. It can also help to reduce any confusion in countries where addressing conventions are confusing. Plus, the address won’t take up too much of space on your business card or wedding invite!

Download: what3words for Android (Free) | iOS (Free)

Don’t Get Rid of Google Maps Yet

what3words works as a layer on top of Google Maps. According to the platform, Mercedes Benz is bringing the technology to its cars from 2018. The United Nations and the Red Cross also use the mapping service to reduce the complexity of addresses. So, it’s not time yet to forget your Google Maps navigation skills.

Read the full article: Bye Bye, Addresses: What3Words Gives Every World Location a 3-Word Address

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How to Stay Secure Online for only $19

How do you stop cyber crime? It seems like a huge question, but the answer is surprisingly simple. Just by using complex, unique passwords for all your online accounts, you drastically reduce your chances of being hacked. Password Boss is a service that helps you store and sync all those login details. Right now, you can get lifetime service for just $19.99 via MakeUseOf Deals.

Smart Secure Storage

It’s surprising how many people use really bad passwords. While “abc123” might be easy to remember, it’s also very easy to guess. Once a hacker gains access to your email account, they can essentially take over your digital world.

Password Boss helps you avoid this fate. The platform offers secure, encrypted storage for all your usernames and passwords. When you visit a known site, the app can log in for you. All you have to do is remember one master password.

The Password Boss app is available to download on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. Your passwords are automatically synced between your devices, with two-step verification for added protection. If you ever lose a device, you can delete the stored data remotely.

Aside from storage, Password Boss can create new secure passwords and autofill online forms with your details.

Lifetime Service for $19.99

Order now for $19.99 to get a Password Boss Premium lifetime subscription, worth $150.

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5 Apps to Improve Your Posture and Fix Back or Neck Pain

For all its many other benefits, personal technology wrecks havoc on your body. From back and neck pain to more serious issues like sciatica, you need to improve your posture before it is too late.

The most common pain points of technology are:

• Sitting too long at your desk.
• Slouching when you use a computer.
• Using your laptop in weird positions.
• Bending your neck when looking at your phone.

The good news is that technology itself has a few solutions to these problems. Programs, apps, and browser extensions can send you reminders to fix your posture, move around, or even smartly figure out when you are slouching.

Limber (Chrome): Simple Desktop Notifications

Sometimes, all you need is a nudge in the right direction. Slouching at the computer desk isn’t your natural position. And a regular reminder to fix your posture can be enough to get your spine in its correct shape.

Limber is a Chrome extension that has two types of notifications. It will tell you to take a break every 30 minutes or limber up every 10 minutes. You can switch on both notifications, or stick to one of the two.

The 10-minute reminder is a great time to do quick exercises at your work desk. At the 30-minute interval, get out of your seat and move around. Your body needs that break, even if your brain is on a productivity roll.

Download: Limber for Chrome (Free)

Posture Minder (Chrome): Reminders With Attitude

Limber is good for those who want that quick reminder with nothing more. Posture Minder adds a few more layers to those notifications, and includes some funny or snarky messages too.

The app lets you customize how many minutes pass between the separate reminders for posture check and for walks. It also tackles how you close that notification box. By default, you can have the notification disappear after 20 seconds. But if you want to really force yourself, then use the option to physically close it, and discipline yourself to close it only after you have fixed your posture. It might also help to get yourself one of the better office chairs for back problems.

We’ve already seen how apps like Carrot for weather elevate their service by adding attitude to the notification. It looks and feels nicer than the common robotic messages from apps. Posture Minder uses a similar strategy for its notifications too, making it more charming to use.

Download: Posture Minder for Chrome (Free)

Nekoze (macOS): Webcam Spots When You Slouch

Your coworkers or friends probably point out when you slouch while using the computer. How about if your Mac did that too? Nekoze is a cute app that uses the webcam on your Mac computer or laptop to figure out when your posture is weak.

Nekoze can be a little intense at first, so I’d recommend changing the settings to make it more lenient. Every time your posture Isn’t correct, a pop-up notification of a cat will tell you to straighten up. There are different cat emojis, all of which probably mean different things, but you don’t need to guess that since a text message tells you what’s wrong. Remember, sitting up straight isn’t best either.

The only real issue with Nekoze is that it drains your battery. You are basically keeping your webcam on all the time, which means it consumes battery on laptops. But that’s not a concern if you’re on an iMac or Mac Pro.

Download: Nekoze for macOS (Free)

Simply Align (iOS): iPhone Reminders to Fix Posture

Using phones and computers throw us into a hunchback posture quite often. There’s a simple three-minute exercise to fix this. But prevention is always better than cure, so download the Simply Align app on your iPhone nonetheless.

Made by the Canada-based Simply Align rehabilitation center, the app sends periodic reminders to fix your posture. As you probably know, it’s better to lift your arm and bring your phone at eye height, than to bend your neck and look down at your phone.

Sometimes, it feels like the app is nagging you for no reason. But you know what? It’s better that it fixes your posture even 50% of the time you see the notification, considering how your phone damages your neck.

Download: Simply Align for iOS (Free)

Posture (Android): Gyroscope Sensor to Fix How You Hold a Phone

Like Nekoze, Posture actually makes use of the technology in your device to help improve your health. The app uses the gravity sensor in Android phones to figure out how the phone is being held, and shows an on-screen logo if you’re holding it wrong.

It’s pretty cool when you use it. You can choose how strict you want the app to be, and how regularly it should check. You can even customize the notifications, although some of the options need you to buy the premium version. But don’t bother with that, the free version of Posture gets the job done.

When you get an alert, hold your head up and look straight ahead, and then bring the phone up to your eye level. That’s the best way to hold it and fix your posture.

Download: Posture for Android (Free)

Do You Know the Ideal Posture to Use a Laptop?

If you operate a laptop instead of a desktop, you probably use it everywhere: on the sofa, in bed, while commuting, and so on. But how you prop it up is the most important thing, especially when lying down. Don’t put your neck on the line, check out the ideal posture to use a laptop.

Image Credit: lightwavemedia/Depositphotos

Read the full article: 5 Apps to Improve Your Posture and Fix Back or Neck Pain

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Google keeps a history of your locations even when Location History is off

In a wonderfully clear example of “dark patterns” designed to mislead users and retain control over their data, Google continues tracking your location even when you turn off Location History and are told that “the places you go are no longer stored.” Google says it tells users, but its disclosure is the bare minimum and users are discouraged from further interference with data collection.

A report from the AP lays out the details, but the information will come as no surprise to anyone who has tried to fully expunge their location data, or who read the “dark patterns” report from June.

The problem is quite simple. When you turn off (technically “pause,” a choice of words in itself troubling) “Location History,” a major Google account-level setting, you are told: “With Location History off, the places you go are no longer stored.”

Yet many apps and services Google provides when Location History has been turned off, in fact, do record and store your location.

To be fair, this is explained, after a fashion, when you turn off location history (here): “This setting does not affect other location services on your device, like Google Location Services and Find My Device. Some location data may be saved as part of your activity on other Google services, like Search and Maps.”

Although it makes sense that checking the weather would require location data, it makes less sense that the data would be collected systematically, in direct contradiction with what the user has been told. It’s not exactly a deception on Google’s part, but rather what appears to be a deliberate understatement of the company’s other location tracking practices.

Not listed: that a precise location is recorded every time you interact with some apps and services.

That “some location data” as part of your search history is precise and organized, good enough to reconstitute a person’s movements over a few days, as indeed the AP reporters did; with Location History off, there was in fact a detailed history of locations stored with Google.

Google protests that you can turn off this location data collection as well — it’s just under a separate setting called “Web and App Activity.” Why is it there? Why are there multiple places? Why is the user not told that in order to truly turn off location history, there is a second setting that must be adjusted as well? Why is it assumed that the user will understand that location is also stored under separate headings of search and other services? It hardly need be said that this is completely inadequate as far as informing the user of how their data is being handled.

WTF is dark pattern design?

Further, it falls squarely under the concept of dark patterns. The user is duped into thinking that their locations are no longer being recorded by Google, down to a warning from the company that some services might not work correctly if Location History is disabled. Meanwhile location is still recorded silently and without notifying the user, for example, that such and such an action will produce a location record that will be saved, and giving them a chance to delete it or recall the action.

The deletion of these points, by the way, is one of Google’s other defenses: you can go delete them at any time. But deleting location history points was one of the main points of criticism for Google in the dark patterns paper, which found that hardly any of their testers could figure out how to do it. There are separate controls for different types of location collection, isolated from each other and each unaffected by the other’s deletion or restriction, but it is not explained why, or why for example some can be deleted in bulk but others must be done one by one.

This kind of confusing and underhanded, not to say malicious, practice is far from uncommon among tech companies, but this is a particularly indefensible one. Continuing to maintain a history of locations when a user has deliberately indicated their preference to have no such history recorded is simply ridiculous.

In a statement to TechCrunch, Google explained:

Location History is a Google product that is entirely opt in, and users have the controls to edit, delete, or turn it off at any time. As the story notes, we make sure Location History users know that when they disable the product, we continue to use location to improve the Google experience when they do things like perform a Google search or use Google for driving directions.

It’s easy to imagine a handful of minor UI or alert changes that would fully inform users of what is being recorded and when. A notification when a location is generated, for instance, or a link to the separate location tracking setting would be sufficient. But it is telling that not only is the interface the way it is, but the system has been designed the way it is: silently recording location in spite of user preference, with no way to opt out without compromising the service. These are both deliberate choices and the more such choices are exposed and questioned, the better off users will be.

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The 10 Best Sites for Cheap Last-Minute Online Car Rentals

Next time you’re trying to find a last-minute car rental, give the traditional companies a wide-berth. They might not have the car model you want and are likely to hike their prices to try and exploit your desperation.

Instead, you’ll find better deals by using third-party car rental websites to see what’s available when you go looking online for a four-wheeler at the last minute.

Here are some of the best car rental sites.

1. CheapTickets

If you’re looking for a website that lets you refine the trivial details of your search criteria, you should use CheapTickets. The site is part of the Expedia group.

On the initial search page, you can enter your pick-up and drop-off locations along with the time and date you require. Click on Advanced Search to add your preferred car type and the rental car company.

However, it’s on the search results page where the site excels. In the left-hand panel, you can filter by price, neighborhood, car mileage, transmission type, air conditioning, and a whole lot more. If you specify an address or city rather than an airport, you’ll also get a map of the nearby pick-up locations.

2. Priceline

If you want cheap last-minute car rentals, you’ll probably find the best deals on Priceline thanks to the company’s Name Your Price tool.

The tool lets you enter the maximum amount you would be willing to pay for your rental. Rental companies see your bid and decide whether they want to accept it. If you’re unsuccessful, you’ll need to wait 24 hours before making another bid of the same value.

The Name Your Price tool is not available in all locations.

3. Costco Travel

Did you know Costco offers online car rentals? You’ll need to have a Costco account to use the service, but if you spend a lot of time away from home, it’s well worth the $60 annual membership.

Your membership gives you access to savings beyond what you’ll see on other third-party sites. Costco has partnerships in place with Alamo, Avis, Budget, and Enterprise.

The account will also provide access to lots of cheap hotel deals and cheap flights.

4. Skyscanner

Skyscanner has built its reputation as a place to find bargain prices on flights and hotels, but the site also offers a way to compare car rental prices.

The initial search screen is standard fare. You enter your pick-up and drop-off locations along with your desired dates. The results screen, however, varies slightly from the other major sites. Instead of using a hidden algorithm to determine the best rental for you, Skyscanner purely bases its search on cost. The results are sorted from lowest to highest.

The results page also makes the map more prominent than most other sites. All pick-up locations along with their price are displayed, allowing you to make a fast and informed decision about the best deal for you.

5. Kayak

Kayak is Priceline’s sister site. Both are part of the Booking.com world. However, despite sharing the same parent company, the deals you’ll find on the two sites on different. Don’t ask us why; just make sure you check them both out.

Like many of the other last-minute car rental websites, Kayak offers a bunch of filters and displays your results on a map.

Kayak also lets you know whether the average price is higher or lower than usual in your location. We have no way to determine the veracity of the claims, so we’ll take the site’s word for it.

6. Hipmunk

The quality of deals on Hipmunk isn’t in doubt. The company’s prices are a fair match for all the other sites we’ve discussed.

However, the site’s big drawback is that it only supports airport pick-ups and drop-offs. For many people, that won’t be an issue. But for people who want to hire a car when they’ve already left the airport or when they arrived in a city via a different method of transport, it’s a non-starter.

On the upside, Hipmunk’s chart-based layout does make it exceptionally easy to compare car rental prices.

7. Expedia

Expedia is one of the biggest names in the travel price comparison sector. In addition to cars, hotels, and flights, it can also help you find discounted prices on museum tickets, local excursions, and other holiday activities.

Because it’s part of the same group as CheapTickets, the user experience, website layout, and search criteria are all identical. Only the site’s color scheme is different when you start using it as a car rental search engine.

However, like the Kayak/Priceline situation, the prices on the sites can vary; but it’s worth checking both out.

8. RentalCars

RentalCars is the first site on the list that solely specializes in RentalCars; you cannot use the site to find flight tickets and cheap hotels.

Because the site’s focus is so narrow, it appears to offer a broader range of car rental companies than its competitors. According to the RentalCars’ own literature, it works with more than 900 companies in 53,000 locations.

The site also offers more search filters than the other sites. For example, you can filter by damage excess, deposit at pick-up, and even whether you need to get a shuttle bus or can enjoy a meet-and-greet when picking up the car at an airport.

9. RentCars

The second site that’s sole business is providing online car rental services is RentCars.com.

Sadly, its coverage is nowhere near as extensive as RentalCars’. It covers around 7,000 locations and only deals with 100 car rental companies.

Nonetheless, if you’re looking for a car in a major city, it’ll have you covered. It’s always worth taking a peek to see if you can find a better last-minute deal.

10. AutoSlash

The final entry on our list of great sites to find last-minute car rentals is AutoSlash.

AutoSlash is a unique site. Rather than offering the prices you see on car rental companies’ own websites, minus an affiliate discount—as most other sites do—it searches for online discount coupons for the various car hire companies and applies them to the rate automatically.

The process almost always leads to savings. You can even track prices and receive notifications when new coupons become available.

Learn More Money-Saving Travel Secrets

Knowing how to shop around to get the cheapest last-minute car rental is just one part of saving money when you travel.

To learn more, check out our articles on easy ways to travel more for less money, how to find cheap airfares with these travel secrets, and how to reduce data roaming fees when you’re out of the country.

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