Snap is channeling Asia’s messaging giants with its move into gaming

Snap is taking a leaf out of the Asian messaging app playbook as its social messaging service enters a new era.

The company unveiled a series of new strategies that are aimed at breathing fresh life into the service which has been ruthlessly cloned by Facebook across Instagram, WhatsApp, and even its primary social network. The result? Snap has consistently lost users since going public in 2017. It managed to stop the rot with a flat Q4, but resting on its laurels isn’t going to bring the good times back.

Snap has taken a three-pronged approach: extending its stories feature (and ads) into third-party apps and building out its camera play with an AR platform, but it is the launch of social games that is the most intriguing. The other moves are logical and they fall in line with existing Snap strategies, but games is an entirely new category for the company.

It isn’t hard to see where Snap found inspiration for social games — Asian messaging companies have long twinned games and chat — but the U.S. company is applying its own twist to the genre.

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How to Create Textures in Photoshop CC

Adobe Photoshop CC has many tools that can help you design a better image. One of which is the Filter Gallery, where you can create textures to your heart’s content.

We’ve all seen textures before—ranging from digital snake scales to tree bark—but how do you create textures using Photoshop?

In this article we’ll show you how to create a texture in Photoshop CC. And then explain how to apply that texture to another image.

Step 1: Set Up Your Document

As always, the first thing you need to do is set up your file. There are no specific dimensions required for this tutorial, but an easy template is Default Photoshop Size, 300 pixels/inch.

Make sure that under Color Mode you select RGB Color. This is because some filters don’t work when you are in CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key).

Step 2: Add a Base Color

Next, you’ll want to add a base color to your image to give the Filter Gallery something to work with. If you leave it blank and apply a texture, nothing will happen.

When I create a texture I like to add a black and white gradient. Working with black and white means you don’t have to worry about how the colors will react when you apply that texture to another image.

For example: If I create a texture that is yellow, but I apply that yellow texture to a blue-tinted image, it will make the picture look green. I don’t want that.

To apply a gradient, go to your left-hand toolbar and click the Gradient tool. Click and drag the cursor across the page, then release.

For those of you looking for a more in-depth explanation on this step, you can read our tutorial detailing how to create a custom gradient in Photoshop.

Step 3: Open the Filter Gallery

After you apply your gradient, go to Filter > Filter Gallery. There is where you will create the texture.

Once you’re in the Filter Gallery you will be faced with a workspace like the one you can see above.

In the center you will see the image you are working on. Towards the right you will see a bunch of folders.

If you expand these folders, you will see a selection of rectangular icons with a name beneath each one. These are your “filters”.

Photoshop groups filters based on the type of effect they produce. You can explore each group by clicking on the little white arrow next to the folders.

Step 4: Apply a Filter

For this tutorial we’re going to create one of the most commonly recognized textures: the Halftone Pattern.

You see the halftone used most often in comics, and the name comes from a printing technique that uses a continuous row of dots.

To find the Halftone Pattern, go to Sketch > Halftone Pattern inside the Filter Gallery. This will automatically apply a halftone to your image, but as you can see it doesn’t add much without customizing it.

Let’s fix that.

Step 5: Adjust the Filter

Let’s say you want to make this halftone texture “bigger”. To do this, go to the Size bar on the right-hand side of the Filter Gallery, seen here in red.

By sliding the arrow along the Size bar, you can make the halftone dots look larger.

This is better than what we had before, but the dots still look blurry. This is because the contrast between the black and white is too low.

To turn up the contrast, go to the right-hand side of the Filter Gallery and click on the Contrast bar. Drag the arrow to the right. This increases the contrast between the black and white in your image.

Once that’s done, you’ve finished creating a texture at its most basic. But what if you want to add a twist?

The steps to creating a “unique” texture will vary from preset to preset, but if you want to create a unique halftone pattern then you must look at Pattern Type.

Step 6: Change the Pattern Type

To change the Pattern Type on a halftone, go to the Pattern Type dropdown menu. Instead of using the Dot pattern, choose Line.

This gives you a streaked texture. I kind of like that effect in my own image, and I want to leave it as-is.

If you decide you’re done creating your texture, click OK. This will take you out of the Filter Gallery and back to the main workspace. You now have a texture you can apply to other images.

To save your texture, go File > Save As.

Step 7: Apply Your Texture to a New Image

Let’s say you want to apply that texture to another file.

To do this, make sure you have both files open in Photoshop; the texture, and the image you will be applying the texture to. In the image you’ll see that I have both files open in my workspace through the red box above.

The bold white text tells me which file I currently have active. The greyed out text on the other tab tells me that the file is open, but not active.

Next, make sure your texture file is active.

Select your Move tool, located in the top left-hand corner of your toolbar.

Move your tool over your image, then click and hold. Drag your move tool over to the file tab for your image, seen here in red:

When you do that, Photoshop will automatically drag and drop the texture into your image. It also puts the texture on top of the image in a new layer.

Now that your texture has been added, go to the Layers panels in the bottom right-hand corner of your workspace. Go to your blending mode dropdown menu and select a “style” to apply to this texture.

Each style will create a different effect, depending on how the two layers interact with one another.

For this tutorial I went with a Soft Light, which allows a wide range of dark and light tones to show through.

This is just one way of applying a texture onto an image. But what if you don’t want to apply your texture to a separate image? What if you want to create a texture and add color on top of it?

You Can Also Add Color Directly to Your Texture

First, make sure your texture file is active. In your Layers panel, add a new layer on top of your texture.

After you create your new layer, add some color to it. You can add a gradient or a solid color using the Gradient or Paint Bucket tools, whichever you prefer.

Next, go to the blending mode dropdown menu. Once again, choose the style that you want to apply to your layer.

For this part of the tutorial I went with Subtract, because it allows the black to show through.

And there you have it, your file is done! Navigate to File > Save As to save your texture.

Create Your Own Textures in Photoshop CC

Photoshop is an amazing tool that lets you try out all sorts of visual tricks. And once you explore the Filter Gallery you’ll be able to create your own textures and much more besides.

And if you’re curious about other things you can design using Photoshop, we have a tutorial on how to create custom brushes in Photoshop.

Read the full article: How to Create Textures in Photoshop CC

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10 of the Best Plex Web Shows to Watch Right Now

In 2018, Plex launched Web Shows. This brand new feature was intended to replace the old Plex plugin system, which had become confusing and littered with content that no longer worked.

When Plex first launched Web Shows, only a handful were available. However, with the passage of time, more have been added to the library, and now there are dozens of shows to choose from.

Here are the best Plex Web Shows worth watching and how to access them.

How to Add Plex Web Shows

Before we dive into the list, a quick note on how to add Plex Web Shows to your library.

You need to add the shows from your Plex Media Server app or the web app; you cannot add new Web Shows from the Plex Media Player app.

So, open the Plex Media Server or login into Plex online, then go to Online Content > Web Shows in the left-hand panel. To add a show, click on the associated thumbnail and select Add to My Shows.

You can access the list of My Shows on any Plex app, including the Media Player.

Note: You do not need a Plex Pass to watch Web Shows.

1. Pitchfork

Pitchfork has long been a well-recognized name in the music industry. The publication started life as a magazine, but now has a widely-read website and a video-based offshoot called Pitchfork.tv.

The site’s focus is primarily on new music, though the video content is slightly more diverse. You’ll be able to enjoy music films, documentaries, live concerts and festivals, and even some mini-series.

There are currently more than 280 episodes and counting.

2. The New Yorker

The New Yorker is another well-known media name. Founded way back in 1925, the magazine covers politics, foreign affairs, business, technology, pop culture, and the arts.

In terms of the Plex Web Show, recent episode titles include “The Origins of Podcasting,” “The Gender Politics of the Red Carpet,” and “Barbie by the Numbers”.

The release schedule for new episodes is a bit erratic, but you can expect about six new releases every month.

3. Movie Mistakes

If you want something a little more light-hearted, check out the Movie Mistakes show. As the name suggests, the 350+ episodes are littered with fails, bloopers, gaffes, and other on-set funnies.

Each new episode typically focuses on a specific movie. Recent films that have received coverage include I, Robot and The Terminator.

4. Thinknoodles

Gaming fans should subscribe to the Thinknoodles. It’s a family-friendly Plex Web Show in which the host records himself playing video games while offering live commentary on events.

The types of games played in the show are diverse. Titles include everything from random indie titles to mainstream popular content such as Minecraft and Pokémon.

There are more than 2,000 Thinknoodles episodes for you to dig into.

5. SportsPulse

Sports lovers should add SportsPulse to their list of shows. Produced by the USA Today team, it offers an insight into the latest goings-on around the American sporting landscape. European sports fans will probably find the show significantly less entertaining.

SportsPulse only began airing in 2019. However, it’s also one of the Plex Web Shows with the most frequent release schedules; you can expect a new episode almost every day.

6. Vanity Fair

Vanity Fair is another well-known print magazine. It has its origins back in 1913, but today produces six editions for the U.S., U.K., Mexico, Spain, France, and Italy.

The magazine has recently made a gamble on pivoting to video content, and its Plex Web Show offers the best of what’s been recorded.

Like the print version, topics are broad. They cover arts, entertainment, business, media, politics, and world affairs.

There’s a new episode every day.

7. TechCrunch

If you’re looking for a curated tech news coverage, beyond our own output, you won’t go far wrong by watching the TechCrunch show.

As is becoming a running theme, the release dates are often erratic. Sometimes you might have to wait two weeks between episodes; on other occasions, there are two episodes released in a single day.

Typically, each show takes one of the day’s biggest news stories and discusses, dissects, and analyses it. More than 100 TechCrunch episodes are currently available through Plex.

8. Hollyscoop

Do you wake up every morning dying to find out about the latest news from the Kardashian household?

If so, it may be time to reconsider your life choices, but in the meantime, the Hollyscoop Web Show will fill that void. There’s a never-ending stream of short 5- to 10-minute clips. Typically, two or three new clips are released every day.

With recent episode titles like “Cardi B Admits to Drugging and Robbing Men During Stripper Days on IG Live” and “Justin Bieber Fans Blame Hailey for Mental Breakdown, and She Fights Back,” you know what you’re letting yourself in for.

9. Humankind

If the latest celebrity happenings isn’t for you, try subscribing to Humankind instead.

This show is at the complete opposite end of the scale. You’ll be able to tune in to marvelous stories about human kindness, sacrifice, and triumphs. And all without a celebrity in sight.

You can expect new videos to drop every week.

10. Cold Fusion

Cold Fusion is one of the best Plex Web Shows if you want to listen to fascinating insights on companies, technologies, and the wider world that surrounds us.

It’s one of the more well-established shows; more than 250 episodes are already available on Plex. Recent content includes a look at what the dark web is and how it works, a comparison of Apple and Huawei, and a countdown of six tech CEOs who got things very wrong.

A new episode is available every week.

Discover Even More Plex Content

Plex Web Shows are just one way you can enjoy content on Plex. There are lots of other things you can do to turn the app into the ideal entertainment hub.

To learn more about the possibilities, check out our articles listing the best unofficial Plex channels and detailing how to record live TV with Plex DVR.

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How to Recover Deleted Photos From Your iPhone and More

5 C Programming Tips You Must Learn to Get Started

If you’ve heard of programming, you’ve heard of C. It’s one of the oldest coding languages around. Some fear it, and others love it.

C has a reputation for being hard for beginners. There are many good reasons to learn the language, but there are a few essential tips to bear in mind while starting out.

What Is the C Programming Language?

To understand what the C programming language is, it is worth learning what coding is before continuing!

C is a low-level procedural programming language. C is much closer to the actual machine code your computer runs on. This makes it incredibly fast, but challenging to use, and capable of breaking your system if you are not careful!

Why Learn to Program in C?

If C is so complicated and dangerous, why learn it?

Well, C is everywhere.

• Almost every computer operating system is written in C.
• Most smartphones and tablets have a C based operating system.
• Almost every microcontroller, whether it runs the display on your microwave door or the internal telemetry in a car, is programmed in C.
• C++, Objective C, and C# all are built directly on top of C, and Python was written in it.
• A good knowledge of C looks great on any programmer’s resume.

Some people think learning C before any other programming language results in a better understanding of programming as a whole.

Learning C is also learning about how your computer works. C programmers can have a deeper understanding of the way code affects systems, and find learning other programming languages easier as a result.

1. Learn the Basic Variable Types

Data comes in different types. It is important to know what type of data you are working with, as they can be easy to confuse. An example is knowing that the number 5 can be an integer (as in the number 5), as well as a character (the written character 5).

int number = 5;

Now there is no confusion, the variable number is assigned the integer value 5. C needs to be told what types to expect in order to work the way you want it to.

Data types and how they are assigned to variables is an essential part of your C course, and it’s important to understand.

Knowing how to give data the correct type is an important skill in all programming, but it is essential in C.

2. Learn the Operators

If C is the first language you are learning, you will likely be learning operators for the first time. Operators are symbols that tell the compiler to carry out a task. Perhaps the simplest example is the + operator.

answer = number + anotherNumber;

No prizes for guessing that this code adds together two integer variables. Not all operators are this simple though.

C uses many operators for arithmetic, assignment, and logic among others. Knowing what each of these operators do will help you pick up core programming concepts quicker.

3. Use the Standard Libraries

C may be low level, but it does have a set of libraries to help with creating programs. Mathematical operations, locale-specific data (like currency symbols), and various variable types and macros are all defined in libraries.

You can use these libraries by including them into your code. Take this example:

#include <stdio.h>
int main()
{
  printf("Hello, World!");
  return 0;
}

In C, the simple act of outputting to the console requires the inclusion of the stdio.h (standard input/output) header file.

There are 15 standard libraries for programming in C, and following a guide to what they all do will help you with your learning.

4. C Is Unforgiving

C will do precisely what you tell it, and instead of complaining when something doesn’t make sense it will still try to keep working. This can not only break your program but cause problems to your entire system!

While this sounds dramatic, it usually isn’t. You aren’t going to break your computer. You might end up with some weird bugs though. Take this example:

This piece of code prints questions to the console, before scanning what the user inputs and storing them as integers. The program is designed to add them together and subtract them before printing the answers back to the user.

You might already see that there is a problem here. The output certainly makes no sense!

Since we never actually subtract the values, the subtracted variable has a nonsense value given to it on initialization. Other programming languages might warn you that you never gave the subtracted variable a value. Not C.

This example is easy to debug visually, but some code is thousands of lines long and incredibly complex, and C won’t help you find what is wrong. Instead, C gives you a stupid answer and no way to find out why. Or is there?

5. Debugging Is Your Best Friend

Since C code can contain unwanted behavior, it can cause errors which are difficult to track down, with no apparent reason. To stop yourself from completely losing your mind you should get comfortable with debugging your code.

A debugger like GDB can help with this. Here, GDB is running on the faulty script from above.

Usually, a program runs until it finishes, or it crashes. Debuggers allow you to break down your code line by line. Here, break points are set up at lines 10 and 13 where we suspect the issue could be.

Then, the program is run as normal. The numbers are entered, then the program pauses after line 10. The debugger is asked to print the value of subtracted, which shows as a value of 37. This makes sense, we haven’t told subtracted a value yet, so it has a random value.

Then, the debugger continues. We repeat the process after line 13, and print subtracted only to find out that the value hasn’t changed.

It turns out we forgot to do the calculation at all, instead opting to leave a suspiciously empty line of code. Thank you debugging!

GDB is a C coder’s best friend, and the earlier you learn to use it, the happier you will be!

What You C Is What You Get

The C language is a life long learning experience, and there are things we haven’t even touched on in this article like pointers and memory allocation.

While C has got a tough reputation you can learn by doing, so get hands-on and start with your own C programming beginner project.

Image Credit: sjenner13/Depositphotos

Read the full article: 5 C Programming Tips You Must Learn to Get Started

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5 Reasons to Use Google Photos Over iCloud Photos

If you own an iPhone or iPad, should you be using Google Photos or iCloud Photos to store and manage your photos?

Some people advocate using iCloud Photos over Google Photos, but we think Google Photos is superior to iCloud Photos in several ways.

If you’re wondering which photo app to use on an iPhone or an iPad, keep reading. Here are the main reasons to choose Google Photos over iCloud Photos on iOS.

1. Google Photos Is Cheaper

My phone: *iCloud Storage Is Full*
Me: *Deletes 2k photos*
My phone: pic.twitter.com/toaET9KckC

— Em ? (@emilyvillegas47) March 22, 2019

The most significant reason to use Google Photos over iCloud Photos is the cost of the two services.

As iOS and macOS users will be acutely aware, Apple only provides its users with 5GB of free space. Photos that you upload from your mobile device and desktop/laptop count against that limit.

When you also include things like Time Machine backups, shared files, and other cloud-based data, you can hit the limit in no time.

And extra storage space doesn’t come cheap. 50GB costs $0.99/month, 200GB costs $2.99/month, and 2TB is $9.99/month. If you’re planning to use the app for your entire photo library, you’ll almost certainly need the top plan.

2. Google Photos Offers More Free Storage

Google offers all users 15GB of free space. Better yet, if you are happy to accept a reduced resolution (up to a maximum of 16 megapixels), you can store an unlimited number of photos without using any of your 15GB allowance.

If you think that will lead to a loss in quality on photos you take using your iPhone, you’re wrong. Even the latest iPhone X and iPhone XS only have 12-megapixel rear-facing cameras. You’re only going to lose quality if you want to back up photos to your Mac that you’ve taken using a professional grade camera.

Furthermore, Google Photos can automatically resize the photos as you upload them, so you’re never going to hit your limit unexpectedly.

To give you a reference point, 16 megapixels is good enough to print a 24 x 16 inches photograph without any loss in quality.

3. Google Photos Offers Cross-Platform Support

Few people restrict themselves to using a single operating system. And even if you only own Apple equipment, you’re almost certainly going to come into contact with other platforms at work, school, or in the homes of family and friends.

Google Photos will let you access your images on all those platforms. There are mobile apps for Android and iOS, there’s a web app, and you can even sideload the app on devices like Android TV, the Amazon Fire TV Stick, and smart TVs. There’s also a desktop app so you can back up your photos from Windows or macOS.

Apple’s iCloud Photos isn’t quite so universal. Yes, it comes pre-installed on all iOS devices, and there’s a Windows app and a web app, but Android users are out of luck. As are people who want to access their photos on other smart devices they have around their home.

Bottom Line: If you think there’s ever a chance that you might abandon iOS and become an Android user, Google Photos is a smarter choice.

4. Google Photos Boasts Better Search Options

Sending 100s of your fav photos to a friend is a breeze with Google Photos. It just works, even if your friend doesn't have the app. https://t.co/8JQXb9qegJ pic.twitter.com/8UfmC6FonF

— Google Photos (@googlephotos) April 19, 2018

Google operates the most sophisticated search engine in the world, so it should come as no surprise to learn that the AI that underpins Google Photos are equally powerful and impressive.

Every time you upload a new image to Google Photos, the app will scan the photo and establish who or what is in it.

As a result, you can type phrases such as “my dog”, “Barcelona”, or “the beach with John Doe,” and Google Photos will be able to find all the images that match the criteria in a flash.

Apple doesn’t have anything to rival this feature. If you want to find an image in your iCloud Photos library, you’ll need to search by date or find it manually. As you can appreciate, it’s a lot less slick and a lot more time consuming.

You can add your own tags to Apple Photos for easy searching, but most of us don’t have the time to do that for every photo they take while on the go.

Note: Here are more details on the search tools hidden within Google Photos.

5. Google Photos Helps You Share Your Collection

Sharing on iCloud Photos is far from bad. In fact, in some ways, it is superior to Google Photos. For example, if you want to share a photo via email, with iCloud Photos, the recipient will get copies of the image file; Google Photos just directs you back to the web app.

However, when it comes to sharing your entire library, Google Photos is better than iCloud Photos thanks to its Partner Accounts.

A Partner Account gives you a way to share your entire photo library with another user. Similarly, another user can share their library with you, then the two sets of photos can be integrated together in the app’s main view.

If you don’t want to give someone access to your entire library, you can get more specific too. This includes only sharing photos of a particular person (such as your child), or only showing photos older than a specific date (if you’re in a new relationship, for example).

Apple does have a Family Sharing feature which includes a shared family photo album, but you will need to manually add each photo for other people to be able to see it.

Does iCloud Photos Offer Any Unique Benefits?

Before we finish, here are a few words in defense of iCloud Photos, because the app does have some benefits that Google Photos cannot match:

• Editing: iCloud Photos offers more extensive editing tools than Google Photos
• Metadata: Unlike iCloud Photos, any photo you later download from Google Photos will not include the image’s original metadata.

You Can Use Both iCloud Photos and Google Photos

Photos are some of the most precious files you own, containing memories that are impossible to replicate if they are lost.

As such, it might be prudent to use both Google Photos AND iCloud Photos. Doing so means you get to take advantage of the best parts of both apps, including iCloud Photos’ seamless integration across other Apple products and Google Photos’ generous storage limits.

If you would like to learn more about how Google Photos compares with the competition, make sure to check out our articles pitching iCloud Photos vs. Google Photos vs. Dropbox and Amazon Photos vs. Google Photos.

Read the full article: 5 Reasons to Use Google Photos Over iCloud Photos

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EHT Black Hole Picture

EHT Black Hole Picture

The Google Assistant on Android gets more visual responses

About half a year ago, Google gave the Assistant on phones a major visual refresh. Today, the company is following up with a couple of small but welcome tweaks that’ll see the Assistant on Android provide more and better visual responses that are more aligned with what users already expect to see from other Google services.

That means when you ask for events now, for example, the response will look exactly like what you’d see if you tried the same query from your mobile browser. Until now, Google showed a somewhat pared-down version in the Assistant.

[gallery ids="1808356,1808354,1808357,1808355"]

Also — and this is going to be a bit of a controversial change — when the Assistant decides that the best answer is simply a list of websites (or when it falls back to those results because it simply doesn’t have any other answer), the Assistant used to show you a couple of boxes in a vertical layout that were not exactly user friendly. Now, the Assistant will simply show the standard Google Search layout.

Seems like a good idea, so why would that be controversial? Together with the search results, Google will also show its usual Search ads. This marks the first time that Google is showing ads in the Assistant experience. To be fair, the Assistant will only show these kinds of results for a very small number of queries, but users will likely worry that Google will bring more ads to the rest of the Assistant.

Google tells me that advertisers can’t target their ads to Assistant users and won’t get any additional information about them.

The Assistant will now also show built-in mortgage calculators, color pickers, a tip calculator and a bubble level when you ask for those. Also, when you ask for a stock quote, you’ll now see a full interactive graph, not just the current price of the quote.

These new features are rolling out to Android phones in the U.S. now. As usual, it may take a bit before you see them pop up on your own phone.

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The Google Assistant on Android gets more visual responses

About half a year ago, Google gave the Assistant on phones a major visual refresh. Today, the company is following up with a couple of small but welcome tweaks that’ll see the Assistant on Android provide more and better visual responses that are more aligned with what users already expect to see from other Google services.

That means when you ask for events now, for example, the response will look exactly like what you’d see if you tried the same query from your mobile browser. Until now, Google showed a somewhat pared-down version in the Assistant.

[gallery ids="1808356,1808354,1808357,1808355"]

Also — and this is going to be a bit of a controversial change — when the Assistant decides that the best answer is simply a list of websites (or when it falls back to those results because it simply doesn’t have any other answer), the Assistant used to show you a couple of boxes in a vertical layout that were not exactly user friendly. Now, the Assistant will simply show the standard Google Search layout.

Seems like a good idea, so why would that be controversial? Together with the search results, Google will also show its usual Search ads. This marks the first time that Google is showing ads in the Assistant experience. To be fair, the Assistant will only show these kinds of results for a very small number of queries, but users will likely worry that Google will bring more ads to the rest of the Assistant.

Google tells me that advertisers can’t target their ads to Assistant users and won’t get any additional information about them.

The Assistant will now also show built-in mortgage calculators, color pickers, a tip calculator and a bubble level when you ask for those. Also, when you ask for a stock quote, you’ll now see a full interactive graph, not just the current price of the quote.

These new features are rolling out to Android phones in the U.S. now. As usual, it may take a bit before you see them pop up on your own phone.

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Twitter’s latest test focuses on making conversations easier to follow by labeling tweets

Twitter continues to experiment with ways to make conversations on its platform easier to follow. In addition to its prototype app twttr, which is testing threaded replies, the company also recently tested labeling replies to highlight those from the “original tweeter” – meaning it would show when the person who first tweeted a post then replied within the conversation thread. Now, Twitter is changing up this labeling system again.

On Thursday, the company said a new test was rolling out which would instead label the “original tweeter” as “Author” – a term that’s a bit more straightforward .

“Original tweeter” had been a nod to the commonly used term”original poster,” which designates the person who started a conversation on an internet message board or online forum. But if the goal was to make Twitter easier to understand for those who are less tech-savvy, “original tweeter” may have been more confusing if they weren’t familiar with that reference.

In addition, Twitter is also now adding two new labels, “Mentioned” and “Following,” which will be added to other important tweets in conversation threads.

“Mentioned” will be added to any tweet posted by someone who the original tweeter…err, Author…had referenced in their first tweet. The “Following” label, meanwhile, will be added to tweets from those Twitter users you’re following, as a way to catch their replies when scrolling through long threads.

Oddly, these are the same sort of features that Twitter is trying out on its twttr prototype as well, but in a different way. In the invite-only testing app, the original poster is highlighted using a thin gray line next to their tweet, while those you’re following is a brighter blue.

Twitter’s larger goal here is to better design its app for longer discussions. However, the labels also can help in specific scenarios where the replies to a tweet include posts from a lot of parody accounts. Often, parody accounts have adopted usernames and profile pics to resemble that of the person they’re poking fun at – sometimes inadvertently confusing users and, other times, to blatantly troll or spam.

Despite the usefulness of features like labels, these sorts of minor changes feel like an odd thing for Twitter to focus its attention on, when users’ main demands are still an edit button and for the company to deal with abuse and harassment.

On the latter front, Twitter was recently spotted working on a “Hide Tweet” feature. While more controversial than a new label, a hide tweet button would have the potential to impact user behavior, as it allows a poster to hide the replies they didn’t like. As a result, those following a conversation would have to click a button to view these hidden replies. In other online forums, knowing that a trolling or unhelpful comment would be downvoted or removed has helped to stem bad user behavior and encourage better conversations. The feature, however, could be used to silence dissenting opinions, which some people don’t like.

If Twitter won’t roll out an edit button, experiments around dealing with trolls through product features would probably be more useful than continually tweaking Twitter’s extra little flourishes.

will you please, please ever just leave it alone. it's fine.

— lua james (@poptivist) April 4, 2019

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What Are Passwordless Logins? Are They Actually Secure?

Passwords are vital to your internet security. But with so many services, both online and offline, keeping track of your passwords is difficult. Passwordless login systems are starting to take off, removing the requirement to input a password each time you log in to a service.

But if you’re not using a password, how do you secure your account? What are passwordless logins and are they secure?

What Is a Passwordless Login?

Passwordless logins are authentication systems that use alternatives to a password enable access to your account. For instance, instead of a password, you receive an email notification that acts as a login token. Alternatively, you might receive a pop-up on your smartphone allowing you to control access to an account.

In that, passwordless login often uses a pre-existing form of authentication to guarantee your identity.

You might have already encountered passwordless logins using your Gmail account. Instead of having to enter your password each time you log in, Google can send a prompt directly to your phone. The prompt shows the time and location of the login attempt, with the option to approve or deny the login.

How Does a Passwordless Login Work?

When you log into a website, you must provide a password to unlock your account. The password is known only to you and the site, keeping your account secure. You trust the site will keep your password safe, store it securely, and that the site itself is not vulnerable.

Also, you definitely already use strong, unique passwords for each site and service, because that is the most secure practice.

However, it is the latter that has become difficult. Creating a strong single-use password for each site has seen users create easily memorable but terrible passwords. And even if you do create a secure password, a glance at the number of data breaches each month might undermine your efforts.

With passwordless authentication, you don’t have to trust the website with a password. Instead of inputting a password each time, passwordless logins use a few different authentication methods.

Email-Based Passwordless Authentication

The most common passwordless login system is currently via email. Many users will find email-based passwordless login the most familiar system, working similarly to a password reset.

When you attempt to login, you provide an email address. The service sends a secure email to the address associated with the account, and the email contains a secure, single-use magic link to enter your service account. The magic link includes a unique login token that the service verifies, swapping it for a long-time validation token.

There are other variants on the email system. For instance, in the case of an existing account, the service may send the user a single-use DKIM key code tied to their account details. The user receives the DKIM code and enters it in the site. The site verifies the code against the existing user details and completes the login process.

SMS-Based Passwordless Login

In this instance, the user enters a valid phone number. The service sends a single-use code to the phone number. The user can then log in to the service. Alternatively, some services offer to “robo-call” the user, where a text-to-speech service will read the code directly.

SMS security is under scrutiny, however. The vast majority of us have little to worry about. But several high-worth individuals (especially those with large volumes of cryptocurrencies) suffered SMS sim-hacking attacks. Check out precisely what a sim-swapping attack is and how you protect against it.

Biometric-Based Passwordless Login

Some passwordless login methods use biometric scanning services to authenticate your identity. Biometric authentication services are featuring on more devices than ever. (Should you switch to a biometric service for your smartphone?)

The idea is that when you want to access a site, a prompt appears on your smartphone. You unlock the smartphone using your preferred biometric system, and the unlock acts as verification for your identity.

However, aside from Apple’s Face ID (for devices including and manufactured after the iPhone X, iPad Pro third generation, and iPod Touch seventh generation), mobile device biometric scanning isn’t entirely secure.

Other manufacturers face scanning hardware isn’t as advanced and is tricked using a photograph, whereas it takes a full 3D printed and painted head to trick Apple’s Face ID. In other cases, fingerprint scanners allow partial recognition to unlock a device.

At the current time, a biometric passwordless login system probably isn’t the best option. In the future, however, it could become the best option.

Physical Key Passwordless Login

Physical security keys offer another passwordless login authentication option. A physical security key is a special USB security key. When you want to access your account, you plug your security key into your computer. The online service validates your account via the security key, removing the need for a password.

Prime examples of a physical security key include Google’s Titan series and Yubico’s Yubikey series.

Are Passwordless Logins Like Two-Factor Authentication?

Yes and no.

Yes, a passwordless login is similar to two-factor authentication (2FA) in that you access your account using an alternative authentication method. 2FA works by securing your account using two separate factors, usually a password and a separate device.

No, it isn’t the same because although you are using a separate device to authenticate your account, it is still only a single factor.

Is a Passwordless Login More Secure?

Anything that stops users creating terrible passwords is good, right? Passwordless logins remove another point of failure from the end-user. At the current time, passwordless logins are not widespread. Several major services are using them, such as Gmail (as mentioned above) and Slack Magic Links.

The biggest positive for website owners and moderators is the sudden lack of having to deal with user passwords. Unencrypted passwords stored in a cleartext file is the stuff of nightmares; it is the stuff of dreams for a hacker. Users who rarely access a service wouldn’t have to go through the “reset your password” rigmarole, either.

Passwordless logins could also help users sign into the service quickly. Conversely, if you are regularly signed out of the service, having to re-authorize via email or SMS might become irritating, depending on the length of time.

For Now, Use a Password Manager

Passwordless logins will take time to become the mainstream. The ball is rolling, though. Most major browsers (all but Safari) support passwordless login of one kind or another. In February 2019, Google also announced that devices running Android 7 (that’s Android Nougat) or later would also receive passwordless login support.

That means passwordless login support for nearly 50 percent of all Android devices. And passwordless login standards such as FIDO2 and WebAuthn will continue to receive updates, further securing the authentication method.

At the time of writing, you still need a password. You need a strong, single-use password. With that in mind, why not consider using a password manager?

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How to Recover Deleted Text Messages on Your iPhone

What’s the Best Browser for Android TV? 5 Top Apps, Ranked

You can use your Android TV to stream TV shows and movies from services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, watch your locally-saved media via apps such as Kodi and Plex, and even stream games from your computer to your TV screen.

However, your Android TV can also be used to browse the web. Unfortunately, no browser comes pre-installed on the stock version of the operating system. Which is the best browser for Android TV? Here are your best options.

1. Puffin TV Browser

Many Android TV browsers do not work with your device’s remote. You’ll need to use a gaming controller or a smartphone app to operate and navigate around the app.

We start, therefore, with Puffin TV Browser. This one does work with your Android TV’s basic remote, making it an excellent choice for all users.

The Puffin TV Browser has a version that’s been specifically designed for Android TV boxes—it’s not just a repurposed mobile Android app. The specially-designed interface means Puffin is lightweight, fast, and easy-on-the-eye.

Other features include QR codes for adding your favorite sites to the app and support for Adobe Flash as and when it’s needed.

The browser’s servers are based in the US, meaning you will see the American version of sites.

Download: Puffin TV Browser (Free)

2. Google Chrome

It’s odd that Chrome does not come pre-installed on the Android TV operating system. It is perhaps even stranger that there’s no dedicated Android TV version of the app and it is not available in the Android TV Play Store.

However, those oddities do not preclude you from installing Chrome on your Android TV. You can install the app on your Android TV box using the web version of the Play Store. Some devices will even let you install the app using a voice command.

Using Google Chrome on Android TV has both pros and cons. On the pro side, if you’re an existing Chrome user, you will have access to all your bookmarks, browsing history, and other synced content.

One of the cons is that Chrome probably won’t work with your existing Android TV remote, which makes it a little more awkward to use than some other options.

Download: Chrome (Free)

3. Mozilla Firefox

Firefox is another well-known desktop and mobile browser that you can sideload onto your Android TV device.

Like Chrome, there is no dedicated Android TV version of Firefox. The lack of its presence on the Android TV Play Store is due to Google’s restrictive requirements on what qualifies as an Android TV app.

People who use Firefox on Android TV often point to its extensions as one of the app’s core benefits. Unlike Google Chrome, almost all your extensions will work on the Android TV platform.

Anecdotally, lots of users also say that browsing YouTube is faster when using Firefox than when using the official YouTube app. You may not experience the same results.

Remember, you can easily manage Firefox or any other sideloaded apps on your Android TV, so don’t let the sideloading aspect put you off.

Download: Firefox (Free)

4. TVWeb Browser

TVWeb Browser is more in the mold of Puffin TV Browser. It’s a web browser that’s specifically designed to run on the Android TV operating system.

Navigation is simple. On the left-hand side of the screen, you have access to your favorite search engines, your bookmarks, and the settings menu, and that’s all there is to it.

In terms of features, TVWeb Browser offers integrated voice search, bookmarks, access to your browsing history, User Agent switching, customizable search engines, and an on-screen mouse pointer that you can control with your regular Android TV remote.

TVWeb Browser is free to download and use.

Download: TVWeb Browser (Free)

5. Web Browser for Android TV

The unimaginatively-named Web Browser for Android TV is another Android TV browser worth considering.

We don’t think navigation is as smooth as what you’ll experience in the Puffin TV Browser or TVWeb Browser, but at least it’s another viable option if your only means of control is the standard remote.

Some of Web Browser for Android TV’s features include support for HTML5 full-screen videos and customizable bookmarks.

Download: Web Browser for Android TV (Free)

Other Ways to Browse the Web on Android TV

If none of the browsers we have looked at are sufficient enough to meet your needs, there are a couple of alternatives available to you.

GameStream

If you own an Nvidia Shield (and you should, as the Nvidia Shield is one of the best boxes for cord cutters), you can use the device’s GameStream feature to access your Windows desktop and thus use any desktop browser you choose.

The process is possible because GameStream lets you manually add any game through the GeForce Experience app on your PC. If you add C:\Windows\System32\mstsc.exe (the Remote Desktop Connection app) you can be looking at your computer’s desktop in seconds.

Of course, you will need to use your Android TV remote as the mouse, which could be tedious. If your Android TV box supports it, you could use a Bluetooth-enabled mouse instead.

Cast Your Screen

Android TV boxes come with built-in Chromecast technology. As such, you can use Chromecast to cast your computer screen to your TV, again allowing you to use any desktop browser you’ve installed.

The downside of using Chromecast to access a browser on Android TV is the lag. It will not be a suitable solution for some tasks, but it’s more than adequate for streaming video and listening to audio.

Which Is the Best Android TV Browser?

After looking at various options, and weighing up the pros and cons, we like Puffin TV Browser the most. It’s clean, fast, and offers the right balance between features and usability.

And if you would like to learn more about the Android TV, be sure to check out our articles looking at the best Android TV launchers and the best Android TV apps to sideload.

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5 Trivia-Filled YouTube Channels Full of Fun Facts

Do you love trivia? Some people get a thrill out of knowing the answers questions covering all kinds of topics. And if that description fits you to a tee, you’ve come to the right place.

This article rounds up some of the best trivia-filled YouTube channels full of interesting facts. And you can learn something new whether just for fun or as preparation for your next trivia night.

1. The Trivia Channel

This aptly named channel is a simple delight for trivia fans. It regularly uploads videos containing 15 trivia questions each. Most of these are in the “general knowledge” category (up to 64 as of this writing) but you’ll find a few on movies, health, food, and other topics as well.

Each video is presented as a simple slideshow. You’ll have several seconds to choose from three possible answers for each question. After the answer is revealed, you’ll see a brief explanation of the answer. With each video clocking in around six minutes, this is the perfect way to start your morning.

The newest general knowledge video at the time of writing contains questions on Euchre, the flag of Chad, Men in Black, and more. See how much you know!

For something a little more focused, check out this trivia challenge that focuses specifically on animals. You’ll be asked how many stomachs a cow has, which continent has the most rabbits, and which type of shark is most dangerous.

By the way, for trivia on the go, we’ve looked at alternatives to HQ Trivia for testing your knowledge while you’re out and about.

2. Tech Geeks Try Stuff

MakeUseOf’s own Tech Geeks Try Stuff channel is a great place to test your tech trivia knowledge. We’ve uploaded a few videos putting our authors’ tech knowledge to the test, and plan to make more videos like this in the future.

TGTS Season 2 kicked off with a mega-episode of tech trivia. In it, our writers, James, Ben, Tina, Dave, and Joel square off by answering five questions each. Who will get the most right? Don’t forget to play along and record your score.

Later in Season 2, everyone was challenged to a second round of tech trivia. This time, an incorrect answer being penalized with a forkful of fire noodles! Feel free to play along with this one too—you might even want to create your own penalty for an incorrect answer.

3. Mental Floss

Mental Floss is a treasure trove of information about every topic imaginable. You’ll find videos debunking myths, words that changed meanings, facts about famous landmarks, and much more.

The chances are that you’ll find a video on every topic you’re interested in and plenty more that will catch your eye. Many of its videos feature John Green, noted novelist and YouTube personality.

The channel’s latest video at the time of writing looks at all sorts of myths about animals that simply aren’t true. How many of these misconceptions do you believe?

Make sure to dig into the archives of Mental Floss, because it has a lot of old trivia-filled videos worth watching. This one looks at some fun facts about national parks in the U.S.

4. DidYouKnowGaming?

If you can’t get enough facts about video games, DidYouKnowGaming (DYKG) is the channel for you. Here you’ll find fact-filled videos about particular series, video game consoles, developers, and more. Even cooler, the videos are narrated by a variety of gaming YouTubers.

DYKG has been around for years, so you can dig through the sizeable archives. Keep an eye out for videos about region-specific titles, game that never saw the light of day, and gaming censorship. You’ll be amazed how much information you can learn about your favorite games.

The SNES is the favorite classic console of many. Find out more about some of its games in this interesting video.

Since the PS4 has recently received remakes of classic series like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon, many have a renewed interest in these franchises. So why not take a look at this video for some fun facts about Crash Team Racing.

5. FunnyFriQuiz

We wrap up with another fun general trivia channel. This one features regular videos with trivia questions about music, movies, TV shows, and a few miscellaneous topics like logos and country flags.

Some videos present you with three possible answers to a question and reveal the correct response after a few seconds. Others ask you to identify objects by their silhouettes. Every video offers something a little different, so be sure to give many of them a try.

Many famous people throughout history weren’t actually known by their real names. Do you know who Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, David Robert Jones, and Eric Arthur Blair are? It’s time to find out.

For a different kind of challenge, in this video you’re charged with identifying well-known cartoon characters by their silhouettes alone. It’s a lot harder than you might think.

Test Your Knowledge Further

These channels will provide you with hundreds of new facts. You can use them to impress others, win your next trivia showdown, or just enjoy knowing a little bit more about your favorite topics.

Your trivia journey doesn’t have to end here. These mobile music trivia games ask you to name that tune, which makes them perfect for people who love music AND trivia.

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Google pulls the plug on AI council that included Heritage Foundation leader

Google has abandoned an advisory board on ethics in AI after critics questioned the inclusion of Kay Coles James, leader of the right-wing think tank the Heritage Foundation, on the 8-person panel. Google employees and thousands more concerned people called for this mistake to be corrected, and in response the company has apparently chosen to drop the whole thing. Vox first reported the news.

The Advanced Technology External Advisory Council was launched late in March to “consider some of Google’s most complex challenges that arise under our AI Principles, like facial recognition and fairness in machine learning, providing diverse perspectives to inform our work.”

Among the names well known in tech and academia, James stood out; She and the Heritage Foundation harbor, as my colleague put it just two days ago, “vehemently anti-LGBT views and a deep track record of advocating for climate change denialism in the service of the oil and gas industry.”

Google’s anti-trans controversy is the latest case of big tech overcorrecting to the right

Although a diversity of backgrounds and political affiliations are surely necessary for an advisory body like this one to be effective, the particular stands James has made on immigration, social issues, and climate change, among others, made her inclusion puzzling for a company that is normally rather progressive on those topics. Including opposing viewpoints is one thing, but James and the Heritage Foundation cross the line into conduct that could be called hateful or disinformation.

A group organized within Google to oppose James’s inclusion, saying that it “elevates and endorses her views, implying that hers is a valid perspective worthy of inclusion in its decision making.” As of today 2,380 employees signed a petition asking her to be removed.

Other panelists were asked by many to justify their choices to work alongside James. Some, like Joanna Bryson and Luciano Floridi, felt they could do more good at the table than away from it (while not condoning James’s views); another, Alessandro Acquisti, ‘declined the invitation’ after being announced as part of the panel.

Ultimately it seems like Google felt the panel was more trouble than it was worth. In a statement added to the original announcement post (less than 10 days old), it wrote:

It’s become clear that in the current environment, ATEAC can’t function as we wanted. So we’re ending the council and going back to the drawing board. We’ll continue to be responsible in our work on the important issues that AI raises, and will find different ways of getting outside opinions on these topics.

This rather ambiguous statement doesn’t do much to clear things up, and Google did not provide any further details in an email to TechCrunch. But going back to the drawing board sounds like a good idea.

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After Effects Can Now Remove Unwanted Objects From Video

Adobe is bringing Photoshop’s Content-Aware Fill feature across to After Effects. But while Photoshop’s version of the feature is limited to removing unwanted elements from still images, After Effects can now remove unwanted objects from videos.

How After Effects’ Content-Aware Fill Works

Adobe After Effects now has the ability to remove unwanted elements from video footage. You identify the objects you want to remove from the video, and After Effects will do the rest. It analyzes the full composition, and selects which pixels to use.

After Effects’ Content-Aware Fill uses Adobe Sensei to take the hard work out of removing unwanted objects from video. Rather than requiring you to edit footage frame-by-frame, the artificial intelligence will do the heavy lifting for you.

This could prove useful in a number of different scenarios. Ranging from removing mic booms which accidentally entered a shot, to removing the modern vehicles in a period piece. And skilled video editors should be able to achieve perfection in a matter of minutes.

In this Adobe Blog post, Adobe explains how Creative Cloud subscribers can explore Content-Aware Fill using free footage from Adobe Stock. This should allow you to get to grips with the new feature before applying it to your own video footage.

Adobe’s Spring 2019 Creative Cloud Updates

Content-Aware Fill is coming to After Effects as part of the Spring 2019 updates. These updates are also bringing a Freeform Project panel to Premiere Pro, Punch and Roll to Adobe Audition, and better puppet rigging to Character Animator.

You can find out about all of these new features in this post on the Adobe Blog. And if you’re not yet using the tools mentioned in this article, here are our reasons to buy the Adobe Creative Cloud. One of which is getting instant access to new features.

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5 Reasons to Start Using GNOME Epiphany Web Apps

Do you frequently use web apps? Would you prefer them to be more integrated into your desktop? The free and open source web browser called GNOME Web, aka Epiphany, can do just that.

This feature is not exclusive to GNOME Web. You’ll find web apps for Google Chrome in the Chrome Web Store, and Google once provided the option to make your own. Creating web apps in Mozilla Firefox is possible, but it requires even more effort.

In contrast, GNOME Web not only makes it easy to create custom web apps, you may find that it does a better job.

What Is GNOME Web?

GNOME Web is the largest web browser designed specifically for Linux and other free desktops. The browser comes from the GNOME Project, and like many GNOME apps, the design emphasizes simplicity and minimalism. GNOME’s software, such as the GNOME Desktop Environment and the GTK+ toolkit, serves as the backbone of many open source desktops and apps.

GNOME Web formerly went by the name Epiphany. The name changed to GNOME Web as part of GNOME 3.4 in 2012, but developers still refer to the project as Epiphany behind the scenes.

For this reason, GNOME Web still goes by multiple names. If you search for the browser in a Linux app store, you may want to search for GNOME Web. But if you’re using a terminal-based package manager, you may want to try looking for epiphany or epiphany-browser.

Meanwhile, elementary OS refers to the browser as Epiphany, and it is perhaps the most popular Linux desktop to ship the browser by default.

What Are Web Apps?

Traditional websites are relatively static. They read like newspaper or magazine pages. Web apps function more like desktop software that you can only access via a browser. Technically, they’re programs that run on someone else’s servers and you access remotely.

When you check your email, you’re using a web app. If you open YouTube, Netflix, or Spotify in a browser, again, you’re using a web app. These days, you can replace most of your desktop apps with web apps.

Web apps can feel a bit removed from the rest of the desktop. To access them, you have to open the browser, enter the web app’s web address, and then log in to the service.

GNOME Web provides tools to better integrate web apps with the rest of your desktop, so you can open them via your app launcher and view them in your dock or taskbar. This way they feel more like apps and less like sites.

Why You Should Use GNOME Web for Web Apps

If you like web apps and use Linux, there are several reasons why GNOME Web is one of your best options.

1. GNOME Web Has Great Linux Desktop Integration

Epiphany’s web apps fit right in on GNOME, the browser’s native desktop environment. They also feel at home on elementary OS. Both provide interfaces where apps have a single HeaderBar rather than the combination of a titlebar and various toolbars.

This approach allows windows to take up less vertical space while still providing access to a few buttons and preferences.

When you create a web app, the HeaderBar contains a back arrow, forward arrow, and refresh button. It also displays the site name and URL. Unlike a regular browser window, you can’t manually enter a different URL. Yet for better or worse, thanks to this layout, you won’t forget that the app you’re using is a contained browser window.

On desktops other than GNOME or elementary OS’s Pantheon, the web apps you create using GNOME Web will likely look out of place. That’s due to interfaces having different Human Interface Guidelines.

2. Sign Into Web Apps Using Multiple Accounts

GNOME Web lets you create as many web apps as you like. Not only that, you can create multiple apps for the same site. If you have multiple email, Slack, or social media accounts, you can create a different web app for each.

Plus, thanks to a feature called individual session management, GNOME Web treats each web app as its own separate instance. This means you can sign into more than one account simultaneously. It’s like opening a second (or third) window in Incognito or Private Browsing mode, only more convenient.

3. GNOME Web Has a Built-In Web App Manager

GNOME Web comes with a simple but great Application Manager. This section of the browser shows which web apps you have created and gives you the option to remove them. This is vital, since desktops often don’t provide an intuitive way to uninstall web apps.

In newer versions, you can open the Application Manager from GNOME Web’s menu. In older releases, there’s no indication that the manager exists, but it’s still there. You just need to type about:applications into the navigation bar.

4. GNOME Web Offers Security Benefits

When you open a web app in web browser, the site can save cookies that track the pages you visit and the links you click on other parts of the internet. In this way, cookies can erode your online privacy.

If you choose to create a dedicated web app, you isolate the cookies and other website data from the rest of your browser. This way you can log into Facebook or Gmail in a web app without giving either company’s cookies the ability to track you elsewhere on the web.

5. GNOME Web’s Web Apps Are Easy to Edit

GNOME Web lets you assign each web app its own name, but it doesn’t give you the option to change the icons. Instead, it downloads one on its own. Fortunately, once you know where to look, the change is easy to make.

Open your file browser and navigate to /home/.config/epiphany (if you’re typing the path out directly, it’s /home/user/.config/epiphany). You may need to press Ctrl + H to show hidden folders.

Each web app will have its own folder, which reads “app-epiphany” followed by the web app’s name and a string of numbers. Inside this folder, you will find an image titled “app-icon.png.” Replace this image with one of your choice, making sure to keep the name.

How to Create Web Apps Using GNOME Web

Now that you’ve seen why GNOME Web is a great, let’s start making some web apps. The process may be easier than you expect.

Navigate to a website or web app that you’d like to create a dedicated version for and click the menu icon on the top right of the application. In the menu that displays, choose Install Site As Web Application. Alternatively, you can press Ctrl + Shift + A.

A new window will appear asking you to name the web app, and automatically suggest a name to you using the current web address. After you click the Create button, you can now find the web app in your app launcher alongside your other desktop apps.

Have You Had an Epiphany?

GNOME Web isn’t a cross-platform web browser, and with popular versions of Linux choosing to pre-install Firefox instead, it’s easy not to know GNOME Web exists. But for many of us, this web browser is a hidden gem.

I value GNOME Web for its simplicity and GNOME integration, but the ability to install web apps is another reason this is one of the best web browsers available for Linux.

Read the full article: 5 Reasons to Start Using GNOME Epiphany Web Apps

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How to Send Completely Anonymous Emails: 5 Methods

Have you ever needed to send a completely anonymous email? Maybe you want to declare your love for someone discreetly. Or perhaps you’re a journalist or an informant and need to tip someone off without arousing suspicion.

There are plenty of legitimate reasons to send an anonymous email. There are free online services that allow you to send an anonymous email. Alternatively, you can use a burner email account and a VPN to protect your identity.

It is easy to send an email without revealing your identity. Here are several methods for how to send an anonymous email.

1. Use a Burner Email Account and a VPN

Using a webmail account like Gmail to send an anonymous email is a great option. You can sign up for a Gmail account without providing any identifying information. Afterward, you can use that email address as a burner account.

Furthermore, when you send an anonymous email from Gmail, the originating IP address (where the email came from) in the email header is a Google server address, rather than your IP address. The change in IP address gives you another level of anonymity. (Here’s how you read an email header to trace the original IP address.)

If someone were to trace the IP address in the email header, it would only reveal a Google server location. The server isn’t neccessarily close to your location either, but it is worth covering your tracks.

With that said, your actual IP address is stored on Google’s systems. So, if the government or any other authority ever came knocking and asked for your location, Google could provide it.

Increase Your Email Anonymity Using a VPN

You can increase your privacy with the addition of a virtual private network (VPN). Unsure what a VPN is? Read about what a VPN connection is and precisely how it works.

We strongly recommend paying for a reputable VPN service instead of relying on a free VPN. You can use this link to grab a special MakeUseOf discount on an ExpressVPN plan, or this link for a discount on CyberGhost.

Once you connect to the VPN, your IP address is secure. When you send an email from your Gmail account, there are two differences:

1. If you trace the IP address, the Google server will not appear near your location, and
2. If the government requests your IP address, Google cannot provide your IP address, only that of the VPN service.

Regarding the latter point, that is why it is vital to use a paid VPN service that doesn’t log your connection details. If there is a log, they can turn it over. A free VPN is more likely to keep a log.

Note: An anonymous burner email account isn’t the same as a disposable email account!

2. Use Your Email Client and a VPN

The second method for sending an anonymous email is using an email client installed on your system. There are three steps to take to make sure you remain anonymous:

• Sign up for a throwaway email address (like Gmail, Yahoo Mail, GMX, or similar)
• Install Thunderbird or an alternative free email client
• Install and connect to a VPN service (follow the instructions from the first section)

All you have to do is fire up your VPN and make sure your computer is using a remote IP address. Then, send an email via your email client using the throwaway account. Now the email header will show your VPN IP address instead of your originating IP address in the email header.

3. AnonEmail

AnonEmail is an anonymous email service by AnonyMouse. The AnonEmail service allows you to send anonymous emails using a series of nodes. When you send your email using the service, it bounces through several random nodes, making it impossible to trace back to your IP address.

AnonEmail is easy to use. You fill in your recipient, the subject, and a short plain-text message, then “Send Anonymously.” Contrary to many other services, AnonEMail does not (appear to) log your IP address. When testing, it didn’t show or trace my IP address. However, I would strongly advise you not to send anything sensitive or illegal.

As an extra security measure, AnonEmail will wait for an unknown period before sending your email. The reason being that if further distances you from the email, disassociating you from the send time, send location, and any potential geographic presumptions based on timezones.

4. Cyber Atlantis

Cyber Atlantis is another free anonymous email service that strips out your IP address. The Cyber Atlantis service also offers PGP encryption. This means as well as sending your email without an IP address, you can also encrypt the content of the email before sending it.

The content of the email is then completely secure. Only the owner of the public key can unlock the message content with a private key. The use of public key encryption could have an unintended consequence. For instance, if the encryption key isn’t widely used, and has only been distributed to a handful of people, the anonymous email recipient could attempt to figure out the sender.

5. ProtonMail

If you need a completely secure, anonymous, and two-way email service, ProtonMail is the answer. ProtonMail has a long history of offering secure email services, and millions of people rely on them to keep their communication private and anonymous at all times.

Some core ProtonMail features include:

• End-to-End Encryption: Messages are not only encrypted when they’re sent from ProtonMail servers, but all stored messages are encrypted as well. Without access to the appropriate ProtonMail account, no one can access your messages.
• Private User Data: ProtonMail’s encryption process, which uses an encryption key on your computer, meaning even the system administrators at ProtonMail can’t access your messages. On the downside, this means they can’t recover your account for you. On the upside, it means they can’t provide your messages to any governing authority either.
• Open Source Cryptography: Since ProtonMail uses open-source cryptographic libraries, you can be sure there are no “back doors” available for anyone to access your emails. That includes both system administrators or hackers.

If you regularly send two-way encrypted emails, you should consider signing up for a ProtonMail account and using that as your primary address.

The Best Anonymous Email Provider

What is the best anonymous email service? The answer is dependent on your requirements. If you regularly send anonymous emails and require the extra protection of encryption, check out ProtonMail. Even ProtonMail cannot access your email account!

If you’re in a pinch, one of the browser-based anonymous email services offers a quick fix.

Not sure which VPN service is right for you? See our comparison of the best VPN services. If you’re looking for other ways to bolster your personal security, you may also want to take a look at boosting your PC’s security.

Read the full article: How to Send Completely Anonymous Emails: 5 Methods

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