Almost everyone has some harmless piece of personal information floating around on the internet. Now, it’s almost unavoidable. But it’s a completely different story when someone writes something libelous about you or exposes a sensitive piece of information.
If you find false or private data on the web, you need to learn how to remove information from the internet. Follow along to find out what you need to do to act.
In the United States and in many countries around the world, truthful statements about another person are safe to publish. However, publishing outright lies with the intent to defame or injure the reputation of others is illegal.
In the U.S., the victim of libel has the right to bring a civil lawsuit against the defamer. Such lawsuits are usually very expensive and not worth the effort for most people. If you find that someone has published untrue information about you online, there are less expensive and more effective ways to remove that false, libelous information from the web. That’s why it’s important to know how to remove your address from the internet, along with other sensitive information that websites know about you.
Before you do anything else, swallow your pride and contact the person who published the information. Locate the contact details on the website if you can. Then, send a friendly email pointing out why what they wrote is untrue.
Don’t call them a liar, just ask them if they wouldn’t mind entering a friendly dialog with you regarding the issues that were published. You’d be surprised how many of these situations arise out of a gross misunderstanding.
Communicating with the other person can immediately clear up any disagreements you may have had, and you may discover that the author is willing to remove the hurtful page. Kindness can often go a very long way to getting what you want.
Unfortunately, the odds are pretty good that you may be dealing with an unstable or unreasonable individual. They may get obnoxious and refuse to cooperate. That’s when it’s time to step it up a notch.
When the owner of the website won’t cooperate, you need to get serious. The following steps will help you remove your information from the internet. While this guide doesn’t tell you how to remove your name from the internet completely, it’ll give you a surefire way to get your private information off the web.
To prevent any of these situations happening in the future, you might want to think about improving your online privacy as well.
Before you conduct full-fledged warfare against the offending website, you’ll need to do a little bit of investigating. The first step is to identify the name and contact information for the person who registered the site that hosts the libelous material.
For this, try the DomainTools Whois Lookup. This site gives you detailed information about the website you’re searching for. All you need to do is enter the site’s URL into the search bar.
To view the site’s full writeup, you’ll need to scroll to the bottom of the page and verify yourself with a CAPTCHA. You’ll see a contact email under “Registrant Email” or “Administrative Contact.” You can use these emails to try to get in touch with the owner of the site.
At the top of the page, DomainTools also provides information regarding the site’s host under the “Registrar” section. Once you know the name of the web hosting company, visit the website and obtain their contact information, as well as a list of the host’s Terms and Conditions. Make a list of those terms that the offending webmaster has broken on their website.
If you’ve contacted the webmaster and they are unwilling to cooperate, then the first part of this battle is to fire off as many abuse violation reports as needed. Your first order of business is to report a violation to their web host. It’s important that you find a violation on the web page that goes against the terms and conditions of the host. Most web hosts do not allow the posting of personal information or any form of libel.
For example, GoDaddy, a popular web host, provides a form that allows you to file any abuse complaints. Simply find the place on the offending website where the author makes use of your name and other personal information without your permission and use it as your evidence.
Another approach is to remove information from Google and get that web page delisted from the search engines. Google is the powerhouse of online information, so getting delisted from Google will virtually destroy any chance the offending website will have of getting visibility.
If you’re wondering how to remove yourself from Google search entirely, you might not get the answer you’re looking for. There are only some scenarios where Google will remove specific results. Those situations include when any of the following are published on a web page:
In most cases, you can use this form to submit your request to remove content from Google.
If the website that’s posted libel about you hasn’t broken any privacy rules, you still have a chance of removing their site from Google if you can find a case of abuse related to Google’s Terms and Conditions. Search the website and try to find examples of any of the following:
If you can identify any of the above activities on the website, submit a report to Google using the Spam Report Tool.
Now that you know how to remove your information from the internet, as well as how to report a website for slander, you can feel a little more at ease. If you don’t get a response from the website owner or host on the first try, don’t give up. As a last resort, you can turn to Google to take care of any personal information posted on the web.
You might also notice your personal information lingering on websites that list directories. To get rid of that information, take these steps to delete your personal data from public records websites.
Read the full article: How to Remove False Personal Information on the Internet
JavaScript has become a staple in modern web development. This powerful language has evolved into an essential tool for any web developer to understand.
JavaScript has special features that make it different from traditional programming languages. We’re going to dig into what it is, how it works, and what you can do with it. Let’s break it down.
JavaScript is a scripting language for the web. It is an interpreted language, which means it does not need a compiler to translate its code like C or C++. JavaScript code runs directly in a web browser.
The latest version of the language is ECMAScript 2018 which was released in June 2018.
JavaScript works with HTML and CSS to build web apps or web pages. JavaScript is supported by most modern web browsers like Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Microsoft Edge, Opera, etc. Most mobile browsers for Android and iPhone now support JavaScript as well.
JavaScript controls the dynamic elements of web pages. It works in web browsers and, more recently, on web servers as well. Application Programming Interfaces (API) are also supported by JavaScript, giving you more functionality.
Understanding all the ways JavaScript works is a little easier when you understand how web programming works, so let’s learn more.
There are three components that build websites and apps: Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), and JavaScript. Each one has a role in creating a web app.
All three parts work in harmony with each other to create full-scale apps. It would be a good idea to learn more about HTML and CSS if you’re not entirely comfortable with them.
Before writing JavaScript it’s important to know how it works under the hood. There are two important pieces to learn about: How the web browser works, and the Document Object Model (DOM).
The web browser loads a web page, parses the HTML, and creates what is known as a Document Object Model (DOM) from the contents. The DOM presents a live view of the web page to your JavaScript code.
The browser will then grab everything linked to the HTML, like images and CSS files. The CSS information comes from the CSS parser.
The HTML and CSS are put together by the DOM to create the web page first. Then, the browsers’ JavaScript engine loads JavaScript files and inline code but does not run the code immediately. It waits for the HTML and CSS to finish loading.
Once this is done, the JavaScript is executed in the order the code is written. This results in the DOM being updated by JavaScript code and rendered by the browser.
The order here is important. If the JavaScript did not wait for the HTML and CSS to finish, it would not be able to change the DOM elements.
JavaScript is a full-fledged programming language that can do most things a regular language like Python can do. These include:
Warning: Since JavaScript is such a powerful language, it is also possible to write malware, viruses, and browser hacks to inflict them on the users. These range from stealing browser cookies, passwords, credit cards to downloading viruses onto your computer.
Let’s look at some JavaScript basics with code examples.
JavaScript is dynamically typed, which means you do not have to declare the type of your variables in your code.
let num = 5;
let myString = "Hello";
var interestRate = 0.25;
Addition
12 + 5
>> 17
Subtraction
20 - 8
>> 12
Multiplication
5 * 2
>> 10
Division
50 / 2
>> 25
Modulus
45 % 4
>> 1
let myArray = [1,2,4,5];
let stringArray = ["hello","world"];
JavaScript can write functions, here’s a simple function that adds numbers.
function addNumbers(num1,num2){
return num1 + num2;
}
>> addNumbers(10,5);
>> 15
JavaScript can perform loops for iteration, loops like for loops and while loops.
for(let i = 0; i < 3; i++){
console.log("echo!");
}
>> echo!
>> echo!
>> echo!
let i = 0;
while(i < 3) {
console.log("echo!");
i++;
}
>> echo!
>> echo!
>> echo!
// Writing a comment
/*Writing a multi-line comment
You can use as many lines as you like
to break up text and make comments more readable
*/
The most common way to load JavaScript in a web page is to use the script HTML tag. Depending on your requirements, you can use one of the following methods.
<script type="text/javascript" src="/path/to/javascript"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.2.1.min.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
alert("Page is loaded");
</script>
Other than these methods there are ways of loading JavaScript code on demand. In fact, there are frameworks dedicated to loading and running JavaScript modules with proper dependencies resolved at run time.
Those are more advanced topics, right now you’re learning the basics.
Here are some simple JavaScript code samples to illustrate how it is used on web pages. These are examples of code that work with the DOM.
var elems = document.getElementsByTagName('b');
elems[0].style.color = 'red';
<img id="myImg" src="prev-image.png">
<button onclick="document.getElementById('myImg').src='new-image.png'">Change Image</button>
<p id="first-para">Hello World</p>
<button onclick="document.getElementById('first-para').innerHTML = "Welcome to JavaScript!"'>Click me</button>
These code samples offer just a glimpse into what you can do using JavaScript on your web page. There are plenty of tutorials that can teach you how to code to get you started. You can try it out on any web page, even this one! Open up your console and try out some JavaScript code.
Hopefully, this introduction has brought some insights into JavaScript and gets you excited about web programming. There is much more to learn about JavaScript. Once you feel more comfortable why not try to learn how to use the Document Object Model?
Read the full article: What Is JavaScript and How Does It Work?
Whether you need a customizable operating system or a better environment for software development, you can get it by installing Linux on your Mac. Linux is incredibly versatile (it’s used to run everything from smartphones to supercomputers), and you can install it on your MacBook Pro, iMac, or even your Mac mini.
Apple adding Boot Camp to macOS made it easy for people to dual boot Windows, but installing Linux is another matter entirely. Follow the steps below to learn how to do this.
Your Mac offers excellent performance, superb battery life, and long durability. The hardware on a Mac is difficult to match, which makes it an incredibly powerful machine for running Linux.
What’s more, Linux breathes life into old Macs that are no longer eligible for macOS updates. Rather than letting your old MacBook Pro turn into an expensive paperweight, install the latest version of Linux and keep it going for years to come.
There are many different versions of Linux available, but for the purposes of this tutorial, we suggest installing Ubuntu on your Mac. Ubuntu is the most popular Linux distribution, which means there are lots of active support communities available if you ever need help.
We even wrote an extensive beginner’s guide to Ubuntu you can use to get started with it.
With a dual boot system, both macOS and Linux are installed on your Mac. Hold Option while your computer boots up to choose which operating system to use. The main difference between a dual boot system and a virtual machine is that you can only use one OS at a time while dual-booting, but you get better performance.
If you don’t plan to ever use macOS again, you might want to completely replace it with Linux instead. That way, none of your storage is used up by its system files.
However, if you ever change your mind, it’s difficult and time-consuming to restore macOS again in the future. This is especially true since Linux writes over the macOS Recovery partition.
For that reason, we recommend you dual boot Linux on your Mac. If you’re really certain you don’t want to do that, just skip the Partition step in the instructions below.
To install Linux on your Mac, you need a USB flash drive with at least 2GB of storage. You’ll erase the flash drive in a future step to put an Ubuntu installer on it, so make sure you’ve backed up any important files first.
Use an Ethernet adapter to connect your Mac to the internet. This is important, because your Wi-Fi may not work in Ubuntu without third-party drivers. Similarly, iMac users should get hold of a USB keyboard or mouse, in case Bluetooth doesn’t work.
If you plan to dual boot your Mac with Linux, you also need to make sure you have enough free storage. Go to Apple menu > About This Mac > Storage to check that you have at least 25GB free (but preferably more).
Finally, make a backup of your Mac. You shouldn’t lose any data by installing Linux in a dual boot partition. However, if something goes wrong, you may need to erase your entire Mac to fix it.
If you plan to replace macOS with Linux, rather than creating a dual-boot system, use Carbon Copy Cloner to back up your macOS Recovery partition. This makes it far easier to revert back to macOS again in the future.
For a dual boot system (which we strongly recommend), you need to create a Linux partition on your Mac’s hard drive. If you don’t want to create a dual boot system, skip ahead to the next step.
In fact, to dual boot Linux on a Mac, you need two extra partitions: one for Linux and a second for swap space. The swap partition must be as big as the amount of RAM your Mac has. Check this by going to Apple menu > About This Mac.
Use Disk Utility to create new partitions on your Mac:
If you can’t create new partitions, it could be because FileVault is encrypting your hard drive. Go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > FileVault to turn it off.
The standard boot manager on your Mac doesn’t always work with Ubuntu. This means you need to install a third-party boot manager instead, which will let you easily choose between macOS or Linux when you start up your computer.
Thus, your next step is to download rEFInd, which is the boot manager we recommend. To install rEFInd, you need to temporarily disable System Integrity Protection. This is an important security feature for macOS, so make sure you enable it again afterward.
To install the rEFInd boot manager:
Next time you restart your Mac, the rEFInd menu should appear automatically. If it doesn’t, hold Option while booting up to load your boot manager.
Download the latest version of Ubuntu as a disk image from the Ubuntu website. You need to use a third-party app to create a USB installer from the Ubuntu disk image. One of the simplest apps for this is balenaEtcher, but you can use anything you like.
To create an Ubuntu USB installer:
Restart your Mac while holding Option and reinsert the USB flash drive directly into your computer. When the boot loader appears, use the arrow keys to select the Boot EFI option and hit Enter.
An Ubuntu loading screen appears, followed by the Ubuntu desktop.
Use this opportunity to test Ubuntu on your Mac. Keep in mind that because it’s running from your USB flash drive, it may be slow. Since Ubuntu can’t use your Mac’s Wi-Fi by default, use an Ethernet adapter to connect to the internet.
In 2018, Apple introduced the T2 security chip to new Macs. This advancement might stop you from booting other operating systems on your machine. If you experience any boot issues, follow Apple’s instructions to disable the T2 chip.
When you’re ready, double-click the Install Ubuntu item on the desktop.
Follow the on-screen prompts to choose your language and keyboard layout. Choose a Normal installation and select the option to Install third-party software. You need to connect your Mac to the internet using an Ethernet cable to install this software, which makes functions like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth work. Then click Continue.
If prompted, choose to keep your partitions mounted.
From the Installation type screen, select Something Else and click Continue.
On the next screen, you need to identify and select the UBUNTU partition you created. Unfortunately, there are no recognizable partition names, so look for a device with fat32 in the name that matches the partition size, measured in MB.
Double-click to select it and choose Use as: Ext4 journaling file system. Set the Mount point to / and check the box to Format the partition. Click OK. In the popup alert, click Continue to write previous changes to the disk.
Now identify your SWAP partition, which should also have fat32 in the name. Double-click it and choose to Use as: swap area, then click OK.
Open the Device for boot loader installation dropdown menu and select your UBUNTU partition again. The name should match what you selected for it from the table above.
Take a moment to ensure you selected the correct partitions, then click Install Now. Click Continue in the popup alert to confirm you want to write changes to those disks.
Finally, follow the on-screen prompts to choose your time zone and create a user account, then wait for the installation to complete.
From the Installation type screen, select Erase disk and install Ubuntu.
Be warned: this erases everything from your Mac, including the operating system and the Recovery partition!
When you’re ready, click Install Now and select your hard disk.
Follow the on-screen prompts to set the correct time zone and create a user account, then wait for the installation to complete.
Congratulations! You successfully installed Linux on your MacBook Pro, iMac, or Mac mini! If you chose to dual boot Linux on your Mac, hold Option while booting up to choose between macOS and Ubuntu.
Next, take a look at some tips to make your switch from macOS to Linux easier. By adding some familiar macOS features to Ubuntu, you’ll make the most of Linux on your Mac in no time!
Read the full article: How to Install and Dual Boot Linux on Your Mac
Whether it’s Christmas or someone’s birthday, it can be tough to figure out the best gifts for gamers. After all, everyone is different.
You could get them extra controllers, gift cards, or subscriptions to various gaming services. But there are also more creative options out there.
So what are some good gifts for gamers? From PC gamers to console gamers, here are a few great gifts to choose from.
So you’ve got a young gamer or a newbie that has recently started dipping their toes into the gaming world. Help them take the plunge by giving them one of the best presents possible: a console bundle. If they’ve already shown interest in Sony’s console, consider the PlayStation 4 Slim – Only On PlayStation Bundle.
You could technically get them a gaming gift card, but this can feel a bit impersonal. That’s why this is a great option. Not only does it provide a powerful console with 1TB of storage, but it also packs in three of the console-exclusive hits that have made the PS4 so popular.
While the PlayStation 4 comes with ample storage, a few games and video captures can quickly fill up the console’s drive. PS4 owners can update their console by adding extra storage with an SSD, but this requires a bit of technical knowledge to get inside the device.
The plug-and-play capabilities of the Seagate Game Drive for PS4, however, make it easy for anyone to upgrade their PS4 console storage. The drive is compatible with the standard PS4, the PS4 Slim, and the PS4 Pro. You don’t need to format it, and Seagate ensures compatibility. All you need to do is plug it in and follow the instructions of the built-in software.
Microsoft’s Xbox One doesn’t come with integrated charging options for their controllers. However, the Energizer Xbox One Controller Charging Station removes the need for disposable AA batteries and provides a handy way of keeping your controllers charged.
The charger includes its own battery packs, which can be recharged using the dock. It is also compatible with both Standard and Xbox Elite controllers, giving you both convenience and flexibility. Fortunately, the charging station can support up to two controllers at the same time.
PC gamers are a selective bunch. This means buying them hardware might be tricky if you don’t know their brand preferences. However, a capable mouse makes a great gift.
The SteelSeries Rival 710 Gaming Mouse provides a simple but powerful design that includes tactile alerts and a customizable OLED display. The mouse also features swappable parts so that you can change components according to personal preferences.
With so many multiplayer games out there, gaming is more social than ever. For the gamer who loves voice chat, the Corsair Void Pro Gaming Headset is a perfect way to interact with friends and other gamers online. The wired headset is compatible with PCs and consoles alike, and even suppors the Nintendo Switch.
In fact, if your smartphone has a headphone jack, you can even use it with the Discord app mobile and other smartphone voice clients. With Dolby Surround functionality and a quality microphone, the headset has great audio output and voice input.
If you know a serious mobile gamer with a diverse library of games, you could vastly improve their experience with the right controller. Controllers for mobile games are more in-demand than ever, thanks to mobile ports of major games such as PUBG and Fortnite.
The Beboncool Mobile Game Controller has a telescopic design that places the phone between the controller buttons. This makes it perfect for comfortable gaming and an intuitive feel. The controller is compatible with both Android and iOS, making it a perfect gift for mobile gamers.
The EOVOLA Nintendo Switch Accessories Kit is a highly rated collection that contains 17 accessories for the console. This includes a carrying case, various Joy-Con grips, a game cartridge case, a screen protector, and more.
With great inclusions like a charging stand for Joy-Con controllers and steering wheels, the bundle offers excellent value for Switch owners. Each accessory is a useful addition to a Nintendo Switch setup, making this an ideal gift for Switch users.
For some, gaming is an all-consuming hobby and possibly even a job. But long-time gamers are unfortunately at a high risk of eye strain. A new monitor can reduce eye strain, but the most cost-effective and portable solution is simply getting glasses that mitigate the problem.
J+S Vision’s Blue Light Shield Gaming Glasses are a great option. Not only do these glasses cut down blue light from screens, but they also have minimal tint and distortion compared to some other brands. This helps reduce the adverse effects of blue light, while still allowing you to appreciate the colors and definition of game visuals.
Games console makers have really been leaning into the nostalgia factor in recent years, releasing a variety of retro gaming consoles that emulate the classics. While some haven’t been well-received, the Nintendo Super NES Classic is a hit among many gamers.
It’s loaded with 21 classic games, and the two included controllers mean that gamers can enjoy the console with their friends. This makes it the perfect retro gaming gift. The console closely resembles the original but, fortunately, is smaller and more portable.
Virtual reality gaming continues to grow, with an increasing number of games supporting virtual reality features. Sadly, the high cost of entry keeps most people from trying out VR devices. However, the Oculus Quest offers flexibility and affordability in a single package.
Since VR gaming is not quite mainstream (yet), it’s also a good gift for the gamer that seemingly has everything. The Quest is an all-in-one VR gaming system that comes with a headset and controllers. There’s no need for a PC or even connecting wires.
While these items are some awesome gifts to get the gamer in your life, you can also expand your scope to other tech devices. Often, gamers also have an interest in wearables, AI technology, robotics, or other exciting tech.
If this applies to your favorite student gamer, check out the best tech gifts for college students for more inspiration.
Read the full article: 10 Great Gifts for Gamers You Can Give This Year
Netflix may still not have a million subscribers in India, but it continues to invest big bucks in the nation, where Disney’s Hotstar currently dominates the video streaming market.
Reed Hastings, the chief executive of Netflix, said on Friday that the company is on track to spend 30,000 million Indian rupees, or $420.5 million, on producing and licensing content in India this year and the next.
“This year and next year, we plan to spend about Rs 3,000 crores developing and licensing content and you will start to see a lot of stuff hit the screens,” he said at a conference in New Delhi.
The rare revelation today has quickly become the talk of the town. “This is significantly higher than what we have invested in content over the past years,” an executive at one of the top five rival services told TechCrunch. Another industry source said that no streaming service in India is spending anything close to that figure on just content.
While it remains unclear exactly how much capital other streaming services are spending on content, a recent KPMG report suggested that Hotstar was spending about $17 million on producing seven original shows this year, while Eros Now had pumped about $50 million to create 100 new original shows. (The report does not talk about licensing content expenses.)
Netflix, which entered India as part of its global expansion to more than 200 nations and territories in early 2016, has so far produced more than two dozen original shows and movies in India.
Hastings said several of the shows that the company has produced in India, including A-listed cast-starrer “Sacred Games” and “Mightly Little Bheem” have “travelled around the world.” More than 27 million households outside of India, said Hastings, have started to watch “Mighty Little Bheem,” an animated series aimed at children.
India has emerged as one of the last great growth markets for technology and entertainment firms. About half of the nation’s 1.3 billion population is now online and a growing number of people are beginning to transact online.
To broaden its reach in the nation, Netflix earlier this year introduced a new monthly price tier — $2.8 — that allows users in India to watch the streaming service in standard quality on a mobile device. (The company has since expanded this offering to Malaysia.)
Netflix competes with more than three dozen on-demand video streaming services in India. Chief among its competitors in the nation is Disney’s Hotstar. Hotstar’s content bouquet includes live TV channels, streaming of sports events, and thousands of movies and shows, many syndicated from global networks and studios such as HBO and Showtime. The ad–supported service offers more than 80% of its catalog at no charge to users and charges 999 Indian rupees ($14) a year for its premium offering.
More to follow…
YouTube Rewind 2019 has landed, and YouTube has played it safe this year. YouTube Rewind 2019 focuses on what’s popular, featuring the creators and videos that people have actually watched this year. This is all about views, likes, and subscribers.
Every year, YouTube publishes a video representing the past 12 months on YouTube. It generally features the biggest YouTubers, viral videos, music videos, and cultural moments that define the year. However, things took a turn for the worse in 2018.
YouTube Rewind 2018 changed things. There was no mention of YouTubers such as PewDiePie and Shane Dawson. Instead, Will Smith and Ninja set the tone for a trawl through mainstream fare. Which is why everybody hated YouTube Rewind 2018.
YouTube Rewind 2019 is a direct response to the hate aimed at YouTube Rewind 2018. So much so that the video opens with the line, “In 2018, we made something you didn’t like. For Rewind 2019, let’s see what you DID like.” Which is exactly what the video delivers.
YouTube bills YouTube Rewind 2019 as “Celebrating the creators, music and moments that mattered most to you in 2019.” Hence the lists of most-subscribed creators, most-viewed videos, and most-liked music videos. All of which is based on statistical facts.
In order to avoid any accusation of bias, YouTube has even revealed how the top lists were generated. Which involved YouTube delving into data from November 1st, 2019. So if you’re angry about who and what made the cut, blame your fellow YouTube viewers.
YouTube has played it safe here, and that’s fine. What else could it do after the backlash to YouTube Rewind 2018? Unfortunately, the dislikes are racking up already, so we suspect YouTube is damned whatever it chooses to do with Rewind. Unless it kills it altogether.
Read the full article: YouTube Rewind 2019 Shows What’s Popular
Wi-Fi is ubiquitous. While this is mostly a blessing, it also means there are a lot of Wi-Fi signals competing in the same space. While your smartphone factors in signal strength, Wi-Fi security settings, and network stability, it doesn’t always connect to the Wi-Fi network you’d prefer.
Fortunately, you can take control of the Wi-Fi connection process and prioritize the best Wi-Fi networks. Prioritizing a Wi-Fi connection should give you consistent connectivity while allowing you to transition between connections easily.
Here’s how to prioritize a Wi-Fi network on Android or iOS.
Android users have two options for prioritizing Wi-Fi connections. Your Wi-Fi priority choices depend on the version of Android you’re using.
Some Android ROMs have integrated Wi-Fi priority options. Meanwhile, other Android users can download and use an app to control WI-Fi priority.
One of the best reasons to use custom Android ROMs is the wealth of additional settings. Indeed, some come with a built-in option to set Wi-Fi network priority. To check if your ROM has one, open Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi.
Tap on the overflow menu, then hit Advanced Wi-Fi. If you see a Wi-Fi Priority option, you can specify the priority of Wi-Fi networks here. Although stock Android once had this feature, it’s now long gone. If you don’t see the Wi-Fi Priority option, you can use a third-party Wi-Fi priority app.
Thankfully, there are several apps that let you prioritize your Wi-Fi connections on Android. Here are three you should check out.
WiFi Prioritizer is a free app that allows you to set Wi-Fi connection priority on Android devices. The app periodically monitors signal strength and switches between networks accordingly.
Once installed, open the app and select Enable Scheduled Job. Underneath, you’ll see a list of your saved Wi-Fi networks. The Wi-Fi networks at the top of the list have higher priority than the ones below. You can drag the Wi-Fi networks up and down the list to change their priority.
WiFi Prioritizer scans for new Wi-Fi networks every 60 seconds. To change the scan interval, tap the overflow menu, then tap on Settings > Refresh Interval.You can change the Wi-Fi network scan time between five seconds and 30 minutes. Lower values enable faster switching and network updating, at the cost of battery life.
You can also change the minimum signal strength for a Wi-Fi connection. If a network with higher priority is available, and if its signal is better than this value, then the app will switch to the higher-priority network. It can also check for internet connectivity on the current network. If there’s no connectivity on the current network, it will automatically switch to the next available network.
If you want to disable Wi-Fi Prioritizer temporarily, you can toggle Enable Scheduled Job off. To disable it permanently, simply uninstall the app.
Download: WiFi Prioritizer for Android (Free)
Wi-Fi Switcher is an automatic network switcher app for Android. The app monitors your surroundings for the best Wi-Fi signal. Depending on your settings, Wi-Fi Switcher will move you to the best local network option.
Wi-Fi Switcher is easy to set up and use. After opening the app, you immediately see a list of your saved Wi-Fi networks. From here, scroll down your saved Wi-Fi network list and check the boxes next to the connections you want to give priority.
There are other Wi-Fi Switcher connection options, too. For example, you can set Wi-Fi Switcher to only connect to preferred networks. That’s a handy way of steering clear of any unexpected open networks. Similarly, you can make sure your device never connects to an open network.
Further down the Wi-Fi Switcher options, you can alter the Wi-Fi switching options regarding signal level, scan intervals, and whether to switch between Wi-Fi networks with the same name. (For example, if there’s a 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz connection using the same name.)
Download: Wi-Fi Switcher for Android (Free)
WiFi Connection Manager is a combined Wi-Fi network analysis and management app. It features network connection tools, Wi-Fi channel spectrum graphs, manual Wi-Fi connection priority lists, and a few other useful tools. The app displays a list of the local Wi-Fi signals automatically. Each entry includes the signal strength, Wi-Fi channel, Wi-Fi security type, and more.
To set the Wi-Fi signal priority, select the overflow menu, then Arrange Network Priority. From here, you can drag and drop your saved Wi-Fi networks into the order of your preference. You can also create a “top tier” of Wi-Fi networks at the very top of the list. The top tier Wi-Fi networks receive priority over everything else.
Download: WiFi Connection Manager for Android (Free, in-app purchase available)
Incredibly, there is no way of setting Wi-Fi network priority on the iPhone. There aren’t even any third-party apps that add Wi-Fi priority functionality to iOS, either.
iOS has a set of criteria it uses to join Wi-Fi networks automatically. Of course, Apple keeps the exact science behind it a secret. But it does give a rough idea of how the OS decides which Wi-Fi network to use. iOS tries to connect to Wi-Fi networks in this order:
Your Wi-Fi network connection actions change the score assigned to each Wi-Fi network. For example, if iOS connects you to an unwanted network and you instantly disconnect manually, that network’s score decreases. Similarly, if you manually connect to a Wi-Fi network over other options, that Wi-Fi network score receives a boost.
Unfortunately, there is no way to fully understand Apple’s Wi-Fi network connection priority method.
If you have a Mac, you can prioritize networks there and then sync them with your iPhone. Before proceeding, make sure to sign in with the same Apple ID on both devices.
Also, make sure that you have iCloud Sync turned on. To verify this, open System Preferences on your Mac. Click on iCloud (you’ll need to select your name first on macOS Catalina and newer) and make sure that Keychain is checked.
On your iPhone, open Settings and tap on the name banner at the top. Navigate to iCloud > Keychain and turn it on.
Now that you’ve verified the prerequisites, you can set Wi-Fi network priority on the iPhone. On your Mac, click on the Wi-Fi menu bar icon and click Open Network Preferences. Next, click on Advanced.
Here, you should see the list of saved Wi-Fi networks. The networks at the top of the list have a higher priority than those at the bottom. You can drag networks into the order you want. Click OK when you are done.
Now, your preferences should save and then sync seamlessly with your iPhone. If you have trouble syncing them with your iPhone, make sure you’re signed in with the same Apple ID on both devices. If that doesn’t work, try restarting them both. Also, make sure your iCloud space isn’t full.
While this method isn’t really difficult, its dependence on having a Mac makes it a little inconvenient. There’s no denying that the Mac and iPhone work great together, but it leaves out iPhone owners who prefer using Windows. Hopefully, Apple adds a way to change Wi-Fi network priority directly on the iPhone soon.
Prior to setting my preferred Wi-Fi networks, my Android device would stay connected to a single Wi-Fi network until the last bar of its signal died. It wouldn’t connect to a Wi-Fi network with better strength automatically, even though other options were in range.
Using an Android Wi-Fi network priority app makes that problem disappear. Your device will never force you to endure a weak Wi-Fi connection again.
However, remember that sometimes it isn’t your phone causing the connection issue. Here’s why your Wi-Fi speed drops, and how you can fix it.
Read the full article: How to Set Wi-Fi Network Priority on Android and iPhone
A network of scammers used a ring of established right-wing Facebook pages to stoke Islamophobia and make a quick buck in the process, a new report from the Guardian reveals. But it’s less a vast international conspiracy and more simply that Facebook is unable to police its platform to prevent even the most elementary scams — with serious consequences.
The Guardian’s multi-part report depicts the events like a scheme of grand proportions executed for the express purpose of harassing Representatives Ilhan Omar (D-MI), Rashida Tlaib (D-MN) and other prominent Muslims. But the facts it uncovered point towards this being a run-of-the-mill money-making operation that used tawdry, hateful clickbait and evaded Facebook’s apparently negligible protections against this kind of thing.
The scam basically went like this: an administrator of a popular right-wing Facebook page would get a message from a person claiming to share their values that asked if they could be made an editor. Once granted access, this person would publish clickbait stories — frequently targeting Muslims, and often Rep. Omar, since they reliably led to high engagement. The stories appeared on a handful of ad-saturated websites that were presumably owned by the scammers.
That appears to be the extent of the vast conspiracy, or at least its operations — duping credulous conservatives into clicking through to an ad farm.
Its human cost, however, whether incidental or deliberate, is something else entirely. Rep. Omar is already the target of many coordinated attacks, some from self-proclaimed patriots within this country; just last month, an Islamophobic Trump supporter pleaded guilty in federal court to making death threats against her.
Social media is asymmetric warfare in that a single person can be the focal point for the firepower — figurative but often with the threat of literal — of thousands or millions. That a Member of Congress can be the target of such continuous abuse makes one question the utility of the platform on which that abuse is enabled.
In a searing statement offered to the Guardian, Rep. Omar took Facebook to task:
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Facebook’s complacency is a threat to our democracy. It has become clear that they do not take seriously the degree to which they provide a platform for white nationalist hate and dangerous misinformation in this country and around the world. And there is a clear reason for this: they profit off it. I believe their inaction is a grave threat to people’s lives, to our democracy and to democracy around the world.
Despite the scale of its effect on Rep. Omar and other targets, it’s possible and even likely that this entire thing was carried out by a handful of people. The operation was based in Israel, the report repeatedly mentions, but it isn’t a room of state-sponsored hackers feverishly tapping their keyboards — the guy they tracked down is a jewelry retailer and amateur SEO hustler living in a suburb of Tel Aviv who answered the door in sweatpants and nonchalantly denied all involvement.
The funny thing is that, in a way, this does amount to a vast international conspiracy. On one hand, it’s a guy in sweatpants worming his way into some trashy Facebook pages and mass-posting links to his bunk news sites. But on the other, it’s a coordinated effort to promote Islamophobic, right-wing content that produced millions of interactions and doubtless further fanned the flames of hatred.
Why not both? After all, they represent different ways that Facebook fails as a platform to protect its users. “We don’t allow people to misrepresent themselves on Facebook,” the company wrote in a statement to the Guardian. Obviously, that isn’t true. Or rather, perhaps it’s true in the way that running at the pool isn’t allowed. People just do it anyway, because the lifeguards and Facebook don’t do their job.
“Airbnb’s unit economics are quite legendary — the S-1 is going to be MOST disrupted FASTEST in the next 3 YEARS? Caps for effect.”
Who tweeted that? Initialized Capital’s Garry Tan? Homebrew’s Hunter Walk? Y Combinator co-founder Paul Graham? Or perhaps one of the dozens of other venture capitalists active on Twitter.
No, it was Parrot.VC, a new Twitter account and website dedicated to making light of VC Twitter. Brother-sister duo Samantha and Nick Loui, the creators of the new tool, fed 65,000 tweets written by some 50 venture capitalists to a machine learning bot. The result is an automated tweet generator ready to spew somewhat nonsensical (or entirely nonsensical) <280-character statements.
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According to Hacker News, where co-creator Nick Loui shared information about their project, the bot uses predictive text to generate “amazing, new startup advice,” adding “Gavin Belson – hit me up, this is the perfect acquisition for Hooli,” referencing the popular satirical TV show, “Silicon Valley.”
This isn’t the first time someone has leveraged artificial intelligence to make fun of the tech community. One of my personal favorites, BodegaBot, inspired by the Bodega fiasco of late 2017, satirizes Silicon Valley’s unhinged desire to replace domestic service with technology.
Google’s A.I. powered voice recorder app introduced at Google’s October hardware event was one of the company’s more impressive demos. The new app taps into advances in A.I., speech processing, and speech recognition in order to automatically transcribe a voice recording with few mistakes, in real-time as the person is speaking. Unfortunately, Google’s Recorder app was locked to Pixel 4 devices at launch. That has now changed.
As first spotted by Android Police, the Recorder app is available to Android users with older Pixel devices, including Pixel 2, Pixel 3, and Pixel 3a. The updated support was added to the app today, Sensor Tower also confirmed. But the lack of publicity around the launch has led it to see fewer than 1,000 downloads so far.
Google had previously announced its intention to make the app more widely available. In a recent Reddit thread, a company representative said the app would become available to more Pixel users in the future via a software update. They didn’t say when that update would arrive, though.
While there are many voice recorder apps on today’s market, there are fewer that offer real-time transcriptions. And of those that do — like Otter.ai, for example — the resulting text is often half-garbled. While these services can still be useful as a way to quickly find a section of a recording to then play back and manually transcribe, the lack of accuracy can limit adoption.
Google’s Recorder app was demonstrated at Google’s fall event as capable of taking a far more accurate transcription. Of course, the app was being not put to real-world use at the time — with different types of voices, accents, and background noise, it may not be as accurate. In addition, the app lacks the ability to identify and label different speakers, which could make it more difficult to use in situations like meetings or interviews.
That being said, the app held up well in initial tests in a review by The Wall St. Journal’s Joanna Stern, though it stumbled with accents. Other reviewers found the app to be fairly powerful, too, if a little basic in its overall design. TechCrunch’s review said the transcription was pretty good, but noted also it lacked some features other apps have.
However, Recorder does have an advantage over some of its rivals: it doesn’t require an internet connection to work. Instead, all the recording and transcription capabilities take place directly on the device. That means you could even use the app while in airplane mode.
In addition, a built-in advanced search feature lets you search for sounds, words, and phrases and then see a visual depiction of where the search term was spoken in the playback bar so you can go to the recording you need.
Google has put its real-time speech transcription technology to work in a number of ways, besides Recorder. It also introduced live caption technology for Android devices, for example, which brings transcriptions to things like video or audio saved on your device, or video playback outside of YouTube.
The Recorder app is a free download on Google Play.
We’ve reached out to Google for any update on its plans to make Recorder more broadly available across Android. The company hasn’t responded to our questions at this time.
The Daily Crunch is TechCrunch’s roundup of our biggest and most important stories. If you’d like to get this delivered to your inbox every day at around 9am Pacific, you can subscribe here.
1. 300M-user Imgur launches Melee, a gaming meme app
Melee, the company’s first app beyond its flagship product, lets users subscribe to the games from which they love to get memes and gameplay clips. You also can scroll through a popular post’s feed if you’re curious about unfamiliar games.
If you’re worried about the risk that gaming communities might turn toxic, Imgur says Melee has multiple layers of community and staff moderation, will remove obscene content and won’t tolerate bullying.
2. SpaceX nears milestone on key crew launch system test
SpaceX is keeping relatively close to schedule on one of the bold timelines pronounced by its CEO Elon Musk. Specifically, the company notes that it has now completed seven system tests of the latest, upgraded version of the parachutes it plans to use with its Crew Dragon capsule when it launches with astronauts on-board.
3. Flipkart leads $60M investment in logistics startup Shadowfax
Shadowfax operates a business-to-business logistics network in more than 300 cities in India. The startup works with neighborhood stores to use their real estate to store inventory, and with a large network of freelancers for delivery.
4. A Sprint contractor left thousands of US cell phone bills on the internet by mistake
A contractor working for cell giant Sprint stored hundreds of thousands of cell phone bills for AT&T, Verizon (which owns TechCrunch) and T-Mobile subscribers on an unprotected cloud server.
5. How to build or invest in a startup without paying capital gains tax
Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) presents a significant tax savings opportunity for people who create and invest in small businesses. (Extra Crunch membership required.)
6. Volvo invests in autonomous vehicle operating system startup Apex.AI though its VC arm
Apex.AI is working on developing a robotic operating system qualified for use in production automobiles. Its offerings include a set of simple-to-integrate APIs that can give automakers and others access to fully certified autonomous mobility technology.
7. Check out the prizes for TC Hackathon at Disrupt Berlin
One team gets $5,000, but we’ve got additional prizes from a range of sponsors. Also: This is next week!
