TikTok says it’s “not planning on going anywhere” in response to pending U.S. ban

TikTok’s U.S. General Manager Vanessa Pappas has posted a video message to the platform that appears to be a response to reports from Friday that President Trump is working on an effective “ban” of the app in the U.S., a plan he shared with reporters from the White House pool on board Air Force One. Whether or not he’s even able to do this remains an open question, but in the meantime TikTok seems keen to reassure U.S. users it doesn’t intend to change its operational plans in response to this vague, but potentially existential threat.

TikTok just posted this: “We’re not planning on going anywhere” https://t.co/I7wRw3QAPv pic.twitter.com/G9cf9yhabW

— Andrew Peng (@TheAPJournalist) August 1, 2020

The message from Pappas was pushed out to all U.S.-based users on TikTok as a notification, and appears on their discover page, making it clear they want this seen by the entire community. It starts by thanking users on the platform, and highlights some of its U.S.-based contributions, namely the jobs it has created to date, and committed to creating in future, and the fund it has set up to support creators in the U.S. and globally.

Pappas ends by asserting that TikTok is “here for the long run,” and calling for community support to “stand for TikTok.”

Trump’s assertion that he plans to sign an order as early as Saturday to bar U.S. access to the app followed reports that Microsoft is in talks with the company’s China-based owner ByteDance to potentially acquire its U.S. business. Trump appeared to discount any support for that possibility in his comments to the White House press pool, but a new report from Saturday morning said that Microsoft is indeed in talks to acquire a stake in TikTok and take over stewardship of its U.S. user’s data, as part of a potential deal to stave off any ban.

Again, it’s not clear what executive powers would actually allow Trump to put in place a U.S.-wide ban of the application, but it looks like ByteDance is working with parties in the U.S. on a deal that assumes he’d be able to do so unless the Chinese company divests entirely its U.S.-based TikTok operations to an American owner.

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What brands need to do if they want to break up with Facebook

Sean Clayton Contributor

A 15-year digital media veteran, Sean Clayton connects brands with the data-driven intelligence solutions they need to drive growth.

With more than 90 major advertisers and counting announcing plans to dump Facebook, a significant question lingers: Where will brands go next for their digital marketing needs?

The case for the breakup is clear: Brands want to distance themselves from third-party business practices that do not align with their values. Specifically, they are disenchanted by what even some members of Congress are calling Facebook’s “lackadaisical” approach to enforcing community standards, allowing an epidemic of paid political misinformation and hate speech to persist on the user-driven platform.

However, with Google, Facebook and Amazon representing just under 70% of global digital ad revenue, a clean break from the tech giants is easier said than done. Advertisers, like anyone facing a breakup, must look within. After all, they don’t want to make the same mistakes and they cannot just throw newly freed up advertising dollars at a new social network ad platform, where similar conflicts could easily follow.

With introspection, advertisers will see that this is more than just a war on disinformation and hate speech. A data war is brewing, pressuring businesses to diversify data sources. As brands compete to understand the needs and preferences of today’s consumers, consumers are concurrently responding with more guarded protection of their online data.

To win this war, brands must reclaim data autonomy and infuse their digital media strategy with more diversified data. But they cannot do it alone and they cannot do it within the current system.

Time to brandish holistic data

Whether Facebook adjusts its community standards to appease dismayed advertisers has yet to be seen. But in the interim, as advertisers walk out the door, it’s worth noting that Facebook’s reliance on online data may soon be obsolete anyway.

One of the key differentiators for Facebook’s ad platform has been its ability to help level the playing field for smaller brands by cost-effectively captivating the right audiences. But the platform primarily draws insights from audiences’ behaviors online. The next wave of data-based marketing must employ tools that blend first-party data and qualified third-party data to offer a holistic view of customer behaviors, both online and offline.

Offline data sets, which include location intelligence, interactions, purchase history, contact information and demographics are lynchpins in the next digital media wave because they allow brands to develop a more human view of consumer data and create meaningful marketing moments. For example, location intelligence, an extremely potent tool that is currently helping brands pivot during COVID-19 disruptions and is even protecting public health, can drive personalized, alluring marketing campaigns with massive ROI opportunities.

The leading integrated data providers are managing extremely rich datasets, which increase in value daily as consistent tracking yields higher quality data. Such powerful and enriched data stacks offers brands visitor insights based on a specific location after an ad is interacted with on any device — requiring no guesswork for the marketing team. Brands are able to pinpoint exactly which messages resonate with which segments of their audience at which time. This precision ultimately helps them craft the right message for the target consumer — and deliver it at the exact right moment.

Marching orders for combat

Brands want to cut Facebook loose but where do they go next? How do they achieve data autonomy and make omnichannel strides in digital marketing? If the boycott movement is to succeed, revolutionary changes to the digital marketplace are needed.

A newly imagined system must be organized outside the proprietary grasp of any one single tech conglomerate. Otherwise, advertisers will lack ownership of the data they need to reach new audiences. Or they’ll once again get mixed up with similar paid political disinformation and hate speech across user-generated platforms, sending them straight back into the arms of Facebook.

Rather than rely on a single centralized social media platform, transparent media partners and publishers must come together on a shared central system that takes an omnichannel approach to building lookalike (LAL) audiences. A LAL puts advertisers in front of new audiences by finding users that, while they may be unfamiliar with their brand, are very similar to the buyer personas of their current customers. The LAL for each advertiser would be constantly tested and refined to keep pace with the rapidly changing marketplace.

Facebook currently operates on a LAL model but it is almost exclusively generated by online data from their users. The next step is expanding on this model and infusing offline and third-party data with a company’s first-party data, putting them in front of a LAL across a range of media partners and platforms. This will help build a core conversion audience, while constantly scaling new LALs for each brand.

Such a system would require collaboration, enlisting many players in a co-op style undertaking. For example, to get it off the ground, it would be helpful if about 20 of the large brands boycotting Facebook invest some of their newly freed advertising dollars to establish the data and publisher sharing co-op network.

Once the advertiser framework is set, the co-op would need to identify media outlet partners such as news websites, blogs, apps, podcasts and social media outlets. The co-op would negotiate a performance-based publisher relationship for every player, effectively increasing content monetization for publishers’ content channels.

Reinventing the digital media landscape

This would be a transformational movement, galvanizing brands with data autonomy and increasing customer engagement across an entire network of media platforms — not just one platform. Each advertiser’s first-party data, which they’ve already given to Facebook, would be analyzed to isolate data overlaps within the co-op. This would essentially lay the foundation for building a core conversation audience, helping each advertiser tap new LALs.

Brands advertising with the co-op would gain access to more enriched, robust insights on consumers than Facebook could ever offer, leading to a higher return on investment for the $336 billion spend on digital advertising annually.

Most importantly, it would help brands future-proof their digital marketing efforts and grant them greater freedom in choosing where their advertising dollars are being spent.

That is how the war is won.

Read Full Article

What brands need to do if they want to break up with Facebook

Sean Clayton Contributor

A 15-year digital media veteran, Sean Clayton connects brands with the data-driven intelligence solutions they need to drive growth.

With more than 90 major advertisers and counting announcing plans to dump Facebook, a significant question lingers: Where will brands go next for their digital marketing needs?

The case for the breakup is clear: Brands want to distance themselves from third-party business practices that do not align with their values. Specifically, they are disenchanted by what even some members of Congress are calling Facebook’s “lackadaisical” approach to enforcing community standards, allowing an epidemic of paid political misinformation and hate speech to persist on the user-driven platform.

However, with Google, Facebook and Amazon representing just under 70% of global digital ad revenue, a clean break from the tech giants is easier said than done. Advertisers, like anyone facing a breakup, must look within. After all, they don’t want to make the same mistakes and they cannot just throw newly freed up advertising dollars at a new social network ad platform, where similar conflicts could easily follow.

With introspection, advertisers will see that this is more than just a war on disinformation and hate speech. A data war is brewing, pressuring businesses to diversify data sources. As brands compete to understand the needs and preferences of today’s consumers, consumers are concurrently responding with more guarded protection of their online data.

To win this war, brands must reclaim data autonomy and infuse their digital media strategy with more diversified data. But they cannot do it alone and they cannot do it within the current system.

Time to brandish holistic data

Whether Facebook adjusts its community standards to appease dismayed advertisers has yet to be seen. But in the interim, as advertisers walk out the door, it’s worth noting that Facebook’s reliance on online data may soon be obsolete anyway.

One of the key differentiators for Facebook’s ad platform has been its ability to help level the playing field for smaller brands by cost-effectively captivating the right audiences. But the platform primarily draws insights from audiences’ behaviors online. The next wave of data-based marketing must employ tools that blend first-party data and qualified third-party data to offer a holistic view of customer behaviors, both online and offline.

Offline data sets, which include location intelligence, interactions, purchase history, contact information and demographics are lynchpins in the next digital media wave because they allow brands to develop a more human view of consumer data and create meaningful marketing moments. For example, location intelligence, an extremely potent tool that is currently helping brands pivot during COVID-19 disruptions and is even protecting public health, can drive personalized, alluring marketing campaigns with massive ROI opportunities.

The leading integrated data providers are managing extremely rich datasets, which increase in value daily as consistent tracking yields higher quality data. Such powerful and enriched data stacks offers brands visitor insights based on a specific location after an ad is interacted with on any device — requiring no guesswork for the marketing team. Brands are able to pinpoint exactly which messages resonate with which segments of their audience at which time. This precision ultimately helps them craft the right message for the target consumer — and deliver it at the exact right moment.

Marching orders for combat

Brands want to cut Facebook loose but where do they go next? How do they achieve data autonomy and make omnichannel strides in digital marketing? If the boycott movement is to succeed, revolutionary changes to the digital marketplace are needed.

A newly imagined system must be organized outside the proprietary grasp of any one single tech conglomerate. Otherwise, advertisers will lack ownership of the data they need to reach new audiences. Or they’ll once again get mixed up with similar paid political disinformation and hate speech across user-generated platforms, sending them straight back into the arms of Facebook.

Rather than rely on a single centralized social media platform, transparent media partners and publishers must come together on a shared central system that takes an omnichannel approach to building lookalike (LAL) audiences. A LAL puts advertisers in front of new audiences by finding users that, while they may be unfamiliar with their brand, are very similar to the buyer personas of their current customers. The LAL for each advertiser would be constantly tested and refined to keep pace with the rapidly changing marketplace.

Facebook currently operates on a LAL model but it is almost exclusively generated by online data from their users. The next step is expanding on this model and infusing offline and third-party data with a company’s first-party data, putting them in front of a LAL across a range of media partners and platforms. This will help build a core conversion audience, while constantly scaling new LALs for each brand.

Such a system would require collaboration, enlisting many players in a co-op style undertaking. For example, to get it off the ground, it would be helpful if about 20 of the large brands boycotting Facebook invest some of their newly freed advertising dollars to establish the data and publisher sharing co-op network.

Once the advertiser framework is set, the co-op would need to identify media outlet partners such as news websites, blogs, apps, podcasts and social media outlets. The co-op would negotiate a performance-based publisher relationship for every player, effectively increasing content monetization for publishers’ content channels.

Reinventing the digital media landscape

This would be a transformational movement, galvanizing brands with data autonomy and increasing customer engagement across an entire network of media platforms — not just one platform. Each advertiser’s first-party data, which they’ve already given to Facebook, would be analyzed to isolate data overlaps within the co-op. This would essentially lay the foundation for building a core conversation audience, helping each advertiser tap new LALs.

Brands advertising with the co-op would gain access to more enriched, robust insights on consumers than Facebook could ever offer, leading to a higher return on investment for the $336 billion spend on digital advertising annually.

Most importantly, it would help brands future-proof their digital marketing efforts and grant them greater freedom in choosing where their advertising dollars are being spent.

That is how the war is won.

Read Full Article

5 Ways to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Habits With Technology

Self-improvement is a difficult path and you can use all the help you get. These free tools are here to help you break a bad habit or build a good habit, as easily as possible.

Productivity experts have several theories on how we form a habit. Some people believe it takes 21 days doing a task repeatedly, others think it takes 66 days. And there’s the science of willpower, emotions, feedback loops, and other factors involved.

But the bottom line is to stick with it, and that’s what these websites, apps, and online courses will help you do.

1. Habbit (Android, iOS): The Last Habit Tracking App You’ll Need

Habbit is a gorgeous free habit tracking app to build streaks and check on your progress. Unlike many other such apps, this has no hidden costs or in-app purchases, and no ads either. It’s free, it’s fantastic, and it has all the features you want from a tracker.

Set up a new habit or task by typing its name, and writing a note with it. Give that habit or habit category its own unique color, and set an optional daily reminder notification. When you complete the task, mark it in the app to continue your streak.

Habbit encourages you to keep the streak alive by giving badges. You can earn eight badges in a 21 day streak, but progress will reset if you miss a single day. You can also share a custom image with friends, updating them about your habit change.

You don’t need to sign up to use Habbit, and it works offline. It’s a simple, minimalist app that does the basics perfectly, without bothering you with unnecessary bells and whistles.

Download: Habbit for Android | iOS (Free)

2. Flock (Email): No App, Track Your Habit by Email

If you don’t want to use an app to track habits, try Flock. This is an email-based app that sends a daily message to check in whether you have done your daily habit task. Tap a button to register your response.

Flock also has a built-in social aspect, letting you share that task with friends. Simple copy-paste the habit challenge link and they too will get a daily email at the end of the day. You can customize the time zone too, to use with friends across the globe. In a simple dashboard, you’ll see how everyone is doing on their weekly progress, and thus know when you need to motivate someone.

Flock has no web interface or app, it’s all on email, which makes it unique in a crowded field of habit-changing or habit-tracking apps. It feels less intrusive and is the perfect nifty tool for someone who wants a simple daily check-in.

3. Cracking the Habit Code (E-course): 3 Week Free Course to Build or Break Habits

Sociologist Christine Carter is an expert in getting things done and often provides insights into productivity matters. On her website, she is offering a free three-week online course called Cracking the Habit Code.

Over 21 sessions, Carter breaks down how to form a habit, touching upon every topic about it. You’ll learn how to manage willpower and exercise your willpower muscles, how to measure your progress and add rewards, dealing with difficult emotions, and responding to setbacks. Carter also teaches you how to set up your support group or “cabinet” to ensure you stay on track.

The course is completely free if you register for her website. You can download every video and audio file for offline usage, in case you want to listen to it like a podcast series. Carter also provides presentation slides and other materials for free download.

4. Join a Reddit Community (Web): 3 Habit Forming Subreddits for Self Improvement

Forming a new habit requires a combination of motivation, discipline, and support. A few communities on Reddit provide all of these to anyone who wants to make a positive change.

r/GetMotivated and r/GetDisciplined are two subreddits dedicated to self-improvement and helping others achieve their goals. As the names suggest, Get Motivated is a place to share inspiration and motivation to push someone into their betterment habits. At Get Disciplined, Redditors share their tips and tricks to attain self-discipline, which you can then adopt.

Meanwhile, r/GetMotivatedBuddies is a place to find someone who is making the same habit change as you are. Pair up or form a group to tackle those difficult phases of forming a new habit. You’ll find some much-needed support on days when the going gets tough.

Finally, there is r/Habits, a community for building, breaking, or changing habits. It has a wide range of topics to motivate you into stringing together a new habit. And in case you’re struggling with anything, reach out on r/HabitHelp for sound advice.

5. Make It a Habit or Pay the Price (Web): Lose Actual Money If You Break the Streak

Put your money where your mouth is. If you want to change a habit, lay some money on the line to ensure you keep going at it. That’s the premise behind this daily email from Andy Dao, who wants you to build a chain for 66 days, which some researchers say is how long it takes to form a new habit.

When you sign up, you have to talk about your new habit and give your credit card details through Stripe. You can choose how much money you want to put on the line, from $25 to thousands. You aren’t charged at this point, and will only lose the money if you fail to keep the streak alive.

Once you’re done with the setup, Dao will send a new email every day, in which you have to mark that you completed your task. For 66 days, each email contains motivational messages, funny memes, and quotes to drive you to keep the streak going.

Forget Apps, Use a Pen and Paper

Charles Duhigg literally wrote the book on how habits form and how to change them. His book The Power of Habit goes deep into the several factors that go into habitual behavior. But you can get the gist of his lessons in a few free resources he shares on his website. Of particular note are two wonderful flowcharts explaining how to break or create a habit.

They’re part of our piece on free printables and ebooks to track or change habits. Remember, habit is about consistency, so if technology and apps are a stumbling block for you, forget about them. Go old-school with pen and paper.

Read the full article: 5 Ways to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Habits With Technology 

Fix the “Your PC Ran Into a Problem and Needs to Restart” Error

Has your Windows computer suddenly crashed, stopped working, or is refusing to boot? If so, you might encounter the “Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart” error.

This is a common and generic PC error, often referred to as the “blue screen of death”. We’re going to talk you through every step of this error: what it means, how to know what your specific PC problem is, and how to fix that issue.

What Is the “Your PC Ran Into a Problem and Needs to Restart” Error?

Above is a picture of the “Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart” error screen. It’s often called the “blue screen of death” (or BSOD) error—you can figure out why!

This example says, “We’ll restart for you”. The screen might also say “We’re just collecting some error info, and then we’ll restart for you”.

This error screen usually happens when your computer has shut down or restarted unexpectedly, or if something is stopping it booting.

At the top of the screen is a sad face, followed by the problem message. Next, a line reads:

For more information about this issue and possible fixes, visit https://www.windows.com/stopcode

Type this URL into your internet browser and it’ll take you to Microsoft’s support page. Since these errors can occur for a variety of issues, the support on this page is generic rather than specific to your problem. You can also scan the QR code (that’s the section on the bottom left) on your phone to be taken to the same page.

The most pertinent part of this screen is at the bottom where it lists a “Stop code”. In our example, the stop code is “BAD_SYSTEM_CONFIG_INFO”. Yours might be something different. That’s because a stop code is an identifier that helps understand why you received this error in the first place.

You should write down this stop code so that you can refer to it later. If you’re in an organization, take this stop code to your local administrator so they can help diagnose the problem.

If you’re a home user, contact Microsoft support, follow their automated help, then when you get through to an agent you can give them the stop code.

There are hundreds of possible stop code errors. Some other examples are:

• CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED
• SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED
• IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
• VIDEO_TDR_TIMEOUT_DETECTED
• PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA
• SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION
• DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION

How to Fix Specific Stop Code Errors

We have written articles on how to fix specific stop code errors. If you see your error listed below, click it to visit that article. If yours isn’t listed, keep reading for some general troubleshooting advice.

• SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION / class=”st”>0x0000003B
• WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR / 0x0000124
• CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED / 0x000000EF
• UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME / class=”st”>0x000000ED
• MEMORY_MANAGEMENT / class=”st”>0x0000001A

How to Fix a “Your PC Ran Into a Problem and Needs to Restart” Error

As discussed, there are so many reasons why you might see a “Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart” error, which means it’s not possible to provide the guaranteed solution. However, there are things that are more likely to cause these errors. As such, follow these troubleshooting steps and it might fix the problem.

1. Unplug External Hardware

Have you recently plugged in a new external drive, mouse, keyboard, or similar to your computer? If so, this could be causing the problem.

Unplug everything that you don’t need and see if the problem goes away. If it does, plug one device in, restart, and see if everything remains stable. Repeat this process until you identify the faulty hardware, then contact the manufacturer.

2. Uninstall Recently Added Software

Software that you download and install can cause unexpected problems. If you receive the blue screen error after you have recently installed something, you should remove it. This can often happen with antivirus software.

To uninstall a program, press Windows key + I to open Settings. Click Apps. This brings up a list of all your installed programs. On the Sort by dropdown, click this and change it to Installation date.

Now the most recently installed programs will appear at the top. To remove one, select it from the list and click Uninstall.

3. Rollback Drivers

A driver is a piece of software that helps Windows 10 control hardware. For example, your graphics card, printer, and network adapter all use drivers.

Drivers update periodically to ensure compatibility with the latest version of Windows 10. However, sometimes a driver update can break your system. As such, you may need to roll back a driver update—that is, go back to a previous version.

To do this, press Windows key + X and click Device Manager. This tool shows categories like Display adaptors and Monitors, which you can double click to expand and see the devices within.

Right click a device and click Properties > Driver. Look at the Driver Date, as this will tell you when the driver was last updated. If the date coincides with when you started having trouble, click Roll Back Driver (if available) or Uninstall Device (the device will reinstall when you restart).

4. Update Windows 10

Windows 10 should keep itself updated automatically, but there might be an update in the download queue that hasn’t processed.

Keeping Windows 10 updated is important because it means you will benefit from the latest features and bug fixes. Your blue screen error might be happening because of software or hardware incompatibility that has been solved in a recent update.

To check, press Windows key + I to open Settings and click Update & Security > Check for updates. If there are any updates, follow any prompts to download and install them immediately.

More Help and Troubleshooting Tips

If the advice above hasn’t helped you get rid of the “Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart” error, don’t worry. We have a whole other guide packed with more support on how to solve the blue screen of death.

Analyze Your Blue Screen Error With Advanced Tools

Hopefully, this has helped you understand the meaning of the “Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart” error and guided you towards relevant support.

If you still need help and are an advanced user, you can solve blue screen errors using third-party programs.

Read the full article: Fix the “Your PC Ran Into a Problem and Needs to Restart” Error

Fix the “Your PC Ran Into a Problem and Needs to Restart” Error

Has your Windows computer suddenly crashed, stopped working, or is refusing to boot? If so, you might encounter the “Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart” error.

This is a common and generic PC error, often referred to as the “blue screen of death”. We’re going to talk you through every step of this error: what it means, how to know what your specific PC problem is, and how to fix that issue.

What Is the “Your PC Ran Into a Problem and Needs to Restart” Error?

Above is a picture of the “Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart” error screen. It’s often called the “blue screen of death” (or BSOD) error—you can figure out why!

This example says, “We’ll restart for you”. The screen might also say “We’re just collecting some error info, and then we’ll restart for you”.

This error screen usually happens when your computer has shut down or restarted unexpectedly, or if something is stopping it booting.

At the top of the screen is a sad face, followed by the problem message. Next, a line reads:

For more information about this issue and possible fixes, visit https://www.windows.com/stopcode

Type this URL into your internet browser and it’ll take you to Microsoft’s support page. Since these errors can occur for a variety of issues, the support on this page is generic rather than specific to your problem. You can also scan the QR code (that’s the section on the bottom left) on your phone to be taken to the same page.

The most pertinent part of this screen is at the bottom where it lists a “Stop code”. In our example, the stop code is “BAD_SYSTEM_CONFIG_INFO”. Yours might be something different. That’s because a stop code is an identifier that helps understand why you received this error in the first place.

You should write down this stop code so that you can refer to it later. If you’re in an organization, take this stop code to your local administrator so they can help diagnose the problem.

If you’re a home user, contact Microsoft support, follow their automated help, then when you get through to an agent you can give them the stop code.

There are hundreds of possible stop code errors. Some other examples are:

• CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED
• SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED
• IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
• VIDEO_TDR_TIMEOUT_DETECTED
• PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA
• SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION
• DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION

How to Fix Specific Stop Code Errors

We have written articles on how to fix specific stop code errors. If you see your error listed below, click it to visit that article. If yours isn’t listed, keep reading for some general troubleshooting advice.

• SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION / class=”st”>0x0000003B
• WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR / 0x0000124
• CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED / 0x000000EF
• UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME / class=”st”>0x000000ED
• MEMORY_MANAGEMENT / class=”st”>0x0000001A

How to Fix a “Your PC Ran Into a Problem and Needs to Restart” Error

As discussed, there are so many reasons why you might see a “Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart” error, which means it’s not possible to provide the guaranteed solution. However, there are things that are more likely to cause these errors. As such, follow these troubleshooting steps and it might fix the problem.

1. Unplug External Hardware

Have you recently plugged in a new external drive, mouse, keyboard, or similar to your computer? If so, this could be causing the problem.

Unplug everything that you don’t need and see if the problem goes away. If it does, plug one device in, restart, and see if everything remains stable. Repeat this process until you identify the faulty hardware, then contact the manufacturer.

2. Uninstall Recently Added Software

Software that you download and install can cause unexpected problems. If you receive the blue screen error after you have recently installed something, you should remove it. This can often happen with antivirus software.

To uninstall a program, press Windows key + I to open Settings. Click Apps. This brings up a list of all your installed programs. On the Sort by dropdown, click this and change it to Installation date.

Now the most recently installed programs will appear at the top. To remove one, select it from the list and click Uninstall.

3. Rollback Drivers

A driver is a piece of software that helps Windows 10 control hardware. For example, your graphics card, printer, and network adapter all use drivers.

Drivers update periodically to ensure compatibility with the latest version of Windows 10. However, sometimes a driver update can break your system. As such, you may need to roll back a driver update—that is, go back to a previous version.

To do this, press Windows key + X and click Device Manager. This tool shows categories like Display adaptors and Monitors, which you can double click to expand and see the devices within.

Right click a device and click Properties > Driver. Look at the Driver Date, as this will tell you when the driver was last updated. If the date coincides with when you started having trouble, click Roll Back Driver (if available) or Uninstall Device (the device will reinstall when you restart).

4. Update Windows 10

Windows 10 should keep itself updated automatically, but there might be an update in the download queue that hasn’t processed.

Keeping Windows 10 updated is important because it means you will benefit from the latest features and bug fixes. Your blue screen error might be happening because of software or hardware incompatibility that has been solved in a recent update.

To check, press Windows key + I to open Settings and click Update & Security > Check for updates. If there are any updates, follow any prompts to download and install them immediately.

More Help and Troubleshooting Tips

If the advice above hasn’t helped you get rid of the “Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart” error, don’t worry. We have a whole other guide packed with more support on how to solve the blue screen of death.

Analyze Your Blue Screen Error With Advanced Tools

Hopefully, this has helped you understand the meaning of the “Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart” error and guided you towards relevant support.

If you still need help and are an advanced user, you can solve blue screen errors using third-party programs.

Read the full article: Fix the “Your PC Ran Into a Problem and Needs to Restart” Error

Read Full Article

The 5 Best Mini PCs for Gaming

You don’t need a massive gaming rig to play the latest video games on ultra-settings. You can purchase a mini gaming PC instead, packed with the same high-spec hardware as a regular gaming desktop.

So, if size is a concern or you demand portability from your gaming PC, you should check out the best mini PCs for gaming.

1. Zotac Magnus Mini Creator

Zotac Magnus Mini Creator Zotac Magnus Mini Creator Buy Now On Amazon $1,899.99

Let’s kick things off with a mini gaming PC powerhouse: the Zotac Magnus Mini Creator. Under the hood, the Zotac Magnus Mini Creator packs a mighty six-core 2.6GHz Intel Core i7-9750H, along with the 8GB GDDR6 Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080. Out of the box, the Mini Creator comes with 8GB RAM, although this is upgradeable up to 32GB DDR4 RAM.

The Intel Core i7-9750H is a power-efficient CPU with a thermal design power rating of 45W. The 9750H also features integrated UHD Graphics 630, which you can use to take the load off of the discreet GPU for further power savings. The Zotac Magnus Mini Creator includes two HDMI ports, one DisplayPort, four USB 3.0 ports, one USB Type-C port, and a handy SD card slot.

This mini PC is ideal for gaming, but it is also well-suited to other creative tasks as well. The high-performance processor allows you to perform intensive functions like photo and video editing, 3D animation, and you can even use it to stream your gaming sessions. That’s not to mention that it’s capable of handling home theater media centers, too.

2. Corsair ONE i164

From one mini PC behemoth to another, the Corsair ONE i164 is another impressive tiny gaming system. The Corsair One i164’s Intel Core i9-9900K is an eight-core 3.6GHz CPU, one of the best consumer CPUs on the market at the time of writing.

Working with the 9900K is an 11GB GDDR6 Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, backed up with a whopping 32GB DDR4 RAM. One of the things that sets the Corsair ONE i164 aside from other mini PCs is the integrated liquid cooling system.

Corsair builds the ONE series of mini PCs with high and ultra-level quality gaming leading the design, and it shows. The ONE i164 packs in the external connections too. It features three DisplayPort, one VR-ready HDMI, two USB 2.0, four USB 3.1 Gen 1, and two USB 3.1 Gen 2 (Type-A and Type-C).

While the physical size of this computer is inline with other mini PCs, it uses the more familiar desktop PC format. So, rather than a compact box on your table, you can put the smaller desktop tower instead.

3. MSI Trident X

MSI Trident X MSI Trident X Buy Now On Amazon $2,299.00

As far as aesthetics go, the MSI Trident X is up there with the best looking mini gaming PCs. The Trident X looks similar to a modern gaming console, standing tall on your desktop or next to your TV. Throw in some RGB lighting effects and a nicely crafted case, and you have a visual winner.

But gaming is about what’s on the inside of the case. And in the MSI Trident X setup, you’ll find a top of the line Intel Core i7-10700KF, an eight-core 3.6GHz beast. Working alongside the CPU is an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super, which comes with 8GB GDDR6 RAM.

Finally, the Trident X has a whopping 32GB DDR4 RAM, future-proofing your mini gaming PC for the medium-to-long term. In terms of connectivity, you’ll find a Thunderbolt 3 port, three DisplayPorts, one HDMI, one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C, three USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, and three USB 2.0 Type-A ports.

4. HP ProDesk 405

HP ProDesk 405 HP ProDesk 405 Buy Now On Amazon $512.88

The HP ProDesk 405 is an AMD-powered mini gaming PC with a similar style to a set-top cable box. Okay, it is slightly more appealing than your old cable box, but it certainly won’t win any awards, with the black and silver design fitting in with HP’s wider off-the-shelf PC designs.

Powering the ProDesk 405 is an AMD Ryzen 5 2400GE, a quad-core 3.2GHz CPU, which is decent enough. The AMD Ryzen 5 2400GE comes bundled with the AMD Radeon Vega 11 onboard graphics.

Again, the Vega 11 is decent enough but not world-beating, allowing some 1080p gaming at reasonable specs for games that are a few years old. Still, this is one of the more affordable options out there if you’re looking for a space-saving mini PC, but still want to jump into more than a few PC gaming sessions.

5. Intel NUC 8 Hades Canyon

The Intel NUC 8 Hades Canyon is a powerful mini PC for gaming—although you should note that it is not the latest generation of Intel NUC. However, the CPU and GPU combination make the NUC 8 Hades Canyon worth your consideration.

The Intel NUC 8 Hades Canyon uses an Intel Core i7-8809G, a quad-core 3.1GHz CPU, with onboard Intel HD Graphics 630. However, you don’t have to use the onboard graphics for gaming, as the NUC 8 Hades Canyon also packs in an AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH discreet graphics card.

The RX Vega M GH offers similar performance to the Nvidia GeForce 1060, allowing for some decent gaming at 1080p. The NUC 8 Hades Canyon also features one USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, one USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, four USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A, two Mini DisplayPort, and two HDMI ports.

Which Are the Best Mini PCs for Gaming?

If you scan through the listings on Amazon, you’ll find a vast number of mini gaming PCs. The prices look brilliant—until you actually consider the specs. Many of these entry-level or barebones systems come with a low to medium tier CPU and do not have a discreet GPU.

You will manage some gaming on a machine like this, but you certainly won’t roam the streets of GTA V’s San Andreas on ultra-settings. The simple fact of the matter is that a powerful mini gaming PC, like those we’ve listed here, will set you back a bit more than the alternatives.

You don’t have to buy an off-the-shelf mini gaming PC. If you want to keep costs down, check out our guide on how to build a small PC with the Mini-ITX form factor.

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How to Use Apple Find My to Retrieve Your Mac

It’s always scary when an electronic device goes missing. And you might think of this happening most frequently with a mobile device, it can certainly happen with a computer too.

With how compact modern laptops are, a MacBook can easily slide under a couch, bed, pile of laundry, or even into someone else’s bag. Whether hidden in your home or traveling without you, we’ll show you various ways to locate your missing Mac with Find My.

Find My vs. Find My iPhone

Before we begin, you may wonder what the difference is between the Find My app and Find My iPhone.

With the releases of iOS 13, iPadOS, and macOS Catalina, Apple combined the Find My iPhone and Find My Friends apps into a single app called Find My.

The all-encompassing Find My app helps you locate missing devices, along with friends who’ve shared their location with you, and provides you with directions to both. You can also play a sound on the missing device which is helpful if it’s hidden nearby.

Because the official name of the app is Find My, we’ll use that name for this tutorial.

Find My Mac Requirements

In order to find your Mac with the Find My app, the most obvious requirement is that you enabled this feature before your Mac went missing. Assuming you did enable it, you hopefully also turned on the Offline Finding feature, which allows you to locate an Apple device that’s not connected to a network. (We’ll discuss this more later.)

You will also need to sign into the Find My app with the same Apple ID that you use on your missing device. If you use iCloud.com‘s Find My feature, you’ll need to use the same Apple ID there as well.

Use Find My on Another Apple Device

If you own more than one Apple device, have the Find My app installed on another device, and are signed into it with the same Apple ID, this is the simplest way to find your Mac.

On iPhone and iPad

To locate your Mac with iPhone or iPad, follow these steps:

1. Open Find My on the other device.
2. Tap Devices at the bottom.
3. Select your Mac in the list of devices.
4. When the Mac icon appears on the map, you can double-tap it or use the pinch gesture to zoom in. You can also switch from Map to Hybrid or Satellite view with the Information icon at the top right.

On iPhone, swipe up from the bottom to view the full list of additional actions. On iPad, you’ll see these actions display automatically when you select a device. You can play a sound, get directions, enable notifications, mark your Mac as lost, or erase the device.

You can use the same steps above if a family member is helping you locate your Mac using your Family Sharing group.

On Mac

You can also locate your Mac with another Mac—perhaps someone in your Family Sharing group has a Mac, or you happen to own both a MacBook and an iMac. Just follow these steps:

1. Open Find My on the Mac you’re using.
2. At the top of the sidebar, click Devices.
3. Select your Mac in the list of devices.
4. When the Mac icon appears on the map, you can double-click it to zoom in or use the plus sign at the bottom-right. You can also switch from Map to Hybrid or Satellite view with the buttons at the bottom.

For additional actions, click the Information icon next to your Mac’s name on the map. You can then play a sound on the device, get directions to it, enable a notification for when it’s found, report it as lost, or erase it.

Use Find My on iCloud.com

If you don’t own another Apple device or belong to a Family Sharing group, you can use the iCloud website to find your Mac.

Head to iCloud.com using any browser, sign in with the same Apple ID you use on your Mac, and then follow these steps:

1. On the main iCloud page, select Find iPhone.
2. Click All Devices at the top and you’ll see your devices in list form.
3. Select your missing Mac.
4. When the dot appears on the screen showing your Mac’s location, you can double-click the dot or use the plus sign at the top-left to zoom in.

You will also see options for your Mac to the top-right. You can move your cursor over the battery icon to see its battery level, or click to play a sound, lock, or erase your Mac.

About Offline Finding

If you found your Mac using one of the above methods, but it displays as Offline, No location available, or Location services off, this can happen for a few different reasons.

• Your Mac is turned off, it ran out of battery, or it’s been more than 24 hours since you sent its last location to Apple (which you can do in the Find My app).
• The device you’re using to find your Mac is not currently connected to the internet. In this case, you can simply try again when you’re connected.
• You’re currently in a country, region, or area where the Find My feature is unavailable.

Regarding your Mac’s last location in the first bullet point, Apple states:

Your device’s last known location is available for one day. If your device is offline or can’t connect to Find My [device] for more than 24 hours, you won’t be able to see the last known location.

If You Cannot Find Your Mac

You might try to use Find My to locate your Mac, but realize it won’t work at all. For instance, it might not even show up in your list of devices.

If so, it’s best to contact Apple Support to report your missing device and get further assistance reporting the incident to the authorities, if necessary.

Find Your Mac

Hopefully, one of the methods above for using the Find My app or tool on iCloud.com will get your Mac back in your hands. And remember to enable the location feature if you purchase additional Apple products for yourself or someone in your Family Sharing group.

For more, have a look at how to turn off the Find My feature if you decide to sell one of your Apple devices.

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Back Up All Your Devices With Degoo Premium’s 10TB Lifetime Plan

You probably don’t think twice about storing your data on your computer and smartphone. And while it’s convenient to keep personal photos, business invoices, and other files on our devices, there’s always a real risk of losing your data.

If you or someone else accidentally selects a delete option, your device will erase that data from its storage. Many times, this is a permanent action with no option to recover your deleted files.

This is where a cloud backup service like Degoo Premium comes into the picture.

What Is Degoo Premium?

Degoo Premium is a service that helps you back up all your data from your devices to the cloud. This way, a copy of your data is always available outside of the device it’s stored on. In case you ever mess up your device and delete certain files, you can tap one option in this service and it will restore all the data for you.

There are many cloud backup providers which offer various plans. However, none comes close to Degoo’s 10TB plan. This is much more storage than what you get with Dropbox, OneDrive, and Google Drive combined. You can store pretty much everything from all of your devices on this plan, and you’ll still have a lot of free backup space left over.

At MakeUseOf Deals, you can grab the Degoo Premium 10TB lifetime plan for just $99.99. It’s a steal considering the number of features—and most importantly, the amount of backup space you get. And since this plan usually costs $9.99 per month, you’re getting a huge discount.

What Can You Do With Degoo Premium?

Degoo Premium isn’t just a boring backup service where you click and forget. It offers several features that make using this service enjoyable.

With Degoo, you can send your files to your friends and family easily with a link. Simply generate a link from the app, then share it with the people that want to access your files.

The data that you back up is secured with a 256-bit AES encryption. This means is that even if someone manages to hack into the backup server containing your files, they can’t see the actual data. All that they’ll see is some gibberish text with no meaning.

When you create a backup with this service, it replicates that backup for more safety. Thus, you still have a working version of your file if it gets corrupted while you’re backing it up.

Degoo Premium keeps an eye on your files for any changes. If and when it detects a file change, it makes sure the updated file backs up to your account.

Where Can I Use Degoo Premium?

A great aspect of this service is that it’s available for nearly all your devices. You can use it to back up data on iPhone and iPad, Android phones and tablets, and your computer.

It’s easy to access Degoo on your iPhone, iPad, and Android devices with a dedicated app. When on a computer, you can access the backup service using the web app. Don’t miss the Degoo Premium 1TB deal; start protecting your files today!

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5 Ways to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Habits With Technology

Self-improvement is a difficult path and you can use all the help you get. These free tools are here to help you break a bad habit or build a good habit, as easily as possible.

Productivity experts have several theories on how we form a habit. Some people believe it takes 21 days doing a task repeatedly, others think it takes 66 days. And there’s the science of willpower, emotions, feedback loops, and other factors involved.

But the bottom line is to stick with it, and that’s what these websites, apps, and online courses will help you do.

1. Habbit (Android, iOS): The Last Habit Tracking App You’ll Need

Habbit is a gorgeous free habit tracking app to build streaks and check on your progress. Unlike many other such apps, this has no hidden costs or in-app purchases, and no ads either. It’s free, it’s fantastic, and it has all the features you want from a tracker.

Set up a new habit or task by typing its name, and writing a note with it. Give that habit or habit category its own unique color, and set an optional daily reminder notification. When you complete the task, mark it in the app to continue your streak.

Habbit encourages you to keep the streak alive by giving badges. You can earn eight badges in a 21 day streak, but progress will reset if you miss a single day. You can also share a custom image with friends, updating them about your habit change.

You don’t need to sign up to use Habbit, and it works offline. It’s a simple, minimalist app that does the basics perfectly, without bothering you with unnecessary bells and whistles.

Download: Habbit for Android | iOS (Free)

2. Flock (Email): No App, Track Your Habit by Email

If you don’t want to use an app to track habits, try Flock. This is an email-based app that sends a daily message to check in whether you have done your daily habit task. Tap a button to register your response.

Flock also has a built-in social aspect, letting you share that task with friends. Simple copy-paste the habit challenge link and they too will get a daily email at the end of the day. You can customize the time zone too, to use with friends across the globe. In a simple dashboard, you’ll see how everyone is doing on their weekly progress, and thus know when you need to motivate someone.

Flock has no web interface or app, it’s all on email, which makes it unique in a crowded field of habit-changing or habit-tracking apps. It feels less intrusive and is the perfect nifty tool for someone who wants a simple daily check-in.

3. Cracking the Habit Code (E-course): 3 Week Free Course to Build or Break Habits

Sociologist Christine Carter is an expert in getting things done and often provides insights into productivity matters. On her website, she is offering a free three-week online course called Cracking the Habit Code.

Over 21 sessions, Carter breaks down how to form a habit, touching upon every topic about it. You’ll learn how to manage willpower and exercise your willpower muscles, how to measure your progress and add rewards, dealing with difficult emotions, and responding to setbacks. Carter also teaches you how to set up your support group or “cabinet” to ensure you stay on track.

The course is completely free if you register for her website. You can download every video and audio file for offline usage, in case you want to listen to it like a podcast series. Carter also provides presentation slides and other materials for free download.

4. Join a Reddit Community (Web): 3 Habit Forming Subreddits for Self Improvement

Forming a new habit requires a combination of motivation, discipline, and support. A few communities on Reddit provide all of these to anyone who wants to make a positive change.

r/GetMotivated and r/GetDisciplined are two subreddits dedicated to self-improvement and helping others achieve their goals. As the names suggest, Get Motivated is a place to share inspiration and motivation to push someone into their betterment habits. At Get Disciplined, Redditors share their tips and tricks to attain self-discipline, which you can then adopt.

Meanwhile, r/GetMotivatedBuddies is a place to find someone who is making the same habit change as you are. Pair up or form a group to tackle those difficult phases of forming a new habit. You’ll find some much-needed support on days when the going gets tough.

Finally, there is r/Habits, a community for building, breaking, or changing habits. It has a wide range of topics to motivate you into stringing together a new habit. And in case you’re struggling with anything, reach out on r/HabitHelp for sound advice.

5. Make It a Habit or Pay the Price (Web): Lose Actual Money If You Break the Streak

Put your money where your mouth is. If you want to change a habit, lay some money on the line to ensure you keep going at it. That’s the premise behind this daily email from Andy Dao, who wants you to build a chain for 66 days, which some researchers say is how long it takes to form a new habit.

When you sign up, you have to talk about your new habit and give your credit card details through Stripe. You can choose how much money you want to put on the line, from $25 to thousands. You aren’t charged at this point, and will only lose the money if you fail to keep the streak alive.

Once you’re done with the setup, Dao will send a new email every day, in which you have to mark that you completed your task. For 66 days, each email contains motivational messages, funny memes, and quotes to drive you to keep the streak going.

Forget Apps, Use a Pen and Paper

Charles Duhigg literally wrote the book on how habits form and how to change them. His book The Power of Habit goes deep into the several factors that go into habitual behavior. But you can get the gist of his lessons in a few free resources he shares on his website. Of particular note are two wonderful flowcharts explaining how to break or create a habit.

They’re part of our piece on free printables and ebooks to track or change habits. Remember, habit is about consistency, so if technology and apps are a stumbling block for you, forget about them. Go old-school with pen and paper.

Read the full article: 5 Ways to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Habits With Technology 

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Apple’s partners and Samsung apply for India’s $6.6 billion local smartphone production program

South Korean giant Samsung, Apple’s contract manufacturing partners Foxconn, Wistron and Pegatron, and Indian smartphone vendors Micromax and Lava among others have applied for India’s $6.6 billion incentive program aimed at boosting the local smartphone manufacturing, New Delhi said on Saturday.

The scheme, called Production-Linked Incentive Scheme, will offer a range of incentives to companies including a 6% financial incentive on additional sales of goods produced locally over five years, with 2019-2020 set as the base year, India’s IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said in a press conference.

22 companies have applied for the incentive program — that also includes manufacturing of electronics components — and have agreed to export 60% of their locally produced units outside of India, said Prasad. He said the companies estimate they will produce smartphones and components worth $153 billion during the five-year duration.

The Production-Linked Incentive Scheme is aimed at turning India into a global hub of high-quality manufacturing of smartphones and support Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s push to make the country self-reliant, said Prasad.

A total of 22 companies have filed their application under the PLI Scheme. These companies will produce mobile phones and components worth Rs 11.5 lakh crore in the coming 5 years out of which products worth Rs 7 lakh crore will be exported. pic.twitter.com/3yUky3HkOC

— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) August 1, 2020

As part of their applications, the companies have also agreed to offer direct and indirect employment to roughly 1.2 million Indians, the Indian minister said.

The interest of Samsung and Apple, two companies that account for more than 50% of the global smartphone sales revenue, in India is a testament of the opportunities they see in the world’s second largest internet market, said Prasad. “Apple and Samsung, India welcomes you with attractive policies. Now expand your presence in the country,” he said.

Missing from the list of companies that the Indian minister revealed today are Chinese smartphone makers Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus, and Realme that have not applied for the incentive program.

The Indian government did not prevent companies from any country from participating to the program, Prasad insisted in a call with reporters Saturday noon. Chinese smartphone vendors command roughly 80% of the Indian handset market, according to research firm Canalys.

“We are optimistic and looking forward to building a strong ecosystem across the value chain and integrating with the global value chains, thereby strengthening electronics manufacturing ecosystem in the country,” he said. The deadline for applying to participate in India’s program, which began in April, ended on Friday this week.

The participation of Wistron, Foxconn, and Pegatron is also indicative of Apple’s future plans to produce locally in India. Apple’s contract manufacturing partner, Taiwan-based Wistron, first began assembling older iPhone models in 2017. Last month, Foxconn kickstarted assembly of a small batch of iPhone 11 units. This was the first time any Apple supplier assembled a current-generation iPhone model in the country.

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Florida teen accused of being ‘mastermind’ behind celebrity Twitter hack

Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren announced today that he has filed 30 felony charges against a 17-year-old resident of Tampa, Florida, who was described by Warren’s office as “the mastermind of the recent hack of Twitter.”

The hack in question occurred earlier this month and involved high-profile Twitter users like Apple, Elon Musk, Joe Biden and Barack Obama, whose accounts all posted messages promoting a Bitcoin wallet and claiming, “All Bitcoin sent to the address below will be sent back doubled!”

The teen (we’re not identifying them because they’re a minor) allegedly made more than $100,000 through this cryptocurrency scam.

The state attorney’s office said that the teen was arrested earlier today after an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Justice, and that they will be tried as an adult. They face charges including one count of organized fraud (over $50,000) and 17 counts of communications fraud (over $300).

“These crimes were perpetrated using the names of famous people and celebrities, but they’re not the primary victims here,” Warren said in a statement. “This ‘Bit-Con’ was designed to steal money from regular Americans from all over the country, including here in Florida. This massive fraud was orchestrated right here in our backyard, and we will not stand for that.”

As we reported at the time, the hack used Twitter’s own internal administrative tool to gain access to high-profile accounts. In a tweet, the company said, “We appreciate the swift actions of law enforcement in this investigation and will continue to cooperate as the case progresses. For our part, we are focused on being transparent and providing updates regularly.”

Earlier today, Twitter updated its blog post outlining what it knows about the attack:

The social engineering that occurred on July 15, 2020, targeted a small number of employees through a phone spear phishing attack. A successful attack required the attackers to obtain access to both our internal network as well as specific employee credentials that granted them access to our internal support tools. Not all of the employees that were initially targeted had permissions to use account management tools, but the attackers used their credentials to access our internal systems and gain information about our processes. This knowledge then enabled them to target additional employees who did have access to our account support tools. Using the credentials of employees with access to these tools, the attackers targeted 130 Twitter accounts, ultimately Tweeting from 45, accessing the DM inbox of 36, and downloading the Twitter Data of 7.

To prevent a similar attack from succeeding in the future, Twitter said it will be “accelerating several of our pre-existing security workstreams and improvements to our tools” and also improving the methods it uses to detect and stop inappropriate access to its internal systems.

A hacker used Twitter’s own ‘admin’ tool to spread cryptocurrency scam

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First US apps based on Google and Apple Exposure Notification System expected in ‘coming weeks’

Google Vice President of Engineering Dave Burke provided an update about the Exposure Notifications System (ENS) that Google developed in partnership with Apple as a way to help public health authorities supplement contact-tracing efforts with a connected solution that preserves privacy while alerting people of potential exposure to confirmed cases of COVID-19. In the update, Burke notes that the company expects “to see the first set of these apps roll out in the coming weeks” in the U.S., which may be a tacit response to some critics who have pointed out that we haven’t seen much in the way of actual products being built on the technology that was launched in May.

Burke writes that 20 states and territories across the U.S. are currently “exploring” apps that make use of the ENS system, and that together those represent nearly half (45%) of the overall American populace. He also shared recent updates and improvements made to both the Exposure Notification API as well as to its surrounding documentation and information that the companies have shared in order to answer questions from state health agencies, and hopefully make its use and privacy implications more transparent.

The ENS API now supports exposure notifications between countries, which Burke says is a feature added based on nations that have already launched apps based on the tech (that includes Canada, as of today, as well as some European nations). It’s also now better at using Bluetooth values specific to a wider range of devices to improve nearby device detection accuracy. He also says they’ve improved the reliability for both apps and debugging tools for those working on development, which should help public health authorities and their developer partners more easily build apps that actually use ENS.

Burke continues that there’s been feedback from developers that they’d like more detail about how ENS works under the covers, and so they’ve published public-facing guides that direct health authorities about test verification server creation, code revealing its underlying workings and information about what data is actually collected (in a de-identified manner) to allow for much more transparent debugging and verification of proper app functioning.

Google also explains why it requires that an Android device’s location setting be turned on to use Exposure Notifications — even though apps built using the API are explicitly forbidden from also collecting location data. Basically, it’s a legacy requirement that Google is removing in Android 11, which is set to be released soon. In the meantime, however, Burke says that even with location services turned off, no app that uses the ENS will actually be able to see or receive any location data.

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Secret documents from US antitrust probe reveal big tech’s plot to control or crush the competition

Nearly 500 pages of evidence were made public during the House Judiciary’s marathon hearing this week on potential anti-competitive actions by Amazon, Facebook, Google and Apple. We’ve collected them here with added context and an omnibus, searchable version for anyone who’d rather not juggle four dozen documents.

The emails, chat logs and other communications listed here trickled out online as the hearings went on. Many are internal documents that were never meant to be exposed publicly — for instance, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg telling a colleague that “we can likely always just buy any competitive startups” shortly before acquiring Instagram in 2012.

Congressional investigators wield considerable power in compelling the release of such documents, even against the will of the companies, which would almost certainly never provide such self-incriminating information to journalists. As such, these documents contain all manner of useful information, most of it providing insight into the otherwise opaque thinking of executives as their companies made key decisions about growing their businesses — and hint at strategies traditionally employed by monopolies.

While there isn’t anything that could be called a smoking gun, these are not the only evidence the investigation collected, only those it needed to make public for this hearing. Legislators spoke of other documents and also of interviews and testimony that corroborated their allegations, or contradicted companies’ accounts of events.

While there are too many documents to discuss individually, we’ve noted some interesting exchanges we’ve come across in the files for each company. A combined, searchable mega-file of the internal documents can be found at the bottom of this post. It’s not in any particular order, so it’s best to sift through by looking for key terms, key figures and company names.

Amazon

Image Credits: Screenshot via House Judiciary Committee

The documents contain internal communications about Amazon’s pursuit and eventual purchase of Diapers.com, which also came up in the hearing itself. Aggressive price cutting by the former forced the latter out of business, allowing it to be snapped up and integrated. In one document, we see that Amazon discusses setting up special automatic pricing rules that more aggressively undercut Diapers.com prices compared to other sellers of diapers and toys.

Another document shows that Amazon lost in the neighborhood of $200 million in a single quarter during this period, showing that it was willing to take on losses at a scale that the smaller business couldn’t possibly withstand — a classic monopolistic tactic only possible if you command a giant chunk of a market. Rep. Scanlon (D-PA) pushed Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on this at about the 2 hour 15 minute mark.

Jeff Bezos, spurred by a TechCrunch post, asks what the plan is for Diapers.com’s next play, Soap.com, and receives a summary of the existing plan, which “undercuts the core diapers business for diapers.com,” and “will slow the adoption of soap.com.” This email shows how Amazon acknowledged that it has positioned itself as “the place to sell globally,” particularly with manufacturers from China who wanted direct access to American consumers. A deck of Diapers.com metrics mentions “predatory pricing” and Amazon as very specific threats to their short- and long-term plans.

Regarding Amazon’s purchase of Ring, which might have emerged as a smart home competitor, this document shows senior management discussing being “willing to pay for market position as it’s hard to catch the leader.” Another email offers more context on Amazon’s thoughts on the acquisition of Ring (at the time referred to as Project Darwin) before it went through. Bezos himself says in this exchange that “we’re buying market position — not technology. And that market position and momentum is very valuable.”

Bezos ‘can’t guarantee’ no anti-competitive activity as Congress catches him flat-footed

Facebook

Image Credits: Screenshot via House Judiciary Committee

In an email exchange from March 2012, the month before Facebook announced it would buy Instagram, Zuckerberg shares a conversation about China’s “strong culture of cloning things quickly.”

In the original conversation, sent to Facebook Product lead Chris Cox and CTO Mike Schroepfer, a high-level Facebook employee describes how they met with the founders of Chinese company RenRen who described how their own company copied apps like Voxer and Pinterest. The author comments that it’s easier for those companies to get products out quickly “since they’re copying other people” and goes on to suggest how a similar strategy could work for Facebook. Forwarding the email to Sheryl Sandberg, Zuckerberg comments “You’ll probably find this interesting and agree.”

Another set of documents captures Mark Zuckerberg’s private courtship of Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom. Tellingly, a side conversation between Systrom and a former Facebook product VP shows that the Instagram creator was concerned about Zuckerberg going into “destroy mode” if Systrom didn’t agree to sell. There’s also more insight about how Facebook saw the Instagram deal and how the company decided to keep it a separate product.

The Facebook documents also include some conversation about the WhatsApp acquisition, which it nicknames “Project Cobalt,” including the minutes from a board meeting four days before Facebook went public with its acquisition plans. “Ms. Sandberg emphasized that the high concentration of the mobile operating system market — with two providers serving the vast majority of smartphone users around the world — poses a significant strategic threat to [Facebook’s] business…” the minutes state.

In antitrust hearing, Zuckerberg admits Facebook has copied its competition

 

Apple

Image Credits: Screenshot via House Judiciary Committee

Apple’s isn’t as well-known for crushing competitors as the other three companies, but it certainly likes to wring revenues out of its software partners while maintaining a tight grip on both its hardware and software. Many of the documents focus on Apple’s internal strategies responding to criticism on issues like the right-to-repair controversy and developers unhappy with the obsessive level of control Apple exercises over its products.

The Apple documents also detail how the App Store creator gives preferential treatment to some companies on the commissions it takes. In 2016 emails between Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Apple SVP Eddy Cue, Apple looks to have struck a special deal over the Amazon Prime Video app for iOS and Apple TV.

An email exchange back in 2011 also details how Apple mulled raising commissions to 40% for the first year for subscription apps. “I think we may be leaving money on the table if we just asked for about 30% of the first year of sub,” Cue wrote. This didn’t come to pass, but the correspondence does provide insight into some questions about setting its own rules that the company didn’t really have an answer to in the hearing.

Apple’s App Store commission structure called into question in antitrust hearing

Google

Image Credits: Screenshot via House Judiciary Committee

In a confidential internal presentation from 2006, Google raises an alarm about the “orthogonal threat” posed by social networks and other websites with “high entertainment value,” like YouTube.

“… The team developed an opinion that these social networking sites will ultimately represent a threat to our search business as people will spend more time on those sites and ultimately may do most searches from the search boxes available there. They aren’t direct competitors, but they may displace us in end-user time tradeoff.”

The presentation goes on to argue that Google should “own the search box on the entertainment sites” and develop its own social networking solution so those sites don’t win out. That same year, Google announced its landmark acquisition of YouTube.

Other email chains from around the same time capture Google’s internal thinking in the run-up to buying YouTube.

“YouTube’s value to us would be a smart team and a platform we could build from (maybe enough to justify an acquisition on its own), but would we really be able to preserve their community once we start reviewing and pulling copyright or inappropriate content? If anything, that’s likely to cast a poor light on Google,” then-Google Director of Product Hunter Walk wrote, in an interesting moment foreshadowing Google’s current content moderation woes.

After floating a $200 million deal for the company and having YouTube turn up its nose, Google eventually went on to buy the now-ubiquitous video sharing platform for $1.65 billion.

Google’s Sundar Pichai grilled over ‘destroying anonymity on the internet’

You can read and search through the documents here:

House Antitrust Subcommitte… by TechCrunch on Scribd

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