Huawei says it’s still committed to the U.S., in spite of, well, everything

A funny thing happened the last couple of times I was briefed on a Huawei flagship product: news was breaking about some major roadblock for the company’s U.S. distribution plans. First it was AT&T backing out in the midst of CES and then it was Best Buy’s decision to drop the company just ahead of the big P20 launch (though a rep for the company told me the States were never part of its plans for that handset). 

It’s been one thing after another as the Chinese hardware maker has worked to establish a meaningful presence here in the States. In spite of all of this fallout from government pushback, however, the company insists that it’s not going anywhere.

In an email to CNET, the company’s consumer CEO reaffirmed that commitment. “We are committed to the U.S. market and to earning the trust of U.S. consumers by staying focused on delivering world-class products and innovation,” Yu writes. “We would never compromise that trust.”

The sentiment echoes statements Yu made on-stage at CES in the wake of the AT&T deal implosion — albeit much more measured this time around. Most of Yu’s followup reinforced his earlier assertions that, in spite of multiple warning from various US security departments, this whole thing is blow entirely out of proportion.

“The security risk concerns are based on groundless suspicions and are quite frankly unfair,” Yu adds. ”We welcome an open and transparent discussion if it is based on facts.”

Even if the company’s intentions are as stated, Huawei’s got an epic uphill climb if it’s going to make any sort of dent in the world’s third-largest mobile market. The company’s carrier play is non-existent in a country where most phones are purchased through telecoms. And abandonment by the biggest big box store in the States was insult to injury.

And if the company does manage to reverse those trends, it will still be a hard sell for U.S. consumers after several warnings from the country’s defense departments. 

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How to Spot 7 Online Fakes Used by Scammers

Anyone who’s used the internet (hopefully) knows that you can’t trust everything you see online. Just because something looks trustworthy doesn’t mean that it’s exactly what it claims.

But knowing there are fakes in the wild and being able to spot them are different.

Knowing how to spot counterfeit content online is a vital skill to avoid wasting time, losing money, or destroying your property. Here are seven commonly faked elements online and some advice for identifying them.

1. Download Buttons

Fake download links appear all over the web through Google’s AdSense ads because scammers constantly slip them through. Even worse, they often appear on pages where you’re looking for a legitimate download.

Click the wrong one, and you’ll end up downloading useless or dangerous software. Thankfully, there are a few easy ways to tell if you’re looking at a fake download button.

If you see Advertisement printed near a download button, it’s not real. Another telltale sign is the blue triangle AdChoices logo in the corner of the ad. If you click and drag a download button and the image moves with your mouse cursor, it’s an ad.

Finally, you can mouse over a link to see where it points to. In most browsers, you’ll see the destination in the bottom-left corner of your browser. A legitimate download link will have the name of the software and/or website that you’re downloading in it. If the link starts with googleads or similar, it’s an ad.

You can greatly decrease your chances of clicking a fake download button by sticking to trusted websites for downloading software.

2. Emails

Obvious spam emails are easy to spot. But what about phishing emails that want to steal your personal information or trick you into downloading malware? Often, these look like real emails from your friends or trusted entities like your bank.

Keep a few principles in mind when determining if an email is real or not.

First, check the sender. While it’s possible to spoof a message and make it look like it’s coming from a trusted email address, usually fake emails come from a phony address. If you’ve seen official messages come from an @paypal.com address and this one comes from @paypalservicealerts.com, something is up. This also applies to emails that appear to come from your contacts.

You should also consider the content of a message to see if it’s fake. Legitimate companies do not ask for your credit card, social security number, password, or other sensitive information over email. Phishing emails are often designed to scare you into clicking quickly, like the App Store phishing scam that sends a bogus receipt for an outrageously expensive subscription.

Like checking download buttons, you can also hover over a link in an email to see where it leads. An official email should lead to an official site. If you see a strange website name, don’t click the link.

In general, if you receive an email you’re not sure about, go directly to the website and check. If PayPal needs you to verify something, you’ll see it when you log in.

3. Update Notifications

Some apps update automatically, but others prompt you to apply updates manually. Because you probably aren’t expecting to see these, ads disguised as update prompts are a popular fake. This has happened recently with a variety of fake sites offering “urgent updates” for Firefox.

If you see a popup or notification anywhere online telling you to install a “recommended” update for Java, Flash, or other plugins, don’t click it. Programs don’t use random pop-ups from a website to tell you about updates. Prompts that appear to update software when you first boot your computer are almost always safe, unless you have adware installed.

Like phishing emails, you should always open the software in question when in doubt and check for updates manually. Nearly all apps have their own update checker under Help > Check for Updates or similar.

4. Reviews

Reviews are an important part of the web; reading someone else’s experience can help you decide whether to use a product. Unsurprisingly, these are often faked to artificially inflate an item’s reputation. Thus, you shouldn’t blindly trust reviews you see on Amazon and other shopping sites.

With a bit of practice, you can spot obviously fake reviews by checking for overuse of keywords, unnatural language, and vague praise. You can cut through the fakes much more efficiently using a tool like FakeSpot, which analyzes a product’s reviews to see how many of them are bogus.

On a similar note, keep an eye out for completely phony reviews (as in nobody actually used the product at all) on shady sites. Often you’ll see comments of praise or five stars with no context or names listed. This is usually a sign that you’re on a junk website.

5. Websites

Phony websites are often linked to the fake emails discussed above. If scammers can get you to click a link in an email or follow an ad, they might lead to a counterfeit website disguised as something you trust.

The most important way to avoid falling victim to fake websites is checking the URL. While scammers can create convincing fakes of a website’s appearance, they can’t use the real URL. Fake websites often have one or more of the following telltale signs in their URLs:

• Lots of dashes (best-online-deals-everyday.com)
• Using numbers or symbols in place of letters (paypa1.com, 0nlinebonk.com)
• Unusual domain extensions, like .biz.
• Domain trickery. Always remember that the last string of characters before the extension (.com) is the true name of the site. A counterfeiter could set up paypal.fakesite.com and banking.fakesite.com—both are part of the fake site.

Also, if you see poor English grammar across a website, it’s probably bogus. Fake sites are often produced in areas where English is not the primary language; legitimate companies take care to avoid careless mistakes on their sites.

Take a look at the contact and copyright information at the bottom of the page too. If you don’t see any clear ways to get hold of the company, spot typos in the copyright statement, or the copyright is years old, it’s likely fake.

6. People

This probably won’t surprise you, but not everybody is as they appear online. The “perfect guy” you met on a dating website could be a total loser. Or someone claiming to be a representative from a government agency could be a scammer from another country.

On social media sites, especially Facebook, beware of people creating fake profiles using your real friends’ information. Scammers regularly steal someone’s profile picture and make a new account with their name. Then, they’ll message the person’s friends asking for money or providing links to scam sites.

To prevent this, always message your friend through a trusted method (like calling) if you receive a strange message from them. If you see a friend request from someone and swear you’re already friends with them, it’s likely a faker.

Otherwise, use your best judgment when dealing with potentially phony people online. Don’t believe everything people say without critically considering it. Usually, five minutes of investigation can uncover if someone is really who they claim.

7. Pictures

Thanks to Photoshop and people’s willingness to share anything, hoax images have been popular for quite some time. With more powerful image editing tools available today, it can be difficult to tell if something is real or manipulated.

Often, images of text spread around social media, claiming old myths like Facebook is going to start charging money. Unless you’re a Photoshop expert or the image has an obvious blunder, you won’t be able to detect manipulation on your own. Try using a tool like FotoForensics to analyze an image for you.

Reverse searching images on Google is a good way to find out more about them too. If you search for an image and it brings up tons of articles about a hoax, you know it’s not real. Our tips on avoiding fake news during a crisis will help here.

Avoiding Online Fakes and Scams

Now you know seven of the most commonly fabricated types on content online. It can be difficult to distinguish genuine websites, emails, and photos from cleverly disguised fakes. But using these tips, you’ll be able to see through the lies more easily. The rest will come with experience.

Above all, remember that you should be skeptical of everything you see online. For more on staying safe, check out the easiest ways to never get a virus.

Image Credit: AndreyPopov/Depositphotos

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Google will make real-time Final Four predictions this weekend, air them as halftime TV ads

Google wants to put its data science chops to the test – in real-time. This weekend, the company is going use data analytics techniques and machine learning during the Final Four in San Antonio to figure out what it thinks will happen next in the live games. And after doing so, it will hand off its predictions about the game’s second half to be aired as a halftime TV ad.

The company detailed its plans in a blog post this morning, explaining how the idea grew out of the existing relationship it had with the NCAA regarding statistical game and competition data analysis using Google’s cloud technology. Google then decided it wanted to challenge itself further to see what else it could do with NCAA data.

A team including data scientists, technicians, and basketball enthusiasts was assembled, and Google built a data processing workflow using Google Cloud Platform and technologies like BigQuery and Cloud Datalab. It was able to uncover all sorts of insights, like who blocked the most shots per minute or whether teams with animal mascots caused more upsets. And then Google decided it wanted to try to predict what happens during a live game.

This weekend, it will analyze the data from the first half of the Final Four games in real-time, and turn that prediction into a television ad in a matter of minutes.

The way this works is that Google Cloud team will be on site during the games, and will feed in the data from the first half into its workflow where it’s analyzed against NCAA historical data. When halftime begins, the team will crunch the data and come up with its predictions. The technical teams regarding its workflow have been shared here, on the Google Cloud Big Data and Machine Learning blog.

Before halftime ends, Google will hand off a newly created TV ad to CBS and Turner that will air right before the second half starts.

“This is likely the first time a company has used its own real-time predictive analytics to create ads during a live televised sporting event,” notes Google.

The experiment is a clever way to advertise Google Cloud and other technology, but it’s not the only tech company doing Final Four predictions.

All the virtual assistants are making their own predictions too, including Google’s own Google Assistant, Alexa, Cortana, and Siri. But their answers are sometimes more like editorialized opinions and not true data science.

You can keep track of Google’s NCAA experiment on the dedicated site, cloud.withgoogle.com/ncaa.

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How to Work Offline From Any Device: The Essential Tools You’ll Need

Do you need an effective way to help keep your focus on your work? Unplug from the internet. You know it works.

But first, you’ll need to set up your computer with a few essential tools that will help you get a big chunk of your work done offline. Let’s round up 10 potential ones for you.

1. The App Where You Get Most of Your Work Done

In which app do you get most of your work done? It might be a code editor if you’re a developer, a graphics editor if you’re a designer, or a photo editing suite if you’re a photographer.

The primary app your work relies on is probably a desktop program and doesn’t need an internet connection anyway. That’s one thing sorted.

If you’re using an online app, enable any offline features it has. Ask yourself if there are any tasks you can finish offline or if you can switch to a desktop app that provides similar features.

2. A Read-It-Later Tool

You’ll need a way to collect and organize information so you can look it up even when you’re offline. You have a few ways to make this happen.

Pocket is the most obvious choice you have here. It’s a robust, cross-platform app for saving content and works with many apps. Find a Pocket client for your desktop and your browser.

You can also use Evernote’s Web Clipper to highlight as well as save bits of web pages. Mac users, give Safari’s Reading List feature a shot.

In some cases, you might want to save complete web pages to your computer. If you can’t do without the full content of a particular website, you can also download the entire website for offline reading.

How about turning useful web pages into PDFs with the Print Friendly bookmarklet? It cleans up the page for you and also allows you to zap unwanted elements in the preview before printing.

3. An Email Client

If handling emails is part of your job description, you can do it offline with a desktop app. Pick from these five desktop email clients that don’t cost a dime. Deal with the actual sending and receiving email tasks when you’re back online. Gmail users on Chrome, read our guide to set up Gmail for offline use.

4. A Note-Taking Tool

It’s important that you have a catch-all app for recording ideas, storing useful information, copy-pasting text snippets, and so on. Whether you prefer a simple text editor, a versatile note-taking application or a word processor is secondary.

Find a tool that comes with offline support or as a desktop client. Begin your search here: five auto-saving notepad apps for every platform. For capturing ideas, you can also choose an offline mind mapping tool.

5. A Task List

Having your to-do list front and center gives you a clear picture of what you need to do for the day. It also helps you rearrange your tasks on the fly when you need to.

While you have an endless supply of to-do list apps to pick from, we recommend that you keep your task list super simple. Pen and paper make for the best offline tools for writing to-do lists. Even your note-taking app or a text file will do.

6. A Timer

Time blocking is the secret weapon for better focus. It reduces stress by limiting specific tasks to specific blocks of time during the day. If you use this method or if you prefer to work with a countdown going on in the background, you’ll need a timer app.

Pomodoro fans seem to have the most choices when it comes to timer apps. Even if you don’t use the Pomodoro technique, you can install an app for it and tweak the timer intervals to suit your needs.

7. An Office Suite

Whether you need an office suite and whether you need a high-powered one at that depends on the nature of your work.

Is a full-fledged office suite like Microsoft Office or LibreOffice right for your needs? Mac users, iWork might be perfect for some of you.

But if you don’t need a complete suite, you can install a basic word processor, spreadsheet program, and a presentation tool as standalone apps only if you need them. For example, if you need only a word processor, get AbiWord (Windows, Linux) or Bean (macOS).

8. A Screen Capture and Annotation Tool

Your operating system already comes with a screen capture tool and it works offline. Learn how to use it and memorize its keyboard shortcuts.

If you want an app that’s more versatile, install an app from a third-party developer. We recommend Monosnap and Jing, which work on Windows and Mac. Linux users, Flameshot may be just the tool you’re looking for.

Won’t settle for anything less than one of the best and most powerful? Spend $50 and get Snagit, which is also from the developers of Jing. You can try the app before you buy.

9. A Project Management Tool

What projects do you have in the pipeline? Which activities need to go on your task list? What comes next in your current project? To track the answers to such questions at a glance, you need a project management app. Get creative here.

Check whether your current app has an official or an unofficial desktop client. Or repurpose a desktop app to also manage projects. You can also install a browser extension that works offline.

If you use a popular tool like Evernote, Trello, or Google Keep, with a little research you can find a way to get it on your desktop. For example, you can install Evernote’s official desktop app. Likewise, you can install Google Keep’s Chrome extension, which works offline.

10. A Playlist for Working

If you like to work to music, you might have a “productivity playlist” already. Ensure that it works offline or find a way to make it so. Of course, the music doesn’t have to be on your desktop. You can let it run on your cell phone in the background instead.

Do you prefer ambient sounds over tracks?

You have apps to generate those sounds sans an internet connection. Noizio ($2.99) does the trick on Mac. Focusli and Anoise are good options if you’re a Linux user. Try Sleep Bug or White Noise if you use Windows. You can also download ambient sounds as MP3 files from websites like SimplyNoise.

Ready to Unplug and Get Some Work Done?

Going internet-free when you’re working may not be a hundred percent possible if you’re a digital worker. Your work relies on getting information from the web in some form after all. You might also need online services for various tasks. The point is that if you’re determined to work offline, it’s not as difficult as you think. Give it a try!

If you’re a Chrome user, you have a definite advantage here, because you have the best and most varied extensions and apps for working offline.

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8 Chat Stories Apps for Reading Fiction on Your Phone

Throughout the ages, readers have had numerous options. Depending on their personal preferences, they have been able to pick up mainstream fiction, geeky non-fiction, graphic novels, and magazines, amongst others.

Chat stories are some of the latest offerings. Presented as short fictional stories delivered in a text-message format, they’re wildly popular with millennials and Generation Z. People relate to them due to growing up with text messages and using them often.

If you’re interested in reading chat stories as well we’ve picked out a handful of outstanding chat stories apps for you to install on your phone.

1. Lure

With a regularly updated story collection from in-house writers, this app highlights genres from horror to humor. It breaks down the chat stories into several lines that fit on your smartphone screen.

Then, you just tap the link at the bottom to load more. Users say the format promotes continual engagement by breaking the material into bite-sized chunks. There is also an estimated reading time for each story, which helps for planning purposes.

Statistics at the top of a story’s introduction screen show how many people viewed or pressed the “Love” icon for a given tale. Knowing that could help you decide which stories to read and which ones to pass on.

When reading without a subscription, there is a waiting period. It prevents tapping to immediately see the next section. A subscription removes advertisements and the need to wait.

Download: Lure: Read Chat Fiction for iOS | Android (Three-day free trial available. Subscriptions range from $2.99-$39.99, and the option to buy appears within the app.)

2. Tap by Wattpad

Instead of offering text-only chat stories, this app presents them with images, sounds, and videos. There are alternate endings, too. Explore material to suit your mood and interests.

There are also new Tap Originals released every week. They’re exclusive to the app and give you something new even if you use other chat stories platforms, as well.

Tap by Wattpad also lets people create their own chat stories. If you think you’ve got what it takes, start posting on the app and build a following. Users can digest the content on Tap in more than 10 languages.

If you have non-English-speaking friends from other countries, they might get hooked based on your recommendations. A sharing feature facilitates spreading the word about digital stories you like the best.

Download: Tap by Wattpad for iOS | Android (Free, with subscriptions ranging from $2.99-$39.99.)

3. Hooked

Launched in 2015, Hooked help bring chat stories to the masses through a business concept that emphasizes how stories must evolve, as the company explained on Medium.

While appearing on iTunes charts, Hooked surpassed apps like Instagram and Snapchat in popularity. Like the other apps mentioned here, Hooked feeds you the story in a per-message format. The Hooked logo is an owl, and each message is a Hoot. If you subscribe to the app as a paying user, you become a Superhoot.

Hooked quickly pulls you into each story by showing the dialog to read right away. You don’t get back stories about the characters beforehand. However, the app chooses a story for you to read based on a genre you pick. A subscription enables self-chosen story selections. It also eliminates the waiting period Hooked enforces.

Download: Hooked for iOS | Android (Free. Optional subscription prices are $2.99-39.99.)

4. Eavesdrop

An app marketed as “your next chat fiction addiction,” Eavesdrop breaks down its stories into episodes. Think of them as chapters. It features hundreds of stories and thousands of episodes, so you’ll never lack for things to read. Eavesdrop has a rating feature, too. Give your feedback about stories and get suggestions for what to enjoy next.

One thing that sets Eavesdrop apart from some other apps is it features real-life internet live streamers. They appear as characters in some stories, giving an aspect of familiarity to the target audience. Discover new stories every week, as well.

Download: Eavesdrop for iOS | Android (One-week free trial available. Subscriptions cost $2.99-39.99 based on duration. Renewal happens automatically within the app.)

5. Cliffhanger

You read most chat stories as if viewing someone’s messaging history. With Cliffhanger, it’s different, as you become part of the story.

As expected from the name, most of Cliffhanger’s stories are from the thriller, mystery, and horror genres. Readers can also make choices that change how a story unfolds. Additionally, there are pay-to-use aspects of the app—like images and videos—that uncover crucial clues.

Fans of the app say the stories are easy to understand and addictive to boot. They confess spending hours using Cliffhanger because it’s so engrossing. If you’re preparing for a long plane or train ride, this app could make it bearable. New stories are made available each day.

Download: Cliffhanger for iOS | Android (Free, with in-app purchases ranging from $2.99-$39.99.)

6. READIT Chat Stories

Expect the stories on READIT to capture your interest right away. However, keep in mind that you have to pay to read a full story. Many users start out not expecting that and end up disappointed as a result, despite their enjoyment of the material.

The available genres include romance and thrillers. However, the app selects stories for you.

Despite those caveats, READIT is one of the highest-rated iTunes apps, and it’s worth downloading to see if you understand why that’s the case.

Download: READIT Chat Stories for iOS (Free, with $4.99/month subscription available after one-week trial.)

7. Yarn

As reported by BookTrib, analysts say chat stories may change the publishing industry and what’s necessary to write popular content. After all, this type of writing leaves no room for wordiness or in-depth explanations.

Yarn is trying to disrupt teen culture with videos as well. This app adds new stories by the day. However, people can also watch shows in a similar short-form format.

The pictures accompanying the chat stories are essential. Be aware though, you have to pay to see them. Knowing that in advance could help you determine whether to sign up for a subscription or stop using the app after your free trial runs out.

Download: Yarn for iOS | Android (One-week trial with a weekly subscription for $4.99 or yearly subscription for $39.99.)

8. Scary Chat Stories – Addicted

If you like reading edge-of-your-seat scary stories but can’t afford the subscriptions, try this app. Unlike the others covered here, it’s completely free.

Built-in sharing and storage tools let you insert story links into platforms, including Messenger and Google Keep. The content does not include videos and pictures, making it truly text-based. That might be advantageous on a limited data plan.

You might understandably wonder how this app works without making people pay—or even wait—for stories. And the answer is, of course, a lot of ads. However, you can skip these after several seconds.

Unfortunately, the spelling and grammar is not as good as in other apps. Which may indicate that the app’s writers are less experienced than some, which could partially explain why it’s free.

Download: Scary Chat Stories – Addicted for iOS | Android (Free)

Thinking About Subscribing?

Perhaps this was your introduction to chat stories, a genre that has taken youth culture by storm, or maybe you already knew a bit about them but haven’t actually downloaded any apps. Either way, we hope this article helped you find some brilliant chat stories.

Unfortunately, reading chat stories through apps can be an expensive hobby, so make full use of the available trials first to see which apps are worth paying for.

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iOS 11.3 Fixes Battery Throttling, Adds New Animoji, and More

Apple isn’t done improving and adding features to iOS 11 yet. Anyone with a compatible iPhone or iPad model can now download iOS 11.3 over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update.

You can also update through iTunes by plugging in an iOS device, selecting the iPhone or iPad, and then choosing the Summary section. Then select Check for Update.

Unlike some software updates that only brings bug fixes and other behind-the-scenes improvements, iOS 11.3 is a major step forward offering a number of new features for users. Here’s a rundown of what to expect.

Say Hello to Battery Health

Apple stirred controversy in late 2017 when it admitted that it slows down the processors on some older iPhone models to help protect from unexpected shutdowns and preserve the overall battery life. But a new addition in iOS 11.3 is providing users more information about their handset battery.

Found under Settings > Battery > Battery Health is the new Battery Health feature.

In the first section, users can see the current maximum capacity of the handset battery compared to when it was new. You’ll also be able to see if the battery is currently supporting peak performance.

If not, anyone with an iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, or iPhone 7 Plus can disable the power management option after the first unexpected shutdown on a handset. If that happens, you’ll see this message:

“This iPhone has experienced an unexpected shutdown because the battery was unable to deliver the necessary peak power. Performance management has been applied to help prevent this from happening again.”

But be careful before you select that option, as you can’t turn it back on. The power management feature will automatically kick in if your iPhone ever shuts down unexpectedly.

Anytime your maximum battery capacity drops below 80 percent, you’ll also see a message that replacing the cell will restore the handset to full performance and capacity. Click through to see more information about replacement options through Apple.

A comprehensive support document also offers more detail about iPhone batteries and handset performance. You can even learn about some great tips to help get the most out an iPhone battery.

While the feature won’t exactly change how lithium-ion batteries work, it will give users a better idea of how their battery could be affecting overall performance. And it’s something Apple should have originally done when it rolled out the power management feature in 2016.

New Animoji for the iPhone X

Those wacky and crazy Animoji for iPhone X users are even getting a big boost with iOS 11.3. A surprise hit, Animoji use the TrueDepth camera in the iPhone X to capture more than 50 different facial features and overlay them on the fun emoji-like characters.

Apple is adding four more characters to the mix: a dragon, bear, skull, and lion. Those additions will bring the number of Animoji up to 16. So expect to see a lot more Animoji karaoke.

Health Records in the Health App

The Health app is also taking a big step up with a great new addition. With the app in iOS 11.3, Apple is teaming up with a number of different medical institutions across the United States to allow users to quickly and easily access to their health records.

Using the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources standard, Apple worked with the providers to create a way to transfer electronic medical records.

Available to view in the Health Data section of the app, you can check records from a number of different institutions in one view. Some of the information you can see includes allergies, conditions, immunizations, lab results, medications, procedures, and vital signs. You’ll also see a notification when the data is updated.

All of the health records are encrypted and protected by the iPhone passcode. While 12 different institutions support the feature at launch, Apple is promising to add others in the future.

Other New Features in iOS 11.3

iOS 11.3 offers some additional smaller improvements that you might not notice right away:

• Developers will be able to start taking advantage of ARKit 1.5 for their apps. The augmented reality protocol can now recognize and place virtual objects on vertical surfaces—think doors and windows. Also included is support for detecting and incorporating images like movie posters in AR. The real-world view through the camera also sports 50 percent better resolution and an auto-focus capability.
• Rolling out in beta, Business Chat will allow users to chat with a business directly in Messages to schedule an appointment, make a purchase, or talk with a customer service representative. Some of the business available will include Discover, Hilton, Lowe’s, and Wells Fargo.
• Anytime an Apple app wants to use or access personal information, you’ll see a new privacy icon along with a link that provides more information about how Apple will use and protect the data. That’s enormously timely with the Facebook’s seemingly lax approach to data protection.
• Adding support for Advanced Mobile Location will automatically send your location whenever a call is made to emergency services where the feature is supported.
• Apple News now features an improved Top Stories section and a new video option in the For You section.
• Apple Music subscribers can view a revamped Music Videos section with a number of exclusive playlists. Music lovers can also view friends with similar tastes in tunes.

Ready, Set, Download iOS 11.3

Apple’s iOS 11.3 has a little something for every iPhone or iPad user. From more control over battery life and performance to new Animoji and much more, the substantial update should help tide us over until the official arrival of iOS 12, more than likely coming sometime this fall.

And while you’re checking out all of the new features in iOS 11.3, make sure to take a look at some great iPhone shortcuts to help become more productive.

Image Credit: ifeelstock/Depositphotos

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The SteelSeries Arctis Pro lineup is a new high-water mark in comfort and quality

SteelSeries has two new Arctis Pro gaming headsets out, and they pack a lot of tech and versatility into a comfortable, visually attractive package. The SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless and Arctis Pro + GameDAC are both incredibly capable headsets that deliver terrific sound, and depending on your system needs, should probably be your first choice when looking for new gaming audio gear.

The Arctis Pro Wireless is, true to its name, wire-free, but also promises lossless 2.4GHz transmission to ensure lag-free audio, too – a must for competitive gaming. The combination of the wireless functionality, the long-wearing comfort of the suspension system headband and the included transmitter base that can hold and charge a swappable battery as well as display all key information on an OLED readout makes this a standout choice.

There are some limitations, however – compatibility is limited to either PS4 or PC for this one, for instance. The wired Arctis Pro (without GameDAC) is compatible with the Xbox One, but both the wireless version and the version that connected to the wired DAC will only work with either Sony’s latest consoles or with a Windows or Mac-based gaming PC.

I’m a bit saddened by that since I’m a big fan of PUBG on Xbox, and also lately of Sea of Thieves, but I also do regularly play PS4 and PC games, and the Arctis Pro Wireless is my weapon of choice now when using either, either for multiplayer or single player games. The wearability and sound quality (which includes DTS X 7.1 surround on PC) is so good that I’ll often opt to use them in place of my actual 5.1 physical surround system, even when I don’t need to chat with anyone.

Other options, like the Turtle Beach Elite Pro Tournament Headset, offer different advantages including more easily accessible fine-tune control over soundscape, balance of chat and game audio and other features, but the SteelSeries offers a less complicated out-of-box experience, and better all-day wearability thanks to taking cues from athletic wear for its materials and design.

The GameDAC option additionally has Hi-Res Audio certificate, which is good if you’re looking to stream FLAC files or high-res audio from services like Tidal. The DAC itself also makes all audio sound better overall, and gives you more equalization options from the physical controller.

The main thing to consider with the Arctis Pro + DAC ($249.99) and the Arctis Pro Wireless ($329.99) is the cost. They’re both quite expensive relative to the overall SteelSeries lineup and those of competitors, too. But in this case, cost really is reflective of quality – channel separation and surround virtualization is excellent on these headsets, and the mic sounds great to other players I talked to as well. Plus, the Pro Wireless can connect to both Bluetooth and the 2.4GHz transmitter simultaneously, so you can use it with your phone as well as your console, and the retractable mic keeps things looking fairly stylish, too.

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How Hackers Use Botnets to Break Your Favorite Websites

The power of botnets is increasing. A sufficiently organized and globalized botnet will take down portions of the internet, not just single sites, such is the power they wield. Despite their huge power, the largest DDoS attack didn’t use a traditional botnet structure.

Let’s look at how a botnet’s power expands and how the next enormous DDoS you hear about will be the bigger than the last.

How Do Botnets Grow?

The SearchSecurity botnet definition states that “a botnet is a collection of internet-connected devices, which may include PCs, servers, mobile devices and internet of things devices that are infected and controlled by a common type of malware. Users are often unaware of a botnet infecting their system.”

Botnets are different from other malware types in that it is a collection of coordinated infected machines. Botnets use malware to extend the network to other systems, predominantly using spam emails with an infected attachment. They also have a few primary functions, such as sending spam, data harvesting, click fraud, and DDoS attacks.

The Rapidly Expanding Attack Power of Botnets

Until recently, botnets had a few common structures familiar to security researchers. But in late 2016, things changed. A series of enormous DDoS attacks made researchers sit up and take note.

1. September 2016. The newly discovered Mirai botnet attacks security journalist Brian Krebs’ website with 620Gbps, massively disrupting his website but ultimately failing due to Akamai DDoS protection.
2. September 2016. The Mirai botnet attacks French web host OVH, strengthening to around 1Tbps.
3. October 2016. An enormous attack took down most internet services on the U.S. Eastern seaboard. The attack was aimed at DNS provider, Dyn, with the company’s services receiving an estimated 1.2Tbps in traffic, temporarily shutting down websites including Airbnb, Amazon, Fox News, GitHub, Netflix, PayPal, Twitter, Visa, and Xbox Live.
4. November 2016. Mirai strikes ISPs and mobile service providers in Liberia, bringing down most communication channels throughout the country.
5. March 2018. GitHub is hit with the largest recorded DDoS, registering some 1.35Tbps in sustained traffic.
6. March 2018. Network security company Arbor Networks claims its ATLAS global traffic and DDoS monitoring system registers 1.7Tbps.

These attacks escalate in power over time. But prior to this, the largest ever DDoS was the 500Gbps attack on pro-democracy sites during the Hong Kong Occupy Central protests.

Part of the reason for this continual rise in power is an altogether different DDoS technique that doesn’t require hundreds of thousands of malware-infected devices.

Memcached DDoS

The new DDoS technique exploits the memcached service. Of those six attacks, the GitHub and ATLAS attacks use memcached to amplify network traffic to new heights. What is memcached, though?

Well, memcached is a legitimate service running on many Linux systems. It caches data and eases the strain on data storage, like disks and databases, reducing the number of times a data source must be read. It is typically found in server environments, rather than your Linux desktop. Furthermore, systems running memcached shouldn’t have a direct internet connection (you’ll see why).

Memcached communicates using the User Data Protocol (UDP), allowing communication without authentication. In turn, this means basically anyone that can access an internet connected machine using the memcached service can communicate directly with it, as well as request data from it (that’s why it shouldn’t connect to the internet!).

The unfortunate downside to this functionality is that an attacker can spoof the internet address of a machine making a request. So, the attacker spoofs the address of the site or service to DDoS and sends a request to as many memcached servers as possible. The memcached servers combined response becomes the DDoS and overwhelms the site.

This unintended functionality is bad enough on its own. But memcached has another unique “ability.” Memcached can massively amplify a small amount of network traffic into something stupendously large. Certain commands to the UDP protocol result in responses much larger than the original request.

The resulting amplification is known as the Bandwidth Amplification Factor, with attack amplification ranges between 10,000 to 52,000 times the original request. (Akami believe memcached attacks can “have an amplification factor over 500,000!)

What’s the Difference?

You see, then, that the major difference between a regular botnet DDoS, and a memcached DDoS, lies in their infrastructure. Memcached DDoS attacks don’t need an enormous network of compromised systems, relying instead on insecure Linux systems.

High-Value Targets

Now that the potential of extremely powerful memcached DDoS attacks is in the wild, expect to see more attacks of this nature. But the memcached attacks that have taken place already—not on the same scale as the GitHub attack—have thrown up something different to the norm.

Security firm Cybereason closely tracks the evolution of memcached attacks. During their analysis, they spotted the memcached attack in use as a ransom delivery tool. Attackers embed a tiny ransom note requesting payment in Monero (a cryptocurrency), then place that file onto a memcached server. When the DDoS starts, the attacker requests the ransom note file, causing the target to receive the note over and over again.

Staying Safe?

Actually, there is nothing you can do to stop a memcached attack. In fact, you won’t know about it until it finishes. Or, at least until your favorite services and websites are unavailable. That is unless you have access to a Linux system or database running memcached. Then you should really go and check your network security.

For regular users, the focus really remains on regular botnets spread via malware. That means

• Update your system and keep it that way
• Update your antivirus
• Consider an antimalware tool such as Malwarebytes Premium (the premium version offers real-time protection)
• Enable the spam-filter in your email client; turn it up to catch the vast majority of spam
• Don’t click on anything you’re unsure about; this goes double for unsolicited emails with unknown links

Staying safe isn’t a chore—it just requires a little vigilance.

Image Credit: BeeBright/Depositphotos

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The Most Frequently Asked Questions About Linux… Answered

You have Linux-related questions. I’m here to help. I’m someone who stumbled across Linux a decade ago and have used it most of the time since for writing papers, browsing the web, and occasionally playing games. Over the past decade, I’ve picked up a thing or two.

If you’re just starting off on your journey, or even if you’ve been around the block a few times, I hope the answers below save you a deal of confusion and stress.

What Is Linux?

Linux is the name commonly used for the operating system built on top of the Linux kernel. Unlike Windows and macOS, Linux isn’t one single large project. The experience comes from components created by individuals and teams from all over the world.

Most of the software that runs on Linux is free for you to download, use, edit, and share as you wish.

The name Linux is technically inaccurate. Many of the interfaces, tools, and software created for Linux also run on other free operating systems such as FreeBSD. Much of what people say about Linux also applies to these alternatives.

What Is the Linux Kernel?

A kernel is the part of an operating system that enables software to talk to hardware. Without it, nothing appears on screen, sound doesn’t come out of speakers, and none of the buttons you press are able to do anything.

In the early 1990s, there were almost enough free and open components to provide a functional desktop experience. All that was missing was one crucial piece, a kernel that would actually enable all of this software to work.

When Linus Torvalds started the Linux kernel, he was providing only that one component. Nonetheless, people began referring to the entire experience as Linux, not just the kernel. That practice has continued to this day.

What Version of Linux Am I Running?

Every Linux computer consists of any number of different components. As a result, there are many different ways to do everything.

There’s a good chance you can find which kernel version you’re using by searching for something similar to an “About” option somewhere among system settings or tools. In the KDE Plasma desktop, for example, you can find this information in the “About” section of an app called KInfocenter.

You don’t need to use the command line, but it’s an approach that’s likely to work regardless of your Linux distro. Simply enter the following command into a terminal app:

uname -r

Why Use Linux?

Linux gives you much more freedom than Windows or macOS. For starters, it’s free to download, and so are most of the apps available for it. Not only that, you’re free to look at how most of these programs are made. If you have the expertise, you can use this code to create your own software.

Other advantages of Linux include increased privacy, security, and accessibility. Whether you’re a starving artist or a powerful business executive, Linux fits your budget.

What Is Linux Used For?

Everything! Many people use Linux to develop software, especially for the web. All 500 of the world’s top supercomputers run Linux. The OS is adaptable enough for everything from Raspberry Pis and smartphones to the International Space Station and the Large Hadron Collider.

I work as a freelance writer, and that’s easy to do with Linux. Linux also has tools for photographers to manage photos and artists to create digital paintings. If you just want a machine you can use to browse the web while sitting on the couch, Linux is simple enough for that job, too.

How to Install Linux

Unless you buy a Linux PC online, you’re going to need to install the OS yourself. That may sound intimidating, but it’s not as challenging as you may think. Here’s what you need to know.

How to Make a Linux Bootable USB

First things first, you’re going to want a flash drive (preferably a blank one). Then you need a special program that will burn a copy of your chosen Linux distro to the drive.

UNetBootin is a tool for Windows, macOS, and Linux that gets the job done. If you don’t like that tool, there are plenty of others.

Haven’t yet picked a distro? You might want to hit up our list of recommendations.

How to Install Linux on Windows 10

The steps above will work on Windows 10, since Linux installation happens before your operating system actually boots up. But here are some tips to help make your transition easier.

How to Dual Boot Windows 10 and Linux

During the installation process, Linux gives you the choose of erasing your current operating system or installing Linux alongside it. If you want the option to run Windows 10 and Linux on the same PC, you want to choose the latter option.

How to Dual Boot macOS and Linux

Putting Linux on a Macbook isn’t more challenging than it is with a Windows PC. The steps are largely the same. Nonetheless, here’s a guide specifically aimed at Macs. The installation process will give you the option to keep your keep your current copy of macOS and all your files alongside Linux.

How to Install Linux on a Chromebook

Installing Linux on a Chromebook is different process. Since Chrome OS is built on top of Linux, you don’t even have to replace your current system. Want in-depth instructions? Here you go.

Want to Install Ubuntu, Linux Mint, elementary OS?

Going to Linux.com won’t lead you to a big download button. Instead, you need to know which specific system you’re looking for. Want Ubuntu? Head to ubuntu.com. Heard about Linux Mint? Check out linuxmint.com. Want elementary OS? There’s elementary.io. Fedora (fedoraproject.org) and openSUSE (opensuse.org) are also great places to start.

The process for installing any of the above options won’t different much from the steps provided above. The story is different for more DIY distros such as Arch Linux (archlinux.org) and Gentoo (gentoo.org). If you want a thorough list of hundreds of different options, pay distrowatch.com a visit.

How to Use Linux

With so many different options out there, Linux is as complex or simple as you want it to be. Here’s a handy guide for anyone approaching Linux for the first time. At some point, you’re likely to need help with a few specific tasks. Here are answers to a few common questions.

How to Zip a File in Linux

Linux has multiple desktop environments, so there isn’t one set of instructions that works on every computer.

If you’re using Ubuntu, Fedora, or Debian, there’s a good chance you’re using GNOME. In that interface, right-click on the files or folders you want to zip and select Compress. A window will appear giving you the option of several formats. ZIP is one.

The process tends to be similar for other desktop environments. If you want a method that works regardless of your setup, you can turn to the command line. Here’s an example:

zip -r photos.zip /home/user/Pictures/pics

How to Unzip a File in Linux

Again, right-click the ZIP file you would like to open. This time, select either Extract Here or Extract To.

Or turn to the command line:

unzip photos.zip -d /home/user/Pictures/pics

How to Create a Directory in Linux

On the KDE Plasma desktop, creating a directory is as simple as right-clicking and selecting Create New > Folder.

As usual, you can turn to the terminal instead.

mkdir /path/to/directory

How to Create a Soft Link in Linux

A soft link, or symbolic link, is a way to make a file or folder appear to be in multiple places on your computer at once. In the screenshot above, you can see the options to create a new Basic link to file or directory or Link to Application at the bottom of the menu.

To create a soft link via the command line, use this command:

ln -s /path/to/file /path/to/symlink

How to Install Java on Linux

Are you sure you even need Java anymore? Here are some things to consider.

If you do need Java, you can download installers on its website. There are a few different package formats to choose from. Here’s a little help figuring out what to do with them.

Have More Questions About Linux?

Of course you do! Ask them in the comments and let’s see if we or other readers can help nudge you in a helpful direction!

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MacOS finally gains external GPU support

The latest update to macOS provides support for external graphics card. Apple announced this would hit the OS last June at WWDC and now it’s finally here. The update allows Mac users to increase the graphical processing power through an external graphics card connected through Thunderbolt 3.

Perviously users had to buy an eGPU dev kit from Apple or employ unofficial means to enable external graphics cards, which meant Apple wouldn’t bail them out if something happened. The additional horsepower isn’t needed for general use, but the added graphics cards supercharge Macs for VR, rendering and gaming. Only a handful of eGPUs are compatible with macOS so choose carefully before adding one to your rig.

The feature comes from the High Sierra 10.13.4 Combo Update which also adds Business Chat in Messages, a new iTunes and a super handy feature to Safari in which users can jump to the right-most open tab by using Command+9.

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The 8 Best Free Photo and Image Editing Apps on iPhone

Your iPhone takes beautiful photos, but the right apps can make them even better. Most photographers accept post-production as a part of their workflow, but a lot of the time our smartphone images miss out on this important step.

There’s no shortage of solid photo editors for iPhone, and plenty of the options are free. Today we’ve rounded up our favorites including basic adjustment apps, quick fixers, whole-image manipulators, and more.

1. Photos

Best for: Quick edits, JPEGs, and sharing.

Your iPhone already comes with an impressive image editor, built right into the Photos app. Launch it, find a photo, and tap Edit in the top-right corner of the screen.

Here you can crop and rotate your image, apply filters, and adjust a wide variety of parameters. Rescue the highlights and shadows, adjust exposure and contrast, or convert to black and white.

Photos has its limitations, however. While it can handle RAW files, it only serves up lossy JPEGs to other apps. That means you can’t make edits in Photos and export your RAW to other apps without first duplicating it.

2. Google Snapseed

Best for: All-round RAW and JPEG editing.

Google’s Snapseed is photo editing powerhouse on both iOS and Android. In 2016 the app was updated to support RAW editing, which makes it probably the best free image editor on the platform.

In addition to several filters, which Snapseed refers to as Looks, there’s a dizzying array of editing tools to choose from. These range from the basics to perspective shifts, selective coloring, instant HDR, and extensive monochrome filters and options.

The app controls nicely too. Just drag left and right to adjust a parameter’s strength, or drag up and down to change the parameter.

Download: Google Snapseed

3. Aviary Photo Editor

Best for: Hands-off photo editing, instant effects, filter lovers.

If you want an app that’ll hold your hand through the editing process, or perhaps just do it all for you, Aviary is a good choice. It features a ton of instant enhancements for specific scenes like night shots and pictures of food.

There’s also a healthy lineup of filters, and a lot more available for download once you’ve signed in with an Adobe ID. Most of the photo editing tools you’d expect are present, including highlight and shadow recovery, tinting, and white balance correction.

There’s also a few extra features that you don’t normally find, like the ability to add text and stickers to your image, and a “whitening” tool for teeth. There’s even a meme mode for adding text at the top and bottom of your images, making this a Swiss Army knife of mobile photo editing.

Download: Photo Editor by Aviary

4. Instagram

Best for: Instagram users, tilt-shift effects, filter lovers.

You’ll need an Instagram account in order to use the app, but you don’t necessarily need to post anything. If you only want to use the social media app for its editing tools and filter presets, you can!

Enable Airplane Mode on your iPhone before tapping Share, then wait for the upload to fail. Tap the X to cancel the upload, and you’ll find your image in your device’s Camera Roll.

Instagram’s tools are familiar and efficient. Since it’s the app that started the filter craze, the included presets are pretty good. It’s also one of the quickest way of applying tilt-shift or vignetting to an image.

Download: Instagram

5. Adobe Photoshop Fix

Best for: A select few editing tools and quick fixes.

Adobe’s iOS lineup is largely crippled by a reliance on Creative Cloud and no “proper” version of apps like Photoshop for iPad Pro. Lightroom has a good set of editing tools, but if you want to make any real use of it you’ll need to pay for a Creative Cloud subscription.

Photoshop Fix doesn’t try to be a full-fledged photo editor, but it does a select few tasks well. Two standout features are the liquify tool, which allows you to blend and stretch images for subtle or wacky adjustments, and the defocus mask, which is perfect for faking depth of field in your shots.

There’s a healthy range of the usual exposure, contrast, and saturation adjustment sliders, plus spot healing and red eye removal. However, it has no support for RAW editing.

Download: Adobe Photoshop Fix

6. Prisma

Best for: Weird and wonderful transformations.

Prisma is an app unlike any other here. When you load an image in Prisma, it sends that image to a server where it’s converted into a particular style of art. These styles are modeled on great artists like Picasso and Matisse, but also venture into comic book and futuristic territory.

You can adjust the strength of the filter, which is fortunate since the app produces a mixture of impressive and slightly-off images. Some filters produce images that really look like computer-generated artwork; others transform images into something weird and wonderful.

Prisma has some of its features locked behind a premium subscription. If you want more styles, unlimited HD renders, and an ad-free experience, you’ll need to cough up $3 per month.

Download: Prisma

7. Lens Distortions

Best for: Faking weather effects and retro lenses.

This app is all about emulating the look of fancy glass, weather effects, and lighting. It also includes some basic photo editing tools, and uses layers to blend various effects together.

In addition to lens distortions, like blurs and flares, the app includes bokeh balls, fog, rain, snow, and shimmering effects. You can adjust the intensity, position, and scale of the effects as you see fit. It’s a great step toward achieving that vintage photography feel on any image that’s already on your iPhone.

To unlock even more effects and filters you can subscribe for $1 per month. You can also expand the various categories by buying packs outright if you’d rather pay once and keep forever.

Download: Lens Distortions

8. VSCO

Best for: RAW capture and editing, filters.

You’re going to either love or hate VSCO’s abstract, minimalist interface. To its credit, the app has improved over the years with better labels on its editing tools and a more straightforward approach to image editing.

It’s also the only app on this list capable of capturing RAW images. Tap on the camera and then change the image format to RAW to capture four times as much data every time you press the shutter (if these 12MB RAW file sizes are anything to go by).

The app brings Instagram levels of complexity to RAW editing, with a number of filters included and more available with a VSCO X subscription ($20 per year).

Download: VSCO

The Power to Edit Photos in Your iPhone

If you’re serious about your photography, you should be shooting RAW. Support for the format, which captures and retains more detail than lossy JPEG, means you can push your images further in post-production.

Just remember they’ll take up space, so don’t leave them hanging around your iPhone for long.

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