9 Extensions That Turn Google Chrome Into a Multitasking Machine

The browser has gone from being just another app on your computer to being your workflow’s centerpiece. For some of us like me, it is the workflow. But at the end of the day, browsers are apps too. And it can get a tad messy when you’re trying to do everything on one app.

Here are some useful Google Chrome extensions for a better multitasking experience.

1. Workona: Workspaces for the Browser

If you’re someone whose work largely revolves around internet services and the browser, you know how cumbersome it is to juggle between tens of windows and tabs. Enter Workona, a free extension that brings desktop workspaces to Google Chrome.

Unlike what you’d expect, Workona won’t radically overhaul how the browser functions. Workspaces on this extension are essentially different windows. What Workona does is allow you to easily manage them from a central dashboard. You can create new projects right from the dashboard, add tabs to them, and switch between multiple of them without furiously pressing the key combo until you land the one you’re looking for.

In addition, Workona also lets you save these workspaces and even share with other users. Another nifty feature is a minimal New Tab page with a search bar situated at the top through which you search through those workspaces, tabs, or bookmarks.

Download: Workona (Free, premium subscription available)

2. Bookmark OS: Bring Order to Your Bookmarks

Bookmark OS is another extension designed to make your browser behave more like a regular operating system. It’s a sophisticated bookmark manager which employs a file structure similar to that of your desktop. So like you would browse Finder or File Explorer on your computer, you can do the same with bookmarks on Bookmark OS.

The platform’s interface too resembles a file manager with a list of folders on the left, bookmarks (files) on the right, and a top panel of options. You can easily drag these items across and search a particular one. The bookmarks also have their page’s screenshots as thumbnails and there’s even an option for changing the view.

Bookmark OS is a subscription-based service which costs a dollar every month.

Download: Bookmark OS ($1/month)

3. Tab Manager Plus: Manage Windows and Tabs

The Google Chrome store has a ton of tab management extensions but the one which might appeal the most to a power internet user is Tab Manager Plus.

Instead of cosmetics, the Tab Manager Plus is all about function. It sits on the Omnibox and when you click it, you have a panel listing all your active tabs and windows. Tab Manager Plus arranges them vertically and employs icons instead of the entire name so that you can access everything without scrolling too much.

What’s more, in the same panel, you have every essential action you would need as well. There’s the ability to minimize windows, search tabs, open a new empty one, and more. You can also switch to a grid mode if you want even more information in a single view. In spite of all these options, Tab Manager Plus doesn’t feel cluttered at all.

Download: Tab Manager Plus (Free)

4. Tab Resize: Effortless Window Management

Tab Resize, as its name suggests, is for resizing windows into layouts. The extension’s handy menu lets you easily shift to different arrangements such as two windows side-by-side or four of them hoisted onto every corner.

Tab Resize even allows you to build layouts of your own by specifically configuring the columns and rows. You can also make use of shortcuts to quickly jump into a particular formation.

Download: Tab Resize (Free)

5. SessionBox: Session Management

Despite the fact that a ton of users has more than one profiles, today’s browsers still don’t allow concurrent multiple sessions in the same window. Thankfully, there are a bunch of third-party session management extensions—we recommend installing SessionBox.

The extension offers a host of utilities for creating and managing new sessions. Once installed, you can initiate as many as instances of a website as you want and even color-code or group them. For example, you can put your professional tabs in one and personal tabs in another to effortlessly switch between them.

There’s also a feature for sharing these sessions and sync with other computers you own.

Download: SessionBox (Free)

6. Papier: Take Notes on the Fly

Papier is a simple extension for taking quick notes on the New Tab page. It offers a no-frills, pragmatic design making it ideal for jotting down thoughts when you are in a hurry. The extension can be accessed offline as well and even has a bunch of editing tools for when you need it. There’s also a dark mode for those long late night sessions.

Download: Papier (Free)

7. The Great Suspender: Smoother Multitasking

Another extension which you should have installed if you mostly spend the day in a browser is The Great Suspender. The extension essentially ensures the tabs you’ve not used in a while don’t end up choking your computer’s performance and your multitasking experience remains smooth.

It does so by simply putting them in sleep and when you revisit them, it automatically reloads the tab. The Great Suspender itself is a quite lightweight tool so that you don’t have to worry about it consuming resources by being active all the time.

Does the browser still feel sluggish? Try these tips for improving Google Chrome performance.

Download: The Great Suspender (Free)

8. TickTick: To-Do and Task Management

Every multitasker needs a to-do app and among the sea of a gazillion of task management, we feel TickTick ticks all the boxes. The service, in addition to lists and reminders, offers all the bells and whistles you would need including collaborative features, a quick menu for Chrome, and more.

And the best part is most of these features can be accessed without the premium subscription. Still not convinced? Here are more reasons why TickTick is the best to-do manager.

Download: TickTick (Free, premium subscription available)

9. Nimbus: The Ultimate Screen Capture Tool

For all your screenshot and screen recording needs, try Nimbus. The extension can be called a swiss army knife of screen captures and comes with nearly every feature you would require for the purpose. That includes recording a specific portion of the window, annotation, adding watermarks, and a whole lot more.

Download: Nimbus (Free)

Supercharge Your Google Chrome Productivity

While the aforementioned plugins help you multitask in the most efficient way possible on a browser, Google Chrome’s web store offers also a multitude of extensions you can install for supercharging your productivity.

Read the full article: 9 Extensions That Turn Google Chrome Into a Multitasking Machine

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How to Keep Your Cryptocurrency Safe: 10 Common Mistakes to Avoid

If you own any cryptocurrency, you’ll need to adapt to a new way of keeping your money safe. You can’t just keep your Bitcoins under the bed or deposit your Ether in a bank (at least, not yet). So what are you supposed to do?

Here are 10 common security mistakes people make when handling and storing cryptocurrency.

Mistake 1: Failing to Back Up Wallet Keys

Cryptocurrencies don’t come with online banking and password resets. Instead, you have a set of private keys that allow you to access the funds in your various wallets.

You are solely responsible for keeping your keys safe. If you lose your only copy—perhaps because someone stole your laptop—you will be locked out of your currency forever.

You should make physical copies of your private keys and store them somewhere safe from fire, water, and other damage.

Mistake 2: Not Using 2FA on Crypto Exchanges

Yes, we know, 2FA is annoying. And if I’m being perfectly honest, I don’t use it myself on services like Facebook and Outlook. For me, it’s more hassle than its worth.

But crypto exchanges are another matter. Given their poor track record when it comes to hacks, you need to take every measure possible to keep your account secure, especially since real money is on the line.

Mistake 3: Blind Loyalty to One Crypto Exchange

The dubious history of insecurity in crypto exchanges means it’s prudent to spread your risk around multiple companies. There are lots of great crypto exchanges you can use, so why stick all of your eggs in one basket?

Not only is it sound advice from an investment standpoint (different exchanges provide access to different altcoins), but it also means you’ll have less exposure in case the exchange is hacked, becomes insolvent, or faces some other disaster.

Note: You should never store lots of crypto in an exchange! See Mistake 5 for more on that.

Mistake 4: Not Verifying Your Exchange Identity

The Patriot Act of 2001 made it a legal requirement for all banks to undergo Know Your Customer verification—and the laws also apply to crypto exchanges in the US. Even non-American exchanges now undertake the process in order to comply with US law for their American clients.

But here’s the catch: some crypto exchanges let you deposit funds and start trading without completing the verification process. They will not, however, allow you to withdraw money until you are verified. Obviously, the verification process also helps prevent fraud from happening on your account.

So, if you want to make sure your crypto assets are available when you need them, make sure you’ve completed the necessary verification steps on your exchanges of choice.

Mistake 5: Storing Cryptocurrency in Hot Wallets

Hot wallets are crypto wallets that are accessible over the internet—and it’s that connectivity that opens them up to considerable risk. We’ve already mentioned exchange hacks, but you’re also at the whim of forced government shutdowns and some of the other pressing issues facing blockchains.

Instead, you should keep as little money in hot wallets as possible. Obviously if you’re going to day trade or swing trade crypto, you’ll need some amount of liquidity. But generally speaking, crypto should be stored in cold wallets for maximum security. We’ve recommended some secure cold wallets to check out if you’re not sure where to start.

Mistake 6: Sending Crypto to the Wrong Wallet

It’s easy to suffer from wallet overload. You have public keys for your exchanges, for your offline storage, and for all the different coins you own. With so much going on, it’s easy to accidentally send coins to the wrong wallet.

If the crypto you send is not compatible with the wallet you’re sending it to (for example, if you send Bitcoin to an Ethereum wallet), there’s a strong possibility that you’ll irrevocably lose your assets.

Mistake 7: Using Public Wi-Fi Networks

You should never use a public Wi-Fi network (in a school, hotel, airport, or coffee shop) to perform cryptocurrency transactions.

The security flaws in public networks are well-documented. There are lots of ways hackers can use them to steal your data. You need to ensure that you don’t inadvertently reveal your private keys or exchange passwords to a snooper.

Check out MakeUseOf’s article on how to stay safe while using public Wi-Fi to learn more.

Mistake 8: Using Insecure Browser Extensions

As you might be realizing from reading this article, most cryptocurrency security mistakes arise from leaving yourself exposed to an excessive number of vulnerabilities.

One of the most oft-overlooked security vulnerabilities is browser extensions. Some of the extensions have a shockingly large number of permissions. Can you really trust them?

At the very least, you shouldn’t perform crypto transactions using a browser on which you’ve installed untrusted plugins and extensions (such as ones you sideloaded manually). Ideally, you should use one of the best privacy-friendly browsers and use it exclusively for crypto payments.

Mistake 9: Using Weak Passwords

This is an obvious tip, but it’s imperative to make sure you use secure passwords on your exchange accounts. If you have not implemented 2FA, it’s the only barrier between your funds and cybercriminals who want to brute force your credentials.

Remember, crypto exchanges and other hot wallets don’t give you a security token like a bank, and there are no industry-wide rules for refunds or recourse in the event that you’re the victim of a theft.

To make sure you don’t forget your hard-to-remember secure passwords, use a password manager like LastPass.

Mistake 10: Falling for Crypto Scams

One of the most important ways to keep your assets safe—whether it’s fiat money or cryptocurrency—is to steer clear of scams, frauds, and the other ways people try to con you out of your capital.

1ST ROUND OF ICO TO END IN 2 HRS!!!

TO INVEST,

SEND:

0.01 ETH = 2,000,000 NPAT
0.03 ETH = 6,000,000 NPAT
0.05 ETH = 13,000,000 NPAT
0.1 ETH = 40,000,000 NPAT
0.3 ETH = 150,000,000 NPAT

SEND ETH: 0x17683f28d0290884df8a28b36ceeea6cdf169f65 #ico

— nanoPay (@NanopAy_tokens) September 12, 2018

Sadly, scams are common in the world of crypto. For example, you need to perform no more than a cursory search on Twitter to find people offering to send you 50 ETH seven days from now if you send them 10 ETH today.

Like anything in life, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Exercise the same caution and common sense that you would with any other financial asset.

Of course, keeping your cryptocurrency safe when it’s under your control is just one part of the security puzzle. You also need to have a thorough grasp of how secure Bitcoin transactions are and other crypto threats facing your coins.

Read the full article: How to Keep Your Cryptocurrency Safe: 10 Common Mistakes to Avoid

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The 7 Best Flip Phones for Ending Distractions

Instagram may divide hashtags from captions to end overhashing

Geofenced sharing, Quiz stickers, Stories Highlight stickers, and a separate interface for adding hashtags to posts are amongst a slew of new features Instagram has prototyped or is now testing. The last one could finally #cure #the #hashtag #madness that’s infected many of Instagram’s 1 billion users, causing them desperately fill up their captions with tagged words that make the feed tough to read in hopes of scoring a few extra views or followers.

The pace of iteration at Instagram is staggering, and helping it to leave Snapchat in the dust. With Facebook’s deep pockets funding its product, design, and engineering teams, Instagram is able to keep its app full of fresh toys to play with. Here’s a look at three prototypes, one test, and one confirmed roll out from Instagram

Hashtag Selector

The feature isn’t released or even necessarily testing yet, and Instagram refused to comment on it. But frequent TechCrunch tipster and mobile researcher Jane Manchun Wong was able to dig the designated hashtag selector prototype out of the Instagram Android app’s code. It shows a dedicated “Add Hashtags” option underneath the caption composer and people tagger. Similar past discoveries by Wong have led to TechCrunch scoops about the eventual release of Instagram video calling, name tags, music stickers, and more, though there’s always a chance Instagram scraps this feature before it ever launches.

Disambiguating hashtags from captions could make adding them to posts less invasive and distracting, and thereby get more users doing it. That could in turn help Instagram tune its feed algorithm to show you more posts with hashtags you seem to care about, get more users following hashtags, allow it to better sort the Explore page with its new topic channels like Sports, Beauty, and Shopping. But perhaps most importantly, it could just make Instagram less annoying. Everyone has that friend that slaps on so many hashtags that their captions become an incoherent mess.

Geofenced Posts

Wong also dug out a powerful new feature that could help social media managers, businesses, and pro creators reach the right audience. Instagram has prototyped a “Choose Locations” option for posts that lets you select from a list of countries where you want your post to be visible. Instagram declined to comment.

The geofencing feature might enable Instagrammers to design different content and captions for different countries and languages. Facebook has offered geofencing for posts for many years, and Instagram already offers ad targeting down to the zip code or mile radius. But if this location chooser launches for everyone’s posts, it could let people and professional accounts express their prismatic identity differently across the globe.

Stories Highlight Stickers

Instagram gave me a confirmation that this final find by Wong is officially in testing. It allows users to turn someone else’s Stories Highlight from their profile into a sticker to overlay on their own Story. It’s an extension of the Quote-tweet style feature Instagram started testing in March that lets you turn people’s public feed posts into Stories stickers so you can add your commentary — or dunk on someone dumb. Stories Highlight Stickers could create a new path to virality for start creators who could convince their followers to re-share their Highlights and turn their friends into fellow fans.

Quiz Stickers

This prototype discovered by WABetaInfo‘s Twitter account allows users to ask a question in their Story and designate a correct answer. The Quiz sticker functions similarly to Instagram’s recently added Poll and Question stickers, but instead of tallying the results or letting you re-post someone’s answer, they’ll immediately see whether they guessed the right answer to your test. This ties into Instagram’s strategy to crush Snapchat by making its own Stories more interactive and turning the connection between fans and followers into a two-way street.

Video Tagging

Instagram did confirm the launch of one new feature, tagging people in videos. TechCrunch spotted thIS last week and Instagram said it was testing, but upon our inquiry told us that it’s now fully rolled out. Video tagging could generate extra visits for Instagram as few people have the willpower to ignore a notification that they were named in a new piece of content. The feature could also help Instagram figure out who to show the videos too by allowing it to place them high in the feed of the best friends of people tagged.

Combined, this flurry of new and potential features proves Instagram isn’t allowing its dominance to diminish its shipping schedule. It also demonstrates that Instagram VP of product Kevin Weil’s move to Facebook’s blockchain team his replacement by former News Feed VP Adam Mosseri hasn’t disrupted the app’s brisk pace of innovation.

The jury is still out about whether Instagram’s biggest new initiatives will take off. IGTV is off to a slow start, but will need time to build a long-form video archive to rival YouTube. And we’ll have to wait and see if users grow addicted to Instagram Explore’s new Shopping channel. But constantly updating the app takes pressure off of any one feature to carry the weight of a billion people’s eyes. Who wants to build a direct competitor to something evolving this fast?

Read Full Article

Instagram may divide hashtags from captions to end overhashing

Geofenced sharing, Quiz stickers, Stories Highlight stickers, and a separate interface for adding hashtags to posts are amongst a slew of new features Instagram has prototyped or is now testing. The last one could finally #cure #the #hashtag #madness that’s infected many of Instagram’s 1 billion users, causing them desperately fill up their captions with tagged words that make the feed tough to read in hopes of scoring a few extra views or followers.

The pace of iteration at Instagram is staggering, and helping it to leave Snapchat in the dust. With Facebook’s deep pockets funding its product, design, and engineering teams, Instagram is able to keep its app full of fresh toys to play with. Here’s a look at three prototypes, one test, and one confirmed roll out from Instagram

Hashtag Selector

The feature isn’t released or even necessarily testing yet, and Instagram refused to comment on it. But frequent TechCrunch tipster and mobile researcher Jane Manchun Wong was able to dig the designated hashtag selector prototype out of the Instagram Android app’s code. It shows a dedicated “Add Hashtags” option underneath the caption composer and people tagger. Similar past discoveries by Wong have led to TechCrunch scoops about the eventual launch of Instagram video calling, name tags, music stickers, and more.

Disambiguating hashtags from captions could make adding them to posts less invasive and distracting, and thereby get more users doing it. That could in turn help Instagram tune its feed algorithm to show you more posts with hashtags you seem to care about, get more users following hashtags, allow it to better sort the Explore page with its new topic channels like Sports, Beauty, and Shopping. But perhaps most importantly, it could just make Instagram less annoying. Everyone has that friend that slaps on so many hashtags that their captions become an incoherent mess.

Geofenced Posts

Wong also dug out a powerful new feature that could help social media managers, businesses, and pro creators reach the right audience. Instagram has prototyped a “Choose Locations” option for posts that lets you select from a list of countries where you want your post to be visible. Instagram declined to comment.

The geofencing feature might enable Instagrammers to design different content and captions for different countries and languages. Facebook has offered geofencing for posts for many years, and Instagram already offers ad targeting down to the zip code or mile radius. But if this location chooser launches for everyone’s posts, it could let people and professional accounts express their prismatic identity differently across the globe.

Stories Highlight Stickers

Instagram gave me a confirmation that this final find by Wong is officially in testing. It allows users to turn someone else’s Stories Highlight from their profile into a sticker to overlay on their own Story. It’s an extension of the Quote-tweet style feature Instagram started testing in March that lets you turn people’s public feed posts into Stories stickers so you can add your commentary — or dunk on someone dumb. Stories Highlight Stickers could create a new path to virality for start creators who could convince their followers to re-share their Highlights and turn their friends into fellow fans.

Quiz Stickers

This prototype discovered by WABetaInfo‘s Twitter account allows users to ask a question in their Story and designate a correct answer. The Quiz sticker functions similarly to Instagram’s recently added Poll and Question stickers, but instead of tallying the results or letting you re-post someone’s answer, they’ll immediately see whether they guessed the right answer to your test. This ties into Instagram’s strategy to crush Snapchat by making its own Stories more interactive and turning the connection between fans and followers into a two-way street.

Video Tagging

Instagram did confirm the launch of one new feature, tagging people in videos. TechCrunch spotted thIS last week and Instagram said it was testing, but upon our inquiry told us that it’s now fully rolled out. Video tagging could generate extra visits for Instagram as few people have the willpower to ignore a notification that they were named in a new piece of content. The feature could also help Instagram figure out who to show the videos too by allowing it to place them high in the feed of the best friends of people tagged.

Combined, this flurry of new and potential features proves Instagram isn’t allowing its dominance to diminish its shipping schedule. It also demonstrates that Instagram VP of product Kevin Weil’s move to Facebook’s blockchain team his replacement by former News Feed VP Adam Mosseri hasn’t disrupted the app’s brisk pace of innovation.

The jury is still out about whether Instagram’s biggest new initiatives will take off. IGTV is off to a slow start, but will need time to build a long-form video archive to rival YouTube. And we’ll have to wait and see if users grow addicted to Instagram Explore’s new Shopping channel. But constantly updating the app takes pressure off of any one feature to carry the weight of a billion people’s eyes. Who wants to build a direct competitor to something evolving this fast?

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12 Best Free Fitness Apps for iPhone to Get Healthier

Apple Watch fire face was made with actual fire

With the Apple Watch Series 4, Apple introduced a new, larger display. It now has rounded edges and thinner bezels. And the company took advantage of that display to introduce new fire, water, liquid metal and vapor faces. Apple didn’t use CGI to create those faces — they shot those faces in a studio.

Many companies would have rendered those effects on a computer given the size of the display. But those are actual videos shot with a camera.

Cool Hunting shared a video of the actual process, and it’s insane:

As you can see, Apple used a flamethrower against a transparent surface, exploded a balloon at the top of a basin of water, made a color powder explosion in a cylinder and rotated a small puddle of metallic liquid.

It says a lot about Apple’s design culture — they don’t take shortcuts and they have a lot of money.

Here’s the introduction video for the new Apple Watch:

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Achieve Your Goals by Combining a Goal App and a To-Do App

Dreams are the soil within which great accomplishments grow. The tools you use to achieve your goals are the fertilizer. Lots of people attempt to use either goal apps or to-do apps to chart the course. But individually, these apps can’t take you the whole way there.

In this article, we’re going to explore what to-do and goal apps bring to the table individually, and how to combine them for a perfect roadmap to achieve your goals and get where you want to go in life.

Achieve Your Goals With To-Do and Goal Apps

Both tools—goal apps and to-do apps—serve a purpose. To understand which app you should use, it’s important to look at what each of these helps you accomplish.

To-do apps help you:

• Break projects into tasks
• Organize tasks with priorities
• Plan out each month, week, and day
• Hold you accountable to deadlines

Goal apps help you:

• Visualize your future dreams
• Plot your path from today to those dreams
• Identify future roadblocks
• Create milestones at specific points in life

Many people who use goal apps have a good understanding of where they’d like to be in 20 or 30 years, and what they need to do in order to get there. People who use todo apps usually have excellent time management and accomplish a lot of things in the short term.

The problem with only using a goal app alone is that those big dreams remain on the backburner without a solid step by step plan. Only using to-do apps keeps you running on a treadmill without the aid of a direction.

Start With the Goal App

In my case, I use Goalscape for goal planning, but it doesn’t really matter what goal app you use. They’re all basically the same.

They let you identify those big, high-level dreams. Then, you can break those down into subgoals, all the way down to individual tasks that’ll get you there.

This example is a fully completed goal map, but if you look carefully at how it’s laid out it’s obvious how it works.

You start with your highest level goal and build the subgoals around it.

In this example, my highest level goal is to end up having The Perfect Life.

Around this high-level dream, you place general dreams that describe what that dream looks like.

• Perfect health
• A happy family
• Notoriety
• Massive residual income

Your own description of “a perfect life” may look completely different. Or you could even start out with some other “highest level goal” that isn’t a perfect life. It could be to have a highly profitable startup or to achieve true happiness.

Build Each Dream Leg in Reverse

Under each high-level sub-goal, you’re going to reverse-engineer the path to get there.

For example, starting with Massive Residual Income, you might describe that as:

• Intellectual property income
• A company making profits
• Investment income

You just keep repeating this process, building additional legs that describe more specifically what the previous higher level goal looks like.

Let’s go down one more level on a simpler leg so you can see how the bottom level goals get imported into the to-do app.

Taking the Investment Income leg, you might describe this as:

• IRA/401K
• Low-risk mutual fund
• High-risk investments
• Small loans that help people

Once every leg of your entire goal plan is fully formed down to the very specific, most immediate goals, you’re ready to start building tasks in your to-do app.

Next, work your way all across the very bottom level goals in your overall life plan.

Take a note of each of those bottom level goals. To achieve your goals, these are the first hills you need to climb on the way up the mountain.

These are the items you’re going to load individually as projects into your to-do app. Now it’s time to build up and organize your tasks in your to-do app.

Import Tasks Into Your To-Do App

There are countless to-do apps out there to choose from. I use RememberTheMilk for a number of reasons, but any todo app you’re currently using will work.

Take each of those bottom level life goals, and create a project in your to-do app for those.

For each of those projects, develop a low-level plan in the form of a series of tasks that will accomplish that project.

Obviously, the more specific you’ve made those goals, the easier it’ll be to develop your list of tasks.

To own IRA funds and 401K funds, I know I need to:

• Make sure I’m investing at least 10% into my 401K at my current job
• Open a Roth IRA and automate deposits into that fund.
• Make sure I have a traditional IRA for any old 401K funds.

Now, in the back of your head you know these tasks you’ll be working on all go toward that high-level dream of having “massive residual income” years from now. But in your to-do app, you’re not thinking that far ahead. You’re only thinking this year, this month, this week, and today.

Prioritize Your Tasks

Your goal app should have the ability to prioritize goals. Make sure your scheduled tasks match those priorities.

Always work on high-level tasks first. In this example, owning the IRA/401K and low-risk mutual funds are equal. Next is investing into small businesses, and last is high-risk investments.

Back in your to-do app, start with the highest priority projects and set those due dates as soon as possible.

Be realistic about how long it’ll take to accomplish these. For example, I know I can’t afford to open a new Roth IRA until after Christmas, so that due date is early next year.

Finally, work your way down to the lowest priority tasks. These can take longer. Be very flexible with these due dates. Set them much further out.

Now you’ve got due dates for individual tasks, each of which serve that life goal. They have due dates that you’re going to hold yourself responsible for.

You don’t have to think about those big life goals anymore. You just need to accomplish those smaller tasks one by one.

Move on to the next bottom level goals from your goal app, and repeat the process explained above.

Track Your Course

As you complete the tasks in your to-do app, remember to go back and update your goal app.

In Goalscape this actually shows up as a shaded part of that goal.

This is a nice piece of positive feedback that shows you how much closer to those big life goals you’re getting.

And when you start making a lot of progress across all of those seemingly meaningless little tasks throughout your to-do app, the visual cue of progress from the shaded areas is real motivation to keep moving forward.

What About Everyday Stuff?

This is where the magic happens. The biggest obstacle to achieve your goals is the everyday stuff that gets in the way. You’re too busy working, paying bills, and doing chores.

When you get a chance to think about what to do next, your mind automatically goes to one of those everyday things. It’s easy to forget those life goals because there’s nothing holding you accountable.

So add the everyday tasks that you have to. Do what you have to do to make ends meet today. But keep them to a minimum. Most of your to-do projects should be actions that move you closer to those big life dreams.

If all this sounds great but you really don’t know what your life dreams are, spend some time watching some motivational videos and give it some thought. Having dreams is what makes us human. So find those dreams, and start working on those goals every day.

Read the full article: Achieve Your Goals by Combining a Goal App and a To-Do App

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What to Do If Google Chrome Warns a Site Is Unsecure

Check out the top left of the address bar. You’ll see a padlock, meaning MakeUseOf is a secure site to visit. You should see these all over the internet.

But what happens if your browser says a website isn’t secure? Should you leave immediately? What does that padlock actually mean? And by refusing to visit unsecure sites, what are you missing out on?

What Does the URL Padlock Mean?

Google Chrome advises when a site is secure. That’s the way it’s been for a while—but now, the internet giant has changed tact, largely for the better.

Before, the mainstream browser viewed HTTP as the standard for websites. As of 2018, Chrome expects HTTPS as default, and if it’s not secure, visitors will see a warning sign.

HTTPS signifies that the site has an SSL or TLS certificate, meaning your link is encrypted. Any personal details sent between the host server and your device is rendered unreadable. You’re protected against man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks, for instance, which hijacks data travelling between two terminals.

You should only be directed to genuine versions of the site too: cybercriminals can’t intercept your visit and present fraudulent pages to access your private information.

With a market share of around 60 percent, Chrome is the most popular browser. Google needs to prove itself reliable when it comes to securing your data in order to keep this monopoly.

When Should You Heed Chrome’s Warnings?

You can see why Google is keen to force as many sites as possible into using this security measure. It’s beneficial for the search engine; it’s beneficial for users. Encryption makes the internet safer.

What does this mean for you?

Everyone knows that you need a good level of security when using online banking. When visiting PayPal, you know to look for encryption. But you also need to check for this whenever you’re submitting private data.

People take payment details seriously, but not enough treat their usernames and passwords with the same concern. So whenever you’re signing up or logging into a website, the URL needs to begin with HTTPS.

Despite all advice, many use the same passwords across numerous platforms. Imagine if one site is compromised, and a hacker gets access to your details. Even if you just use that password for your social media accounts, you won’t like the idea of a stranger seeing all the personal information you keep on Facebook. With such access, they could predict your online actions and make educated guesses at other passwords.

Never underestimate the importance of Personally Identifiable Information (PII).

High-profile companies should already have SSL/TLS certificates. Smaller independent stores, however, may not. Google’s change of stance on the implementation of HTTPS at least means more online shops will look after your data.

Should You Ever Bypass Google’s Warnings?

That isn’t to say Chrome’s warnings are great for the internet entirely. In fact, some will find it crippling.

The internet is all about free enterprise. Amazon can become a marketplace giant, but there’s also room for the little guys—not just those trying to sell their wares but also anyone who just wants to share their thoughts on a personal blog. If you’ve run a small site for a few years, you might see your stats dropping off.

And that’s because, if you haven’t got an SSL/TLS certificate, your audience is instead faced with a page telling them your blog isn’t safe.

It seems unfair, particularly as encryption can cost. Yes, there are agencies doing it for free, but for anyone unfamiliar with this side of operations, they’ll probably be reliant on a host server. Many hosts offer HTTPS as a service… for a fee. They don’t always make installing a free SSL certificate easy.

We’re certainly not saying you should ignore Chrome’s warnings. But sometimes, it’s worth proceeding regardless.

If the site requires personal information, don’t submit anything without encryption. However, if you’re just reading a blog, you probably don’t need to worry.

Still, it’s important you don’t download anything from a destination you don’t know. This is how malicious software bypasses any security measures your browser uses like sandboxing. By installing something onto your device, you’re actively accepting its implications.

Make sure you know what you’re clicking before actually doing so!

How Else Can You Check If a Site Is Safe?

You can spot the tell-tale signs of a fraudulent site.

Bad spelling and punctuation is your first clue. Sure, some sites get away with it, but anything professional should have a copywriter working behind the scenes. If it’s a simple blog, quality will naturally vary; nonetheless, these sites shouldn’t ask you to download anything regardless.

Next, look for a Privacy Policy. Reputable sites must have them, according to laws passed by the EU, Canada, and Australia. (Federal laws in America sometimes apply too.) Still, due to the global nature of the internet, websites must abide by ratifications.

If there’s a Contact page, look for how transparent a company is. Many will have a simple contact form, while others might list an email address. Some give an actual bricks-and-mortar address—not something to trust completely, but at least a good indicator.

You can also use the Google Transparency Report. Just click on Site status and paste a URL into the box. Google will then scan the site for unsafe elements, notably malware. The search engine has been known to slip up in the past, but it’s pretty rare. Otherwise, use a service which checks the veracity of links.

If you’re still not sure… don’t visit the website. It really is that simple.

Can You Trust SSL Certificates Absolutely?

No. Even Google admits:

“Anyone can create a certificate claiming to be whatever website they want.”

HTTPS is a good start, but it certainly doesn’t mean your data is entirely safe. And it definitely doesn’t mean you don’t need to worry about other security practices. Encryption makes the internet safer—but it doesn’t make it perfect. It’s the first line in an arsenal to use against cybercriminals.

Read the full article: What to Do If Google Chrome Warns a Site Is Unsecure

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Build Your Own PlayStation Classic With a Raspberry Pi

Facebook and Airbnb told to change their ToS to fix EU consumer rights issues by year’s end

Facebook has been singled out for censure by the European Commission’s head of consumer affairs who has warned she’s running out of patience and said the company needs to make additional changes to its terms of service before the end of the year to bring them into line with the bloc’s consumer rules.

The Commission also said today that Airbnb has agreed to make additional changes to its ToS by December.

The EU’s executive body has been sounding off about tech and social media platforms’ terms of service impinging on citizens’ consumer rights for almost two years.

In February it warned a raft of companies they needed to do more to respect consumer rights. In July the Commission joined with EU consumer authorities to push Airbnb to make changes.

At the same time the Commission is pushing for an update to modernise EU consumer rules — and is hoping to get the backing of the European Parliament and member states, via the European Council, which is needed to reform EU law.

“I have respect for the work of national consumer authorities but sometimes the powers they have on national level are not sufficient for companies to co-operate efficient with them,” tweeted commissioner Vera Jourova today. “Hence the #NewDealForConsumers we propose strengthening their power and having persuasive sanctions.”

Reuters reports that Twitter was also warned by the Commission today that it must make ToS changes to come into compliance with EU consumer law.

The EC’s public denouncement of tech giants inexorably has a strategic political dimension, as it seeks to garner attention for its reform cause and drum up support for reworking the rules.

Though it clearly also feels that social media giants haven’t yet done enough to comply with existing EU consumer rules.

Giving an update on its efforts “to ensure fair treatment for consumers in the EU in the online world” at a press conference today, Jourova said that Airbnb’s current terms still mislead consumers because they are not clear enough about costs, while Facebook’s terms are not clear about how user data is passed to third parties.

She warned Facebook she’s “running out of patience”, having been engaged in negotiations on the matter for almost two years now. 

On Airbnb she said the company has agreed to make additional changes before the end of the year to make it clearer to consumers what the total cost of a stay with a host will be before they hit ‘buy’.

“Following our call in July Airbnb informed us that it accepted to improve transparency of prices — so the consumers can know up front about the final price or additional costs, like cleaning fees or local taxes. Airbnb will also make changes to terms and conditions for instance to be clear that consumers can use all the legal remedies available and in particular their right to sue a host in case of personal harm or other damages,” she said. 

“EU consumers must have guaranteed the same rights in selling and purchasing offline and online,” Jourova added. “We didn’t come with a specific legislation for online selling but we always said offline rules must apply also for the online world. So this is what we are now doing with Airbnb and Facebook where we still see some gaps in their contracts which they use for providing their services to EU consumers.”

Responding to her remarks today in a statement, an Airbnb spokesperson told us: “Airbnb is a community build on trust and transparency is a key part of that. Guests have always been aware of all fees, including service charges and taxes, before booking listings, and we are pleased to work with the CPC to make this even clearer for guests.”

In Facebook’s case the Commission wants to see greater transparency in its ToS on the key characteristics of its services and relations with third parties with whom the company shares consumers’ data — saying a clearer link needs to be made between the actual provision of the service; the fact that consumers’ data constitute the consideration for receiving that service; and the commercial exploitation of the data and user generated content (by providing targeted advertising services to third parties).

It is also not happy about Facebook’s terms granting the company a perpetual licence on user generated content even after a user quits Facebook, saying this is unfair.

It also believes the rights Facebook grants itself over the content users upload is not made sufficiently prominent to consumers when they sign up.

Additionally it criticises Facebook’s terms for not being clear on its obligations to remove user generated content and/or suspend or terminate an account, saying its ToS include vague phrases and do not clarify whether the consumer will be notified in advance.

The Commission also flags the lack of an appeal option for consumers in some cases.

It’s also not happy about Facebook granting itself the power to unilaterally change its terms of service, saying this is contrary to EU consumer legislation which identifies as unfair terms that enable: “the seller or supplier to alter the terms of the contract unilaterally without a valid reason which is specified in the contract”.

Jourova said both Facebook and Airbnb have a deadline of October 18 to propose additional changes — which will then be assessed by the Commission and the Consumer Protection Cooperation Network of EU consumer rights bodies that it’s working with on this issue — with the aim of having an acceptable (“fully functional”) final implementation by December, and new compliant contracts definitely in place by January.

In further remarks about Facebook Jourova said her latest meeting with the company had been “constructive” but pointed to the Cambridge Analytica scandal as a “stark reminder that not many people have clarity on how Facebook uses personal data of its users and how it works with third parties like apps, games or quiz creators”.

“Not many people know that Facebook has made available their data to third parties or that, for instance, it holds full copyright about any picture or content you put on it even after you delete your account,” she continued, saying she had spoken to many Facebook users who were “very surprised” to learn the rights its ToS grant it over user data.

“So we want Facebook to be absolutely clear to its users about how the service operates and makes money. Facebook has almost 380M users in Europe and I expect Facebook to take more responsibility for them.”

“I expect also Facebook to be honest with those that go and try to understand all the consequences of using their services,” she added. “I will not hide that I am becoming rather impatient because we have been in dialogue with Facebook almost two years and I really want to see not a progress, it’s not enough for me, I want to see the results.”

Responding to Jourova’s remarks today, a Facebook spokesperson emailed us the following statement:

People share their most valued moments on Facebook, and we want to make our terms clear and accessible to everyone. We updated Facebook’s Terms of Service in May and included the vast majority of changes the Consumer Protection Cooperation Network and the European Commission had proposed at that point. Our terms are now much clearer on what is and what isn’t allowed on Facebook and on the options people have. We are grateful to the CPC and the Commission for their feedback and will continue our close cooperation to understand any further concerns and make appropriate updates.

At today’s press conference Jourova also raised the spectre of a regime of co-ordinated penalties for consumer rights violations coming down the pipe to strengthen enforcement, saying there’s a need for the EU to have “unified sanctions” (something it does now has for data protection violations, thanks to the GDPR).

Unified sanctions are included in the Commission’s new deal for consumers, which it adopted in April — and which is now on the table as a proposal for the other two EU institutions to consider and (the Commission hopes) support.

She said the proposal is “the package which should improve the enforcement of consumer rights in a very big scope”, adding: “I do hope that the European Parliament and the Member States will adopt the legislation or the position quickly so that we have this done as soon as possible in Spring next year.”

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Inside Facebook Dating, launching today first in Colombia

Does deeper data produce perfect matches? Facebook is finally ready to find out, starting today with a country-wide test in Colombia of its Dating feature. It’s centered around an algorithm-powered homescreen of Suggested romantic matches based on everything Facebook knows about you that other apps don’t. There’s no swiping and it’s not trying to look cool, but Facebook Dating is familiar and non-threatening enough to feel accessible to Facebook’s broad array of single users.

Originally announced at F8 in May, Facebook has hammered out details like limiting users to expressing interest in a maximum of 100 people per day, spotlighting personal questions as well as photos, and defaulting to show you friends-of-friends as well as strangers unless you only want to see people with no mutual connections. If the test goes well, expect Facebook to roll Dating out to more countries shortly as the social network pushes its mission to create meaningful connections and the perception that it can be a force of good.

“The goal of the team is to make Facebook simply the best place to start a relationship online” Facebook Dating’s product manager Nathan Sharp told me during an expansive interview about the company’s strategy and how it chose to diverge from the top dating apps. For starters, it’s not trying to compete with Tinder for where you find hookups by swiping through infinite options, but instead beat eHarmony, Hinge, or OKCupid at finding you a life partner. And it’s all about privacy, from its opt-in nature to how it’s almost entirely siloed from Facebook though lives within the same app.

“We wanted to make a product that encouraged people to remember that there are people behind the profiles and the cards that they’re seeing. We wanted a system that emphasizes consideration over impulse, We want you to consider more than that person’s profile photo.”

There are no plans to monetize Facebook Dating with ads or premium subscriptions to bonus features. But as Facebook strives to stay relevant beyond the aging News Feed and combat its branding crisis, there are plenty of incentives for it to find us a significant other.

How Facebook Dating Works…

“Dating is something we’ve seen on the platform since the earliest days. We know there are 200 million people who list themselves as single” says Sharp. He’s married himself but says with a laugh that Facebook Dating “is definitely a young and single team.” Back in 2004, online dating still had a sleazy reputation. But now that over a third of U.S. marriages start online, and Facebook has had time to identify the pitfalls stumbled into by other dating apps, it’s ready to pucker up.

The basic flow is that users 18 and up (or the local ‘Adult’ equivalent) will see a notice atop their News Feed inviting them to try Facebook Dating when it comes to their country, and they’ll see a shortcut in their bookmarks menu.

They’ll opt in, verify their city using their phone’s location services, and decide whether to add details like a free-form bio, workplace, education, religion, height, and if they have children. Facebook offers non-binary genders and sexual orientations. To fill out their profile, they’ll choose up to a dozen photos they upload, are tagged in, previously posted to Facebook, or cross-posted from Instagram as well as answer up to 20 questions about their personality such as “What does your perfect day look like?”

Users can select to filter their matches by distance (up to a maximum radius of 100 kilometers), if they have children, religion, height and age. They may then browse through the homescreen’s Suggested matches list, or they can choose to ‘Unlock’ Events and Groups they’re part of to see people from those who’ve done the same. Anyone you’ve blocked on Facebook won’t show up, though unfriended exs might. To see the next person, they either have to say they’re not interested, or choose a photo or question from the person’s profile and send them a message related to it (or at least they’re supposed to), and the sender can’t see the recipient any more.

The text and emoji-only messages go through a special Facebook Dating chat section, not Messenger, and land in the recipient’s Interested tab with no read receipts. If they reply, the chat moves to both people’s Conversations tab. From there they can decide to connect elsewhere online or meet up in person.

Sharp admits that “The moment you try to control the system you may have some unexpected behaviors occur there”. That’s why you can’t message photos (dick pics), and you can’t follow up with people who don’t respond to you (stalking). But Facebook plans to stay vigilant in case unexpected forms of abuse or privacy issues emerge.

…And Why

Starting today users in Colombia will be able to create a Facebook Dating profile, but the company won’t start serving matches until there are enough sign ups. Sharp tells me “we don’t expect it to take months.” But why Colombia? He says it’s because much of South America has culturally accepted online dating, it has a sizeable population of 30 million monthly active Facebook users, and the social network can track data out of a few discrete metropolitan areas.

But there are a lot of other ‘whys’ to how Facebook Dating was built. Sharp ran me through the decision making process his team undertook to turn Facebook Dating from a concept into a concrete product. Here I’ll run through its rules and features while explaining the philosophy behind them.

1. Meaningful relationships not one-night-stands, because “meaningful” is Facebook’s new watchword as it enters the ‘Time Well Spent’ era, and Facebook has the deep biographical and interest data to find you matches you’ll want to wake up next to each day, not just go to bed with.
2. Opt-in not automatic enrollment, because “not everyone who’s single wants to date, not everyone who wants to date wants to date online, not everyone who dates online wants to date on Facebook” says Sharp.
3. Within Facebook not a new app, because it lowers the barrier to behavior that’s already hard enough for some people, and it can only achieve its mission if people actually use it.
4. Friends-of-friends and strangers not friends, because many people’s biggest fear is “are my friends and family going to see this” says Sharp, and people who are already friends don’t need help meeting and may already know if they want to date each other.
5. A new profile not your same one, because some people might want to share a different side of themselves or might not publicly disclose their sexual orientation. The only info ported into Facebook Dating is your first name and age.
6. Message and response not both people swiped right, because since Facebook wants you to be deliberate about who you show interest in, you have to send one message and hope to hear back. There’s no infinite right-swiping and then waiting get matched or messaged. “It puts the power in the responder” Sharp says.
7. Profiles and chat are separate not part of Facebook, because it doesn’t want to scare users about privacy slip-ups, and doesn’t want people to pollute the main Facebook experience soliciting dates
8. Real age and location not self-described, because Facebook wants to prevent catfishing as well as users contacting matches in distant cities who they’ll never meet.
9. Matches through Events and Groups not randos, because a photo isn’t enough for choosing a life partner, interest overlaps are key to compatability, and they give people ready-mate happenings to use as dates.

A prototype of Facebook Dating’s onboarding flow

The end result is an online dating product that maximizes convenience, both in where it’s available and how much hunting you have to do by yourself. The big question remains how far Facebook will go to making Dating a hit. The feature could live or die by how much Facebook is willing to constantly nag its single users to sign-up.

Facebook’s in a precarious time for its brand, and may have trouble getting people to trust it with an even more sensitive part of their lives. “As all the events of the past year have unfolded, it’s only underscored the importance of privacy” Sharp concludes. No one wants their dating profile ending up Cambridge Analytica’d. But if analyzing your every Like and link gives Facebook uncanny matching accuracy, word could travel fast if it’s how people find their soul-mates.

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