Top 6 Underground Search Engines You Never Knew About

I love Google and Bing just as much as the next person. But normal search engines only brush the surface of the internet. To dive into the underground internet, you need to use underground search engines.

What’s the underground internet?

Most people don’t realize that there are a lot of areas you can’t get to with a normal search engine. These include dynamic pages that provide information when you load then, online databases that only return results when you search them, and then there’s the entire dark web.

The following specialized underground search engines let you access all those hidden areas of the internet.

1. Torrent Search Engines

If you aren’t familiar with torrents, it’s essentially a shared file that other nodes (computers) on the network can download. People access these networks using torrent clients like BitTorrent or uTorrent. Downloads take place in pieces so that even if you shut down your computer in the middle of a download, you can continue your download later.

With that said, finding available torrent files isn’t easy.

However, if you use any of the following popular torrent sites, you’ll have little trouble finding what you need.

The Pirate Bay

The Pirate Bay has been a source for searching torrents for a long time. While other torrent search engines have shut down, this one remains.

You can search it for anything from music and TV shows, to games, and applications.

For listings, you’ll see links to launch your torrent client to download.

Limetorrents

Limetorrents is another one that’s been around for many years.

If you click on the Other or Browse links, you can sift through available torrent files (there are millions).

When you start browsing through the available torrent files, you’ll be surprised at the wide assortment of files available.

Torrent networks get a bad rap because of the illegal content you’ll find there, but you can also find useful things like free e-books, manuals, and other hard-to-find content.

There’s even an anime category!

RARBG

RARBG has been a favorite among torrent fans for some time. You can click on the Torrents tab to use the torrent search engine (or browse the list of new additions).

Or you can browse specific categories by clicking any of the links along the left side of the main page. You’ll also find a frequently updated top 10 list or read any recent torrent news.

Torrentz2

Torrentz2 has been around since around 2016 and sprung up when the original Torrentz site shut down. It’s what’s known as a “meta-search” engine, meaning that it scours through results from multiple torrent search engines so you don’t have to.

The main page touts over 61 million files in its database. So whether you’re looking to find something specific, or you’re just looking to browse, you’re likely to find what you want here.

Search results show you download size, user rating, and the estimated download time (based on the number of peers that are sharing).

AIO Search

AIO Search is another meta-search engine for torrent files.

What makes it unique is that you can select specific torrent search engines that you want to include.

The list of torrent sites this search engine plugs into is impressive. The results show up almost like an embedded web browser, with an individual tab showing search results from the individual torrent search engine.

You can also use it to search secret torrent search engines for images, videos, sub-titles, shared files, and even your favorite show.

Other Free Torrent Search Engines You Can Try:

• 1337X
• YTS.AM
• EZTV.AG

2. Hidden Bargains and Deals

If you search Google for cheap laptops or other gadgets, you’re likely to see results from standard corporate entities like Amazon or eBay.

However, there are databases of extremely cheap (or free!) stuff buried inside a multitude of website directories.

Prospector

Prospector has been around for many years.

It’s like a massive yard sale where everyone is giving away stuff for free.

The site boasts thousands of links to websites that offer things like free file hosting, free stock photos, and free applications.

Bargains on Facebook

What’s the best way to get actual free goods from your local neighbors? Since most of them are on Facebook, the answer seems obvious.

Just visit Facebook Marketplace, and search for “free stuff” to see what your neighbors are giving away.

Since Facebook already knows where you live, all the listings are in your local area. Or you can set the search area by changing the location field.

If you don’t mind paying a little bit of money for even better stuff, just adjust the price min and max fields to add a price filter.

With so much waste in the world already, why let your neighbors throw away things that you need?

Free Stuff on Craigslist

It would be foolish to overlook Craigslist if you’re looking for free stuff.

Nearly every community on Craigslist has a free category under the for sale section.

Instead of going to Walmart to buy something, why not check Craigslist to reuse someone else’s?

It’s better than adding even more items to the world’s growing landfills.

Other Good Freebie Sites You Can Try:

• Free Stuff
• The Freecycle Network
• FreeSamples

3. House Foreclosures

One of the easiest ways to get into a home at a below-market price is to shop for foreclosures.

There are piles of these properties sitting in official databases throughout the web, but no easy way to find them with Google.

Foreclosure Free Search

Foreclosure Free Search is a search engine that sifts through various sources of foreclosure listings from across the country (U.S. only).

Unlike the paid sites—it offers price, address, and other information about the property.

Foreclosure Free Search is one of the unsung heroes of free foreclosure search engines.

Trulia

Trulia has been around for many years now. It’s a real estate search engine that provides real estate information from various sources.

To get the best bargains, search in your desired neighborhood, and then click All For Sale from the menu. Choose Foreclosures.

If you prefer to avoid foreclosures, Trulia also shows recent price fluctuations up or down. This way you can jump on a good deal the moment a seller drops their price.

Other Property Search Engines You Can Try:

• MLS.com
• Equator.com
• HomeFinder

4. Public Records Search Engines

Another common search that isn’t easy to find are public records. Most public records search engines are disguised commercial companies trying to sell paid public records as search results to you.

The following search engines give you access to “secret” databases where you can search public records for free.

Public Record Center 

The Public Record Center is different. It’s more of an underground “portal” to government websites than a search engine.

However, it’s organized so well that it’ll save you a lot of time if you’re not sure where to go to find the public database.

Using the Public Record Center you can find government databases for court judgments and liens, conduct asset searches, and even look up copyright and trademark information.

The Public Record Authority

Like the Public Record Center, the Public Record Authority is a trustworthy resource for links to your local and state public databases.

The site offers browsable lists of court records, federal agency databases, and unclaimed funds.

Make sure to check your state records for unclaimed funds under your name. You never know what might turn up!

Other Public Records Portals You Can Try:

• VitalRec
• Family Tree Now
• Census Finder

5. Legal Search Engines

Ever hear of a search engine that lets you dig up legal information from the web?

Neither did I, until I discovered Cornell’s Legal Information Institute.

This amazing little search engine digs through the institute’s extensive legal library and pulls out any information that you might need. This could include family law, criminal law, labor law and much more.

There are search engines buried throughout this excellent legal resource providing court opinion information, constitutional insights, and much more.

If you have any interest in law at all, take some time to check this one out.

Other Legal Search Engines You Can Try:

• Justia
• FindLaw
• Google Scholar

6. UFO Sightings

If you’re into UFOs, you’ll love the amazing stories you’ll read about in all the underground databases for UFO sightings.

All the private national UFO sightings centers maintain meticulous records of everyone who calls in a report.

MUFON Case Management System

The Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) is one of the nation’s central clearinghouses for UFO sightings.

MUFON investigators receive calls about sightings and then head out on field investigations. They then enter the information they gather into their reporting database.

This database is completely open to the public and searchable only through this case search form. Google has no idea any of these stories exist.

UFO Stalker

One of the most entertaining UFO databases is UFO Stalker. At this site, you’ll see an interactive map that shows most of the recent UFO sightings.

If the sighting was a UFO, it’ll have a UFO icon. If it’s a black triangle, it’ll show a stealth fighter… I mean a black triangle UFO, and so on.

When you click on any of the icons, you can click on the title to read the story.

Many of these sightings include lots of great blurry video and photos as evidence!

Other UFO Databases You Can Try:

• National UFO Reporting Center

Searching the Underbelly of the Internet

I hope you’ve enjoyed strolling through the deep, dark, depths of the underground internet.

If you’re hungry for more, continue on by exploring our list of the best dark web websites online. Just remember that once you head down the rabbit hole, there’s no turning back.

Read the full article: Top 6 Underground Search Engines You Never Knew About

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The Google Assistant gets more visual

Google today is launching a major visual redesign of its Assistant experience on phones. While the original vision of the Assistant focused mostly on voice, half of all interactions with the Assistant actually include touch. So with this redesign, Google acknowledges that and brings more and larger visuals to the Assistant experience.

If you’ve used one of the recent crop of Assistant-enabled smart displays, then some of what’s new here may look familiar. You now get controls and sliders to manage your smart home devices, for example. Those include sliders to dim your lights and buttons to turn them on or off. There also are controls for managing the volume of your speakers.Even in cases where the Assistant already offered visual feedback — say when you ask for the weather — the team has now also redesigned those results and brought them more in line with what users are already seeing on smart displays from the likes of Lenovo and LG. On the phone, though, that experience still feels a bit more pared down than on those larger displays.

With this redesign, which is going live on both Android and in the iOS app today, Google is also bringing a little bit more of the much-missed Google Now experience back to the phone. While you could already bring up a list of upcoming appointments, commute info, recent orders and other information about your day from the Assistant, that feature was hidden behind a rather odd icon that many users surely ignored. Now, after you’ve long-pressed the home button on your Android phone, you can swipe up to get that same experience. I’m not sure that’s more discoverable than previously, but Google is saving you a tap.

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In addition to the visual redesign of the Assistant, Google also today announced a number of new features for developers. Unsurprisingly, one part of this announcement focuses on allowing developers to build their own visual Assistant experiences. Google calls these “rich responses” and provides developers with a set of pre-made visual components that they can easily use to extend their Assistant actions. And because nothing is complete with GIFs, they can now use GIFs in their Assistant apps, too.

But in addition to these new options for creating more visual experiences, Google is also making it a bit easier for developers to take their users money.

While they could already sell physical goods through their Assistant actions, starting today, they’ll also be able to sell digital goods. Those can be one-time purchases for a new level in a game or recurring subscriptions. Headspace, which has long offered a very basic Assistant experience, now lets you sign up for subscriptions right from the Assistant on your phone, for example.

Selling digital goods directly in the Assistant is one thing, but that sale has to sync across different applications, too, so Google today is also launching a new sign-in service for the Assistant that allows developers to log in and link their accounts.

“In the past, account linking could be a frustrating experience for your users; having to manually type a username and password — or worse, create a new account — breaks the natural conversational flow,” the company explains. “With Google Sign-In, users can now create a new account with just a tap or confirmation through their voice. Most users can even link to their existing accounts with your service using their verified email address.”

Starbucks has already integrated this feature into its Assistant experience to give users access to their rewards account. Adding the new Sign-In for the Assistant has almost doubled its conversion rate.

[gallery ids="1725662,1725659,1725661,1725657,1725658,1725660"]
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Apple’s Tim Cook is sending a privacy bat-signal to US lawmakers

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook has today been announced as the keynote speaker at a European data protection conference taking place in Brussels later this month — at a time when US lawmakers are asking tech giants outright if they’ll support “EU-like” privacy rules to shield US consumers from platform power.

For a week this month Europe’s data protection commissioners will gather to discuss the bloc’s shiny new privacy framework, GDPR, and what comes after it. They will also gather to listen to Cook talking on the theme of data ethics.

It’s a topic the Apple CEO has been speaking out about publicly for years.

Just this week, in an interview on US television, he couched privacy as “one of the most important issues of the 21st century” — describing it as a human right, and saying he supported “some level” of regulation, even as he professed himself “not a pro-regulation kind of person”.

Privacy is too important to keep being screwed with — or screwed over — was his clear subtext.

In a few weeks’ time Cook will literally stand alongside the architects of Europe’s GDPR, talking up privacy and ethics at the center of a Union whose founding charter grants its citizens data protection as a fundamental right.

The signalling is clear.

Europe is drawing fresh battle lines around the ethics of big data

While Apple might so far have fallen just shy of calling for a full copypaste of GDPR-level data protections into US law, there’s perhaps an element of strategic caution at play that’s moderating its plain-text political messaging.

Because the company’s actions from all other angles show Apple consistently defending privacy rights in a big data ethics fight that’s pitting Europe against a small number of powerful US adtech giants whose ‘best’ argument in defence of the unethical stuff they’re doing is they need to ‘keep up with China’ — a country that neither respects human rights nor privacy…

Zuckerberg urges privacy carve outs to compete with China

These same self-interested adtech giants are now, of course, hard at work lobbying US lawmakers that big data is a tenet of tech faith — when it really doesn’t have to be that way.

Privacy-respecting data-based innovations are both possible and available. The father of the World Wide Web thinks so — and is now doing a startup to make it so. And Apple’s business is an incredible testament to the power of putting people in control of technology, not vice-versa.

Apple is also a testament to how handsome a profit can be turned from privacy.

At a recent Senate hearing to discuss how the US should approach setting a federal privacy law, its VP of software technology, Bud Tribble, summed up the company’s position as: “We want your device to know everything about you but we don’t think we should.”

It’s notable that no other tech giants can make that claim. Not Amazon, not Facebook, not Google.

These platforms fall awkwardly silent when faced with questions about data ethics.

Nor can they comfortably stand on a public podium and discuss what does and does not produce “a result that’s great for society”, as Cook can. They have to invent their own ludicrous measures — like ‘relevant ads’.

Frankly speaking, if that’s your price for giving up on human rights you really are selling out.

So it’s left to Apple to send out the privacy bat-signal.

Let’s just hope the lawmakers are watching. Because the lobbyists are busy whispering.

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The Google Assistant gets more visual

Google today is launching a major visual redesign of its Assistant experience on phones. While the original vision of the Assistant focused mostly on voice, half of all interactions with the Assistant actually include touch. So with this redesign, Google acknowledges that and brings more and larger visuals to the Assistant experience.

If you’ve used one of the recent crop of Assistant-enabled smart displays, then some of what’s new here may look familiar. You now get controls and sliders to manage your smart home devices, for example. Those include sliders to dim your lights and buttons to turn them on or off. There also are controls for managing the volume of your speakers.Even in cases where the Assistant already offered visual feedback — say when you ask for the weather — the team has now also redesigned those results and brought them more in line with what users are already seeing on smart displays from the likes of Lenovo and LG. On the phone, though, that experience still feels a bit more pared down than on those larger displays.

With this redesign, which is going live on both Android and in the iOS app today, Google is also bringing a little bit more of the much-missed Google Now experience back to the phone. While you could already bring up a list of upcoming appointments, commute info, recent orders and other information about your day from the Assistant, that feature was hidden behind a rather odd icon that many users surely ignored. Now, after you’ve long-pressed the home button on your Android phone, you can swipe up to get that same experience. I’m not sure that’s more discoverable than previously, but Google is saving you a tap.

[gallery ids="1725618,1725621,1725611,1725608,1725609,1725614,1725615,1725617,1725616,1725619,1725620,1725624"]

In addition to the visual redesign of the Assistant, Google also today announced a number of new features for developers. Unsurprisingly, one part of this announcement focuses on allowing developers to build their own visual Assistant experiences. Google calls these “rich responses” and provides developers with a set of pre-made visual components that they can easily use to extend their Assistant actions. And because nothing is complete with GIFs, they can now use GIFs in their Assistant apps, too.

But in addition to these new options for creating more visual experiences, Google is also making it a bit easier for developers to take their users money.

While they could already sell physical goods through their Assistant actions, starting today, they’ll also be able to sell digital goods. Those can be one-time purchases for a new level in a game or recurring subscriptions. Headspace, which has long offered a very basic Assistant experience, now lets you sign up for subscriptions right from the Assistant on your phone, for example.

Selling digital goods directly in the Assistant is one thing, but that sale has to sync across different applications, too, so Google today is also launching a new sign-in service for the Assistant that allows developers to log in and link their accounts.

“In the past, account linking could be a frustrating experience for your users; having to manually type a username and password — or worse, create a new account — breaks the natural conversational flow,” the company explains. “With Google Sign-In, users can now create a new account with just a tap or confirmation through their voice. Most users can even link to their existing accounts with your service using their verified email address.”

Starbucks has already integrated this feature into its Assistant experience to give users access to their rewards account. Adding the new Sign-In for the Assistant has almost doubled its conversion rate.

[gallery ids="1725662,1725659,1725661,1725657,1725658,1725660"]

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12 Surprising Things All Snapchat Users Should Know

Even for long-time users, Snapchat can be confusing. This is an app that’s far from intuitive, with a feature list that seems to change with every update. It’s no wonder you’re continually left feeling like you’re missing out on something.

So, what are some things that all Snapchat users should know? Here are 12 pointers for old heads and newbies alike.

1. Snapchat Emojis Explained

Snapchat is a maze of emojis—even the company’s official online documentation is full of them. Everywhere you turn inside the app, you will run into one.

And these aren’t just randomly placed emojis, they almost all have a meaning, purpose, or hidden backstory.

Luckily, we’ve got you covered. We explained the meaning of the Snapchat emojis in our detailed guide. Check it out if you’d like to learn more.

2. What Is a Snapchat Streak?

A Snapchat streak—officially called a Snapstreak—is when you and a friend exchange at least one snap per day for several consecutive days.

When you complete five days, you’ll see a fire emoji. When you complete 100 days, you will see the 100 emoji. There also a fabled mountain emoji for exceptionally long streaks, but no one is really sure if it exists. Finally, there’s an hourglass emoji which you’ll see if your streak is about to end.

For more tips on getting long streaks, check out our Snapstreak tips for beginners.

3. How to Get a Snapchat Trophy

Snapchat trophies are a bit like Reddit karma. On the one hand, it’s just meaningless virtual kudos; on the other, everyone wants a huge score.

The trophies don’t have any practical usage—they’re just there for a bit of fun. As such, many people overlook their existence.

But what do all the Snapchat trophies mean? After all, there are more than 50 trophies to collect. Explaining each one is beyond the scope of this article, but we’ve previously detailed all the Snapchat trophies and how to get them.

4. How to Boost Your Snapchat Score

Accumulating Snapchat trophies isn’t the only means of achieving God-like status on the app. You can also rack up your Snapchat score.

Once again, the process behind boosting your Snapchat score is somewhat murky. There’s no official documentation on the matter, but we think these actions are the ones most likely to get your score moving in the right direction:

• Sending snaps.
• Receiving snaps.
• Adding other users as friends.
• Creating a lot of Snapchat Stories.
• Maintaining Snapstreaks.
• Using the app again after a period of not logging in.

5. Verified Accounts Exist on Snapchat

Did you know Snapchat has a form of verified accounts like Twitter and Facebook? Well-known public figures from the worlds of sports, entertainment, politics, and music have verified Snapchat profiles.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, instead of using a tick, Snapchat uses emojis to show that a certain user is legitimate. Each person is free to pick their own emoji. For example, Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton uses a checkered flag and former bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger uses the bicep emoji.

6. Your Personal Snapchat URL

With its Snapcodes, Snapchat popularized the idea of using QR codes as a way to connect with people and engage with a platform.

They proved to be so successful that, unlike every other social media network, Snapchat never bothered to add a traditional URL address for users.

The situation finally changed in 2016. Other people can now add you as a friend using either Snapcodes or a URL.

Your personal Snapchat URL is www.snapchat.com/add/[username].

7. You Can Flip Between Cameras While Filming

Most in-app cameras have a dedicated on-screen button that allows you to flip between the front- and rear-facing cameras. Snapchat does not have such a button.

But the lack of a button doesn’t mean the action isn’t possible. Just quickly double tap anywhere on the screen while recording to switch cameras.

8. Pin People to the Top of the Contacts List

Naturally, there are going to be people you interact with more frequently than others. It makes sense that you want to keep their stories near the top of the list so you don’t need to go scrolling every time you want to send them a snap.

Snapchat doesn’t offer a native “Pin” feature, but there’s a workaround. You can edit the way a user’s name appears on your screen (open a contact and go to Settings > Edit Name). To make some stay at the top of the list, prefix their name with an “A”.

9. Create Your Own Filters and Lens

Did you know that you can create your own filters and lens? The only downside being that it comes at a cost.

You cannot create a Snapchat filter or lense via the smartphone app. Instead, you need to head to the online portal at create.snapchat.com.

The price of your creation will vary depending on your geofence location, size, and duration.

10. What Is a Snapchat Story?

A Snapchat story is a collection of snaps that you’ve taken over the course of a day or event.

The snaps are displayed in the order they were taken. They are available for 24 hours and can be viewed an unlimited number of times by any of your friends.

Add snaps (either videos or pictures) to your story by pressing the square button in the center-left of your screen and selecting Add.

11. You Can Edit on Snapchat

Snapchat is never going to replace the main photo editor on your Android or iPhone, but you can tweak your content before it goes live.

For example, you can insert re-sizeable emoji stickers, add stylized text, or draw freestyle on your image. The features are a great way to add your own spin to the images before you hit the send button.

12. You Can Watch Live Video

In early 2018, Snapchat announced the launch of live video.

Users cannot stream live, but you can watch live news and noteworthy events. The feature was rolled out to coincide with the start of the Winter Olympics, but since then we’ve seen live content from CNN, National Geographic, and some other notable channels.

More Snapchat Tips and Tricks

The complexity of the Snapchat app means that this list could go on forever. But alas, all good things must come to an end. If you’d like to learn more about teenagers’ favorite app, make sure you check out our beginner’s guide to using Snapchat.

Read the full article: 12 Surprising Things All Snapchat Users Should Know

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MIT, Google, Cisco and USPTO create Prior Art Archive for better patents

The patent system is broken — there are too many ways to list here, really. The problems surrounding prior art are certainly among them, and a team of high profile companies and organizations are joining forces to address some of the these with the Prior Art Archive.

The database is a collaboration between MIT’s Media Lab, Google, Cisco and the United States Patent and Trademark Office, which certainly has the most to gain here. Using the MIT-hosted archive, patent applicants can find easily accessible examples of prior art and other technical information for reference.

“The patent examination process should stop patents from being issued on old or obvious technology,” MIT writes. “Unfortunately, just because technology is old doesn’t mean it is easy for a patent examiner to find. Particularly in the computer field, much prior art is in the form of old manuals, documentation, web sites, etc. that have, until now, not been readily searchable.”

Google also has a blog post detailing its own work with the archive, which mostly revolves around search. The company is also implementing AI and ML technologies to help bolster searches. “To this end,” the company writes, “we’ve recently created an open ecosystem, the Google Patents Public Datasets, to make large datasets available for empirical public policy, economics, and machine learning research.”

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10 Truly Effective Tinder Pick-Up Lines That Actually Worked

Being single and ready to mingle can be tough, hence the growing prevalence of fast and convenient online dating. But if you want really fast, then you probably won’t find a better online dating platform than Tinder.

The problem with online dating sites is that they try to match suitable partners using mathematical formulas. These matches aren’t always local, which leaves you stuck in an online relationship. And if you’re just looking for something casual, ending such a relationship is never easy.

So, Tinder. It may have started as a “dating” app, but these days it’s all about hooking up. And as long as you don’t make these Tinder mistakes, you might even find success. But the real magic is in your first impression, and the following examples show what a striking opener can do for you.

Note: Since most pick-up lines are delivered male-to-female, this post assumes you’re a guy trying to impress a girl.

Before You Start…

Traditionally, pick-up lines are seen as ineffective and juvenile—and in any other context, they would be. But on Tinder, the rules are different. Since Tinder has become the standard for mobile hookups, pick-up lines are somewhat necessary.

After all, you need an icebreaker, but not just any icebreaker. You’re not looking for a serious conversation or an intimate bonding experience over swapped life stories. You need something quick, to the point, and something that makes the other person laugh.

Enter the pick-up line. Here are a few things to remember as you consider which pick-up line you’re going to use:

She’s on Tinder, which means she understands what Tinder is about and she’s looking to get what Tinder offers. In most cases, that means a casual fling or something similar. She’s already bought into the idea, so that’s already half the battle won.

She swiped right for you. You can only message those who have “accepted” your profile, which means you can only try your pick-up lines on girls who have already decided to give you a chance. You’re already “in” with her, so don’t be afraid to go all out.

Contextual lines trump canned lines. Some canned lines are good enough to stand on their own—and some so clever that it’d be a shame not to use them—but if you can come up with a line that matches the situation, you’ll set yourself apart.

Warning: Mature content below!

The Best Tinder Pick-Up Lines

Sometimes being honest and straightforward is the best way to go.

Rather than presenting the other person a single line that they can either accept or reject wholesale, you might fair better if you get them actively engaged with a miniature guessing game and pull a plot twist on them at the end.

Creativity can be the difference between a Yes and a No. The above exchange is little more than asking for a phone number, but the execution is novel.

Another example of a straightforward phone number request masked with unexpected creativity.

Everyone hates puns—except when they’re good. There’s a growing trend in Tinder that involves using the other person’s name in a punny way. If you can land the joke, it’s pretty much a guaranteed win.

Double entendres have long been a staple of dating quips. Not much else to say about this one.

If they say “No,” then you better stop. But if they don’t stop you, persistence can be quite flattering.

Not as clever as the ones before, but straightforward mixed with unexpected can have pretty good results.

Another example of a name pun. See? It works.

What Are Your Favorite Pick-Up Lines?

We know that a lot of you who are reading this are creative in your own ways. Hit us with your best pick-up lines in the comments below. Whether clever, funny, or downright serious, give us your best shot and try to swoon us with one line.

And if none of these appeal to you, keep going and check out our collection of hilarious Tinder pick-up lines worth trying.

Image Credit: Antonio Guillem/Shutterstock

Read the full article: 10 Truly Effective Tinder Pick-Up Lines That Actually Worked

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The 7 Best Wireless Sport Headphones

Facebook adds A.I. to Marketplace for categorization, price suggestions and soon, visual search

Facebook is celebrating the two-year anniversary of its Craigslist competitor, Facebook Marketplace, with the launch of new features powered by A.I. Specifically, the social network says it’s adding price range suggestions and auto-categorization features to make selling easier, and it says it’s testing camera features that would use A.I. to make product recommendations.

Automating price suggestions and categorization, however, is not unique to Facebook – eBay earlier this year introduced a feature in its mobile app that will fill out your listings for you, using technologies like structured data and predictive analytics. Letgo can also make generalized price suggestions.

In Facebook’s case, the company says it will be able to categorize items based on the photo and description, then suggest a price range (e.g. $50-$75) for sellers to choose from. According to the company, when this autosuggest feature is enabled, sellers are less likely to abandon their listings, it has learned. (9% of sellers abandoned listings before the feature was enabled, it noted.)

AI in Marketplace

Posted by Facebook on Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Facebook also highlighted some of the other ways it uses A.I. – to automatically enhance the lighting of images uploaded by sellers, for instance, and for detecting and removing inappropriate content.

And while not A.I.-based, the company additionally noted its new buyer and seller ratings where people can rate their experience and leave feedback.

Further down the road, things may get more interesting. Facebook lightly teases its plans to turn Marketplace into more of a discovery tool for finding things you want to buy using your smartphone camera. For example, the company writes in a blog post, you could point your camera at something you like – such as your friend’s cool headphones – snap a photo, and then Marketplace would search across its listings for similar items.

This sort of visual search tech is also common among competitors, including eBay again, plus Pinterest and even Google. Facebook, then, is playing a bit of catch-up for the time being.

Further down the road, Facebook’s plans for Marketplace put it more directly up against Pinterest. It says it envisions using A.I. in the future to help people with home design – like, by uploading a photo of their living room, then getting suggestions about furniture to buy. Home design and inspiration, of course, is the bread-and-butter of sites like Pinterest, Houzz and others, including newcomer Hutch.

That said, even if it’s lacking in some features today, Facebook Marketplace is not one to be counted out. Thanks to Facebook’s size and scale (and the annoying way it continuously red badged the Marketplace icon, forcing users to keep tapping it), the company says its buy-and-sell platform has grown to be used by more than one out of every three people in the U.S. on a monthly basis.

 

 

 

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Why Are Some Browsers Faster Than Others?

Do you have a favorite browser? If so, what makes it so appealing? For some people, it might be the availability of plugins and extensions; others might like to use a browser that guarantees their privacy.

For a lot of users, however, the most important aspect is speed.

But what makes one browser faster than another? You can break it down into technical aspects and user-controlled aspects. Keep reading to find out more.

The Technical Aspects

Every browser is coded differently by its developers. The different approaches to coding can affect how long it takes a web page to load.

There are two key features to be aware of: the browser engine and JavaScript engine.

Browser Engine

The browser engine is a key component of every browser. It is responsible for lots of tasks, including parsing the HTML and CSS code, displaying it on your computer screen, and enforcing security policy.

At the very least, the browser engine can display HTML and XML documents and images, and establish font, color, and text size. Depending on the browser you’re using, it might also be able to display PDFs and other documents.

Common Browser Engines

Several browser engines exist, but there are four commonly used ones that you’re likely to encounter: Blink, EdgeHTML, Gecko, and WebKit.

Blink is a cross-platform engine developed by Google, Opera, Adobe, Intel, and Samsung. You will find it in both Chrome and Opera. It started life as a fork of WebKit, which itself was a fork of KDE’s KHTML and KJS libraries. It has a free-to-use GNU LGPL license.

EdgeHTML is Microsoft’s proprietary browser engine. It’s specifically made for use in the company’s Edge browser. EdgeHTML replaced Trident (found in Internet Explorer) in 2015. Theoretically, it is fully compatible with Blink and WebKit.

Gecko is Mozilla’s offering. You’ll find it in the Firefox, Thunderbird, and several lesser-known browsers. (Check our list of tips for speeding up Firefox if it’s your browser of choice.)

Finally, WebKit is Apple’s browser engine. It is used in Safari, the Amazon Kindle browser, Tizen smart TVs, and Blackberry OS. Until 2013, it was also Chrome’s browser engine.

Other browser engines you might stumble across include Goanna (a fork of Gecko) and Servo (an experimental Mozilla engine).

Diminishing Importance

In the 2000s, the browser engine was arguably the most critical factor when determining whether one browser could load pages faster than its competitors.

However, as the technology becomes more sophisticated, the importance of browser engines is diminishing. It is no longer the most important technical aspect regarding performance.

Instead, you need to pay attention to the JavaScript engine.

JavaScript Engine

Each browser also uses a JavaScript engine. It has the most significant influence on how quickly a browser can load a web page.

In case you’re not aware, JavaScript is a programming language found on the internet. It’s generally behind user experience features like interactive objects and animations.

The JavaScript engine is responsible for converting a site’s JavaScript code into an optimized output that the browser can interpret in as little time as possible. Once again, there are different JavaScript engines in each of the main browsers.

V8

V8 is Google’s JavaScript engine. You’ll find it in Chrome browser; it’s been around since Chrome first launched in 2008.

It has two code compilers: Full-codegen (a fast compiler that creates unoptimized code) and Crankshaft (a slower compiler that produces optimized code). Code runs though Full-codegen first. If Crankshaft decides it needs optimizing, it steps in.

JavaScriptCore

JavaScriptCore—branded as Nitro—underpins Apple’s Safari browser. It’s the second mainstream JavaScript engine.

It works differently from V8. Instead of using two compilers, it runs all the JavaScript through a lexical analysis to create tokens. The tokens are converted into bytecode using a parser; then four “Just-in-time” processes execute the bytecode.

(For ways to speed up Safari, check out our guide.)

SpiderMonkey

SpiderMonkey was the original JavaScript engine. Netscape created it back in the 1990s. After Netscape’s demise, it became open source. Today, Mozilla maintains it and it’s found in Firefox.

The only other common JavaScript engine is Chakra. It is part of Microsoft Edge.

Which JavaScript Engine Is the Fastest?

There’s no definitive answer to which JavaScript engine is the fastest. One piece of JavaScript code might run faster in Safari; another might run more quickly in Chrome.

Much of the difference is determined by how the underlying JavaScript is written and how nicely it plays with the various engines’ compilers. Some browsers also use loading and caching algorithms to further improve speed on a site-by-site basis.

The User-Controlled Aspects

Some aspects of why one browser seems faster than another one fall under the user’s control. Here are three of the most common issues that you can address right now.

1. Updates

We’ve mentioned this before: you should ensure you’re always running the most up-to-date version of your browser.

Aside from extra features and security enhancements, the under-the-hood technical aspects continually improve. If you haven’t updated in a while, you might see some substantial speed gains by merely hitting the update button.

2. Extensions and Add-Ons

Plugins, extensions, and add-ons can make your browser far more functional. But they can also be a significant drag on its resources; they chew through the available CPU power and RAM.

We know it’s tempting to keep adding more, but you shouldn’t run more extensions that absolutely necessary.

3. Browsing Data

Browsers collect an enormous amount of data about your usage patterns. That includes your browsing history, cookies, download logs, and more. It also creates an increasingly large cache.

Cleaning out all that data could result in a notable improvement in speed; the browser has to spend less time digging through files in the background to find what it’s looking for.

We wrote about all these issues and more when we covered little-known factors that could affect your browser speed.

Other Ways to Speed Up Your Internet Experience

The browser is just one part of a fast internet experience. Aspects such as your router, Wi-Fi network, ISP, and geographical location can all play a role too.

Some of those are under your control. Check out our guides about Wi-Fi mistakes to avoid and changing your DNS settings to learn more about internet connection speed.

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The 6 Best Mac Markdown Editors for Everyone

Markdown is a lightweight markup language that makes it easy to format and present content for the web. It uses plain text and simple syntax to keep everything straightforward—we have a handy Markdown cheat sheet you can print for reference.

While any plain text editor will work for Markdown, there are also dedicated Markdown editors for displaying and converting your writing into beautiful HTML, PDF, and beyond. Some of these are free, others are cheap, and some work with other tools to make Markdown more appealing.

Here are six of the best Markdown editors and tools for Mac users.

1. MacDown

MacDown is a free and open source Markdown editor based on Mou. It surfaced when Mou’s developer ceased work on the project, sparking the idea to create a free editor that mimicked much of Mou’s features and functionality. The two projects are separate ventures, with MacDown steaming ahead in terms of development.

This is a Markdown editor that isn’t so much focused on code as it is writing. It uses a simple two-pane code view and rendered Markdown view to display changes in real-time. There’s the usual syntax highlighting you’d expect from an editor of its kind, and the editor offers a surprisingly good amount of customization.

This includes changes to the core functionality, allowing you to toggle non-standard Markdown extensions like tables, strikethroughs, and fenced code blocks. There are a ton of light and dark themes to choose from. Plus it has the ability to tweak editor appearance including line spacing and base font.

You can also change rendering style by picking from the included CSS or installing your own stylesheets. Rendering options are limited to HTML and PDF, with a handy Copy HTML feature for pasting directly into your projects.

Download: MacDown (Free)

2. Typora

If you’re not keen on the two-pane approach of most Markdown editors, check out Typora. It’s an editor that makes working with Markdown more visually appealing, using a seamless live preview rather than a separate window. Syntax converts into formatted text as you type, so what you see is what you get.

Typora supports basic Markdown, GitHub Flavored Markdown, and some interesting additional elements like sequence, flowchart, and mermaid diagrams. You can configure your choice of syntax via the preferences menu, which provides plenty of opportunity to tweak the editor to your liking.

There’s very little on-screen while you’re composing your masterpiece. That makes this ideal for those who enjoy distraction-free writing experiences. Building on this there’s also a typewriter mode (which always keeps the cursor in the middle of the screen) and focus mode (which dims paragraphs you’re currently not working on).

Choose from six included styles, or add your own by copying the relevant stylesheets into the themes folder. In addition to the usual HTML and PDF export, Typora can also convert to Microsoft Word, OpenOffice, RTF, ePub, LaTeX, and image formats (among others).

There’s no online sync, so if you use multiple platforms you’ll need to provide your own cloud solution. Typora is currently free while in beta, and it’s available for macOS, Windows, and Linux.

Download: Typora (Free)

3. Atom

Atom is GitHub’s own plain text editor for scripting, coding, and writing GitHub Flavored Markdown. It’s a fairly simple app with Markdown support out of the box, albeit a little barebones for writers. It takes the standard two-pane preview window approach, with a Markdown Preview option found under the Packages menu.

Out of the box you’d be forgiven for discounting Atom, but there’s a lot more potential when you pair it with the right add-ons. A quick search of the package repository yields a healthy number of extensions that make Atom a force to be reckoned with when working with Markdown.

These include conversion tools to HTML, PDF, and image formats. You’ll also find support for other flavors beyond GitHub Flavored Markdown, toolbar plugins, table of contents generators, better image support, and tools for improved tables.

It’s a great solution if you already use Atom, or are looking for a plaintext editor you can also use for scripting or other programming purposes. Atom also enjoys great theme support, so you can get your editor looking just the way you like it. Just search for and install themes within the editor.

Atom is completely free as part of GitHub’s efforts to provide a tool that makes coding accessible to all. It might not be the most user-friendly approach, but it’s a robust and powerful tool in the right hands. Visual Studio Code is another great free alternative to Atom that’s also worth checking out.

Download: Atom (Free)

4. Caret

Caret is another minimal Markdown editor, with a clean interface and emphasis on productivity. It uses tabs to keep all relevant documents close at hand, with a main editor that displays both the syntax and the resulting formatted text. It’s a great way to learn Markdown, since your syntax is always visible, but you can also enable a preview pane if you want.

Caret officially supports GitHub Flavored Markdown, including tables, math blocks, and indented code blocks. It also packs a few unique features, like the thematic break accessible with three spaces and three identical dashes or asterisks.

The sidebar displays a folder’s contents, with your active documents appearing along the top edge of the editor. There’s a macOS Spotlight-like Go To tool for quickly jumping to a file or section of your document, a dark mode, and typewriter mode too.

Caret’s developers built it with speed in mind. It features assistance for building tables, auto-completion of file paths, emoji, and HTML. You also get spelling correction and multiple cursors—a feature normally reserved for powerful text editors.

Caret exports to HTML and PDF, and the beta version is free (though it’s not clear what the limitations to this version are). You can buy a license for $29 to continue to use Caret and support development efforts.

Download: Caret (Free trial, $29)

5. Ulysses

Ulysses is a full-fat writing app, with some seriously powerful features. It’s the sort of app you’ll want to use if writing is your livelihood, with its distraction-free and minimal approach to producing prose. It uses Markdown in a bid to make writers more productive, removing the need to take your eyes off the text to apply formatting or create headers.

Like Caret, Ulysses takes a hybrid approach to markup. Your syntax is still visible while writing, but so too is the formatting that this markup applies to your text. Links appear in-line, and bold and italics are both emphasized. You have the ability to customize how these elements appear in the app’s preferences.

For working with Markdown, you can choose from regular Markdown and what Ulysses calls Markdown XL. This adds additional syntax for elements like videos, annotations, comments, block quotes, and more. Some themes let you change how the editor displays your elements, plus you have the opportunity to create your own themes.

Ulysses really comes into its own when it comes to exporting your writing. There are themes available for exporting beautiful HTML and PDF documents, but also support for ePub and Microsoft Word. Cloud support via iCloud or Dropbox means you can work on the same documents using different devices (including iOS devices). Versioning support ensures you can revert to a backup if needed.

As a pure writing and publishing tool, Ulysses has the most to offer of all apps featured here. However, you might not need everything Ulysses offers, so a free option might suit you just as well. Ulysses uses a subscription model with a 14-day free trial, then $5 per month. You can also get Ulysses as part of the Mac app subscription service Setapp.

Download: Ulysses (Free trial, $5 monthly/$40 yearly)

6. Marked 2

Marked 2 isn’t actually an editor, but a Markdown preview tool. That means you won’t use Marked to create documents, but it can turn just about any other text editor into a Markdown editor. The preview the app generates updates every time you save your file, or you can use it as a proofreading tool for files you’ve already created.

The app includes a wide array of processing and rendering options for getting the look you want. You can customize Marked with your own CSS to match your blog, so you know how your articles will look as you write them. You can also use the built-in readability, spellcheck, and link validation tools to make sure your work is up to scratch.

Marked also includes a table of contents panel for working with especially long documents, generated using your headings. The app is compliant with Markdown, GitHub Flavored Markdown, and even includes support for custom processors so coders can use the app with their own syntax.

Export options are extensive, with support for nine built-in themes (with the option of adding your own). Formats include PDF, RTF, Microsoft Word, and OpenOffice. You can try Marked for free before you buy, then pay $14 for the full version. It’s also available on Setapp.

Download: Marked 2 (Free trial, $14)

Don’t Forget Your Favorite Mac Text Editors

You don’t need a fancy Markdown editor to work with Markdown. A plain text editor works too. Your favorite editor will do, whether it’s Sublime Text, Visual Studio Code, or Vim. Check out our favorite plaintext editors for Mac if you’re looking for inspiration.

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