4 Things to Do Immediately When Your Facebook Account Is Hacked

Facebook recently experienced its biggest security and data breach ever. Do you think your Facebook account has been hacked? If so, act wisely!

A stranger could have access to your private messages, contact your friends, abuse your Facebook page, and delete your personal information. They could also lock you out of your Facebook account forever. While you can’t get stolen information back, you can prevent them from stealing your account.

The most important thing now is to not panic. If you did some things right, you can regain access to your Facebook account. We’ll show you how.

Note: If you’re using Facebook to log into other applications, like Spotify or Instagram, those may be affected by the 2018 data breach. So even if you don’t care about your Facebook account, we strongly recommend changing the respective logins or tightening your Facebook security to secure these third-party accounts.

How to Know If Your Facebook Account Was Hacked

So how do you know your Facebook account was hacked if nothing obvious has changed yet? If a Facebook hacker managed to get into your account, they will leave a trace.

Log into your Facebook account and click the arrowhead in the top right to expand a menu. From the menu, pick Settings and go to Security and Login or just use this direct link.

At the very top, you’ll see a list of devices from which you’ve most recently logged into your Facebook account and when they were active.

Click See More to expand that list and review older sessions. If you spot any suspicious activity in your logins, here’s what you need to do, in the following order…

1a. Change Your Facebook Password

In case your Facebook hacker hasn’t changed your password, you got lucky! This is the time to update your password before you log out suspicious sessions (you don’t want to alert the hacker). If it’s too late, head to step 1b.

Under Settings > Security and Login, scroll down to Login and click Change password. Enter your current password, set a strong new password (possibly using a password manager like LastPass), and click Save Changes.

After changing your password, scroll back up to Where You’re Logged In. Either Log Out of individual sessions by clicking the three vertical dots or click the Log Out Of All Sessions option in the bottom right after expanding the list. Do this only if you’re sure you can log back in.

We recommend logging out completely, provided your contact details and security settings are up to date. You don’t want to jeopardize your means of logging back in. If you’re unsure, manually log out all recent sessions that seem suspicious.

From here, proceed to Step 3 if you think that your account was abused.

1b. Reset Your Facebook Password

If the hacker did change your password and you can no longer log into your Facebook account, act quickly. Try to regain access. There is a Forgot your password? link underneath the Facebook login:

This will let you retrieve your password in several different ways. First, you’ll have to Find Your Account. You can either enter the email address you used to register with Facebook or any other secondary email address you added, as well as your phone number.

If Facebook can find your account, you can choose how to Reset Your Password.

In my case, Facebook offers to send a recovery code to any of the email addresses I added to my account. I highly recommend that you specify multiple backup email addresses. Remember that you must keep those accounts equally secure, at least by using a strong password and ideally by enabling two-factor authentication.

Use the No longer have access to these? link if that’s the case. Facebook will ask how they can reach you to verify your identity. This can take a while.

If you believe that the Facebook hacker who has access to your account has been abusing it, proceed to step 2.

2. Report the Facebook Hack

If your account wasn’t simply hacked, but is sending out ads and spam to your friends, you must report it as compromised.

You can also use this in case you lost access to your account by means of a hacking attack. Facebook will help you recover access to your account.

3. Remove Suspicious Applications

Oftentimes, it’s not an evil person that randomly hacked your account. You may just have granted access to a malicious Facebook application which subsequently hijacked your account.

To remove suspicious applications, go to Settings > Apps and Websites and go through the list. Click Show All on all Active Apps and Websites, set a checkmark on apps or websites you’d like to remove, click the Remove button in the top right, and confirm whether you’d also like to “delete all posts, photos and videos on Facebook” from these sources.

Alternatively, click the View and Edit link and change the app’s permissions, which includes options like app visibility, access to your personal information, and actions it can take.

4. Engage Damage Control

After doing everything you can to regain control over your hacked Facebook account and preventing further damage, inform your friends about what is going on.

This is a precautionary step in case the hacker has been abusing your account. If you presently can’t access your account, contact your Facebook friends through other social networks, by email, or have a mutual friend inform them via Facebook.

Improving Facebook’s Privacy and Security Settings

Once you’re back in control, we highly recommend that you review your Facebook settings.

• Under Settings > General, update your contact details, add additional email addresses or mobile phone numbers you have access to. Likewise, remove those you no longer have access to.
• Head to Settings > Security and Login to set up extra security measures, including alerts about unrecognized logins, two-factor authentication, and choose three to five trusted friends who can help you to recover your account should you get locked out.
• Under Settings > Privacy, choose the privacy settings you’re comfortable with. We recommend letting only friends see your future posts and retroactively limiting visibility of past posts.

Our previous article on how to secure your Facebook account takes you through all these steps and more. Note that the single most important security feature you can enable on any of your accounts is two-factor authentication. We strongly recommend that you lock down all social accounts that offer this feature.

How Do You Keep Your Facebook Account Safe?

Once you get hacked, you’re forced to learn about all the mistakes you made. And hopefully, you’ll never make them again. This is the time to learn about social engineering attacks and how to protect yourself against them. Hackers never stop evolving.

Read the full article: 4 Things to Do Immediately When Your Facebook Account Is Hacked

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Google+ to shut down after coverup of data breach

Google is about to have its Cambridge Analytica moment. A security bug allowed third-party developers to access Google+ user profile data since 2015 until Google discovered it in March, but decided not to inform users. When a user gave permission to an app to access their public profile data, the bug also let those developers pull they and their friends’ data non-public profile fields. 496,951 users’ full names, email addresses, birth dates, gender, profile photos, places lived, occupation and relationship status were potentially exposed, though Google says it has no evidence the data was misused by the 438 apps that potentially had access..

The company decided against informing the public because it would lead to “us coming into the spotlight alongside or even instead of Facebook despite having stayed under the radar throughout the Cambridge Analytica scandal” according to an internal memo. Now Google+, which was already a ghost town largely abandoned or never inhabited by users, has become a massive liability for the company.

The news comes from a damning Wall Street Journal report that said Google is expected to announce a slew of privacy reforms today in response to the breach. Google made that announcement about the findings of its Project Strobe security audit minutes after the WSJ report was published. The changes include stopping most third-party developers from accessing Android phone SMS data, call logs, and some contact info. Gmail will restrict building add-ons to a small number of developers. Google+ will cease all its consumer services while winding down over the next 10-months with an opportunity for users to export their data while Google refocuses on making G+ an enterprise product.

Embarrasingly, Google’s admits that “This review crystallized what we’ve known for a while: that while our engineering teams have put a lot of effort and dedication into building Google+ over the years, it has not achieved broad consumer or developer adoption, and has seen limited user interaction with apps. The consumer version of Google+ currently has low usage and engagement: 90 percent of Google+ user sessions are less than five seconds.” For more on G+’s demise, read our 2014 take on the beginning of the end.

Since the bug and subquent security hole started in 2015 and was discovered in March before Europe’s GDPR went into effect in May, Google will likely be spared a 2 percent of global annual revenue fine for failing to disclose the issue within 72 hours. The company could still face class-action lawsuits and public backlash. On the bright side, G+ posts and messages, Google account data and phone numbers, and G Suite enterprise content wasn’t exposed.

The fiasco could thrust Google into the same churning sea of scrutiny currently drowning Facebook, just as the company feared. Google has managed to float above much of the criticism leveled at Facebook and Twitter, in part by claiming it’s not really a social network. But now its failed Facebook knock-off from seven years ago could drag down the search giant and see it endure increasingly calls for testimony before congress and regulation.

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Google+ to shut down after coverup of data breach

Google is about to have its Cambridge Analytica moment. A security bug allowed third-party developers to access Google+ user profile data since 2015 until Google discovered it in March, but decided not to inform users. When a user gave permission to an app to access their public profile data, the bug also let those developers pull they and their friends’ data non-public profile fields. 496,951 users’ full names, email addresses, birth dates, gender, profile photos, places lived, occupation and relationship status were potentially exposed, though Google says it has no evidence the data was misused by the 438 apps that potentially had access..

The company decided against informing the public because it would lead to “us coming into the spotlight alongside or even instead of Facebook despite having stayed under the radar throughout the Cambridge Analytica scandal” according to an internal memo. Now Google+, which was already a ghost town largely abandoned or never inhabited by users, has become a massive liability for the company.

The news comes from a damning Wall Street Journal report that says Google is expected to announce a slew of privacy reforms today in response to the breach. That includes stopping most third-party developers from accessing Android phone SMS data, call logs, and some contact info. Gmail will restrict building add-ons to a small number of developers. and Google+ will cease all its consumer services. We’ve reached out to Google for comment.

Since the bug and subquent security hole started in 2015 and was discovered in March before Europe’s GDPR went into effect in May, Google will likely be spared a 2 percent of global annual revenue fine for failing to disclose the issue within 72 hours. The company could still face class-action lawsuits and public backlash.

The fiasco could thrust Google into the same churning sea of scrutiny currently drowning Facebook, just as the company feared. Google has managed to float above much of the criticism leveled at Facebook and Twitter, in part by claiming it’s not really a social network. But now its failed Facebook knock-off from seven years ago could drag down the search giant and see it endure increasingly calls for testimony before congress and regulation.

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The 6 Best Raspberry Pi Smart Mirror Projects You Can Make

How to Set Live Wallpapers & Animated Desktop Backgrounds in Windows 10

It used to be pretty simple setting animated backgrounds on a Windows desktop. With Windows 10, it isn’t so simple anymore—but it’s still possible. Want to liven up your Windows 10 desktop with some animated backgrounds? Here’s what you need to do.

The Pros and Cons of Animated Wallpapers

If you’ve used live wallpaper on a smart TV, phone, or tablet, you’ll know the impact it can have. Instead of a bland photo of some distant location you’ve never visited, it suddenly looks more interesting. Your smartphone gives you something that moves—perhaps heavenly bodies in slow motion, or fish swimming.

They’re not for everyone, but animated backgrounds are undeniably visually rich.

However, they can also prove a bit of a problem. While your desktop PC might not be affected, live wallpapers can prove to be a headache on battery powered devices. Looking for good performance from your smartphone battery? Don’t use a smart wallpaper.

The same goes for Windows 10 laptops and tablets. Constant animation of the background is a noticeable drain on the power cell, leading to reduced performance and battery life. As such, when it comes to Windows, animated live backgrounds or wallpapers are best used on a desktop computer with a constant power supply.

In this article, we’ll show you how to set up a live wallpaper on Windows 10.

You have three main ways to get live wallpapers and animated backgrounds on Windows 10. Each of these options lets you add your own backgrounds or those made by others.

1. Wallpaper Engine
2. Stardock DeskScapes
3. PUSH Video Wallpaper

Let’s look at each of these options in turn.

1. Wallpaper Engine for Windows 10

Personalization options in Windows 10 have been reduced compared to some earlier versions. Beyond themes and backgrounds that sync to your Microsoft account, the desktop options have been greatly reduced.

So, what can you do? Well, it’s worth starting off with Wallpaper Engine on Steam. Available for under $5, this tool lets you create your own animated wallpapers, and even import those made by others. It features support for popular aspect ratios and native resolutions, while moving desktop backgrounds can be made from static images, websites, and video files alike. Supported video files include MP4, WebM, AVI, M4V, MOV, and WMV.

The options with this tool are considerable, and using it is simple. Once launched, you simply select from a predetermined group of live desktop backgrounds, or import your own. Various elements can be edited using the settings dialog, which is found in the system tray.

While Wallpaper Engine runs better under a dedicated graphics card (GPU), this isn’t necessary. It can be configured to run on low resource devices if needed, although the best results will be on a powerful desktop PC.

Download: Wallpaper Engine ($5)

2. Stardock DeskScapes 8 for Windows 10

Another option for Windows 10 users is Stardock DeskScapes. This solution is available for just $7.99, which also comes with a 30-day trial.

Following installation (be sure not to install extra software), click Start 30-day trial and enter an email address to proceed. You’ll then need to validate the 30-day license by clicking an email link.

With this done, switch back to the app and choose from seven video backgrounds and many stunning, static images. Often these images can be adjusted using the DeskScapes settings; Color, Effects, and Adjust will let you tweak them. Video background options are listed under Settings.

When you’re happy with the results, hit Apply to my desktop. You can also use DeskScapes 8 images and videos as screensavers. If you’re looking for further Windows desktop customizations, meanwhile, Stardock DeskScapes also has the Object Desktop variant for $29.99. This includes a number of tools, including the popular Windows Start menu replacement, Start10.

Download: Stardock DeskScapes 8 for Windows 10 ($7.99, 30-day free trial available)

3. PUSH Video Wallpaper for Windows 10

Your third option is PUSH Video Wallpaper, again a paid solution with a free trial. This is arguably the easiest of these tools to use. A demo video is displayed on a loop upon launch.

The PUSH Video Wallpaper interface can be opened from the system tray. Here, you’ll find add a single video on a loop or create a playlist of videos. These will play in the specified order, and the volume for the clips can also be adjusted.

Unlike Stardock DeskScapes 8, the PUSH Video Wallpaper lets you run feature-length videos as your desktop background. Alternatively, you can just playback a subtle, looped clip. Whatever your preferred type of live wallpaper, if you have a suitable clip, this app will run it.

Download: PUSH Video Wallpaper ($9.99, free trial available)

Make Your Own Windows 10 Video Wallpaper

That’s three good tools for creating live desktop backgrounds for your Windows 10 desktop. Better still, some of them will even work on Windows 7 and Windows 8. And if you’d prefer to use a GIF image, you can even set GIFs as wallpapers in Windows 10.

Meanwhile, if you’re struggling with the idea of paying for a feature that was previously free, you can make your own motion wallpapers for Windows with tools such as VLC and Desktop Movie.

Read the full article: How to Set Live Wallpapers & Animated Desktop Backgrounds in Windows 10

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25 Snapchat Accounts You Need to Follow Right Now

It’s not easy to find good Snapchat accounts to follow. To get the most out of the app, you need to make sure you’re interacting with the right people. If you don’t, you’re setting yourself up for an underwhelming experience.

If you’re looking for some of the best Snapchat accounts, keep reading. It doesn’t matter whether you want to find cool people to follow on Snapchat, funny people to follow on Snapchat, or just genuinely interesting people, we’ve got you covered.

In this article we list the hottest Snapchat accounts you should consider following right now.

1. Gil Ozeri (gilozerisnap)

Gil Ozeri is one of the funniest people to follow on Snapchat. The writer and actor is best known for his involvement in Happy Endings and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

2. Jacob Soboroff (jacobsoboroff)

Jacob Soboroff is a correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC. He specializes in reporting from the U.S./Mexico border. He was one of the first journalists in the world to report on America’s controversial family separation policy.

3. Sallia Goldstein (salliasnap)

Sallia Goldstein is an engineer by day, but her Snapchat is entirely devoted to science. She even hosts a show every Monday where she conducts weird and wacky experiments.

4. Dr. Sandra Lee (drpimplepopper)

Sandra Lee’s Snapchat username is Dr. Pimple Popper. Which should tell you everything you need to know. The professional dermatologist’s account offers a mix of educational content and somewhat disgusting “squeezing” videos. We’ll say no more.

5. Kim Kardashian (kimkardashian)

Sorry, but we had to mention her. Kim Kardashian wasn’t one of Snapchat’s early adopters; her fans were begging her to sign up by the time she eventually joined the service. If you want a glimpse into the life of the queen of reality TV, give Kim a follow.

6. Doug (itsdougthepug)

Doug is a dog. A pug to be precise. His Snapchat account follows his daily life as he munches through ice cream, goes for walks in fancy dress, and gets up to general canine hijinks. It’s better than it sounds, honestly.

7. Sophia Amoruso (sophiaamoruso)

Sophia Amoruso founded the successful fashion brand, Nasty Gal. As you’d expect for a fashionista, her Snapchat is full of clothes, selfies, beauty tips, and other style-themed content.

8. Cassey Ho (blogilates)

Cassey Ho is responsible for the YouTube channel, Blogilates. 4.5 million people have subscribed to see her unique mix of Pilates, yoga, and body sculpting. Her Snapchat offers plenty of quick fitness tips.

9. Taco Bell (tacobell)

Taco Bell is one of the few brands that seems to know how to “do” social media. Its Snapchat videos are irreverent, funny, and likely to make you hungry.

10. Lolo Jones (lolojones)

Our first sports star on the list might not be a household name, but she’s one of a very small group of athletes who has competed in both the summer (2008) and winter (2014) Olympics (in hurdles and bobsleigh, respectively). That’s got to be worth a follow, right?

11. Kevin Hart (kevinhart4real)

Kevin Hart is very much a household name. The comedian has featured in funny movies, released comedy albums, and performed an endless number of stand-up routines for TV.

Note: If you enjoy comedies, check out our list of the funniest movies on Netflix.

12. The New Yorker (thenewyorkermag)

The New Yorker is one of the best magazines in the world if you want commentaries on popular culture combined with rigorous fact-checking.

13. Laverne Cox (lavernecox1)

Laverne Cox is an actress and LGBTQ activist. She’s broken down a countless number of barriers, even becoming the first transgender person to be nominated for an Emmy. Her Snapchat is funny, revealing, and above all, inspiring.

14. Kiersten Rich (theblondeabroad)

If travel is your thing, you probably already know about Kiersten Rich. She runs the popular Blonde Abroad blog. Follow her on Snapchat for a never-ending feed of jealousy-inducing adventures.

15. Justin Kan (justinkan)

Justin is a partner at start-up incubator and accelerator, Y Combinator. He’s a must-follow for any budding entrepreneurs, not least for his weekly Q&A session that anyone can get involved with.

16. Jabin Botsford (jabinbotsford)

Jabin Botsford is a photojournalist for The Washington Post. If you want genuinely jaw-dropping images from behind the scenes of the biggest news stories of the day, Jabin is your man.

17. John Stanmeyer (stanmeyer)

A second photographer worth checking out is John Stanmeyer. He works for National Geographic, so you can expect lots of content featuring wild animals, stunning scenery, and human interest stories.

18. NASA (nasa)

You know what you’re going to get with NASA. The space agency’s Snapchat is a mix of impressive video footage, educational content, and breaking news.

19. Paris Hilton (realparishilton)

Again, we’re sorry. The heiress to the Hilton empire might not offer the most intellectually stimulating content, but if you’re into the whole celebrity lifestyle thing, Ms. Hilton is one of the best people to follow on Snapchat.

20. Serena Williams (serenaunmatched)

The most successful female tennis player of all time offers a fascinating insight into what life is like on tour. There are also plenty of fitness tips and workouts.

21. The White House (whitehouse)

Want a sneak look at what’s really going on in the current administration? The White House’s official Snapchat account aims to deliver. It’s engaging, though probably not as entertaining as Donald Trump’s personal Twitter feed.

22. Amazon (amazon)

Forget Black Friday, Prime Day, and Cyber Monday—if you want to find the best Amazon deals, you should follow the company’s official Snapchat. You’ll find the deals listed in Amazon’s daily Snapchat stories, with the discount codes doled out on a first come, first served basis.

23. Gary Vaynerchuk (garyvee)

Do you aspire to make it big in the business world? Gary Vaynerchuk’s Snapchat provides an insight into the commitment and dedication it requires. Fair warning, he puts in a tremendous number of hours. Not everyone will be able to keep up.

24. The New York Times (thenytimes)

The New York Times doesn’t take itself too seriously on Snapchat, and that gives rise to engaging and varied content. You’ll find everything from breaking news to confused staff members trying to figure out the platform.

25. DJ Khaled (djkhaled305)

We end with a nod to the king of Snapchat. DJ Khaled is a great follow even if you have no interest in his music. His witty one-liners, clever use of emojis, and ability to turn the mundane into the hilarious have seen him rack up millions of fans.

Even More Snapchat Accounts

Instagram might be openly pilfering Snapchat’s best features (the differences between Snapchat stories and Instagram stories are becoming less noticeable by the day), but Snapchat remains hugely popular among its existing userbase. The most recent data suggest the service has almost 200 million active users, so you should be able to find some great people to follow.

If you’re scratching your head and haven’t got a clue where to begin, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. Check out our articles exploring Snapchat streak tips and the surprising things all Snapchat users should know to learn more.

Read the full article: 25 Snapchat Accounts You Need to Follow Right Now

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Google Slides gets real-time automated captions

Google is adding an interesting new feature to its Slides presentation tool today that allows you to enable real-time automated captions to your live presentations. That’s a great feature for those who are hard of hearing or deaf, as well as those who understand better when they can read instead of listen.

The new feature comes from the same accessibility team that previously introduced improved screen readers, Braille and screen magnifier support to Google Docs, Sheets and Slides. The automated captioning project started at an internal hackathon and is now rolling out to all Slides users who use U.S. English as their default language and Chrome as their browser. Over time, Google plans to enable this feature for other languages, too.

To turn this feature on, you simply press the new ‘CC’ button on the Slides navigation box and then use your computer’s microphone like always.

While this is mostly an accessibility feature, it’s also a nice way of creating a written transcript of a presentation that can then be used for other purposes after the presentation is over.

It’s worth noting that Microsoft recently introduced similar caption/transcription support for live meetings in its Teams product. Both Google, AWS and Microsoft offer their speech-to-text technology as APIs for developers, too, and a number of developers are now starting to build similar features into their applications based on these services.

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What Are RFID-Blocking Wallets? (And Which Should You Buy?)

With Chrome 70, hundreds of popular websites are about to break

A lot of secure sites are set to grind to a halt with security error messages in the next version of Google Chrome, after the browser will drop trust for a major HTTPS certificate provider following a series of security incidents.

Chrome 70 is expected to be released on or around October 16, when the browser will start blocking sites that run older Symantec certificates issued before June 2016, including legacy branded Thawte, VeriSign, Equifax, GeoTrust and RapidSSL certificates.

Yet despite more than a year to prepare, many popular sites are not ready.

Security researcher Scott Helme found 1,139 sites in the top one million sites ranked by Alexa, including Citrus, SSRN, the Federal Bank of India, Pantone, the Tel-Aviv city government, Squatty Potty and Penn State Federal to name just a few.

Ferrari, One Identity and Solidworks were named on the list but recently switched to new certificates, escaping any future outages.

You can check any website by pulling up the console in Chrome on any website. (Image: TechCrunch)

HTTPS certificates encrypt the data between your computer and the website or app you’re using, making it near-impossible for anyone — even on your public Wi-Fi hotspot — to intercept your data. Not only that, HTTPS certificates prove the integrity of the the site you’re visiting by ensuring the pages haven’t been modified in some way by an attacker.

Most websites obtain their HTTPS certificates from a certificate authority, which abide by certain rules and procedures that over time become trusted by web browsers.

If you screw that up and lose their trust, the browsers can pull the plug on all of the certificates from that authority.

That’s exactly why Google called it quits on Symantec certificates last year. The search giant, and others, accused Symantec of issuing misleading and wrong certificates — and later, it was discovered that Symantec allowed non-trusted organizations to issue certificates without the required rigorous oversight. That has forced thousands of sites to trash their paid-for certificates and replace them with new ones to prevent their site from flagging up with error messages once the Chrome 70 deadline hits.

But, just as much as browsers can lose trust in a certificate authority, it can also gain the trust of new ones.

Let’s Encrypt, a provider of free HTTPS certificates, gained trust from all the major browser makers — including Apple, Google, Microsoft and Mozilla — earlier this year. To date, the non-profit has issued more than 380 million certificates.

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Facebook launches Portal auto-zooming video chat screens for $199/$349

Facebook’s first hardware product combines Alexa (and eventually Google Assistant) with a countertop video chat screen that zooms to always keep you in frame. Yet the fancy gadget’s success depends not on functionality, but whether people are willing to put a Facebook camera and microphone in their home even with a physical clip-on privacy shield.

Today Facebook launches pre-sales of the $199 10-inch screen Portal, and $349 15.6-inch swiveling screen with hi-fi audio Portal+, minus $100 if you buy any two. They’ve got “Hey Portal” voice navigation, Facebook Messenger for video calls with family, Spotify and Pandora for Bluetooth and voice-activated music, Facebook Watch and soon more video content providers, augmented reality Story Time for kids, a third-party app platform, and it becomes a smart photo/video frame when idle.

Knowing buyers might be creeped out, Facebook’s VP of Portal Rafa Camargo tells me “We had to build all the stacks — hardware, software, and AI from scratch — and it allowed us to build privacy into each one of these layers”. There’s no facial recognition and instead just a technology called 2D pose that runs locally on the device to track your position so the camera can follow you if you move around. A separate chip for local detection only activates Portal when it hears its wake word, it doesn’t save recordings, and the data connection is encrypted. And with a tap you can electronically disable the camera and mic, or slide the plastic privacy shield over the lens to blind it while keeping voice controls active.

As you can see from our hands-on video demo here, Facebook packs features into high-quality hardware, especially in the beautiful Portal+ which has a screen you can pull from landscape to portrait orientation and impressive-sounding 4-inch woofer. The standard Portal looks and sounds a bit stumpy by comparison. The Smart Camera smoothly zooms in and out for hands-free use, though their are plenty of times that video chatting from your mobile phone will be easier. The lack of YouTube and Netflix is annoying, but Facebook promises there are more video partners to come.

The $199 Portal comes in $20 cheaper than the less functional Amazon Echo Show (read our gadget reviewer Brian Heater’s take on Portal below), and will also have to compete with Lenovo and Google’s upcoming version that might have the benefit of YouTube. Portal and the $39 Portal+ go on sale today on Portal.Facebook.com, Amazon, and Best Buy in both black and white base colors. They ship in November when they’ll also appear in physical Amazon Books and Best Buy stores.

Facebook tries its hand at hardware with Portal

 

Hands-On With Portal

Deep inside Facebook’s Menlo Park headquarters, the secretive Building 8 lab began work on Portal 18 months ago. The goal was to reimagine video chat not as a utilitarian communication tool, but for “the feeling of being in the same room even if you’re thousands of miles apart” Facebook Portal’s marketing lead Dave Kaufman tells me. Clearly drinking the social network’s kool-aid, he says that “it’s clear that Facebook has done a good job when you’re talking about the breadth of human connection, but we’re focusing on the depth of connection.”

The saddening motive? 93% of the face-to-face time we spend with our parents is done by the time we finish high-school, writes Wait but Why’s Tim Urban. “It felt like punch in the gut to people working at Facebook” says Kaufman. So the team built Portal to be simple enough for young children and grandparents to use, even if they’re too young or old to spend much time on smartphones.

Before you even wake up Portal, it runs a slideshow of your favorite Facebook photos and videos, plus shows birthday reminders and notifications. From the homescreen you’ll get suggested and favorite Messenger contacts you can tap to call, or you can just say “Hey Portal, call Josh.” Built atop the Android Open Source framework, Facebook designed a whole new UI for Portal for both touch and voice.

Portal uses your existing social graph instead of needing to import phone numbers or re-establish connections with friends. You can group video chat with up to seven friends, use augmented reality effects to hide your face or keep children entertained, and transfer calls to and from your phone. 400 million Facebookers use Messenger video chat monthly, racking up 17 billion calls in 2017, inspiring Facebook to build Portal around the feature. Kaufman says the ability to call phone numbers is in the roadmap, which could make Portal more tolerant of people who don’t live on Messenger.

Once a video call starts, the 140-degree, 12-megapixel Smart Lens snaps into action, automatically zooming and recentering so your face stays on camera even if you’re bustling around the kitchen or playing with the kids. If a second person comes into view, Portal will widen the frame so you’re both visible. Tap on a person’s face, and Portal Spotlight crops in tight around just them. Unfortunately it can’t track pets, but that got so many requests from testers that Facebook wants to add it in.

Portal’s most adorable feature is called Story Time. It turns public domain children’s books into augmented reality experiences that illustrate the action and turn you into the characters. You’ll see the three little pigs pop up on your screen, and an AR mask lets you become the big bad wolf when you might impersonate his voice. Kids and grandparents won’t always have much to talk about, and toddlers aren’t great conversation partners, so this could extend Portal calls beyond a quick hello.

Beyond chat, Facebook has built a grip of third-party experiences into Portal. You can use Alexa to summon Spotify, Pandora, or IHeartRadio, and even opt to have songs play simultaneously on you and someone else’s Portal for a distant dance party. Portal+ in portrait mode makes a great playlist display with artwork and easy song skipping. The Food Network and Newsy apps let you watch short videos so you follow recipes or catch up on the world as you do your housework. And while you can’t actually browse the News Feed, Facebook Watch pulls in original premium video as well as some viral pap to keep you occupied.

Overall, Portal could replace your favorite Alexa device and add seamless video chatting without building a new social graph thanks to Messenger if you’re willing to pay the price. That’s both in terms of the higher cost, but also the ‘brand tax’ of welcoming the data-gobbling giant with a history of privacy stumbles into your home.

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How to Add the Developer Tab to the Ribbon in Microsoft Word and Excel

The Developer tab in Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel provides access to several advanced features, like form controls, macros, and add-ins. Microsoft hides the Developer tab by default. But you can easily enable the tab on the Word ribbon and the Excel ribbon. So let’s first see how to add the Developer tab to the Ribbon.

Then we’ll show you some practical uses of the Developer tab and how you can use them to create more customized Microsoft Office documents.

Add the Developer Tab to the Ribbon in Microsoft Office Applications

The steps for adding the Developer tab to the Microsoft Word ribbon and the Microsoft Excel ribbon are the same. We show Microsoft Word here, but you can follow the same steps for Microsoft Excel.

Go to File > Options. Click Customize Ribbon in the left pane.

Or right-click on the ribbon and select Customize the Ribbon.

Make sure Main Tabs is selected in the Customize the Ribbon dropdown list on the right.

Then, check the Developer box in the list.

Click OK to save your change.

What Can You Do With the Developer Tab in Microsoft Office Applications?

You can use the Developer tab in Microsoft Office to do things like create a fillable form in Word, create and record macros to automate repetitive tasks, and protect a document from being edited.

Create a Fillable Form Using the Microsoft Word Developer Tab

You can use Microsoft Word to create forms users can fill out on their computer. No paper needed. Maybe you want to get feedback about a meeting at your workplace. Or you might want to find out what kind of food people want at an event you’re hosting.

Use the Controls section on the Developer tab in Word to add dropdown lists, check boxes, text boxes, and even building blocks.

Create and Record Macros Using the Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel Developer Tab

Macros in Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel provide an easy way to automate repetitive tasks, saving yourself time. Use the Code section on the Developer tab to record a macro in Word or Excel or write custom macros using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA).

For example, you can use a macro to send emails from Excel or to integrate Excel data into a Word document.

Manage Add-Ins Using the Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel Developer Tab

Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel are both feature-rich programs, but you can add even more features and commands using add-ins.

The buttons in the Add-ins section on the Developer tab allow you to find and install new add-ins and manage your add-ins.

Restrict Editing in a Document Using the Microsoft Word Developer Tab

The Protect section of the Developer tab in Microsoft Word allows you to restrict editing in Word documents.

When you collaborate on documents, you may want to prevent others from making any changes to the document except for adding comments. You can also allow others to only change certain parts of the document.

The Block Authors button is only available when your document is saved in a shared workspace like Microsoft SharePoint.

Work With Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) Code Using the Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel Developer Tab

Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is a programming language in Microsoft Office programs that allows you to do advanced tasks. For example, you can create macros and advanced forms, display a message box, and respond to an action in a document.

You can learn the basics of programming with VBA and add your VBA macros to a custom toolbar on the Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Word Ribbon.

Work With XML Using the Microsoft Excel Developer Tab

Extensible Markup Language, or XML, is a markup language that allows you to encode documents in a format readable by machines, but also by humans. XML is a universal format used to create structured documents, especially for the web.

XML is like HTML, but you can create your own customized tags, data structures, and schemas. The file format for Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel files is XML.

The XML section on the Developer tab in Microsoft Excel allows you to import XML data from other applications. And you can export data from Excel to other applications.

For more information about what you can do with XML in Excel, see Microsoft’s page, Overview of XML in Excel.

Customizing Microsoft Office Ribbon Tabs Further

You can also customize the ribbon in Microsoft Office programs by adding commands to existing tabs, adding new tabs, and rearranging tabs and groups on tabs. So if you use the Developer tab often, you can move it to a more convenient position on the ribbon.

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UK High Court blocks compensation suit against Google’s ‘Safari workaround’

An attempt to bring a class-action style litigation in the UK to claim up to £3BN in compensation from Google for ignoring iPhone user privacy settings has been blocked after the High Court judge ruled the case cannot proceed.

The case pertains to actions by Google between 2011 and 2012 when it allegedly harvested personal data from Safari users without their permission, via the use of tracking cookies.

In the US, Google settled with the FTC over the same cookie tracking issuing — agreeing in 2012 to pay $22.5M to settle the charge that it bypassed Safari’s privacy settings to serve targeted ads to consumers.

In the UK a civil legal action was filed last year by one named iPhone user, Richard Lloyd — the former director of consumer group, Which? — who was seeking to represent millions of UK users, whose Safari settings the complaint alleged were similarly ignored by Google’s tracking technologies, via a representative legal action.

Lawyers for the claimants argued that sensitive personal data such as iPhone users’ political affiliation, sexual orientation, financial situation and more had been gathered by Google via a ‘Safari Workaround’ that operated between August 2011 and February 2012, and used for targeted advertising without their consent.

The suit sought compensation for Google’s improper use of people’s data — with a proposed amount of £750 per claimant, which could have resulted in a bill of up to £3BN for the company (based on representing ~4.4 million UK iPhone users).

While the judge did not disagree “it is arguable that Google’s alleged role in the collection, collation, and use of data obtained via the Safari Workaround was wrongful, and a breach of duty”, the ruling was based on legal questions related to the merit of the case’s compensation claims, and whether the court should allow a representative action in this case.

In a judgement issued today Mr Justice Warby ruled that the claimants had not been able to demonstrate a basis for bringing a compensation claim.

UK law in this area requires claimants to be able to demonstrate they suffered damage as a result of violation of the relevant data protection rules. And in this instance the claimants had not been able to show damage, the judge ruled.

“I do not believe that the authorities show that a person whose information has been acquired or used without consent invariably suffers compensatable harm, either by virtue of the wrong itself, or the interference with autonomy that it involves. Not everything that happens to a person without their prior consent causes significant or any distress. Not all such events are even objectionable, or unwelcome. Some people enjoy a surprise party,” wrote Warby in the judgement, going on to state that “the question of whether or not damage has been sustained by an individual as a result of the non-consensual use of personal data about them must depend on the facts of the case”.

“The bare facts pleaded in this case, which are in no way individualised, do not in my judgment assert any case of harm to the value of any claimant’s right of autonomy that amounts to “damage” within the meaning of DPA s 13,” he concluded.

On a second legal point, the judge also ruled that the case would not have been allowed to proceed as a class-action style suit, asserting that “the essential requirements for a representative action are absent” — owing to individuals in the group not all having the “same interest” in the claim, and the difficulty of reliably defining a class for the purposes of this case.

In a statement after the ruling was announced, Google said: “The privacy and security of our users is extremely important to us. This claim is without merit, and we’re pleased the Court has dismissed it.”

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How to Open the Local Group Policy Editor in Windows 10

Wondering how to open the local Group Policy Editor in Windows? You’ve come to the right place. If you’re looking to configure Group Policy on your PC, either to take advantage of cool GP tricks or lock down your computer, you’ll need to use this utility.

Let’s take a look at the several ways you can open the Group Policy Editor, and what to do once you’re inside.

What Is the Local Group Policy Editor?

In case you’re not familiar with Group Policy, we’ll offer a brief summary here. See our overview of Group Policy for more information.

Group Policy is a utility for IT administrators to control a group of Windows computers on a domain. It allows them to disable parts of Windows, enforce certain policies, and automate repetitive tasks like mapping printers.

The local Group Policy Editor allows you to make changes to Group Policy on your own machine only. On a Windows domain, you need the Windows Group Policy Management Console, typically installed on a server, to apply these changes network-wide.

You must have a Pro (or better) edition of Windows to use the Group Policy Editor and be logged in as an administrator on your PC. We’ve shown a workaround to access Group Policy in Windows Home, however.

How to Open the Local Group Policy Editor

As it turns out, you actually have several ways to open a local Group Policy Editor window. They all achieve the same result, but we’ll cover them for the sake of completion.

1. Using the Start Menu

The most convenient way to open a Group Policy Editor window on modern versions of Windows is by searching for the command on the Start Menu.

Click the Start Button or press the Windows key on your keyboard to open it, then enter gpedit.msc. You should see this entry appear; press Enter to launch it straightaway.

2. Via the Run Dialog

The Run dialog is a Windows relic. It allows you to open a file, program, website, or anything else that you know the path to on your computer. It’s largely superseded by the souped-up Start menu search nowadays, but it’s still handy to have around.

Open a Run dialog with the Windows + R shortcut, then enter the same command as above: gpedit.msc. Press Enter, and you’re into the Group Policy Editor.

3. Through the Command Prompt/PowerShell

Finally, you can launch the Group Policy Editor through a Command Prompt or PowerShell window, if you want to.

The easiest way to open one of these is right-clicking on the Start button or pressing Windows + X to open the Power User menu. Depending on a particular setting, you’ll see either Windows PowerShell or Command Prompt around the middle of the list.

Open either one of these (they’re essentially identical for this purpose) and enter the same command: gpedit.msc. You’ll get the same local Group Policy Editor window.

Using the Group Policy Editor

Now that you know how to access it, let’s take a look at how to navigate around the Group Policy editor.

On the left side, you’ll find everything in Group Policy falls into one of two categories: Computer Configuration and User Configuration.

As it sounds, Computer Configuration contains settings that affect the entire system, while User Configuration is only for a specific user. In each one, you’ll see three branches: Software Settings, Windows Settings, and Administrative Templates. Since Software Settings is blank on a fresh system, we’ll skip that one.

Computer Configuration > Windows Settings

Under Scripts (Startup/Shutdown) you can add scripts (from PowerShell or otherwise) that run when the computer boots up or shuts down. The Deployed Printers tab lets you map printers for the computer.

Through Security Settings > Account Policies > Password Policy, you can set a minimum password length, enforce complexity, and force users to change their passwords regularly. Use the Account Lockout Policy section to block user accounts if they enter an incorrect password too many times.

Under Local Policies, you can set Windows up to audit various events and toggle security options, like not displaying a username when signing in.

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates

Here you’ll find all sorts of options for blocking parts of Windows. Under Control Panel, you can adjust lock screen and Start menu options. Network holds a host of connection-related settings, while System holds dozens of options in various categories.

Take a look at Windows Components to change or block many parts of the OS, such as blocking OneDrive, adjusting how Windows Defender runs, and app compatibility options.

User Configuration > Administrative Templates

Here you’ll find more options for individual users that don’t appear in the Computer Configuration section. Particularly, under Control Panel > Personalization, you’ll see tweaks that prevent users from changing desktop icons, sounds, color scheme, and similar.

Take a look at Start Menu and Taskbar for plenty of options around that. Like the above, System and Windows Components contain a wealth of choices too.

Ready to Tweak Your Windows Group Policy?

Now you know how to access the local Group Policy editor in Windows and what it’s capable of. It just comes down to entering the gpedit.msc program name in one of the many ways available. As long as you’re using a Professional version of Windows, this should work fine for you.

Speaking of Windows Pro, there are many other versions of Windows 10 you might not know about.

Read the full article: How to Open the Local Group Policy Editor in Windows 10

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