Ericsson software problem causing widespread cell phone outages

A problem with the software in Ericsson equipment is causing outages across the world including O2 users in Great Britain and Softbank users in Japan, according to a report in the Financial Times earlier today.

Ericsson took blame for the outage in a press release. It apparently involves faulty software on certain Ericsson equipment used on the affected company’s mobile networks. While Ericsson indicated it involved multiple countries, it appeared to try to minimize the impact by stating it was “network disturbances for a limited number of customers.” The FT report indicated that it was actually affecting millions of mobile customers worldwide.

Regardless, the company said that an initial analysis attributed the problem to an expired software certificate on the affected equipment. Börje Ekholm, Ericsson president and CEO, said they were working to restore the service as soon as possible, which probably isn’t soon enough for people who don’t have a working cell phone at the moment.

“The faulty software that has caused these issues is being decommissioned and we apologize not only to our customers but also to their customers. We work hard to ensure that our customers can limit the impact and restore their services as soon as possible,” Ekholm said in a statement.

While the press release went onto say they are working to restore the service throughout the day, as of publishing this article, the O2 outage maps still showed problems in the London area.

The AT&T and Verizon outage pages are also currently showing outages in the US. We reached out to Ericsson by phone and email to confirm if this was part of their software problems, but had not heard back by the time we published. If we do, we will update this story.

(Note that Verizon owns this publication.)

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FB QVC? Facebook tries Live video shopping

Want to run your own home shopping network? Facebook is now testing a Live video feature for merchants that lets them demo and describe their items for viewers. Customers can screenshot something they want to buy and use Messenger to send it to the seller, who can then request payment right through the chat app.

Facebook confirms the new shopping feature is currently in testing with a limited set of Pages in Thailand, which has been a testbed for shopping features. The option was first spotted by social media and reputation manager Jeff Higgins, and re-shared by Matt Navarra and Social Media Today. But now Facebook is confirming the test’s existence and providing additional details.

The company tells me it had heard feedback from the community in Thailand that Live video helped sellers demonstrate how items could be used or worn, and provided richer understanding than just using photos. Users also told Facebook that Live’s interactivity let customers instantly ask questions and get answers about product specifications and details. Facebook has looked to Thailand to test new commerce experiences like home rentals in Marketplace, as the country’s citizens were quick to prove how Facebook Groups could be used for peer-to-peer shopping. “Thailand is one of our most active Marketplace communities” says Mayank Yadav, Facebook Product Manager for Marketplace.

Now it’s running the Live shopping test, which allows Pages to notify fans that they’re going broadcasting to “showcase products and connect with your customers”. Merchants can take reservations and request payments through Messenger.  Facebook tells me it doesn’t currently have plans to add new partners or expand the feature. But some sellers without access are being invited to join a waitlist for the feature. It also says it’s working closely with its test partners to gather feedback and iterate on the live video shopping experience, which would seem to indicate it’s interested in opening the feature more widely if it performs well.

Facebook doesn’t take a cut of payments through Messenger, but the feature could still help earn the company money at a time when it’s seeking revenue streams beyond News Feed ads as it runs out of space their, Stories take over as the top media form, and user growth plateaus. Hooking people on video viewing helps Facebook show lucrative video ads. The more that Facebook can train users to buy and sell things on its app, the better the conversion rates will be for businesses, and the more they’ll be willing to spend on ads. Facebook could also convince sellers who broadcast Live to buy its new Marketplace ad units to promote their wares. And Facebook is happy to snatch any use case from the rest of the internet, whether it’s long-form video viewing or job applications or shopping to boost time on site and subsequent ad views.

Increasingly, Facebook is setting its sights on Craigslist, Etsy, and eBay. Those commerce platforms have failed to keep up with new technologies like video and lack the trust generated by Facebook’s real name policy and social graph. A few years ago, selling something online meant typing up a generic description and maybe uploading a photo. Soon it could mean starring in your own infomercial.

[Postcript: And a Facebook home shopping network could work perfectly on its new countertop smart display Portal.]

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A Gift Guide for the Ultimate PlayStation 4 Fan

8 Ways to Give the Gift of Audiobooks This Year

Audiobooks make fantastic gifts. They can transport your friends and loved ones to a faraway place, teach them something new, or make a long commute less boring. This makes audiobooks a fitting gift for any book lover.

Figuring out how to give an audiobook as a gift, however, isn’t always so obvious. And sometimes even the most popular audiobook services don’t make it easy. Thankfully, we’re here to help. And just in time for the holidays too.

1. Amazon

Amazon’s downloadable audiobooks are only available through Audible. So if you want a digital version of an audiobook, you’ll need to sign up to Audible (which, as we’ll see in a moment, doesn’t let you gift individual titles).

Amazon still sells audiobooks on CD, though. And you can have them gift-wrapped and sent to your loved one if you’d like. If your recipient wants their audiobook in a digital format, once they have the CD they can technically do what they want with it.

2. Audible

Although Audible no longer allows you to gift single audiobooks, you can still give a gift subscription. Head to the Audible Gift Center (just click the link or scroll to the bottom of the Audible homepage) and you’ll see subscription options. There are one-, three-, six-, and 12-month subscriptions with prices from $15 to $150.

What will your recipient get with this subscription?

• If they’re not currently an Audible subscriber, they’ll get one credit for any free book per month, along with two Audible Originals (exclusive audio titles you won’t find on any other service), and discounts on other books.
• If they already subscribe to Audible, they’ll get all of the credits immediately. That means they’ll get one, three, six, or 12 free audiobooks right away, plus the two Audible Originals per month.

Audible isn’t cheap, but it’s one of the best services out there. And if the book lover in your life can take full advantage of Audible, they’ll get more than your money’s worth. They can always cancel Audible if they decide it’s not for them.

3. Audiobooks.com

Like Audible, Audiobooks.com doesn’t let you gift individual books. But there are a number of gift options, including one-, three-, six-, and 12-month plans priced from $14.95 to $149.40. These are good for one book download a month. Check out the Audiobooks.com Gift Center to choose one.

With prices comparable to Audible, this is a similarly attractive option, especially if you’d rather stay away from Amazon. And if you know that the audiobook fan you’re buying for already listens via Audiobooks.com, it’s a good way to go.

4. AudiobooksNow

You may not have heard of AudiobooksNow, but it’s one of the best ways to give an audiobook as a gift. You can easily give single books as gifts by finding the one you’re looking for and clicking Give as Gift below the Add to Cart button.

But you can also give a Gift Plan membership for $29.99. This gives members 50 percent off 12 books a year, and 35–40 percent off of books after that. There are no credits for free books like in other plans, but the saving on the first 12 books is valued at around $120. Go to the AudiobooksNow Gift Center to get started.

And there’s also a third way: gift certificates. These are a great budget option—they’re available in $5 increments starting at just $10—and allow your recipient to spend them on whatever book they want.

5. Downpour

Unfortunately, Downpour doesn’t have any gifting options available. However, because their audiobooks are DRM-free, you can simply buy one yourself and send it to your gift recipient.

They can then use an audiobook app to listen to it as they would do with an audiobook they purchased themselves.

6. Apple iTunes

If you’re looking to gift a single audiobook, and your recipient has an Apple device, this is your best bet. There’s no subscription option, and it only take a few clicks to buy an audiobook as a gift.

1. Open up iTunes and switch over to the Audiobooks section.
2. Click Store in the top menu.
3. Search for the book you want, then click the arrow next to the Buy Audiobook button.
4. Select Gift this Audiobook.

Then just follow the instructions to complete your purchase from there.

7. Libro.fm

In addition to supporting independent bookstores, which is awesome, Libro.fm offers two ways to give audiobooks as presents.

First, you can gift individual books. No subscription necessary. Just search for the book you want, and when you find it, click Gift this Audiobook. Be sure to choose your favorite independent bookstore before you buy the book so they get credit for your purchase.

But if you’d prefer to give a subscription, you can do that too. Libro.fm offers one-, three-, six-, and 12-month plans priced from $15 to $165. This gets the recipient their choice of one audiobook a month. Visit the libro.fm Gift Center to get started.

8. Scribd

Like Audible, Scribd is a popular subscription service that lets readers access one audiobook a month in addition to three ebooks. This combination makes sure Scribd is great value.

The standard subscription fee is $8.99/month, but you can buy a gift subscription for $25 (for three months), $50 (for six months), or $100 (for one year). Just head to the Scribd gift page to get started.

Why You Should Give the Gift of Audiobooks This Year

Whether your gift recipient is a long-time fan of audiobooks or just starting to explore the medium, giving them either an individual book or a subscription as a gift is a perfect way to support their hobby.

And if you think you know someone who might be interested in audiobooks, but hasn’t yet taken the plunge, try gifting them one of these awesome audiobooks for people who don’t like audiobooks. They really are some of the best audiobooks available.

Read the full article: 8 Ways to Give the Gift of Audiobooks This Year

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10 Cool Gift Ideas for Mac Users This Holiday Season

The 10 Best Table of Contents Templates for Microsoft Word

If you’re working on a document that’s longer than a few pages, your readers will be grateful if you include a table of contents. A little bit of effort on your part will make things much easier for anyone leafing through the text later on.

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Fortunately, there are lots of resources online that offer templates for this purpose. These will save you a lot of time. The following are some of the best all-purpose templates for implementing a useful table of contents in Microsoft Word.

Creative Table of Contents Word Templates

The table of contents of your document sets the stage for the rest of the document.

The style you choose depends on what kind of document you’re creating. If it’s an informational pamphlet your company is handing out to potential customers, something in between formal and casual would work best.

If it’s a table of contents for a school event or a non-profit organization, something a little more creative and fun would do.

The following templates are best suited for those creative, informal projects.

1. Blue Background

This is a modern and minimalist template, but also clean and easy to read.

You can style everything about the template.

• Change the font style and size
• Modify the background color
• Resize the boxes

It’s a great template for an event pamphlet, business informational booklet, or anything else that doesn’t require an extra-long table of contents.

You can download this template in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Mac Pages, and an editable PDF format. It’s free to download, but you’ll need to provide your email address first.

Use the direct link in the header to download.

2. Clean and Simple

If you’re looking for a table of contents template that is easy to create but still looks professional, this clean table of contents from Template.net will fit the bill.

It includes a date column as well as the topic and page number. This makes it an ideal template for something like a journal or a log book. There are 26 entries available per page.

If you need a longer table of contents, just create another page from the template and continue with the next page.

You can download this template in Word, Google Docs, Mac Pages, and an editable PDF format. It’s also available in Mac Numbers format. Provide your email address and download for free.

Use the direct link in the header to download.

3. Creative Table of Contents

If you’re putting together a document for an event or a pamphlet for a non-profit, this colorful and playful table of contents is ideal.

The numbers are oversized, with individual blocks for text that you can fill with information about each document section. You can right-click on each box or font and change the fill or font colors to anything you like.

This template is available to download in Word or PDF format.

Download: PDF | DOC

4. Landscape Table of Contents

If you’re tired of the same old table of contents, this landscape template is a great chance of pace. It’s ideal for a document that’s in landscape format already.

The default design is set up for a chaptered document, with headings and subheadings you can use to break down the document contents in fine detail.

The table of contents template is easy to customize.

Download: PDF | DOC

5. Block-Style Table of Contents

From the same Templatesinfo.com site as the table of contents above, this format is a nice balance between creative and formal.

It includes colored header blocks that differentiate the primary chapters or sections from the headings and subheadings.

The format is very clean and suitable for anything from an informal pamphlet to a paper that you may be writing for school or work. The outline is very organized and easy to follow with just a quick scan.

Download: PDF | DOC

Formal Table of Contents Word Templates

If your project is a bit too formal for the templates listed above, there are lots of free templates available that are more professional. In the case of a college dissertation or a formal white paper, a well formatted table of contents can make all the difference.

The following templates are a great selection that would work as a table of contents for any project you may be working on.

6. Indented Table of Contents

Offered for free from Tidyform.com, this table of contents is laid out for something like a research paper. The default table of contents in place include a preface, list of tables, figures, and schemes, and a section of indented chapters. It’s ideal for academic use.

The table of contents you download includes highlighted text that you can replace with your own sections. The first sections start with Roman numeral numbering and then switch to decimal numbering starting from the chapters.

You can keep this format, or tailor it to your own needs.

You can download either DOC format or PDF format at the same link.

Download: All Formats

7. Academic Table of Contents

If you’re working on a dissertation or any other formal, academic paper, this is a perfect table of contents for the start of your paper.

It’s laid out in a standard outline format that works well for a very long paper. Each major section is in bold, and every subsection is numbered below those headers.

It’s a simple way to lay out the entire contents of your paper without too much effort. If any section needs to move, it’s easy to shift a section down or up and simply renumber it and repage it as needed.

Download: DOC

8. Formatted Table of Contents

If you’re looking for a beautiful, well-formatted template, this one from Templatesinfo.com is a real gem.

Along with a nice header, the entire outline is cleanly formatted. It has indented sub-chapters and further indented sections as well.

Download the table of contents template in either Word or PDF format and tailor it to the contents of your own document.

Download: PDF | DOC

9. Project Table of Contents

If you’re working on a school project or any paper you need to organize in a clear way, this table of contents template is perfect. The template is more advanced, with text form fields for name, project title, and page numbers.

The template is broken down into the standard sections of an academic research paper, so if that’s what you’re working on then this table of contents template will save you a lot of time.

The template is available as a free download in only Word format.

Download: DOC

10. Research Grant Table of Contents

Another template from TemplateLab.com is a detailed table of contents built specifically for a research grant. If you are responsible for writing research grants, this template would save a lot of time.

But it’s a highly functional template for other purposes as well. It includes an introductory section that serves as the preface of the paper, and finally the numbered section outlining all sections of the main paper.

It’s a has a very serious, professional appearance that would impress anyone who comes across it. It text form fields for all page numbering

Download: DOC

Techniques for Formatting Table of Contents

Once you’ve found a template that you’re happy with, all you really need to do is open up Microsoft Word to insert your own section titles and page numbers.

However, you might find that spending a bit more time perfecting your table of contents is worth the effort for a superior finished product.

Styling Your Table of Contents

You can make visual tweaks in the same way you would in any other Microsoft Word document. But be careful because minor changes can create an undesired efffect on the overall formatting.

The problem that occurs when you just start typing in your text is that the dots used to space each entry are set up as text, rather than a dot leader.

If this is a case with the template you want to use, here’s the fix:

• First, use the horizontal rule to set the desired tab stop.
• Click on the Home tab and click the dialog box launcher on the Paragraph section.
• Click Tabs, then choose the type of Leader that you want to use in your table of contents.

The spacing should now correct itself to look uniform, regardless of the length of the text string.

Keeping Your Table of Contents Accurate

If you’re continually working on a document, you may find that further edits throw off your page numbers.

To avoid this situation, you can use Microsoft Word’s built-in table of contents functionality to keep things up to date.

Head to the References tab and use the Table of Contents dropdown to access the different options available.

Despite giving you less control on how your table of contents is styled, this method lends some major advantages in terms of navigability.

Your table of contents will act as hyperlinks to individual sections when viewed on a computer, and the page numbers will be kept accurate without any action on your part.

If you love free Word templates, you should explore our other template listings that include event invitations, meeting agendas, and even resumes to help with your job search.

Read the full article: The 10 Best Table of Contents Templates for Microsoft Word

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The 10 Best Chrome Extensions for Avoiding Online Distractions

The presence of an endless stream of content on the internet is a double-edged sword. You’re never bored, but the online distractions can severely affect your productivity without you even realizing it.

Therefore, here are some of the best Chrome extensions you should install for combating every kind of online distraction. You will just need some willpower to keep these extensions installed in the browser.

1. Blank New Tab Page

Google Chrome’s new tab page might seem harmless but there are a ton of ways it can divert you away from your work. There’s the Google doodle which at times also embeds a game, the grid of your most visited websites which include quick links to Facebook, YouTube, and more. But thankfully, there’s an easy fix to this.

All you need to install is a free extension called Blank New Tab Page which replaces Chrome’s inbuilt page with a blank one with no distractions whatsoever.

Download: Blank New Tab Page

2. Radio Mode

Radio Mode is another nifty extension which is designed to make sure you don’t binge-watch music videos on YouTube. For people who rely on Google’s video-streaming service for their audio needs, Radio Mode disables the video. That allows you to continue listening to music and not get distracted by the visuals.

Radio Mode serves another purpose by reducing CPU usage up to fifty percent since the browser is no longer playing a high-definition video in the background.

Download: Radio Mode

3. Intent

Intent is a Chrome extension that wants to help you bring down the amount of time you spend on websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, and others. But it doesn’t want to block them right away.

Intent has a different strategy. It begins by monitoring your browsing habits for the platforms you feel are wasting your time. After a week, it asks you whether you enjoyed your time on those websites the past seven days and if not, offers options to modify the habit. You can select either Reduce overall time or Reduce overall frequency. Once you’ve configured these tools, whenever you exceed the defined period, Intent will alert you and pull up a few actions such as “Give me 5 more minutes”, “I’m done for today”, and more.

Unlike others, as you can probably tell, Intent doesn’t hit you with a bunch of restrictions. It tries to assist in building healthier browsing habits and if you’re someone who struggles with working online, you should definitely give it a month at least.

Download: Intent

4. Timewarp

Timewarp has a similar purpose as Intent. It too wants to help you fight online addiction but instead, it learns your habits and cures them with gradual steps, it believes in immediate execution.

Timewarp lets you set what it calls Wormholes. You can configure one for every non-productive website and choose between three punishments whenever you visit it. You could either ask Timewarp to redirect it to another, perhaps an educational website, show a motivating quote, or simply block it.

Download: Timewarp

5. Scroll Stop

Scroll Stop lets you fight those endless feeds by establishing scroll limits. As soon as you exhaust that limit, Scroll Stop can perform either of the four actions. It can just terminate the tab, turn the tab into a blank page, redirect you to another website, or print a reminder message to get back to work.

You can add as many as limits as you’d like and Scroll Stop will be on the lookout for pulling you out of that content abyss.

Download: Scroll Stop

6. DF Tube

DF Tube is the ultimate anti-YouTube extension. It’s strictly for people who are employing YouTube for research or educational purposes (Read as not for killing time). The tool is capable of getting rid of all the addictive YouTube elements like your personalized feed, recommendations, comments, subscriptions, and more.

Plus, DF Tube can also turn YouTube’s homescreen to a white page with a search bar which is quite handy considering how distracting it is always.

Download: DF Tube

7. Analog Percent Clock

Your time’s limited and you may not realize that while binge-watching cat videos at 4 PM. An extension called Analog Percent Clock is here to remind you. It does so by replacing the new page by with an analog clock and the percentage of the day which has slipped away from you so far. What’s more, the extension has a clean design which is pleasant on the eyes and doesn’t bog down your computer.

Download: Analog Percent Clock

8. Free Pause Gmail

Trying to work while an email alert bugs you every other minute can be painful. So why not eliminate the latter?

Free Pause Gmail, a free Chrome extension, allows you to pause the influx of emails on Gmail for a period of time. When activated, your inbox won’t be updated and you won’t receive any new emails. Once you’re ready to face the reality again, you can simply resume the service and attend all those hundred pending emails.

Download: Free Pause Gmail

9. Grayscale the Web

One of the proven techniques for cutting down on screen use is to apply a grayscale coat to those captivating colors. You can do the same on Google Chrome as well with an extension titled Grayscale the Web.

Grayscale the Web, as you’d guess, eradicates all the colors and lets you browse the web in monochrome. It works on every website and can be individually configured to exclude a particular one. You can also apply to a specific tab or enable it for all of them.

Download: Grayscale the Web

10. xTab

Among the hundreds of tab managers available for Google Chrome, the one you should install for getting a hold on your tab managing habits is xTab.

xTab comes with the ability to set restrictions on the number of tabs you can launch in a single session. Once you cross that number, xTab automatically closes one of the active tabs or blocks you from opening more. The former is done based on one of the three available criteria such as the least used tab, the oldest tab, and the least accessed tab.

Download: xTab

A Healthier Chrome Experience

Willpower has its limits. A better approach is to build routines and habits. For instance, mindful web surfing can help you focus and avoid distractions at the same time.

While the aforementioned extensions will enable you to have a much less distracting experience on Google Chrome, you should look into ways you can concurrently have a healthier desk lifestyle as well.

Read the full article: The 10 Best Chrome Extensions for Avoiding Online Distractions

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BenQ EX3501R Ultrawide HDR Monitor Review: How Big is Too Big?

7 Ways to Check Your Smartphone Charger Is Safe to Use

How can you check your device’s power adapter is safe to use? Buying manufacturer-approved products is one way to make certain you don’t end up with a counterfeit. However, high prices for something as simple as a USB lightning cable might put you off.

But fake chargers can be dangerous; life-threatening, even. These fraudulent units can give you electric shocks or start fires. So what can you do to cut down on this risk?

Note: The following steps are guidelines only. We can’t guarantee that any chargers you buy are genuine, and even real chargers can go wrong.

How Do You Know a Phone Charger Is Safe?

In a rush and want to know how you can tell your smartphone’s charger and cable are okay to use? Consider these seven things:

1. Use a genuine charger
2. Check for genuine packaging
3. Look for quality control marks and safety guidelines
4. Check the plug pins are in good condition
5. Check the weight
6. Look for faults in the cable
7. Keep the charger and cable dry

Let’s look at each of these in more detail.

1. Use a Genuine Charger

You don’t have to rely on official chargers directly from your smartphone’s manufacturer. Nonetheless, it’s essential you get the right charger for the right device.

You could be tricked into buying the wrong one, of course, but it might be a simple mistake on your part. However tempted you may be by a cheap charger, you have to make sure your device is listed as compatible with it and the power cable.

If you’re not sure, look at the packaging. This should tell you which devices the unit can support. Using an adapter with too high or low a voltage can harm your smartphone.

You might not realize the damage has been done—using the wrong charger can cause performance problems immediately or shorten the device’s lifespan substantially.

2. Look for Packaging and Instructions

How can you check you’ve bought the right adapter for your device? Just look at what the charger comes with!

Here’s another way counterfeit goods cut costs. They come independently. If you order something online, you shouldn’t expect it to arrive without packaging and instructions. Yet many overlook this, and end up with faulty products.

You may pass this off because you don’t really need to look at instructions to know how to power up your device. But genuine packaging #is an indicator that you’ve bought from a reputable company.

Even if packaging is present, keep an eye out for design oddities. You won’t find misaligned text and pixelated logos on genuine items.

3. Don’t Rely on Quality Control Marks

Ensure your low voltage equipment carries the CE mark. #ElectricalSafety pic.twitter.com/xfRMw54bxX

— CFRS Business Safety (@BizFireSafety) November 19, 2018

Why else are booklets and packaging important? Because that’s where you’ll often find quality control marks.

These are signs that the product has been tested against safety regulations. They depend entirely on your territory, and where the manufacturer is based. In America, for instance, you should see the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mark.

Canadians should note the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) symbol. And anyone in Europe should look for the CE mark.

But you can’t simply rely on these. They can be easily forged. High resolution examples can be found by searching Google.

Instead, make sure the product comes with further safety guidelines about usage, electricity, and eventual disposal. Some fraudsters ignore adding warning signs because they know customers are more likely to look for quality control symbols.

4. Check the Plug Pins

This might seem excessive, but it’s better to spend time checking your adapter thoroughly, rather than start a fire.

Fortunately, you don’t need to get a ruler to measure the length of the pins: just plug your charger in! Make sure the socket is switched off and don’t attach the cable or device you want to charge.

If the pins are too long, there will be a gap between the charger and the wall. If the pins are too far apart or close together, it won’t slot in properly. The other possibility is that the adapter’s pins are too short, which is harder to differentiate. Still, you can compare them to those on a product you know is genuine and works well.

Other signs of a fake item is the condition of pins. They shouldn’t have imperfections or a glossy finish. Plug pins are matte and have plain colors, i.e. typically black or white casing and silver (or sometimes gold) metal. The latter definitely shouldn’t be scratched.

5. Feel the Charger’s Weight

Counterfeit chargers can be made for a few cents, so criminals can enjoy substantial mark-ups. Naturally, such shoddy work means you don’t get all the components that are required in a genuine power adapter. Some faulty units don’t even have a fuse inside.

Genuine chargers will feel heavier than their fake counterparts. This might be something you can test merely by holding one and comparing it to another that you know is real.

Otherwise, chargers generally weigh between 2 and 4oz (56-113g). The minimum weight is about 1.5 oz (40g).

If you’re not sure, grab a set of scales.

6. Make Sure Cables Aren’t Frayed

Cables can also be faked. They might also be damaged from overuse—certainly wrapping them too tightly can be harmful to the insides.

Most notably, you should be wary of frayed cables—that is, exposed wires. You need to know when to throw damaged cables away. But let’s face it: we all wrap cables around something else. You might wrap them around the charger itself. There is a way you can wrap cables without them breaking, though. If you can see underneath the plastic casing, be careful and buy a new cable as soon as you can.

How can you tell a cable is fake? Some are shorter than average: An Apple Lightning cable is 1m long, but others, such as USB-C cables from Samsung, are about 1.5m.

Substandard cables will have loose or misaligned components in the USB connector.

As with chargers, cables should come with genuine packaging.

7. Check That the Charger Isn’t Wet

This final point goes for your charger, its corresponding cable, and your devices. Fluid can play havoc with electricals, so keep them away from water. Even a build up of sweat can affect a phone. Fortunately, you can save a wet cell phone. Many of those solutions work on chargers too, but the key is to be delicate.

You’ll need patience to completely dry out a charger, and even then, you can’t be sure it’s entirely okay to use. So we recommend a much safer option: get a new one. It’s better to buy new unit than to risk getting an electric shock (or worse).

Of course, the ideal answer is to prevent your chargers from getting wet in the first place.

What Should You Do If You Receive a Faulty Charger?

Don’t use any electrical goods you think might be counterfeit.

That’s certainly the main thing here. You could be risking your smartphone, your house, and your life. Next, go to the retailer you bought it from. They need to know if a fake is being sold on their platform. If it’s through a third-party or auction site, go to a person you got it from and if they don’t do anything, report it to the main retailer.

After that, you can take your case to the Better Business Bureau (in the US) or Trading Standards (in the UK).

Some actively look for fakes. Yes, really. A few think they’re worth the risk because they’re cheap. But those people are stupid. You should never buy counterfeit products!

Read the full article: 7 Ways to Check Your Smartphone Charger Is Safe to Use

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The 8 Best Mac Apps That Enhance Finder’s Functionality

The plethora of third-party file managers for macOS could potentially replace Finder in your workflow. But Finder is a customizable file manager. And its extensibility allows third-party apps to natively integrate with it.

We’ll show you some of the best apps that blend with Finder to let you perform extra functions.

1. Mountain: Manage External Drives From Menu Bar

If you manage lots of external hard disks, having to constantly switch between the Finder and Disk Utility to eject and mount the disk is a hassle. Plus, forgetting to safely remove your drives can lead to data corruption. Mountain is a menu bar app that lets you manage all external volumes with ease. You can unmount, eject, and mount volumes with just two clicks.

It automatically ejects external volumes when your Mac goes to sleep and mounts the drives again when waking from sleep. The app also automatically identify apps that block volumes from getting ejected. It quit those apps, then safely ejects the drives. If you use external drives for backups, this tool could make the backup process a lot easier.

Download: Mountain (Free trial, $6)

2. Mountain Duck: Mount Remote Storage in Finder

If you need to manage multiple cloud storage services at once, switching between different interfaces can hinder your workflow. Mountain Duck is a nifty app that lets you mount server and cloud storage as a local volume in the Finder. Open System Preferences > Extensions and check Mountain Duck to integrate the app with the Finder toolbar.

Click the app’s icon in the menu bar to connect and disconnect from cloud storage service with a few easy clicks. As you connect with a particular service, it’ll appear in the Finder sidebar to let you browse contents and move files. The app supports FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, Amazon S3, Microsoft Azure, Backblaze B2, and more.

Download: Mountain Duck (Free trial, $39)

3. Default Folder X: Streamline Opening/Saving Files

The built-in Open and Save As dialog boxes don’t have any customization options. When you choose to open and save a file, it’s easy to waste time searching for the right folder. To avoid this, some people save all their data on the desktop, making Finder cluttered and less useful.

Default Folder X is a utility that replaces the Open and Save As dialogs with many useful options. The app attaches a toolbar with a series of buttons to give you quick access to the Default folder, Home directory, Favorites, and Recent folders. You can also set the default folder for a particular app and assign a shortcut to save the file directly with a single key press.

The menu bar interface lets you view all Finder windows and access various folders no matter where they’re located. The app also allows you to add Spotlight comments, labels, and tags within the Save dialog. If you’re focused on efficiency and file organization, then Default Folder X will definitely improve your workflow.

Download: Default Folder X (Free trial, $35)

4. Quick Look Plugins: Preview Files Without Opening

Quick Look offers a full or near-full size preview of pretty much any kind of file with a press of Space. With it, you can preview documents, images, and videos. But you can enhance the Quick Look function with better file support through plugins.

Quick Look plugins come as qlgenerator files. All you need to do is to extract the ZIP file and drag them to the ~/Library/QuickLook folder. To bring your plugins into effect, open the Terminal and type in the following:

qlmanage -r

Press Enter and relaunch Finder. You can find a list of useful plugins with different functions described below:

• QLColorCode: Preview source code files with syntax highlighting.
• QLStephen: Preview plain text files with or without unknown file extensions.
• QLMarkdown: Preview markdown files.
• BetterZipQL: Preview archive or zip files.
• qlImageSize: Display image size and resolution.

Download: sindresorhus Github page | QuickLookPlugins.com (Free)

5. Resilio Sync: Keep Files Synced Across Devices

Resilio Sync (formerly BitTorrent Sync) uses a synchronization method based on peer-to-peer technology to sync files and folders without using cloud servers. The app integrates with Finder through macOS extensions. It gives each folder a unique ID and tracks metadata to sync files and folders.

To sync a folder, click the Plus button, then choose either a Standard or Advanced folder from the dropdown menu. Although they look the same, see Resilio’s help page for the differences.

A Share window will then automatically appear. Choose the permission type and set the expiry date of your link. Then copy and paste the link on another device.

The Pro version of Resilio Sync allows you to link computers and mobile devices with a single identity without sharing any secret keys. It also has a selective sync feature, which works just like Dropbox. This is useful for mobile devices with less storage space, and gives you flexibility in downloading only selected files.

Download: Resilio Sync for Windows and Mac | Android | iOS (Free, $60 Pro version)

6. ColoFolXS: Compact Icon Tool for Coloring Folders

Changing the color of a folder in macOS is a great way to dress up your desktop and add visual identity to folders. But the manual procedure for changing the color of a Mac folder has some issues in Mojave, and it’s pretty clunky.

ColoFolXS is a utility app that lets you change the color of any folder effortlessly. The app features a minimalist yet comprehensive interface to change the color. It has a collection of predefined cell colors, plus adjustment sliders of different hue and intensity. To use this app, just drag and drop any folder from Finder directly onto one of its color cells.

Download: ColoFolXS (Free trial, $5)

7. Power Menu: Workflow-Enhancing Finder Extension

Power Menu is a configurable Finder extension that adds powerful actions to the right-click menu and toolbar. When you open the app, it automatically activates the FinderSync extension so the actions menu appears there.

The menu comes with preset actions for missing Finder features, like moving and copying a bunch of files with one click, converting images to different formats, creating new files, opening the selected directory in a new Terminal window, and more. The app also supports custom shell scripts.

To create a shell script, click on the Plus button next to the Actions List title in the Manage Actions menu. They have many uses; I use shell scripts to clean up garbage HTML tags and weird formatting errors, and to convert Markdown to PDF and DOC formats with Pandoc. If you work in Finder all day long, this app will save you time and improve productivity.

Download: Power Menu ($10)

8. Extend the Power of Finder With Services

The Services menu in macOS is probably its most underused feature. The sole purpose of this menu is to give you more options for the tasks you perform regularly by borrowing features from other apps.

For example, you can select text from a website in Safari and send an email using the selected text. You can access Services item via the app menu or with a right-click. If you don’t use Services to its full potential, then try these utilities.

Markdown Service Tools is a collection of macOS Services that lets you do more with Markdown text. It includes utilities to clean up smart punctuation, convert HTML to Markdown, indent or outdent text, a feature to automatically grab links from clipboard, and more.

SearchLink is a system service that lets you search multiple sources and automatically generate links for text. If you write on your Mac, this tool will save you time compared to manually pasting links into your writing app.

Download: Markdown Service Tools | SearchLink (Free)

Finder Is a Great File Manager on Mac

Newcomers to Finder might find it tough to utilize the manager effectively because many features are out of sight. You’ll find lots of tweaks hidden behind menus and keyboard shortcuts. And to go deeper, these third-party apps integrate directly with Finder for tons of extra features.

If Finder doesn’t suit your workflow out of the box, you can customize it according to your needs. Check out our tips on how to use Finder more efficiently

Read the full article: The 8 Best Mac Apps That Enhance Finder’s Functionality

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