This clever transforming robot flies and rolls on its rotating arms

There’s great potential in using both drones and ground-based robots for situations like disaster response, but generally these platforms either fly or creep along the ground. Not the “Flying STAR,” which does both quite well, and through a mechanism so clever and simple you’ll wish you’d thought of it.

Conceived of by researchers at Ben-Gurion University in Israel, the “flying sprawl-tuned autonomous robot” is based on the elementary observation that both rotors and wheels spin. So why shouldn’t a vehicle have both?

Well, there are lots of good reasons why it’s difficult to create such a hybrid, but the team, led by David Zarrouk, overcame them with the help of today’s high-powered, lightweight drone components. The result is a robot that can easily fly when it needs to, then land softly and, by tilting the rotor arms downwards, direct that same motive force into four wheels.

Of course you could have a drone that simply has a couple wheels on the bottom that let it roll along. But this improves on that idea in several ways. In the first place, it’s mechanically more efficient since the same motor drives the rotors and wheels at the same time — though when rolling the RPMs are of course considerably lower. But the rotating arms also give the robot a flexible stance, large wheelbase, and high clearance that make it much more capable on rough terrain.

You can watch FSTAR fly, roll, transform, flatten, and so on in the following video, prepared for presentation at the IEEE International Convention on Robotics and Automation in Montreal:

The ability to roll along at up to 8 feet per second using comparatively little energy, while also being able to leap over obstacles, scale stairs, or simply ascend and fly to a new location give FSTAR considerable adaptability.

“We plan to develop larger and smaller versions to expand this family of sprawling robots for different applications, as well as algorithms that will help exploit speed and cost of transport for these flying/driving robots,” said Zarrouk in a press release.

Obviously at present this is a mere prototype, and will need further work to bring it to a state where it could be useful for rescue teams, commercial operations, and the military.

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On the Internet of Women with Moira Weigel

“Feminism,” the writer and editor Marie Shear famously said in an often-misattributed quote, “is the radical notion that women are people.” The genius of this line, of course, is that it appears to be entirely non-controversial, which reminds us all the more effectively of the past century of fierce debates surrounding women’s equality.

And what about in tech ethics? It would seem equally non-controversial that ethical tech is supposed to be good for “people,” but is the broader tech world and its culture good for the majority of humans who happen to be women? And to the extent it isn’t, what does that say about any of us, and about all of our technology?

I’ve known, since I began planning this TechCrunch series exploring the ethics of tech, that it would need to thoroughly cover issues of gender. Because as we enter an age of AI, with machines learning to be ever more like us, what could be more critical than addressing the issues of sex and sexism often at the heart of the hardest conflicts in human history thus far?

Meanwhile, several months before I began envisioning this series I stumbled across the fourth issue of a new magazine called Logic, a journal on technology, ethics, and culture. Logic publishes primarily on paper — yes, the actual, physical stuff, and a satisfyingly meaty stock of it, at that.

In it, I found a brief essay, “The Internet of Women,” that is a must-read, an instant classic in tech ethics. The piece is by Moira Weigel, one of Logic’s founders and currently a member of Harvard University’s “Society of Fellows” — one of the world’s most elite societies of young academics.

A fast-talking 30-something Brooklynite with a Ph.D. from Yale, Weigel’s work combines her interest in sex, gender, and feminism, with a critical and witty analysis of our technology culture.

In this first of a two-part interview, I speak with Moira in depth about some of the issues she covers in her essay and beyond: #MeToo; the internet as a “feminizing” influence on culture; digital media ethics around sexism; and women in political and tech leadership.

Greg E.: How would you summarize the piece in a sentence or so?

Moira W.: It’s an idiosyncratic piece with a couple of different layers. But if I had to summarize it in just a sentence or two I’d say that it’s taking a closer look at the role that platforms like Facebook and Twitter have played in the so-called “#MeToo moment.”

In late 2017 and early 2018, I became interested in the tensions that the moment was exposing between digital media and so-called “legacy media” — print newspapers and magazines like The New York Times and Harper’s and The Atlantic. Digital media were making it possible to see structural sexism in new ways, and for voices and stories to be heard that would have gotten buried, previously.

A lot of the conversation unfolding in legacy media seemed to concern who was allowed to say what where. For me, this subtext was important: The #MeToo moment was not just about the sexualized abuse of power but also about who had authority to talk about what in public — or the semi-public spaces of the Internet.

At the same time, it seemed to me that the ongoing collapse of print media as an industry, and really what people sometimes call the “feminization” of work in general, was an important part of the context.

When people talk about jobs getting “feminized” they can mean many things — jobs becoming lower paid, lower status, flexible or precarious, demanding more emotional management and the cultivation of an “image,” blurring the boundary between “work” and “life.”

The increasing instability or insecurity of media workplaces only make women more vulnerable to the kinds of sexualized abuses of power the #MeToo hashtag was being used to talk about.

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China overtakes U.S. in smart speaker market share

The U.S. no longer leads the smart speaker market, according to new data from Canalys out this morning, which found China’s smart speaker shipments grew by 500 percent in Q1 2019 to overtake the U.S. and achieve a 51 percent market share.

The firm said shipments in China reached 10.6 million units which was driven by “festive promotions.”

More specifically, Baidu had a huge quarter thanks to an exclusive sponsorship deal with China’s national TV channel, CCTV, on its New Year’s Gala on Chinese New Year’s Eve — one of the biggest entertainment shows in terms of viewer numbers. This promotion prompted users to download the Baidu app, which distributed over 100 million coupons to an audience of 1.2 billion during the show, and drove awareness around the brand’s smart speakers, Canalys says.

In Q1, Baidu shipped 3.3 million speakers — putting it in third place behind Amazon’s 4.6 million and Google’s 3.5 million. Alibaba and Xiaomi followed, each with 3.2 million shipments, also driven by Chinese New Year promotions.

“The lightning fast development in China is largely driven by vendors pouring in large amount of capital to achieve dominant share quickly,” noted Nicole Peng, VP of Mobility at Canalys, in a statement. “This strategy is favoured by internet service providers like Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent who are used to spending billions on traffic acquisition and know how to reach critical installed base fast.”

Other brands, combined, accounted for a further 2.9 million shipments. That includes Apple’s HomePod, whose market share was so small it got wrapped into this “Other” section instead of being broken out on its own.

With 10.6 million units, China topped the U.S. 5 million units shipped and brought its market share up to 51 percent, while the U.S. dropped from 44 percent in Q4 2018 to 24 percent in Q1 2019.

Overall, the global smart speaker market returned to triple digit annual growth of 131 percent in the quarter, reaching 20.7 million total Q1 shipments — up from just 9 million in the first quarter of 2018.

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On the Internet of Women with Moira Weigel

“Feminism,” the writer and editor Marie Shear famously said in an often-misattributed quote, “is the radical notion that women are people.” The genius of this line, of course, is that it appears to be entirely non-controversial, which reminds us all the more effectively of the past century of fierce debates surrounding women’s equality.

And what about in tech ethics? It would seem equally non-controversial that ethical tech is supposed to be good for “people,” but is the broader tech world and its culture good for the majority of humans who happen to be women? And to the extent it isn’t, what does that say about any of us, and about all of our technology?

I’ve known, since I began planning this TechCrunch series exploring the ethics of tech, that it would need to thoroughly cover issues of gender. Because as we enter an age of AI, with machines learning to be ever more like us, what could be more critical than addressing the issues of sex and sexism often at the heart of the hardest conflicts in human history thus far?

Meanwhile, several months before I began envisioning this series I stumbled across the fourth issue of a new magazine called Logic, a journal on technology, ethics, and culture. Logic publishes primarily on paper — yes, the actual, physical stuff, and a satisfyingly meaty stock of it, at that.

In it, I found a brief essay, “The Internet of Women,” that is a must-read, an instant classic in tech ethics. The piece is by Moira Weigel, one of Logic’s founders and currently a member of Harvard University’s “Society of Fellows” — one of the world’s most elite societies of young academics.

A fast-talking 30-something Brooklynite with a Ph.D. from Yale, Weigel’s work combines her interest in sex, gender, and feminism, with a critical and witty analysis of our technology culture.

In this first of a two-part interview, I speak with Moira in depth about some of the issues she covers in her essay and beyond: #MeToo; the internet as a “feminizing” influence on culture; digital media ethics around sexism; and women in political and tech leadership.

Greg E.: How would you summarize the piece in a sentence or so?

Moira W.: It’s an idiosyncratic piece with a couple of different layers. But if I had to summarize it in just a sentence or two I’d say that it’s taking a closer look at the role that platforms like Facebook and Twitter have played in the so-called “#MeToo moment.”

In late 2017 and early 2018, I became interested in the tensions that the moment was exposing between digital media and so-called “legacy media” — print newspapers and magazines like The New York Times and Harper’s and The Atlantic. Digital media were making it possible to see structural sexism in new ways, and for voices and stories to be heard that would have gotten buried, previously.

A lot of the conversation unfolding in legacy media seemed to concern who was allowed to say what where. For me, this subtext was important: The #MeToo moment was not just about the sexualized abuse of power but also about who had authority to talk about what in public — or the semi-public spaces of the Internet.

At the same time, it seemed to me that the ongoing collapse of print media as an industry, and really what people sometimes call the “feminization” of work in general, was an important part of the context.

When people talk about jobs getting “feminized” they can mean many things — jobs becoming lower paid, lower status, flexible or precarious, demanding more emotional management and the cultivation of an “image,” blurring the boundary between “work” and “life.”

The increasing instability or insecurity of media workplaces only make women more vulnerable to the kinds of sexualized abuses of power the #MeToo hashtag was being used to talk about.

Read Full Article

Glass graduates from Google X as it scores new hardware update

Google’s head-worn smart display, Google Glass, in finally ready to move the tassel.

After defining the company’s far-flung connected dreams when it was first announced in 2013, the enterprise-refocused headset is graduating from the X moonshot factory with a new hardware update that aims to make it more approachable for companies.

After a soft consumer tease that was buzz-worthy if not laughably pre-mature, Google Glass Enterprise Edition was announced two years ago and the dedicated group has been plugging along since then courting businesses to hop on board.

Google Glass is back with hardware focused on the enterprise

The design of Glass Enterprise Edition 2 doesn’t appear to be radically different from its predecessor, but under the hood there are some noteworthy changes, namely the platform now runs on Android and can be managed by Android Enterprise Mobile Device Management. Those changes alone are probably enough for enterprise customers to move from the non-starter camp to giving it a first look.

The software upgrades are made possible by the headset’s transition to Qualcomm’s AR/VR-focused XR1 chipset. The company also says the new headset has “improved camera performance and quality” as well as USB-C connectivity.

The Glass team joins Google’s AR/VR team and marks another key point in the company’s gradual pivot away from driving to the consumer hoop. In the past year, Google has minimized product updates to its consumer VR platform, while shuttering some groups focused on creative content production and refocusing efforts on enterprise and consumer products more heavily leveraging machine learning.

With its move from X, the Glass team joins projects like Waymo, Wing and Loon that also proved worthy of moving deeper inside Google.

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Select FCC leaders announce support for T-Mobile, Sprint merger

It’s been more than a year since T-Mobile and Sprint formally announced a merger agreement. This morning, members of FCC leadership have issued statements voicing their support for the $26 billion proposal.

Ajit Pai was first out with a statement, suggesting that the pricey consolidation of two of the Unites States’ largest carriers would help accelerate his longstanding desire to provide more internet coverage to rural areas.

“Demonstrating that 5G will indeed benefit rural Americans,” Pai wrote, “T-Mobile and Sprint have promised that their network would cover at least two-thirds of our nation’s rural population with highs peed, mid-band 5G, which could improve the economy and quality of life in many small towns across the country.”

The FCC Chairman went on to suggest that the merger “is in the public interest,” adding that he would recommend fellow members of the commission’s leadership approve it. Commissioner Brendan Carr followed soon after with his own statement of approval, suggesting that a merger would actually increase competition among by consolidating it.

“I support the combination of T-Mobile and Sprint because Americans across the country will see more competition and an accelerated buildout of fast, 5G services,” the Commissioner writes. “The proposed transaction will strengthen competition in the U.S. wireless market and provide mobile and in-home broadband access to communities that demand better coverage and more choices.”

A number of ground rules have been laid out for approval. In a bid for approval, Sprint has promised to sell off prepaid brand, Boost Mobile. “[W]e have committed to divest Sprint’s Boost pre-paid business to a third party following the closing of the merger,” T-Mobile CEO John Legere said in a blog post following the statements of support. “We’ll work to find a serious, credible, financially capable and independent buyer for all the assets needed to run – and grow – the business, and we’ll make sure that buyer has attractive wholesale arrangements.”

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Trump’s Huawei ban also causing tech shocks in Europe

The escalating US-China trade war that’s seen Chinese tech giant Huawei slapped on a US trade blacklist is causing ripples of shock across Europe too, as restrictions imposed on US companies hit regional suppliers concerned they could face US restrictions if they don’t ditch Huawei.

Reuters reports shares fell sharply today in three European chipmakers, Infineon Technologies, AMS and STMicroelectronics, after reports suggested some already had, or were about to, halt shipments to Huawei following the executive order barring US firms from trading with the Chinese tech giant.

The interconnectedness of high tech supply chains coupled with US dominance of the sector and Huawei’s strong regional position as a supplier of cellular, IT and network kit in Europe suddenly makes political risk a fast-accelerating threat for EU technology companies, large and small.

On the small side is French startup Qwant, which competes with Google by offering a pro-privacy search engine. In recent months it has been hoping to leverage a European antitrust decision against Google  Android last year to get smartphones to market in Europe that preload its search engine, not Google’s.

Huawei was its intended first major partner for such devices. Though, prior to recent trade war developments, it was already facing difficulties related to price incentives Google included in reworked EU Android licensing terms.

Still, the US-China trade war threatens to throw a far more existential spanner in European Commission efforts to reset the competitive planning field for smartphone services. Certainly if Google’s response to Huawei’s blacklisting is to torch its supply of almost all Android-related services, per Reuters.

A key aim of the EU antitrust decision was intended to support the unbundling of popular Google services from Android so that device makers can try selling combinations that aren’t entirely Google-flavored — while still being able to offer enough ‘Google’ to excite consumers (such as preloading the Play Store but with a different search and browser bundle instead of the usual Google + Chrome combo).

Yet if Google intends to limit Huawei’s access to such key services there’s little chance of that.

(In a statement responding to the Reuters report Google suggested it’s still deciding how to proceed, with a spokesperson writing: “We are complying with the order and reviewing the implications. For users of our services, Google Play and the security protections from Google Play Protect will continue to function on existing Huawei devices.”)

Going on Google’s initial response, Qwant co-founder and CEO Eric Léandri told us he thinks Google has overreacted — even as he dubbed the US-China trade war “world war III — economical war but it’s a world war for sure”.

“I really need to see exactly what the president trump has said about Huawei and how to work with them. Because I think maybe Google has overreacted. Because I haven’t [interpreted it] that way so I’m very surprised,” he told TechCrunch.

“If Huawei can be [blacklisted] what about the others?” he added. “Because I would say 60% of the cell phone sales in Europe today are coming from China. Huawei or ZTE, OnePlus and the others — they are all under the same kind of risk.

“Even some of our European brands who are very small like Nokia… all of them are made in China, usually with partnership with these big cell phone manufacturers. So that means several things but one thing that I’m sure is we should not rely on one OS. It would be difficult to explain how the Play Store is not as important as the search in Android.”

Léandri also questioned whether Google’s response to the blacklisting will include instructing Huawei not to even use its search engine — a move that could impact its share of the smartphone search market.

“At the end of the day there is just one thing I can say because I’m just a search engine and a European one — I haven’t seen Google asking to not be by default in Huawei as search engine. If they can be in the Huawei by default as a search engine so I presume that everyone else can be there.”

Léandri said Qwant will be watching to see what Huawei’s next steps will be — such as whether it will decide to try offering devices with its own store baked in in Europe.

And indeed how China will react.

“We have to understand the result politically, globally, the European consequences. The European attitude. It’s not only American and China — the rest of the world exists,” he said.

“I have plan b, plan c, plan d, plan f. To be clear we are a startup — so we can have tonnes of plans, The only thing is right now is it’s too enormous.

“I know that they are the two giants in the tech field… but the rest of the world have some words today and let’s see how the European Commission will react, my government will react and some of us will react because it’s not only a small commercial problem right now. It’s a real political power demonstration and it’s global so I will not be more — I am nobody in all this. I do my job and I do my job well and I will use the maximum opportunity that I can find on the market.”

We’ve reached out to the Commission to ask how it intends to respond to escalating risks for European tech firms as Trump’s trade war steps up.

Also today, Reuters reports that the German Economy Minister is examining the impact of US sanctions against Huawei on local companies.

But while a startup like Qwant waits to see what the next few months will bring — and how the landscape of the smartphone market might radically reconfigure in the face of sharply spiking political risk, a different European startup is hoping to catch some uplift: Finland-based Jolla steers development of a made-in-Europe Android alternative, called Sailfish OS.

It’s a very tiny player in a Google-dominated smartphone world. Yet could be positioned to make gains amid US and Chinese tech clashes — which in turn risk making major platform pieces feel a whole lot less stable.

A made-in-Europe non-Google-led OS might gain more ground among risk averse governments and enterprises — as a sensible hedge against Trump-fuelled global uncertainty.

“Sailfish OS, as a non-American, open source based, secure mobile OS platform, is naturally an interesting option for different players — currently the interest is stronger among corporate and governmental customers and partners, as our product offering is clearly focused on this segment,” says Jolla co-founder and CEO Sami Pienimäki.

“Overall, there definitely has been increased interest towards Sailfish OS as a mobile OS platform in different parts of the world, partly triggered by the on-going political activity in many locations. We have also had clearly more discussions with e.g. Chinese device manufacturers, and Jolla has also recently started new corporate and governmental customer projects in Europe.”

Read Full Article

Trump’s Huawei ban also causing tech shocks in Europe

The escalating US-China trade war that’s seen Chinese tech giant Huawei slapped on a US trade blacklist is causing ripples of shock across Europe too, as restrictions imposed on US companies hit regional suppliers concerned they could face US restrictions if they don’t ditch Huawei.

Reuters reports shares fell sharply today in three European chipmakers, Infineon Technologies, AMS and STMicroelectronics, after reports suggested some already had, or were about to, halt shipments to Huawei following the executive order barring US firms from trading with the Chinese tech giant.

The interconnectedness of high tech supply chains coupled with US dominance of the sector and Huawei’s strong regional position as a supplier of cellular, IT and network kit in Europe suddenly makes political risk a fast-accelerating threat for EU technology companies, large and small.

On the small side is French startup Qwant, which competes with Google by offering a pro-privacy search engine. In recent months it has been hoping to leverage a European antitrust decision against Google  Android last year to get smartphones to market in Europe that preload its search engine, not Google’s.

Huawei was its intended first major partner for such devices. Though, prior to recent trade war developments, it was already facing difficulties related to price incentives Google included in reworked EU Android licensing terms.

Still, the US-China trade war threatens to throw a far more existential spanner in European Commission efforts to reset the competitive planning field for smartphone services. Certainly if Google’s response to Huawei’s blacklisting is to torch its supply of almost all Android-related services, per Reuters.

A key aim of the EU antitrust decision was intended to support the unbundling of popular Google services from Android so that device makers can try selling combinations that aren’t entirely Google-flavored — while still being able to offer enough ‘Google’ to excite consumers (such as preloading the Play Store but with a different search and browser bundle instead of the usual Google + Chrome combo).

Yet if Google intends to limit Huawei’s access to such key services there’s little chance of that.

(In a statement responding to the Reuters report Google suggested it’s still deciding how to proceed, with a spokesperson writing: “We are complying with the order and reviewing the implications. For users of our services, Google Play and the security protections from Google Play Protect will continue to function on existing Huawei devices.”)

Going on Google’s initial response, Qwant co-founder and CEO Eric Léandri told us he thinks Google has overreacted — even as he dubbed the US-China trade war “world war III — economical war but it’s a world war for sure”.

“I really need to see exactly what the president trump has said about Huawei and how to work with them. Because I think maybe Google has overreacted. Because I haven’t [interpreted it] that way so I’m very surprised,” he told TechCrunch.

“If Huawei can be [blacklisted] what about the others?” he added. “Because I would say 60% of the cell phone sales in Europe today are coming from China. Huawei or ZTE, OnePlus and the others — they are all under the same kind of risk.

“Even some of our European brands who are very small like Nokia… all of them are made in China, usually with partnership with these big cell phone manufacturers. So that means several things but one thing that I’m sure is we should not rely on one OS. It would be difficult to explain how the Play Store is not as important as the search in Android.”

Léandri also questioned whether Google’s response to the blacklisting will include instructing Huawei not to even use its search engine — a move that could impact its share of the smartphone search market.

“At the end of the day there is just one thing I can say because I’m just a search engine and a European one — I haven’t seen Google asking to not be by default in Huawei as search engine. If they can be in the Huawei by default as a search engine so I presume that everyone else can be there.”

Léandri said Qwant will be watching to see what Huawei’s next steps will be — such as whether it will decide to try offering devices with its own store baked in in Europe.

And indeed how China will react.

“We have to understand the result politically, globally, the European consequences. The European attitude. It’s not only American and China — the rest of the world exists,” he said.

“I have plan b, plan c, plan d, plan f. To be clear we are a startup — so we can have tonnes of plans, The only thing is right now is it’s too enormous.

“I know that they are the two giants in the tech field… but the rest of the world have some words today and let’s see how the European Commission will react, my government will react and some of us will react because it’s not only a small commercial problem right now. It’s a real political power demonstration and it’s global so I will not be more — I am nobody in all this. I do my job and I do my job well and I will use the maximum opportunity that I can find on the market.”

We’ve reached out to the Commission to ask how it intends to respond to escalating risks for European tech firms as Trump’s trade war steps up.

Also today, Reuters reports that the German Economy Minister is examining the impact of US sanctions against Huawei on local companies.

But while a startup like Qwant waits to see what the next few months will bring — and how the landscape of the smartphone market might radically reconfigure in the face of sharply spiking political risk, a different European startup is hoping to catch some uplift: Finland-based Jolla steers development of a made-in-Europe Android alternative, called Sailfish OS.

It’s a very tiny player in a Google-dominated smartphone world. Yet could be positioned to make gains amid US and Chinese tech clashes — which in turn risk making major platform pieces feel a whole lot less stable.

A made-in-Europe non-Google-led OS might gain more ground among risk averse governments and enterprises — as a sensible hedge against Trump-fuelled global uncertainty.

“Sailfish OS, as a non-American, open source based, secure mobile OS platform, is naturally an interesting option for different players — currently the interest is stronger among corporate and governmental customers and partners, as our product offering is clearly focused on this segment,” says Jolla co-founder and CEO Sami Pienimäki.

“Overall, there definitely has been increased interest towards Sailfish OS as a mobile OS platform in different parts of the world, partly triggered by the on-going political activity in many locations. We have also had clearly more discussions with e.g. Chinese device manufacturers, and Jolla has also recently started new corporate and governmental customer projects in Europe.”

Read Full Article

How to Use the Custom Shape Tool in Adobe Photoshop

Sometimes—when you see a cool design that was created in Photoshop—you might wonder what tool was used to make it. You’ll invariably discover that the design was created with Photoshop’s Custom Shape Tool.

Custom shapes, you think? The only shape designs you’ve seen look like stock art. But this robust tool can offer so much more, and its versatility is often underutilized. So here is a beginner’s guide to using the Custom Shape Tool in Photoshop.

Step 1: Set Up Your Photoshop File

The first thing you’ll want to do is set up your document in Photoshop. For the purposes of this tutorial, simply open the program and pick the Default Photoshop Size.

Next, you’ll want to drop some basic color onto your background, so you can see how your shape interacts with it (more on that later).

For this image we’ve decided to add a simple orange gradient. I then made that gradient darker by applying a Layer style.

If you don’t know how to make a gradient, check out our tutorial detailing how to make a custom gradient in Photoshop.

Step 2: Understand Your Custom Shape Tool

Next, you’ll want to go to your Custom Shape Tool. Your Custom Shape Tool can be found in the left-hand toolbar.

You’ll recognize the Custom Shape Tool by the little splatter pattern of its icon, almost like a puddle. Click on this icon to make sure your Custom Shape Tool is active.

After your Custom Shape Tool is active, you’ll see the toolbar along the top of your workspace change to fit its parameters.

The most important part of the Custom Shape Tool is choosing the shape itself. To pick a shape from Photoshop’s library, go to the Custom Shape picker menu, seen here highlighted in red.

Once you click on the dropdown menu, you’ll see a whole host of premade options. These shapes range from picture frames and signage, to nature elements, text bubbles, hearts, and squares.

For this tutorial we’re going to pick one of the flowers.

Shape Adjustment Tools

After I pick my shape style, I need to pick the color for both the Fill and Stroke.

Fill is the color that will be inside your shape. Stroke is the color that will outline your shape.

These two options can be found in the top left-hand corner of your workspace. By clicking on each corresponding swatch, you will see a dropdown menu emerge.

From there, you can choose a hue for your Fill or Stroke. You can also choose to have no color at all. To leave your Fill or Stroke blank, pick the white box with a red strikethrough line.

Additionally—if you don’t like any of these color swatches—you can also pick a custom color from the Color Picker. It’s found on the right-hand side of your dropdown menu.

Do you want to use multiple custom colors at once? Here’s how to create a color palette in Photoshop.

The last setting that you need to be aware of is the Width and Type options for your Stroke.

We’ll be covering these settings later on in the tutorial, but for now just be aware that they are located next to your Fill and Stroke options. You can also adjust your line width and type before you draw your shape, or after you’ve finished.

Step 3: Draw Your Shape

Now that you’ve familiarized yourself with the Custom Shape Tool, it’s time to draw the “flower”.

First, create a new layer for your shape to sit on. This is important, as it allows you to easily edit your shape and use the blending mode to tweak the color later.

Next, make sure your Custom Shape Tool is still active. Then click and drag your cursor across the page to draw your shape. You’ll see the outline of it in blue.

Don’t worry too much about the placement of this shape, or that the dimensions are not exactly where you want them to be. You can fix both of these things later.

Once your shape is roughly the size that you want it at, release your cursor. The blue lines will automatically fill with color, so long as you didn’t have your Fill option set to the red strikethrough before you started.

You’ll also see small “markers” placed at strategic points along this blue outline that still surrounds your flower. You can use these markers to adjust your shape, so let’s do that right now.

Step 4: Adjust Your Shape

To adjust your shape, go to the left-hand toolbar and click on the Direct Selection Tool. Its icon looks like a little white arrow, seen here highlighted in red.

The Direct Selection Tool allows you to adjust individual anchor points along a path. Once you have your tool active, you’ll see all the blue “markers” turn white. These are your anchor points.

To adjust an anchor point, click on one of the white dots—it will turn blue again to show you that it’s selected.

Next, click and drag this anchor point to a new position to adjust your shape.

Let’s say I want to make the petals on this flower skinnier. To do that, I’m going to click and drag this point downwards, towards the center. It will cut the petal in half.

When the anchor point is where I want it to be, I’m going to release my cursor. The flower will automatically adjust to this new path.

I like the look of this, so I’m going to grab another anchor point, then click and drag to create another identical flower petal.

Keep on doing this until all of your points are adjusted.

Step 5: Adjust Your Anchor Points

When you click on an anchor point, you might notice that two little “handles” will stick out on either side of it.

These are your drag control points. When you adjust them, they alter the shape of your anchor point, instead of moving it from point A to B.

To adjust these handles, click on the anchor point you want to adjust.

Then click on the drag control point you want to adjust. It will turn blue.

Once you click on this drag control point, hold down your cursor and move it around the page. You’ll notice the individual curve of your shape—associated with that specific anchor point—will change with it. All your other anchor points will remain the same.

If you don’t like the look of this curve, you can simply go Edit > Undo Drag Control Point. Photoshop will revert your changes.

Step 6: Adjust Your Stroke

Now that you’ve adjusted the shape of your flower, it’s time to finesse the Stroke.

Make sure your shape is selected. Next, go to the toolbar at the top of your workspace, and click on the dropdown menu for the Stroke Size.

By dragging the slider back and forth across the bar, you can make your Stroke line look thinner or thicker.

You can also change the Type of stroke by clicking on the dropdown menu next to it.

Step 7: Make Final Adjustments

Now that we’ve adjusted the shape, color, stroke width, and type, it’s time to take a look at this custom shape to see if we’re happy with it.

I’m mostly happy with how this looks. If you aren’t satisfied with your own colors, you can tweak them further by using the Blending Mode in the Layers panel, seen here highlighted in red.

You can also move your final design around on the page.

To do this, go back to your left-hand toolbar. On the Direct Selection Tool icon, click the small white arrow in the corner to access the dropdown menu. Choose the black arrow instead.

This black arrow is the Path Selection Tool. With this tool active, click on your shape so that the blue lines appear. Then click and drag your shape around the page until you’re happy with its placement.

Use the Custom Shape Tool to Design Something Cool

There’s a lot of other, smaller tweaks that you can make with Photoshop’s Custom Shape Tool. By knowing these basic steps, however, you’ll be able to adjust even the most boring of Adobe’s shapes and turn them into something cool.

Are you interested in knowing more about the Layers panel and how you can use it to change your design’s color? Then check out our tutorial explaining how to use the Blending Mode in Photoshop.

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WhatsApp Breached: Update Your App to Stay Safe

Messaging service WhatsApp recently confirmed that a major vulnerability allowed hackers to install remote surveillance software on phones and other devices. The hackers used the vulnerability to target several users and was almost certainly the work of “an advanced cyber-actor.”

WhatsApp carries a strong reputation as a secure messaging app. But now the Facebook-owned messenger is under scrutiny. How did the hackers breach WhatsApp? And is WhatsApp still safe to use?

WhatsApp Security Breach Allows Malware Installation

The vulnerability exploits WhatsApp’s voice calling to ring the target’s device. Once the call starts, an advanced surveillance tool installs. The victim doesn’t need to answer the call; the malware still installs. After the incoming call finishes, the surveillance tool wipes any notifications and call logs relating to the malware.

The spyware itself is capable of trawling through and collecting phone call data, messages, photos, and videos, as well as activating and recording the microphone and camera. It is an advanced, dangerous piece of malware that could cause significant damage. However, while the malware itself and the exploitation of WhatsApp is advanced, the attack leveraged a pretty old method of attack.

WhatsApp owner Facebook published a security advisory describing the hack as “A buffer overflow vulnerability in WhatsApp VOIP [voice over internet protocol] stack allowed remote code execution via specially crafted series of SRTCP [secure real-time transport protocol] packets sent to a target phone number.”

A buffer overflow is where a program, or in this case, app, accesses system memory it should not have access too. If an attacker can figure out how to run code in the unauthorized memory area, they can execute something malicious, which is what has happened here.

Which Devices Does the WhatsApp Hack Affect?

All of them, simply put.

If your phone has WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business installed, the vulnerability could affect your device. That means Android, iOS, Windows 10 Mobile phones, and Tizen devices.

Who Is Behind the WhatsApp Hack?

There are strong suspicions that the Israeli cybersecurity company, NSO Group, is behind the hack. The NSO Group has a strong history of producing such advanced malware, as well as having the expertise to execute something of this nature.

The WhatsApp security breach reads like a nightmare, a dystopian world of tech-enabled total surveillance – targeted at lawyers, dissidents and human rights activists. When were ministers informed? How many UK users are affected? Have they been notified? My Urgent Question… pic.twitter.com/eIgbnqqVMi

— Tom Watson (@tom_watson) May 15, 2019

Facebook told the Financial Times that the “attack has all the hallmarks of a company known to work with governments to deliver spyware that reportedly takes over the functions of mobile phone operating systems.”

The statement is referencing the Pegasus spyware the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab discovered in 2016. Citizen Lab uncovered Pegasus after the highly advanced malware was used to target prominent human rights activist, Ahmed Mansoor. Pegasus used three individual zero-day exploits to conduct a remote iPhone jailbreak. It forced Apple to release an unexpected iOS update to patch the vulnerabilities.

Aside from the alternative method of attack, the WhatsApp hack demonstrates another worrying development. The malware delivered by the WhatsApp exploit didn’t require a click or tap to install. The malware is silent, installs itself, and then deletes the evidence.

The NSO Group released a statement attempting to distance themselves from the WhatsApp hack.

“NSO’s technology is licensed to authorized government agencies for the sole purpose of fighting crime and terror. The company does not operate the system, and after a rigorous licensing and vetting process, intelligence and law enforcement determine how to use the technology to support their public safety missions.

“We investigate any credible allegations of misuse, and if necessary, we take action, including shutting down the system. Under no circumstances would NSO be involved in the operating or identifying of targets of its technology, which is solely operated by intelligence and law enforcement agencies.

“NSO would not or could not use its technology in its own right to target any person or organization, including this individual.”

Am I At Risk of the WhatsApp Hack?

Honestly, it is highly unlikely that you will become a direct victim of the WhatsApp hack.

Attacks of this nature are rare, usually the work of a state-backed threat actor. (What is a nation-state threat actor, anyway?) The orchestrators only use such an attack to target specific individuals or organizations. Once security researchers discover and analyze the attack, it is usually as good as done. The vulnerable or exploited service, app, program, or otherwise will take action and patch the issue, ensuring no one can use it.

Therefore, you can safely assume that you are not a target.

The few targets identified confirm this theory: an Amnesty International researcher, a UK-based human rights lawyer, and others.

It’s Time to Update WhatsApp

That said, it is time to update WhatsApp on your devices. WhatsApp rolled out an urgent update in the days immediately following the hack. The update patches the vulnerability.

How to Update WhatsApp on Android

1. On your device, open the Google Play Store
2. Tap the menu icon in the top-left corner
3. Open My Apps & Games
4. Check to see if WhatsApp has already updated; it will appear near the top of your apps list if so
5. Otherwise, find WhatsApp on the list and select Update

How to Update WhatsApp on iOS

1. On your device, open the App Store
2. Tap Updates
3. Check to see if WhatsApp has already updated; it will appear in the list of apps with an Open button
4. If not, the button will say Update; tap the button to install the WhatsApp update

Is WhatsApp Still Safe to Use?

The big question. Can you still use WhatsApp safely?

Yes.

Despite how certain publications attempt to frame the WhatsApp hack, the app is still safe to use (after you update!). As you see from the identified targets, unless you fit that bracket, you are not going to encounter an attack of this type.

The post-WhatsApp hack issue lies with poor reporting. WhatsApp carries a reputation for protecting privacy because it uses end-to-end encryption to secure your communication. The fact of the matter is that this attack didn’t breach the encryption.

Publications that frame the attack in this manner only seek to capitalize on the misunderstandings and murkiness already present in a situation with such high-level threat actors.

Vehicle hit by Hellfire missile shows that wearing your seat belt is largely pointless pic.twitter.com/7GnZ17xo0K

— MalwareTech (@MalwareTechBlog) May 14, 2019

The WhatsApp hack was a highly specialized and almost invisible attack that WhatsApp and Facebook did well to spot before more targets were compromised. Presenting it in any other manner, as if it is like a regular phishing attempt or a drive-by malware download, is irresponsible.

Thinking about leaving WhatsApp? Try these WhatsApp alternatives that guard your privacy.

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What Is an Ebook? How to Read EPUB, MOBI, and More

Perhaps surprisingly, ebook sales have been in decline for the last couple of years; traditional paper books are enjoying something of a renaissance.

But that doesn’t mean you should dismiss ebooks. Sure, there are times when a physical book makes more sense—for example, if you’re giving it as a gift or you need to make a significant number of annotations as you read—but ebooks are unquestionably cheaper and more convenient for day-to-day reading.

If you’re curious about what an ebook is and how it works, keep reading.

What Is an Ebook?

I am told that this "Fitzgerald" was an actual person, I would like to meet him. Though I am still confused…what is an ebook?

— ?? (@percygrans) April 1, 2019

Ebook is short for electronic book. In its purest form, an ebook merely refers to any book that’s available in a digital format.

An ebook can contain the same elements as a regular book, including contents, chapters, images, graphs, references, bibliographies, and more.

In practice, there are a few things that distinguish an ebook from any other text-based electronic document. Ebooks are non-editable, and most importantly, are reflowable.

A reflowable document can adapt the way it displays, depending on the device which it is being viewed on. That means that the same EPUB file will look different depending on whether you’re using a Kindle, a Nook, a laptop, or some other device.

The exception to the reflowable rule is PDFs. Today, most people consider books distributed in the PDF format to be “real” ebooks. PDFs are fixed-layout, meaning you might encounter formatting issues when viewing a PDF on a dedicated ereader.

Lastly, because an ebook is digital, it can offer some features not available in paper books, such as hyperlinks, adjustable fonts and text sizes, and even video.

How to Read an Ebook

To read an ebook, you need two things—an ebook file and an ebook reader.

Where to Find Ebooks

There’s no shortage of sites and companies from which you can download ebooks to read.

The most popular online store is, of course, Amazon. There are more than six million titles to choose from. They include top books from the leading publishers and authors, as well as a near-endless selection of self-published independent books.

Amazon also offers a couple of ebook rental services. Kindle Unlimited costs $9.99 per month and provides access to one million ebooks and thousands of audiobooks, while all Prime subscribers can rent ebooks from an ever-changing library of about 1,000 titles.

The company also offers some free ebooks, including classics like The Hobbit and The Man In the High Castle. The list of free books changes frequently.

If you don’t want to spend money on ebooks, there are better places to look than Amazon. Some sites specialize in offering free ebooks. Some of the most popular include Library Genesis and Project Gutenberg. Check out our article on sites to find free ebooks if you would like to learn more.

Similarly, Amazon is far from being the only option if you’re happy to spend money on your ebooks. Companies like Kobo, Barnes and Noble, Waterstones, and ebooks.com are just some of the other online ebook stores worth checking out.

Choosing an Ebook Reader

An ebook reader—or ereader—can come in many forms.

If you’re a dedicated ebook worm, you should probably invest in a dedicated ereader device. The most popular brand on the market is Amazon Kindle. Three Kindle products are available: the basic model, the Paperwhite, and the Oasis.

We’ve written about some of the other best ebook readers if you’d like more information.

If you don’t want to buy a Kindle, you can also try using ebook reader apps on Android and desktop.

We looked at some of the best Android ereader apps and found Bookari, Wattpad, and FReader to be among the top picks.

The best ebook readers on PC include Icecream Ebook Reader, Bibliovore, and Kindle’s own app.

How to Choose an Ebook Format: MOBI, EPUB, or AZW?

The world of ebook formats is a confusing place. There are several formats that you might come across at some point. Each of them has different characteristics and is used for various purposes.

However, the three most common ebook formats are arguably EPUB, MOBI, and AZW.

How to Read MOBI Files

MOBI started life as a fork of the old OEB (Open Ebook) format in 2000. Initially developed by French company Mobipocket, the format was ultimately killed by Amazon in 2016, 11 years after its 2005 buyout.

Even though the servers are now officially offline, most mainstream ebook readers support the format due to the millions of legacy MOBI ebooks that still exist.

How to Read EPUB Files

EPUB is free to use and open standard. The vendor-independent format is the most common ebook format in the world. Like MOBI, it also grew out of the OEB format.

EPUB files can be read on almost every ereader and ebook app, with one massive exception—Kindle ebook readers. Thankfully, it’s possible to convert EPUB into MOBI or AZW using a few different methods.

How to Read AZW Files

AZW is Amazon’s proprietary ebook format. Based on MOBI, it’s believed to be the reason Amazon bought its creator, Mobipocket, in 2005.

All ebooks purchased on Amazon are delivered in the AZW or AZW3 format.

Going into detail about the other types of ebooks is beyond the scope of this piece, but we’ve explained the different ebook formats in more detail elsewhere on the site.

Start Your Ebook Journey

Okay, let’s recap.

• An ebook is a non-editable, reflowable, digital version of a book, magazine, or comic.
• You can read ebooks on dedicated readers, smartphone apps, and desktop computers.
• Ebooks are available in lots of online stores, but you can also download millions of titles for free.
• Annoying, lots of ebook formats exist, not all of which are supported by all readers—but conversion between formats is possible.

Finally, some ebooks will use DRM. If you want to know how to remove the DRM from any ebook you own, check out our guide.

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The 10 Best TaskRabbit Jobs to Make Money or Free Up Time

You always have use for an extra hundred dollars or two. You might even have time to spare—perhaps you finish work early, or maybe you’re currently between jobs. But if a permanent gig like bartending is not what you need right now, you’ll want to take a look at TaskRabbit jobs.

TaskRabbit pairs people who need to delegate various tasks with people looking to earn some money. If you’re a qualified repairman, electrician, or plumber, it could become your main source of work. But even if you don’t have any specialized skills, you can still make money as a TaskRabbit Tasker. And also help people free up their time.

Many TaskRabbit jobs are things you already know how to do, like shopping, organizing, and moving apartments. Some are even kind of fun, like handing out Halloween candy or wrapping presents. For this article, we picked some easy tasks you can do to make money. No special expertise needed—only your time.

1. Do Grocery Shopping

Getting groceries is unexciting, but necessary—we all have to eat, so there’s no getting around it. What makes grocery shopping a brilliant TaskRabbit job is that you know exactly how to do it and might even find it enjoyable. When you’re just starting out, you can make around $17 per hour for something as easy as picking fresh broccoli and stocking up on ketchup.

2. Deliver Food or Documents

If you’re good at navigation and have a bike or a car, take a closer look at delivery jobs. This can be something as simple as bringing someone a sushi dinner from their favorite restaurant or delivering a package from one office building to another. Deliveries pay about $17 per hour, and it’s a job you can start with little to no preparation.

3. Help Move Apartments

Ugh, moving apartments. If you’ve done it at least once, you know how overwhelming it is. With this TaskRabbit job, you can help relieve the stress for someone by packing and unpacking their stuff, carrying it down the stairs, and helping with other parts of the process.

Depending on the job, you might be hired for something quick like packing or to help with the whole move. And while that is a bit more physically challenging than the previous TaskRabbit jobs, it also pays better. Tasks in the Moving category start at $25 per hour.

4. Rake Leaves and Water Flowerbeds

Do you have a green thumb or just like being outside? One of the Yard Work jobs on TaskRabbit might be just right for you. You don’t have to be an expert in mulching and composting—even a job as basic as raking leaves or watering flowerbeds can pay around $18 per hour. And the fresh air is a bonus.

5. Organize Closets or Documents

If your closet would give Marie Kondo tears of joy, it’s time to monetize your natural tidiness. A task as simple and undemanding as organizing someone else’s closet can pay around $15 per hour. You can also organize documents, sort out mail, and do other entry-level jobs you may have done as an intern.

6. Pick Up Dry Cleaning or Wait for Deliveries

Everybody has errands to run, and let’s be real: nobody has time for them. But in case you do have a few hours to spare and are looking to make an extra buck, you can run errands for someone else. TaskRabbit jobs like picking up dry cleaning or waiting for a delivery pay around $17 per hour. So this time you won’t feel like you’re just wasting your time.

7. Schedule Meetings and Take Calls

Some business owners and executives could use administrative help, but don’t have enough workload for a full-time assistant. You can be their part-time personal assistant doing a range of different tasks, or get hired to do a particular job like taking calls. The pay is not that high—around $15 per hour, but the nature of the job implies you’re likely to get booked for more hours.

8. Wait in Lines

Let’s face it: nobody likes to wait in a huge line. But if you get paid to do it? That’s a different story. There’s a TaskRabbit job even for waiting in lines for someone, meaning you can make around $15 per hour doing literally nothing. This may well be the only way to earn money by scrolling Facebook.

9. Rearrange Furniture

Helping someone move a couch or a wardrobe is a quick and dirty job that requires nothing but physical strength and a bit of free time. And at roughly $25 per hour, this TaskRabbit job pays better than many others. So if you don’t shy away from physical labor, this is a pretty efficient way to monetize your spare time. Stretch your arms and you’re good to go!

10. Decorate Parties and Homes

Picking balloons or flower arrangements for a party can be a lot of fun, but for someone with a mile-long party planning list, it probably isn’t. You can help save that person from a panic attack by taking the decorating job off of their shoulders.

Stocking up on decorations is just one of the things you can do. Others include hanging frames and other light interior design jobs. Tasks in the Decoration category typically pay around $15 per hour.

Start Making Use of Your Time

Want to work for TaskRabbit and curious to know more? Here’s a detailed guide on making money as a TaskRabbit Tasker. Rumor has it, some Taskers make a living out of it, so give it a thought.

Also, these relatively simple TaskRabbit jobs show that there are people who can help you free up a lot of your time. Consider that when you have more important priorities to take care of.

While working for TaskRabbit is a great way to monetize your time, it’s not the only one. Previously we’ve covered several micro jobs to make money in your free time, from taking online surveys to taking photos of your receipts. And if you’d rather stay in the comfort of the internet, there are countless websites to earn money online by writing reviews, selling crafts, or editing photos.

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