Google Has a Fix to Stop Google Calendar Spam

Google is working on a fix to stop Google Calendar spam. Which is hitting more and more people every week. And while Google’s permanent fix isn’t ready yet, there is a way to stop Google Calendar spam right now by tweaking a few settings.

Spammers Start Targeting Google Calendar

Spam has traditionally been sent via email. And everyone in the world who has been on the internet for a few hours will have been targeted by it. But while spam is annoying, email filters means spam rarely makes it to your inbox these days.

However, that hasn’t put spammers out of business. Instead, they’ve just looked for new avenues to spread their nonsense. Which now includes Google Calendar. Thankfully, there’s a temporary fix, and Google is now working on a more permanent solution.

Google Is Working on a Calendar Spam Fix

In a post on the Google Calendar Help Center, Google says that it’s “aware of the spam occurring in Calendar and are working diligently to resolve this issue.” There’s no timeline as to when the fix will be issued, with Google thanking us for our patience.

Just had spam show up in my Google calendar pic.twitter.com/HBXo9viI8E

— Nick Carrillo (@kahreo) August 27, 2019

Regardless, it’s good to know Google is working on a fix. And in the meantime there’s a simple way to stop Google Calendar spam. This will limit some aspects of Google Calendar, hence it isn’t a permanent fix, but it will at least stop the spam.

How to Stop Google Calendar Spam

1. Go to Google Calendar on the web.
2. Click the Settings cog and open Settings.
3. Scroll down to Event Settings.
4. Click “Automatically add invitations” and select “No, only display invitations to which I have replied”.
5. Scroll down to Events From Gmail.
6. Uncheck “Automatically add events from Gmail to my calendar”.

Changing these two settings should prevent you from being hit with Google Calendar spam. First, events sent to Gmail won’t automatically be added to Google Calendar. Secondly, invitations will only be displayed if you have replied to them.

How to Stop Other Types of Spam

Any efforts to combat spam should be welcomed with open arms, especially when the spammers find a new way to reach us. So, if you are still finding spam a problem, here’s how to stop spam messages in Gmail and how to report spam text messages.

Read the full article: Google Has a Fix to Stop Google Calendar Spam

Read Full Article

What Is Cloud Computing? How Does Cloud Technology Work?

“It’s in the cloud.” That common phrase still causes confusion. Here’s another one: “It’s a cloud service.” Why isn’t the service firmly rooted to the ground?

Cloud computing is everywhere. Most major online services use cloud computing in some manner. Cloud computing powers Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, iCloud, Google Drive, and countless other day to day services.

Wondering what cloud computing is? Here’s how cloud technology works, the different types of cloud services, and how you can use cloud computing.

What Is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services over the internet. Those computer services include servers, online storage, databases, networking, analytics, intelligence, and even whole cloud platforms (more on these in a moment).

On the development and services side, cloud computing is predominantly pay as you go. That means you only pay for the cloud computing resources you use. The switch to cloud computing was a marked change from existing internet business infrastructure where an organization would purchase and maintain its own hardware.

Cloud computing allows for the sharing of hardware resources, helping to lower costs, increase infrastructure efficiency, and scale with the demands of a business. In that, cloud computing also refers to the sharing of resources and infrastructure over the internet to the benefit of businesses, customers, and other users.

Cloud computing has existed since the 60s, when organizations could rent time on a mainframe. However, it wasn’t until Amazon popularized the concept in 2006 with its ground-breaking Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) that the term “cloud computing” hit the mainstream.

How Does Cloud Computing Work?

Websites and applications run using a front end and back end. The front end is the part you interact with, like your Facebook account or Google Drive.

The back end is the cloud computing aspect, which contains the service or application code, monitoring services, databases, storage, and much more. The largest cloud computing providers have enormous warehouses filled with servers dedicated to providing cloud services. The core aspect is that cloud computing is easily accessible from anywhere with an internet connection. It doesn’t matter if you’re in London or Lebanon, a cloud computing service can deliver the same service.

These days, cloud computing has several different models, which deliver different types of services.

• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is a common cloud computing service that provides a site or service with the infrastructure backend. The infrastructure varies between deployments and is very flexible, making IaaS one of the most popular cloud computing models.
• Platform as a Service (PaaS) helps organizations deliver an entire online platform, taking care of the hardware and operating system. One of the major differences from IaaS to PaaS is the range of development tools and frameworks available to developers, allowing for the creation of complex applications and services.
• Software as a Service (SaaS) is the use of cloud computing to deliver an application as a service. SaaS is the cloud computing model you are most likely to have used.

There are two primary cloud computing deployment models, too:

• Full cloud deployment exists entirely in the cloud environment. Applications are developed in the cloud or migrated to it.
• Hybrid cloud deployment allows existing infrastructure and applications to use cloud computing technology without full migration. Hybrid deployments allow existing products to adopt some major benefits of cloud computing without sacrificing an existing internal system.

What Is a Public Cloud?

A public cloud is a cloud computing service, like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud, that is open to anyone to purchase and use. Typically, public cloud charges for the resources consumed during a specific billing period.

Conversely, a private cloud is a cloud computing environment only accessible by certain people. Private clouds are sometimes referred to as an internal or corporate cloud, because they provide the same benefits of a public cloud—infrastructure, scalability, cost management—without as much exposure to the negatives, such as security and privacy issues.

What becomes slightly confusing is that many major organizations use the same cloud computing services as the public. For instance, you can head to Amazon and create an EC2 instance right now. At the same time, Netflix, Twitch, LinkedIn, Facebook, and many more global tech companies are also using the same cloud computing technology to power those sites and services you use daily.

At a basic level, everyone is using the same cloud computing services. It is just different models, deployments, and products separating them.

What Are the Advantages to Cloud Computing?

There are several advantages to cloud computing for end-users.

The main advantage, and one that most people are familiar with is that your work and data is available on any computer. Once you login to your Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud, or otherwise, you can access the same files and documents as if you were sitting at your desktop.

Cloud computing extends into other services like Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, allowing you to start working at one terminal and finish at another, with very little difference between either.

Cloud computing has also changed personal hardware requirements, too. Instead of dragging a powerful laptop everywhere, users can opt for cloud services. Users of all kinds can opt for smaller, less power-hungry devices safe in the knowledge that at least some of their work will take place using a cloud service, predominantly via a browser or web app.

A prime example of this is Google’s Chrome OS and Chromebook models. Often much cheaper than a similarly sized laptop, Chromebooks are a cloud-focused computer that’s primarily aimed at users on the go and the education market.

Another facet of cloud computing is the vast quantities of cloud storage now available to end-users. Uploading and storing hundreds of gigabytes of photos is now commonplace. It is a cheap and easy way to backup your digital files.

Are There Any Disadvantages to Cloud Computing?

The biggest disadvantage of cloud computing is requiring an internet connection to access certain services. If you haven’t synced your files, you could find yourself locked out of them at an inopportune time. Similarly, if your internet connection suffers an outage, getting into those cloud-based files and services is impossible.

Adding to internet downtime, latency plays a significant role in cloud computing.

Users of cloud computing services also face issues with security and privacy. As cloud computing services and apps are constantly online, there is the threat of a security breach from either the user or the service. For instance, did you know that some ransomware types can encrypt cloud storage?

Also, many of the most popular cloud services are completely free, which on the one hand is great for consumers. However, on the other hand, many services hoover up user data, in turn creating security and privacy issues.

By extension, cloud computing services also remove control from the user. You can download your photos and sync your files to your computer. But you don’t control the service, nor do you own it, regardless of your subscription or otherwise. If the service goes offline, you’d better hope you receive ample warning to extract your data. Depending on the cloud computing service, finding an alternative can be difficult.

Cloud Computing Is Everywhere

Cloud computing and cloud services are everywhere. Global research firm, Gartner, estimates that worldwide public cloud spending will increase from $182 billion in 2018 to a whopping $331 billion in 2022.

“Cloud services are definitely shaking up the industry,” according to Sid Nag, research vice president at Gartner. “At Gartner, we know of no vendor or service provider today whose business model offerings and revenue growth are not influenced by the increasing adoption of cloud-first strategies in organizations. What we see now is only the beginning, though.”

Even with the phenomenal amount of spending on cloud computing, the market will continue to grow. The introduction of faster internet connections across the globe and the imminent expansion of 5G technology provides the opportunity for even more services to switch to a cloud model.

Despite the rise of cloud computing and cloud services, there is still a lot of confusion. Check out these seven common cloud computing myths, so you can finally put them to bed.

Read the full article: What Is Cloud Computing? How Does Cloud Technology Work?

Read Full Article

How to Build a Mind Map in Microsoft Word

Our thoughts rarely go from Point A to Point B in a straight line. More likely, they flit about like a firefly caught in a jar. This is where a tool like a Mind Map comes in use.

A mind map is simply a diagram that helps to connect related ideas or concepts around a central thought. It is a great idea-capturing device to bring some order to the chaos that’s our brain. A paper and pen is the easiest tool to get started on your first mind map. But today, we will take a shot at making a mind map with Microsoft Word.

Why Mind Maps Work

By putting down ideas or thoughts on a mind map, the brain is encouraged to think from every perspective. A mind map also encourages brainstorming. Your brain will start to think about the relationships between ideas rather than look at them as a hierarchical list.

The bottom line about mind mapping is that it’s all about “visuals”—associate words with each other and add imagery to help your brain make sense of large chunks of data.

How to Make a Mind Map in Microsoft Word

There are specialized apps for creating mind maps. But if you don’t have any mind mapping software, then Microsoft Word can also be used to draw a quick mind map. But first…

Simple Rules for Effective Mind Maps

• Think of the central idea and write it down in the middle.
• Think of related ideas and place them radially around the central idea. Connect all ideas with meaningful relationships. Use lines, colored lines, shapes, pictures, etc. to graphically describe ideas and relationships.
• Leave lots of space between ideas because new filler ideas and relationships will come in as the mind map grows.
• Go with the flow.

Get Familiar With the Illustrations Group in Word

We have seen how easy it is to create flowcharts in Word with the help of basic shapes and connectors. Extend it with icons, pictures, SmartArt, charts, or even videos. And the finished mind map in Word can become a professional document in its own right.

Step 1: Switch to Landscape Mode

The landscape mode gives the most horizontal area to work with. In a New Word Document, select Layout > Orientation > Landscape. If you want to finally print it, select the right Size in the Page Setup group.

Step 2: Combine Available Shapes in Word

Most of the tools we can use lie in the Illustrations group on the Insert tab. Click on Shapes which has all basic building blocks for a mind map.

You can use simple shapes like ovals or rounded rectangles to represent the central ideas. Then, label all shapes with a Text Box.

Stretch out and connect the shapes with lines and arrows to represent relationships.

Like all other elements, you can copy and paste shapes, thus helping to put down the main ideas rapidly as nodes and sub-nodes.

Step 3: Start Mapping With Shapes and Text Boxes

All elements can be elaborated using the full range of the Shape Styles. Drawing the first shape brings up the contextual Shape Format tab. The best thing is that a mouse-over on any tool gives us a live preview of how the diagram is turning out.

Step 4: Format Your Shapes

To change the properties of the shape, right-click on the selected shape and select Format Shape from the context menu.

Any options for Lines connects all the nodes and sub-nodes. Lines are also Shapes and their look or angles of rotation can be similarly changed from Format Shape or from the Ribbon (double click on the shape to bring up the Format tab).

Step 5: Label Shapes and Lines

You can label shapes and lines with text to define the relationships. However, in earlier versions, Microsoft Word limits text orientation to vertical or horizontal. In Word 2016 and 2019, go to Insert > Text > Text Box and insert a Simple Text Box, which you can subsequently rotate to your preferred angle.

Mind maps can be illustrated with images sourced from your desktop or online. Instead of pictures, you can also tap into Icons to represent processes and workflows.

Go to Ribbon > Insert > Illustrations Group > Icons.

While inserting images or icons, use the corner handles to define the size of the image. You can also adjust the transparency and colorize the icons to match them with the color theme of your mind map.

Step 6: Add Notes and Links to Your Word Mind Map

Creating a mind map in Word can be extended by adding hyperlinks to external sources. But what if you want to add more detailed notes to the mind map?

A workaround to add notes or attachments within the Microsoft Word file is not there, though you can use OneNote to make Linked Notes.

The OneNote Linked Notes feature allows you to dock OneNote on one side of the open Word document and take notes. Whatever notes you take in OneNote gets “linked” to the particular Word document.

To start taking Linked Notes in Word, go to Ribbon > Review > Linked Notes.

OneNote will open next to your mind map and ask you to pick a Notebook, Section, and Page for your new note with the Select Location dialog box. Choose a new page or an existing page to begin.

Start your notes in the OneNote window on the right. OneNote embeds a thumbnail image of the page, a text excerpt, and a link to the document the note is linked to. You can click on the thumbnail to open the associated mind map anytime.

To stop your note-taking session, go to the upper-right corner of the docked OneNote window. Click the chain link icon, and then choose Stop Taking Linked Notes.

Microsoft Word as a Mind Mapping Tool

Microsoft Word (and even Microsoft PowerPoint) is useful as a rapid tool for building a mind map. It’s more flexible than pen and paper because you can easily update it by adding or rearranging the topics.

You can copy it to the other Office programs and if need be, even print it out. Presenting it with PowerPoint or email sharing are added options.

But make no mistake—Microsoft Word is not a dedicated tool for mindmaps.

Mind mapping tools like FreeMind have greater flexibility. Just to cite one feature, it’s not possible to collapse and open the branch nodes in Microsoft Word. But, the crux of the matter is that Microsoft Word can make mind maps and we have shown you how to make one.

Want another tip to boost your thinking? Try these Microsoft Word templates to start brainstorming.

Read the full article: How to Build a Mind Map in Microsoft Word

Read Full Article

9 Raspberry Pi Operating Systems That Aren’t Linux

Looking for a way to get the most out of your Raspberry Pi? Running a project that just needs something more? Odd as it may seem, Linux might be the problem, so why not consider a non-Linux operating system? Several have been released, or adapted, for use on the Raspberry Pi.

Non-Linux Raspberry Pi OS List for 2019

Looking for a Raspberry Pi operating system that isn’t Linux? These nine alternatives should suit you down to the ground:

1. Windows 10
2. Windows 10 IoT Core
3. NetBSD
4. OpenBSD
5. RISC OS
6. Android
7. Android Things
8. Plan 9
9. Chromium OS

It’s a tempting mix, isn’t it? Let’s look at each and help you decide which Raspberry Pi operating system you’re going to install next.

1. Windows 10 on the Raspberry Pi

Most Raspberry Pi users are happy with Linux for many reasons, not least because it is free to use and open source. Yet incredibly, there’s a free version of Windows 10 that will run on the Raspberry Pi 3B and 3B+.

Two tools are available: the WOA Deployer for Raspberry Pi and Windows on Raspberry Imager. Both do essentially the same thing. Once run, they prepare a version of Windows 10 on ARM that is then written to SD card.

Not sure which to choose? If you want everything to just work out of the box, choose the WOA Deployer for Raspberry Pi. Need some configuration options? Use Windows on Raspberry Imager.

Download: WOA Deployer for Raspberry Pi for Raspberry Pi 3B/B+

Download: Windows on Raspberry Imager

2. Windows 10 IoT Core

Looking for something more functional than Windows 10? Microsoft’s dedicated internet of Things version is ideal for IoT projects. Compatible with the Raspberry Pi (and available as an option in NOOBS), Microsoft describes Windows 10 IoT Core as “…a version of Windows 10 that is optimized for smaller devices with or without a display, and that runs on the Raspberry Pi 2 and 3, Arrow DragonBoard 410c & MinnowBoard MAX. Windows 10 IoT Core utilizes the rich, extensible Universal Windows Platform (UWP) API for building great solutions.”

This makes it similar in many ways to Android Things (see below).

The difference between this and other operating systems listed here is that this is more a deployment system. With the app deployed (either from the default selection, or one you’ve developed), the Raspberry Pi essentially becomes the app.

Download: Windows 10 IoT Core

Want to know more? Try these Raspberry Pi and Windows 10 IoT projects.

3. NetBSD

Also derived from UNIX is NetBSD, more closely related to BSD (Berkeley Software Distribution), itself an extension of UNIX.

But what does BSD offer the Raspberry Pi user? Well, like Linux, BSD is open source, and UNIX-like. Many apps and utilities work on both, which means switching to BSD is the easiest option in this list. BSD has strengths that Linux does not, such as better GPIO connectivity.

Download: RaspBSD for Raspberry Pi 2 and 3
Download: FreeBSD for Raspberry Pi B and 2

Our Linux vs. BSD comparison will help you out here if you’re new to BSD.

4. OpenBSD for Raspberry Pi 3

An alternative to FreeBSD, OpenBSD for Raspberry Pi is more suited to use as a network server. Many administrators consider OpenBSD the most secure server operating system available.

So, if your aim is to find a non-Linux operating system for a server project, OpenBSD is your best option.

Beyond this distinction, OpenBSD is very alike FreeBSD. Note that a lack of SD drivers in OpenBSD means that you’ll need to install it to a USB drive. As yet there is no version of OpenBSD for the Raspberry Pi 4, so stick to the Pi 3 version instead.

Download: OpenBSD for Raspberry Pi 3

5. RISC OS

Another excellent choice is RISC OS, which has its roots in the 1980s home computing boom. Interestingly, it was developed in Cambridge, where the Raspberry Pi was conceived, and where the Raspberry Pi Foundation is based.

RISC OS is among the operating systems you can install using the NOOBS installation tool. [LINK] Fast and with a consistent user interface, RISC OS also includes a structured BASIC interpreter. If your experience of programming is rooted in the 1980s and BASIC is your root into coding, this is useful.

Despite its age, there are some good applications available for RISC OS, including a web browser. Note that you need a three-button mouse to use RISC OS; the clickable scroll wheel on your mouse should suffice.

Download: RISC OS for Raspberry Pi

You’ll find out more about RISC OS (including how to install and use it) in our dedicated installation guide.

6. Android

Amazingly, it’s possible to run Android on the Raspberry Pi. While Android uses the Linux kernel, the jury is out as to whether it can be considered a Linux distribution.

Although not an official version, being able to install Android is a big plus. Combine Android with the Raspberry Pi and a touchscreen device gives you a great new way to use the computer. It’s even possible to set up the Google Play store, giving you access to all your favorite games and apps.

Several Raspberry Pi-based projects are available—look for a build for a specific Pi model for the best results.

Download: Android 9.0 Pie for Raspberry Pi

7. Android Things

Meanwhile, the IoT development platform Android Things is also available for the Raspberry Pi. This is an embedded operating system aimed at low memory and power-limited IoT devices.

Android Things supports Bluetooth LE and Wi-Fi and features Weave, which Google hopes will become the default protocol for IoT.

Download: Android Things for Raspberry Pi

8. Plan 9

Released as an open-source operating system in 1992, Plan 9 has a small footprint and is targeted at developers. Its lightweight presence makes it ideal for the Raspberry Pi.

A descendent of UNIX, Plan 9 is easy to install on the Pi, much like any other compatible operating system.

Once running, you’ll initially see a command line, before the mouse driven user interface known as “rio” loads. Beware, Plan 9 appears very rudimentary, and has very little visual relationship with any operating system you’ve previously used. There is, perhaps, a similarity with RISC OS (above). However, Plan 9’s UNIX heritage will help anyone with experience of its forerunner.

This newbie guide to Plan 9 should help you get started. Meanwhile, follow these instructions to set up Plan 9 for Raspberry Pi, using a Linux PC.

Download: Plan 9 for Raspberry Pi (Manual instructions)

9. Chromium OS

A final option if you’re looking for a non-Linux Raspberry Pi operating system is Chromium OS. This is the open source version of the Chrome OS and once again relies on the Linux kernel.

Several builds of Chromium have been configured for the Raspberry Pi. However, the one you’re probably going to get the best results from is FydeOS. It’s a basic operating system that gives you the full Chrome OS-like experience on your Raspberry Pi.

Download: FydeOS (Chromium OS build for Raspberry Pi)

Chromium OS is unsuitable for accessing the GPIO, but it is perfect for using your Raspberry Pi like a desktop.

The Best Alternatives to Linux for Raspberry Pi

If you’re looking for alternative operating systems for the Raspberry Pi, there are other options. However, these are almost all Linux distributions, ported to the ARM architecture. Even those that claim to be something else (such as the Raspberry Pi version of AROS, an open source version of AmigaOS 3.1 from the early 1990s) relies on Linux for drivers.

Android aside, these operating systems are lightweight alternatives to Raspbian Stretch. If you’re wedded to Linux but looking for a Raspberry Pi distro with a small footprint, however, our guide to lightweight Raspberry Pi operating systems is worth a read.

Read the full article: 9 Raspberry Pi Operating Systems That Aren’t Linux

Read Full Article

How to Speed Up Your Internet With 7 Windows Tweaks

Suffering from a slow internet connection? It’s an extremely frustrating problem, leading everyone to wonder how to speed up their internet performance at some point.

We’re here to help. Let’s look at some general Windows tips to improve your internet connection and get you browsing in style again.

First: Test Your Connection Speed

To start, head to Speedtest.net to measure your connection speed and quality. Simply click the Go button and give the app a minute to run.

You’ll see three stats related to your internet connection:

• Ping, also called latency, is the number of milliseconds it takes for you to receive a response after sending a request to a server. The lower this number, the better your connection to that server. This is especially important in online video games, as a high ping results in lag.
• Download speed, measured in megabits per second (Mbps), is how fast your computer can grab data from remote servers. The higher your download speed, the quicker you’ll be able to download files, stream video, and similar.
• Upload speed, also measured in Mbps, is how fast your computer can send data to other devices on the internet. The faster this speed, the quicker you can perform tasks like uploading files to a website. This number is usually less than download speed since most online activity revolves around downloads.

Taking these together, we often use the term bandwidth to describe the amount of information you can transfer over the internet in a set amount of time.

Think of bandwidth like a water pipe leading into your house. If one person wants to take a shower, they’ll have a pleasant experience. But with six people using the water at the same time in different places, the pressure drops for everyone.

Network bandwidth works in the same way. One device downloading large files is no problem. But when you have six devices on your network all trying to stream HD video, play online games, and similar at once, they can only each use a portion of the total bandwidth.

Now, let’s review some tweaks you can make to improve your internet speed.

1. Close Network-Heavy Apps

As discussed, if one program is heavily using the network, other apps will suffer. Because of this, when you experience slow speeds, you should check to see what apps are using your network connection and close them if necessary.

To do this, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager and click More details to expand the window, if needed. Next, on the Processes tab, click the Network header to sort running apps by their network usage.

If anything is using an excessive amount of bandwidth, you should close it to free up resources for other apps. This is especially important if you want to perform a network-intensive activity, like playing games online or streaming video.

Some common network culprits include:

• Cloud storage services like Dropbox syncing many files
• Torrenting software
• Files downloading in your browser
• Streaming video, especially in 4K or HD

2. Review Other Devices on Your Network

If you still experience a slow network connection after closing apps, the problem may lie with another device on your network. Maybe someone else is streaming Netflix on their tablet, downloading files on their computer, or playing games on their console.

In those cases, you should check with other people in your home. Hopefully, you can tweak their systems with the tips mentioned here, or work out a way to better share the bandwidth.

You may need to upgrade to a better connection plan with your provider if you want to have multiple devices all online doing network-intensive activities at once. It’s also wise to check for common culprits that slow down your Wi-Fi network.

3. Change Your Wi-Fi Channel

Your wireless router broadcasts using a specific channel. Because of the large number of devices that use Wi-Fi, and the number of networks in crowded areas like apartment complexes, certain channels can run into interference.

If you only experience slow internet speeds when on Wi-Fi, making changes to the channel might improve your issue. See our complete guide to changing your router’s Wi-Fi channel for instructions.

4. Adjust Windows Update’s Delivery Options

Windows Update in Windows 10 includes a peer-to-peer sharing feature. This allows computers to share pieces of updates they download to other machines. While it’s a nice idea in theory, it can also result in wasted bandwidth.

To adjust this option, head to Settings > Update & Security > Delivery Optimization. Here, you can choose to disable the update sharing feature entirely by disabling the Allow downloads from other PCs slider.

If you like, you can instead enable it and select the PCs on my local network option. This prevents your system from sharing updates to random computers on the internet, while still sharing with other computers on your network. For homes with multiple Windows 10 systems, this could reduce the overall bandwidth usage for updates.

To further adjust the bandwidth Windows 10 uses, click the Advanced options link. This provides you with checkboxes and sliders to limit how much bandwidth Windows uses when downloading updates in the background or foreground. You can also limit how much bandwidth the update sharing feature uses for uploads.

5. Limit Bandwidth Usage for Apps

Restricting Windows Update is great, so you might consider doing the same for other apps. Some, like backup and cloud storage apps, let you restrict bandwidth usage in their settings.

For example, with Dropbox, you can right-click its icon in your System Tray, then click your profile icon and choose Preferences. In the resulting window, select the Bandwidth tab and you can limit the Download rate and Upload rate.

What if you want to limit the bandwidth usage of an app that doesn’t have this option built-in? We’ve covered apps that let you limit the internet bandwidth programs use.

To get an idea of which apps use the most bandwidth on your PC, head to Settings > Network & Internet > Data usage. At the top, click your connection and you’ll see a breakdown of usage by app. This gives you an idea of which ones you might need to limit.

6. Change Your DNS Server

If nothing above has worked, you might consider adjusting the DNS servers your computer (or entire network) uses. DNS, or Domain Name System, is a system that translates human-readable website names (like makeuseof.com) into computer-readable IP addresses (like 34.233.102.111).

When your computer has to make a DNS request, it goes through a server equipped for this purpose. It likely uses your ISP’s DNS server by default, but you can often speed up your browsing by using another DNS server.

To do this, type Control Panel into the Start menu to open that utility. Change the View by field in the top-right to Large icons or Small icons, then choose Network and Sharing Center. Next to the Connections text, click the link with the name of your connection.

In the resulting window, click the Properties button at the bottom. In the list that appears, double-click on Internet Protocol Version 4. Then, at the bottom, select the Use the following DNS server addresses button.

Here you’ll need to enter the addresses of the server you want to use. To start, give Google’s public DNS a try. Enter the following addresses to use it:

• Preferred DNS server: 8.8.8.8
• Alternate DNS server: 8.8.4.4

Click OK once done, and you’ve successfully switched your DNS server. Whether this makes a major difference will depend on your location and ISP.

7. Try Further Internet Troubleshooting

We’ve gone over some useful Windows tweaks to improve your network speed. But you might require further testing if you’re still suffering from slow speeds.

In that case, you should review what to do when your Wi-Fi connection speed drops. If you experience extremely slow Wi-Fi speeds all the time, it might be time to buy a new router.

As you’ve seen, a lot of these issues are related to Wi-Fi. If it’s at all possible for you to wire your computer to your router with an Ethernet cable, doing so will improve your internet performance considerably.

Now You Know How to Fix Internet Speed

We’ve looked at several Windows adjustments that can improve your internet connection. Hopefully, they bring your current speed to an acceptable level.

It’s important to note, however, that tweaks like these can only go so far. Your connection speed won’t ever exceed what you pay your ISP for. If you live in a remote area and thus use a slow connection type like DSL, or have a cheap internet plan, you may need to look into another provider or upgrade your plan to improve your speeds.

In other cases, your entire computer might slow down when connected to the internet. Here’s what to do when that happens:

Read the full article: How to Speed Up Your Internet With 7 Windows Tweaks

Read Full Article

What Is IGTV and How Does It Work?

5 Reasons Why Apple Should Ditch Lightning Cables

Apple’s Lightning connector has been around since 2012, becoming a staple in the Apple technology ecosystem. But while it is a well-recognized mainstay of the Apple brand, it’s really time for the company to retire the connector.

From consumer cost to fragmentation in the Apple ecosystem, here are five reasons why Apple needs to get rid of the Lightning connector.

1. The Cost for Customers

The cost for cash-strapped consumers is one of the major reasons Apple should retire the Lightning connector on its devices.

Ever wonder why lightning connector cables seem to be more expensive than their Micro USB or USB Type-C counterparts? Since the Lightning connector is proprietary technology belonging to Apple, there’s an extra fee involved.

Therefore, any third party companies who make devices with these connectors and ports need to pay for the license from Apple. This adds to the overall cost, meaning you’re not just paying for the production costs and general markup.

This cost extends to adaptors too—in more ways than one. Because only Apple devices use the Lightning connector, iPhone owners usually have to invest in adaptors for peripheral third-party accessories (and sometimes even for other Apple devices). These costs add up over time. Again, unlike non-proprietary accessories, each adaptor will also have a licensing fee in its cost over-and-above the standard price factors.

The cost of and need for adaptors have only increased for customers considering Apple’s decision to ditch the headphone jack on iPhones.

2. User Convenience

Is everyone happy that #apple keeps changing adaptors? I just got new #macbook and none of my other gears plugs into it. Thought Apple is all about simplicity but now I have to carry multiple cumbersome adaptors for apple products. Does Windows do that too? pic.twitter.com/wwBJmTuzbP

— Dice Tsutsumi (@tonkohouse) October 10, 2018

Even if the cost of Lightning-compatible devices isn’t a major factor for you, the use of the proprietary connector doesn’t help with convenience either.

This is especially true for people who are not fully immersed in the Apple device ecosystem. Android users are mostly able to interchange cables between devices. For example, if they go on a trip, usually one or two cables are all they need for their power bank, phone, smartwatch charging stands, portable modems, Bluetooth earphones, and more.

When Android users lose a cable, they can often just re-use a cable from another one of their devices. Furthermore, with USB Type-C devices, many users charge their phones and their laptops with a single cable.

However, re-using and interchanging cables with a wide range of devices is not possible with Lightning connectors. After all, Apple has a relatively closed ecosystem. iPhone owners have to keep multiple cables in mind for their Apple versus non-Apple devices. Then they also have to take into account the various types of adaptors they need.

3. E-Waste

Competition and variety for consumers is usually a good thing. But too much variety when it comes to connector types contributes significantly to e-waste or electronic waste. Every time consumers change their main devices, or companies phase out certain connectors, these cables and adaptors usually end up in landfills.

Technically, making the Lightning connector redundant would also result in many of these cables being thrown out. But if the market moves towards a universal connector type for power and data transmission, this will lower e-waste in the future.

If users can use the same connector type across different smartphone brands, computers, and other devices, it’s more likely they’ll re-use the same cables. Furthermore, it will reduce the need for excessive dongles and adaptors.

As such, many advocate for the adoption of a universal connector for mobile devices and laptops alike. But since the Lightning connector is proprietary, it’s not the right candidate. There’s also the fact that other cable connectors are more widely adopted among consumers, making those connectors better candidates.

4. USB Type-C Is Here

The main arguments in support of the Lightning connector come from the benefits the technology has. The connector is compact and compatible with external monitors. It’s also reversible, meaning you can plug it in facing up or down (unlike Micro USB).

However, with the rollout of USB Type-C, the Lightning connector is no longer an exception. USB-C is reversible and compatible with a host of peripheral devices. In addition to this, it also has benefits that the Lightning connector doesn’t.

USB Type-C connectors and ports are compatible with Thunderbolt 3, support USB 3.1, and are even being used for some HDMI cables. Furthermore, USB Type-C plugs support super-fast charging for devices and SuperSpeed data transfer rates.

USB Type-C is by no means perfect—there are issues and areas of improvement. However, it’s a step up from the now outdated Lightning connector. It also has the benefit of being a universal connector across many brands.

5. Apple Device Connector Fragmentation

The Lightning connector has become increasingly outdated over time—to the point that even Apple no longer includes it on every iPhone or iPad anymore. This removes the justification that Lightning connectors allow users to connect their devices seamlessly within the Apple ecosystem.

But the problem is that Apple hasn’t phased out the technology. Rather, Apple’s use of Lightning connectors has varied over the past few years. For example, the 2018 iPad Pro uses a USB Type-C port. However, the 2019 edition of the iPad Air used a Lightning port, as does the 2019 iPad Mini.

Furthermore, the new MacBook port setup means that iPhone users need to invest in an additional cable type. The 2018 MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air, all use USB Type-C ports and don’t have USB-A ports. As a result, iPhone owners need to buy a special Lightning to USB Type-C cable to connect their smartphones to new Apple laptops.

With all this fragmentation, Apple has nullified its own argument of user convenience. Consistently replacing their proprietary connector with USB Type-C would increase convenience for new Apple device owners significantly.

Understanding Apple’s Cables and Adaptors

It has been years since the release of Apple’s Lightning connector—and unfortunately, the technology has become outdated from a lack of updates. With USB Type-C, e-waste, and customer convenience considerations, there’s little reason for Apple to keep sticking to their proprietary connector.

If you still have questions about the connectors in Apple’s device technology, we’re here to help. Check out our guide on Apple’s adaptors and ports for Macs and iPhones.

Read the full article: 5 Reasons Why Apple Should Ditch Lightning Cables

Read Full Article

OmniFocus vs. Things: The Best Mac Task Management App, Compared

If you’re even remotely busy, keeping track of everything you need to do isn’t exactly easy. Countless apps flood Apple’s App Store, offering more features than you could ever need.

The problem is people tend to work differently. So if one task management app works for you, it may not work for someone else.

To help you decide, we will do a head to head comparison of two excellent task managers for macOS and iOS: OmniFocus 3 and Things 3.

Both cost more than many similar apps and both are only available on macOS and iOS devices right now. The apps have similarities, but they are also different in some key ways.

Approach to Task Management

Just as people work differently, so do apps. While they have plenty in common, OmniFocus and Things take different approaches to how they help you organize your life and work.

OmniFocus

OmniFocus is big, feature-packed and can be complicated. That doesn’t mean that the app can’t be simple, just that you’re not making the most of it if you use it as a simple to-do list.

When it first launched, OmniFocus had a heavy focus on David Allen’s Getting Things Done (GTD) system. It still owes much to this system, but recent versions of OmniFocus are much more open-ended.

The original version of OmniFocus used Contexts, straight out of Getting Things Done. These let you organize your work by where you need to be or the tools you need to complete the task. For instance, these could be Home, Office, or Email.

OmniFocus 3 has replaced Contexts with Tags. This offers much more freedom on how to organize your tasks. The key difference is that you can have more than one Tag per task, which wasn’t possible with Contexts.

Things

Things has always focused on looking at your tasks as Projects. This lets you organize them step by step, though

The app also has a more laid-back approach to tasks, exemplified by its Today flag. This lets you pin an item to your list for today, but if you don’t get around to it, the task will still be there tomorrow. No red highlight, no underline, no guilt.

Winner: Tie

Because this is such a personalized aspect, we can’t say one app or the other is better when it comes to its approach.

User Interface and Design

An app can’t work for you if you don’t like using it. Because of this, the design and UI of these apps is one of the most important aspects.

OmniFocus

Some people prefer the apps they use in their professional life to look, well, professional. If you’re that type of person, OmniFocus will surely appeal to you. The app isn’t exactly unfriendly, but it looks like it means business.

While OmniFocus 3 rebuilt much of the app from the ground up, it has still acquired features over the years like other apps that have been around a while. This gives OmniFocus a busy look, though this is more apparent on macOS than on iOS.

Things

The Projects in Things are built around completion. These aren’t just rough categories. As you complete tasks inside a project, you’ll see a circular indicator start to fill up.

As we’ve looked at before, the best to-do tool is the one you actually use. If the visual progress indicators keep you coming back to the app, that’s a major plus. The app also makes great use of whitespace, with an overall cleaner and friendlier look than OmniFocus.

Winner: Things

There is nothing wrong with the way OmniFocus looks. That said, Things is just better looking and will likely be easier to use for some people.

Features

This is the real meat of this head-to-head comparison. After all, what good is a task management app if it doesn’t have the features you need?

OmniFocus

OmniFocus is available in Standard and Pro versions. For many people, the standard version will be just fine. You get access to Projects, Tags, and the built-in perspectives that let you view your work in different ways.

If you use due dates to determine what you need to do on a given day, the Forecast view will come in handy. Not only does this show you what tasks you have due today, but what’s coming up and what events are on your calendar as well. You can also define a tag where any available tasks with this tag will show up as well.

The Pro version of OmniFocus gets you Custom Perspectives. These are powerful and let you shape exactly what parts of your projects you see and when. If you’re new to OmniFocus, these may be overwhelming, so you may not want to dive into the Pro version right away.

Things

Things only has one version and comes with a handful of built-in tags. To make the most of it, you’ll want to customize these around the way you work. Since Things has no built-in priorities, you can emulate these using tags.

Tags can also give your tasks some GTD context or you can use them for rough time estimates as well. For instance, a “Today” tag can indicate a priority.

You’ll also see your calendar events with Things, and it displays information similar to what OmniFocus displays. On Things, the amount of metadata shown is less, which makes it a little less overwhelming.

While OmniFocus has endlessly customizable recurring tasks, Things is more basic. You can have recurring tasks and even recurring projects, but these are somewhat more limited than what you’ll find in OmniFocus.

Winner: OmniFocus

Seamless Syncing

Back when both apps were newer, syncing wasn’t the common feature it is now. OmniFocus offered rock-solid syncing, but Things wasn’t quick to add this feature. Even after it did, Things wasn’t known for fast or easy syncing, at least not at first.

Fortunately, we’ve come a long way. Syncing is now rock-solid with both Things and OmniFocus. If all you care about is ensuring that your tasks are always available to you, either app will handle that just fine.

OmniFocus

OmniFocus does gain a point here by offering multiple syncing options. You can sync through its own servers, which is what most people will want to opt for. That said, you can also sync via WebDAV, so if you’d rather use your own server, you can do that as well.

Things

Things syncs via its own service instead of using iCloud. This lets you easily email items and add them as tasks. Fortunately, like OmniFocus, you don’t need to pay a fee to sync using Things Cloud.

Winner: OmniFocus

OmniFocus takes this category due to its multiple syncing options. It’s not going to matter to most people, but if you need to use your own server for syncing, it’s nice to have this secure option.

Pricing

Neither of these apps is cheap. No matter which you choose, you’ll end up paying more than you would for most of their competitors. The one difference is that these are one-time purchases, not the monthly or yearly subscriptions many apps use.

OmniFocus

The Standard version of OmniFocus for macOS sells for $49.99, while the Pro version costs $99.99. For iOS, the standard version costs $39.99 while the Pro version is $59.99. If you want to use the Pro version of OmniFocus on your Mac and your iPhone, you’ll need to buy both versions for $159.98.

Things

Things also uses separate pricing for every version of the app. The macOS version of Things 3 sells for $49.99, while the iPhone version sells for $9.99. The iPad version—yes, it’s a separate version—sells for $19.99.

Winner: Things

This is a simple call. Even though it costs more than many other task management apps, Things is cheaper than OmniFocus. That’s enough to help it win this category.

What About Cross-Platform Options?

Hopefully, choosing between OmniFocus and Things should now be a little bit easier. That’s great if you only use a Mac and/or iOS device. What about if you use other platforms like Windows or Android?

OmniFocus is working on a web version, which may be helpful if you were leaning toward that app anyway. If not, don’t worry, there are plenty of other options. We have a rundown of some of the most popular cross-platform to-do lists that should give you an idea of where to start.

Read the full article: OmniFocus vs. Things: The Best Mac Task Management App, Compared

Read Full Article

Google releases Android 10

Android 10 is now available, assuming you have a phone that already supports Google’s latest version of its mobile operating system. For now, that’s mostly Google’s own Pixel phones, though chances are that most of the phones that were supported during the beta phase will get updated to the release version pretty soon, too.

Since the development of Android pretty much happens in the open these days, the release itself doesn’t feature any surprises. Just like with the last few releases, chances are you’ll have to look twice after the update to see whether your phone actually runs the latest versions. There are plenty of tweaks in Android 10, but some of the most interesting new features are a bit hidden and (at least in the betas) off by default.

The one feature everybody has been waiting for is a dark mode and here, Android 10 doesn’t disappoint. The new dark theme is now ready for your night-time viewing, with the promise of improved battery life for your OLED phone and support from a number of apps like Photos and Calendar. Over time, more apps will automatically switch to a dark theme as well, but right now, the number seems rather limited and a bit random, with Fit offering a dark mode while Gmail doesn’t.

The other major tweak is the updated gesture navigation. This remains optional — you can still use the same old three-button navigation Android has long offered. It’s essentially a tweak of the navigation system the launched with Android Pie. For the most part, the new navigation gestures work just fine and feel more efficient than those in Pie, especially when you try to switch between apps. Swiping left and right from the screen replaces the back button, which isn’t immediately obvious, and a slightly longer press on the side of the screen occasionally opens a navigation drawer. I say ‘occasionally,’ because I think this is the most frustrating part of the experience. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. The trick to opening the drawer, it seems, is to swipe at an angle that’s well above 45 degrees.

Also new is an updated Smart Reply feature that now suggests actions from your notifications. If a notification includes a link, for example, Smart Reply will suggest opening it in Chrome. Same for addresses, where the notification can take you right to Google Maps, or YouTube videos that you can play in — you guessed it — Youtube. This should work across all popular messaging apps.

There are also a couple of privacy and security features here, including the ability to only share location data with apps while you use them and a new Privacy section in Settings that gives you access to controls for managing your web and app history, as well as your ad settings in a slightly more prominent place.

The new Google Play system updates, the company can now also push important security and privacy fixes right to the phone from the Google Play store, which allows it to patch issues without having to go through the system update process. Given the slow Android OS upgrade cycles, that’s an important new feature, though it, too, is an evolution of Google’s overall strategy to decouple these updates and core features from the OS updates.

Two other interesting new features are still in beta or won’t be available until later this year, but Google prominently highlights Focus mode, which allows you to silence specific apps for a while and which is now in beta, and Live Caption, which will launch in the fall on Pixel phones and which can automatically caption videos and audio across all apps. I’ve been beta testing Focus Mode for a bit and I’m not sure it has really made a difference in my digital wellbeing, but the ability to mute notifications from YouTube during the workday, for example, has probably made me a tiny bit more productive.

Oh, and there’s also native support for foldable phones, but for the time being, there are no foldable phones on the market.

Like with most recent releases, those are just some of the highlights. There are plenty of small tweaks, too, and chances are you’ll notice a few new fonts and visual tweaks here and there. For the most part, though, you can continue to use Android like you always have. Even major changes like the updated gesture controls are optional. It’s very much an evolutionary update, but that’s pretty much the case for any mobile OS these days.

Read Full Article

Google releases Android 10

Android 10 is now available, assuming you have a phone that already supports Google’s latest version of its mobile operating system. For now, that’s mostly Google’s own Pixel phones, though chances are that most of the phones that were supported during the beta phase will get updated to the release version pretty soon, too.

Since the development of Android pretty much happens in the open these days, the release itself doesn’t feature any surprises. Just like with the last few releases, chances are you’ll have to look twice after the update to see whether your phone actually runs the latest versions. There are plenty of tweaks in Android 10, but some of the most interesting new features are a bit hidden and (at least in the betas) off by default.

The one feature everybody has been waiting for is a dark mode and here, Android 10 doesn’t disappoint. The new dark theme is now ready for your night-time viewing, with the promise of improved battery life for your OLED phone and support from a number of apps like Photos and Calendar. Over time, more apps will automatically switch to a dark theme as well, but right now, the number seems rather limited and a bit random, with Fit offering a dark mode while Gmail doesn’t.

The other major tweak is the updated gesture navigation. This remains optional — you can still use the same old three-button navigation Android has long offered. It’s essentially a tweak of the navigation system the launched with Android Pie. For the most part, the new navigation gestures work just fine and feel more efficient than those in Pie, especially when you try to switch between apps. Swiping left and right from the screen replaces the back button, which isn’t immediately obvious, and a slightly longer press on the side of the screen occasionally opens a navigation drawer. I say ‘occasionally,’ because I think this is the most frustrating part of the experience. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. The trick to opening the drawer, it seems, is to swipe at an angle that’s well above 45 degrees.

Also new is an updated Smart Reply feature that now suggests actions from your notifications. If a notification includes a link, for example, Smart Reply will suggest opening it in Chrome. Same for addresses, where the notification can take you right to Google Maps, or YouTube videos that you can play in — you guessed it — Youtube. This should work across all popular messaging apps.

There are also a couple of privacy and security features here, including the ability to only share location data with apps while you use them and a new Privacy section in Settings that gives you access to controls for managing your web and app history, as well as your ad settings in a slightly more prominent place.

The new Google Play system updates, the company can now also push important security and privacy fixes right to the phone from the Google Play store, which allows it to patch issues without having to go through the system update process. Given the slow Android OS upgrade cycles, that’s an important new feature, though it, too, is an evolution of Google’s overall strategy to decouple these updates and core features from the OS updates.

Two other interesting new features are still in beta or won’t be available until later this year, but Google prominently highlights Focus mode, which allows you to silence specific apps for a while and which is now in beta, and Live Caption, which will launch in the fall on Pixel phones and which can automatically caption videos and audio across all apps. I’ve been beta testing Focus Mode for a bit and I’m not sure it has really made a difference in my digital wellbeing, but the ability to mute notifications from YouTube during the workday, for example, has probably made me a tiny bit more productive.

Oh, and there’s also native support for foldable phones, but for the time being, there are no foldable phones on the market.

Like with most recent releases, those are just some of the highlights. There are plenty of small tweaks, too, and chances are you’ll notice a few new fonts and visual tweaks here and there. For the most part, though, you can continue to use Android like you always have. Even major changes like the updated gesture controls are optional. It’s very much an evolutionary update, but that’s pretty much the case for any mobile OS these days.

Read Full Article

Google releases Android 10

Android 10 is now available, assuming you have a phone that already supports Google’s latest version of its mobile operating system. For now, that’s mostly Google’s own Pixel phones, though chances are that most of the phones that were supported during the beta phase will get updated to the release version pretty soon, too.

Since the development of Android pretty much happens in the open these days, the release itself doesn’t feature any surprises. Just like with the last few releases, chances are you’ll have to look twice after the update to see whether your phone actually runs the latest versions. There are plenty of tweaks in Android 10, but some of the most interesting new features are a bit hidden and (at least in the betas) off by default.

The one feature everybody has been waiting for is a dark mode and here, Android 10 doesn’t disappoint. The new dark theme is now ready for your night-time viewing, with the promise of improved battery life for your OLED phone and support from a number of apps like Photos and Calendar. Over time, more apps will automatically switch to a dark theme as well, but right now, the number seems rather limited and a bit random, with Fit offering a dark mode while Gmail doesn’t.

The other major tweak is the updated gesture navigation. This remains optional — you can still use the same old three-button navigation Android has long offered. It’s essentially a tweak of the navigation system the launched with Android Pie. For the most part, the new navigation gestures work just fine and feel more efficient than those in Pie, especially when you try to switch between apps. Swiping left and right from the screen replaces the back button, which isn’t immediately obvious, and a slightly longer press on the side of the screen occasionally opens a navigation drawer. I say ‘occasionally,’ because I think this is the most frustrating part of the experience. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. The trick to opening the drawer, it seems, is to swipe at an angle that’s well above 45 degrees.

Also new is an updated Smart Reply feature that now suggests actions from your notifications. If a notification includes a link, for example, Smart Reply will suggest opening it in Chrome. Same for addresses, where the notification can take you right to Google Maps, or YouTube videos that you can play in — you guessed it — Youtube. This should work across all popular messaging apps.

There are also a couple of privacy and security features here, including the ability to only share location data with apps while you use them and a new Privacy section in Settings that gives you access to controls for managing your web and app history, as well as your ad settings in a slightly more prominent place.

The new Google Play system updates, the company can now also push important security and privacy fixes right to the phone from the Google Play store, which allows it to patch issues without having to go through the system update process. Given the slow Android OS upgrade cycles, that’s an important new feature, though it, too, is an evolution of Google’s overall strategy to decouple these updates and core features from the OS updates.

Two other interesting new features are still in beta or won’t be available until later this year, but Google prominently highlights Focus mode, which allows you to silence specific apps for a while and which is now in beta, and Live Caption, which will launch in the fall on Pixel phones and which can automatically caption videos and audio across all apps. I’ve been beta testing Focus Mode for a bit and I’m not sure it has really made a difference in my digital wellbeing, but the ability to mute notifications from YouTube during the workday, for example, has probably made me a tiny bit more productive.

Oh, and there’s also native support for foldable phones, but for the time being, there are no foldable phones on the market.

Like with most recent releases, those are just some of the highlights. There are plenty of small tweaks, too, and chances are you’ll notice a few new fonts and visual tweaks here and there. For the most part, though, you can continue to use Android like you always have. Even major changes like the updated gesture controls are optional. It’s very much an evolutionary update, but that’s pretty much the case for any mobile OS these days.

Read Full Article

What happened when we paired up thousands of strangers to talk politics | Jochen Wegner

What happened when we paired up thousands of strangers to talk politics | Jochen Wegner

In spring 2019, more than 17,000 Europeans from 33 countries signed up to have a political argument with a complete stranger. They were part of "Europe Talks," a project that organizes one-on-one conversations between people who disagree -- sort of like a Tinder for politics. Editor Jochen Wegner shares the unexpected things that happened when people met up to talk -- and shows how face-to-face discussions could get a divided world to rethink itself.

Click the above link to download the TED talk.

Daily Crunch: Facebook might remove Like counts

The Daily Crunch is TechCrunch’s roundup of our biggest and most important stories. If you’d like to get this delivered to your inbox every day at around 9am Pacific, you can subscribe here.

1. Now Facebook says it may remove Like counts

Instagram is already testing something similar in seven countries, including Canada and Brazil. Instead of showing the total number of Likes for a post, it displays the names of just a few mutual friends who have Liked it.

Jane Manchun Wong spotted Facebook prototyping the hidden Like counts in its Android app. When we asked the company, it confirmed that it’s considering a test to remove Like counts, though this isn’t live for any users yet.

2. WeChat restricts controversial video face-swapping app Zao, citing ‘security risks’

Zao went viral in China this weekend for its realistic face-swapping videos. But following controversy about its user policy, messaging platform WeChat restricted access to the app.

3. OpenGov raises $51M to boost its cloud-based IT services for government and civic organizations

The company was co-founded by Palantir’s Joe Lonsdale to help governments and other civic organizations organize, analyze and present financial data and more, using cloud-based architecture.

ANAHEIM, CA – JUNE 21: YouTube Chief Product Officer Neal Mohan speaks onstage during the YouTube Keynote: Building Communities and the Next Generation of Media Companies Panel during VidCon. (Photo by FilmMagic/FilmMagic for YouTube)

4. YouTube’s Neal Mohan is coming to Disrupt SF

YouTube has found itself front-and-center in the recent debates about free speech, the internet and how the online world is shaping our offline lives, so there will be plenty to talk about when Mohan joins us at Disrupt.

5. Kabbage acquires Radius Intelligence, the marketing tech firm with a database of 20M small businesses

It’s been a tumultuous period for Radius, which announced a merger with its big competitor Leadspace last year, only to quietly cancel the deal three months later. Two months after that, it replaced its longtime CEO.

6. Apple still has work to do on privacy

Natasha Lomas examines whether iPhones are generally superior to Android devices when it comes to security. (Extra Crunch membership required.)

7. This week’s TechCrunch podcasts

On Equity, Alex and Kate share their thoughts on Peloton’s finances and prospects. And on this week’s Original Content, we review the Netflix series “The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.”

Read Full Article

Mozilla flips the default switch on Firefox tracker cookie blocking

From today Firefox users who update to the latest version of the browser will find a pro-privacy setting flipped for them on desktop and Android smartphones, assuming they didn’t already have the anti-tracking cookie feature enabled.

Mozilla launched the Enhanced Tracking Protection (ETP) feature in June as a default setting for new users — but leaving existing Firefox users’ settings unchanged at that point.

It’s now finishing what it started by flipping the default switch across the board in v69.0 of the browser.

The feature takes clear aim at third party cookies that are used to track Internet users for creepy purposes such as ad profiling. (Firefox relies on the Disconnect list to identify creepy cookies to block.)

The anti-tracking feature also takes aim at cryptomining: A background practice which can drain CPU and battery power, negatively impacting the user experience. Again, Firefox will now block cryptomining by default, not only when user activated.

In a blog post about the latest release Mozilla says it represents a “milestone” that marks “a major step in our multi-year effort to bring stronger, usable privacy protections to everyone using Firefox”.

“Currently over 20% of Firefox users have Enhanced Tracking Protection on. With today’s release, we expect to provide protection for 100% of ours users by default,” it predicts, underlining the defining power of default settings.

Firefox users with ETP enabled will see a shield icon in the URL bar to denote the tracker blocking is working. Clicking on this icon takes users to a menu where they can view a list of all the tracking cookies that are being blocked. Users are also able to switch off tracking cookie blocking on a per site basis, via this Content Blocking menu.

While blocking tracking cookies reduces some tracking of internet users it does not offer complete protection for privacy. Mozilla notes that ETP does not yet block browser fingerprinting scripts from running by default, for example.

Browser fingerprinting is another prevalent privacy-hostile technique that’s used to track and profile web users without knowledge or consent by linking online activity to a computer’s configuration and thereby tying multiple browser sessions back to the same device-user.

It’s an especially pernicious technique because it can erode privacy across browser sessions and even different browsers — which an Internet user might be deliberately deploying to try to prevent profiling.

A ‘Strict Mode’ in the Firefox setting can be enabled by Firefox users in the latest release to block fingerprinting. But it’s not on by default.

Mozilla says a future release of the browser will flip fingerprinting blocking on by default too.

The latest changes in Firefox continue Mozilla’s strategy — announced a year ago — of pro-actively defending its browser users’ privacy by squeezing the operational range of tracking technologies.

In the absence of a robust regulatory framework to rein in the outgrowth of the adtech ‘industrial data complex’ that’s addicted to harvesting Internet users’ data for ad targeting, browser makers have found themselves at the coal face of the fight against privacy-hostile tracking technologies.

And some are now playing an increasingly central — even defining role — as they flip privacy and anti-tracking defaults.

Notably, earlier this month, the open source WebKit browser engine, which underpins Apple’s Safari browser, announced a new tracking prevention policy that puts privacy on the same footing as security, saying it would treat attempts to circumvent this as akin to hacking.

Even Google has responded to growing pressure around privacy — announcing changes to how its Chrome browser handles cookies this May. Though it’s not doing that by default yet.

It has also said it’s working on technology to reduce fingerprinting. And recently announced a long term proposal to involve its Chromium browser engine in developing a new open standard for privacy.

Though cynics might suggest the adtech giant is responding to competitive pressure on privacy by trying to frame and steer the debate in a way that elides its own role in data mining Internet users at scale for (huge) profit.

Thus its tardy privacy pronouncements and long term proposals look rather more like an attempt to kick the issue into the long grass and buy time for Chrome to keep being used to undermine web users’ privacy — instead of Google being forced to act now and close down privacy-hostile practices that benefit its business.

Read Full Article

The next Apple Watch could feature sleep tracking

Details have surfaced about one of the potentially key features of the next Apple Watch — sleep tracking. Bloomberg originally reported that Apple has been working on a sleep tracking feature, and 9to5mac now details how the implementation could work.

The new feature would work on the next Apple Watch. The new device could be unveiled at Apple’s iPhone event next week or at a later event this fall. It’s unclear whether existing devices will also support the new feature.

You don’t need any extra hardware to enable sleep tracking — an Apple Watch strapped on your wrist is enough. When enabled, the Apple Watch will track your movements using the accelerometer. Apple also plans to take advantage of the heart rate sensor. Interestingly, the company could also leverage the microphone to listen for noises.

When you wake up, you can check the quality of your night in the Health app on your iPhone. According to 9to5mac, there will be a new Sleep app on the Apple Watch as well.

As most people use their phone as an alarm clock, Apple would mirror your alarm on your Apple Watch. This way, the alarm would play on the Apple Watch first and use the iPhone as a backup. You could limit the alarm on the Apple Watch to vibration only. This feature would be particularly handy for couples who don’t have the same schedule.

When it comes to battery life, Apple could send you a notification to remind you to charge your Apple Watch before going to bed. Remember that the Apple Watch has a tiny battery, so it charges in no time. You could easily get enough battery life in just a few minutes.

That feature would work particularly well with the next iPhone. Rumor has it that Apple will add reverse wireless charging to the new iPhone. It means that you would be able to put your Apple Watch on the back of your iPhone to charge it directly from your iPhone.

And if you’ve been a long time Apple Watch user, Apple could also let you pick a second Apple Watch and turn it into a dedicated sleep tracker. You’d just have to switch from one Apple Watch to another when you go to bed.

Read Full Article