Microsoft launches Edge Zones for Azure

Microsoft today announced the launch of Azure Edge Zones, which will allow Azure users to bring their applications to the company’s edge locations. The focus here is on enabling real-time low-latency 5G applications. The company is also launching a version of Edge Zones with carriers (starting with AT&T) in preview, which connects these zones directly to 5G networks in the carrier’s data center. And to round it all out, Azure is also getting Private Edge Zones for those who are deploying private 5G/LTE networks in combination with Azure Stack Edge.

In addition to partnering with carriers like AT&T, as well as Rogers, SK Telecom, Telstra and Vodafone, Microsoft is also launching new standalone Azure Edge Zones in more than 10 cities over the next year, starting with L.A., Miami and New York later this summer.

“For the last few decades, carriers and operators have pioneered how we connect with each other, laying the foundation for telephony and cellular,” the company notes in today’s announcement. “With cloud and 5G, there are new possibilities by combining cloud services, like compute and AI with high bandwidth and ultra-low latency. Microsoft is partnering with them bring 5G to life in immersive applications built by organization and developers.”

This may all sound a bit familiar and that’s because only a few weeks ago, Google launched Anthos for Telecom and its Global Mobile Edge Cloud, which at first glance offers a similar promise of bringing applications close to that cloud’s edge locations for 5G and telco usage. Microsoft argues that its offering is more comprehensive in terms of its partner ecosystem and geographic availability. But it’s clear that 5G is a trend all of the large cloud providers are trying to tap into. Microsoft’s own acquisition of 5G cloud specialist Affirmed Networks is yet another example of how it is looking to position itself in this market.

As far as the details of the various Edge Zone versions go, the focus of Edge Zones is mostly on IoT and AI workloads, while Microsoft notes that Edge Zones with Carriers is more about low-latency online gaming, remote meetings and events, as well as smart infrastructure. Private Edge Zones, which combine private carrier networks with Azure Stack Edge, is something only a small number of large enterprise companies is likely to look into, given the cost and complexity of rolling out a system like this.

Google Cloud goes after the telco business with Anthos for Telecom and its Global Mobile Edge Cloud

Microsoft acquires 5G specialist Affirmed Networks

 

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Maxoak Bluetti 1500Wh Backup Solar Generator Review: Be Ready for Anything

Our verdict of the Maxoak Bluetti EB150:
An affordable all-round great performing backup battery that stores an epic amount of energy. Combine with a solar panel or two (cable included) for complete electrical resiliency.1010

I thought I’d never see the day that supermarket shelves are empty, but as recent events have demonstrated, our modern societies are more fragile than we’d like to believe. It’s more important than ever that you’re prepared for emergencies: whether that’s a virus pandemic, a natural disaster, or civil unrest. These events can happen, and will increasingly do so in the coming decades.

One important aspect of emergency preparedness is electrical power. It’s no good having six months of food in the freezer if it’s all going to thaw in a day. So today, we’re taking a look at the Maxoak “Bluetti” EB150; also marketed under the PowerOak brand in the UK. It’s an enormous 1500Wh energy store with 1000W AC output, and includes an MPPT controller for direct connection to large solar panels.

Design and Specifications

• Inputs: AC adapter or solar (16-60V 10A), 9mm DC connector
• Output: 2 x AC sockets, 4 x 2.1A 5V USB ports, 1 x 45W PD USB-C, 1 x 12V 9A car port
• Total Capacity: 1500Wh
• Maximum Output: 1000W continuous, 1200 peak
• Battery Technology: Lithium-ion
• Charge time: AC 10 hours, solar variable (minimum 4 hours)

Weighing 38 pounds (17kg), the Maxoak EB150 is about the size of a small office PC. There are no ruggedization features like rubber bumpers or covers for the sockets, but the case itself is solid metal with a secure ABS handle and front/rear panels. It can certainly take a beating unless said beating involves any element of water. This is not waterproof, or even splashproof. Keep it away from rain.

The Bluetti will easily withstand the odd zombie or animal attack

Also, as a large lithium-ion battery, you shouldn’t attempt to pierce it, as that may result in a fire. So keep it away from bullets or crossbow bolts, too.

The AC sockets are located at the rear, with everything else around the front.

Two AC sockets around the back (this is the UK model; the US model has 3-pin 110V sockets)

There are three buttons for power, AC, and DC output. Outputs are activated by holding down the relevant button for a few seconds. A small display screen indicates the current battery level (an estimate via five segments), and exact numbers for input, AC and DC output wattage.

4 x USB-A ports, 1 x USB-C PD port, and a car socket provide plenty of DC output options for all your devices

Although I had no problem seeing the LCD screen in direct sunlight, I was only able to capture it indoors. If I have one complaint about the Bluetti, it’s that the battery remaining indicator is too vague, consisting only of five segments. The aspect aspects of the display give an exact figure, but not for the battery. A simple percentage would have been preferable here.

How is This a “Solar Generator”?

Strictly speaking, the Maxoak Bluetti EB150 doesn’t generate anything itself, but it does include the circuitry necessary to charge the battery from standard solar panels, and even includes the right cables. It can also simultaneously charge and discharge at the same time.

Built-in to the Bluetti is an MPPT charge controller; these are superior to the older style PWM, particularly on cloudy days, as they’re able to balance the conversion to get a greater charge.

The Maxoak Bluetti can be used with nearly any kind of solar panel, but with a couple of specifications. It must ran at 16-60V, and a maximum of 10A. The total possible input power is 500W. For testing, I hooked it up to an old monocrystalline panel rated at 175W, and was able to generate about 120W at peak (mid-afternoon on a clear UK spring day). I don’t have a watt-meter to test exactly what the voltage the panel was putting out, but it seemed to work: the Bluetti was showing roughly 50% after a day of gloriously good weather and was fully charged after another. I should also note the fan was running almost constantly when charging or using the AC.

If you have multiple panels but they’re under-voltage, you can wire them in series to increase the voltage to the required range. Or if they’re the right voltage already but well under the maximum current, you can wire them in parallel, which will increase the current while keeping the voltage the same. A combination of parallel and series wiring can also be used.

Under ideal conditions, it could take as little as 4 hours to fully charge the Bluetti from solar. If you’re doing the math, you might be wondering why it isn’t 1500 (the total capacity) divided by 500 (the total possible input)–or 3 hours. That’s due to an inherent inefficiency in any charge controller; in this case 25% of the electrical energy is lost in the process. This isn’t a flaw of the Bluetti, it’s true across the board when doing this kind of conversion.

The Bluetti includes overcharge protection, meaning that once the battery is full, it won’t continue charging and explode. That’s always a good thing.

Charging from AC

A standard AC charger (168W) is also included should you wish to charge from the grid, and since this is a fixed input we can tell you it would take 10 hours to do so. This must be from an AC electrical output; there is no way to charge from a car battery.

One of the few compromises in the Bluetti is that there’s only a single input. So you couldn’t, for example, combine a solar panel on top of your campervan with a wind turbine. While this would have been a nice feature, it’s probably of less use to most people and would have increased the price significantly.

The Maxoak Bluetti is rated to 1500 charge cycles, which is about average. A cycle is anytime the battery is used then charged again (even if it wasn’t fully discharged). While this sounds like a short lifetime, in reality, it means you could run the battery down and recharge daily for about five years; and at that point, it would still function but at a”degraded” 80% capacity. It’s difficult to test these claims extensively, but Maxoak provides a 1-year warranty. If you’re at the point where you’re having to use this as your only source of power for years on end though, you probably have bigger concerns.

Discharging: What Can It Run?

The Bluetti is rated to 1000W continuous and 1200W peak (for a few minutes). That’s a combined total for everything plugged into the device (AC and DC), not just any single device. If two AC sockets isn’t enough, it’s okay to plug in an extension lead; the additional sockets don’t inherently draw extra power, it’s just a case of ensuring the devices plugged into it are within the total limits. Exceeding the limit shouldn’t damage anything though, it will simply result in the unit shutting down.

In real terms, what does 1000W look like?

A deep freezer may take anywhere from 30-100W. CPAP machines are about 30-60W. The oxygen concentrator that keeps my father alive peaks at 300W. The Bluetti could comfortably run all of them, at the same time, along with multiple smartphones charging, and my Macbook Pro. On the other hand, an electric chainsaw is around 2000W; it could not run that. Nor could you plug in a kettle, which may be anywhere from 1500W to 3000W.

This is only half the picture though; the other half is how long it’ll stay powered for. To find this out, divide the total capacity in Watt-hours (Wh), and divide by the total power being drawn (in watts). This will give you a number of hours. So a 100W freezer, from a full 1500Wh charge, would last 15 hours.

We tested the stated capacity of the Bluetti with a total 750W load, consisting of a plasma TV, gaming PC, lamp, and dehumidifier. Sure enough, it lasted around the two-hour mark, as would be expected.

That’s a lot of stuff plugged into the Bluetti!

Taking it to the extreme, an average smartphone battery is 10Wh. If you fully discharged your smartphone and used the Bluetti to charge it up, you could survive for roughly six months.

Should You Buy a Maxoak Bluetti EB150?

The Maxoak Bluetti provides more than enough power for most people and at a sensible price point. You’ll find models from competitors with a higher peak output, even if they don’t have a greater total capacity; these will cost more, but perhaps your specific use-case demands that. You’ll also find models that can charge faster, which might be more suitable if you want more solar panels, or the ability to charge from the grid in only a few hours. But again, those will either be more expensive or compromised elsewhere. The Maxoak Bluetti is a good all-rounder for most people.

The package doesn’t include solar panels, but that’s probably a good thing–it’ll be much cheaper for you to source them locally, or used. There’s no need to buy perfectly new panels or with a brand name attached, they are much the same and have a longer life span than batteries. While you could just charge the Bluetti from an AC outlet, you’ll be a lot safer should anything bad happen if you have a permanently free source of energy.

Maxoak Bluetti 1500Wh Maxoak Bluetti 1500Wh Buy Now On Amazon $1,399.99

If you do need even more capacity, Maxoak have you covered there too. The EB240 stores a whopping 2400Wh of power. The continuous and peak rating are the same, but it’ll last longer. If you’re powering critical medical equipment, it’s a good idea to buy the largest battery you can afford.

I wish we didn’t have to recommend a backup power generator at all if I’m completely honest. It’s a lot of money to spend on something you should hopefully never need. But I think we’re all coming to the realization that we have a very fragile existence. Please don’t let the next major catastrophe catch you unaware: build resilience into every aspect of your life. What would you do if faced with a week-long power cut?

Money Off Coupons for the Maxoak Bluetti 1500Wh

We’ve secured some coupons to make the Bluetti even more affordable.

US readers: Maxoak Bluetti EB150 on Amazon US. Use the code “bluetti1500” at checkout for $140 off; combine with the voucher that can be applied on the Amazon page for a total of $290 off. The EB240 model currently has a promotion for $390 off the purchase price of $2000 (no coupon code needed).

UK readers: Poweroak EB150 on Amazon UK. Use the code “IBQWIGRI” for a £70 discount; combine with the £130 voucher that can be applied on the Amazon page for a total of £200 off.

We also have one Maxoak Bluetti EB150 to give away to one lucky reader! Enter below, but please note this competition is open to US residents only. 

Enter the Competition!

Maxoak Bluetti 1500Wh Solar Generator

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Dive Into Data With 43 Hours of Microsoft Excel Training for Under $50

From sales figures to financial forecasts, data plays a key role in business. The tool most often used to crunch the numbers is Microsoft Excel, but relatively few people know the software inside out. If you would like to improve your knowledge, the 2020 Ultimate Microsoft Excel Certification Training Bundle provides 43 hours of hands-on training from top instructor, Alan Jarvis. You can get it now for just $49.99 at MakeUseOf Deals.

Basic to Advanced

In the world of work, everyone is expected to know Excel. However, this powerful software can seem daunting to an absolute beginner. 

This bundle helps you get started and master the more advanced features, with 10 in-depth courses. You start with the basics — how to create a new worksheet, how to format a spreadsheet, and so on. 

You can discover advanced techniques and powerful tools, such as VBA and macros. The training also covers functions, formulas, pivot tables, data visualization, and more. Each course provides hands-on examples and certification.

Your primary instructor is Alan Jarvis, who has taught over 80,000 students from 194 countries. With 4.6 stars from over 14,000 reviews on Udemy, he has an outstanding track record.

43 Hours of Training for $49.99

These courses are worth $1,732 in total, but you can pick up the bundle now for $49.99.

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5 Cheap and Easy Recipe Sites to Cook Healthy Meals at Home on a Budget

Looking to cook a healthy meal while on a limited budget or low on supplies? These websites teach you the best cheap recipes to make at home, whether you’re a beginner or seasoned cook.

With the coronavirus outbreak, most people are stuck in their houses all day. The no-risk option is to cook your own meals. The pandemic has also wreaked havoc on the global economy, so it’s wise to cook healthy and cheap food yourself.

Whether you have only the pantry essentials or fresh produce, you can make delicious meals at home with the right recipes. You don’t even need to be a great cook as these websites work for beginners in the kitchen too.

1. The Stonesoup (Web): Low-Carb Recipes With Only Six Ingredients

The Stonesoup’s claim to fame is making recipes that use only six ingredients. This makes it much easier for beginner cooks, and cheaper.

At the same time, author Jules Clancy focuses on making them low-carb and healthy. And you can trust Clancy on her claims since she’s a former food scientist.

The recipe format is usually pretty standard, but the best part is what comes after the recipe. Clancy usually shows how to make it fancier and adds substitutes for a variety of dietary choices such as vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, pantry-friendly, etc.

You can check out all her recommended common food substitutes in a separate section. The site also sorts recipes by the amount of time it takes to cook, dietary choices, and dish type.

Clancy also includes “waste avoidance strategies” so that you’re making full use of all your ingredients and not wasting food. These easy and healthy recipes also have a section on whether they can be prepped as part of future meal planning.

For offline references, you can download a free ebook with 29 low-carb, 6-ingredient recipes.

2. Mob Kitchen (Web): Serve Four People in 10 Bucks

Mob Kitchen targets students who are fending for themselves for the first time in their lives. So all the meals here are easy to make for beginner cooks while trying to stay healthy. And all of these are recipes on a budget.

The website’s big idea is to make recipes that serve four people and cost less than 10 British pounds.

In America, you should still be able to get all these ingredients in 10 dollars. And really, they include everything except pantry essentials like salt, pepper, milk, and oil.

Mob Kitchen presents recipes in a slightly different format than more recipe sites, but it’s actually quite thoughtful. You’ll find the steps more wordy than normal, but that’s because they are careful to include all the “dummy’s guide” steps.

For example, they won’t say “cut the cucumber in two” but instead write “peel the skin off the cucumber, then chop it in half.” These specifics might seem overkill for an experienced cook, but they are important notes for beginners.

The website doesn’t have a huge collection of recipes, but the available options are varied and sound delicious. Make sure you also check out the Mob Kitchen student hacks ebook for tips and tricks for any beginner.

3. Brokeass Gourmet (Web): Recipes Under $20 and Cooking Tips

As the name suggests, Brokeass Gourmet is all about staying on a budget while you eat delicious and healthy food. Author Gabi Moskowitz’s idea is to make recipes that cost less than $20 but still look and taste awesome.

The blog has been around for over 10 years, so the collection of recipes is extensive. The recipe archives are a nice mix of full meals, diet-restricted dishes, varied cuisines, and some items that you wouldn’t have thought of.

Also, look for the signature “$5 Dessert” column to find cheap but rich desserts to satisfy your sweet tooth.

The nice part is that you don’t have to read through long paragraphs to set the mood, as the blog dives right into the recipe with only a short intro.

Moskowitz also often writes guides about the things related to cooking on a budget, like how to make produce stay fresh for a longer time.

4. One Pot Recipes (Web): 30 Minute Meals Using a Single Pot

The worst part about cooking is the cleaning that goes with it. You put in all that effort over the stove and instead of enjoying the meal, you’re thinking about that mess in your sink that needs tending to.

One Pot Recipes shows you how to reduce that mess and make cooking simpler by using one large vessel for the whole meal.

Blogger Abeer says most of these recipes need only 30 minutes of work from you. One Pot Recipes often relies on store-bought pantry items with long shelf life, thus making it easier for amateur cooks.

You’ll need a good slow pot or instant pot a.k.a. pressure cooker to make many of the dishes, which have their own sections too. But you’ll also find recipes without those, for everything from salads to dessert.

One Pot Recipes has a nice format that tells you variations for the dish, like adding or deleting ingredients, or changing the base itself.

You’ll also find storage instructions for the item, and tips and techniques to ensure you are getting the best result as per the recipe.

5. One Dish Kitchen (Web): Recipes to Cook Meals for One Person

Most food websites give you recipes that serve a family. But if you are staying by yourself, that’s a lot of food wastage or leftovers. Plus, it’s not as simple as simply dividing the recipe’s quantities to turn it into a single person’s food. One Dish Kitchen focuses on cooking for one person.

The website packs recipes for breakfast, main dish, side dish, appetizer, salad, soup, sauces, drinks, and desserts. It also includes meal planning ideas so that you can prep in advance to cook food later. The instructions are clear and the recipes have helpful tips and tricks to ensure a smooth cook.

One Dish Kitchen regularly adds new recipes and relevant guides, like the 14-day isolation meal plan to make single-serving items in advance. If you prefer watching to reading, check out their YouTube channel for many of the same recipes in video format.

Sharpen Your Basic Cooking Skills

Just because you’re cooking and eating at home doesn’t mean the food has to be boring. If you sharpen your basic cooking skills, you’ll be eating delicious home-cooked meals without taking a step out of the house.

One of our favorite resources to learn the essential skills of cooking is the 51-page free Cooking Crash Course by Chef Gui Alinat. You can find that and more tools for beginner cooks in our collection of five essential sites for newbies in the kitchen.

Read the full article: 5 Cheap and Easy Recipe Sites to Cook Healthy Meals at Home on a Budget

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Snapchat preempts clones, syndicates Stories to other apps

If you can’t stop them, power them. That’s the strategy behind Snapchat App Stories, which launches today to let users show off their ephemeral content in other apps too. The first partners will let you post Stories to your dating profile in Hily, share them alongside [music] videos in Triller, watch them while screensharing in Squad, or give people a peek at your life in augmented reality network Octi. Developers can now sign up to add Stories to their apps.

Snapchat’s Stories format has been widely cloned, most famously by Instagram and Facebook, but with versions in various states of development for YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, SoundCloud, and more. Snapchat hopes to retain some grip on Stories and dissuade more copycats by letting developers bake the original version into their apps rather than building a bootleg attempt from scratch.

If you need Snapchat to share Stories to popular apps, that could boost content production plus subsequent viewership and ad impressions inside of Snapchat, remind people to shoot Stories, and make sure having a Snapchat account stays relevant. “We definitely think there’s a potential for monetization in App Stories but not yet” Snap’s VP of partnerships Ben Schwerin tells me. For now, Snapchat isn’t injecting ads into alongside Stories into other apps, though that’s clearly the plan.

“There are certain platforms out there that have decided they want to invest in building their own Stories product and their own camera, but it’s not a trivial thing to do. It takes resources and time. We think we can help developers do that” Schwerin explains. “Getting more people out there, regardless of age or where they live, comfortable using Stories probably makes them more likely to be able to pick up and enjoy Snapchat.”

Snapchat initially announced the plan for App Stories at its Partner Summit exactly a year ago. Unfortunately, its second annual developer conference that was set for this week was cancelled due to coronavirus.

Though advertising spend may be reduced, at least the app has experienced an increase in usage while everyone shelters in place. That includes third-party apps built on its Snap Kit platform that lets developers piggyback on Snapchat’s login, Bitmoji, and camera effects.

Snapchat launches privacy-safe Snap Kit, the un-Facebook platform

“We continue to see incredible growth from established apps like Reddit and Spotify and TikTok, and from startups that are really building from the ground up on Snap Kit like Yolo” Schwerin reveals. “People are spending more time at home and less time with friends. We’re seeing increased usage of Snapchat.”

Snap Kit has allowed Snapchat to rally would-be copycats into a legion of allies as it fights to stave off the Facebook empire. That strategy combined with a high-performance rebuild of its Android app for the developing world led Snapchat’s share price to grow from $11.36 a year ago to a recent high of $18.98 before coronavirus dragged it almost all the way back down.

Now, when people shoot a photo or video in the Snapchat camera, they’ll get options to share it not just to their Story or Snap Map and the crowdsourced community Stories, but also to their Story within other apps integrated with Snap Kit. Users will see options to syndicate their Story to products equipped with App Stories where they’re already logged in.

Unlike on Snapchat where Stories disappear after 24 hours, they default to a 7-day expiration in other App Stories. That relieves users of having to constantly post ephemeral Snaps to keep their dating or social app profiles stocked with biographical content.

In Hily, Snapchat Stories partially replaces the homegrown version it’d spun up in the meantime to show potential dates off-the-cuff looks at people’s lives. In Triller, users can tap on a content creator’s profile pic to see biographical Stories instead of just their polished music videos. In Squad, users can co-watch Stories along with other things to screenshare. And in Octi, users can see someone’s Snapchat Story amongst other hidden content revealed by its augmented reality camera.

One app missing is Tinder, which Snapchat originally previewed as its launch partner at the App Stories reveal last year. Tinder is using Snapchat’s Bitmoji stickers, but may have gotten cold feet about Stories. The fact that Snap is only now launching App Stories, and still hasn’t officially launched Ad Kit that lets it inject its ads into other apps and split revenue with developers, shows it’s taking time to adjust to its platform strategy after years of shunning outside integrations. It still won’t reveal the revenue percentage split it’s applying to Ad Kit.

For Snapchat to gain momentum it needs two things: a constant influx of new users, eager to use its augmented reality camera and Bitmoji wherever they’re available, and more impressions to monetize with ads after Instagram stole the Stories use case for untold millions of older users. App Stories could help with both.

“The proliferation of stories as the primary way to share video content on mobile we think is a good thing” Schwerin concludes. But Snap has sat by idly as it’s served as the R&D lab for Facebook’s product. Now Snapchat needs to own the viewership and the ad dollars that Stories generate everywhere other than Facebook. Just coining the concept doesn’t bring in cash.

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Family-friendly Spotify Kids app launches in the U.S., Canada and France

Last fall, Spotify debuted a standalone Kids application, aimed at bringing kid-friendly music and stories to Spotify Premium Family subscribers, initially in Ireland. Today, that app is being made available broadly in the U.S. Canada and France, the company announced on Tuesday. The Kids app is still considered a “beta” as it arrives in these new markets, Spotify says. However, it’s been expanded with more songs, stories and other content since the original beta tests began.

The app is largely designed to boost sign-ups for Spotify’s top-tier subscription, the $14.99 (USD) per month Premium Family plan. This plan offers up to 6 people in the same household access to Spotify’s on-demand, ad-free music streaming service, each with their own personalized account. It also includes other exclusive features like Family Mixes, as well as parental controls, and now, the Spotify Kids application.

Spotify has long since realized its one-size-fits-all strategy didn’t work for families. It needed to build a unique experience separate from its flagship app in order to best cater to children — and to abide by the regulations around data collection and consent with regard to apps aimed at kids.

Spotify designed the Kids app from the ground up with the needs of both parents and kids in mind. For parents, it offers peace of mind that children won’t accidentally encounter inappropriate lyrics, for example, or songs with more adult themes. To ensure this remains the case, Spotify editors hand-curate the content on the Kids app by following a set of guidelines about what’s inappropriate for children. It doesn’t utilize algorithms to make selections about what’s included, the way the spinoff app YouTube Kids does.

Instead of being a fully on-demand product, Spotify Kids offers playlists for little ones focused around categories like Movies, TV, Stories, or various activities, like “Learn” or “Party,” among others. As kids grow older, they may also want to follow their favorite artists in the app.

The app can also be customized by age range. For younger kids, there’s character-based artwork and content aimed at the preschool set like singalongs or lullabies. Older kids will see a more detailed experience and have access to more popular tracks that are also age-appropriate.

The programmed playlists in Spotify Kids are curated by editors hailing from some of the most well-known brands in kids’ entertainment — including Nickelodeon, Disney, Discovery Kids, Universal Pictures, and others. They know what kids want and also what sells to the parents who pay.

Since its launch in Ireland, Spotify Kids has rolled out to Sweden, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil.

It has also added more content since its original debut, says Spotify.

“We heard loud and clear that both parents and kids are craving more content in the app, so we’ve been increasing the number of tracks available. We’ve also heard from parents that they want even more control of the content, so we are working on some exciting new features,” noted Spotify’s Chief Premium Business Officer Alex Norström, in a statement.

The company isn’t yet going into detail about the upcoming additions, but says they’ll be focused on giving parents more control over the child’s experience. Typically, that would mean letting parents make more specific choices about what’s being streamed. But since parental controls are already available, it could mean letting parents pick specific songs or perhaps, block them. Time will tell.

Today the Spotify Kids app has over 8,000 songs in its catalog — 30% more than when it first arrived in Ireland, and growing.

It also has more local content, with 50% of the catalog in the app localized by market. Its collection of kid-friendly audiobooks and stories has grown as well, and the app now offers over 60 hours of stories, including fairy tales, classics, short stories, and stories from Disney Music Group.

In response to user feedback, there’s also now more bedtime content like lullabies, calming music and sounds, and bedtime stories. (And yes, this finally means that Spotify parents will stop having their year-end Spotify Wrapped ruined by lullabies.)

In the U.S., Spotify Kids launches today with over 125 playlists (approximately 8,000 tracks.) In addition to mainstream kids’ music, the catalog includes Spanish-language, Country, Christian, Motown, and Soul Dance Party playlists. There’s also a Trolls World Tour playlist and another for Frozen.

In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, there’s also a new global playlist called “Wash Your Hands” which includes songs that teach kids to wash hands and to cough and sneeze properly. This includes the new song from Pinkfong “Wash Your Hands with Baby Shark.”

And to aid parents now educating children at home, there’s a “Learning” playlist hub where you’ll find songs about the ABC’s, counting, science and more.

The app is available today in the U.S., Canada, and France on iOS and Android. The app is a free download, but requires a Spotify Premium Family membership.

 

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Snapchat preempts clones, syndicates Stories to other apps

If you can’t stop them, power them. That’s the strategy behind Snapchat App Stories, which launches today to let users show off their ephemeral content in other apps too. The first partners will let you post Stories to your dating profile in Hily, share them alongside [music] videos in Triller, watch them while screensharing in Squad, or give people a peek at your life in augmented reality network Octi. Developers can now sign up to add Stories to their apps.

Snapchat’s Stories format has been widely cloned, most famously by Instagram and Facebook, but with versions in various states of development for YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, SoundCloud, and more. Snapchat hopes to retain some grip on Stories and dissuade more copycats by letting developers bake the original version into their apps rather than building a bootleg attempt from scratch.

If you need Snapchat to share Stories to popular apps, that could boost content production plus subsequent viewership and ad impressions inside of Snapchat, remind people to shoot Stories, and make sure having a Snapchat account stays relevant. “We definitely think there’s a potential for monetization in App Stories but not yet” Snap’s VP of partnerships Ben Schwerin tells me. For now, Snapchat isn’t injecting ads into alongside Stories into other apps, though that’s clearly the plan.

“There are certain platforms out there that have decided they want to invest in building their own Stories product and their own camera, but it’s not a trivial thing to do. It takes resources and time. We think we think we can help developers do that” Schwerin explains. “Getting more people oput there, regardless of age or where they live, comfortable using Stories probably makes them more likely to be able to pick up and enjoy Snapchat.”

Snapchat initially announced the plan for App Stories at its Partner Summit exactly a year ago. Unfortunately, its second annual developer conference that was set for this week was cancelled due to coronavirus.

Though advertising spend may be reduced, at least the app has experienced an increase in usage while everyone shelters in place. That includes third-party apps built on its Snap Kit platform that lets developers piggyback on Snapchat’s login, Bitmoji, and camera effects.

“We continue to see incredible growth from established apps like Reddit and Spotify and TikTok, and from startups that are really building from the ground up on Snap Kit like Yolo” Schwerin reveals. People are spending more time at home and less time with friends. We’re seeing increased usage of Snapchat.”

Snap Kit has allowed Snapchat to rally would-be copycats into a legion of allies as it fights to stave off the Facebook empire. That strategy combined with a high-performance rebuild of its Android app led Snapchat’s share price to grow from $11.36 a year ago to a recent high of $18.98 before coronavirus dragged almost all the way back down.

Now, when people shoot a photo or video in the Snapchat camera, they’ll get options to share it not just to their Story or Snap Map and the crowdsourced community Stories, but also to their Story within other apps integrated with Snap Kit. Users will see options to syndicate their Story to products equipped with App Stories where they’re already logged in.

Unlike on Snapchat where Stories disappear after 24 hours, with they default to a 7-day expiration in other App Stories. That relieves users of having to constantly post ephemeral Snaps to keep their dating or social app profiles stocked with biographical content.

In Hily, Snapchat Stories partially replaces the homegrown version it’d spun up in the meantime to show potential dates off-the-cuff looks at people’s lives. In Triller, users can tap on a content creator’s profile pic to see biographical Stories instead of just their polished music videos. In Squad, users can co-watch Stories amongst other things to screenshare. And in Octi, users can see someone’s Snapchat Story amongst other hidden content revealed by its augmented reality camera.

One app missing is Tinder, which Snapchat originally previewed as its launch partner at the App Stories reveal last year. Tinder is using Snapchat’s Bitmoji stickers, but may have gotten cold feet about Stories. The fact that Snap is only now launching App Stories, and still hasn’t officially launched Ad Kit that lets it inject its ads into other apps and split revenue with developers, shows it’s taking time to adjust to its platform strategy after years of shunning outside integrations.

For Snapchat to gain momentum it needs two things: a constant influx of new users, eager to use its augmented reality camera and Bitmoji wherever they’re available, and more impressions to monetize with ads after Instagram stole the Stories use case for untold millions of older users. App Stories could help with both.

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Disney+ to launch in India on April 3

Disney said on Tuesday that it will launch its streaming service, Disney+, in India on April 3. The service, available globally in about a dozen markets, will launch in India on Hotstar, one of the most popular on-demand streaming services in the country that is also owned by Disney.

The company said it is raising the yearly subscription cost of the combined entity, Disney+Hotstar, to Rs 1,499 ($20), up from Rs 999 ($13.2) that it previously charged for its most premium content on Hotstar. TechCrunch reported last year that Disney+ will launch in India in 2020 and will increase its subscription cost.

Hotstar, which claimed to have amassed 300 million monthly active users during the cricket season in India last year, would continue to offer an ad-supported service that it will offer to users without a fee. But it is increasing the cost of both of its premium tiers.

Disney is offering a more affordable yearly tier that costs Rs 399 ($5.3) that will include movies from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, access to live sporting events and a wide catalog of movies and shows, and original shows produced by Hotstar. It will not include Disney+ Originals.

The $20 yearly subscription tier will offer over 100 series and 250 superhero and animated titles, including Disney+ Originals and shows from HBO, Fox, and Showtime, the company said. It will also include access to everything that Disney+Hotstar customers are availing at $5.3 tier.

“With the success of Hotstar, we ushered in a new era for premium video streaming in India. Today, as we unveil Disney+ Hotstar, we take yet another momentous step in staying committed to our promise of delivering high-quality impactful stories for India that have not only entertained but also made a difference in people’s lives, a promise that is even more meaningful in challenging times such as this,” said Uday Shankar, President of The Walt Disney Company APAC and Chairman, Star & Disney India, said in a statement.

“We hope the power of Disney’s storytelling, delivered through Hotstar’s technology, will help our viewers find moments of comfort, happiness and inspiration during these difficult times,” he added.

The company had originally planned to launch Disney+Hotstar in India on March 29, but it began testing the service in the country weeks prior to that.

But as the coronavirus outbreak prompted New Delhi to order a nation-wide lockdown, which put a halt to public events including the cricket tournament Indian Premier League (IPL), Disney postponed the launch of Disney+Hostar in India.

IPL cricket tournament is by far the biggest attraction on Hotstar. According to people familiar with the matter, the months following IPL saw Hotstar’s userbase drop from 300 million to about 60 million last year.

If the IPL cricket tournament, which has been postponed until mid next month, is further delayed — or cancelled — it might significantly hurt Hotstar’s relevance and financials.

If that wasn’t enough, some of the shows and movies on Hotstar may disappear soon as one of its partners, Hooq, filed for liquidation last week.

Disney was also recently criticized for blocking and censoring episodes of John Oliver’s “Last Week Tonight.” Hotstar did not stream a recent episode of Oliver’s show that was critical of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and some of his policies. Hotstar has also edited out jokes from Oliver’s show that mocked Disney.

Oliver called out Disney and Hotstar for the censorship. Disney has not responded to multiple requests for comment on this matter.

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Bay Area effort to feed hospital workers partners with Jose Andres’ World Central Kitchen

An effort I’ve been following in the Bay Area to deliver meals to front-line hospital clinicians dealing with the results of COVID-19 is announcing a big new partnership today that should give it a national stage. Frontline Foods is partnering up with World Central Kitchen to scale up its ad-hoc efforts across the US.

World Central Kitchen is a not-for-profit organization founded by chef José Andrés in 2010 that has made headlines over and over again as it has provided food and disaster relief in countries around the world after disasters like Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, the Camp Fires in California and most recently COVID-19-affected cruise passengers in Japan and Oakland.

Frontline Foods is an open-sourced effort to deliver meals to hospital staff from local restaurants impacted by loss of clientele due to coronavirus prevention measures. The equation is a brilliantly simple one. Restaurants have far less customers, hospital staff are moving at incredible speed and unable to score a great meal on the fly.

The #SFhospitalmeals experiment evolved into a full clinician meal program, as launched here by Frank Barbieri and Sydney Gessel, along with Ryan Sarver, who I spoke to via email about the program — one of several similar efforts that collectively became Frontline Foods.

“Frank was texting with a mutual friend of ours, Sydney Gessel, who is a registered nurse in the Emergency Department at UCSF Mission Bay. He asked her, ‘How can I help’ and she essentially replied ‘pizza.’ Nurses are pulling 16-hour shifts, are stressed, tired, no time to cook at home, restaurants are closed and the simple act of feeding themselves was going by the wayside,” Sarver said. “At the same time, restaurants were starting to face the reality of shelter-in-place and the dire results of what it meant for them and their teams. We called up a local pizza spot that night and had a bunch of pizzas delivered to her unit. The restaurant and the clinicians were both ecstatic and we realized there was an opportunity to try to do more of this.”

After a couple of dry runs and a tweet for donors, the project ended up expanding to 7 hospitals and raising an eventual $350k over the past few weeks.

Ryan and Frank and other volunteers like Chris Consentino outlined a spec for the project and reached out to a number of restaurants and started plugging them into spreadsheets that matched restaurants to units in need across a few Bay Area hospitals.

Frontline Foods, as a federation that now has multiple chapters across the US, has 150 volunteers in 12 cities and has raised a combined $700,000. In SF it has delivered 4,375 meals to 6 local hospitals. It currently has the ability to deliver another 12,000 meals in SF. Current hospitals served in the bay include UCSF Mission Bay, UCSF Parnassus, SFGH, Kaiser Geary, CPMC Van Ness and CPMC Davies.

Once they saw that there were more groups in the bay and across the US that had started similar ‘connect restaurants to COVID-19 clinicians’ efforts, they began to see the need to build out a standard.

“We decided ‘open sourcing’ the process and tools we were using would help other people start their own programs and allow us to learn from others groups,” Sarver said. “We eventually launched a Slack to help the other cities coordinate. In less than a week we now have 180 volunteers in the Slack, over a dozen cities launched, have raised $700k, and delivered 7,000+ meals.”

Frontline is looking to leverage WCK’s experience in raising money and preparing food for disasters over the last 10 years. WCK’s help as a fiscal sponsor will also give Frontline Foods the ability to utilize its 501c3 status to accept donations. The side of this that is bolstering local restaurants and creating a pipeline between them and groups of people in need of food — fueled by donations — is what Frontline is hoping to bring to the table.

The group boasts a diverse set of skills from technology and design to community management, food & beverage and non-profits. They’re distributed across the US, Canada and Australia as well. It’s nearly all being run on Slack and Zoom calls as well, and most of the group has never met one another.

“We open sourced the process and tools, which at the time was some Google Docs and Google Sheets,” said Sarver. “In the week since, we have spun up a product and engineering team of volunteers who are designing and building more automated systems. Some of it is custom built and but much of it is going to be built on Coda for the backend tools, documentation and automation.”

Many of the cities that are now a part of the Frontline Foods project were home to efforts that started in parallel. After reaching out and realizing that they were aligned, there was a drive to create a new umbrella that used a shared mission and shared systems to make them more effective.

Frontline is reaching out to local, independent restaurants in the areas where it operates or having them apply via a form, and word has spread through the restaurant community. Many of them, even without previous take-out or delivery experience, are figuring out how to package and deliver meals through Frontline’s pipeline. In return, they get a pipeline of predictable business at a time when they are not seeing much predictability at all.

The restaurant industry has been hit incredibly hard by COVID-19, and there is a real danger that an entire generation of independent food providers will just be wiped out. Many are adapting at speed to a life of takeout, or marketplaces, or safe delivery — but any additional help is welcome. And the double-ended benefit that results from the Frontline Foods (and WCK) project is a fantastic way to deliver that help.

“World Central Kitchen is a team of food first responders, mobilizing with the urgency of now to get meals to those who need them most. We are proud that this alliance with Frontline Foods will help activate even more restaurants and kitchens to feed our brave medical professionals on the front lines, in order to make a meaningful impact in the fight to keep everyone fed, and to support the distressed restaurant industry,” World Central Kitchen CEO Nate Mook said in a release today.

Frontline Foods and WCK are taking no fees from these transactions. Along with the WCK partnership, Frontline is also launching a national donation-matching program with a $200,000 matching grant from top donors.

“This is an unprecedented crisis (I’ve used that a lot, but it is) — the hospitals and clinicians have never seen anything like this,” said Sarver via email. “And for the 11 million people employed by restaurants in the US, they face a very uncertain future. Every dollar of a donation goes directly into the pockets of these restaurants to make the food that goes to our clinicians. If you can, please consider a donation.”

You can donate on Frontline Foods website here.

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Reddit Polls Help You Gauge People’s Opinions

Reddit now officially supports Polls, with the social media platform rolling them out as a new type of post. This means that you can create a Poll on Reddit without needing to use a third-party service to do so. And the Poll can be about (almost) anything.

You have always been able to post a poll on Reddit. However, thanks to a lack of official support, you have had to use a third-party site to do so. Until now. After testing the feature for a few months, Reddit Polls are now available across the site.

How to Create a Poll on Reddit

In a post on /r/announcements/, Reddit describes Polls as “a brand new post type that encourages redditors to share their opinion via voting.” Anyone can create a Poll and then vote in that Poll. Polls are supported in all subreddits aside from text-only communities.

To create a Poll on Reddit, open the subreddit you want to post to and click “Create a Post”. Choose “Poll”, and enter a title, the question you want to ask, and the answers you want to offer. Finally, choose a “Voting Length”, and click “Post”.

There's a new way to vote on Reddit. ?

Read more: https://t.co/POg2Rz97vk pic.twitter.com/MEmtGzl8m4

— Reddit (@reddit) March 24, 2020

Reddit Polls cannot be edited once published, so make sure you double-check every element before posting. As well as voting in a Poll, Reddit users can leave a comment on it. Which means the debate can continue beyond the simple act of voting.

You can create and vote in Polls on Android (be sure to update to the latest version of the app), iOS, and the new version of Reddit on the web. However, on the mobile web and the old version of Reddit, while you can vote, you cannot create Polls.

What Is Reddit and How Does It Work?

Polls are just the latest addition to Reddit—and a welcome one at that—with the social media platform regularly rolling out new features. However, if you’re completely new to Reddit, be sure to read our article explaining what Reddit is and how it works.

Image Credit: Lettawren/Flickr

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Real Online Privacy for Beginners: 60+ Essential Tips and Warnings

Companies and governments are spying on you all over the internet and beyond. We have all kinds of tips to help you reclaim your privacy online!

Every year, we lose a little bit more of what little online privacy we have left. Our activities are tracked from site to site, and it doesn’t matter where you live because nobody is safe from these prying eyes—unless you know how to protect yourself.

Don’t want your internet activity tracked? Creeped out by the idea of corporations listening in on your conversations? Tired of shady businesses profiting off of your personal information? Here’s what you need to know, and do!

Understanding Basic Online Privacy

If you’ve never quite “bought into” the idea or importance of online privacy, we don’t blame you. It can often sound like exaggerated and unnecessary paranoia over nothing! We recommend checking out these introductory articles:

• What’s an IP Address? Can It Betray Where You Live?
• What’s a Cookie? What Does It Have to Do With Privacy?
• What’s a Supercookie? Here’s How to Remove Them Properly
• What’s “Do Not Track” and What Does It Do for Privacy?
• How Google Can Track You Online
• How Your Personal Info Is Being Exploited Every Day
• How to Protect Yourself From Unethical or Illegal Spying
• How to Find Out Who’s Searching for You Online
• How to Check Who’s Tracking You Online
• How to Remove False Personal Information on the Internet
• How to Delete Your Personal Info From Public Record Websites
• Types of Personal Info You Should Never Post Online
• Why You Need Online Anonymity

Online Privacy While Browsing the Web

These days, the moment you connect to the internet, you start leaving traces of who you are and what you’ve done with every single action. Protecting your privacy is hard, but not impossible:

• How to Mask Yourself Online With a Fake IP Address
• What Is Private Browsing Mode in Google Chrome?
• How to Enable Private Browsing in Your Browser
• How You Can Be Tracked Even in Incognito or Private Browsing Mode
• Essential Privacy Settings for Google Chrome
• How to Delete Your Google Search History
• How to Delete Your Google Chrome History
• The Best Google Chrome Extensions for Online Privacy
• The Best Private Search Engines That Respect Your Data
• The Best Private Web Browsers That Are Anonymous

Online Privacy on Social Media

Social media companies are some of the worst offenders when it comes to privacy violations. Most of them rely on your personal info to turn a buck—and no one is looking out for you, so you need to look out for yourself:

• Common Social Media Privacy Issues (And How to Fix Them)
• How to Hide Your Social Media Profiles From Anyone
• How Hackers Can Steal Your Identity on Social Media
• How to Deactivate or Delete Your LinkedIn Account
• How to Delete All of Your Tweets Immediately
• How to Turn Off Location Tracking in Snapchat

We have several articles specifically written for better privacy on Facebook. Given how flippant the company has been regarding personal information on their social network, we highly recommend heeding these tips if you still use Facebook:

• Facebook Is Tracking You! Here’s How to Stop It
• Why Facebook Is a Security and Privacy Nightmare
• Deactivating or Deleting Facebook: What It Really Means for Privacy
• How to Delete Your Facebook Search History
• How to Delete Your Facebook Location History
• How to Set Which Facebook Friends Can See You Online
• How to Appear Offline on Facebook and Messenger
• Essential Facebook Photo Privacy Settings
• Can You Really See Who Viewed Your Facebook Profile?

Don’t neglect your personal privacy on Instagram, which is owned by Facebook:

• How Instagram Is Spying on You Right Now
• How to Make Your Instagram More Private

WhatsApp has also been a recurring subject of privacy-related issues. If you’re a regular WhatsApp user, here are a few things you need to know:

• Is WhatsApp Safe? Important Threats You Need to Know About
• What Personal Info Does WhatsApp Store and Track?
• How Safe Are Your Photos on WhatsApp?
• Essential WhatsApp Privacy Settings You Need to Tweak
• The Best WhatsApp Alternatives for Online Privacy

Online Privacy and Online Dating

• How to Protect Your Privacy When Online Dating
• How to Use Tinder Without Facebook Friends Knowing
• Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using Tinder

Online Privacy via VPNs

One of the best ways to protect your personal privacy online is to use a virtual private network (VPN). Don’t worry, VPNs are a lot simpler and easier to use than it sounds. Here’s what you need to know:

• What’s a VPN? Reasons Why You Need a VPN
• The Best Free VPN Services That Protect Your Privacy
• Ways in Which Your VPN Isn’t as Private as You Think

Online Privacy and Your Emails

Don’t want others peeking at your emails? Want to send emails that can’t be traced back to you? Here are the tips you need:

• The Most Secure and Encrypted Email Providers
• How to Encrypt Your Gmail, Outlook, and Other Webmail
• How to Find All Accounts Linked to Your Email Address
• How to Send Anonymous Emails
• Need a Disposable Email Address? Try These Great Services

Online Privacy and Your Devices

Privacy tips for your computer:

• How to Delete Your Windows 10 Activity History
• How to Prevent Microsoft Edge Spying on Your Webcam and Microphone
• Your Antivirus Might Be Tracking You: What You Need to Know

Privacy tips for your smartphone:

• How to Find Out If Google Has Been Listening to You
• How to Delete Your Browsing History on Android
• The Best Private Browsers for Phones and Tablets
• The Best Privacy-Friendly Android Apps

Read the full article: Real Online Privacy for Beginners: 60+ Essential Tips and Warnings

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How to Set Up TeamViewer and Access Your PC From Anywhere

For home users who want to access a computer remotely, it doesn’t get any easier than TeamViewer. Whether you want to access your home computer from anywhere or connect to a friend’s machine to help them out, TeamViewer is a great option.

Here’s a complete guide on how to use TeamViewer, including how to set up unattended access and some TeamViewer tips along the way.

How to Install TeamViewer

To start, download TeamViewer on your computer. The service has apps available for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Chrome OS, as well as Android and iOS. We’ll cover Windows here, but the experience is similar across platforms.

When installing, you can select Default installation, as we’ll set up unattended access shortly. TeamViewer is free for personal use, so select Personal / Non-commercial use for the second box and hit Accept to install.

After installation, you’ll see the TeamViewer home screen and are ready to use the service.

How to Connect Using TeamViewer

Using TeamViewer is simple. To start a remote connection, you’ll need your partner’s ID and Password provided on the main menu. If you’re connecting to someone else, ask them to install the app and send you these details via email or other means.

Note that if you’re connecting to someone who isn’t tech-savvy or can’t install the full version of TeamViewer, they can use the Download QuickSupport button on TeamViewer’s download page to download a single-use version.

Enter the Partner ID in the box, make sure you have Remote control selected, and hit Connect. After a few seconds, you’ll see a prompt to provide the other machine’s Password. Enter this and you’ll connect within a moment.

Once you’ve connected, you’ll have full control over the remote computer. Use your mouse and keyboard to work on the other person’s machine just like you were sitting in front of it.

The only exception to keep in mind is that you might have issues accepting UAC prompts for admin access. Depending on how they ran TeamViewer, you may have to ask the other person to accept these prompts.

How to Use TeamViewer’s Tools

TeamViewer provides you with some tools and tricks to help with your remote sessions. If you don’t see the toolbar at the top already, click the small down arrow to show it.

Click the Home button and you can review some general information about the remote computer, which is helpful for troubleshooting purposes. Under Actions, you’ll find commands that you can send to the remote machine, including rebooting, Ctrl + Alt + Del, and leaving a note for the person.

Use the options under View to adjust the resolution of the remote session, choose between quality and speed, and decide how the windows display. In the Communication menu, you’ll find options for starting a voice/video call via the internet, sending text chat, and using a whiteboard for illustration.

Finally, expand the Files & Extras section to take a screenshot, record the session, or easily transfer files between machines. In particular, a recording is a great way to create an instructional video that the other person can refer to in the future.

When you’re done, click the X on the left side of the navigation bar to end the session.

Meanwhile, on the remote computer, expand the TeamViewer panel in the bottom-right corner to access similar options. You can see who’s in the session, access the chat box, send files, and more.

How to Set Up Unattended Access in TeamViewer

One of TeamViewer’s best features is unattended access. This allows you to remotely connect to your own computers from any machine running TeamViewer. It takes a bit of preparation to do, but it’s worth it for anyone who uses remote access regularly.

To start, open TeamViewer and you’ll see two boxes under Unattended Access. First, check the box to Start TeamViewer with Windows. This is important so you don’t have to manually run it every time you boot up. It should configure this automatically, but you can set the app to run at Windows startup manually if needed.

Next, select the Grant easy access box. When you do, you’ll be prompted to sign into a TeamViewer account. If you don’t have one, click Create account. You can instead sign up for TeamViewer on the web if you prefer.

Once you have an account, sign into the TeamViewer app. You can check your sign-in status by clicking the profile icon at the top of the app’s left sidebar. When that’s set, click Grant easy access again, followed by the Assign button to confirm.

When everything is set, you’ll see the second box change to Easy access for [Name] is granted.

Using Unattended Access in TeamViewer

Once you’ve followed the above procedure, that computer is added to your list of machines in TeamViewer. As long as you’re logged in with your TeamViewer account, you can connect to the machine without having to input a password from it.

To do so, on another device, open TeamViewer and make sure you’re signed in. Click the Computers & Contacts tab on the left (it looks like an address book) to show your list of machines. You should see the one you just added under the My Computers header.

Select it, then click Remote control (using password) to connect without any further authentication. If you choose Remote control (prompt for confirmation) instead, it will ask the other machine to confirm first.

From there, you can use the same tools as mentioned above. Because you’re signed into your own machines with the full version of TeamViewer, you shouldn’t have any problems with UAC when using this method.

Using Unattended Access With a Personal Password

If you prefer not to create a TeamViewer account for whatever reason, you can still use unattended access with a custom password. To do this, open TeamViewer on the computer that you want to access remotely and choose Extras > Options.

On the left sidebar, select Security and you’ll see a section labeled Personal password (for unattended access). Create a password here, enter it twice, and you can use that to connect to this machine from another computer running TeamViewer.

With this method, you’ll need your ID to connect, so it’s a good idea to note that down somewhere safe. Enter the computer’s ID in TeamViewer as described earlier (this doesn’t change), then type your personal password when asked for one. You’ll then connect without any input needed from the remote machine.

Remember that anyone with your computer’s ID and password can use it to connect to your computer remotely, so make sure to keep this information safe.

TeamViewer Tips and Tricks

We close with a few quick TeamViewer tips to help you get more out of the service.

Use TeamViewer’s Mobile Apps

You can use TeamViewer’s free mobile remote control apps to control your desktop from an Android or iOS device. It’s obviously not ideal to control your desktop from a small smartphone screen, but it’s a nice option to have in a pinch. With unattended access set up as above, you can connect anytime you need.

If you want to connect to a mobile device, you’ll need the TeamViewer QuickSupport app on your device instead.

Download: TeamViewer Remote Control for Android | iOS (Free)
Download: TeamViewer QuickSupport for Android | iOS (Free)

Configure TeamViewer Options

Under Extras > Options on the main menu, you can tweak a variety of preferences about how TeamViewer runs. There are too many to review individually here, but a few highlights include:

• Use the Choose a theme box on the General tab to enable dark mode.
• On the Security tab, you can change the password strength for random passwords. Of course, a longer password is more secure.
• Have a look at Computers & Contacts to change notification options for your account.
• In Custom invitation, you can change the default message that TeamViewer provides when you’re inviting someone. This is easy to paste into an email to help the other person get set up.

Transfer Files and Start Meetings

On the main page, of TeamViewer, you’ll notice a File transfer option under the usual Remote control button. While you have other ways to transfer files, this is an easy way to send data to a remote computer if you already use TeamViewer.

TeamViewer has a lot of other features that are intended for business use. While most of these are unavailable in the free plan, anyone can use it to meet. Jump over the to Meeting tab on the left sidebar to create a new presentation, video call, or phone call. You can also join someone else’s meeting using an ID here.

See the best free group conference call tools if TeamViewer doesn’t work for you.

How to Update TeamViewer

Finally, if you’re wondering how to update TeamViewer, simply select Help > Check for new version on the main menu. By default, TeamViewer checks for updates on its own, so you shouldn’t have to do this often.

Now You Know How to Use TeamViewer

That’s all you need to know about how TeamViewer works. It’s a powerful yet easy tool for remote access that anyone can use. You can install TeamViewer on Windows, Mac, Linux, and even mobile devices. Give it a try if you need remote access regularly.

If TeamViewer doesn’t work for your needs, have a look at other great remote access tools.

Image Credit: hypermania/Depositphotos

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