Jay Prasad is chief strategy officer for LiveRamp TV, a data-connectivity platform leveraged by brands and their partners to deliver exceptional experiences.
As the nation struggles with a pandemic and economic uncertainty, fundamental shifts in consumer habits are leading marketers to rethink existing strategies and budgets allocated to influencers and streaming TV.
These significant shifts are nothing new; just as the dot-com bubble reduced landline penetration and boosted mobile phone adoption, the last recession pushed traditional ad spend to digital. It was an option before, but the recession accelerated the trend to targeting select audiences on social media platforms, giving rise to influencers.
Today, social media influencers are so ubiquitous, they risk becoming meaningless.
Prior to the onset of coronavirus, we saw the influencer trend diminishing while the streaming TV trend became more prominent. Today, streaming is still trending up and influencers have actually seen increased levels of engagement, but they face credibility issues, which could lead to a reduction in perceived value to brands.
Streaming has similar, if not more, targeting capabilities as social media, but now it has the eyeballs — the captive audience of quarantined Americans — up 20% this March, according to Nielsen. Marketers on a tight budget will be forced to reevaluate their relationships with influencers as they seek to increase ad spend on streaming TV services.
AT&T is getting a new boss, the first piece of Apple and Google’s COVID-19 contact tracing program should be available soon and Snap is looking to raise more debt.
A big changing of the guard is underway at one of the world’s biggest names in telecoms and media. The change is effective on June 1, and while Stephenson is retiring, he will stay on as executive chairman of AT&T until January 2021.
Stankey has held other roles at AT&T, including CEO of WarnerMedia and CEO of the AT&T Entertainment Group. His promotion suggests a continuing emphasis on the media side of the business.
The first version of Apple and Google’s jointly developed, cross-platform contact tracing API should be available to developers as of next week, according to a conversation between Apple CEO Tim Cook and European Commissioner for internal market Thierry Breton.
Snap’s Q1 earnings impressed investors but the company is still losing plenty of cash and it’s clear that the full impact of the digital ad market’s downturn won’t be seen until the company’s Q2 earnings. The company is now looking to raise looking to raise $750 million.
Leaked images obtained by TechCrunch reveal that Google considered and designed a feature that would let people donate money to websites to help support news publishers, bloggers and musicians. But the company ultimately scrapped the idea.
Although it looks like the COVID-19 pandemic has clipped the tails of many unicorns, this era won’t last forever. Investors expect the domestic and global economy to recover, perhaps as soon as late 2020 or early 2021. (Extra Crunch membership required.)
The interim legislation will allocate $310 billion to replenish the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), $75 billion for hospitals and $25 billion for COVID-19 testing. President Trump previously expressed his approval of the bill, as well as his intention to sign it and make the funds available as quickly as possible.
Nintendo confirmed earlier reports of account breaches dating back over the past few weeks. The gaming giant issued an update (via Nintendo Japan) noting that around 160,000 Nintendo Accounts were impacted, with accounts being used to purchase digital items without the owner’s consent.
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.
Windows 10 is a great operating system. As the latest version of Microsoft’s flagship product, it is the most popular operating system globally, across home and business users.
That doesn’t mean it is the best option for you, though. You may have heard about the Linux operating system, Ubuntu. If you haven’t tried it, you may be missing out on some excellent features.
Here are all the things that Ubuntu does better than Windows.
1. Updates
Just as you sit down to work at your Windows PC, you get a popup asking you to update Windows. After the update manager has downloaded the large files required, you must reboot the computer. In previous editions, you were able to choose when to restart your computer.
However, Microsoft decided that Windows 10 will determine for you, randomly rebooting your computer when you least expect it. Just as you’ve got back up and running, you open your favorite software, and another popup appears, asking you to update the software before you can use it.
This situation occurs because Windows, and macOS, handles operating system and application updates separately. Windows Update focuses primarily on critical infrastructure updates, leaving the apps to request manual updates when needed.
Ubuntu takes a different approach. Installations and updates are managed via repositories. Instead of downloading the application from the developer’s website, the repositories contain the software packaged for your edition of Ubuntu. Using these repositories, the Software Updater can notify you of pending updates.
It’s not just application updates that are handled in this way; operating system updates are bundled into the Software Updater as well. This makes it a single destination to manage all your updates, which is far simpler than the per-app basis found on Windows 10.
If you’ve ever used a Windows PC, you’ll know you need antivirus software. Windows has long been the target of malware, scammers, and viruses. Part of this is due to its ubiquity—it’s much easier to write malicious software for the most popular operating system.
However, this is also due to how Windows 10 handles security. There’s no getting away from the fact that Ubuntu is more secure than Windows. User accounts in Ubuntu have fewer system-wide permissions by default than in Windows.
This means that if you want to make a change to the system, like installing an application, you need to enter your password to do it. In Windows, you don’t. This makes it much more challenging to execute malware or a virus inside Ubuntu. Microsoft has introduced the User Account Control (UAC), which performs a similar function, though.
Despite these critical differences, Linux isn’t immune to viruses; they are just less likely. You should still browse the web safely, visit reputable sites, and be careful. If you’re after peace of mind, consider installing one of the best free Linux antivirus programs.
3. Customization
Microsoft restricts the amount of customization you can do its operating system. While Windows 10 is the most customizable edition yet, it’s still nowhere near the levels seen on Ubuntu.
If you’ve used, or at least seen, older versions of Ubuntu, you may be put off by the now-dated appearance. Fortunately, recent releases have brought the system up to modern standards.
Ubuntu is one of the best options to revive older hardware. If your computer is feeling sluggish, and you don’t want to upgrade to a new machine, installing Linux may be the solution.
Windows 10 is a feature-packed operating system, but you probably don’t need or use all of the functionality baked into the software. However, the capability is still there, and it drains resources from your primary tasks.
Ubuntu isn’t the only lightweight Linux distribution that can give your old PC new life, but it is among the most popular and stable. During the installation, you can either choose standard or minimal setups, further decreasing the size and resource requirement.
Many background processes are running in Windows, as well, and it isn’t an easy task to control them. This is in contrast to Ubuntu, where the entire operating system is designed for your input. This underpins the Linux mentality that your computer is yours, and it should be up to you to decide how it runs.
5. Live Environment
If you haven’t used Windows before and decide you want to give it a try, you have to commit to installing it on your machine beforehand. That could lead to problems such as data loss if you later decide you don’t like Windows. That’s not the case in Ubuntu.
In Ubuntu, you can burn the image to a CD or write it to a USB stick and boot it up straight from that media. This is a fully working version of the operating system, which means you can try every aspect of Ubuntu without having to commit to installing it on your hard drive.
Don’t like it? No problem; just reboot your machine, and you will be back on your previous operating system as if nothing had ever happened. This feature isn’t unique to Ubuntu; you can install these Linux distros on a USB stick, too.
6. Software
One of the main reasons people give for sticking with Windows is software. Indeed, most Windows programs you use regularly aren’t readily available on Ubuntu, or any Linux distro. So, how does Ubuntu do software better than Windows 10?
The simple answer is that most Linux software is open-source. By switching to Ubuntu, you open up a world of Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS). When you boot up for the first time, you won’t find Microsoft Office, but you will have access to Libre Office instead.
The same is true of most of your favorite software. While some apps are available via the Snap Store or as downloadable DEB packages, you’ll be on the hunt for alternatives. Ubuntu itself even comes preinstalled with stock editions of everyday applications.
Whether you find this a positive very much depends on your outlook overall. However, if you are considering a switch to Ubuntu, you likely are already interested in FOSS and would be open to switching to other alternatives, too.
7. It’s Free
Unlike Microsoft’s operating system, Ubuntu is entirely free. This not only saves you money on a Windows license but also means you can save money on new hardware, too, by opting to forgo Windows preinstallations. You may, however, object that Windows 10 is also free.
While Microsoft initially offered free downloads of Windows 10, the window of opportunity was limited and has now expired. Yes, there are some ways to get Windows 10 for free or cheap, but they are limited. Ubuntu has always been and will always be free. For comparison, the entry-level Windows 10 Home costs $139.
That is a lot of money, especially if you are looking for an operating system to revive older hardware. Ubuntu is the most budget-friendly choice. If you value the software and have a bit to spare, you could always consider donating to the Ubuntu project via their donations website.
Windows vs. Ubuntu: Which Do You Prefer?
Overall, both Windows 10 and Ubuntu are fantastic operating systems, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, and it’s great that we have the choice. Windows has always been the default operating system of choice, but there are plenty of reasons to consider a switch to Ubuntu, too.
Are you still watching? If you’ve ever binge-watched content on Netflix, you’ll be familiar with this message. While Netflix prompts you with the best intentions, seeing this message can prove more frustrating than anything.
So we’re here to tell you how to stop Netflix from asking whether you’re still there. Following these simple instructions will ensure you never see this message again.
How to Turn Off “Are You Still Watching?” on Netflix on Browsers
Whichever browser you’re using, you’ll need to use a third-party extension to remove the annoying message. As such, it’s important to choose recently updated browser extensions. Here are two of the best add-ons to turn off, “Are you still watching?”
How to Disable “Are You Still Watching?” on Chrome
On Google Chrome, an extension called Never Ending Netflix is the best option. Besides disabling the watching prompt, it allows you to manage a variety of Netflix settings. You can easily enable or disable the option to skip title sequences, automatically play the next episode, watch credits, and hide auto-playing promoted videos.
How to Disable “Are You Still Watching?” on Firefox
Sadly, Firefox doesn’t offer Never Ending Netflix. If you don’t want to tweak as many settings, Netflix Pause Removal offers a simplistic solution. This add-on just removes the feature from Netflix, so you’ll never see the watching message again.
When watching Netflix on your TV, there’s no shortcut to stopping the prompt. Essentially, Netflix doesn’t want you to lose your place while watching a show or be responsible for wasting your data. So, to avoid the still watching prompt, you’ll have to engage with the app.
You need to actively engage with Netflix’s video player controls or turn off the autoplay feature permanently. While not as convenient as a browser extension, all you need to do is press pause, adjust the volume, or manually start the next episode to keep the watching prompt at bay.
Use Secret Netflix Codes to Find New Content
Whatever approach you take to turn off the “Are you still watching” prompt on Netflix, finding better content to watch is the key. There are plenty of ways to do that, including entering secret Netflix codes to reveal hidden genres.
As soon as you sign into Windows 10, Microsoft pushes its recommended apps and settings on you. If you don’t want to use a Microsoft account to log in, dislike Bing search baked into the OS, and hate Edge, you’ll be happy to know you can change all of these.
While you can’t change everything, it’s possible to adjust much of Windows 10’s out-of-the-box behavior. Here’s how to change default settings and apps in Windows 10.
What Does “Set As Default” Mean?
In case you’ve never thought about default programs before, the concept is pretty straightforward. Windows keeps a list of apps that it always uses to open certain types of media or links. These are called default programs.
For example, when you double-click an MP4 file, Windows opens it in your default video player. Out of the box, this is the Movies & TV app, but you can change it to a different player with more features.
When you want to use a non-default app to open a file, you need to right-click it and choose Open with to select another.
How to Change Default Programs in Windows 10
Windows won’t automatically set new apps as the default when you install them. To change your default programs in Windows 10, follow these steps to access the default apps settings page:
Go to Settings > Apps.
Click Default apps in the pane on the left. You’ll see your default apps for common uses here, like Email, Music player, Web browser, and more.
Click an app to see others installed on your system that can take its place, then select the one you’d like to set as default.
If the app you want to use isn’t already installed, this panel will offer to let you search the Microsoft Store for one. Chances are you’ll want a traditional desktop app, not a Store app, as the default, though. Install the new app, then head back to this menu to set it as the default.
To change other defaults, scroll to the bottom of the default app settings page and you’ll see three more menus:
Choose default apps by file type: This lets you choose what apps should open a particular file type, such as PDF, MP3, and others. It’s a useful way to fix file type associations.
Choose default apps by protocol: Here, you can select what app should open when you click URIs containing protocols like mailto or ftp. Most users shouldn’t need to change these settings often.
Set defaults by app: In this menu, you can choose any app and manage the file types that it can open.
Default Programs in the Control Panel
The old Control Panel interface is still around in Windows 10, despite Microsoft migrating more of its functionality to the Settings app with every major update. It has a Default Programs section with four available menus, but all of them aside from AutoPlay (see below) redirect to the Settings app anyway.
However, if you still use Windows 7, you can use this Control Panel section to change your default programs.
If You Can’t Set the Default Windows 10 Browser
Sometimes, you might run into an issue where Windows 10 won’t remember the default browser after you change it. If this happens, first try uninstalling the browser in question and reinstalling it.
Should this fail to fix the problem, open the Set defaults by app section on the Default apps page, as discussed above. Look for the browser you want to set as default and choose Manage. Make sure every type of file listed here has your preferred browser selected.
How to Change AutoPlay Defaults in Windows 10
Does your PC automatically open a File Explorer window when you plug in a USB drive, or auto-play inserted DVDs? This is called AutoPlay, which makes it easier to launch removable media.
If you don’t like the current behavior, you can change it. Here’s how:
Go to Settings > Devices.
Click AutoPlay in the pane on the left.
You’ll see fields for Removable drive, Memory card, and other devices you’ve connected recently (such as your phone).
For each one, click the dropdown box and choose a default action, like importing photos with Dropbox, playing videos with your video player, or asking you every time.
To completely disable AutoPlay, turn off the Use AutoPlay for all media and devices slider.
If this isn’t enough control for you, you can change AutoPlay settings for specific types of media through the Control Panel. Search for Control Panel in the Start menu to open it. Change the Category dropdown in the top-right to Small icons, then select Default Programs > Change AutoPlay settings.
Here, you have many more choices for default actions. You can pick what various types of media do, and use AutoPlay for CDs, DVDs, software, and more.
Take caution about what you let run automatically. Historically, some malware has taken advantage of AutoPlay, making it easy to infect your computer if you plug a random flash drive in.
How to Replace Bing With Google on the Taskbar
The search function on the Taskbar can search the web in addition to your computer. However, Microsoft has locked this to always use Bing inside Edge.
If you’d rather search in your default browser, here’s how to replace Edge:
Install a free app called EdgeDeflector and launch it. The app hasn’t been updated since late 2017, but still works fine as of this writing.
You’ll see a prompt asking what app you want to use. Choose EdgeDeflector, check Always use this app, and hit OK.
If you dismiss this dialog or it doesn’t appear, you’ll need to configure EdgeDeflector manually. To do this, go to Settings > Apps > Default apps and click Choose default apps by protocol at the bottom. Find the Microsoft-Edge protocol and change it to EdgeDeflector.
Now, the app will run in the background and change Taskbar web searches from Edge to your default browser. However, these searches will still appear inside Bing. If you’d prefer to use Google or another search engine, do the following:
If you use Chrome, install the Chrometana Pro extension. Firefox users should install Foxtana Pro, a port from the same developer.
Upon installing, you’ll see instructions for setting your default browser and installing EdgeDeflector, which we’ve already taken care of.
Click the Chrometana Pro icon at the top-right of your browser and choose Options. Here you can choose whether to redirect all Bing searches or just Cortana ones. You can also change from Google to DuckDuckGo or another search engine.
How to Change Keyboard Settings in Windows 10
You can find options to change the keyboard layout, language, and other related options at Settings > Time & Language on both the Region and Language tabs. Make sure your Country or region is set correctly on the Region page to show the proper options, including Windows display language on Language.
At the bottom of the Language page, you’ll see the languages currently on your system. Click Add a preferred language to add a new one. However, what’s more useful for most people is clicking the current language followed by Options. Here, you can click Add a keyboard to add another language or layout.
Even with English selected as your language, you’ll find everything from international keyboards like Japanese and German to alternate layouts like United States DVORAK. Of particular interest is the United States International layout, which lets you type accented characters with easy shortcuts.
Swap between keyboards anytime using the Win + Space shortcut.
How to Change the Default Folder View in Windows 10
Windows 10’s File Explorer contains several views, such as Details, Large icons, and Tiles. It applies a view based on the folder’s contents, and you can check what type of contents Windows considers a folder to have.
To do this, right-click any folder and choose Properties. On the Customize tab, you’ll see an option labeled Optimize this folder for.
These choices are General items, Documents, Pictures, Music, and Videos. These are all self-explanatory aside from General items, which Windows uses for folders with mixed content.
If you’d like to set a consistent default view across all folders of a type, use this method:
Locate a folder of the type you want to customize and open it.
Use the View tab at the top of the window to apply the settings you’d like. You might choose to toggle the Navigation pane, change the Layout, adjust Sort by, and more.
Once you’re happy with your changes, click Options on the right side of the View tab.
Switch to the View tab in the Options window, and click Apply to Folders to change all folders of the type to your current view.
Sign Into Windows 10 Without a Microsoft Account
Using a Microsoft account to sign into Windows 10 has benefits and drawbacks. Windows gives you the option to create a local account during setup, but you can delete your Microsoft login and use a local account if you change your mind later.
Windows may nag you to create a Microsoft account for syncing your data in apps, but Windows 10 works fine without it. Some features require a Microsoft account, and you’ll need to sign into one to purchase paid apps from the Store, but most functionality doesn’t require a Microsoft login.
Looking to reset all Windows 10 settings to default? Unfortunately, there’s no easy way to do this without performing a full reset. You can change your default programs back to the “Microsoft recommended defaults” at Settings > Apps > Default apps, but that doesn’t change anything else.
If you don’t mind a refresh to get back to default settings, using the option to reset Windows while keeping your files shouldn’t take long. Follow our guide to resetting Windows 10 to get started.
Your Windows 10 Defaults, Your Way
We’ve looked at how to change most of Windows 10’s default apps and behaviors. When your computer works the way you want it to, you’ll be much more productive. Remember to review these settings again after major Windows 10 updates, as they can sometimes change.
When it’s time to buy your new computer, knowing the difference between the CPU, GPU, and APU is a considerable advantage. It could even end up saving you money. This is especially true if you plan to build your own PC.
The three technologies are often grouped but perform separate roles. Knowing the function of each, and whether you might need it, is crucial.
So, what exactly is the difference between an APU, CPU, and GPU?
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The Central Processing Unit, or CPU, is the main brain of the computer. In early computers, the CPU was spread across multiple chips. However, to improve efficiency and reduce manufacturing costs, the CPU is now contained on a single chip. These smaller CPUs are also referred to as microprocessors.
Reducing the footprint of the CPU has also enabled us to design and produce smaller, more compact devices. Desktop computers can be found as all-in-one devices, laptops continue to get thinner yet more capable, and some smartphones are now more powerful than their traditional counterparts.
The CPU performs the core computing processes for your computer. Instructions stored in your device’s RAM are sent to the CPU for execution. This is a three-part system consisting of Fetch, Decode, and Execute stages. Broadly, this means receiving inputs, understanding what they are, and creating the desired output.
Using this, your CPU aids everything from loading your operating system, opening programs, and even performing spreadsheet calculations. Resource-heavy operations like video games place the most significant load on your CPU. This is why benchmarking tests are usually performed against gaming standards.
CPUs are available in many variants ranging from energy-efficient single-core chips to top performance octo-cores. Intel uses its Hyper-Threading technology to make a quad-core CPU act as though it is an octa-core. This helps to squeeze the most power and efficiency from your CPU.
For all the advances made with CPUs, they still have shortcomings; namely, graphics. CPUs take input and work through it in linear steps. However, graphics processing requires multiple data to be processed simultaneously. The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), reduces the strain on the CPU and improves your video performance.
Most computers and laptops are equipped with a CPU and GPU, but this isn’t always the case. Sometimes, especially at lower price ranges, your computer will come with integrated graphics instead of a dedicated GPU. If you aren’t sure which setup you have, take a look at our comparison between integrated and dedicated graphics cards.
Both the GPU and CPU perform similar functions, but it is how they do it that differs. The GPU’s parallel structure is specially adapted for its purpose. This helps the unit achieve the billions of calculations per second required for gaming and video playback. The GPU is often situated on a separate graphics card, which also has its own RAM.
This enables the card to store the data it generates. It’s also thanks to this built-in RAM that the GPU can generate a buffer, storing completed images until you need to display them. This is particularly useful when watching videos, for example.
As these cards are easily replaced, it’s often seen as one of the best upgrades you can make to your computer. High-performance graphics cards usually have a price tag to match. However, there are graphics cards for cheap gaming as well, giving an option at every budget.
To reduce physical size and manufacturing costs, manufacturers have found ways to combine electronics components onto single chips. The latest iteration of this technology is System-on-a-Chip (SoC) devices. In this design, all the main electronics are combined onto a single die. This enabled the growth of low-cost computing devices and smartphones.
However, the precursor to SoC was the Accelerated Processing Unit or APU. These units combined the CPU and GPU onto a single chip to form a combined processing unit. Not only does this reduce cost, but it improves efficiency, too. Minimizing the physical distance between the two enables faster data transfer and increased performance.
As GPUs are optimized for faster calculation speeds, the CPU can offload some work to the GPU. In a separate setup, the efficiency gains from this load sharing would be undermined by the physical distance and data transfer speeds between the two. However, the combined APU does make these gains possible.
Despite this, an APU doesn’t give the same performance as a dedicated CPU and GPU. Instead, they are best viewed as a step up from integrated graphics. This makes APUs an affordable upgrade for those looking to update their PCs.
Processor manufacturer AMD developed the APU. However, they weren’t the only ones to combine processors in this way. Intel also began to integrate the CPU and GPU, too. The main difference was that AMD released a dedicated line of APUs, whereas Intel and other companies merged them into their product lines.
Now we’ve covered the main processing units, you know there’s a lot of choices out there for your computer. If you opt for a separate CPU and GPU, you’ll likely spend more, but get more significant performance gains, too.
Selecting an APU is a compromise between budget and performance. If you’re currently running with integrated graphics, then an APU is a worthwhile upgrade that won’t break the bank.
However, before investing in an APU, CPU, or GPU, you’ll want to be sure you’re choosing the best value upgrade for your machine. In which case, you should consider which of these upgrades will improve your PC the most.
Linux began as a passion project to create an operating system that anyone could use or tinker with as they wished. This was how computers were before companies like Apple and Microsoft locked them down. But you needed to be a committed and technical user to make use of Linux back then.
Today millions of people find Linux to be an easy-to-use and powerful alternative to Windows. It’s different, but different doesn’t mean bad.
Undecided between Linux vs Windows? Let’s look at the differences between them and help you determine if you’re ready for the learning curve.
There’s one current version of Windows, which comes in several different editions. The differences between these editions largely deal with added features for use in enterprise or educational environments. Each of these editions cost a varying amount of money.
There is no one set version of Linux. Instead, there are many different versions known as Linux “distributions” (distros for short). There are hundreds of different options, though you can narrow down the list of prominent distributions that most people use down to under a dozen. As for the cost of the Linux operating system? Virtually all Linux distros are free to use, with some enterprise options requiring a support contract.
Linux isn’t a full-blown operating system. The name actually refers only to the kernel, a relatively invisible part of how your operating system functions. The interface you see on your screen, the display server, the sound system, and the apps all come from different sources. A distribution is a way of packaging all this software together to provide you with a functioning computer.
Since there are any number of ways to put these components together to suit a person’s desires or needs, there are any number of distros.
2. Source Code
Windows is a proprietary operating system. The source code is closed, meaning you need to work for Microsoft or receive permission from Microsoft to see the code that powers your operating system. If you try to get access or redistribute this code without permission, you could face legal trouble.
Linux is a free and open source operating system. You’re free to view the code, learn from it, make whatever changes you want, and share it with others. You still have to abide by an open source license, but that usually means you’re not free to take the code and repackage it into proprietary software.
3. Desktop Interfaces
Until Windows 8, the Windows interface hadn’t experienced much innovation in a long time. The Start Menu, Taskbar, System Tray, Windows Explorer—all of it was fundamentally the same thing, and it was all restored with Windows 10.
On Linux, the interface is not part of the core system. You can switch up your interface without mucking about with reinstallations. There are giants like GNOME and KDE, which come with a full suite of integrated apps. Then there are any number of lesser-known varieties that all focus on different aspects. Here’s a rundown of the best desktop environments for Linux.
Not only are there more interfaces to pick from, but you have greater freedom to customize them. You can theme your desktop how you like, and when you’re done, chances are it won’t run any slower.
4. Apps
To install software on Windows, you visit some website, go to the download section, and click on the link that sends you an EXE file. You run it, the program does its thing, and that’s when you consider it to be “installed.” When you want to remove programs, you have to mess with the Control Panel. Sure, Microsoft introduced an app store with Windows 8, but much of what you want simply isn’t there.
With most Linux systems, you won’t have to hunt down executables. Instead, you’ll have something called a package manager. Traditional package managers provide granular control for browsing, installing, and removing program packages. Newer options are more akin to mobile app stores.
Things get more complicated when the app you want isn’t in the package manager. Since there isn’t one version of Linux, there isn’t one package format that works across all of the various distributions. Fortunately that situation is starting to change thanks to newer universal package formats.
Which Has More Apps?
Linux has thousands of programs, but most of them are free and open source programs that newcomers have never heard of. Popular commercial software tends to target Windows. While more of these apps are making their way to Linux than before, Windows simply has a wider library of desktop software.
That said, if you can’t find an adequate open source replacement, it’s possible to run most Windows programs on Linux using Wine or virtual machines.
5. File Structure
The fundamental structure of Linux is completely different from Windows—as it should be, considering that it was developed over a separate codebase with separate developers. You won’t find “My Documents” on Ubuntu, nor will you find “Program Files” on Fedora. There are no C: or D: drives.
Instead, there is one single file tree and your drives are mounted into that tree. Your “home” and “desktop” directories are both part of that single file tree. Technically, you’ll need to learn a whole new filesystem and its architecture. Doing so isn’t very hard, but the difference is still there.
Filesystem
Windows uses the NTFS filesystem. In contrast, Linux supports many different options. If you’re installing Linux on your laptop, chances are you will use EXT4. But if you want to run Linux on a server, you can try BTRFS or ZFS instead. These filesystems come with features that don’t necessarily benefit desktop users but are great for companies providing cloud services or people maintaining their own servers.
6. Registry
The Windows registry is a master database of all the settings on your computer. It holds application information, user passwords, device information, and the like. If information is not stored as a file, it’s probably stored in the Windows registry.
Linux doesn’t have a single monolithic registry. Generally, applications store their settings on a program-by-program basis in hidden folders within a user’s home directory. There are some exceptions, such as the GNOME desktop environment, which has GSettings and the dconf configuration tool.
7. Drivers
Because Windows has such a widespread grasp on the PC market, device manufacturers tend to focus their efforts on that one operating system. This means companies prioritize Windows over Linux. Sometimes they don’t provide Linux drivers that interface with their devices. Other times they may provide drivers but leave out some of the features. This means you need to be more cautious when buying various peripherals or smart gadgets.
That’s not to say the drivers situation is more challenging on Linux. On Linux, most drivers come as part of the kernel. When you plug in a printer, there’s a good chance it will simply work. You won’t need to use an installation CD or download a driver off the web. It’s only when drivers don’t come included that trouble arises.
What About Graphics Cards?
This is the driver-related issue that comes up the most. While there are open source drivers for Nvidia and AMD cards, if you want maximum performance, you want proprietary drivers. They’re available, but they sometimes introduce issues with other aspects of the Linux desktop since developers don’t have access to the source code.
8. Commands & Development Tools
Both Windows and Linux have the ability to open up a little black window and type out commands. The Windows version is known as Windows PowerShell, aimed mainly at developers. This isn’t the primary way you’re expected to interact with a Windows PC.
That’s not the case with Linux. Here, that window is more commonly known as the Terminal, though you may also encounter it as the Linux shell. If you like typing commands, you can do away with the graphical interface entirely. This is the way most sysadmins manage servers (most of which run Linux).
Linux is well-known as a friendly environment for developers. The terminal is a big part of this. So is the open source nature of the operating system. You’re simply empowered to do whatever you want with your machine, assuming you have the knowledge or are willing to get it.
But it’s also simpler to set up development environments on Linux. Whether you’re a sysadmin or a web developer, you’re often working with Linux-powered machines. With a Linux desktop, you can install the same tools, use the same knowledge, and have computers that already understand one another.
Plus there are so many tools to pick from. You have your choice of full-blown IDEs and text editors. You have virtual machines. And here’s an area where the ability to swap out your desktop environment really comes in handy. With a tiling window manager, coders can get in the zone without fussing around with windows. And much of what you need is waiting in the repositories. Type a single command in your terminal to download and install a program and be on your way.
Is Switching to Linux Difficult?
That question depends on how comfortable you are with computers. If you learned how to use Windows by following a guide, reading articles, or first-hand experience, then you probably won’t find learning Linux to be that big a deal.
If you are comfortable following instructions without someone in person to help you out, then all that you need to know is freely available online. You can start your switch to Linux right here.
While social media is great for keeping up with family and friends, you can easily share too much on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
A lot of people worry about what these companies will do with your data, but in reality, we give away more information ourselves than we think.
In this article, we look at some of the things you should never share on social media. Sharing these things could harm your privacy and safety.
1. Travel Plans
Think twice before bragging about your amazing upcoming vacation or posting pictures while on a weekend trip. You never know who could see this information and use it to break into your home.
If someone knows where you live and has malicious intent, knowing that you’ll be thousands of miles away for two weeks is an open invitation to rob your home.
As a safer alternative, don’t share any details or pictures about your trip until after you return. While this is less exciting, it doesn’t advertise to the world that you’re not at home for an extended period.
2. Location Data
In addition to your smartphone tracking your GPS coordinates, your browser also has a general idea of where you are based on your IP address and/or signed-in accounts. This is called geolocation, and it’s often used on social media to tag your post with your current location.
Before you post on any social network, check to see if the site adds your location data automatically and disable it before posting. Most of the time, there’s no reason to share your location with everyone who can see the post.
This caution also extends to your physical address or phone numbers. You should never share your address or phone number on a public channel, as there’s no telling who could get hold of the information.
3. Personally Identifying Information
Sites like Facebook are full of valuable data for people who use social engineering to steal your identity on social media. You should therefore avoid sharing information that’s used to verify your identity, such as your full date of birth. Never share photos of your driver’s license, passport, or credit card, which contain personal information that you don’t want to make public.
It’s also vital to keep an eye out for the “fun quizzes” that do the rounds on social media every so often. These ask you to answer questions such as where you went to school, what was the name of your first pet, etc.
These types of questions are often used as security questions to protect your online accounts. Thus, making these answers public could allows hackers to break into your accounts, so avoid them.
Social media is not the place to air your personal grievances. If you want to complain about your boss, coworkers, or relatives, social media is a terrible place to do so. It’s likely that someone will see it and let the person know, resulting in a messy situation.
A lot of people use their social media accounts as a place to complain, for some reason. As a healthier alternative, why not start a private journal where you can rant all you want? However you choose to do it, keeping your anger off the public square of social media is a smart idea.
Note that many companies offer customer service on social media, so this doesn’t apply to getting help with a legitimate complaint.
While you definitely don’t want to get fired over a joke or incendiary comment, it’s something else entirely to break the law and leave the evidence on social media for all to see.
It’s unlikely that you’ll see any truly heinous crimes admitted to on Facebook or Twitter. However, you may very well come across incidents where people make light of driving drunk or taking selfies on the highway.
Some even share photos of their drug stashes, illegal firearms, or cash that they’ve stolen. This also applies to explicit photos of yourself—it’s a terrible idea to post those on any social platform.
Do everyone (including yourself) a favor by never posting anything like that on social media. The few likes you might get aren’t worth the damage to your reputation or even going to jail for committing a crime.
6. Expensive New Purchases
Many people love to share pictures of their new toys on social media. Whether you just got a new phone, laptop, car, TV, piece of jewelry, or anything else, you shouldn’t make the purchase public on social media.
For starters, these kinds of posts contribute to a major problem that affects most social networks: social media amplifies our insecurities and feelings of failure. When you post highlights from your life, it can inadvertently cause others to become envious and resentful.
The second reason is more practical. Telling the world that you have a shiny new toy could result in some people wanting to steal it or take advantage of you in some way. An extreme case would be announcing that you won the lottery. If people think you’re well-off because of what you can afford, they might look to use that to their advantage.
7. Personal Advice
We’ve all seen people ask for home sickness remedies or legal advice on social media. No matter how sure of yourself you might be, it’s in everyone’s best interest (including your own) that you don’t give medical or legal advice to people over social media. This is true even if you’re a doctor or lawyer.
The key point is that you simply don’t (can’t) know all of the facts. If someone is sick or in trouble, they should seek professional help. This also applies to advice on exercise, weight loss, diet, finance, relationships, and other sensitive topics.
It’s best to stay quiet on all of this because if you give advice that ends up harming someone, they could pursue legal action against you.
8. Scammy Giveaways and Contests
Social networks are prime ways for companies to run giveaways and contests, mainly because it’s so easy to click “Share” and not think twice about it. While there are plenty of legitimate giveaways on Facebook and the like, you should think carefully before sharing them all of the time.
If you constantly share giveaways, contests, and invites to Facebook games, you’re probably annoying your friends. Even more importantly, some of these so-called contests are actually scams in disguise. You could unknowingly spread malware or trick people into giving away sensitive data.
To be on the safe side, you should be wary of all posts that heavily encourage sharing and ask for personal details.
9. Privileged Inside Information
It’s an easy mistake to accidentally post private information on a public channel. However, you should be careful about exposing insider information on social media. If you’re aware of protected details at your job, don’t share those anywhere, especially online.
Talking about someone who’s going to be laid off next week, your company’s strategy for the new year, and other insider info could get you in big trouble.
10. Anything You Don’t Want to Make Public
This is a bit of a catch-all for anything not covered above. If there’s one rule that you should live by on social media, it’s this: never post anything that you wouldn’t want the whole world to see.
On the internet, once something has been published, it’s pretty much impossible to remove it completely. Even if you set your content to “friends only,” there’s no way to know who’s actually seen your posts and photos, saved them, or shared them with someone else.
So if you post something today and regret it two years down the road, you may be able to delete it from your account, but it can never be completely erased from the internet. A good rule of thumb is to never post or share anything that you wouldn’t want to put on the front page of a newspaper.
What You Shouldn’t Share Online
In this article, we’ve looked at what not to post on social media for your own good. The truth is that we really can’t trust social media. So even the smallest mistakes, which may seem fine at the time, can have terrible consequences when you least expect them.
With all this negativity, don’t forget that you can start enjoying social media again by making a few tweaks to your use of social media. So don’t lose heart completely.
Apple and Google have provided a number of updates about the technical details of their joint contact tracing system, which they’re now exclusively referring to as an “exposure notification” technology, since the companies say this is a better way to describe what they’re offering. The system is just one part of a contact tracing system, they note, not the entire thing. Changes include modifications made to the API that the companies say provide stronger privacy protections for individual users, and changes to how the API works that they claim will enable health authorities building apps that make use of it to develop more effective software.
The additional measures being implemented to protect privacy include changing the cryptography mechanism for generating the keys used to trace potential contacts. They’re no longer specifically bound to a 24-hour period, and they’re now randomly generated instead of derived from a so-called ‘tracing key’ that was permanently attached to a device. In theory, with the old system, an advanced enough attack with direct access to the device could potentially be used to figure out how individual rotating keys were generated from the tracing key, though that would be very, very difficult. Apple and Google clarified that it was included for the sake of efficiency originally, but they later realized they didn’t actually need this to ensure the system worked as intended, so they eliminated it altogether.
The new method makes it even more difficult for a would-be bad actor to determine how the keys are derived, and then attempt to use that information to use them to track specific individuals. Apple and Google’s goal is to ensure this system does not link contact tracing information to any individual’s identity (except for the individual’s own use) and this should help further ensure that’s the case.
The companies will now also be encrypting any metadata associated with specific Bluetooth signals, including the strength of signal and other info. This metadata can theoretically be used in sophisticated reverse identification attempts, by comparing the metadata associated with a specific Bluetooth signal with known profiles of Bluetooth radio signal types as broken down by device and device generation. Taken alone, it’s not much of a risk in terms of exposure, but this additional step means it’s even harder to use that as one of a number of vectors for potential identification for malicious use.
It’s worth noting that Google and Apple say this is intended as a fixed length service, and so it has a built-in way to disable the feature at a time to be determined by regional authorities, on a case-by-case basis.
Finally on the privacy front, any apps built using the API will now be provided exposure time in five minute intervals, with a maximum total exposure time reported of 30 minutes. Rounding these to specific 5 minute duration blocks and capping the overall limit across the board helps ensure this info, too, is harder to link to any specific individual when paired with other metadata.
On the developer and health authority side, Apple and Google will now be providing signal strength information in the form of Bluetooth radio power output data, which will provide a more accurate measure of distance between two devices in the case of contact, particularly when used with existing received signal strength info from the corresponding device that the API already provides access to.
Individual developers can also set their own parameters in terms of how strong a signal and for what duration will trigger an exposure event. This is better for public health authorities because it allows them to be specific about what level of contact actually defines a potential contact, since it varies depending on geography in terms of the official guidance from health agencies. Similarly, developers can now determine how many days have passed since an individual contact event, which might alter their guidance to a user (ie., if it’s already been 14 days, measures would be very different from if it’s been two).
Apple and Google are also changing the encryption algorithm used to AES, from the HMAC system they were previously using. The reason for this switch is that the companies have found that using AES encryption, which can be accelerated locally using on-board hardware in many mobile devices, the API will be more energy efficiency and have less of a performance impact on smartphones.
As we reported Thursday, Apple and Google also confirmed that they’re aiming to distribute the beta seed version of the OS update that will support these devices next week. On Apple’s side, the update will support any iOS hardware released over the course of the past four years running iOS 13. On the Android side, it would cover around 2 billion devices globally, Android said.
Coronavirus tracing: Platforms vs governments
One key outstanding question is what will happen in the case of governments that choose to use centralized protocols for COVID-19 contacts tracing apps, with proximity data uploaded to a central server — rather than opting for a decentralized approach, which Apple and Google are supporting with an API.
In Europe, the two major EU economies, France and Germany, are both developing contacts tracing apps based on centralized protocols — the latter planning deep links to labs to support digital notification of COVID-19 test results. The UK is also building a tracing app that will reportedly centralize data with the local health authority.
This week Bloomberg reported that the French government is pressuring Apple to remove technical restrictions on Bluetooth access in iOS, with the digital minister, Cedric O, saying in an interview Monday: “We’re asking Apple to lift the technical hurdle to allow us to develop a sovereign European health solution that will be tied our health system.”
While a German-led standardization push around COVID-19 contacts tracing apps, called PEPP-PT — that’s so far only given public backing to a centralized protocol, despite claiming it will support both approaches — said last week that it wants to see changes to be made to the Google-Apple API to accommodate centralized protocols.
Asked about this issue an Apple spokesman told us it’s not commenting on the apps/plans of specific countries. But the spokesman pointed back to a position on Bluetooth it set out in an earlier statement with Google — in which the companies write that user privacy and security are “central” to their design.
Judging by the updates to Apple and Google’s technical specifications and API framework, as detailed above, the answer to whether the tech giants will bow to government pressure to support state centralization of proximity social graph data looks to be a strong no.
The latest tweaks look intended to reinforce individual privacy and further shrink the ability of outside entities to repurpose the system to track people and/or harvest a map of all their contacts.
The sharpening of the Apple and Google’s nomenclature is also interesting in this regard — with the pair now talking about “exposure notification” rather than “contact tracing”, as preferred terminology for the digital intervention. This shift of emphasis suggests they’re keen to avoid any risk of their role being (mis)interpreted as supporting broader state surveillance of citizens’ social graphs, under the guise of a coronavirus response.
Backers of decentralized protocols for COVID-19 contacts tracing — such as DP-3T, a key influence for the Apple-Google joint effort that’s being developed by a coalition of European academics — have warned consistently of the risk of surveillance creep if proximity data is pooled on a central server.
Apple and Google’s change of terminology doesn’t bode well for governments with ambitions to build what they’re counter branding as “sovereign” fixes — aka data grabs that do involve centralizing exposure data. Although whether this means we’re headed for a big stand off between certain governments and Apple over iOS security restrictions — a la Apple vs the FBI — remains to be seen.
Earlier today, Apple and Google’s EU privacy chiefs also took part in a panel discussion organized by a group of European parliamentarians which specifically considered the question of centralized vs decentralized models for contacts tracing.
Asked about supporting centralized models for contacts tracing the tech giants offered a dodge, rather than a clear ‘no’.
“Our goal is to really provide an API to accelerate applications. We’re not obliging anyone to use it as a solution. It’s a component to help make it easier to build applications,” said Google’s Dave Burke, VP of Android engineering.
“When we build something we have to pick an architecture that works,” he went on. “And it has to work globally, for all countries around the world. And when we did the analysis and looked at different approaches we were very heavily inspired by the DP-3T group and their approach — and that’s what we have adopted as a solution. We think that gives the best privacy preserving aspects of the contacts tracing service. We think it’s also quite rich in epidemiological data that we think can be derived from it. And we also think it’s very flexible in what it could do. [The choice of approach is] really up to every member state — that’s not the part that we’re doing. We’re just operating system providers and we’re trying to provide a thin layer of an API that we think can help accelerate these apps but keep the phone in a secure, private mode of operation.”
“That’s really important for the expectations of users,” Burke added. “They expect the devices to keep their data private and safe. And then they expect their devices to also work well.”
DP-3T’s Michael Veale was also on the panel — busting what he described as some of the “myths” about decentralized contacts tracing vs centralized approaches.
“The [decentralized] system is designed to provide data to epidemiologists to help them refine and improve the risk score — even daily,” he said. “This is totally possible. We can do this using advanced methods. People can even choose to provide additional data if they want to epidemiologists — which is not really required for improving the risk score but might help.”
“Some people think a decentralized model means you can’t have a health authority do that first call [to a person exposed to a risk of infection]. That’s not true. What we don’t do is we don’t tag phone numbers and identities like a centralized model can to the social network. Because that allows misuse,” he added. “All we allow is that at the end of the day the health authority receives a list separate from the network of whose phone number they can call.”
MEP, Sophie in ‘t Veld, who organzied the online event, noted at the top of the discussion they had also invited PEPP-PT to join the call but said no one from the coalition had been able to attend the video conference.
A global pandemic calls for global solutions | Larry Brilliant
Examining the facts and figures of the coronavirus outbreak, epidemiologist Larry Brilliant evaluates the global response in a candid interview with head of TED Chris Anderson. Brilliant lays out a clear plan to end the pandemic -- and shows why, to achieve it, we'll have to work together across political and geographical divides. "This is not the zombie apocalypse; this is not a mass extinction event," he says. "We need to be the best version of ourselves." (Recorded April 22, 2020)
India has emerged as one of the fastest growing smartphone markets in the last decade, reporting growth each quarter even as handset shipments slowed or declined elsewhere globally. But the world’s second largest smartphone is beginning to feel the coronavirus heat, too.
The Indian smartphone market grew by a modest 4% year-over-year in the quarter that ended on March 31, research firm Counterpoint said Friday evening. The shipment grew annually in January and February, when several firms launched their smartphones and unveiled aggressive promotional plans.
But in March, the shipment saw a 19% year-over-year dip, the firm said. Counterpoint estimated that the smartphone shipments in India will decline by 10% this year, compared to a 8.9% growth in 2019 and 10% growth in 2018.
The research firm also cautioned that India’s lockdown, ordered last month, has severely slowed down the local smartphone industry and it may take seven to eight months to get back on track. Currently, only select items such as grocery products are permitted to be sold in India.
Prachir Singh, Senior Research Analyst at Counterpoint Research, said the Covid-19 impact on India was relatively mild until mid-March. “However, economic activities declined as people save money in expectation of an extended period of uncertainty and an almost complete lockdown. Almost all smartphone manufacturing has been suspended. Further, with the social distancing norms, factories will be running at lower capacities even after the lockdown is lifted,” he said.
Overall, 31 million smartphone units shipped in India in Q1 2020. Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi, which has held the tentpole position in what has become its biggest market globally for more than two years, widened its lead to command 30% of the market.
Vivo’s share grew to 17%, up from 12% during the same period last year. Samsung, which once led the Indian market, now sits at the third spot with 16% market share, down from 24% in Q1 2019. Apple maintained its recent momentum and grew by a strong 78% year-over-year in Q1 this year. It now commands 55% of the premium smartphone segment (handsets priced at $600 or above.).
More than 100 smartphone plants in India assemble or produce about 700,000 to 800,000 handsets a day, some of which are exported outside of the country. But the lockdown has halted the production and could cost the industry more than $3 billion to $4 billion in direct loss this year.
“We often draw parallels between India and China. But in China, their factories have adopted automation at various levels, something that is not the case in India,” said Tarun Pathak, a senior analyst at Counterpoint, earlier this week.
China, where smartphone sales declined by 38% annually in February this year, has already started to see recovery. Xiaomi said last month that its phone factories were already operating at more than 80% of their capacity. Globally, smartphone shipment declined by 14% in February, according to Counterpoint.
