Mac for Seniors: How to Set Up a Simplified Mac for the Elderly

You probably think that a Mac makes it easy enough to find your own way around, but someone who isn’t tech-savvy might disagree. Especially if that someone is a senior citizen.

The good news is that you can make their Mac experience as enjoyable as yours by simplifying it for them. And that’s where the following list of macOS tweaks comes in handy.

Clean Up App Interfaces

By default, macOS apps come with useful toolbars, sidebars, buttons, and similar. But these items can create confusion for some seniors, more so if they prefer to rely only on menus for app options.

So it helps to maintain barebones app interfaces with only the most important elements in sight. Our tips for a minimalist Mac experience will help you set up this type of simple interface. The main idea is to declutter the Dock, menu bar, and the sidebars and toolbars within apps.

Enabling the simplified version of Finder designed for young and inexperienced users is also a great idea. To do so, you have to first enable parental controls on Mac for the account in question from System Preferences > Parental Controls.

You’ll then get access to a few tabs to tweak system usage restrictions. Switch to the Other tab in this set to find and enable the Use Simple Finder option.

In this tab, you might also want to enable the checkbox for Prevent the Dock from being modified. This will ensure that the user doesn’t inadvertently delete or move dock icons.

It’s also sensible to customize the list of apps set to launch at login. You can do this from System Preferences > Users & Groups > Login Items.

For each application you’ve configured to open when the system loads, select the Hide checkbox. This ensures that app windows don’t jump to the front one after the other when you start your Mac; they open in the background only.

Highlight Important Screen Elements

While you’re hiding unimportant elements, remember to make the ones that are actually helpful easy to view and/or access. To begin with:

• Keep scrollbars always visible from System Preferences > General > Show scroll bars.
• Create desktop shortcuts to the most important files and folders.
• Set new Finder windows to start at the Desktop. To do this, open Finder > Preferences > General and select Desktop from the New Finder windows show dropdown menu.
• Ask Finder to show the extensions for all filenames and keep folders on top while sorting by name. To make these changes, select the appropriate checkboxes under Finder > Preferences > Advanced.

If you have enabled Simple Finder as discussed in the section above, you won’t need any extra changes to Finder.

Keep the Screen Layout Consistent

Unexpected behaviors like windows scaling up and down unexpectedly, toolbars jumping in and out of sight, and Spaces sliding back and forth can baffle elderly users. You can make their experience smoother by ensuring that screen layouts and app views stay consistent.

For starters, turn off Dashboard from System Preferences > Mission Control. From the same section, check that no hot corners are active.

In some cases, it might be a good idea to keep the menu bar and dock visible at all times. They stay visible by default, but if you have changed this behavior, revert it from System Preferences > General.

Make Onscreen Elements Bigger and Brighter

Head to System Preferences to ensure that it takes less effort to view and identify onscreen elements.

For starters, decrease screen resolution and increase brightness from Displays > Display. Also, turn off the Automatically adjust brightness checkbox to keep the screen brightness maxed all the time.

If you don’t want the screen to dim when the Mac runs on battery power, you can turn off this feature from System Preferences > Energy Saver > Battery.

Next, increase the size of the dock icons by adjusting the Size slider in the Dock pane. Here, you might also want to enable the Magnification checkbox and adjust the corresponding size slider. This zooms in on each dock icon as you hover over it.

Keep the cursor easy to spot by scaling its size under Accessibility > Display. In the same section, select the checkbox for Increase contrast. Also check that the Shake mouse pointer to locate box appears selected, which it should by default.

Disable or Hide Unnecessary Features

Now, the senior you’re setting up the Mac for might not be comfortable with multi-touch gestures like Mission Control and App Exposé. So it’s best turn them off from System Preferences > Trackpad > More Gestures.

To avoid triggering these features accidentally, you’ll also need to disable their keyboard shortcuts. You can do this from System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts.

Do you think the Look Up feature that lets you summon link previews and word meanings with a three-finger tap will get in the way? Turn it off from System Preferences > Trackpad > Point & Click.

If you think the trackpad will also be a hindrance, you can disable it from System Preferences > Accessibility > Mouse & Trackpad. Just select the checkbox for Ignore built-in trackpad when mouse or wireless trackpad is present.

Next, you might want to customize Spotlight to prevent it from displaying unhelpful results. To do so, open System Preferences > Spotlight > Search Results. There, deselect the checkboxes for items with not-so-useful results, such as Developer and System Preferences.

Then, switch to the Privacy tab in the same pane to protect important folders from accidental access via Spotlight.

And how about hiding unnecessary Share menu options such as Add to Aperture? You can do this from System Preferences > Extensions > Share Menu.

Be sure to read our guide on how you can hide anything on macOS. It will help you simplify the interface further.

Remap Function Keys to Execute Common Tasks

The function keys (F1, F2, etc.) make excellent, easy-to-remember keyboard shortcuts. You can remap them to trigger the apps and views that the user needs most often, such as:

• An email app
• A password manager
• A clipboard manager app
• The Help menu in any app
• A specific Finder view (like Cover Flow)
• The Favorites Bar, Sidebar, Reader, or History in Safari

You might also want to link a few of the function keys to important actions. For example, one of these keys can:

• Take screenshots
• Show the desktop
• Trigger dictation
• Minimize or maximize windows
• Trigger full screen mode

If you need help making these changes, read our guide to remapping function keys on Mac.

Set Up Safari for Easier Use

Surfing the web is fraught with the unexpected no matter what. But you can at least ensure that certain basic elements work smoothly for the senior in question. Tweak Safari settings to prevent unnecessary action on their part.

Start by installing smart extensions like AutoPagerize, which loads paginated web pages automatically.

Next, open Safari > Preferences and go through each tab to customize the preferences. Here are a few basic changes we suggest:

• In the General tab, set Safari to open with All windows from last session.
• Under Websites > Notifications, disable this option: Allow websites to ask for permission to send push notifications. Also optimize the settings for auto-playing content, granting camera and microphone access, etc.
• In the Advanced tab, enable the Show full website address checkbox. Also enable the Never use font sizes smaller than checkbox and set the corresponding font size to 12 or 14.

Taking a cue from the section above, link the most important Safari actions to function keys. You can set up shortcuts to, say:

• Pin/unpin tabs in Safari
• Open a specific Safari bookmark
• Save the active webpage to the Reading List in Safari

Make a Mac Simpler Than Simple

The tweaks we’ve listed promise to move many confusing visual and functional macOS elements out of the way. They’re a good starting point if you want to make a Mac a lot easier to use for the elderly people in your life.

Our advice for getting started on a new Mac also applies.

If you’re about to buy a new device for a loved one, we hope you’re also considering Chromebooks as an option. After all, Chromebooks are pretty much perfect computers for the elderly.

Image Credit: ArturVerkhovetskiy/Depositphotos

Read the full article: Mac for Seniors: How to Set Up a Simplified Mac for the Elderly

Read Full Article

Microsoft Gives Outlook.com a Dark Mode

Microsoft has finally added a Dark Mode to Outlook.com. This, according to the company, has been one of the most requested features for a long time, and Microsoft has finally seen fit to grant Outlook.com users their ultimate wish.

An increasing number of websites and apps are offering dark modes these days. Including Windows 10, which has its own Dark Mode you can set to toggle on and off automatically. And now Microsoft has added a Dark Mode to Outlook.com as well.

Looking at Outlook.com at Night

In a post on Outlook Feedback by UserVoice, a Microsoft representative explains that the new Dark Mode is a “more-pleasant way to read your Outlook.com email if you prefer interfaces that are less bright or if you are in a low-light environment.”

Outlook.com’s Dark Mode is only available on the new Outlook.com experience (formerly known as the Outlook Beta). It also only supports the default blue theme right now, although Microsoft hopes to make it compatible with the other themes as well.

I just don’t see all the fanfare in “dark mode” in Outlook, Mojave, Windows, etc. What’s so great about it? What am I missing?

— David (@davidj) July 25, 2018

To turn on Dark Mode, click the Gear icon in the top right-hand corner of Outlook.com. This opens the Quick Settings panel, and the option to enable Dark Mode should be near the top. Toggle the slider across, and your display should change from light to dark.

The science backing the need for dark modes is undeniable at this point. And with other websites and apps (including YouTube on Android and iOS) starting to offer dark modes en masse, Microsoft had little choice but to follow suit.

Dark Modes Aren’t for Everyone

Microsoft’s new Dark Mode for Outlook.com won’t be for everyone. Because dark modes in general aren’t for everyone. I personally don’t like looking at light text on dark backgrounds, even though science tells us this setup puts less strain on our eyes.

Read the full article: Microsoft Gives Outlook.com a Dark Mode

Read Full Article

Facebook sees mixed Q2 earnings with slowest-ever growth, stock tanks

Facebook succumbed to the public backlash over its handling of fake news, privacy, and digital wellbeing to miss some of Wall Street’s estimates, showing mixed results in its Q2 2018 earnings. GDPR, Mark Zuckerberg’s testimony before congress, and more scandals appear to have contributed to Facebook’s weak user growth, with it reaching 2.23 billion monthly users, up 1.54 percent, much slower than Q1’s 3.14 percent around where its growth rate has hovered for years. Facebook earned $13.23 billion in revenue, missing Thomson Reuters consensus estimates of $13.36 billion, but beat with $1.74 EPS compared to an estimated $1.72 EPS.

Daily active users reached 1.47 billion, up an especially low 1.44 percent percent compared to Q1’s 3.42 percent. Facebook’s daily and monthly user counts were up 11 percent year-over-year, confirming that the momentum of its business is still overpowering its PR problems when you zoom out. And its DAU to MAU ratio held firm at 66 pecent, indicating that users are still visiting the site often. But the question for today’s earnings call will be whether time spent on the site has decreased significantly, dragging down revenue with it.

The stock market frowned heavily on the slow growth rates, pushing Facebook’s share price down over 7 percent in after-hours trading to around $200 per share. That’s despite it earning $5.106 billion in profit and revenue being up 42 percent year-over-year.

One trouble spot for Facebook was that it got stuck at 241 million monthly US & Canada users, the same count as last quarter. And in Europe, Facebook lost 1 million users, sinking to 376 million monthlies. That could be sign that GDPR requirements and the annoying terms of service changes it had to get users to agree to deterred some from browsing.

Facebook still managed to boost its average revenue per user in all markets, growing from $23.59 to $25.91 in the US & Canada, showing its targeting continues to improve and competition for ads is strong. But the fact that it’s stopped growing at home could way heavily on its share price. Facebook will have to continue to invent more ways to squeeze dollars out of its existing users.

The quarter saw Facebook clamp down on APIs for developers in hopes of preventing another Cambridge Analytica style disaster. Its CEO faced tough days of questioning from congress over the privacy problem, alleged bias against conservatives, and its failure to protect the 2016 presidential election. Facebook tried to redirect attention away from its problems during its F8 conference that saw it announce plans for a dating feature.

But all the problems may be taking a toll on user engagement, leading to the revenue miss. Weak daily and monthly user growth should be a big concern, and will put even more pressure on Instagram to prop up the corporation.

Read Full Article

Facebook sees mixed Q2 earnings with slowest-ever growth, stock tanks

Facebook succumbed to the public backlash over its handling of fake news, privacy, and digital wellbeing to miss some of Wall Street’s estimates to show mixed results in its Q2 2018 earnings.  GDPR, Mark Zuckerberg’s testimony before congress, and more scandals contributed to Facebook’s weak user growth, with it reaching 2.23 billion monthly users, up 1.54 percent, much slower than Q1’s 3.14 percent around where its growth rate has hovered for years. Facebook earned $13.23 billion in revenue with $1.74 EPS compared to Thomson Reuters consensus estimates of $13.36 billion and $1.72 EPS.

Daily active users reached 1.47 billion, up 1.44 percent percent compared to Q1’s 3.42 percent. Facebook’s daily and monthly user counts were up 11 percent year-over-year, confirming that the momentum of its business is still overpowering its PR problems when you zoom out. And its DAU to MAU ratio held firm at 66 pecent, indicating that users are still visiting the site often. But the question for today’s earnings call will be whether time spent on the site has decreased significantly.

The stock market frowned heavily on the slow growth rates, pushing Facebook’s share price down over 7 percent in after-hours trading to around $200 per share. That’s despite it earning $5.106 billion in profit and revenue being up 42 percent year-over-year.

One trouble spot for Facebook was that it got stuck at 241 million monthly US & Canada users, the same count as last quarter. Facebook still managed to boost its average revenue per user in all markets, growing from $23.59 to $25.91 in the US & Canada, showing its targeting continues to improve and competition for ads is strong. But the fact that it’s stopped growing at home could way heavily on its share price. Facebook will have to continue to invent more ways to squeeze dollars out of its existing users.

The quarter saw Facebook clamp down on APIs for developers in hopes of preventing another Cambridge Analytica style disaster. Its CEO faced tough days of questioning from congress over the privacy problem, alleged bias against conservatives, and its failure to protect the 2016 presidential election. Facebook tried to redirect attention away from its problems during its F8 conference that saw it announce plans for a dating feature.

But all the problems may be taking a toll on user engagement, leading to the revenue miss. Weak daily and monthly user growth should be a big concern, and will put even more pressure on Instagram to prop up the corporation.

Read Full Article

8 Awesome CodePen Features for Programming and Web Development

Getting started with JavaScript web development can be a frustrating process, but there are tools out there which make it easier.

CodePen.io is an in-browser coding environment designed for both learning to code and to quickly prototype ideas with minimal hassle.

In this article, we look at some of the site’s features and how they can help you become a better programmer.

What Is CodePen?

CodePen provides something called a pen, which comprises three different windows for HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, plus a preview pane that updates in real-time as you type.

While it is frequently used for web developers to showcase ideas for websites, it is also a great place to learn the basics of front-end web development. Here are the most notable features you need to know when using CodePen.

1. Preprocessors

Preprocessors are interpreted or compiled languages designed to simplify coding. They can add features to a language for convenience, and make code easier to read. In web development, a combination of preprocessors for HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are used to create clean code quickly.

If you are learning web development and want to try out different preprocessors, CodePen allows you to switch preprocessors on the fly, and see the code it compiles down to in real time. Each of the three panes on the CodePen app has a dropdown menu in the top right. Select View Compiled HTML/CSS/JS to see how the code will be interpreted.

In this pen, we’ve created a simple site using Haml and Sass to style some header text. Selecting View Compiled shows the standard HTML and CSS. In this example the difference is minimal. While learning a new language, however, it can be useful to see how the preprocessed code looks once compiled.

2. External Resources

Alongside native support for preprocessors, CodePen supports external scripts. This makes it the perfect place to get hands-on experience with libraries for your personal projects, or to brush up on popular web app libraries like React.

To add an external library, open the Settings pane on your pen, and head to the JavaScript tab. There are two ways to add resources, either by adding the resource URL manually, or by searching.

We used this feature in our article covering web animation with mo.js, along with Babel preprocessing.

See the Pen Mojs MUO example by Ian (@Bardoctorus) on CodePen.

Yes, CodePen pens can be embedded! Go ahead and click on the preview pane above to see the results of the Mo.js tutorial!

Other pens can be imported much like external libraries. This means you can take elements from previously written pens to use like modules in your new pens. CodePen user Adam’s Simple Poll pen is a good example of this.

3. Templates

When you are learning new concepts or testing out new ideas, you frequently use similar components and retread the same steps getting started. CodePen allows the creation of template pens which can cut out the repetition, and let you get straight to the point.

To create a template, open a new pen, make your changes, and select the Template slider in the settings menu.

Until recently, free users could only make three templates, but now all users can have as many templates in their account as they want. Perfect for getting started on a new idea with the minimum delay!

4. Collaboration Mode

The ability to collaborate and teach with CodePen may be its greatest asset. There are already a wealth of great collaboration tools for programmers, but CodePen’s approach is simple and intuitive.

Pro users of CodePen can create a new pen, and open it to collaboration under the Change View menu. This changes the pen’s link into a shareable invitation accommodating a scaling number of people depending on your CodePen Pro plan.

In this instance, I wrote HTML while a friend updated the CSS in real-time, with a labelled cursor identified where they were working.

Anyone with the link can join and use the in-browser chat function, regardless of whether they are a pro user or even have a CodePen account. Provided autosave is off only the owner of the pen can save any changes, making it a safe way to open your code to others without risk.

The open-ended nature of this mode is beneficial for beginners as you can invite almost anyone into your pen to guide you through a difficult concept. It is also a handy mode to know your way around as it is perfect for interviewing potential employees, and has already been used professionally in this way!

5. Professor Mode

Professor mode allows one Pro user to host a room in which only they can edit the code. Between 10-100 users can watch and chat depending on the Pro plan of the host.

The Professor mode allows flexibility between classroom learning and distance learning, or a combination of the two. Using Professor mode will enable people at the back of the class to have the same experience of those at the front, and for the teacher to show bugfixes which will update in real time.

6. Presentation Mode

Presentation mode is designed, unsurprisingly, with presenting code in mind. The app displays in a simplified view, designed to work with overhead projectors. CodePen has optimized Presentation mode for use on lower speed internet connections and weaker hardware.

Shrewd readers may have already realized that the free version of CodePen would provide precisely this function, though the Pro mode does have a few useful features. Layout, font size, and themes can be quickly changed on the fly to suit almost any setting, and showing the link to the pen brings up a jumbo-sized shortened URL making sharing the project easier.

These small changes, along with being able to scale the preview window to fit whatever you are showing off, make presentation mode perfect for both teachers, and developers presenting ideas to colleagues. Presentation mode is also a clean-looking, and simple way to present code if you find yourself interviewing for a programming position.

7. Patterns

Searching for inspiration is made much easier with CodePen’s collections of Design Patterns.

Each category is a collection of example code provided by CodePen users for specific tasks. Are you looking for a way to create dynamic buttons for your site? Accordioning menus? There are a wealth of categories to fit almost any example.

These patterns are also a great way to learn how interactive buttons work, and the different ways dynamic user interfaces can function.

8. Emmet

Emmet, previously known as Zen Coding, is widely regarded as the greatest time saver for HTML and CSS development. The plugin takes some of the code you find yourself writing a lot and converts them into simple shortcuts.

Seeing it in action is better than explaining it, so take the usual setup for an HTML document:

Adding this to every HTML document has been reduced to two actions. Using Emmet, type ! and hit the Tab key. Magic!

Emmet is active as standard on CodePen and is especially useful if you are trying to learn a new concept in JavaScript and need to create the supporting HTML and CSS quickly.

Develop With CodePen for a Better Experience

CodePen is an excellent tool for web developers, and the field is continuously growing. JavaScript is a great language to learn for a future in web development.

There are some great tutorials and courses available for people wanting to get started with JavaScript, and CodePen is a great environment to test out your new skills.

Read the full article: 8 Awesome CodePen Features for Programming and Web Development

Read Full Article

How to Password Protect Your Notes in OneNote 2016

Microsoft OneNote is great for taking, storing, and syncing notes among your devices. If you are conscious of security, then take a look at how to password protect your notes too. After all, Microsoft OneNote is meant to be the silo for all your information.

Microsoft currently offers two versions of OneNote in Windows: Microsoft OneNote for Windows 10 (the Microsoft Store app) and Microsoft OneNote 2016 (the Microsoft Office desktop app).

Microsoft is phasing out OneNote 2016 and porting features from the desktop app to the Microsoft Store app. But it’s still a work in progress and the desktop app is not going away yet.

You should consider switching to OneNote for Windows 10. But the desktop app still has features that aren’t yet included in the Microsoft Store app. One of those useful features is password protecting notebook sections and today we’ll cover how to do that.

A Few Notes on OneNote Section Passwords

You can only apply passwords to sections in notebooks, not to entire notebooks. And protected sections can be unlocked in OneNote for Windows 10, but you must use OneNote 2016 to apply a password to an unprotected section.

Microsoft OneNote uses encryption to secure password-protected sections. If you forget your password for a section, you will lose access to the notes in that section. Make sure you choose a strong password you won’t forget and remember that passwords in OneNote are case-sensitive.

Password-protected sections aren’t included in notebook searches. And tags on OneNote notes in a protected section aren’t included in note tag summaries when searching for tags. So before performing searches for text or tags, unlock the sections you want to include in your search.

Password Protect a Section in a OneNote Notebook

To password protect a section, open the notebook that contains the section you want to protect.

Then, right-click on the section tab and select Password Protect this Section. When you right-click on a section tab, that section automatically becomes the active section if it wasn’t.

In the Password Protection pane on the right, click Set Password.

On the Password Protection dialog box, type the password you want into the Enter Password box and again in the Confirm Password box. Then, click OK.

Again, there is no way to recover a password for a protected section which means you’ll lose access to all the notes in that section. Make sure you create a strong password you can remember.

Lock Password-Protected Sections in OneNote

Applying a password to a section doesn’t immediately lock the section. By default, password protected sections are locked after five minutes. You can change this amount of time and we’ll show you how to do that later.

To lock a section you protected with a password, open the Password Protection pane for that section and click Lock All. This locks all password protected, currently unlocked, sections. You can’t lock just one section at a time.

Unlock a Protected Section in a OneNote Notebook

Locked sections display a message saying the section is password protected. To unlock the section, click on the section page or press Enter.

On the Protected Section dialog box, enter your password and click OK.

All the notes in the protected section become accessible.

Change a Protected Section’s Password in OneNote

To continue to keep your notes secure, you should change your password periodically.

To change the password on a section, the section must first be unlocked as we talked about in the “Unlock a Protected Section in a Notebook” section above.

Then, open the Password Protection pane for that section and click Change Password.

On the Change Password dialog box, type the current password into the Old Password box.

Then, type the new password in the Enter New Password box and again in the Confirm Password box. Click OK.

Change Options for Passwords in OneNote Sections

As we mentioned, unlocked password-protected sections will lock automatically after you haven’t worked in them for five minutes. You can customize the amount of time or disable the time limit.

Open the Password Protection pane from any section tab. Then, click the Password Options link at the bottom of the pane.

You can also go to File > Options > Advanced to access the Passwords options.

To change the amount of time when protected sections are automatically locked after inactivity, select a time range from the Lock password protected sections after I have not worked in them for the following amount of time dropdown list in the Passwords section on the right. You can prevent protected sections from automatically locking after a specific time period by unchecking the box.

To automatically lock protected sections when you go to another page, section, or notebook, check the Lock password protected sections as soon as I navigate away from them box.

To make notes in password-protected sections temporarily available to other programs, check the Enable add-on programs to access password-protected sections when they are unlocked box.

Then, click OK. You’ll see the following message after making any of these changes. Close OneNote and restart it to apply your changes.

Remove a Protected Section’s Password in OneNote

If you no longer need to protect a section, you can remove the password.

Open the section you want to unprotect and then open the Password Protection pane for that section.

Unlock the section, if needed. Then, click Remove Password.

On the Remove Password dialog box, type the current password, and then click OK.

Access Protected Notes in OneNote on Mobile Devices

OneNote syncs all your notebooks, sections, and pages are to all your devices. And you can unlock and lock protected sections and access your private data on any device.

Troubleshooting: OneNote Needs a Password to Sync

If you get an error saying that OneNote needs a password to sync, the cached Microsoft Office credentials that store the password might be the cause. Deleting the cached credentials will most likely fix this error.

Close all Microsoft Office programs and follow these steps:

1. Start typing “Credential Manager” in the Search/Cortana box on the taskbar.
2. Click Credential Manager when you see it in the search results.
3. Click Windows Credentials on the Manage your credentials screen.
4. Under Generic Credentials, look for MicrosoftOffice16_Data:SSPI items. You’ll see one for each Microsoft account you’ve signed into on your computer. Expand the section by clicking the down arrow on the right for the account you want to clear.
5. Click Remove.
6. Click Yes on the confirmation dialog box that displays.
7. Remove the other MicrosoftOffice16_Data:SSPI items to get a fresh start and make sure you can sync your notebooks.
8. Close the Credential Manager and restart your computer.
9. Launch OneNote and enter your credentials.

Protect Your OneNote Data With Passwords!

Part of protecting your data is backing it up. By default, OneNote stores your notebooks in your OneDrive account, so they sync with your other devices.

In OneNote 2016, you can choose to store notebooks on your local drive. This is one way to make it easy to back up your OneNote data. We’ve covered methods for syncing, backing up, and restoring OneNote notebooks, so be sure to incorporate those into your workflow as well.

Read the full article: How to Password Protect Your Notes in OneNote 2016

Read Full Article

The Top 20 Most Popular Artists on Spotify

Having previously looked at the most popular channels on YouTube, it’s time to put Spotify under the microscope.

Which artists and/or bands are the most popular on Spotify? In this article we’ll count down the top 20 artists on Spotify based on follower count.

And at the end of the article, we have our very own shared playlist with a popular track from each of these popular artists. See you on the other side!

20. Selena Gomez

10.5 million followers

Texas-born Selena Gomez started her career as an actress on The Disney Channel. After moving into the music world, she released three albums with her former band, The Scene.

The 25-year-old’s first solo album, Stars Dance, didn’t arrive until 2013. The electropop record debuted at number one in the U.S. charts.

Most Popular Song: It Ain’t Me (735 million plays)

19. Katy Perry

10.6 million followers

Katy Perry made her name in 2008 with I Kissed a Girl, but it was the release of her second album, Teenage Dreams, which turned her into a global pop superstar. Perry co-wrote all 12 dance-pop songs and earned seven Grammy nominations for her efforts.

Her most recent album, Witness, was released in June 2017 to mixed reviews.

Most Popular Song: Dark Horse (530 million plays)

18. Imagine Dragons

10.7 million followers

Pop rock band Imagine Dragons were Billboard’s “Band of the Year” in 2017. Their 2013 hit Radioactive holds the record for the most consecutive weeks in the U.S. chart.

The band’s latest album, Evolve, produced three chart-topping singles: Believer, Thunder, and Whatever It Takes.

Most Popular Song: Thunder (763 million plays)

17. Maluma

10.8 million followers

Maluma is the first of two Colombians to make the top 20 list. The reggaetón singer boasts a tenor voice which has earned him widespread popularity throughout the Spanish-speaking world.

In 2014, he was the featured vocalist on Elvis Crespo’s Ole Brazil, a track which was recorded for the soccer World Cup held that summer.

His latest album, F.A.M.E., includes duets with Timbaland, Jason Derulo, and Prince Royce.

Most Popular Song: Felices los 4 (515 million plays)

16. The Weeknd

11.4 million followers

The Weeknd—real name Abel Tesfaye—is the artist behind 2015’s megahit, Can’t Feel My Face.

The song won a host of awards, but perhaps the most surprising recognition was a nomination from Nickelodeon for the Kids’ Choice Awards. Given the adult nature of his lyrics, the nomination was widely criticized by parents.

Most Popular Song: Starboy (999 million plays)

15. Nicki Minaj

11.7 million followers

Since her debut album in 2010, Nicki Minaj has arguably become the most recognizable female hip-hop star in the world. For better or worse.

She has more Billboard 100 entries than any other woman in history and is the only female on Forbes’ Hip-Hop Cash Kings list.

Most Popular Song: Swalla (618 million plays)

14. Maroon 5

12.0 million followers

Fronted by The Voice judge Adam Levine, Maroon 5 are one of the most successful bands of the century.

The pop-rock group have released six studio albums and won three Grammys, three American Music Awards, three People’s Choice Awards, and four Billboard Music Awards. Their 2012 hit One More Night was notable for preventing Gangnam Style from reaching number one in the U.S.

Most Popular Song: Sugar (716 million plays)

13. Calvin Harris

12.3 million followers

At number 13 we find Calvin Harris, the first British entry on the list.

Harris can make a strong claim to being the most successful EDM artist of all time. He’s topped Forbes’ list of top-earning DJs for the last five years and has either won or been nominated for a barely believable 143 mainstream awards since his 2007 debut.

Most Popular Song: This Is What You Came For (829 million plays)

12. Shakira

12.4 million followers

There are no prizes for guessing the identity of the second Colombian on the list. Shakira started her musical life singing Spanish rock; she had already sold 10 million albums in Latin America during the 1990s before releasing her first English-language album in 2001.

Today, she is the most successful Latin American pop star in the English-speaking world.

Most Popular Song: Chantaje (feat. Maluma) (518 million plays)

11. Coldplay

13.1 million followers

British band Coldplay are the Marmite of the rock world—they are loved and loathed in equal measure.

Whatever your opinion, the band’s success cannot be questioned. Chris Martin and co. broke onto the scene with Yellow in 2000 and have never looked back. To date, they’ve sold more than 100 million albums, making them one of the best-selling groups of all time.

Most Popular Song: Something Just Like This (867 million plays)

10. Taylor Swift

13.7 million followers

Just making it into the top 10 is country-pop crossover star, Taylor Swift.

Her 2006 single, Our Song, made her the youngest person in history to write and sing a number one hit on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart—a record she still holds to this day.

Today, Swift is better known for her contemporary sounds. Her first pop album, 1989, was the best-selling album in the United States in 2014.

Most Popular Song: I Don’t Wanna Live Forever (730 million plays)

9. Beyoncé

14.5 million followers

Beyoncé’s entry at number nine is perhaps the first real surprise in this countdown. We thought she would have been a few places higher.

The former Destiny’s Child superstar needs little introduction. Ever since her first solo hit Crazy in Love in 2003, she’s been nearly ever-present at the upper-end of the Billboard charts.

Want a fun Beyoncé fact? Her post announcing her pregnancy in 2017 racked up the most likes on Instagram. It amassed more than 6.3 million likes in its first eight hours.

Most Popular Song: Halo (436 million plays)

8. Bruno Mars

14.7 million followers

Hawaii-born Bruno Mars has had seven number one singles in the U.S. He’s also the only artist to hold the number one and number two slot simultaneously, while Just the Way You Are and Grenade are the most successful digital singles of all time.

But forget all that. He’s also written top 10 hits for Alexandra Burke, Travie McCoy, Adam Levine, Brandy, Sean Kingston, and Flo Rida. Oh, and he can also play the drums, guitar, keyboard, bass, and piano. Talented guy.

Most Popular Song: That’s What I Like (743 million plays)

7. David Guetta

15.0 million followers

The only EDM star who can rival Calvin Harris is Frenchman David Guetta. Known for his laidback style, it took Guetta nine years after his 1992 hit Up and Away to release a second single (Just a Little More Love), and a further three years to release his first album.

Mainstream success arrived in 2009 with the release of One Love. The 15-track album spawned four U.K. number ones and propelled him onto the global scene.

Most Popular Song: Titanium (510 million plays)

6. Ariana Grande

16.5 million followers

Ariana Grande started her career on Broadway in 2008. After starring in 13 for two years, she moved to television and played the role of Cat Valentine in the Nickelodeon show, Victorious. Her pop career began in 2014 with the release of My Everything. It debuted at number one in the U.S.

Despite her musical successes, Grande is perhaps best-known for tragic reasons. In 2017, she had just finished playing at the Manchester Arena when a suicide bomber killed 22 people in the foyer of the venue.

Her benefit concert—held at Manchester Cricket Ground two weeks after the tragedy—raised more than $23 million for the victims’ families.

Most Popular Song: Side to Side (679 million plays)

5. Eminem

18.3 million followers

Hip-hop star Eminem is simultaneously one of the most gifted and most controversial artists of modern times.

He is also the only artist to have eight consecutive albums debut at number one in the United States and has sold more than 220 albums globally.

However, away from his music, he’s been accused of everything from assault to slander. You can make up your own mind.

Most Popular Song: Lose Yourself (566 million plays)

4. Drake

23.2 million followers

Drake has been in the charts for more than a decade but has only been catapulted into megastar status since the release of 2016’s Dancehall-influenced album, Views. It’s now a quadruple-platinum record.

His follow-up, More Life, became Spotify’s most popular opening day album ever, with more than 60 million streams in the first 24 hours. Amazingly, his 2018 Scorpion album broke the record for a second time; it was listened to more than 130 million times in the first 24 hours after release.

Most Popular Song: God’s Plan (904 million plays)

3. Justin Bieber

23.8 million followers

Despite the fact that the internet hates Justin Bieber, you thought the Canadian pop strumpet would be number one, didn’t you? Well, he’s only just holding on to his spot in the top three; it would be a surprise if he manages to hold off Drake for much longer.

Interestingly, he’s currently averaging 17.6 million listens per month. It sounds like a lot, but it’s not even enough for a place in the top 80 most streamed artists on the service.

On the flip-side, he’s the first artist in the list to have a song with more than a billion plays, so he deserves kudos for that. In fact, both his top two songs (Sorry and Love Yourself) have in excess of one billion listens.

Most Popular Song: Sorry (1.07 billion plays)

2. Rihanna

25.1 million followers

Rihanna is the second most popular artist on Spotify. Since her debut in 2005 with Pon de Floor, the Barbadian has churned out a neverending streak of catchy dance-pop hits.

It was 2007’s Umbrella that gave her global fame, but since then, Take a Bow, Disturbia, Only Girl (In the World), S&M, We Found Love, Diamonds, Stay, and Work have all gone on to be among the best-selling singles of all-time.

Most Popular Song: Needed Me (606 million plays)

1. Ed Sheeran

28.5 million followers

Topping the list is English singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran.

His vast popularity is all the more impressive considering his relatively short time in the music industry. His debut album didn’t hit shelves until late-2011, and he’s only released three studio albums to date.

With almost twice as many plays as Bieber’s Sorry, Sheeran’s single Shape of You from his third album is comfortably the most played song on Spotify.

Most Popular Song: Shape of You (1.8 billion plays)

The Most Popular Artists Playlist on Spotify

We promised you a playlist, and here it is. It includes the most played song (at the time of writing) from each of the 20 most popular artists on Spotify. It’s easy to share this (and any other) Spotify playlists with other users.

And remember, if these megastars aren’t your cup of tea, we’ve got you covered. There are lots of ways to discover new music on Spotify.

Read the full article: The Top 20 Most Popular Artists on Spotify

Read Full Article

Google launches a standalone version of Drive for businesses that don’t want the full G Suite

If you are a business and want to use Google Drive, then your only option until now was to buy a full G Suite subscription, even if you don’t want or need access to the rest of the company’s productivity tools. Starting today, though, these businesses will be able to buy a subscription to a standalone version of Google Drive, too.

Google says that a standalone version of Drive has been at the top of the list of requests from prospective customers, so it’s now giving this option to them in the form of this new service (though to be honest, I’m not sure how much demand there really is for this product). Standalone Google Drive will come with all the usual online storage and sharing features as the G Suite version.

Pricing will be based on usage. Google will charge $8 per month per active user and $0.04 per GB stored in a company’s Drive.

Google’s idea here is surely to convert those standalone Drive users to full G Suite users over time, but it’s also an acknowledgement on Google’s part that not every business is ready to move away from legacy email tools and desktop-based productivity applications like Word and Excel just yet (and that its online productivity suite may not be right for all of those businesses, too).

Drive, by the way, is going to hit a billion users this week, Google keeps saying. I guess I appreciate that they don’t want to jump the gun and are actually waiting for that to happen instead of just announcing it now when it’s convenient. Once it does, though, it’ll become the company’s eighth product with more than a billion users.

Read Full Article

Google takes on Yubico and builds its own hardware security keys

Google today announced it is launching its own hardware security keys for two-factor authentication. These so-called Titan Security Keys will go up against similar keys from companies like Yubico, which Google has long championed as the de facto standard for hardware-based two-factor authentication for Gmail and other services.

The FIDO-compatible Titan keys will come in two versions. One with Bluetooth support for mobile devices and one that plugs directly into your computer’s USB port. In terms of looks and functionality, those keys look quite a lot like the existing keys from Yubico, though our understanding is that these are Google’s own designs.

Unsurprisingly, the folks over at Yubico got wind of today’s announcement ahead of time and have already posted a reaction to today’s news (and the company is exhibiting at Google Cloud Next, too, which may be a bit awkward after today’s announcement).

“Yubico strongly believes there are security and privacy benefits for our customers, by manufacturing and programming our products in USA and Sweden,” Yubico founder and CEO Stina Ehrensvard writes, and goes on to throw a bit of shade on Google’s decision to support Bluetooth. “Google’s offering includes a Bluetooth (BLE) capable key. While Yubico previously initiated development of a BLE security key, and contributed to the BLE U2F standards work, we decided not to launch the product as it does not meet our standards for security, usability and durability. BLE does not provide the security assurance levels of NFC and USB, and requires batteries and pairing that offer a poor user experience.”

It’s unclear who is manufacturing the Titan keys for Google (the company spokesperson didn’t know when asked during the press conference), but the company says that it developed its own firmware for the keys. And while Google is obviously using the same Titan brand it uses for the custom chips that protect the servers that make up its cloud, it’s also unclear if there is any relation between those.

No word on pricing yet, but the keys are now available to Google Cloud customers and will be available for purchase for anyone in the Google Store, soon. Comparable keys tend to sell for around $20 to $25.

Read Full Article

Google is rolling out a version of Google Voice for enterprise G Suite customers

Google today said it will be rolling out an enterprise version of its Google Voice service for G Suite users, potentially tapping a new demand source for Google that could help attract a whole host of new users.

Google voice has been a long-enjoyed service for everyday consumers, and offers a lot of benefits beyond just having a normal phone number. The enterprise version of Google Voice appears to give companies a way to offer those kinds of tools, including AI-powered parts of it like voicemail transcription, that employees may be already using and potentially skirting the guidelines of a company. Administrators can provision and port phone numbers, get detailed reports and set up call routing functionality. They can also deploy phone numbers to departments or employees, giving them a sort of universal number that isn’t tied to a device — and making it easier to get in touch with someone where necessary.

All of this is an effort to spread adoption of G Suite among larger enterprises as it offers a nice consistent business for Google. While its advertising business continues to grow, the company is investing in cloud products as another revenue stream. That division offers a lot of overhead while Google figures out where the actual total market capture of its advertising is and starts to work on other projects like its hardware, Google Home, and others.

While Google didn’t explicitly talk about it ahead of the conference today, there’s another potential opportunity for something like this: call centers. An enterprise version of Google Voice could give companies a way to provision out certain phone numbers to employees to handle customer service requests and get a lot of information about those calls. Google yesterday announced that it was rolling out a more robust set of call center tools that lean on its expertise in machine learning and artificial intelligence, and getting control of the actual numbers that those calls take in is one part of that equation.

There’s also a spam filtering feature, which will probably be useful in handling waves of robo-calls for various purposes. It’s another product that Google is porting over to its enterprise customers with a bit better controls for CTOs and CIOs after years of understanding how normal consumers are using it and having an opportunity to rigorously test parts of the product. That time also gives Google an opportunity to thoroughly research the gaps in the product that enterprise customers might need in order to sell them on the product.

Google Voice enterprise is going to be available as an early adopter product.

Read Full Article