Facebook finally bans UK far right activist, ‘Tommy Robinson’

Facebook has taken the decision to remove the Facebook page and Instagram profile of far right activist, Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.

Twitter permanently banned the founder of the far right English Defence League almost a year ago.

In a blog post announcing the decision Facebook says Yaxley-Lennon repeatedly broke its community standards. It writes:

Tommy Robinson’s Facebook Page has repeatedly broken these standards, posting material that uses dehumanizing language and calls for violence targeted at Muslims. He has also behaved in ways that violate our policies around organized hate. As a result, in accordance with our policies, we have removed Tommy Robinson’s official Facebook Page and Instagram profile. This is not a decision we take lightly, but individuals and organizations that attack others on the basis of who they are have no place on Facebook or Instagram.

“Our rules also make clear that individuals and organizations that are engaged in “organized hate” are not allowed on the platform, and that praise or support for these figures and groups is also banned. This is true regardless of the ideology they espouse,” Facebook adds.

It’s not clear what took the company so long to shutter Yaxley-Lennon’s pages given repeated breaches of its community standards.

The move comes two months after Facebook closed pages of another far right activist, James Goddard, also for hate speech violations.

Goddard had been using Facebook’s platform to solicit donations to fund activism which included intimidating politicians and journalists around Westminster — livestreaming the encounters to social media followers.

The activity of Goddard and small group of extreme Brexit supporters led the speaker of the House of Commons to write to the head of the Met Police urging action against the “aggressive, threatening and intimidating behaviour”.

Political attention has sharply stepped up around the social impacts of tech platforms and UK ministers are posed to set out a policy plan for regulating social media safety.

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Huawei: “The US security accusation of our 5G has no evidence. Nothing.”

Huawei’s rotating chairman Guo Ping kicked off a keynote speech this morning at the world’s biggest mobile industry tradeshow with a wry joke. “There has never been more interest in Huawei,” he told delegates at Mobile World Congress. “We must be doing something right!”

The Chinese company is seeking to dispel suspicion around the security of its 5G network equipment which has been accelerated by U.S. president Trump who has been urging U.S. allies not to buy kit or services from Huawei. (And some, including Australia, have banned carriers from using Huawei kit.)

Last week Trump also tweet-shamed U.S. companies — saying they needed to step up their efforts to rollout 5G networks or “get left behind”.

In an MWC keynote speech yesterday the European Commission’s digital commissioner Mariya Gabriel also signalled the executive is prepared to step in and regulate to ensure a “common approach” on the issue of network security — to avoid the risk of EU member states taking individual actions that could delay 5G rollouts across Europe.

Huawei appeared to welcome the prospect today.

“Government and the mobile operators should work together to agree what this assurance testing and certification rating for Europe will be,” said Guo, suggesting that’s Huawei’s hope for any Commission action on 5G security.

“Let experts decide whether networks are safe or not,” he added, implying Trump is the opposite of an expert. “Huawei has a strong track record in security for three decades. Serving three billion people around the world. The U.S. security accusation of our 5G has no evidence. Nothing.”

Geopolitical tensions about network security have translated into the biggest headache for Huawei which has positioned itself as a key vendor for 5G kit right as carriers are preparing to upgrade their existing cellular networks to the next-gen flavor.

Guo claimed today that Huawei is “the first company who can deploy 5G networks at scale”, giving a pitch for what he described as “powerful, simple and intelligent” next-gen network kit while clearly enjoying the opportunity of being able to agree with U.S. president Trump in public — that “the U.S. needs powerful, faster and smarter 5G”.

But any competitive lead in next-gen network tech also puts the company in prime position for political blowback linked to espionage concerns related to the Chinese state’s access to data held or accessed by commercial companies.

Huawei’s strategy to counter this threat has been to come out fighting for its commercial business — and it had plenty more of that spirit on show this morning. As well as a bunch of in-jokes. Most notably a reference to NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden which drew a knowing ripple of laughter from the audience.

“We understand innovation is nothing without security,” said Guo, segwaying from making a sales pitch for Huawei’s 5G network solutions straight into the giant geopolitical security question looming over the conference.

“Prism, prism on the wall who is the most trustworthy of them all?” he said. “It’s a very important question. And if you don’t ask them that you can go ask Edward Snowden.”

You can’t use “a crystal ball to manage cybersecurity”, Guo went on, dubbing it “a challenge we all share” and arguing that every player in the mobile industry has responsibility to defuse the network security issue — from kit vendors to carriers and standards bodies, as well as regulators.

“With 5G we have made a lot of progress over 4G and we can proudly say that 5G is safer than 4G. As a vendor we don’t operate carriers network, and we don’t all carry data. Our responsibility — what we promise — is that we don’t do anything bad,” he said. “We don’t do bad things.”

“Let me says this as clear as possible,” he went on, putting up another slide that literally underlined the point. “Huawei has not and will never plant backdoors. And we will never allow anyone to do so in our equipment.

“We take this responsibility very seriously.”

Guo’s pitch on network trust and security was to argue that where 5G networks are concerned security is a collective industry responsibility — which in turn means every player in the chain plays a monitoring role that allows for networks to be collectively trusted.

“Carriers are responsible for secure operations of their own networks. 5G networks are private networks. The boundary between different networks are clear. Carriers can prevent outside attacks with firewalls and security gateways. For internal threats carriers can manage, monitor and audit all vendors and partners to make sure their network elements are secure,” he said, going on to urge the industry to work together on standards which he described as “our shared responsibility”.

“To build safer networks we need to standardize cybersecurity requirements and these standards must be verifiable for all vendors and all carriers,” he said, adding that Huawei “fully supports” the work of industry standards and certification bodies the GSMA and 3GPP who he also claimed have “strong capabilities to verify 5G’s security”.

Huawei’s strategy to defuse geopolitical risk by appealing to the industry as a whole to get behind tackling the network trust issue is a smart one given the uncertainty generated by Trump’s attacks is hardly being welcomed by players in the mobile business.

Huawei’s headache might lead to the mobile industry as a whole catching a cold — and no one at MWC wants that.

Later in the keynote Guo also pointed to the awkward “irony” of the U.S Cloud Act — given the legislation allows US entities to “access data across borders”.

U.S. overreach on accessing the personal data of foreign citizens continues to cause major legal headaches in Europe as a result of the clash between its national security interest and EU citizens fundamental privacy rights. So his point there won’t have been lost on an MWC audience packed with European delegates attending the annual tradeshow in Barcelona.

“So for best technology and greater security choose Huawei. Please choose Huawei,” Guo finished, ending his keynote with a line that could very well make it as a new marketing slogan writ large on one of the myriad tech-packed booths here at Fira Gran Via.

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5 Methods Hackers Use to Break Into Your Bank Account

With so many users making the jump to internet banking, it’s no wonder that hackers are on the hunt for login details. What may be surprising, however, are the lengths that hackers go to in order to access your finances.

Here’s a look at how hackers target your bank account and how to stay safe.

1. Mobile Banking Trojans

These days, you can manage all of your finances from your smartphone. Usually, a bank will supply an official app from which you can log in and check your account. While convenient, this has become a key attack vector for malware authors.

Fake Apps

The simpler means of attack is by spoofing an existing banking app. A malware author creates a perfect replica of a bank’s app and uploads it to shady third-party sites. Once you’ve downloaded the bad app, you enter your username and password into it, which is then sent to the hacker.

App Hijacking

The sneakier version of this is the mobile banking Trojan. These aren’t disguised as a bank’s official app; they’re usually a completely unrelated app with a Trojan installed within. When you install this app, the Trojan begins to scan your phone for banking apps.

When it detects a banking app being launched, the malware quickly puts up a window that looks identical to the app you just booted up. If this is done smoothly enough, the user won’t notice the swap and will enter their details into the fake login page. These details are then uploaded to the malware author.

Typically, these Trojans also need an SMS verification code to complete the hack. To do this, they’ll often ask for SMS read privileges during install, so they can steal the codes as they come in.

How to Defend Yourself

When downloading apps from the app store, keep an eye on the amount of downloads it has. If it has a very low amount of downloads and little to no reviews, it’s too early to call if it has malware or not.

This goes double if you see an “official app” for a very popular bank with a small download count—it’s likely an imposter! If you’re interested in learning more, be sure to read our guide on how to avoid Trojans.

Likewise, be careful with what permissions you give apps. If a mobile game asks you for SMS read permissions with no explanation as to why it wants them, stay safe and don’t allow the app to install. Never install apps from third-party sites, as they’re more likely to contain malware.

2. Phishing

As the public becomes savvy toward phishing tactics, hackers have escalated their efforts to trick people into clicking their links. One of their nastiest tricks is hacking the email accounts of solicitors and sending phishing emails from a previously-trusted address.

What makes this hack so devastating is how hard it would be to spot the scam. The email address would be legitimate, and the hacker could even to talk to you on a first-name basis. This is exactly how an unfortunate home buyer lost £67,000, despite replying to an email address that was previously legitimate.

How to Defend Yourself

Obviously, if an email address looks suspicious, treat its contents with a healthy dose of skepticism. If the address looks legitimate but something “seems off,” see if you can validate the email with the person sending it—preferably not over email, in case the hackers have compromised the account!

3. Keyloggers

This method of attack is one of the quieter ways a hacker can gain access to your bank account. Keyloggers are a type of malware that records what you’re typing and sends the information back to the hacker.

That might sound inconspicuous at first, but imagine what would happen if you typed in your bank’s web address, followed by your username and password. The hacker would have all the information they need to break into your account!

How to Defend Yourself

Install a stellar antivirus and make sure it checks your system every so often. A good antivirus will sniff out a keylogger and erase it before it can do damage.

If your bank supports two-factor authentication, be sure to enable this. This makes a keylogger far less effective, as the hacker won’t be able to replicate the authentication code even if they get your login details.

4. Man-in-the-Middle Attacks

Sometimes, a hacker will target the communications between you and your bank’s website in order to get your details. These attacks are called Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attacks, and the name says it all; it’s when a hacker intercepts communications between you and a legitimate service.

Usually, an MITM attack involves monitoring an insecure server and analyzing the data that passes through. When you send your login details over this network, the hackers “sniff out” your details and steal them.

Sometimes, however, a hacker will use DNS cache poisoning to change what site you visit when you enter a URL. A poisoned DNS cache means that https://ift.tt/2GHRpje will instead go to a clone site owned by the hacker. This cloned site will look identical to the real thing; if you’re not careful, you’ll end up giving the fake site your login details.

How to Defend Yourself

Never perform any sensitive activities on a public or unsecured network. Err on the side of caution and use something more secure, such as your home Wi-Fi. Also, when you log into a sensitive site, always check for HTTPS in the address bar. If it’s not there, there’s a good chance you’re looking at a fake site!

If you want to perform sensitive activities over a public Wi-Fi network, why not take control of your own privacy? A VPN  service encrypts your data before your computer sends it over the network. If anyone is monitoring your connection, they’ll only see unreadable encrypted packets. Picking a VPN can be difficult, so be sure to read our guide on the best VPN services available.

5. SIM Swapping

SMS authentication codes are some of the biggest problems for hackers. Unfortunately, they have a way to dodge these checks, and they don’t even need your phone to do it!

To perform a SIM swap, a hacker contacts your network provider, claiming to be you. They state that they lost their phone, and that they’d like a transfer of their old number (which is your current number) to their SIM card.

If they’re successful, the network providers strips your phone number from your SIM and installs on the hacker’s instead. This is achievable with a social security number, as we covered in why 2FA and SMS verification isn’t 100% secure.

Once they have your number on their SIM card, they can circumvent SMS codes easily. When they log into your bank account, the bank sends an SMS verification code to their phone rather than yours. They can then log in to your account unimpeded and drain your account.

How to Defend Yourself

Of course, mobile networks typically ask questions to check if the person requesting the transfer is who they say they are. As such, to perform a SIM swap, scammers typically harvest your personal information in order to pass the checks. Even then, some network providers have lax checks for SIM transfers, which allowed hackers to easily perform this trick.

Always keep your personal details private to avoid someone stealing your identity. Also, it’s worth checking if your mobile provider is doing their part to defend you from SIM swapping. If you keep your details safe and your network provider is diligent, a hacker will fail the identification check when they try to SIM swap.

Keeping Your Finances Safe Online

internet banking is very convenient for both customer and hacker alike. Thankfully, you can do your part to ensure you’re not a target of these attacks. By keeping your details safe, you’ll give hackers very little to work with when they take aim at your savings.

If you’d like to know more on keeping your finances safe on the internet, try our guide on buying goods safely online.

Image Credit: stokkete/Depositphotos

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How to Sharpen Your Interview Skills With These Soft Skills Questions

Your superb qualifications alone won’t get you the new job. The interviewer will want to know about another set of skills not on the resume. These invisible skills are more difficult to determine but they can be the ultimate barometer for testing your suitability for a job. Especially, a job which is about collaboration and teamwork.

You know them as soft skills. They are determined based on a series of behavioral interview questions. It is important to know how to answer these questions in the right manner to impress the interviewer. Here are several soft skill questions that you need to be prepared for:

1. Leadership

Question: Can you tell me about a time when you successfully led a team through a difficult project?

What the interviewer wants to know: Companies want to hire candidates with proven ability to take charge of a situation and provide guidance to colleagues during difficult times. Your client wants to know if you can be a true leader or stay a passive follower.

Tips on how to answer:

• Mention a time you independently came up with a solution to a work problem.
• If a problem was caused by your own actions or lack of knowledge, admit to your mistake, and mention the steps you took to avoid similar problems in the future.
• In brief, mention the specific steps you took to resolve the issue, like organizing a meeting to discuss strategies, seeking help from an expert, etc.
• Explain how your actions resulted in the problem being solved and improved productivity.

2. Time Management

Question: How do you cope with extra work on a project?

What the interviewer wants to know: Are you the type to get overwhelmed by extra work? Also, can you juggle multiple assignments at the same time? And finally, do you have a gameplan to manage excess work?

Tips on how to answer:

• Briefly describe how you organize a typical workday to get the most work done.
• Mention any software you use to manage projects. For instance, you can talk about your personal preference for using OneNote as a productivity system.
• Give an example of how you met project goals by breaking down a massive project into manageable chunks.
• Say you are open to advise from superiors on how to manage critical tasks.

3. Conflict Resolution Skills

Question: Tell us about a time when you had to work with someone you were not compatible with.

What the interviewer wants to know: How well do you play with others? And are you capable of working productively with someone you don’t get along with?

This question is about your emotional intelligence, and if you can be productive in a potentially difficult work environment.

Tips on how to answer:

• Mention that you get along with most of your colleagues, except those rare cases when differences of opinion may arise.
• Don’t spend too much time talking about the actual conflict and the reasons behind it. Instead, focus on talking about the steps you took to resolve the situation.
• Talk about how you avoid confrontation with a set of ground rules. For instance, you like to solve issues head-on instead of beating around the bush.
• Emphasize your ability to remain polite and professional when faced with hostility.

4. Problem Solving

Question: Can you tell us about a time when you overcame a significant challenge?

What the interviewer wants to know: How good you are at solving problems at the workplace, and whether you can be relied upon to come up with creative solutions independently.

Tips on how to answer:

• Don’t just talk about overcoming a job-related challenge, but also mention any instances when you independently came up with ways to be more productive at work.
• Give a full description of the specific details you encountered that led to the problem you faced.
• Mention how you interpreted a problem before you found its solution. For instance, you came across an inter-departmental conflict due to lack of communication.
• Talk about the steps you took to bring about a successful resolution to the problem. For instance, you solved it with a simple project management template in Excel.

5. Communication

Question: How would you explain a complex topic to someone unfamiliar with the subject?

What the interviewer wants to know: How good are you at communicating with your colleagues? Furthermore, can you collaborate with team members who have different skillsets?

Tips on how to answer:

• Mention that you actively seek to build a rapport with your colleagues by organizing off-site activities, asking more experienced colleagues for help with difficult projects, taking an active interest in their work, etc.
• If asked to explain a subject, break the topic down into three parts: The problem, the solution, and the solution steps involved.
• Use general examples and analogies to explain the details of the topic to help people who are unfamiliar with the subject.
• Talk about how you like to take the help of YouTube videos, explanatory charts, and other media to explain topics more clearly.

Related: You should always strive to improve your communication skills as it is a transferable skill across all kinds of jobs.

6. Adaptability

Question: Talk about a time when things did not go according to plan at work.

What the interviewer wants to know: Can you keep a calm head during an emergency?

Tips on how to answer:

• Mention any changes to the workplace that you have experienced in the past, and how you embraced those changes instead of avoiding them.
• Talk about your fondness for trying new software and strategies to improve efficiency.
• Discuss the initiation process at your former workplace, and how quickly you were able to adapt to the rules and working style of the company.
• Tell the interviewer that you rely on proven routines and can tweak them if necessary when things go wrong.
• Explain a typical crisis and how your out of the box solution helped untangle it.

7. Work Culture Suitability

Question: What are the things that are most important to you in a job?

What the interviewer wants to know: How closely your personal goals and ambitions align with that of the company, and whether you will want to keep working here for the long haul.

Tips on how to answer:

• Mention your enthusiasm for the company’s achievements, and your admiration for the general workplace environment.
• Express your desire to commit to the company for the long term, and how you plan to progress with the company’s guidance.
• Talk about your personal passions that align with the company’s areas of interests.

8. Collaboration

Question: How well will you fare in group projects?

What the interviewer wants to know: This is a different line of questioning than asking about your communication skills. The company wants to know if you are a team player or a lone wolf (Hint: it’s never a good idea to be considered a lone wolf at the workplace).

Tips on how to answer:

• Go back to your communication skills. Stress the importance you place on regular communication with your colleagues.
• Talk about the positives of teamwork; like the camaraderie, the united sense of purpose, or having someone reliable to depend upon.
• Don’t shy away from mentioning negative experiences with former teammates, but emphasize the lessons learned.

Be Genuine to Handle Tricky Interview Questions

Soft skills interview questions can be double-edged. You have to balance your successes with your failures so that you sound more human. Experience interviewers can detect empty bombast or exaggerated achievements. In the digital social age, it is difficult to cloak your true track record.

Be genuine. Think of an interview as a friendly conversation between two professionals and not as a verbal duel. Preparation goes a long way to help you gain that confidence. Why not start your preparation by learning how not to answer common job interview questions?

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What Is Airdrop? How to Share Files Between iOS and Mac

9 Stunning Airbnb Rentals That Were Used in Movies and TV Shows

Do you consider yourself a big movies fan? If yes, we’ve got the ultimate way to get closer to your favorite characters for you. Of course, traveling to visit these actual filming locations can be fun, but what about spending the night at places where huge stars like Benedict Cumberbatch or Martin Freeman were making those famous lines come alive?

If that sounds like your perfect holiday destination, we got you covered. Check out these Airbnb properties that once served as filming locations. Some of these places are affordable for budget travelers, while others will require you to lighten your wallet.

1. Listed Luxury, South Wales

Seen in: Sherlock, Doctor Who

Price: From $588/night

Fields House is a six-bedroom property that you can rent in Newport, South Wales, the location of quite a few episodes of both Sherlock and Doctor Who.

This classic “Victorian gentleman’s residence” was seen on TV as Irene Adler’s apartment (Lara Pulver, Sherlock) as well as Captain Latimer’s study (Tom Ward, Doctor Who). Both filmed back in 2012. The property has multiple spacious rooms and can accommodate up to 10 guests. Even though no bachelor parties are allowed, you can still grab your friends and spend a pretty special weekend in this luxurious house.

Fields House is located in Newport city center, within walking distance of all the main attractions. Three nights stay is minimum.

2. “Entourage” Honeymoon Spa Retreat

Seen in: Entourage, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, The Bachelorette

Price: From $455/night

Speaking of luxury, if you’re searching for a place where you could really feel like a celebrity, look no further. This luxurious villa is located right above downtown Los Angeles, in the hills of Los Feliz. So the most breathtaking views are guaranteed.

As for the TV appearances, this place played a supporting role in HBO’s Entourage, and reality shows like The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and The Bachelorette. Aside from that, this villa has been used as a photography location for Vogue, Elle, Playboy, and Victoria’s Secret.

This 1972 estate also comes with an emerald tile pool and hot tub. Even spending just one night in this 750-square-foot house will make you feel pretty special.

3. Reversible Destiny Lofts

Seen in: Girls

Price: From $240/night

If your real estate tastes lie elsewhere, check out this loft apartment that you’re bound to fall in love with. In the latest series of HBO’s Girls, Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet) called this place home. And you would want to do the same.

This two-bedroom flat is located in the Reversible Destiny Lofts in Mitaka, Tokyo. The place can accommodate up to 4 people, and is a true modern art masterpiece. Each loft is built around the central kitchen, and the living area is has multiple doorless pods sticking out of it. Everything here resembles geometrical shapes and will for sure change your perception of what a perfect apartment looks like.

The place is perfect for a little getaway with your partner or friends. However, if you’re planning to bring other people with you, bear in mind that the apartments aren’t huge. At about 560 square feet, you might find it a little crowded if you bring more than one or two people with you.

4. Historic Cottage in Albion Village

Seen in: Murder, She Wrote

Price: From $203/night

Fans of Jessica Fletcher will recognize tis little cottage from the TV series Murder, She Wrote. After all, the writer and an amateur detective spent her time solving crimes here. As most of the sights of the fictional Cabot Cove, Maine were shot here in Albion, California.

This hundred year old house can serve as a perfect writer’s retreat or a romantic getaway. If you choose to rent this property, you’ll find yourself just minutes away from the Pacific Ocean and a short drive away from a number of wineries. What can be a better setting for solving some local crimes?

5. Stunning Lake Oswego View Estate

Seen in: Extraordinary Measures

Price: From $1,539/night

This listing is for Harrison Ford fans. A part of his movie Extraordinary Measures was filmed here back in 2010. The price tag on this one is rather steep. However, the house can accommodate up to six people—so make sure you bring your friends or family.

This luxurious Hamptons-style estate comes with breathtaking views of the lake Oswego and downtown Portland. Being such a gorgeous property, it comes with at no surprise that it’s also been used as a photography location for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Architectural Digest.

6. Sunny Private Room

Seen in: Definitely, Maybe; Solitary Man, Damages

Price: From $105/night

Before becoming a Deadpool star, Ryan Reynolds starred in a not very well-known movie Definitely, Maybe. If you want to experience life in Brooklyn’s Ditmas Park neighborhood, this private home might be your best pick. Besides, this very same room served as a filming location for the 2009 Solitary Man (starring Michael Douglas), and the award-winning series Damages (starring Glenn Close and Rose Byrne).

The room is ideal for one or two guests, as it comes with just one double bed. This Airbnb listing also offers an easy commute to Coney Island and Prospect Part being within walking distance.

7. Love Shac Near Pappy’s and Rimrock Ranch

Seen in: Wild West films, The Cisco Kid

Price: From $98/night

If you live and breathe for the Wild Wild West vibes, take a look at this “love shack” on Airbnb. This rustic cabin is located in Rimrock, California, a short drive from Pioneertown. The place became a Wild West filming location back in 1940s. Experience the life of Wild West films actors, who lived in the town while filming early TV series like The Cisco Kid.

The cabin might seem rather small, but it comes with a double bed, some kitchen facilities (like refrigerator, microwave, and a coffee machine), and a TV. The bathroom and shower facilities are just outside the cabin though. So if you’re looking for a luxury retreat, you’re better off looking at other listings on the list.

8. Secluded Intown Treehouse

Seen in: Treehouse Masters

Price: From $525/night

If you’re looking for something outside the box but still resembling modern world facilities, check out this stunning treehouse. This Airbnb listing has it all: it’s a secluded one-bedroom house surrounded by beautiful nature and romantic decorations.

Even though you have to climb up to get to it, the house is situated just minutes from downtown Atlanta. What makes it even more magical is a bed on wheels. If the weather allows it, you can roll it outside and sleep right under the stars. The perfect couple’s getaway, the house made an appearance on TV in Animal Planet’s Treehouse Masters.

9. Fixer Upper Fabulous Mid-Mod

Seen in: Fixer Upper

Price: From $476/night

Have you ever caught yourself admiring the newly improved homes featured in reality series Fixer Upper? We all did. Luckily, many of them are available to rent on Airbnb. You can spend a night or two in your favorite makeovers and admire them up close and in person.

One great example is this modern house in Waco’s Mountain View neighborhood. It has five bedrooms and can accommodate up to 12 people. Plus, you can rent this place for a larger party if you agree with the owners in advance. Divided by all guests, the price tag seems reasonable too.

What’s Your Next Airbnb Destination?

Airbnb can be of great help when it comes to organizing your next vacation. If you can’t decide between several places from our list, make sure you add them to your Airbnb wishlist. That way you can always come back and finish planning your next trip.

Tired of Airbnb and feel like trying a different service? Check out these high-quality Airbnb alternatives for any budget.

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Become a Cloud Computing Expert with this AWS Certified Training

Most of the apps we use every day are based in the cloud. So it’s not surprising that developers with cloud computing knowledge are in demand. The AWS Certified Architect Developer Bundle 2019 can help you get started in this lucrative niche, with seven courses and 51 hours of video content working towards official Amazon certification. You can pick up the training now for only $35 at MakeUseOf Deals.

Become a Certified Cloud Developer

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is one of the most popular platforms for cloud computing and storage. Becoming an AWS Certified Architect will help you stand out from the crowd as a developer, and future-proof your résumé.

Even if you have no experience with code, this training can turn you into a certified cloud developer. Through hands-on video tutorials, you learn AWS from the ground up.

Along the way, you discover how to work with Amazon S3 storage, EC2 cloud computing, CloudFront content delivery, and AWS Database Services. You also learn some valuable DevOps skills, and discover the technology behind the cloud.

Each course provides step-by-step instruction as you prepare for the official AWS exams. You can learn at your own pace, and take quizzes to fortify your knowledge.

Whether you want to start a career in code or build your own startup, this training is invaluable.

51 Hours of Training for $35

These courses are worth nearly $1,000 in total, but you can get them now for just $35 with this bundle.

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5 Writing Apps That Can Help You Beat Procrastination Right Now

HTC’s blockchain phone can now be purchased with fiat currency

Until now, the Exodus 1 has, fittingly, only been available for purchase with cryptocurrency. Starting today, however, interested parties will be able to pick HTC’s blockchain phone up through more traditional means, including USD, which prices the handset at a not unreasonable $699.

One assumes, of course, if you’ve got enough of an interested in purchasing a blockchain phone that they’ve already got a bit of Bitcoin, Ether or Litecoin lying about. This move, however, is very clearly about helping growing the product beyond its initial soft launch. When the device was released last year, HTC was pretty clearly expecting to sell it in limited quantities to users who could essentially help beta test the product in the wild.

HTC Decentralized Chief Officer Phil Chen calls the product the company’s 1.0 solution. In fact, it’s planning to create a formal bounty program to discover and patch potential exploits.

But HTC has long held that a device like this will play an important role in the future of a company struggling to find its way as it feels the burn of a stagnating mobile industry. As project head and Chen told me on stage at a TechCrunch event  in Shenzhen last year that HTC is “as committed as they are to the Vive. I don’t think it’s number one of the priority list, but I would say it’s number three or four.”

When I spoke to Chen again this month, just ahead of today’s Mobile World Congress announcement, he told me that HTC currently has 25 engineers committed to the project. It’s perhaps not a huge number in the grand scheme of a company the size of HTC, but it’s a sizable chunk of manpower, considering the fact that the product is mostly built using existing HTC hardware. The company has also brought in outside help like blockchain security expert Christopher Allen to make sure things are as secure as possible.

And indeed, I’ve been carrying an Exodus One around for about a week now, and it feels like a pretty standard HTC handset, both in terms of hardware and Android software, right down to the inclusion the size-squeezing Edge Sense.

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With FIDO2, Android Is Moving Beyond Passwords

Google Android is now officially FIDO2 certified. This means Android users can make use of login methods other than passwords to access apps and websites. As long as they support the FIDO2 protocols. This signals the beginning of the end for passwords.

What Is FIDO2?

FIDO stands for Fast IDentify Online. The FIDO Alliance is a consortium of companies including Amazon, Google, Intel, Microsoft, PayPal, and Samsung. Their goal is to improve the interoperability of authentication devices and methods.

FIDO2 is a set of standards that governs both devices and authentication methods. These standards “enable users to more easily and securely login to online services with FIDO2-compliant devices such as fingerprint readers, cameras and/or FIDO security keys.”

Android Earns FIDO2 Certification

Google Android has now earned FIDO2 certification. This means that any compatible device running Android 7.0 or higher is now FIDO2 certified. New devices will be certified out of the box. Devices already in the wild will require a Google Play Services update.

Once your Android device is FIDO2 certified, you’ll be able to use methods other than passwords to log into apps and websites. Those apps and websites also need to support the FIDO2 protocols, but the number that do so is growing daily.

In the FIDO Alliance press release, Christiaan Brand, a Product Manager at Google, said:

“Google has long worked with the FIDO Alliance and W3C to standardize FIDO2 protocols, which give any application the ability to move beyond password authentication while offering protection against phishing attacks.”

 

“Today’s announcement of FIDO2 certification for Android helps move this initiative forward, giving our partners and developers a standardized way to access secure keystores across devices, both in market already as well as forthcoming models, in order to build convenient biometric controls for users.”

The most obvious login method this enables is fingerprint IDs. Once your fingerprint has been stored you’ll be able to use the fingerprint sensor on your Android device to sign into apps and websites. If you prefer, you can also use PIN numbers and/or patterns.

Passwords Are History

This represents Google looking beyond passwords. And it’s far from the only technology company doing so. While most of us are still stuck using passwords—in some cases, really bad passwords—other methods are easier and much more secure.

Read the full article: With FIDO2, Android Is Moving Beyond Passwords

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Ricoh Announces High-End Theta Z1 360-Degree Camera

Over the past six years, Ricoh has become one of the leading names in the world of 360-degree cameras, and the company is adding a new flagship device to its product line.

The newly-announced Theta Z1 is packed with features that make it an exciting addition to the photography world.

Ricoh Theta Z1 360-Degree Camera

As this new camera is meant to be the flagship model for the company, it has all of the high-end features you’d expect. First, it has an extremely high 360-degree resolution of 23 megapixels (6,720 x 3,360) for still photos. Of course, it’s also able to capture 4K video in 360-degrees at 30 frames per second.

For capturing smooth images, there’s 3-axis image stabilization. That should allow you to move around with the camera while continuing to capture video.

The Z1 comes with a 0.93 inch OLED screen that should make it easy to adjust the camera’s settings on the go. You can use the screen to switch between F2.1, F3.5, and F5.6 apertures. There’s also a wide ISO range of 80 to 6400, which should allow the device to shoot in a wide range of lighting conditions.

Like all good cameras, there are automatic and manual modes that’ll allow you to fine-tune your photos and videos, or just turn the camera on and shoot, depending on your needs.

For capturing audio, there’s a built-in four-channel microphone, with support for spatial audio, which should help you to add to the immersion of your videos.

The Z1 comes with 19GB of internal storage. That’s enough to fit 350 RAW photos, 2400 JPG images, or approximately 40 minutes of 4K video. As for battery life, the camera will be able to capture 300 stills or 60 minutes of video per charge.

Theta Z1 Price and Release Date

Richo’s new top-of-the-line camera will be released in March 2019 for $999.95. Obviously, that’s a bit expensive, especially when compared to the previous model, the Theta V, which retailed for $379.95. Of course, it has quite a few more advanced features than the previous versions, so it makes sense that the price would be higher.

Interested in seeing what you can create with a 360-degree camera? Check out the most insane 360-degree videos on Facebook.

Read the full article: Ricoh Announces High-End Theta Z1 360-Degree Camera

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Google Assistant Is Coming to Android Messages

Google is bringing Assistant to Android Messages. Having previously added Assistant to Google Maps, Google has now decided it belongs in Messages too. Google Assistant will essentially add an extra layer of information around the subjects you’re talking about.

Google Assistant Adds Smarts to Messages

Google is pushing Assistant hard. The company’s latest attempt to put Assistant everywhere is to insert it into Messages. This is the default messaging app for Android, and it supports SMS, MMS, and RCS. And it now has added backup from Google Assistant.

Google Assistant will be phased into Messages for English users around the world. Once integrated, Assistant will offer suggestions related to the things you’re talking about. This includes movies you want to see, restaurants you want to visit, and even the weather.

Turns out there’s a lot less drama when you have the Google Assistant as your costar. #HeyGoogle #Oscars pic.twitter.com/Gj9nUzTIrO

— Google (@Google) February 23, 2019

A suggestion will pop up, and you can decide whether to view it and share the information, or just ignore it. Either way, these suggestions are generated on your phone, so you don’t have to worry about Google reading your private text messages.

Beyond Messages, Google Assistant is also coming to more feature phones powered by KaiOS. And in the coming months, Google is bringing voice typing to KaiOS. This means feature phone users will be able to dictate text messages, web searches, and more.

Google Assistant Will Soon Be Everywhere

This all suggests that Google is determined to put Assistant everywhere. After all, it’s now available on your phone, in specific apps, and on smart speakers. And that’s not a bad thing for those of us who like to have a world of information literally at our fingertips.

It should also be noted that Google is ending support for Allo in March 2019. Allo was a smart messaging app which heavily featured Google Assistant, making Assistant’s move across to Messages a timely one. And surely not coincidental.

Read the full article: Google Assistant Is Coming to Android Messages

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What Is EXIF Data? 3 Ways to Remove Metadata From Photos

Did you know that most cameras embed hidden information (called metadata) into every photograph taken? And when you share those images—such as uploading them to social media—that hidden information can stay embedded in the photo? And that people can view that information for almost no effort?

That metadata is called EXIF data (Exchangeable Image File Format) and is mostly harmless… but in rare cases can be abused by malicious users and cause you problems.

Here’s everything you need to know about photo metadata and how to remove EXIF data when you don’t want that information to go public.

What Is EXIF Data?

Photography is complex and intensely technical with lots of things you need to know: exposure, lighting, composition, posing, etc. There’s so much to learn that even a genius would need several decades to master it all.

EXIF data is basically all of that technical information that gets stored in the photo file. By extracting and looking at an image’s EXIF data, you can see how that particular photograph was taken, which is a great way to study, learn, and improve your own photographic skills and knowledge.

EXIF data can include:

• Camera manufacturer and model.
• Data and time the photo was taken.
• Compression type used for the photo.
• Aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings.
• Metering mode.
• Flash mode.
• Pixel resolution.

On the whole, EXIF data is actually well-intentioned, innocent, and practical. The problem is that certain devices may embed extra bits of data that can betray your personal privacy and security.

Consider a GPS-enabled, camera-equipped smartphone. When you shoot photos with your phone, those photos may be embedded with the GPS coordinates of where you took them. This can be great for geotagging your photos, but can also give away the location of your home to internet strangers if they find your photos on social media.

Consider a DSLR camera that you’ve been using for years. Not only can EXIF data include the manufacturer and model of your camera, but it may also include the camera’s serial number. If you ever share an iffy photo online, it can be traced back to your camera. It could also be used (theoretically) to find other photos on the internet that you’ve taken with that camera.

The NSA collects and analyzes EXIF data. It’s hardly a surprise today, but several years ago files were released that included training materials from the NSA’s XKeyscore program that showed how it aimed to use EXIF data (and other pieces of data) as part of intelligence collection.

Is it likely that EXIF data will stab you in the back? Probably not. But is the possibility always there? Yes. Unless you have an intentional reason to keep EXIF data, you should always consider removing it just in case.

Want to know how to remove image metadata? Here are some easy methods you can use to strip metadata, even if you have zero technical skills.

1. Remove EXIF Data With Windows File Explorer

Windows has a built-in method for clearing EXIF data from images and it couldn’t be more straightforward to use.

1. Open File Explorer (Windows key + E shortcut).
2. Navigate to your image.
3. Right-click on your image and select Properties.
4. Click the Details tab.

Windows 10 can detect two photography-related categories of EXIF data: “Camera” and “Advanced photo.” Camera data includes technical aspects like aperture, metering mode, and focal length. Advanced photo data includes serial number, white balance, EXIF version, etc.

At the bottom, as you can see in the screenshot above, you can click on Remove Properties and Personal Information to open the EXIF removal tool. The tool lets you either create a copy of the image with all metadata removed or pick and choose which properties to erase from the selected file.

You can also select multiple images in File Explorer and use this process to remove metadata from all of them at once.

Note: One downside is that Windows 10 can’t (or won’t allow you to) remove every bit of EXIF data. I’m not sure why Microsoft kept this limitation in Windows 10, but if you need to absolutely nuke all EXIF data then you might be better off with one of the other two methods below.

2. Remove EXIF Data Using GIMP

GIMP is a free and open-source software that can easily strip EXIF data from an image. It may even be easier than the Windows 10 method above!

1. Open GIMP.
2. Open your image in GIMP.
3. Go to File > Export As to export the image. Name it whatever you want, but make sure you give the image a JPG extension!
4. Click the Export button.
5. For export options, expand the Advanced Options panel and uncheck Save EXIF data.
6. Change the other options to your liking, then click Export to finish.

The only downside is that batch removal is a nuisance with this method. You have to open all images and export them one by one, and even though it only takes about five seconds each, it’s pretty tedious.

Note: You could also do this using Photoshop instead of GIMP, but is it really worth buying Adobe Photoshop just to remove EXIF data? No. But if you have it, might as well use it!

3. Remove EXIF Data Using a Mobile App

If you take most of your photos on your phone, then it may make more sense to use an EXIF data removal app so you don’t have to involve your computer in the process.

Before you install a third-party app, first check your Camera app’s settings to see if you can disable EXIF data generation. Some camera apps may only let you disable location inclusion, while others may not allow you to disable EXIF data at all.

Still need an EXIF removal app? You can try Photo Metadata Remover for removing EXIF data on Android, or you can try Metapho to remove EXIF data on iPhone. Both are free to download, but Metapho requires an in-app purchase to unlock the ability to remove photo metadata, edit date and location, and share safely to social networks.

Download: Photo Metadata Remover for Android (Free)
Download: Metapho for iOS (Free, in-app purchase for metadata removal)

Other Photo Tips to Keep in Mind

When you’re choosing an online photo hosting service, consider picking one that automatically scrubs EXIF data. Make sure to check your social media settings, such as the photo privacy settings on Facebook.

EXIF data is just one way we’re all sharing too much data online.

While you’re at it, check out our article on photography skill-building exercises. You may also be interested in making money with your photography, including the best places to sell your photos online.

Read the full article: What Is EXIF Data? 3 Ways to Remove Metadata From Photos

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Ubiquitilink advance means every phone is now a satellite phone

Last month I wrote about Ubiquitilink, which promised, through undisclosed means, it was on the verge of providing a sort of global satellite-based roaming service. But how, I asked? (Wait, they told me.) Turns out our phones are capable of a lot more than we think: they can reach satellites acting as cell towers in orbit just fine, and the company just proved it.

Utilizing a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit, Ubiquitilink claimed during a briefing at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona that pretty much any phone from the last decade should be able to text and do other low-bandwidth tasks from anywhere, even in the middle of the ocean or deep in the Himalayas. Literally (though eventually) anywhere and any time.

Surely not, I hear you saying. My phone, that can barely get a signal on some blocks of my neighborhood, or in that one corner of the living room, can’t possibly send and receive data from space… can it?

To rebuild satellite communications, Ubiquitilink starts at ground level

“That’s the great thing — everybody’s instinct indicates that’s the case,” said Ubiquitilink founder Charles Miller. “But if you look at the fundamentals of the RF [radio frequency] link, it’s easier than you think.”

The issue, he explained, isn’t really that the phone lacks power. The limits of reception and wireless networks are defined much more by architecture and geology than plain physics. When an RF transmitter, even a small one, has a clear shot straight up, it can travel very far indeed.

Space towers

It’s not quite as easy as that, however; there are changes that need to be made, just not anything complex or expensive like special satellite antennas or base stations. If you know that modifying the phone is a non-starter, you have to work with the hardware you’ve got. But everything else can be shaped accordingly, Miller said – three things in particular.

1. Lower the orbit. There are limits to what’s practical as far as the distance involved and the complications it brings. The orbit neds to be under 500 kilometers, or about 310 miles. That’s definitely low — geosynchronous is ten times higher — but it’s not crazy either. Some of SpaceX’s Starlink communications satellites are aiming for a similar orbit.
2. Narrow the beam. The low orbit and other limitations mean that a given satellite can only cover a small area at a time. This isn’t just blasting out data like a GPS satellite, or communicating with a specialized ground system like a dish that can reorient itself. So on the ground you’ll be looking at a 45 degree arc, meaning you can use a satellite that’s within a 45-degree-wide cone above you.
3. Lengthen the wavelength. Here simple physics come into play: generally, the shorter the wavelength, the less transparent the atmosphere is to it. So you want to use bands on the long (lower Hz) side of the radio spectrum to make sure you maximize propagation.

Having adjusted for these things, an ordinary phone can contact and trade information with a satellite with its standard wireless chip and power budget. But there’s one more obstacle, one Ubiquitilink spent a great deal of time figuring out.

Although a phone and satellite can reach one another reliably, a delay and doppler shift in the signal due to the speeds and distances involved are inescapable. Turns out the software that runs towers and wireless chips isn’t suited for this; the timings built into the code assume the distance will be less than 30 km, since the curvature of the Earth generally prevents transmitting further than that.

So Ubiquitilink modified the standard wireless stacks to account for this, something Miller said no one else had done.

“After my guys came back and told me they’d done this, I said, well let’s go validate it,” he told me. “We went to NASA and JPL and asked what they thought. Everybody’s gut reaction was ‘well, this won’t work,’ but then afterwards they just said ‘well, it works.’ ”

The theory became a reality earlier this year after Ubiquitilink launched their prototype satellites. They successfully made a two-way 2G connection between an ordinary ground device and the satellite, proving that the signal not only gets there and back, but that its doppler and delay distortions can be rectified on the fly.

“Our first tests demonstrated that we offset the doppler shift and time delay. Everything else is leveraging commercial software,” Miller said, though he quickly added: “To be clear, there’s plenty more work to be done, but it isn’t anything that’s new technology. It’s good solid hardcore engineering, building nanosats and that sort of thing.”

Since his previous company was Nanoracks and he’s been in the business for decades, he’s qualified to be confident on this part. It’ll be a lot of work and a lot of money, but they should be launching their first real satellites this summer. (And it’s all patented, he noted.)

Global roaming

The way the business will work is remarkably simple given the complexity of the product. Because the satellites operate on modified but mostly ordinary off-the-shelf software and connect to phones with no modifications necessary, Ubiquitilink will essentially work as a worldwide roaming operator that mobile networks will pay for access to. (Disclosure: Verizon, obviously a mobile network, owns TechCrunch, and for all I know will use this tech eventually. It’s not involved with any editorial decisions.)

Normally, if you’re a subscriber of network X, and you’re visiting a country where X has no coverage, X will have an agreement with network Y, which connects you for a fee. There are hundreds of these deals in play at any given time, and Ubiquitilink would just be one more — except its coverage will eventually be global. Maybe you can’t reach X or Y, you’ll always be able to reach U.

The speeds and services available will depend on what mobile networks want. Not everyone wants or needs the same thing, of course, and a 3G fallback might be practical where an LTE connection is less so. But the common denominator will be data enough to send and receive text at the least.

It’s worth noting also that this connection will be in some crucial ways indistinguishable from other connections: it won’t affect encryption, for instance.

This will of course necessitate at least a thousand satellites, by Miller’s count. But in the meantime limited service will also be available in the form of timed passes — you’ll have no signal for 55 minutes, then signal for five, during which you can send and receive what may be a critical text or location. This is envisioned as a specialty service at first, then as more satellites join the constellation, that window expands until it’s 24/7 and across the whole face of the planet, and it becomes a normal consumer good.

Emergency fallback

While your network provider will probably charge you the usual arm and leg for global roaming on demand (it’s their prerogative), there are some services Ubiquitilink will provide for free; the value of a global communication system is not lost on Miller.

“Nobody should ever die because the phone in their pocket doesn’t have signal,” he said. “If you break down in the middle of Death Valley you should be able to text 911. Our vision is this is a universal service for emergency responders and global E-911 texting. We’re not going to charge for that.”

An emergency broadcast system when networks are down is also being planned — power outages following disasters are times when people are likely to panic or be struck by a follow-up disaster like a tsunami or flooding, and reliable communications at those times could save thousands and vastly improve recovery efforts.

“We don’t want to make money off saving people’s lives, that’s just a benefit of implementing this system, and the way it should be,” Miller said.

It’s a whole lot of promises, but the team and the tech seem capable of backing them up. Initial testing is complete and birds are in the air — now it’s a matter of launching the next thousand or so.

Read Full Article

Ubiquitilink advance means every phone is now a satellite phone

Last month I wrote about Ubiquitilink, which promised, through undisclosed means, it was on the verge of providing a sort of global satellite-based roaming service. But how, I asked? (Wait, they told me.) Turns out our phones are capable of a lot more than we think: they can reach satellites acting as cell towers in orbit just fine, and the company just proved it.

Utilizing a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit, Ubiquitilink claimed during a briefing at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona that pretty much any phone from the last decade should be able to text and do other low-bandwidth tasks from anywhere, even in the middle of the ocean or deep in the Himalayas. Literally (though eventually) anywhere and any time.

Surely not, I hear you saying. My phone, that can barely get a signal on some blocks of my neighborhood, or in that one corner of the living room, can’t possibly send and receive data from space… can it?

To rebuild satellite communications, Ubiquitilink starts at ground level

“That’s the great thing — everybody’s instinct indicates that’s the case,” said Ubiquitilink founder Charles Miller. “But if you look at the fundamentals of the RF [radio frequency] link, it’s easier than you think.”

The issue, he explained, isn’t really that the phone lacks power. The limits of reception and wireless networks are defined much more by architecture and geology than plain physics. When an RF transmitter, even a small one, has a clear shot straight up, it can travel very far indeed.

Space towers

It’s not quite as easy as that, however; there are changes that need to be made, just not anything complex or expensive like special satellite antennas or base stations. If you know that modifying the phone is a non-starter, you have to work with the hardware you’ve got. But everything else can be shaped accordingly, Miller said – three things in particular.

1. Lower the orbit. There are limits to what’s practical as far as the distance involved and the complications it brings. The orbit neds to be under 500 kilometers, or about 310 miles. That’s definitely low — geosynchronous is ten times higher — but it’s not crazy either. Some of SpaceX’s Starlink communications satellites are aiming for a similar orbit.
2. Narrow the beam. The low orbit and other limitations mean that a given satellite can only cover a small area at a time. This isn’t just blasting out data like a GPS satellite, or communicating with a specialized ground system like a dish that can reorient itself. So on the ground you’ll be looking at a 45 degree arc, meaning you can use a satellite that’s within a 45-degree-wide cone above you.
3. Lengthen the wavelength. Here simple physics come into play: generally, the shorter the wavelength, the less transparent the atmosphere is to it. So you want to use bands on the long (lower Hz) side of the radio spectrum to make sure you maximize propagation.

Having adjusted for these things, an ordinary phone can contact and trade information with a satellite with its standard wireless chip and power budget. But there’s one more obstacle, one Ubiquitilink spent a great deal of time figuring out.

Although a phone and satellite can reach one another reliably, a delay and doppler shift in the signal due to the speeds and distances involved are inescapable. Turns out the software that runs towers and wireless chips isn’t suited for this; the timings built into the code assume the distance will be less than 30 km, since the curvature of the Earth generally prevents transmitting further than that.

So Ubiquitilink modified the standard wireless stacks to account for this, something Miller said no one else had done.

“After my guys came back and told me they’d done this, I said, well let’s go validate it,” he told me. “We went to NASA and JPL and asked what they thought. Everybody’s gut reaction was ‘well, this won’t work,’ but then afterwards they just said ‘well, it works.’ ”

The theory became a reality earlier this year after Ubiquitilink launched their prototype satellites. They successfully made a two-way 2G connection between an ordinary ground device and the satellite, proving that the signal not only gets there and back, but that its doppler and delay distortions can be rectified on the fly.

“Our first tests demonstrated that we offset the doppler shift and time delay. Everything else is leveraging commercial software,” Miller said, though he quickly added: “To be clear, there’s plenty more work to be done, but it isn’t anything that’s new technology. It’s good solid hardcore engineering, building nanosats and that sort of thing.”

Since his previous company was Nanoracks and he’s been in the business for decades, he’s qualified to be confident on this part. It’ll be a lot of work and a lot of money, but they should be launching their first real satellites this summer. (And it’s all patented, he noted.)

Global roaming

The way the business will work is remarkably simple given the complexity of the product. Because the satellites operate on modified but mostly ordinary off-the-shelf software and connect to phones with no modifications necessary, Ubiquitilink will essentially work as a worldwide roaming operator that mobile networks will pay for access to. (Disclosure: Verizon, obviously a mobile network, owns TechCrunch, and for all I know will use this tech eventually. It’s not involved with any editorial decisions.)

Normally, if you’re a subscriber of network X, and you’re visiting a country where X has no coverage, X will have an agreement with network Y, which connects you for a fee. There are hundreds of these deals in play at any given time, and Ubiquitilink would just be one more — except its coverage will eventually be global. Maybe you can’t reach X or Y, you’ll always be able to reach U.

The speeds and services available will depend on what mobile networks want. Not everyone wants or needs the same thing, of course, and a 3G fallback might be practical where an LTE connection is less so. But the common denominator will be data enough to send and receive text at the least.

It’s worth noting also that this connection will be in some crucial ways indistinguishable from other connections: it won’t affect encryption, for instance.

This will of course necessitate at least a thousand satellites, by Miller’s count. But in the meantime limited service will also be available in the form of timed passes — you’ll have no signal for 55 minutes, then signal for five, during which you can send and receive what may be a critical text or location. This is envisioned as a specialty service at first, then as more satellites join the constellation, that window expands until it’s 24/7 and across the whole face of the planet, and it becomes a normal consumer good.

Emergency fallback

While your network provider will probably charge you the usual arm and leg for global roaming on demand (it’s their prerogative), there are some services Ubiquitilink will provide for free; the value of a global communication system is not lost on Miller.

“Nobody should ever die because the phone in their pocket doesn’t have signal,” he said. “If you break down in the middle of Death Valley you should be able to text 911. Our vision is this is a universal service for emergency responders and global E-911 texting. We’re not going to charge for that.”

An emergency broadcast system when networks are down is also being planned — power outages following disasters are times when people are likely to panic or be struck by a follow-up disaster like a tsunami or flooding, and reliable communications at those times could save thousands and vastly improve recovery efforts.

“We don’t want to make money off saving people’s lives, that’s just a benefit of implementing this system, and the way it should be,” Miller said.

It’s a whole lot of promises, but the team and the tech seem capable of backing them up. Initial testing is complete and birds are in the air — now it’s a matter of launching the next thousand or so.

Read Full Article

iOS developers will soon be able to offer discounts to their existing and lapsed subscribers

As subscriptions continue to grow into a sizable revenue stream for mobile app developers, Apple has had to make adjustments to its guidelines, rules, and even its tools for subscription management in recent weeks. It issued stricter guidelines around how subscriptions are to be presented to consumers, and it made the setting for canceling existing subscriptions more accessible. Now, Apple is rolling out new tools for developers that will help them retain their current customers and win back lapsed subscribers.

The company announced on Friday that apps with auto-renewable subscriptions will soon be able to offer their subscriptions at a discounted price for a specific period, as a means of growing and retaining their customer base. This will give the developers more control over their subscription pricing than was available before.

Until the change, developers could only make introductory offers to entice consumers to sign up for the first time. For example, developers could lure customers with a one-time introductory price, offer a free trial, or offer discounted rate for a specific period of time before the subscription converted to the full price.

But these offers could only be made to first-time customers. The new promotional offers will allow developers to cut similar deals for existing subscribers or to win back the business from those who used to pay for the subscription, but had canceled.

While the new promotional offers allow for the same sort of discounts as introductory offers, they’re more flexible in terms of how they’re used.

With introductory offers, developers were allowed one offer per subscription, per territory. With promotional offers, developers can activate up to 10 offers per subscription. This allows them to test which ones work best for their customers, instead of having to pick just one.

And developers are in control of when an offer displays to a customer, in which territories, as well as how many offers a customer can redeem.

In addition, while introductory offers may display in the App Store when promoted, the promotional offers will not. That means developers can use business logic that targets winning back their most valuable customers with offers that may be better from those shown to others – and no one would be the wiser. It also means developers can offer different deals to lapsed customers – like maybe a discounted subscription – compared with promos meant to retain current subscribers.

Developers will also be able to use receipt validation tools to find subscribers who turned off auto-renewal, which allows them to target those customers with new offers before their subscription lapses. They may also decided to target those who cancel during the free trial with different offers than those who cancel after using a paid subscription for a time.

As an end-user looking to save money, these changes mean it may be worth toggling off your subscriptions from time to time to see if you’re offered a better deal to resubscribe.

Developers were alerted to the new features last week, but the offers themselves aren’t yet publicly available.

To create the offers, developers have to download the latest Xcode 10.2 beta and will need to implement the new StoreKit APIs. They can then test their offers on the latest beta version of iOS 12.2, macOS 10.14.4, and tvOS 12.2. Apple said the offers will be made available to the public “soon.”

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