Google helps you find deals on flights and hotels
Planning a vacation often revolves around the delicate art of booking flights and hotels at just the right moment to get a great deal, and Google knows it. The internet pioneer is rolling out a slew of updates that, for the most part, are focused on getting you the best possible bargain. To start, you’ll see automatic “deal” labels in searches whenever a hotel rate goes below the norm, and tips when tweaking the dates of your stay could save you some cash. You can also filter hotel searches for very exact criteria — if you want to look for four-star hotels in Chicago that allow pets, you can. The tips and filters are only now rolling out (filters are limited to the US at first), but they’ll be available worldwide over the course of the year.
You also won’t have to worry that you’re missing out on a low-cost flight. Google Flights is getting price tracking that can tell you when prices change for date and destination combos or specific flights. You’ll only have to wait for email or a Google Now card to know when it’s time to take action. This tracking will only be available in the 26 countries where Google Flights is available, but it’ll reach all of them in a matter of weeks.
Most of Google’s other updates today are more helpful for advertisers (such as a companion banner that lets you browse their wares while watching YouTube). However, there is one big user-friendly upgrade in the works: it’s testing a shopping tweak that shows currency conversions in results, so you’ll know just how expensive that Canadian sweater would be if you bought it in the US. The feature should be widely available in the weeks ahead.
Source: Google Inside AdWords
21 shortcuts for Safari you need to know – CNET
Apple
If you use Apple’s own browser on your Mac, then I’ve got some shortcuts to share with you. With just a handful of these keyboard shortcuts, you can become a superior Safari surfer.
Tab and window management
1. Open link in new tab
Some links are coded to open in the current tab while others open in a new tab. To take control of this behavior, press Command when you click a link to stay on your current page while opening the link in a new tab in the background. Likewise, use Command-Shift-click to open link in new tab and switch to it.
2. Jump to next or previous tab
Use Command-Shift-right arrow to jump one tab to the right and use Command-Shift-left arrow to jump one tab to the left. Alternatively, you can use Control-Tab to move to the right and Control-Shift-Tab to move to the left
3. Jump to specific tab
To jump to a specific tab of the many you have open, press Command and any number key between 1 and 9. Command-1 jumps you to your first (left-most) tab. Command-5, for example, jumps you to the fifth tab from the left.
4. Bring back closed tab
You probably use Command-T to open a new tab, but did you know that Command-Z opens your previously closed tab. Undo that last tab closure! Unlike Chrome and Firefox that remember your last 10 closed tabs, Safari brings back only your last closed tab with this shortcut. For other closed tabs, you’ll need to find them in Safari’s History.
5. Drag tabs
Safari is quite flexible when it comes to moving your tabs around. You can click and drag a tab to move it to another spot among your row open tabs in the current window. You can also drag a tab out of the current window and start a new window or drag it from one window to another window.
6. M for minimize
Hit Command-M to minimize your current window.
7. Close current tab or window
This shortcut saves you from needing to click the little X to close a tab. Instead, use Command-W to close your current tab. To close your current Safari window, use Command-Shift-W.
8. Close all tabs but current tab
After an explosion of tabs, you can close all tabs but the current tab (and any pinned tabs) by hitting Command-Option-W.
9. Enter Reading Mode
Hit Command-Shift-R to enable Safari’s reading mode to get a clean, clutter-free version of the page you are viewing.
10. Add to Reading List
Hit Command-Shift-D to add the current page to your Reading List so you can return to it later.
11. Open the Sidebar
Hit Command-Shift-L to open Safari’s Sidebar to see your Bookmarks, Reading List, Shared links. Hit the keyboard shortcut again to close the Sidebar.
12. Go fullscreen
Hit Command-Control-F to move in and out of fullscreen mode.
13. Private, keep out
Hit Command-Shift-N to open a Private Browsing window.
14. Mute noisy tab
Like Chrome, Safari displays a speaker icon on any tab that is playing audio. Unlike with Chrome, with Safari you can click on the speaker icon to mute the tab. You can also click the blue speaker icon in the URL bar to mute all tabs.
Page navigation
15. Forward and back
You can go back a page on your current tab by hitting Command-left arrow. To move forward a page, use Command-right arrow.
16. Page up and down
When you are viewing a page (and not filling out a form, using Google Docs or otherwise engaging your cursor in Safari), hit the spacebar to page down on a page and Shift-spacebar to page up.
17. Top or bottom
Hit Command-up arrow to return to the top of the web page you are viewing and Command-down arrow to go to the very bottom of the page.
18. Stop a page from loading
If a page is taking too long to load, hit the Escape key to stop it from loading. To reload the page, hit Command-R.
19. Zoom controls
If you have trouble reading a small font on a page, hit Command-Shift-[equals sign] to zoom in. To zoom out, use Command-Shift-[minus sign] to zoom out. To return to the default zoom level, hit Command-Shift-0 (zero).
20. URL bar
Hit Command-L to take control of URL bar.
21. Find bar
Use Command-F to open the Find bar to search for text on the current page. When searching for text with the Find bar, hit Return to go to the next instance of your search term on the page and use Shift-Return to go to the previous instance.
Many of the shortcuts are the same, but I’ve got Chrome shortcuts and Firefox shortcuts if either is your preferred browser.
Get a $15 Amazon.com Gift Card courtesy of Mobile Nations when you sign up for Amazon Prime
Mobile Nations Exclusive for Members now through midnight PST 18th July 2016!
For a limited time, receive a complimentary $15 Amazon.com Gift Card* from Mobile Nations when you sign up for one year of Amazon Prime ($99). All you need to do is sign up Prime using the link at the bottom — that’s all there is to it! With Prime you get amazing benefits like free two-day shipping, access to Amazon Prime Video and Music, early access to Lightning Deals and much more!
Note: Offer good July 12th, 2016 through midnight PST July 18th, 2016. Not valid if you currently have a Prime membership.
How it works
Log in to reveal the special link below
Click through the link below to sign up for a year of Amazon Prime
Receive a complimentary $15 Amazon.com Gift Card from Mobile Nations by email in 5-7 days (usually shorter)
Needless to say make sure your account email address is correct!
Not a member? Not a problem follow the link below to register, it’s free. When you’ve validated your email come back to this post to reveal the link!
Register here to view the link, its FREE!
Sign up and send me my $15 Amazon.com gift card!
* Amazon.com is not a sponsor of this promotion. Except as required by law, Amazon.com Gift Cards (“GCs”) cannot be transferred for value or redeemed for cash. GCs may be used only for purchases of eligible goods on Amazon or certain of its affiliated websites. For complete terms and conditions, see http://www.amazon.com/gc-legal. GCs are issued by ACI Gift Cards, Inc., a Washington corporation. All Amazon ®, ™ & © are IP of Amazon, Inc.or its affiliates. No expiration date or service fees.
Amazon Prime Benefits
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How much mobile data does Pokémon Go use?
How much of my monthly mobile data is being used up by Pokémon Go?
Pokémon Go is a really fun game, and part of what makes it so interesting is the fact that you need to go outside and move around to play it effectively. That of course means you’ll be out of the range of your home Wi-Fi network, using up mobile data as you walk around. Some “tricks” like downloading offline maps in Google Maps won’t actually save you any data usage (though it’s a great feature for Maps!), and unfortunately the Pokémon Go app itself can’t really limit data usage much.
But if you’re looking to cut down on the amount of data you’re using overall when out-and-about playing Pokémon Go, we’re here to help!
How much data Pokémon Go is using
Due to the free-roaming nature of the game and everything you can do with it, it’s hard to put a specific number on the amount of data Pokémon Go is going to use when you play. How often you’re hitting PokéStops, going to gyms and battling will make a difference in your data usage. Walking around for about an hour actively playing Pokémon Go, we saw less than 20MB of mobile data usage, which is really small in the grand scheme of the several gigabytes of data you likely use each month.
That being said, it’s important to simply know that Pokémon Go is actively using data as you’re out of the house, because it has to continually update to make the game work. That being said, let’s reduce the amount of data you’re using while you’re playing!
Tips for saving data when playing Pokémon Go
Though the Pokémon Go app isn’t really using all that much data, there are a few things you can keep in mind to both potentially reduce the app’s data usage and also cut down on your overall data usage when you’re out playing.
Keep your Wi-Fi on
This one’s pretty basic, but is worth remembering if you’re in a city with lots of open Wi-Fi access points: leave your Wi-Fi on and hop on open networks to save some data while you’re out. If you’re going to be stationary for a few minutes, there’s little reason not to hop on that nearby Starbucks or McDonald’s free Wi-Fi. It’ll take a minute, but you’ll save a few megabytes in the process.
The one potential issue here is how joining and leaving all of these Wi-Fi networks may affect the game’s understanding of your location, but again that may be worth it if you’re being super cautious about your mobile data usage.
Restrict background app data
Though there isn’t really any indication that Pokémon Go is using copious amounts of data when you’re not actively using it, Android phones allow you to forcibly restrict mobile data usage when the app isn’t actively in use on your screen. You’ll want to head into your phone’s settings, look for the application or apps settings, scroll down and tap Pokémon Go, tap data usage and then restrict background data.
The settings and wording may differ slightly by phone, but by doing this Pokémon Go will only use mobile data while it’s open.
Cut back on mobile data usage in other apps
Pokémon Go isn’t going to use that much data on its own, but you will likely use a bunch more through various other apps while you’re outside playing the game. If you’re streaming music or podcasts while out playing, consider choosing an app that will let you download that data ahead of time instead of streaming it on mobile data. You should also double check that you don’t have auto-updating apps turned on in the Play Store, and social media apps aren’t pre-loading videos and images while on mobile data.
The more data you save in other apps, the more you have to play Pokémon Go with!
Pokémon Go
- Join our Pokémon Go forums!
- How to deal with GPS errors in-game
- Which team should you choose?
- How to play without killing your battery
- The Ultimate Pokémon Go Game Guide!
Google releases second developer preview of Android Wear 2.0
Google has released the second preview update for Android Wear 2.0, featuring new capabilities and bug fixes. This release sees the introduction of Platform API 24 to Android Wear, matching Android Nougat. This release also opens Android Wear’s wrist gestures feature to third-party developers.
Here’s what’s new in Preview 2, according to Google:
- Platform API 24 – We have incremented the Android Platform API version number to 24 to match Nougat. You can now update your Android Wear 2.0 Preview project’s compileSdkVersion to API 24, and we recommend that you also update targetSdkVersion to API 24.
- Wearable Drawers Enhancements – We launched the wearable drawers as part of the Android Wear 2.0 Preview 1, along with UX guidelines on how to best integrate the navigation drawer and action drawer in your Android Wear app. In Preview 2, we have added additional support for wearable drawer peeking, to make it easier for users to access these drawers as they scroll. Other UI improvements include automatic peek view and navigation drawer closure and showing the first action in WearableActionDrawer’s peek view. For developers that want to make custom wearable drawers, we’ve added peek_view and drawer_content attributes to WearableDrawerView. And finally, navigation drawer contents can now be updated by calling notifyDataSetChanged.
- Wrist Gestures: Since last year, users have been able to scroll through the notification stream via wrist gestures. We have now opened this system to developers to use within their applications. This helps improve single hand usage, for when your users need their other hand to hold onto their shopping or their kids.
Developers looking to start development for Android Wear 2.0 can head over to Google’s Developer Preview site to download the preview, along with the documentation. Android Wear 2.0 is expected to launch for customers later this year, bringing enhancements like custom complications, new text input methods, and more.
Which Pokémon Go team should you pick?
Instinct, Mystic and Valor. Three teams from which you’ll choose. And you’ll want to choose wisely.
So you’ve finally reached Level 5 in Pokémon Go. That opens up an entire new world of gameplay. Gyms are now a huge deal. You can actually do things with them.
But more important is that you can now join one of three teams. (Remember factions from Ingress? Same sort of thing.) And once you’re on a team, it’s time to do team stuff. Like get jackets made, come up with a theme song and learn a cool dap. (That’s a secret handshake, boys and girls.)
Here’s what you need to know about the three teams in Pokémon Go:
Does it matter which Pokémon Go team you choose?
Yes! It matters a great deal! It’s everything, really! Only, no. It doesn’t matter at all. That is, gameplay is the same for each of the teams. One isn’t inherently better than another. It’s when a team is acting as a group that things get interesting. It’s the makeup of the entire team itself — the individual levels and items from each player — that makes a difference.
So you’ll probably want to pair up with people you know. Or, if you prefer confrontation, play on a different team than someone you’re actively playing with.
Team Instinct
This team is yellow. So if you don’t like yellow, you’ll want to look elsewhere. And it’s led by Spark. And Spark thinks that you should trust your instincts. (Thus the name of the team. Instinct.)
The Instinct logo is, of course, none other than that beautiful bird Zapdos.
Team Mystic
Mystic is blue, with Articuno (that’s another legendary bird, if you’re just getting into the Pokémon world), leading the way. Blanche leads Mystic and employs that sort of calm analysis you’d expect from someone who chases Pokémon while wearing boots.
Team Valor
Candela leads Valor — the red team. And Candela’s bird is Moltres. If you think Valor projects an air of power, well, you’re right. Training and strength are at the top of this team’s playbook.
Can you change your team?
Nope. Currently you’re not allowed to change your team on Pokémon Go, and for the obvious reasons. (Ingress allowed a change, for what that’s worth.) So maybe ask your friends before deciding which team you want to join. See who’s picked what.
And choose wisely.
Pokémon Go
- Join our Pokémon Go forums!
- How to deal with GPS errors in-game
- Which team should you choose?
- How to play without killing your battery
- The Ultimate Pokémon Go Game Guide!
Your favorite calendar app is Google Calendar
In last week’s poll we asked what your favorite calendar app is. Using a calendar app can ensure that you don’t accidentally forget about important events, or miss any doctor’s appointments that you made 6 months ago and have now completely forgotten about.
Since there are so many different calendar apps out and available on The Google Play Store we gave you the choice between 9 of the most popular apps currently available. We wanted to know which calendar app was your absolute favorite, and the go to for making sure you don’t miss appointments or events in your life.
“Google Calendar” smashed into first place, claiming first place with 63.7% of the vote. With 17.8%, “I use an app not listed here” claimed second place. “aCalendar” managed to grab up 6% of the vote for third place. Fourth place was claimed for “Today Calendar” with 3.9%. “DigiCal” was right behind, snatching up fifth place with 3.5%. In sixth place, with 2.2% was “I don’t really use a calendar app.” “Cal” scooped uo 1.1% to take seventh place, followed by “Sol Calendar” in eighth with 1%. In last place, with only 0.6% of the vote, was “Jorte Calendar.”
Did your favorite calendar make our list? Are you a fan of using Google Calendar to keep track of everything going on in your life? Pop into the comments and let us know!
Samsung Canada pledges aid for Fort McMurray rebuilding efforts following May wildfire
Samsung Canada has announced that it will offer aid to Fort McMurray as the community focuses on rebuilding after wildfires swept through the area in May.
From Samsung Canada:
Today, Samsung Canada announced its support for the Fort McMurray relief efforts as Albertans continue to rebuild their community. This commitment, part of Samsung Canada’s ongoing ‘Hope for Children’ philanthropic efforts that include education, health and community support in Canada, will include a financial donation to the Canadian Red Cross Alberta Fires Appeal, as well as Samsung classroom technology for the Fort McMurray Public School District Board (FMPSDB).
In all, Samsung plans a $100,000 donation to the Canadian Red Cross, along with $140,000 in “Samsung classroom technology” for Fort McMurray public schools, including 200 Galaxy View tablets.
It’s official: Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is the next Note, launching August 2
In an unusual move, Samsung has confirmed the name of its next Galaxy Note handset ahead of time — and explained the decision to jump straight from Note 5 to Note 7.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 rumor mill has been churning for some time now, but today at least some of the speculation can end, as Samsung has confirmed one longstanding rumor. That’s right — the Korean firm is jumping directly from Galaxy Note 5 to Galaxy Note 7. The move keeps the numbering Samsung’s Galaxy S and Galaxy Note lines in sync, as explained in a company blog post:
It also makes sense to jump straight to number seven given the expected arrival of the iPhone 7 this fall.
While the name is confirmed, Samsung hasn’t yet shown us anything of the phone itself. That’ll have to wait for the official launch event, to be held in New York City on August 2.
Satellite events will happen in London and Rio de Janeiro.
Why Note 7? Samsung explains:
With added functionality of the S Pen and large screen, the Galaxy Note7 is a powerful instrument for achievement and self-expression, and is made for those who want to get the most from their phones – and their lives. Galaxy Note7 will help people do more in work, at home and everywhere in between. We can’t wait to tell you more about it!
First and foremost though, you might be curious as to why it’s called Galaxy Note7 instead of Galaxy Note6. There are a couple reasons why. First, the Galaxy Note7 will complement our Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, and unify our product portfolio. Second, the Galaxy Note7 will minimize confusion about the latest mobile technology from Samsung, and provide full alignment with Galaxy S smartphone.
As for what we’re expecting from the Note 7, the current crop of rumors points to a 5.7-inch screen size, an S7 edge-style curved display, the same impressive 12-megapixel camera as the GS7 and water-resistant features to boot. It’s also been rumored that the next Note will feature an iris scanner for additional biometric security, along with a bumper 4,000mAh battery. Leaked renders have also given us a decent idea what the phone will look like — basically, expect a cross between an S7 edge and a Note 5.
Whatever happens, we’ll be live from NYC on August 2 to bring you full coverage of the Note 7’s official unveiling.
AIVAnet 