iOS 10 Beta 5 Tidbits: New Lock Screen Sound, Swift Playground Content, and More
Apple today released new versions of iOS 10 to both developers and public beta testers, and as with any major beta update, there are several small changes and tweaks that have been implemented as Apple works to refine the operating system ahead of its release this fall.
Today’s update, available as an over-the-air download for those who installed the first four betas or the beta configuration profile, features a new Lock screen sound, tweaks to the Control Center and widgets screen, and more.
We’ve rounded up some of the biggest changes in beta five in the video below, so make sure to check it out to get a quick look at what’s changed. We’re also listing all of the changes in the post below.
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Smart Battery Case – The iPhone 6 and 6s should now work properly with Apple’s Smart Battery Case. According to the iOS 10 release notes, the case will no longer cause devices to panic.
Photos – Apple plans to reprocess facial recognition data in beta 5, so all named, favorited, and merged face data will be reset.
Lock sound – There’s a new sound when locking the iPhone. It sounds like a door closing.
New Output icon – The output icon seen in the Control Center, the Music app, and other locations in iOS has been slightly tweaked. It is no longer represented by headphones and instead resembles a triangle with sound waves.
Settings – The “Home” section in the Settings app has been removed on the iPhone, as it served no purpose, but it remains available on the iPad.
Widgets – The new widgets panel, accessible by swiping to the right, now displays the date on all devices.
Swift Playgrounds – New content has been added to Swift Playgrounds in iOS 10 beta 5, including Learn to Code Part 2.
Related Roundup: iOS 10
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V-MODA XS On-Ear Headphone Review
V-MODA has managed to position itself well with headphone enthusiasts. Its determined attention to detail, slick styling, and engaging sound is a formula that works, reinforced by competitive pricing. And landing around $200-$300, its headphone range is no where as far-fetched as a lot of audiophile headsets that tread closer to $1k.
In the past, we reviewed the company’s latest over-ear and in-ear solutions, the Crossfade Wireless and ZN, respectively. We were thoroughly impressed with what you get for the money. So for completion, we’re reviewing V-MODA’s newest on-ear as well, dubbed the XS. On-ears offer greater portability compared to over-ears, and the XS knocks on the compactness limit more than any other I’ve seen. Let’s check it out now.
Design
The build and styling of the XS is not a departure from what we’ve seen from its bigger brother or predecessor, the M-80. This isn’t a bad thing; it’s not like it’s dated or doesn’t work. The XS is totally a refinement, incorporating some worthy improvements. One of these is collapsible design.
The considerably compact footprint of the XS is immediately noticed when opening the packaging. It comes folded up in V-MODA’s included hard shell case, which bears an exoskeleton aesthetic, feels tough, and is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Opening it simply reveals the tightly folded headphones and audio cable.
Being on-ears, the XS are essentially a shrunken version of V-MODA’s over-ear flagship. The same materials are carried over: a leather wrapped headband with meshed fabric inner lining (for comfy head support), metal stems with sturdy CliqFold hinges, leather cushioned ear pads, and even the company’s customizable plates on top of the ear cups.
The XS has all of V-MODA’s custom shield plate options: from personalized laser-etched engravings to 3D printing on precious metals.
The XS comes in either Matte Black or White Silver. Pretty much everything on our black model is Batman-style, with the only thing not covered in a black finish is the orange cable (even the carrying case is black). And speaking of which, the braided cable feels as sturdy as the rest. V-MODA says it’s tested beyond military-level quality standards, able to withstand over 1 million cable bends. It has an in-line mic and one-button remote, and ends with a gold-plated, 45-degree angle 3.5mm jack.
The cable is not only removable, but it can be placed on either ear cup. There’s a port to accept it on the bottom of each ear cup. Not all headphone give you a detachable cable, and much fewer give you a preference on the side you want it.
Usability
The XS is an on-ear headphone, so the ear pad lays on top of the ear as opposed to around them. This style isn’t for everyone, so make sure you know what you’re getting into. V-MODA makes the right cues to make the wear as comfortable as possible, such as the supple and substantial ear pad cushions and minimal clamping force, but it’s still susceptible to a growing earache over a lengthy listening session. Although, I’m convinced this is among the best on-ear out there in this respect.
A unique thing about the XS is the shape. The sides of the headband are flattened so that it makes a tighter fit on your head, an effort which V-MODA deems as Mind the Gap. This was a smart move, as it distributes the headphone’s weight along your head instead of the very top (potentially causing a pressure point) and it allows the folded footprint to be so compact. There’s little unused space when the XS is collapsed.
On-ear headphones aren’t the best type of headset in terms of isolation, and the XS are no exception. They’re not bad relative to the on-ear competition, but the padding of over-ears, which engulf the ear, are significantly better in keeping external noise out. I think more clamping force could’ve helped a bit more, but then comfort would’ve been compromised; this was probably a back-and-forth V-MODA went through.
Sound
Although the XS takes after the larger M-100 flagship, it’s quite different in sound. I don’t mean this in a bad way; it’s actually a maturation to my ears. The sound signature of the M-100 was a tad too V-shaped for my taste, although, I won’t deny that a bangin’ bass and treble made for a fun experience. The XS is more balanced, but fortunately, still delivers V-MODA’s engaging tunes.
The mid-range is now the star of the show. Guitar strums and vocals are lush and airy, instantly pulling me in on the first listen. When the right moments hit, they can result in a moving presence, especially when vocals take center stage. And when you have a bunch of elements playing at the same time, like in a full-on rock song, you’ll be impressed how encompassing the XS’ small drivers can be. They punch above their weight.
Treble is right behind the mid-range. It’s rich, clear, and detailed. Don’t expect the bass to be as strong as the M-100, there’s only so much on-ears can do. That said, it’s still a bold V-MODA bass response. The XS also can’t pull the magnitude of soundstage that over-ears can, but what there is, is impressive for the headphone’s size.
Final Thoughts
The XS are an impressive pair of on-ears. There’s so much going for them: durability, style, ergonomics, and sound quality. Practically all the cons that we noted are just from the fact that they are on-ears. There’s only so much you can do with isolation and comfort.
We’re really glad that the focus on quality continues onto the sound. V-MODA knows how to get our attention, and despite shrinking the drivers, the XS still delivers a wallop.
V-MODA XS webpage
Google’s latest Inbox update adds project management tie-ins with Trello, GitHub
Going beyond reminders and into project management.
Google’s advanced Inbox email app has picked up a sizable update with features that tie into some of the most-used project management services like Trello and GitHub, as well as new integrations with Google Alerts and Google Drive.
With the Trello integration, Inbox will now automatically group and update your Trello notifications so you simply get a summary of what’s coming up for the day rather than multiple disparate emails. For those using GitHub, you’ll find a rolled-up summary of code changes and issues for each repository you’re a part of. In both cases, you’re looking at reducing what could be dozens of emails in your inbox in the morning to just a single summary with a link out to open Trello or GitHub.
A great combination of altogether new features, and some old basics coming to the new platform.
Going a step further, Google’s adding in better integration with two of its own services: Alerts and Drive. Now if you have multiple Alerts notifications in your inbox, you’ll see them grouped together more like an RSS feed so you can quickly scroll through and see which ones are most important. Tap on an alert to see the several sources that generated the alert. When it comes to Drive, Google has enabled inserting Drive links into emails as well as management of permissions for the links. You can also save attachments from Inbox directly to Drive, which is a feature Gmail has long had available.
This Inbox update shows that Google is continuing to take the app seriously, both in terms of adding entirely new features that make sense in the Inbox world but not necessarily in the standard Gmail interface, as well as bringing in “basic” email features that we’ve seen in Gmail previously but are just now making their way to the new app.
The latest version of Inbox is already rolling out from the Google Play Store.
Intel’s ‘Skull Canyon’ NUC is the future of tiny desktops
What if you could have a desktop that easily slips into a messenger bag or purse? That’s what Intel has been aiming for with its NUC (Next Unit of Computing) devices. Yes, it’s a terrible name, but Intel’s goal is admirable: to deliver powerful machines that are significantly smaller than desktops of yore. Our first look at a NUC back in 2013 showed plenty of promise. And with the new Skull Canyon edition (starting at $609), Intel has come closer than ever to delivering a truly portable desktop replacement that can even play some games. Just be prepared to pay through the nose to actually use it.
Officially called the NUC NUC6i7KYK (yes, Intel is really bad at naming things), this new device isn’t a complete computer. Instead, like all of Intel’s previous tiny desktops, it’s a kit that requires some handiwork. It packs in a 2.6GHz quad-core i7-6770HQ processor with integrated WiFi, Ethernet, Intel HD Audio and Iris Pro 580 graphics. But you’ll have to open it up and add your own SSD in one of the two M.2 slots, along with your own RAM (it supports up to 32GB of laptop-sized DDR4 memory). And of course, you’ll have to supply your own OS as well. In short, don’t expect to buy this box and have it magically start working.
While previous NUCs looked like boring grey mini-PCs, Intel actually infused a bit of style into the Skull Canyon model. It’s a slim and small device, at only 1.1 inches tall, 8.3 inches long and 4.57 inches wide. It feels like a small hardcover book, weighing in at around 1.5 pounds. Its plastic case is all black, with a reflective webbing pattern and large skull imprinted on the top — a not-so-subtle hint that Intel built this thing for PC gamers. Thankfully, the company also includes a plain black replacement cover in the box. Simply put, the Skull Canyon NUC feels like an exotic piece of hardware, rather than just a humdrum PC.
Alongside the power button up front, there’s an SD card slot, headphone jack and two USB 3.0 sockets (one of which is colored yellow, as it’s a “charging port” meant to provide extra voltage for mobile devices). Around back there are ports for power, HDMI, Thunderbolt 3/USB-C, Mini DisplayPort and gigabit Ethernet, along with two more USB 3.0 connections. In addition, there’s another 3.5mm jack for audio output, which also supports minijack to optical cables (useful for connecting the NUC to an A/V receiver). This plethora of ports is another way that the Skull Canyon NUC distinguishes itself from modern laptops.
Getting started involves removing the four Philips screws on the bottom of the NUC and plugging in the RAM and M.2 SSD of your choice. Intel packed our demo model with a 512GB SSD and 16GB of memory, but I nonetheless unplugged and reinstalled those pieces of hardware to get a feel for what it’s like to work with such a tiny case. If you’ve ever installed RAM, a video card or any PCI card in a desktop, you won’t have any trouble here. But even if this is your first time dealing with naked hardware, it shouldn’t be too difficult (just remember to align the pins). With my system complete, I then installed Windows 10 from a USB stick, a process that took around 15 minutes.
Once I got into Windows, I quickly realized that none of the drivers for the NUC were automatically recognized, not even its WiFi radio. I used my Windows desktop to snag those drivers, along with Intel’s Display drivers for the NUC. Once those were installed, I had the NUC run through Windows Update several times to fully upgrade the OS and grab all of the other relevant drivers. It took about an hour to get the NUC fully up and running. All the while, I had flashbacks to the hours I spent mindlessly installing Windows during my IT days.
With everything set up, I used the NUC for my daily workflow, which involves having dozens of browser tabs open across multiple browsers, chatting on Slack, writing on Evernote, listening to music on Spotify and occasionally editing some photos. For the most part, I was surprised by how normal everything felt. Even though it’s running a laptop-grade i7 processor, which produces less heat than its beefy desktop counterparts, the NUC managed to keep up with me every step of the way. Having 16GB of speedy RAM also helps, especially when it comes to multitasking and handling large files. You can definitely hear the system’s fan working when things heat up, but that’s to be expected with such a small device.
In practice the NUC felt almost indistinguishable from my custom-built desktop, which is particularly surprising given just how small it is. This is also the first NUC with decent gaming performance: It had no problem staying at 60 frames per second in 1080p with less demanding games like Transistor and Civilization 5. Quadrilateral Cowboy, with its blocky ’80s aesthetic, ran between 35 fps and 60 fps in 1080p. Even Overwatch was playable, reaching between 60 and 70 fps at 720p with low settings. Even more surprising, it ran at around 50 fps in 1080p with low settings. That’s a testament both to Blizzard’s scaling skills and the amount of power Intel has managed to cram into its Iris Pro 580 graphics.
For some gamers, the Skull Canyon’s NUC’s performance will be just fine for LAN parties and competitions. And if you need even more power, you can connect a full-sized graphics card over Thunderbolt 3, using an enclosure similar to Alienware’s $200 Graphics Amplifier. I didn’t have one of those to test out, unfortunately, but it’s nice to know the capability is there.
| Intel Skull Canyon NUC (2.6GHz Core i7-6770HQ, Intel Iris Pro 580) | 6,130 | 5,634 | E5,105/ P3,085/ X844 | 7,797 | 2.5 GB/s / 1.5 GB/s |
| Microsoft Surface Book (2.4GHz Core i5-6300U, Intel HD 520) | 5,412 | 3,610 |
E2,758 / P1,578 / X429 |
3,623 | 1.6 GB/s / 571 MB/s |
| HP Spectre 13.3 (2.5GHz Intel Core i7-6500U, Intel HD 520) | 5,046 | 3,747 | E2,790 / P1,630 / X375 | 3,810 | 1.61 GB/s / 307 MB/s |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet (1.2 GHz Core M7-6Y75, Intel HD 515) | 4,951 | 3,433 | E1,866 / P1,112 | 2,462 | 545 MB/s / 298 MB/s |
| Dell XPS 13 (2.3GHz Core i5-6200U, Intel Graphics 520) | 4,954 | 3,499 | E2,610 / P1,531 | 3,335 | 1.6GB/s / 307 MB/s |
| Razer Blade Stealth (2.5GHz Intel Core i7-6500U, Intel HD 520) | 5,131 | 3,445 | E2,788 / P1,599 / X426 | 3,442 | 1.5 GB/s / 307 MB/s |
| Toshiba Radius 12 (2.5GHz Intel Core i7-6500U, Intel HD 520) | 5,458 | 3,684 | E2,865 / P1,622 | 3,605 | 552 MB/s / 489 MB/s |
| Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (2.4GHz Core i5-6300U, Intel HD 520) | 5,403 | 3,602 |
E2,697/ P1,556/ X422 |
3,614 | 1.6 GB/s / 529 MB/s |
My experience with the NUC was reflected in its benchmarks. It’s significantly faster than any laptop we’ve reviewed over the past year, especially when it comes to gaming performance. In fact, it even outdoes Microsoft’s Surface Book and its dedicated NVIDIA GPU. We don’t review many high-end gaming laptops these days, so we don’t have any beefier mobile hardware to which we can compare the NUC, unfortunately. And while I’ve been testing a slew of desktop GPUs over the past few months, comparing them to the NUC to one of those just feels unfair.
So Intel has built a mini-computer that’s both portable and capable, but who actually needs it? That’s a good question. It’s much easier to carry around than previous NUCs and other tiny desktop designs, like Gigabyte’s BRIX. Intel is pitching it as something ideal for bringing to LAN parties and other gaming events. You’ll still need to bring along a monitor, keyboard and mouse to actually use it, of course. If you’re simply looking for something smaller than a typical desktop tower to use at home, there are plenty of small options out there that would likely cost less than the Skull Canyon NUC. And even if you’re not worried about the cost, you can still cram in more powerful hardware in other mini-PC cases.
The big takeaway is that this isn’t a device meant for everyone. Most people would be fine with a laptop instead (which is hard for me to admit as a desktop fan). And while it makes for a powerful home theater PC that can actually play some games, you’d be better off with something like Alienware’s Steam Machine. And if you’re just concerned about the media side of HTPCs, earlier NUC models are cheaper alternatives (and only slightly larger).
The biggest issue with the Skull Canyon NUC? It’s too expensive for most uses. While it’s retailing for $609 now (down from around $650 originally), it would likely end up costing closer to $1,000 once you include the cost of a decent SSD, RAM and a Windows 10 license. It’s faster than Apple’s highest end Mac Mini, which goes for $999 with a 2.8GHz dual-core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, but I’d argue that’s also not the wisest purchase for most. If you want the best tiny desktop replacement, no matter the cost, then the new NUC is for you.
In the end, the Skull Canyon NUC is a statement of intent for PC hardware tinkerers. Behold! A small profile desktop coupled with a surprising amount of power. It might seem impractical today, but in a few years this is what desktops will look like.
Apple Seeds Fifth Beta of iOS 10 to Developers
Apple today seeded the fifth beta of iOS 10 to developers for testing purposes, one week after seeding the fourth beta and approximately two months after first unveiling the new operating system at its 2016 Worldwide Developers Conference.
iOS 10 beta 5 is available as an over-the-air download to those who installed the first four betas or the beta configuration profile and it’s available for direct download via Apple’s Developer Center.
iOS 10 is a major iOS update with a ton of new features and design tweaks, including a new Lock screen experience with 3D Touch-enabled notifications, a more easily accessible camera, a redesigned Control Center, and a new widgets screen. According to Apple, iOS 10 is the company’s biggest iOS update ever released.
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The Messages app in iOS 10 has been overhauled with features that include background animations, bubble effects, Digital Touch, handwritten notes, Tapback replies, predictive emoji, and a dedicated App Store, and Photos has gained new facial and object recognition capabilities along with a Memories feature for rediscovering forgotten moments.
Over the beta testing period, Apple is tweaking the features introduced in iOS 10 to refine them ahead of the public release of the operating system. In iOS 10 beta 4, Apple introduced new emoji characters and a redesigned look for many existing emoji, a Control Center intro, new Accessibility features, changes to the Notification Center, and more. New changes found in the fifth iOS 10 beta will be listed below.
iOS 10 is currently available to developers and public beta testers, with a full public release planned for the fall. For full details on iOS 10, make sure to check out our iOS 10 roundup.
What’s new in iOS 10 beta 5:
Smart Battery Case – The iPhone 6 and 6s should now work properly with Apple’s Smart Battery Case. According to the iOS 10 release notes, the case will no longer cause devices to panic.
Photos – Apple plans to reprocess facial recognition data in beta 5, so all named, favorited, and merged face data will be reset.
Lock sound – There’s a new sound when locking the iPhone. It sounds like a door closing.
Control Center – Control Center icons in the Music panel have been slightly tweaked.
Settings – The “Home” section in the Settings app has been removed on the iPhone, as it served no purpose, but it remains available on the iPad.
Widgets – The new widgets panel, accessible by swiping to the right, now displays the date. Previously the date was only displayed when accessing widgets through the Notification Center.
Related Roundup: iOS 10
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What is No Man’s Sky and why should you care about it?
The PlayStation 4 has played host to some incredible games in its relatively short life so far but few have caught the imagination quite as much as No Man’s Sky.
Since its trailer debut during the 2014 Sony E3 press conference, it has been the talk of the town. The hype ramped up even further after it was revealed to feature an open world universe, populated by more than 18 quintillion procedurally generated, discoverable planets.
Now it is available in the US, with the UK release to follow tomorrow, and we’ve been playing it for a while to be able to answer some of the questions often posed about the game. We’ll be fully reviewing it in time, but want to ensure we’ve played it plenty beforehand.
Until then here’s everything you need to know about No Man’s Sky.
- No Man’s Sky preview: 10 hours in and it’s fiercely good fun
- 50 different planets from No Man’s Sky revealed, only 18 quintillion yet to go
Sony
What is No Man’s Sky?
No Man’s Sky is a game that has been known about since December 2013, thanks to a brief teaser, but it’s main debut was during E3 in 2014. It is an open world survival adventure game, with space simulation and role-playing elements, and has been developed by Hello Games.
It is set in a fictional universe that contains more than 18 quintillion planets, each of which is procedurally generated. That means they don’t exist until someone visits one for the very first time, but will be created by the game’s complicated algorithms to form a full planet, with flora, fauna, islands, watermass and more as soon as a player gets nearby. The galaxies too are procedurally generated.
Hello Games claims that each planet will be totally unique, although they follow set rules for generation. Some will therefore seem similar to another, but no one planet will feature the exact same conditions.
As well as planets, the game features space stations you can visit and other spacecraft that can be hostile. Some creatures and other planetary dwellers can also be seen as enemies.
The game is played persistently online and is multiplayer in that other gamers will inhabit the same universe, but thanks to its enormous size it is possible that you will never see another human player as you explore and travel.
What do I do in No Man’s Sky?
The main goal of No Man’s Sky is to find the centre of the universe and unravel the mystery that lies there. However, it is possible to play indefinitely without ever completing that task.
Instead, like other survival and open world games, you might choose to follow a different path entirely. Even just become a space tourist and visit as many planets as you can.
In terms of actual gameplay, there are many elements to No Man’s Sky, but at its heart are resource gathering, crafting and ultimately surviving. From the very beginning, which sees you crashed on a remote planet, you have to find elements to power and repair your spacesuit, tools and ship. You then craft bigger and better weapons, tools and engines to reach more remote locations.
Some components can be found in boxes and buildings, some have to be drawn from the vegetation, minerals and other resources lying around planets. You also need to collect elements that can be used to fuel your ship and other energy items, such as life-support and your mining laser.
Even when you are in space, you can shoot and gather important elements from asteroids and the like, which help fuel your ship.
Space stations often orbit planets, so you can also buy and trade items for in-game credits (units) which can help to purchase new upgrades or technology.
All of these things are important to keep progressing to the centre of the universe as you need to improve your technology to make faster and further galactic jumps. So if you are keeping to the game’s script, be prepared to constantly hunt for resources.
Frontier Developments
What other games are like No Man’s Sky?
Initially, the space simulation aspects of No Man’s Sky remind us of Elite Dangerous and even the original Elite game of the BBC Micro and ZX Spectrum days. You can travel the universe trading goods you have either bought or mined and improving your tech as you go.
However, when on a planet it more closely resembles survival and crafting games like Minecraft and ARK: Survival Evolved. There are even shades of zombie crafting game 7 Days to Die. However, resources are abundant on planets, so it’s more about finding blueprints for better tech than just the elements to make them.
Sony
How do I win in No Man’s Sky?
As we’ve mentioned, the ultimate goal is to find the centre of the universe and discover the reasons why you feel drawn to it. But you can really make of that what you will. We suspect there will be plenty who consider themselves winners just by gathering the most amount of credits or having the best equipment.
There will also be some whose goal is to discover as many planets as they can.
There are also many dangers and objectives to be completed along the way, so winning is relative really.
How long does it take to complete No Man’s Sky?
How long is a piece of string? We have been told that it is definitely possible to complete No Man’s Sky within a realistic timeframe, but there is no indication as to how long that is.
We have heard unconfirmed reports that someone with access to an early build of the game managed to get to the centre of the universe in little over 30 hours, but Hello Games is alleged to have scoffed at the suggestion, asking whether that person was sure he or she had reached the actual “centre”.
If visiting all the planets is your ultimate goal you’re in for a long one. It is estimated that if you visit every single planet in the game for one second each, it will take you 585 billion actual years to complete.
Sony
What do I need to play No Man’s Sky?
No Man’s Sky is currently available for PS4 and PC. You only need a game controller or keyboard and mouse to play it, although we’d advise checking the settings before you launch from a planet the first time as we had to invert the flight controls to something more natural. It started with “up” literally meaning “up”, for instance, while normal flight controls are the opposite.
Is No Man’s Sky a PlayStation 4 exclusive?
As mentioned above, No Man’s Sky is also available for PC. Sony Computer Entertainment is publisher of the PS4 version while developer Hello Games is publishing the PC version itself.
Can I get No Man’s Sky for Xbox One?
Sadly, there are no current plans to launch No Man’s Sky for Xbox One.
Is there a VR version of No Man’s Sky?
There has been a lot of speculation about No Man’s Sky being adapted for use with PlayStation VR, especially as its release date was put back even though it was believed development had finished. However, Sony is yet to announce compatibility with PSVR, so it might not be something planned for the launch of its virtual reality headset, or even ever.
Sony
Should I buy No Man’s Sky?
Although we cannot say for sure, until we’ve played it a lot more in the coming days and weeks, our initial experiences with No Man’s Sky lead us to believe that it will be a massive, awesome game with an extraordinary amount of depth.
It won’t be for everyone. It is slow paced at times and even if you actively seek out lifeforms to shoot, they can be bereft of action. But it does hold an enormous amount of promise and, at the very least, is worth playing to keep up with the office cooler or playground chitter chatter.
15 secret Instagram tips
Instagram has been around for a while but just because you’ve figured out the best filter to make your pictures look amazing, it doesn’t mean there aren’t a few tips and tricks you might not be aware of.
For those who are new to the app and haven’t quite got to grips with it just yet, you can read our separate Instagram feature that tells you everything you need to know from how it works to what it does.
If Instagram is your thing but you want to be a complete ninja at it, here are a few secret tips that may not be super obvious at first. Some you will know, others you might not but by the end, you will be navigating Instagram as though you created it.
Edit a post
Made a spelling mistake or forgot a hashtag? Don’t worry, Instagram allows you to edit the text of a post once it is uploaded. You can’t change the filter though so pick wisely the first time or you’ll be re-uploading.
iOS & Android: Open the post > Tap on the three dots in the top right > Click on Edit
Ensure you never miss your favourite people post
We all have our favourites and some people just take better, or more interesting pictures than others. Luckily, there is a way to filter out your favourites and make sure you don’t miss any posts from them because your feed is full of cats, dogs and babies.
iOS & Android: Search for the contact > Tap on the three dots in the top right > Click on Turn On Post Notifications
Re-order filters to show your favourite first
There are some filters that just make you look so much better than others and it is a huge faff if you have to sift through all of them to find that one at the end that you love. Thankfully, Instagram allows you to hide filters altogether if you know they don’t work for you, as well as re-order them so your top five are the first ones you see next to the original image.
iOS & Android: Go to upload > Scroll through filters to Manage > Untick to hide a filter or use three lines on left to drag and move to re-order
Find out all the posts you’ve liked
Sometimes it’s good to see whose posts your liking the most, especially if they aren’t liking any of yours. You don’t want to be too keen now, do you?
iOS & Android: Your Account (bottom far right) > Settings (top right) > Posts that you’ve Liked
Clear your search history
There are times when search history is very useful, and there are other times when you’d rather not be reminded who you keep stalking.
iOS & Android: Your Account (bottom far right) > Settings (top right) > Scroll down to Clear Search History
Add an account for your cat
You’ve probably got one Instagram account if you are reading this feature, but if you feel the need for another one just for your awesome grumpy cat, that’s possible and you can control both from one device. Something that wasn’t possible when Instagram first launched.
iOS & Android: Your Account (bottom far right) > Settings (top right) > Scroll down to Add Account
Turn your account into a private one
You might not want the whole world and their mother following you and seeing what you post, in which case, it’s a good idea to set your account to private. This means people have to request to follow you and they won’t see any of your posts until you accept.
iOS & Android: Your Account (bottom far right) > Settings (top right) > Scroll down to Private Account and toggle on
Stop certain users seeing your Stories
Instagram recently added a Stories option, allowing users to share a brief live clip. If you don’t want all the people who follow you to see the Stories you create though, you can filter them out.
iOS & Android: Your Account (bottom far right) > Settings (top right) > Scroll down to Story Settings > Hide story from > Select users
Ensure original photos are saved, or not saved
Instagram is great for turning average selfies into wonderful ones, but sometimes it is worth keeping the original. Or not as the case may be and you need to save on your storage.
iOS & Android: Your Account (bottom far right) > Settings (top right) > Scroll down to Save Original Photos > Toggle on or off depending on your preference
Manually manage photos you are tagged in
There are times when someone tags you in a photo that they look great in, while you have perhaps looked better. Don’t worry though, you can change your settings so you decide which tagged photos appear and which don’t.
iOS & Android: Tagged Photos tab (top right below profile) > Tap the three dots in the top right > Tagging Options > Add Manually
Hide tagged photos
Just as you can manually decide which tagged photos of you appear on your Instagram profile, you can also hide your tagged photos altogether.
iOS & Android: Tagged Photos tab (top right below profile) > Tap the three dots in the top right > Hide Photos
Reduce mobile data use
If Instagram is your life but you don’t have a huge data allowance on your device’s contract, you can set the app to use less data. It’s worth remembering this will mean videos and images take longer to load though.
iOS & Android: Your Account (bottom far right) > Settings (top right) > Scroll down to Mobile Data Use > Toggle on Use Less Data
Link your other social media accounts to your Instagram
For those that want to their Instagram images to appear on their Facebook and/or Twitter with just a toggle on or off, it is worth linking up your social media accounts in settings before you upload.
iOS & Android: Your Account (bottom far right) > Settings (top right) > Scroll down to Link Accounts > Fill in your other social media account details in the respective settings
Send a photo directly to one follower
Sharing is great but there might be times when you just want to send one amazing picture to one amazing follower. It’s a pretty standard Instagram feature but it is an easy one to miss.
iOS & Android: Upload the image > Filter the image > Tap Next > Share to Direct (instead of the default Followers) > Choose user(s)
Browse images from a certain location
One of the great features about Instagram is you can see all the places you’ve uploaded images in the world nice and easily.
iOS & Android: Tap on the location icon under your profile > Tap on image from specific location > Tap on specific image and then “i” to take you to the original post
You can pre-order Fossil’s new Android smartwatches on 12 August
Fossil has said it will release more than 100 connected devices in 2016, including Android Wear smartwatches, two of which will soon be available for pre-order.
Those two models, called the Q Wander and Q Marshal, were introduced earlier this year and start at $295. You’ll be able to pre-order them beginning 12 August. To put them in context, Fossil last year unveiled its first full touchscreen Android Wear smartwatch called Q Founder. It acts as a normal watch while tracking activity and offering alerts for calls, messages, and appointments.
That watch, including the two new models, which are smaller than the Q founder, join the Fossil Q range of smart accessories. The Q Wander has a 44mm gold case with interchangeable leather straps, while the Q Marshal has a 46mm “rugged” case with a navy blue finish and vintage-looking leather straps. Apart from these design differences, they both have circular, always-on touchscreen displays and work pretty much the same, meaning they work similarly to the Q Founder and most Android Wear watches in general.
The new watches will be in stores 29 August. They come with wireless chargers and are compatible with both Android and iOS. Now, although they are often pictured with all-black circular displays, they’ll likely come with a black bar at the bottom, as you can see in the screenshot below.
Fossil
Facebook finds a way around desktop ad blockers
Facebook has decided to fight back against ad blocking. In a blog post today, the company recognised that a growing number of users have installed desktop ad blockers to avoid advertising they consider annoying or irrelevant. But soon, that won’t be possible, as Facebook claims it’ll “begin showing ads on Facebook desktop for people who currently use ad blocking software.” How it’s managed such a feat isn’t clear. Facebook says it hasn’t paid ad blocking companies to be whitelisted — an approach taken by some of its rivals — because it’s “confusing to people” and reduces the funding available to journalists and other ad-centric businesses.
In addition, Facebook is debuting a new ad preferences tool that will make it easier to see how you’re being targeted. You’ll be able to specify your interests, opt out of those Facebook has incorrectly associated you with, and see which advertisers have your details on a customer list.
While you’re scrolling through the News Feed, you’ll also be able to tap on a drop down arrow next to each ad, revealing a few different options. You can give it a thumbs up (this ad is useful) or remove it (hide ad) or, if you’re wondering why you’ve been targeted in the first place, tap “Why am I seeing this?” You’ll then get a brief explanation and a shortcut to the ad preferences too. “These improvements are designed to give people even more control over how their data informs the ads they see,” Andrew Bosworth, VP for the Ads and Business Platform at Facebook says.
The decision is sure to rile some users. It’s a smart business move for Facebook, however, given it makes the bulk of its revenue from ads. The new ad preferences tool is effectively an olive branch — while you can’t opt out of Facebook’s ads entirely, you can have more sway over which ones are shown in your News Feed. Ultimately, that helps Facebook too, because more relevant ads mean you’re more likely to click through and actually buy something from the company that paid for the placement.
Source: Facebook
How to hack a government
Last month members of the Turkish military experienced an attempted coup to oust president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The overthrow attempt was quickly thwarted, but it might have succeeded if Chris Rock (the security researcher, not the comedian) had had a hand in it.
Rock’s “How to Overthrow a Government” presentation at Def Con last week took attendees through the step-by-step process of taking over a country. At a security conference where talks are usually limited to exposing the vulnerabilities of things like cars, operating systems and gadgets, the subject was a bit more far-reaching. And while hilarious at times, it was a surprising eye-opener about how common hacking techniques combined with military know-how could help topple a regime.
But Rock noted that it takes more than just sitting behind a keyboard to be a kingmaker. To fill in the knowledge gaps he had, he enlisted the help of Simon Mann, a mercenary and former British army officer who was jailed (and eventually pardoned) for a failed coup of Equatorial Guinea in 2004.
With Mann’s help, Rock created a thorough plan that demonstrated how to overthrow the nation of Kuwait. He presented three methods for regime change: elections, coups and revolution. For Kuwait, he decided a coup was too messy, as it would require taking on a huge military force. Because the prime ministers and crown prince are appointed, the notion of a rigged election is moot. So Rock decided to go with a revolution.
Rock laid out what could be accomplished with a few years’ planning and a relatively small team. His presentation was a mixture of spycraft and hacking, with surprisingly few resources. First you need to collect intelligence. You can hire a firm for that. But Rock notes that the best information is what you collect on your own.
Something like this also requires resources, which is another word for cash. And you’re going to need a lot of it. The talk covered the possibility of hacking into government banks not only to help fund the operation (by siphoning money from people who fund terrorist organizations lulz), but to move money around to create a paper trail of corruption implicating the nation’s leaders. Rock told attendees to keep it simple: Instead of using fancy zero-day attacks on the bank, he suggested paying a janitor a few thousand dollars to plug in a USB stick.
As for how to use that money you’ve pilfered, Rock says you should hire protesters to highlight any corruption you find during your intelligence-gathering. He also suggests hiring people to dress up as policemen to attack the people calling for change. Nothing gets the masses on your side like a video of citizens being attacked by the police.
It’s also important to control the flow of information, which means hacking ISPs, government sites and the media. By controlling when a nation has internet access, you can manipulate not only its citizens, but also the world. No one’s happy when they hear that a country is keeping its residents from expressing themselves.
Those online publishers and government sites can be used to plant stories about top-level corruption. If those articles are pulled down, to the average citizen it’s further proof that the people in charge are trying to hide something. He also suggests planting articles in major outlets outside the country. Just be sure you have two sources for the publication. He liked to call them “unnamed government officials.”
Then it’s time to take down the power grid. After finding out where the most important power grids are located, he realized that he couldn’t hack into them. So he built a device with two saw blades and cordless drill that could be flown into a power station on a drone to cut the lines.
With the infrastructure, media, internet access and banks under his team’s control, riling up a country’s citizens is really just a matter of timing. While this seems like a fun (but disturbing) proof of concept, the reality is that Rock’s team of three was able to get full access to five of the Kuwait banks, its media and ISPs five years ago. It took them two years to accomplish their goal. The nation had hired him to test its security and his since patched up the vulnerabilities.
Yet this same methodology could be used to initiate a coup, revolution or even steer the course of an election in nearly any country. He noted that Wikileaks’ disclosure of the Democratic National Committee’s emails could be part of a scheme to influence the upcoming US election. He wasn’t too impressed by the timing, though. “It’s just leaking out slowly,” he said. “There’s no methodology. It’s sloppy.”
Surprisingly, Rock’s talk was added to Def Con’s lineup months ago. Since then, zero government officials or revolutionaries have reached out to him about his techniques. At least not yet.
As for concerns that his methods would be used against a nation, he told Engadget that it takes a long time to do. “I spent 11 years of research and maybe two years with this small group,” he said. “It’s a lot of work for a small group.” He notes that it involves having people on the ground getting a read on the people. But it’s not outside the realm of possibility that a small group could pull it off. Indeed, he expects it’ll probably happen, he said in an interview.
So if you’re thinking of taking down a country, you’re going to need to do more than just throw a few denial-of-service attacks or leak some embarrassing emails. And if you’re a nation with a slightly irritated populace, you might want to shore up your security and treat your citizens better.
AIVAnet 