Score a free Samsung phone from T-Mobile with the purchase of another on August 6

T-Mobile has announced that it will be running a promotion this Saturday, August 6, that will score you a free Samsung phone with the purchase of another. That’s right, if you purchase a Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge, any of the Galaxy S6 line or a Galaxy Note 5 you can get another for free with the addition of a new line to the account. If you have a few lines that need upgrading, this is a great way to get more for your money.

The carrier detailed some of the rules of the promotion. They include:

• Get a free Samsung Galaxy superphone when you buy a Samsung Galaxy superphone with T-Mobile’s Equipment Installment Plan (EIP), and add a line of service
• Customers will be credited on their monthly bill over the 24-month EIP term for the full amount of the 2nd eligible device of equal or lesser value, after paying any down payment (they’ll be credited for that, too!)
• Qualifying devices: GS7, GS7 edge, GS6, GS6 edge, GS6 edge+, Note5

Remember, this deal is only good for Saturday, August 6, so don’t let the day pass by without taking advantage of it.

Alcatel Idol 4 with free VR goggles now available at Cricket for $200

AT&T’s no-contract subsidiary Cricket Wireless has started selling the Alcatel Idol 4 for $199.99. The phone comes bundled with free VR goggles.

The 5.2-inch Alcatel Idol 4 has Android 6.0 Marshmallow installed. Inside there’s a Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor, along with 16GB of internal storage and a 2,610 mAh battery. It also has a 13 megapixel rear camera and an 8 MP front facing camera, Owners can access VR content with the goggles via the phone’s Alcatel VR Store or from VR content pioneer Littlstar. The Alcatel Idol 4 is available with all of Cricket’s smartphone plans.

See at Cricket Wireless

Verizon is taking online orders for the HTC Desire 530

Verizon Wireless is the latest carrier in the U.S. to sell the HTC Desire 530. Orders are being taken at Verizon’s website and the phone will also be available in its retail stores starting on August 11.

Verizon states that it will offer a variety of prices and payment plans for the phone:

The HTC Desire 530 in Blue Lagoon is available for $6 a month for 24 months (0% APR; $144 full price). For a limited time, customers who activate a new line of service can purchase the Desire 530 on device payment for just $2 a month for 24 months (0% APR; $48 full price). Looking to upgrade? Get the Desire 530 on an existing line and, for a limited time, receive $50 off the $144 retail price when ordering online with device payment. If prepaid service better fits your lifestyle, get the Desire 530 in Stratus White for $99.99 with Verizon’s prepaid plans.

The Desire 530 was one of number of smartphones that were first revealed by HTC during the 2016 Mobile World Congress trade show in February. The 5-inch Desire 530 has an interesting “micro-splash” design for its case that is supposed to give each phone a completely unique pattern of dots. Inside there’s a Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 processor, 1.5GB of RAM, 16GB of onboard storage, an 8 megapixel rear camera and a 5 MP front facing camera. Audiophiles can experience the phone’s “BoomSound” enhancements.

Check out our hands-on impressions of the HTC Desire 530

See at Verizon

Get your bad guy on with these Suicide Squad themes!

‘Don’t forget: we’re the bad guys.’

We’ve featured themes for a lot of good guys, from Iron Man and Spider-Man to Batman and Superman to Deadpool — “I’m no hero!” Get out, Wade! — but it’s good to be bad sometimes, too! And while we all prepare to let our bad selves out attending a Suicide Squad screening, we can put some of that delicious badness on our home screen.

Harley Quinn Theme

Harley Quinn is bright, perky, and unbalanced, and so, too, is her theme! This theme is based around not one, but two icon packs, two custom KWGTs and a little Nova (or Action Launcher) magic. Here’s everything you’ll need:

• Harley Quinn wallpaper by sherill018
• Harley-tinted Material Music Komponent-based KWGT preset
• Twisted Harley Quinn time/date KWGT preset
• KWGT Pro ($3.50)
• UIcons blue (Free)
• UIcons red (Free), which should really be relabeled UIcons pink.
• File manager app such as Solid Explorer to move KWGT presets to Kustom/KWGT folder in device storage
• A home screen launcher that supports icon packs, individual custom icons, and re-sizeable home screen grids. The ability to recolor folders and drawers is a bonus, but not required. These instruction were written for Nova Launcher but the theme could easily be enacted on Action Launcher, Apex Launcher or dozens of other capable launchers out there.

Download Harley Quinn wallpaper by sherill018 from deviantart by long-pressing the image on mobile and selection Save image (right click image on desktop and Save image as…).
Long-press a blank space on your home screen and select Wallpapers. Pick image and navigate to your downloaded Harley Quinn wallpaper.
Position the wallpaper so that Harley is on the left side of the screen with the butt of her bat almost touching the edge of the screen and Set wallpaper.
In Nova Settings, open Look & feel, the set UIcons Blue as your Icon theme.

Go back to the main Nova Settings menu and open Folders.

Set Background to Pink (second row, second column). I like to keep the Transparency around 40%, but you can crank it up or down to your preference.
(Optional) In Nova Settings, open Desktop settings and set Page indicator color to either Pink (second row, second column) or Holo Blue (third row, third column).

(Optional) In Nova Settings, open App & widget drawers settings and set Background to Pink (second row, second column).

Return to the home screen and long-press the first shortcut in your dock and Edit it.
Tap the icon to edit it and select UIcons Red as the source for your new icon.
Find the corresponding icon for your shortcut. It should hopefully be at the top.
Confirm the change by selecting Done.
Repeat steps 7-10 on the third, fifth and if applicable seventh icons on your dock. For the app drawer shortcut scroll down in UIcons to SYSTEM icons and look for a skull under an X icon.

Harley Quinn Kustom Widgets

Download the Harley-tinted Material Music Komponent-based KWGT preset and Twisted Harley Quinn time/date KWGT preset and copy them into Kustom/widgets in your file manager. Note: if you don’t see the Kustom folder in your internal storage, it’ll show up once you install KWGT.
Long-press a blank space on your home screen and select Widgets. Add a 2×2 KWGT widget to the top right side of your home screen by pressing and dragging the widget into place from the widget list.
Tap your KWGT widget to configure it.
Swipe from the Installed KWGT presets page to Exported and select harley-clock-widget.
Save the widget using the floppy disk icon at the top of the screen.

Return to the home screen and resize your KWGT to your preferences.

Long-press a blank space on your home screen and select Widgets. Add a 4×1 KWGT widget to the bottom row your home screen by pressing and dragging the widget into place from the widget list, and stretch it to cover the bottom row or two of the screen.
Tap your KWGT widget to configure it.
Swipe from the Installed KWGT presets page to Exported and select harley-music-widget.
Save the widget using the floppy disk icon at the top of the screen.
Return to the home screen.

Deadshot theme

Deadshot’s theme is a straight-shooter, just like him. It’s got some simple icons and a simple KWGT that hides in Deadshot’s sights. Here’s what we need for it:

• Deadshot poster wallpaper
• Deadshot Clock KWGT preset
• Deadshot-tinted Material Music Komponent-based KWGT preset
• KWGT Pro ($3.50)
• Zwart – Black Icon Pack (Free)
• File manager app such as Solid Explorer to move KWGT preset to Kustom/KWGT folder in device storage
• A home screen launcher that supports icon packs, individual custom icons, and re-sizeable home screen grids. The ability to recolor folders and drawers is a bonus, but not required. These instruction were written for Nova Launcher but the theme could easily be enacted on Action Launcher, Apex Launcher or dozens of other capable launchers out there.

Download Deadshot poster wallpaper by long-pressing the image on mobile and selection Save image (right click image on desktop and Save image as…).
Long-press a blank space on your home screen and select Wallpapers. Pick image and navigate to your downloaded Deadshot wallpaper.
Zoom in and position the wallpaper to that #SuicideSquad fits across the top of the screen and the Deadshot tattoo taking up the center of the screen, then Set wallpaper.

In Nova Settings, open Look & feel, the set Zwarte as your Icon theme.

Return to the home screen. Long-press the app drawer shortcut in your dock and Edit it.
Tap the icon to edit it and select Zwart as the source for your new icon.
Head down to S for Sniper and tap the sniper scope icon.
Confirm the new icon by selecting Done.
Go back to the main Nova Settings menu and open Folders.

Set Background to a custom color by pressing the the three dot option in the fifth row fifth column of the color presets. Set the color to #90680800.

(Optional) In Nova Settings, open Desktop settings and set Page indicator color to a custom color by pressing the the three dot option in the fifth row fifth column of the color presets. Set the color to #680800.
(Optional) In Nova Settings, open App & widget drawers settings and set Background to a custom color by pressing the the three dot option in the fifth row fifth column of the color presets. Set the color to #90680800.

Deadshot Kustom Widgets

Download the Deadshot-tinted Material Music Komponent-based KWGT preset and and Deadshot Clock KWGT preset and copy them into Kustom/widgets in your file manager. Note: if you don’t see the Kustom folder in your internal storage, it’ll show up once you install KWGT.
Long-press a blank space on your home screen and select Widgets. Add a 4×2 KWGT widget to the bottom row your home screen by pressing and dragging the widget into place from the widget list, and stretch it to cover the bottom row or two of the screen.
Tap your KWGT widget to configure it.
Swipe from the Installed KWGT presets page to Exported and select deadshot-music-widget.
Save the widget using the floppy disk icon at the top of the screen.

Return to the home screen.

Long-press a blank space on your home screen and select Widgets. Add a 1×1 KWGT widget right on top of the sights on Deadshot’s forehead by pressing and dragging the widget into place from the widget list.
Tap your KWGT widget to configure it.
Swipe from the Installed KWGT presets page to Exported and select deadshot-clock-widget.
Save the widget using the floppy disk icon at the top of the screen.
Return to the home screen. If you need to re-position the date and time to better line up with the crosshairs, tap the widget to edit it, then tap either the time or date item and edit its Position. Remember to always Save before exiting the Kustom editor.

Best cases for Moto Z Force

What are the best cases you can get today for the Moto Z Force Droid Edition?

The Moto Z Force Droid Edition was just recently released, but that’s not going to stop you from getting a case that’s perfect for your new phone. And it needs a case; the Moto Z Force is less than 7mm thick and it’s on the slippery side. A good case, paired with the Moto ShatterShield that’s exclusive to the Moto Z Force, will keep your phone safe and ding-free for a long time. We’ll update our list once the phone’s been in your hands for a little while, but for now, we have some excellent contenders for best cases.

• Moto Style Shell
• PLESON ultra slim crystal clear case
• LK ultra scratch resistant protective case
• Cimo shockproof heavy duty case
• LK luxury wallet flip case

Moto Style Shell

The Moto Style Shell is a magnetic attachment, just like the Moto Mods, that snaps onto the back of your Moto Z Force. They’re an easy add-on to your pre-order and they range in price from roughly $20 to $25.

These shells come in fabric, wood, and leather options that add a little extra texture to the back of your phone, and they offer some protection for the raised camera edges. They also help to keep fingerprints and other gunk off of your nice new hardware, and dissipate the heat that has been known to radiate from the back of the Moto Z Force.

The downfall of the Moto Style Shell is that none of the shells wrap around the edges of the phone, they only protect the back. The ShatterShield will do its part to protect the Moto Z Force from drops and bumps, but you may want some extra protection for the rest of the body. Nonetheless, these shells do offer a unique look for your Moto Z Force and won’t add any bulk to the slim frame.

See at Motorola

PLESON ultra slim crystal clear case

To show off the hardware of your Moto Z Force, a clear case is the perfect choice. This is especially true if you decided to go for the white and fine gold or black and rose gold combinations that are just too beautiful to hide.

The PLESON ultra slim crystal clear case is ideal for keeping the phone’s slim profile while adding on some grip and drop protection. The soft TPU bumper offers raised edges and corner protection to keep the screen and camera extra safe when you’re having a busy day or a clumsy moment, and the precise cutouts don’t sacrifice ports or button usage.

The clear case from PLESON is also anti-watermark and anti-fingerprint so you won’t get that foggy, muddied look on your case over time.

See at Amazon

LK ultra scratch resistant protective case

Add a touch of something formal or fanciful to your Moto Z Force with a scratch resistant case from LK. The five color varieties are on the inexpensive side; grab more than one and have a case that matches every occasion! The solid black version pictured here goes with everything.

The smooth, flexible TPU case easily snaps on and off when you’re looking to pop on one of the Moto Mods. The button covers (rather than cutouts) are responsive and provide some extra protection against daily dust and dirt. The non-slip TPU won’t let your phone go sliding off of an uneven surface, either.

LK’s protective case also resists stains and marks that are bound to happen during your day or night, so it’ll last you for as long as you need it.

See at Amazon

Cimo shockproof heavy duty case

Planning on being a little hard on your brand new Moto Z Force? Whether it’s a rough commute or you just plan on being outdoorsy and unpredictable, the Cimo shockproof heavy duty case should be in your case repertoire.

The dual layer shock and drop protection is paired with a textured back surface that provides lots of extra grip without adding a ton of weight and bulk to the phone; just enough for some added padding. Unlike a lot of cases, Cimo’s offers a cutout for the back speakers so sound won’t be compromised a bit during those spontaneous dance parties you’re always throwing (or is that just us?). The raised bezels front and back protect the screen and the camera to boot.

For a more rugged and sporty look for your Moto Z Force, Cimo is a great pick. You can also grab it in seven different colors, like the armor gray pictured here.

See at Amazon

LK luxury wallet flip case

You usually grab your phone and your wallet when you head out the door, right? Get a case for your Moto Z Force that carries the phone, some cash, and three credit cards with the LK luxury wallet flip case. The synthetic leather comes in five colors, from the sleek and subtle black to the vibrant sky blue pictured here. The magnetic closure is secure and the TPU inner shell is shock resistant, covering the edges and corners of the Moto Z Force.

LK’s wallet case also folds into a sturdy kickstand for hands-free operating. You’ll still have access to all the buttons and ports, including your camera, without removing your phone.

See at Amazon

Which one’s for you?

Which case do you have ready and waiting for your new Moto Z Force? Shout it out in the comments below.

Moto Z and Moto Z Force

• Our Moto Z review!
• Moto Z specs
• Moto Mods custom backs
• Moto Z and Moto Z Force will be Verizon exclusives until the fall of 2016
• The latest Moto Z news
• Discuss in our Moto Z forums

Motorola
Verizon

Best replacement bands for Samsung Gear S2

Which are the best replacement bands for the Gear S2?

When it comes to smartwatches, the Samsung Gear S2 stands out as a fantastic device, even if it isn’t Android Wear. One of it’s biggest pulls is that it’s a fairly small, and stylish computer for your wrist. What if you aren’t a big fan of the watch bands that come with it, or if those bands break?

Thankfully, there are options if you need to replace your Gear S2’s watch bands. While you could take a waltz through the internet to search them out, we’ve put together the best watch band replacements for your Gear S2. Just keep scrolling to check them out.

• Samsung
• V-MORO
• Skylet
• Getwow
• Moretek
• MoKo
• Tevies
• FanTEK
• Henoda

Samsung watch bands

When looking for a replacement Gear S2 band, your first option is to go right through Samsung.

The company has seven different bands that are available for purchase through their website, from leather to stylized plastic, ranging from $39.99 to $59.99. Samsung has also partnered with Atelier Mendini on some unique patterns that are certain to turn heads.

See at Samsung

V-MORO watch bands

If you’re a fan of giving your technology a bit of personal flair, then the V-MORO watch bands should certainly pique your interest. There are over a dozen different bands available, from multiple colors, floral patterns, leather, and even solid stainless steel links.

Depending on the style, these bands are available from $49.99 to $59.99, but you can often find them on sale for a good deal.

See at Amazon

Skylet watch bands

For another dash of personality, Skylet watch bands for the Gear S2 may catch your eye. Each silicon band has its own pattern, from the Fleur de Lis to a rainbow of colors. They’re affordable as well, starting at just $15.

There are currently 24 different bands that you can choose between and each one can add some serious personality to your Gear S2.

See at Amazon

Getwow watch bands

Another great place to look is at the watch bands from Getwow. These rubber watchbands are each unique in their design. Though you won’t find anything particularly flashy in these rubber options, they do sport a number of different patterns.

Each one can be bought for around $40, with bright colors that are sure to catch the eye.

See at Amazon

Moretek watch bands

If you want a watch band that will work well for fitness, or keep you from having a sweaty wrist under the rubber, the Moretek bands might do the trick.

There are four color combinations that you’ll be able to choose from, and each sports a design with cutouts throughout the band, and a two-tone color scheme. These watch bands are available for around $40.

See at Amazon

MoKo watch bands

If you want to avoid clasps, the MoKo band for Gear S2 is a magnetic option that adheres to itself. This means that if you have a wrist larger, or smaller, than the norm you don’t have to worry about it not fitting correctly.

You can pick one up for around $35.

See at Amazon

Tevies watch band

Sometimes when you really want to make a statement with your watch band. If that’s the case then check out these steel link watch bands from Tevies.

There are ten different bands currently available in an array of colors to pick from. A steel watch band doesn’t have to break the bank either; these ones start at around $20.

See at Amazon

FanTEK watch bands

Not everybody can afford to shell out $30 or $40 for a new watch band. Thankfully, FanTEK comes through with affordable watch bands that sport muted designs. Unlike the bright designs on many other watch bands, you’ll find dark colors and simple designs that draw your eye to the Gear S2 without being overwhelming.

Even if you’re not on a budget, the $7.88 price tag is a sweet deal.

See at Amazon

Henoda

Not everybody is looking for a flashy design, or really a design at all, for their watch bands. If all you’re looking for is a watch band with a splash of color, check out the Henoda watch bands.

Available for around $50 these silicon replacement bands come in a solid color. You can choose from one of ten colors to make your smartwatch pop without looking audacious.

See at Amazon

How to replace your Gear S2 watch band

Once you get your Gear S2 replacement band, it’s easy to change it out. Just follow along with our how-to video!

What caught your eye?

These are just 9 of the watch bands for the Samsung Gear S2 that caught our eye. There are hundreds more available online in places like Amazon. Did any of these watch bands have you making grabby hands? Let us know about it in the comments below!

Protecting Your Privacy in Safari for OS X El Capitan

Every time you visit a website you are sharing information about yourself with the outside world. This article runs through a number of methods you can use to gain more control over what gets shared, and who it gets shared with, whenever you use Apple’s Safari browser to access the web on a Mac.

It also covers methods you can use to prevent traces of your browsing history from showing up on your computer. While you may trust friends and family not to go searching through your web history, it’s possible for them to unintentionally discover what you’ve been looking at, just by using Safari or performing an innocent search on your Mac. If you’re interested in a similar overview covering Safari on iOS, check out this guide.

This guide assumes you are using the latest public release of OS X El Capitan (10.11.6 as of initial writing), which you can check by clicking the  symbol in the menu bar at the top left of your screen and selecting “About This Mac”. The version number appears beneath the OS X version name. If you’re not up to date, you can download and install the latest version of OS X via the Mac App Store located on the Dock or in the Applications folder.

Cookies, Location Services, and Tracking

Many websites attempt to store cookies and other web page data on computers used to access online content. Cookies are small data files that can include things like your IP address, operating system, web browser version, the date you last visited the site, as well as any personal information you may have provided, such as your name, email address, and any relevant preferences. This information is used to identify you when you revisit a site, so that it can offer tailored services, provide specific content, or display targeted ads.

Websites are increasingly upfront about their use of cookies – you’ve probably seen notices on popular sites requesting that you acknowledge their use. That’s largely because EU law requires sites based within its borders to get consent from visitors to store or retrieve cookie data, and as of September 2015, Google requires that any website using its advertising products complies with the law if any of its visitors are inside the EU, regardless of where the site itself is based.

By default, Safari accepts cookies and website data only from websites you visit, and attempts to block third-party cookies that try to target you with ads or create a profile of your online activities. If you don’t like the idea of being tracked at all, you can selectively block the use of cookies by following the steps below. Note however that some pages might not work unless you allow the use of cookies, so if you run into login problems or other issues on familiar sites after adjusting these settings, then you might want to dial back the changes.

Additionally, you may have noticed how Safari asks if you want to share your location whenever you visit a geolocation-enabled website. If you don’t expect the site to provide helpful location-based services such as regional weather information or local amenities, you can deny the request and continue to do so like this on a case-by-case basis. Alternatively, you can change Safari’s behavior whenever it encounters such a site, as described in the following steps.

Lastly, Do Not Track is a feature you can enable to prevent websites from tracking your site visits across the web. With the feature turned on, Safari specifically asks sites and their third party content providers (including advertisers) not to track you. In reality, it’s up to the website to honor this request, but it’s an option worth enabling for a potential extra layer of privacy.

Here’s how to change Safari settings for cookies, location services, and tracking:

From Safari’s menu bar, select Safari -> Preferences…, and click on the Privacy tab.

Select how Safari should deal with cookies and website data by clicking on the relevant button. Your options are: Always block, Allow from current website only, Allow from websites I visit (the default setting), and Always allow.

This tab also lets you check any existing website data stored in your browser cache. You can get more information on it, as well as remove data for individual websites, by clicking the “Details…” button.

To remove all data completely, press the button on the Privacy tab labeled “Remove All Website Data…” and confirm with “Remove Now”, or click “Remove All” from within the “Details…” dialog.

In the section labeled “Website use of location services”, choose from: Prompt for each website once each day; Prompt for each website one time only; and Deny without prompting.

To enable the Do Not Track feature, check the box at the bottom of the Privacy tab next to “Ask websites not to track me”.

Enable Private Browsing

By enabling Private Browsing, you can prevent Safari from remembering the pages you visit and any AutoFill information, while any tabs you open within a private window won’t be stored in iCloud. Safari also automatically asks sites and third-party content providers not to track you, prevents sites from modifying any information stored on your Mac, and deletes cookies when you close the related tab or window.

In Safari’s menu bar, select File -> New Private Window. You’ll notice the Safari address bar appears dark instead of light in a private window, indicating that Safari will not cache your browsing history, store snapshots of pages you visited or save your search history, and any AutoFill information will be lost after the window (or tab) is closed.

If you want to default to private browsing, you can set Safari to open a new Private Browsing window every time the app is launched. Choose Safari -> Preferences…, click General, select the “Safari opens with” pop-up menu, then choose “A new private window”.

Clear Browsing History

Safari for Mac enables you to remove all records of your browsing history including cookies and other cached website data over a specific timeframe of your choosing.

Browsing records that are cleared using the first method described below include any Top Sites not marked as permanent, your Frequently Visited Sites list, recent searches typed into the Safari search bar, web page snapshots shown in the open tab preview screen, download lists (but not downloads), sites you asked to send you notifications, and sites supporting Quick Website Search (the ability to search within specific sites from the Safari search bar).

Note that this method also clears history and web data from any devices logged into the same iCloud account.

To clear all history including cached website data and cookies, select Safari -> Clear History… from the Safari menu bar.

In the dialog window that appears, select the timeframe that you’d like to clear from the dropdown menu. Your options are: the last hour, today, today and yesterday, and all history. Click “Clear History” to confirm.If you want to clear your history but keep cached website data and cookies, hold the Alt/Option key on your keyboard during step 1 above, and the “Clear History…” menu option will change to “Clear History and Keep Website Data”. Choose this description instead and continue on to select your clearance timeframe.

If you only want to remove specific websites from your history, ignore the steps above and instead click “History” in the Safari menu bar, select “Show History”, right-click a site in the list, and then select “Remove” from the contextual menu.

Exclude Browsing History From Spotlight Searches

If you’d rather retain your browsing history but don’t want web pages you’ve visited to appear in system-wide Spotlight Search results, follow these steps.

Open System Preferences and select the Spotlight pane.

In the Search Results tab, uncheck the box next to “Bookmarks & History” (and “Bing Web Searches”, if this is your default search engine).

Switch Search Engine and Disable Safari Suggestions

Just because you cleared your browsing history and web data in Safari or browsed in a Private window, doesn’t mean your searches aren’t still recorded elsewhere. For example, if you logged into a Google account during the session, searches you performed may be logged by Google and later show up as search suggestions when you start typing in the Google search bar in the same account. In fact, your search and ad results may be customized based on your search-related activity, even if you’re signed out of your account.

To get around this issue, either consult the privacy help page of your preferred search engine to learn how to turn off tracking settings, or set a non-tracking search engine such as StartPage as your home page (using the General tab in Safari -> Preferences…). The next series of steps shows you how to set up Safari to use the non-tracking search engine DuckDuckGo when you type search queries into the address bar.

Another thing to reconsider is your use of Safari Suggestions. With this option enabled, your search queries, the Safari Suggestions you select, and related usage data are sent to Apple. Additionally, if you have Location Services turned on, when you make a search query in Safari with Safari Suggestions enabled your location is also sent to Apple. If you don’t want this information shared, turn off Safari Suggestions as shown below.

From the Safari menu bar, select Safari -> Preferences…, and click on the Search tab.

Select the DuckDuckGo search engine from the dropdown menu. You can also choose whether you want search engine suggestions appearing in the Safari search bar using the checkbox immediately below.

Uncheck the box next to “Include Safari Suggestions” in the Smart Search Field options; you can also disable the Quick Website Search function if you prefer by using the checkbox below.

Disable Frequently Visited Sites

By default, Frequently Visited Sites appear below your Favorites whenever you open a new tab or a new Safari window. You can turn this feature off.

There are two ways to prevent frequently visited sites from appearing in new tabs and windows. The simplest way is to click Bookmarks in the Safari menu bar and untick “Show Frequently Visited in Favorites”. The second method described below prevents Favorites from appearing in new tabs and windows altogether, but removes the option to display your Top Sites as well.

From the Safari menu bar, select Safari -> Preferences…, and select the General tab.

In the dropdown menus for “New windows open with:” and “New tabs open with:”, select an option other than Favorites, such as “Empty Page”.

Turn Off AutoFill

Safari’s AutoFill feature remembers text and values you enter into online forms, and can be useful for speeding up logins and registrations as well as online purchases. If other people use your Mac, you might not want this information to show up when websites are revisited. Here’s how to disable AutoFill.

In the Safari menu bar, select Safari -> Preferences… and click on the AutoFill tab.

Uncheck the boxes next to the details you wish to prevent Safari from autocompleting in web forms. You can also edit already saved information by clicking the “Edit…” buttons.

Finally…

If your web privacy concerns extend to a desire for enhanced security and comprehensive end-to-end encryption, consider subscribing to a Virtual Private Network (VPN) service (Private Internet Access and IPVanish are two popular choices) and using Tor browser for OS X.

Tags: Safari, privacy
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How to watch the Rio 2016 Olympics on TV, online, mobile and in VR

The Rio 2016 Olympics are finally upon us and we can look forward to more than two weeks of action across a vast array of sports.

The Opening and Closing Ceremonies will also be streamed live around the world, with the former starting tonight, 5 August. So here is our guide on how to catch that and the rest of the sporting activities throughout the following 17 days.

You can catch it all on multiple formats, whether you are at home or out. Here’s how.

Rio 2016 Olympic Games timings

It is important to note, especially if you are in the UK, that Rio is in a different time zone so events will be on British TV screens four hours later than you’d expect.

The Opening Ceremony, for example, starts at 8pm in Brazil, but its UK showing will start at 8.30pm tonight for a midnight start and run into the early hours of Saturday morning, 6 August.

There will still be plenty of action throughout each day though, that you can catch at reasonable times.

How can I watch the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on TV?

The BBC has the rights to the entire Olympic Games in the UK and it will start its live coverage with the Opening Ceremony at midnight tonight, 5 August.

Some events have already begun, with some football matches having been played already, for instance. But the majority of sports will start tomorrow, Saturday 6 August, after the Games are officially opened during the lighting of the flame ceremony.

BBC One and BBC Four will be showing the best of the action each day, although will also be able to access extra live channels through the Red Button service, available across different TVs, set-top-boxes and platforms.

How can I watch the Rio 2016 Olympic Games online?

The BBC Sport website will also be hosting highlights and live channels all day every day of the event. Just head to bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/rio-2016.

A daily round-up show will also be available on BBC iPlayer.

How can I watch the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on my smartphone or tablet?

The BBC Sport app for iOS and Android will provide all the news and details coming from the Games. You can also set it up to send you notifications of anything you want to keep track of. That includes Rio 2016 in general or any of the sports individually.

You can watch the live broadcasts through BBC iPlayer on your mobile device, streamed from BBC One and BBC Four, and links to specific live shows will appear in the BBC Sport app for you to scroll down to.

There will also be highlight packages available to watch each day.

How can I watch the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in virtual reality?

This year, the BBC is also offering Rio coverage in 360-degrees, so you can watch it on a VR headset and feel more like you are there.

• Watch the Olympics like never before, BBC Sport 360 VR app puts you in the heart of the action

You need to download the trial version of the BBC Sport 360 app for Android or iOS and each day there will be an event shown in 360-degrees.

This footage will work with iPhone and Android VR headsets, and in the Samsung Gear VR.

Here’s a full schedule of what will be shown in VR and when:

• Friday 5 August: 00:00-03:30 – Opening Ceremony
• Saturday 6 August: 14:00-17:50, 19:30-20:20, 01:00-04:50 – Beach Volleyball
• Sunday 7 August: 14:00-17:50, 19:30-20:20, 01:00-04:50 – Beach Volleyball
• Monday 8 August: 15:00-18:00, 21:00-00:00 – Boxing
• Tuesday 9 August: 15:00-18:00, 21:00-00:00 – Boxing
• Wednesday 10 August 10: 20:00-22:45 – Artistic Gymnastics
• Thursday 11 August: 20:00-22:10 – Artistic Gymnastics
• Friday 12 August: 13:00-19:30, 21:00-23:50 – Fencing
• Saturday 13 August: 13:30-16:50 & 00:00-03:15 – Athletics
• Sunday 14 August: 00:20-02:30 – Athletics
• Monday 15 August: 13:30-16:10 & 00:15-02:50 – Athletics
• Tuesday 16 August: 13:30-16:40 & 00:15-02:50 – Athletics
• Wednesday 17 August: 02:00-05:05 – Beach Volleyball
• Thursday 18 August: 02:00-05:05 – Beach Volleyball
• Friday 19 August: 19:30-21:30 – Basketball (Men’s SFs)
• Saturday 20 August: 15:00-16:50 & 19:30-22:00 – Diving
• Sunday 21 August: 15:30-17:30 & 19:45-22:05 – Basketball (Men’s Finals)
• Monday 22 August: 00:00-03:30 – Closing Ceremony