How to use Facebook Messenger’s secret conversations in iOS and Android

In 2016, Facebook rolled out a privacy feature for the Messenger app called “Secret Conversations,” which are end-to-end encrypted conversations. End-to-end encryption means that the message can be read only on the recipient’s device and can’t be deciphered by a third party. As you may or may not know, Facebook Messenger encrypts your normal chats until they reach Facebook’s servers, so if required by law, Facebook could hand over your messages.

More: Even the FBI can’t defeat good encryption – here’s why it works

However, you will need to take care of a couple of things before you can start an encrypted conversation in Facebook Messenger. First, you need to enable the feature, and, second, you have to start the conversation as secret. How secret are the conversations? Facebook is using a protocol developed by Open Whisper Systems, which is the same protocol used for apps like Signal.

There is one limitation that we will show you in this walkthrough, and that is the ‘one device only’ limitation. If you have more than one device, say an iPhone and an iPad, when you enable secret conversations on one device, it will be disabled on the other.

Using secret conversations in iOS

When using Messenger in iOS, you have to start secret conversations separately from regular conversations. Let’s take a look at how to turn the feature on, start conversations, and delete your secret conversations.

How to enable secret conversations

Open Facebook Messenger.
Tap your profile picture in the upper-left corner.
Go to Secret Conversations, and make sure the feature is turned on.
Tap Me in the upper-left corner to go back to the Me page.
Tap Done in the upper-left corner.

Remember that you can only access secret conversations on one device at a time, so if you start using another device and you want to use secret conversations, then you will have to repeat this step every time you switch devices.

How to start a secret conversation

Open Facebook Messenger, or if you’re following from the last step, tap Done in the upper-left corner to exit the Me page.
Tap the pencil icon in the upper-right corner.
Tap Secret in the upper-right corner.
Select the user with whom you want to start your secret conversation.
Messages you type will disappear after 10 seconds. To change the timer, tap the timer icon to the right of the typing area.

How to delete secret conversations

Tap your profile picture in the upper-left corner.
Go to Secret Conversations.
Tap Delete Secret Conversations.
Tap Delete to confirm your decision and delete your secret conversations history.

Play the role of a cheapskate with these 5 free RPGs

Want a premiere RPG experience on your PC or console, but don’t feel like shelling out the cash for Final Fantasy XV? Worry not, adventurer, because now it’s easier than ever to dive into a collection of expansive game worlds without dropping a dime. Each of these worlds is flush with all the rich character development and features you’ve come to expect from a premium, AAA title from developers such as Bethesda and CD Projekt RED. It’s time to strap on that wizard staff and fire up your spaceship — here are the best (free) RPGs for both PC and consoles.

More: The best free-to-play games you can try right now

Defiance

Initially released in 2013 as a full-priced game and part of a SyFy TV-game cross media project, Defiance draws comparisons to Bungie’s Destiny, thanks to the game’s rich science-fiction setting, cooperative player-versus-environment encounters, and real-time shooter gameplay. Defiance‘s sprawling, massive game world occasionally sees major “Arkfalls” spawn, requiring a team of coordinated strangers working together to take down an army of monsters in order to reap the valuable loot left in their wake. Even “solo” encounters routinely feature multiple characters teaming up on the fly, with seamlessly synchronizing mission objectives.

If you’re in the mood for a more competitive battle, Defiance’s “Shadow War” player-versus-player (PvP) mode, much like the battlegrounds in World of Warcraft, pits two teams against one another in a battle to the death. Special credits go to the victor, who can then spend them on special weapons and armor.

The game also has the added benefit of an expanded universe, derived from the Defiance TV show, which ran for three seasons. The two impacted each other in numerous ways, and though the show has since been canceled, it offers a great chance to see how the universe has developed over the last few years. You might even run into series protagonists Joshua Nolan and Irisa when you go back to the game.

Defiance is available on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. Anyone who purchased the game prior to its conversion to a free-to-play format will receive an additional character, inventory, and the “ark keycode” carrying capacity.

Google releases Chrome OS 57 to stable channel, adds features for tablet mode

Why it matters to you

If you’re using a Chrome OS 2-in-1, Google has a couple of features that should make you happy.

Chrome OS hasn’t been around that long compared to some other operating systems, hitting the market installed on the first Chromebook in May 2011. Since then, though, it has made quite a stir in the low-cost PC market while slowly making its way to midrange devices.

Where Chrome OS hasn’t been as strong is on 2-in-1 devices, due in part to the fact that the Linux-based OS isn’t highly optimized for such systems. That’s slowly changing, however, and the latest stable version, Chrome OS 57, introduces a couple of features that will make the growing number of touchscreen devices more attractive.

More: New functionality could soon lead to Google’s Chrome OS in tablet form

Chrome OS 57 brings two specific improvements that will appeal to users of future tablets and existing 2-in-1s. The first is an update to the power button’s function, which with a simple tap will now turn the display off on devices with tablet-mode support. The second is a flip user interface mode in the Chrome Camera App for devices with front and rear cameras. These are relatively small changes, but for anyone using a touchscreen Chrome OS 2-in-1 device, any update is likely welcome.

Other fixes include the ability to turn on silent authentication, and the ability to unlock any Chromebook with a PIN. The Files app can also now access media files from Android apps, and image copy and paste is supported for the Citrix Receiver. Purely aesthetic changes include a new default wallpaper and an updated boot animation. And of course, the usual bug and security fixes are on hand as well.

Not all Chromebooks will receive the update immediately, however. Here’s a list of devices that will not receive Chrome OS 57.0.2987.123 (Platform version: 9202.56.1):

• Aopen Chromebase Mini
• Aopen Chromebook Mini
• Google Chromebook Pixel (2015)
• Asus Chromebook Flip C302
• Asus Chromebook Flip C100PA
• Samsung Chromebook Plus
• Acer Chromebook R13 (CB5-312T)

Chrome OS will automatically download the new updates, and will let you know when one is available by displaying the Update icon in the status are where your account picture appears. In order to update your Chromebook, just click on the Update button and then Restart to Update. You can manually check for an update prior to when the next automatic update is scheduled by clicking the Setting cog icon, then going to About Chrome OS and clicking Check for and apply updates.

Pay what you want for the Full Stack Web Development Bundle

App development is one of the most cut-throat industries around right now, but it can also be one of the most profitable. It’s also an area where jobs abound, and if you freelance or create your own apps, you can work on multiple jobs at once, soaking in the abundance of experience and hopefully a little cash while you’re at it.

Pay what you want for eight app development courses Learn more

But if you want to develop the next big app, you can just go into it willy-nilly without the proper knowledge and training. You’ll need to learn about JavaScript — one of the most popular coding languages in app development — and you’ll also want to learn about other useful tools, like NodeJS and HTML 5. If you don’t have time or the money to spend on a costly computer sciences degree, then you need some online courses you can take on your own time.

The Full Stack Web Development Bundle is a series of eight courses that take you through every stage of an app’s development. Full Stack development is the creation of all facets of an app or website, from front end to back end and everything in between. You’ll get access to hundreds of courses and the best part is that you can pay what you want! The average price is set, and if you decide to pay less than the average price, you’ll still get something great, but if you pay more than the average price, you’ll get all eight apps in the bundle. If you beat the leader’s price, you’ll be entered into our giveaway and get featured on the leaderboard.

The courses are as follows:

• The Full Stack Web Development Course
• Projects in ReactJS: The Complete React Learning Course
• Projects in JavaScript and JQuery
• ReactJS and Flux: Learn by Building 10 Projects
• Projects in MongoDB: Learn MongoDB Building 10 Projects
• Projects Using PHP Frameworks
• Learn NodeJS by Building 10 Projects
• Projects in HTML5

If you want to learn all there is about developing an app, then you’ll want the Full Stack Development Bundle, and for hundreds of hours of lectures, you get to pay what you want. If you’re serious about app development, then you need serious training, and what better way to learn than to do? Check out the Full Stack Web Development Bundle and Android Central Digital Offers.

Pay what you want for eight app development courses Learn more

Virtual Virtual Reality: It’s time to rebel against our AI Overlords!

The future has been automated leaving only Activitude employing Artisinal Humans to AI clients. You, are one of those Humans.

The future is bright, clean, Virtual, and nearly entirely automated. I am one of the few humans able to find actual employment with a company, Activitude, that promotes it’s use of Artisinal Humans as companions to their AI clients. With clients like a pinwheel who needs help with it’s garden, and a stick of butter that wants to be covered in toast. The demands are ridiculous, and occasionally impossible, and that’s just the start of your adventures with Activitude.

Virtual Virtual Reality is available on Daydream

Read more on VRHeads.com

1Password gives an early look at one of Android O’s best features

Android O is bringing a new way for password managers and other apps to autofill information. Here’s how it works.

Whenever Google introduces a new version of Android, there’s always a silent disclaimer to go along with it: few of these features will be available until developers add them to their apps. Well, one developer hasn’t wasted much time showing what its implementation of one major O feature will look like: AgileBits, Toronto-based creator of popular password manager, 1Password, has uploaded a proof-of-concept showing off the new Autofill API.

Video Playerhttps://blog.agilebits.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/autofill-demo.mp400:0500:0000:16Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume.

From 1Password’s blog:

As you can see in the video, after navigating to the login page in the Twitter app, the Autofill Framework notified 1Password that there were some fields that could be filled. 1Password then responded by letting the Autofill Framework know it recognized those fields as a login form, but that it needed to be unlocked first. I was then prompted to unlock 1Password if I wanted to continue.

After I unlocked 1Password with my fingerprint, my example Twitter credentials were displayed in a dropdown provided by the Autofill Framework and automatically filled when I tapped on them.

It really does seem that simple, and I’m grateful, because auto-filling is one of the best features in 1Password today, but it relies on an accessibility hack that most people won’t be willing to go through. Once O is released (and widely-available, natch) such a feature will be a breeze to activate.

Everything you need to know about Android O

Android O

• Everything new in Android O
• Should you put Android O on your phone?
• How to install the Android O Developer Preview
• Android O isn’t in the Android Beta Program yet
• Join the Discussion

Moto G5 Plus review: Great value in a tacky shell

Everyone wants the biggest, best, brightest phone to show off in front of their friends (and enemies). Usually, that means the biggest price tag. Enter the Moto G5 Plus, a great smartphone under $300 that performs amazingly well (even if it doesn’t look all that great).

I’m Michael Fisher, AKA MrMobile, and I have sometimes found myself reviewing phones twice the price of this that I like half as much. This Moto G5 Plus review should put your mind at ease if you’re interested in saving money and having a great phone. Watch it and see exactly what I mean.

The Moto G5 Plus is THE phone for the affordability-minded consumer. Check out Android Central’s hands-on with the Moto G5 Plus and all of Android Central’s coverage of the Moto G5 and G5 Plus.

Stay social, my friends

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Toto hopes to woo Americans with high-tech toilet showroom

Japanese toilets have long been a mainstay in Asian households, but the concept is still something of a curiosity in much of the Western world. Toto, Japan’s biggest toilet maker, has attempted to market its high-tech commodes to American audiences for decades with little success. The company is trying to change all this with a brand new “experiential” showroom that launched this week in San Francisco. It’s called Concept 190, and it’s equipped with four sensor-laden bathrooms where visitors are invited to pee, poo and have a toilet experience unlike anything they’ve had before.

The magic starts the moment you open the bathroom door. The lights come on and the toilet seat lifts up automatically. Once you place your derrière on the heated seat, the lights will dim and the room projectors will kick into action. In our demo, the projectors filled the entire room in a full on space adventure as we followed a spaceship through the starry skies. It sounds pretty silly, but I have to admit it was kind of hilariously amazing to have this kind of theme park experience while sitting on a toilet.

Of course, Toto won’t actually install these projections in your bathroom. The point of these experiential installations is to encourage visitors to actually, you know, try these toilets out. All of the models in the Concept 190 showroom are completely functional — the seats are heated and the bidets spray water. They can spray both the front and back of your nether regions, and you can control the pressure, the position of the spray and the temperature of the water and the seat. Most of the toilets are also self-cleaning; one even has a UV light that interacts with the glaze of the bowl to electrolyze and clean the water.

The showroom doesn’t have regular office hours, but they do plan to hold scheduled public events throughout the year. Combined with the art projection experience, Toto hopes that the showroom will spread by word-of-mouth and be something of a destination. And in so doing, help remove some of the cultural stigma around talking about cleaning our private parts.

Still, the toilets are pretty expensive — prices start at $500 and go all the way up to an eye-watering $10,000 — and Americans aren’t really used to paying these kinds of prices for lavatories. But Toto is hoping that if you try it out for yourself, you could change your mind.

Chinese Court Overturns iPhone 6 Patent Ruling in Apple’s Favor

A Beijing court has overturned a 2016 ruling that Apple’s iPhone 6 violated a Chinese manufacturer’s patent, which saw intellectual property regulators attempt to bar sale of the phone in the country (via South China Morning Post).

Last June we reported that ailing company Shenzhen Baili filed a lawsuit against Apple claiming that the iPhone 6 violated the patent of its 100c smartphone. Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, the Beijing Intellectual Property Office ruled that the iPhone did infringe on Shenzhen’s patent rights, accusing Apple of having “copied” the exterior design of the 100c phone.

Cupertino was ordered to halt sales in Beijing completely, but an administrative order appeal from a regional patent tribunal allowed both the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus to remain on sale. Today’s news finally appears to have put an end to the legal dispute.

The court “quashes the decision of the bureau” and “recognises that Apple … has not infringed the design patent filed by the company Shenzhen Baili”, according to the verdict reported by the People’s Court Daily.

The Beijing court ruled that the features of the iPhone 6 “completely change[d] the effect of the entire product” and made both phones “easily distinguishable in the eyes of consumers”.

The decision is likely to be another nail in the coffin for Baili, which was reported to “barely exist” even at the time of its original victory in the intellectual property office. The company, along with its parent Digione, is no longer a competitor in the Chinese smartphone market and has since collapsed, blighted by mismanagement and public criticism of its products, which were seen as poor quality.

Apple’s lawyers will be relieved with today’s ruling, given that Apple has been on the losing side of Chinese intellectual property lawsuits in the past. In May 2016, an “iPhone” branded leather goods maker won a lawsuit filed by Apple, after the court ruled Xintong Tiandi had registered the word as a trademark in 2007, while Apple’s phones didn’t go on sale in China until 2009.

Tag: China
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Tag Heuer Connected Modular 45: Our first take

Astonishing attention to detail, superb build quality, and the latest tech inside: This is a true Swiss smartwatch for the connoisseur

If you want the real deal, by which we mean a smartwatch with true Swiss-made credentials, there is only one choice: the new Tag Heuer Connected Modular 45. It’s the second smartwatch from Tag Heuer, following the Carrera Connected last year, and once again Intel has been heavily involved with the device’s creation. But the partnership goes much deeper than simply stuffing one of Intel’s chips inside a Tag Heuer designed body. The two companies collaborated so closely, the end result combines Intel’s technical know-how and Tag Heuer’s passion for watches in a way that truly makes it stand apart from the rest.

It’s easy to pass Android Wear watches off as the same experience in a slightly different body, but don’t make that mistake with the Connected Modular 45. Intel’s Jerry Bautista, vice president of New Technology, sat down with Digital Trends at the Baselworld 2017 trade show to give us a peek at the watch in detail, share how the relationship between the two companies worked, and the lengths both went to in order to produce it.

Swiss build, Intel tech

The Connected Modular 45 is an evolution of the Carrera Connected. For example, to ensure a round screen was used on the first model — a Tag Heuer requirement — Intel had to build the electronics that were hidden by the flat-tire screen design into the section with the “Swiss Made” inscription on the body. Tag Heuer was opposed at first, but grew to like the look, and has turned it into a design feature on the Connected Modular 45 by mirroring it at the opposite end of the body.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

While a plastic rear panel on the Carrera Connected allowed the antennas to work, the new model’s body is made entirely of titanium. The watch still has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, plus the addition of GPS and NFC; but titanium doesn’t play well with antennas, so how do they talk to the world? Look closely at the side of the screen and you’ll see two sections sandwiched together. The lower piece contains all the antennas. It was a huge technical challenge to make this work, but it not only improves the design, but also the efficiency: There’s a 70 percent improvement in Wi-Fi performance because of it. Wondering where the ambient light sensor is? The watch collects light data through the watch face, and channels it down into Intel’s sensor, which adjusts the display accordingly. A clever alternative to an ugly sensor.

The end result combines Intel’s technical know-how and Tag Heuer’s passion.

Tag Heuer wanted to have the same depth to the digital screen that it does on its analog watches. To do this, a 2.5mm thick piece of sapphire crystal is placed over the top of the screen, sinking the display down into the body. This was where Intel began to use its skill. Tag Heuer also wanted to build the connected watch in the same way as its traditional watches, using gaskets clamped together to hold everything in place, rather than glue and screws used in electronics. Hand-built Swiss components like the glass and the body are never the same twice, something Intel needed to change if it was to meet the requirements. So it introduced laser measurements to the process, reducing waste, and making it possible to build the Connected Modular 45 in an identical way to every other Tag Heuer watch.

Wearing the Connected Modular 45

Now we’ve explained why this is a true Swiss smartwatch, let’s talk about what it’s like to wear. We’ll get the size out of the way first. It’s big. The horns extend way over my wrist, and the flat underside of the watch accentuates the overall size, making it quite unsuitable for small wrists. Once it’s on, though, it’s not uncomfortable, and it’ll fit under a loose shirt cuff.

More: Our first take review of the Guess Connect Touch

The titanium body keeps it light, and the sapphire crystal over the display looks superb, creating that beautiful 3D look Tag Heuer wanted with the familiar sapphire sheen to catch the eye. The build quality, as you’d expect, is superb. It’s solid as a rock, and obviously made to last. Metal, leather, and rubber straps are all options, and we really liked the blue rubber version with the blue bezel around the screen.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

The design has been refined from the Carrera Connected, and more colors have been added to the range. There’s also now the chance to strip down many of the components to build a custom version, which is where the modular aspect comes in. It’s easy to do — just unclip the horns from the body, using buttons similar to those used to secure the Apple Watch’s strap in place, pull them away from the strap, and that’s it. Tag Heuer will sell you a mechanical Connected Modular 45 body, that uses the same horns and strap, for when you don’t want to wear the digital version. The super rich can even buy a version with a fancy tourbillon movement, which costs $17,000. In total, there are more than 500 possible combinations to personalize the watch using the modular components.

Software and future updates

Tag Heuer and Intel worked closely with Google to use Android Wear 2.0 on the Connected Modular 45, right down to striking an agreement so the Tag Heuer brand name and logo shows up when you turn the watch on. Intel uses an Atom processor inside the watch, and the software experience is smooth and slick. There are many different official Tag Heuer watch faces included.

Tag Heuer and Intel are working on a very special app that will arrive on the Connected Modular 45 in early summer. It’s a time management app made specially for smartwatches, that despite living on a watch, ironically shifts away from relying on time to set and manage our schedules. Bautista gave us an example of how it will work. Say you want to remember to pick up milk on the way home from work, and set a reminder for 6pm. When the alarm sounds, you’re caught up in a meeting and dismiss it. Normally, that would be the end of it, and the milk would inevitably be forgotten.

Not so with the new app and the watch. It will understand you’re caught up at work and delay the alarm. It’ll also know when you’re travelling home, and where a grocery store is, then alert you when you’re close by. Because the alert will arrive on your watch, it’s easier to spot even when you’re driving. Naturally it requires location access, but the benefits here are substantial.

Conclusion

There’s little doubt the Connected Modular 45 is aimed at a niche audience, but that’s not stopping demand outstripping supply. It’s not the abomination some watchmakers would like to believe it is either. It’s proof watchmakers and technology firms really can collaborate successfully, and produce a timepiece that’s true to the industry and the brand’s own ideals, while appealing to the tech fan with strong features and excellent software. It’s what scares and holds back many traditional watch firms from introducing a smartwatch.

More: Our first take review of the Montblanc Summit

If and when other watches arrive from big-name Swiss firms, they’re going to need partnerships as strong and effective as Tag Heuer’s, Google’s, and Intel’s, if the final product is going to meet the standard set here. Luxury smartwatches are uncharted territory, but when they’re done right, they work. The one thing we want from the next model is a better name. We’d have taken the Carrera Connected 2 over the Connected Modular 45.

While we appreciate the Connected Modular 45 as a groundbreaking piece of wearable technology, it’s not the perfect device. It’s still too big and too thick, the design won’t appeal to everyone, and the $1,600 price is a lot of money to pay out for a smartwatch. However, most premium analog Swiss watches also cost a lot of money, and as we’ve learned, the Tag Heuer Connected Modular 45 deserves to stand alongside them as a true representation of the breed.

Highs

• Amazing attention to detail
• Latest Android Wear 2.0 software
• Time management app is intriguing and useful
• Stunning build quality and materials

Lows

• Too big
• Expensive