Apple Updates Apple TV Events App Ahead of Next Week’s Keynote

Ahead of its iPhone-centric event set to take place on Tuesday, September 12, Apple has updated its Apple Events app designed for the fourth-generation Apple TV, adding new artwork and details about the upcoming keynote.

“Watch the first-ever special event held at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California,” reads the text of the updated app. The date and time for the event, September 12 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time are listed, and the app’s icon and internal art has been updated with the multi-colored Apple logo featured on media invites.

The Apple Events app will be used to live stream the iPhone event on the fourth-generation Apple TV, and it can be downloaded from the tvOS App Store for no cost. [Direct Link]

Those who have already downloaded the app should see the update automatically, but it can be forced by finding the app in the tvOS App Store and selecting “Update.”

Apple’s event is expected to include the revamped OLED iPhone 8, an iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus, an LTE Apple Watch, and a 4K Apple TV.

For those unable to watch Apple’s live stream, which is also available on Apple’s website, MacRumors will be providing live coverage here on MacRumors.com and on our MacRumorsLive Twitter account.

Tag: September 2017 event
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Scientists could use Zika to fight brain cancer in the future

While Zika is known for causing birth defects like microcephaly and brain damage, it turns out the virus might also serve a very useful purpose — fighting brain cancer. In a study published today in The Journal of Experimental Medicine, researchers show that Zika can actually take on a very hard to treat type of brain cancer.

Glioblastoma is the most common type of brain cancer in the US — John McCain was just recently diagnosed with it — and treatment usually incorporates surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Even so, glioblastoma tumors often recur within months. Standard forms of therapy can do well against the majority of the tumor cells, but leave behind the stem cells that generate the tumors, allowing them to keep creating more tumors once the originals are removed. But Zika actually does the opposite — it can target the stem cells and skip over the other tumor cells. So, in theory these different treatments would work quite well when used together.

This feature of Zika is what makes it so problematic for fetuses. The virus gets into the developing central nervous system and kills neuroprogenitor cells — the cells that become various types of brain cells later on. The researchers noticed that the glioblastoma stem cells behaved a lot like neuroprogenitor cells, which turned them towards Zika as a potential therapeutic.

In experiments, Zika virus was able to kill stem cells removed from patients with glioblastomas and when it was injected into tumors in mouse brains, it caused the tumors to shrink. The researchers also demonstrated that the virus didn’t tend to infect non-cancerous brain cells and mutated versions of Zika that made the virus weaker against the body’s immune system were also able to kill glioblastoma cells, though not quite as well as the original strains.

The researchers aren’t proposing it for human studies just yet — though others are — and the virus works differently in mice than it does in humans. But because Zika isn’t a major risk to adults, these findings show that it could be a promising brain cancer treatment in the future.

Via: New Scientist

Source: The Journal of Experimental Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine

YouTube Live makes streaming faster, includes ultra-low latency option

Why it matters to you

YouTube Live’s latest features make streaming faster and easier to use. The update includes ultra-low latency mode, simplified live chat, and the ability to stream from iPhone apps.

On Tuesday, YouTube rolled out new features to its live-streaming platform to help improve the experience for viewers. The company announced its efforts to help make YouTube Live content creation easier and more accessible.

For those who use YouTube Live to engage with a fan base, there is now an option to enable ultra-low latency while streaming video. The feature helps to reduce any lagging with only a couple of seconds of latency — instead of having to use special software or encoders. Real-time interaction should now be easier since you won’t have to wait as long for the camera to capture and display the event in order to answer questions or comments.

When there is a live-stream going, it’s impossible to predict what viewers are going to say. There are new tools for chat moderation to help control the tone of your conversations on YouTube. Inline moderation allows you to moderate your chat feed by pressing the “alt/option” button your keyboard to pause the chat feed. You then hover over messages to approve them or delete them. There is also the option to assign a moderator for the live chat who have the responsibility of removing, flagging, or hiding messages.

Another addition to Live chat is holding potentially inappropriate messages for review. When opting in, chat messages identified by YouTube’s system will be held from posting on your streams until you decide whether you want to report, hide, or approve them. As you continue to review more, the system will become better at identifying which types of messages you most likely want to hold for future events. If there are certain words or phrases you already know you don’t want to appear, you can block them as well.

Any hidden user lists created lets your moderators use the same ones across both comments and live chat. In the future, the hidden user list will be able to work in both live chat and comments regardless of where you assign the action.

Apple users will find the latest update makes streaming from iPhone and iPad much easier. With the Apple’s ReplayKit, you were already able to stream directly from other apps on YouTube Gaming. Now, you are able to live-stream directly to the main YouTube app whether it is gaming or creating artwork through apps that support ReplayKit. You also have the option to use your phone’s front-facing camera and microphone to add your own video and audio commentary to the stream.

New medical imaging camera in the U.K. can see through the human body

Why it matters to you

This camera helps doctors track endoscopes when they are inside patients.

Scientists at the U.K.’s University of Edinburgh recently developed an imaging medical camera that is capable of seeing through the human body to detect light sources. The camera is designed to help doctors better track medical tools called endoscopes, which are used to investigate a range of internal conditions. It can do this by detecting the illuminated end of the flexible endoscope cable.

“We have developed a method to determine the location of medical devices through tissue using an advanced camera technology,” Dr. Mike Tanner, a research fellow at Edinburgh’s Queens Medical Research Institute, told Digital Trends. “The principle is that some light does pass through tissue, as seen when holding a torch behind your hand. However, the amount of light passing through is very low, and the light scatters or bounces around inside the tissue structures losing all useful information. To solve this, we use a camera that is so sensitive it can see individual particles of light and also time the arrival of the photons. The very first light to arrive at the camera has been scattered least and tells us the location of the device.”

Up until now, physicians wanting to track the internal location of endoscopes have had to utilize expensive and potentially harmful scans such as X-rays to track the progress of the probes inside patients. The new imaging camera is able to change that, using thousands of single photon detectors packed onto a single silicon chip to track the location of light points through 20 centimeters of tissue under regular light conditions.

It is part of a wider initiative, in collaboration with Heriot-Watt University and the University of Bath, dedicated to developing new technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of lung disease.

“This [camera has already] been demonstrated in relevant scenarios, and we hope to take this forward to human trials in the coming year,” Tanner said. “The equipment is relatively simple and compact, and ideal for deployment and commercialization in realistic timescales.”

A paper describing the work, “Ballistic and snake photon imaging for locating optical endomicroscopy fibers,” was published in the journal Biomedical Optics Express.

LG V30 vs. Galaxy Note 8: Can LG’s contender beat Samsung’s phablet king?

There’s no two ways about it: The LG V30 is a heavyweight phone that deserves a shot at the title. It has an edge-to-edge screen, dual cameras, and a speedy processor. And while it might not look much like its predecessor, that’s a good thing — it’s an overall improvement.

But there’s never been a tougher playing field. The V30 not only has to contend with stalwarts like the iPhone 7 and Galaxy S8 Plus, but Samsung’s impressive new Galaxy Note 8, which threatens to take the wind out of its sails with a nifty stylus and dual cameras.

So how does the LG V30 hold up against Samsung’s stylus-touting Note 8? Read our LG V30 vs. Galaxy Note 8 comparison to find out.

Specs

LG V30

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

Size
151.7 × 75.4 × 7.4 mm (5.97 × 2.97 × 0.29 in)
162.5 × 74.8 × 8.6 mm (6.40 × 2.95 × 0.34 inches)
Weight
5.57 ounces (158 grams)
6.88 ounces (195 grams)
Screen
6-inch QuadHD+ FullVision OLED
6.3-inch Super AMOLED
Resolution
2,880 × 1,440 pixels
 2,960 × 1,440
OS
Android 7.1.2 Nougat
 Android 7.1.1 Nougat
Storage
64GB, 128GB
 64GB (US), 128, 256GB (international)
MicroSD Card Slot
Yes
Yes
NFC support
Yes
Yes
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, Samsung Exynos 8895 (international)
RAM
4GB
 6GB
Connectivity
GSM, CDMA, HSPA, EVDO, LTE
GSM, CDMA, HSPA, EVDO, LTE
Camera
Dual 16MP and 13MP wide angle rear, 5MP wide angle front
 Dual 12MP rear, 8MP front
Video
4K
 4K
Bluetooth
Yes, version 5.0
Yes, version 5.0
Fingerprint sensor
Yes
Yes
Other sensors scanner 
Gyroscope, accelerometer, compass, proximity sensor
Accelerometer, gyroscope, barometer, geomagnetic, heart rate, proximity sensor, iris scanner, pressure sensor
Water Resistant
Yes, IP68 rated
 Yes, IP68 rated
Battery
3,300mAh
3,300mAh
Charger
USB-C
 USB-C
Quick Charging
Yes
 Yes
Wireless Charging
Yes
 Yes, Qi and PMA
Marketplace
Google Play Store
Google Play Store
Color offerings
Aurora Black, Cloud Silver, Moroccan Blue, and Lavender Violet
Black, gray, blue (international), gold (international)
Availability
Unlocked, TBA

AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, Unlocked

Price
TBA
 $930
DT Review
Hands-on
Hands-on

The V30’s hardware is nothing to shake a stick at, but the Galaxy Note 8 is no less powerful.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor powers the V30, the same octa-core processor that powers the Galaxy Note 8. LG says it optimized the v30’s architecture for heat management and dispersion, which could give it a leg up in some scenarios. But we’re expecting a comparable level of performance.

The processor isn’t the only thing the V30 and Galaxy 8 Note 8 share in common. Both have the same 64GB of internal storage on-board, and both pack MicroSD card slots that work with removable drives up to 2TB in size.

But the Galaxy Note 8 has an advantage in the memory department: It ships with 6GB of RAM compared to the V30’s 4GB. To be fair, more RAM doesn’t necessarily equate with better performance, and we’ve only just started to put these phones through their paces. But in theory, the Note 8’s extra RAM should help it to juggle more browser tabs, background apps, and memory-intensive operations at once, giving it a narrow win.

Winner: Note 8

Design, display, and durability

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The V30 and Note 8 may share pretty much the same hardware on the inside, but the same can’t be said for their exteriors.

LG’s flagship V30 trades its predecessor’s bulky body and ticker display for a curvier, subtler aesthetic. A massive 6-inch screen curved on all four sides extends from one edge to the other, and absolutely dominates the phone’s front. With the exception of narrow bezels on the top and bottom to accommodate the phone’s speakers, microphones, and sensors, the V30 is basically a bezel-less design.

The Note 8 isn’t big on bezels, either — it too, has an edge-to-edge screen that’s about the same size as the V30’s (6.3 inches), and extremely narrow edges on the top and bottom of the phone.

The screens aren’t too different from each other, at least on a technical level. The LG V30’s FullVision display has a resolution of 2,880 x 1,440 pixels, just under the Note 8 Super AMOLED Plus screen’s pixel count of 2,960 x 1,440 pixels. The LG V30’s screen has a higher pixel density (537 ppi vs. the Note 8’s 521 ppi), so it’s a bit sharper.

But that’s where the similarities end. The Galaxy Note 8’s screen is slightly curved on either end, unlike the V30’s screen, which is entirely flat. That could be a point in favor of the V30, depending on your preferences — the Note 8’s curved screen makes it a little harder to grasp without accidentally switching on the phone.

Materials are the other big difference between the V30 and Note 8. The V30 has a Gorilla Glass-shielded front and back, but the rest is made of reinforced plastic. The result is a lighter-than-average phone that’s IP68 certified to withstand water (up to 3 feet for 30 minutes), and that’s durable enough to pass 14 different MIL-STD 810G tests. We’ve yet to put those claims to the test, but there’s little doubt the V30 will come away from the occasional bump, drop, and splash unscathed.

The Note 8 shares some, but not all, of the V30’s tank-like qualities. It’s IP68 certified to withstand the same amount of water, but doesn’t have the V30’s MIL-STD 810G designation, meaning it’s a bit more prone to bumps and dents. The curved screen probably doesn’t help — in our testing of the Galaxy S8 Plus, which features a similar screen, the sloped edges were a magnet for small scratches.

That’s why we’re not crowning a winner this round: The V30 is incredibly durable, but compromises on design. The Galaxy Note 8 is the opposite: It’s more prone to scratches and scuffs, but its gorgeous curved screen is enough to forgive it.

Winner: Tie

Battery life and charging

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The V30 and Galaxy Note 8 may not look much like each other, but they’re evenly matched when it comes to battery life, at least on paper.

The V30 has a 3,300mAh battery, the same size as the Galaxy Note 8’s. Given the phones’ identical battery capacity, you might expect them to last about the same amount of time on a full charge. In our brief testing so far, the Note 8 has managed a full day with moderate use, but the V30 has been able to last longer than that.

Both phones charge quickly. The V30 and Galaxy Note 8 support fast charging, but not the same standard — the Galaxy Note 8 has Samsung’s Adaptive Fast Charging, which delivers a full day’s worth of charge in 90 minutes. The V30 has Qualcomm’s QuickCharge 3.0, which takes about 30 minutes to deliver 80 percent.

We have more testing to do, but so far it looks like the V30 is going to have better battery life than the Note 8.

Winner: LG V30

Camera and audio

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Both the V30 and Galaxy Note 8 have dual cameras, but they’re very different.

The V30’s dual camera module sports one 16-megapixel sensor and a second 13-megapixel sensor with a wide-angle lens. The 16-megapixel camera boasts a f/1.6 aperture and 10-bit high-dynamic range (HDR), which LG says results in superior sharpness, color accuracy, and contrast. That all sounds good, but we’ll have to put it to the test to make certain.

With the wide-angle secondary camera, which has an f/1.9 aperture, the V30 can capture zoomed-out shots of crowds and landscapes, and a special Point Mode exposes fine-grain controls for the pace and focus of the V30’s zoom.

The Galaxy Note 8 is the first flagship Samsung phone with dual lenses, and the world’s first phone with two optically stabilized lenses instead of one. They’re both 12-megapixels, but one has an f/1.7 aperture and the other has an f/2.4 aperture.

The Note 8’s software takes full advantage of the added sensor. Live Focus, a new camera mode, lets you apply a DSLR-like blur effect (like the iPhone 7’s Portrait Mode) before or after you snap a photo. Dual Capture, another feature, takes a close-up shot and a wide-angle shot at the same time.

It’s tough to say how the two dual sensors will compare. The V30 has the advantage of a larger aperture and higher megapixel count, which should result in a sharper and brighter image. But Samsung’s cameras consistently earn high marks for overall quality. We’ll have to compare the two before we can pass final judgement, but for now, we’re calling a draw.

On the front, the V30 and Note 8 feature more comparable selfie sensors. The V30 has a 5-megapixel camera with a wide-angle lens, and the Galaxy Note 8 has an 8-megapixel sensor with an f/1.7 aperture. We’re expecting roughly the same image quality from them.

The V30’s dark horse is a Hi-Fi Quad DAC that delivers 32-bit playback on headphones and the phone’s loudspeakers. It comes with digital filters, four pre-programmed sound setttings, MQA audio file decoding, and extremely sensitive mic-recording algorithms. Generally speaking, you can expect music and videos to sound better on the V30 than on the Note 8.

LG is really talking up the video shooting capabilities of the V30 and we were impressed when we tried out the LG V30 Cine Mode. If you love to make movies with your phone, then the V30 might have the edge here.

When it comes to image quality, we’re expecting the V30 and Galaxy Note 8 to be evenly matched. But the V30 might have the audio advantage, which is why we’re crowning it the winner this round.

Winner: V30 

Software

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The V30 and Galaxy Note 8 take different directions when it comes to software.

The V30 doesn’t skimp on features. It runs a version of Android that’s pretty close to stock, save a few aesthetic changes. But it comes with features like Graphy, which lets you mimic the style of an “inspiring image,” and Cine Effect, which lets you apply 15 different color-grading presets before you shoot a video. There’s also Video Studio, an editing suite that lets you trim and merge files into a full-length clip.

The Note 8 runs TouchWiz, on the other hand, a custom layer on top of Android. The highlight is Bixby, Samsung’s assistant, which taps into the 10 different Samsung apps that come pre-loaded on the Galaxy Note 8 to serve up contextually useful information. It also supports the Dex Station, a docking station (sold separately) that transforms the Galaxy Note 8 into a functional desktop replacement.

The Note 8 also has something the V30 doesn’t: Samsung’s S Pen stylus. There’s Screen Off Memo, a feature which lets you sketch and write memos without switching off the Note 8’s display, and Smart Select, which generates GIFs. Air Command provides a list of shortcuts to apps whenever the S Pen is removed from its slot, and Magnify turns the S Pen into a digital magnifying glass, enlarging the text and images around its tip.

Unfortunately, neither phone runs Android Oreo, the newest version of Android. Both Samsung and LG have committed to updating their phones in the future, but for now, both the LG V30 and Galaxy Note 8 are stuck on Android Nougat.

So which phone has the better features? It’s a tough call between the two, but we’re giving this one to the Note 8. The V30 may have a pretty robust suite of camera software, but it can’t measure up to Bixby and Dex. And at the end of the day, there’s something to be said for the S Pen’s stylus.

Winner: Note 8

Price and availability

The V30 isn’t available yet, and LG hasn’t announced pricing. But if the V20 is any indication, it’ll likely be in the $800-range, give or take.

That puts it within striking distance of the Note 8. The Note 8 starts at $930 unlocked, and a little more on most major U.S. carriers. AT&T has it for $950, or $31.67 per month for 30 months on AT&T Next. Verizon’s selling it for $960, or $40 per month for 24 months.

We’ll defer a decision here until the price of the V30 is confirmed.

Winner: Tie

Overall winner: Tie (for now)

The V30 and Galaxy Note 8 are pretty evenly matched. Both have speedy processors, long-lasting batteries, and unique software features you won’t find on any other device. But ultimately, they’re designed for different people.

The Note 8 is a powerful phone built around Samsung’s S Pen stylus. If you’re not a pencil-and-paper person and can’t see yourself using features like Translate and Magnify, you’re paying a premium for a feature you won’t use.

For budding directors and people who enjoy shooting home movies, the LG V30 is certain to appeal. We’re not convinced that the Note 8’s extra RAM or the LG V30’s Quad DAC will sway opinions either way, and the jury’s out on how the V30 and Galaxy Note 8’s cameras compare. Ultimately, we need a little more time with these phones to crown a winner, but what we can say with certainty is that you won’t be disappointed with either.

Moleskine’s Smart Writing Set digitizes your notes with a smartpen and notebook

Why it matters to you

Want the nostalgia of a notebook with the convenience of a tablet? Moleskine bridges that gap.

Moleskine may trace its history to a more nostalgic time, branding itself as the “heir and successor to the legendary notebook used by artists and thinkers over the past two centuries,” but now, it’s getting a bit of a modern twist. Last year, the company unveiled its new Smart Writing Set, which promises to work together with a smart pen and an app to instantly digitize notes and sketches made on paper. And now, the company has added to the line with its Smart Planner, which combines your old-school paper planner with some new-age technology. It’s a far cry from the notebooks used by Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, and Bruce Chatwin — but hey, if they had this kind of technology available to them, they probably would have championed it too.

Thanks to the special Paper Tablet notebook, the smart Pen+, the companion app, and now the Smart Planner, you will be able to digitally edit and share what you create on paper in real time, all without ever having to take a photo, upload, or scan anything at all.

The Paper Tablet is certainly reminiscent of a traditional Moleskine, but is “specially marked” with a grid of little dots so that the pen knows exactly what you’re marking down. It’s still paper, but makes use of invisible NCode technology by NeoLAB Convergence embedded within each page. The pen itself is quite the technological achievement — a small, embedded camera is responsible for a lot of the magic, keeping track of your scribbles and converting them to a digital format. And of course, the app allows you to access all your work in various, non-paper media, and share everything with just about everyone.

The Planner, like its Paper Tablet notebook, uses real paper that is embedded with sensors that both read and sync anything and everything written using the Moleskine Pen+. Once you note a new meeting or appointment in your planner, it will automatically be transferred to your Google or Apple account. That way, you can continue practicing your penmanship and save your thumbs.

The set doesn’t come cheap, launching at $199 for the Pen+ and the Paper Tablet. But considering what you are paying for their normal, non-advanced notebooks, maybe this isn’t such a splurge after all. The Planner will set you back an additional $29.

Update: Moleskine adds the Smart Planner to its Smart Writing Set. 

Moleskine’s Smart Writing Set digitizes your notes with a smartpen and notebook

Why it matters to you

Want the nostalgia of a notebook with the convenience of a tablet? Moleskine bridges that gap.

Moleskine may trace its history to a more nostalgic time, branding itself as the “heir and successor to the legendary notebook used by artists and thinkers over the past two centuries,” but now, it’s getting a bit of a modern twist. Last year, the company unveiled its new Smart Writing Set, which promises to work together with a smart pen and an app to instantly digitize notes and sketches made on paper. And now, the company has added to the line with its Smart Planner, which combines your old-school paper planner with some new-age technology. It’s a far cry from the notebooks used by Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, and Bruce Chatwin — but hey, if they had this kind of technology available to them, they probably would have championed it too.

Thanks to the special Paper Tablet notebook, the smart Pen+, the companion app, and now the Smart Planner, you will be able to digitally edit and share what you create on paper in real time, all without ever having to take a photo, upload, or scan anything at all.

The Paper Tablet is certainly reminiscent of a traditional Moleskine, but is “specially marked” with a grid of little dots so that the pen knows exactly what you’re marking down. It’s still paper, but makes use of invisible NCode technology by NeoLAB Convergence embedded within each page. The pen itself is quite the technological achievement — a small, embedded camera is responsible for a lot of the magic, keeping track of your scribbles and converting them to a digital format. And of course, the app allows you to access all your work in various, non-paper media, and share everything with just about everyone.

The Planner, like its Paper Tablet notebook, uses real paper that is embedded with sensors that both read and sync anything and everything written using the Moleskine Pen+. Once you note a new meeting or appointment in your planner, it will automatically be transferred to your Google or Apple account. That way, you can continue practicing your penmanship and save your thumbs.

The set doesn’t come cheap, launching at $199 for the Pen+ and the Paper Tablet. But considering what you are paying for their normal, non-advanced notebooks, maybe this isn’t such a splurge after all. The Planner will set you back an additional $29.

Update: Moleskine adds the Smart Planner to its Smart Writing Set. 

Microsoft gives users 3 more months to upgrade from Windows 10 S to Pro for free

Why it matters to you

If you’ve been holding off upgrading your Surface Laptop from Windows 10 S to Windows 10 Pro, you now have a few extra months to make up your mind.

Microsoft’s Surface Laptop is the first system to run Windows 10 S, a stripped-down version of the company’s flagship operating system designed with low-end hardware in mind. However, anyone that picked up the laptop was given the opportunity to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro free of charge for a limited time and they are being given a three-month extension.

Originally, Surface Laptop owners had until the end of 2017 to take advantage of the offer of a free Windows 10 Pro upgrade. Now, the promotion will run until March 31, 2018, at which point it will cost $49 to apply the upgrade, according to a report from On MSFT.

The biggest difference between Windows 10 S and Windows 10 Pro is the latter’s capacity to run fully fledged Win32 apps, rather than just having access to content from the Windows Store. It is fair to say that the Pro version is essential if you want to use the Surface Laptop as you would a standard PC.

However, there are distinct advantages to running Windows 10 S, in certain circumstances. It is more efficient, so if Windows Store apps are all you need, it might be worth opting for better performance and improved battery life. It also offers enhanced security, which is a major selling point for schools and businesses.

All this being said, it would perhaps be wise for Surface Laptop owners who are on the fence to upgrade their system and take it for a test drive. Microsoft released a tool that allows for the process to be reserved, so it’s no trouble at all the revert back to Windows 10 S if you try out the Pro version and find that it’s not for you.

Microsoft also announced that the Surface Laptop is making its way to 20 more countries around the world, including Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the U.K.

The fact that the company is offering users the chance to upgrade from Windows 10 S for free should not suggest a lack of confidence in the OS variant — it os just designed for a very specific portion of its audience. Windows 10 S is intended to compete with Chrome OS, whereas the Pro version is more of a catch-all, so it makes sense for early adopters of the Surface Laptop to be given the chance to choose between the two options.

Not feeling hungry? Here’s how to clear cookies from your favorite web browser

Why it matters to you

Cookies are useful, but they can be a privacy issue as well. Here’s how to clear cookies from your favorite browser.

Cookies can be a tasty treat, but they can also be rather annoying, leaving crumbs on your keyboard. On a PC or mobile device, they can be just as aggravating, compromising your privacy, and filling up your storage. If you’re concerned about what websites are leaving behind, and how advertisers are accessing that data, we’ve provided instructions on how to clear cookies from the latest version of your favorite web browser.

So what are cookies, and why aren’t they delicious?

Cookies are small text files written by a web browser that contain information about your interaction with one specific site. They include information such as what you shoved into a virtual shopping cart, you username for logging into the site (not the password), products you viewed during your last visit, and any other information that could be used to tailor the visit just for your needs.

Typically, cookies pose no threat to your computer. But many cookies can compromise your privacy. That’s because advertising companies are prone to embedding cookies with web advertisements, allowing them to easily track your browsing history, and tailor ads toward your individual habits across multiple sites. It’s creepy, we know.

Cookies don’t take up much space on your hard drive. In fact, they’re extremely small, and should only be a concern for mobile devices with small amounts of storage. For instance, even without clearing the cookies in Chrome on PC for many, many months, we’ve only accumulated around 4MB worth of cookies. That said, the amount of volume they use isn’t troublesome; it’s the privacy risks that are difficult to ignore.

Wanting to toss your cookies because of one or all the aforementioned issues is understandable. But be warned: cookies have legitimate functions, and can be essential to the functionality of your favorite websites. Some sites just don’t work properly without them, so be careful with that cookie-smashing hammer!

Google Chrome

The Digital Trends staff voted Google Chrome as the best browser of 2017. It lets you easily delete cookies, control browsing data, and specify what sort of files Google Chrome should accept or block. Here’s how:

Access content settings: Click on the “Menu” tab in the upper-right corner, and select “Settings.” Once the new tab opens, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “Advanced.” This will expand the “Settings” page to include additional options.

The first expanded window you should see is the “Privacy and security” panel. Next, click on “Content settings,” and then select “Cookies.”

You may also simply type “chrome://settings/content/cookies” into your address bar, and Chrome will take you to your intended destination.

Cookie juggling: On the “Cookies” panel, you will see three toggles: allow sites to save and read cookie data (recommended), keep local data only until you exit Chrome, and block third-party cookies. This third option means advertisements won’t be able to read cookie data provided by a parent website, preventing them from using that information across multiple sites.

Smashing cookies: Google also provides options to block specific sites from leaving cookies, to allow specific sites to leave cookies, and to clear cookies left behind by specific websites when exiting Chrome. If you want to delete it all, click on the “Remove All” button, and you will be cookie-free. You can delete cookies individually, too.

Finally, if you’re curious as to where Chrome stores cookies on Windows 10, and how much space they take, the sole “Cookies” SQLite file can be found here:

C:Users<your_username>AppDataLocalGoogleChromeUser DataDefault

For Android, iOS: Access Chrome’s menu, go to “Settings,” and then find the “Privacy” tab under “Advanced” settings. From there, select “Clear Browsing Data” at the bottom, and check “Clear cookies and site data.” There are also options for clearing your naughty browser history, and removing space-eating cached images and files.

Mozilla Firefox

Mozilla’s Firefox browser came in second in our 2017 vote. The open-source browser actually offers more options than Chrome when it comes to customizing these settings.

Access custom settings: Click on the “Menu” three-lined icon in the top-right corner. In the drop-down menu, select “Options,” which will open a new “Preferences” tab. On this page, select “Privacy” listed on the menu to the left, and then head to the “History” section. Here you will need to choose “Use custom settings for history” in the drop-down menu located next to “Firefox will…”

For the impatient, simply use this address in a new tab: about:preferences#privacy

Cookie juggling: With the advanced history settings enabled, you should see an option to toggle on/off “Accept cookies from sites.” To the right, Mozilla provides an “Exceptions” button where you can control the cookie flow. These include blocking or allowing cookies from specific sites, and allowing a cookie from a specific site for only one browsing session. This is done by merely inserting the address of the website.

Next, you have the ability accept or deny third-party cookies, or accept third-party cookies from sites you already visited. You can also keep all cookies on the plate until they become stale, or clean the plate entirely once you close Firefox.

Smashing cookies: To manually delete cookies in Firefox, you’ll need to hit the “Show Cookies” button. A window appears with a search field for locating a specific cookie, and a list of all cookies stored on your device. You can hit the “Remove Selected” button to delete a highlighted cookie, or hit the “Remove All” button to nuke the entire cookie pile from your plate.

On Windows 10, this is the general area where Firefox keeps the cookie jar (cookies.sqlite):

C:Users<your_username>AppDataLocalMozillaFirefoxProfiles

Firefox (iOS): Tap the New Tab button (top right, with the number in it). Now tap the cog button in the top left of the screen. Scroll down to “Clear private data.” On the next screen, make sure “Cookies” is selected, then tap “Clear Private Data.”

Now, let’s move on to Apple Safari, Microsoft Edge, and Opera….

Get ready to get weird with the best indie games of PAX West 2017

Every year a ravenous horde descends on Seattle, Washington, devouring everything in its path like a biblical plague, leaving behind nothing but scattered bones, plastic badges, and free lanyards. It calls itself PAX West. The horde’s hunger is an endless hunger for games of all sorts, but this year included a savory feast of indie titles. Here are our picks for the best indie games of PAX West 2017. Buckle up — it’s gonna get weird.

Best in holes — Donut County

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You’re a hole in the ground. You swallow small objects to get bigger, to swallow bigger objects — sometimes snakes, sometimes fire. Also, there are talking animals, a post-apocalyptic hellscape, and a raccoon who broke his quad-copter. It’s a lot to take in. There’s nothing that can prepare you for Donut County besides playing Donut County, but there’s a unique charm to the store here that is wholly unexpected.

The most surprising part of the game is the narrative it uses to tell its story. This isn’t just Katamari Damacy with a different coat of paint. There’s a tale here, a mystery to be solved, a parable about the perils of donuts, and a trash panda who’s in way over his head.

Donut County will be coming out later this year on PC and iOS.

Best at being adorable — Moss

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In Moss, a VR game, you can befriend an adorable mouse warrior named Quill, and go on adventures together. Need we say more?

We covered this one at E3, but it deserves another mention, because this game was an absolute sensation at PAX West. Players of all ages were hooked on this game, all because of the charming little protagonist, Quill.

You help Quill as she fights her way through equally adorable enemies, and puzzles her way through dungeons

Moss developer Polyarc hid a few of its Quill figurines throughout the show floor, encouraging Twitter followers to search them out like tiny idols to a forgotten mouse goddess. This meant some enterprising fans took to stalking Polyarc developers all around the Washington State Convention Center, in hopes of seeing where next they would hide one of the precious sword-wielding rodentia.

The game itself is unusual for a PSVR title, in that it’s not a shooter or a tourism app. In fact, it’s a third person adventure game where you help Quill as she fights her way through equally adorable enemies, and puzzles her way through dungeons. You are her shepherd, her guardian, and her best friend.

Moss will arrive on PSVR in Winter 2017.

Best in ‘What Did I Just Play?’ — Wattam

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Wattam. Go ahead and Google it, we’ll wait.

Did you watch the video? Do you understand what the game is about? Okay. Let’s just start at the beginning. You’re a luminescent green cube. You sit in a field of grass. You have a hat. You come across a rock. The rock has arms now, and a face, and it wants to hold your hand.

The game only gets weirder from there. After you hang out with the rock for a while, another, larger rock wakes up, and you’re friends now. The same thing happens a few times before the pooping begins.

Yeah, there’s a big mouth, and when it eats things it, umm, excretes. Then the excrement grows arms, and it’s also your friend now.

There’s something refreshing about hopping into a game that tells you the bare minimum you need to accomplish a goal, and lets you figure it out on your own. That’s Wattam in a nutshell. It’s a therapeutic, relaxing game about befriending rocks, trees, and berries — then eating them.

Oh, and one other thing. It’s designed by Keita Takahashi, best known for the famously odd and awesome Katamari Damacy. Yes, that’s the second Katamari reference in this article, which should tell you just how weird PAX West was.

Wattam will likely come out in 2018, on PC and PS4.

Best in American Gothic Yarn-weaving — Where the Water Tastes like Wine

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Stories inform every aspect of our lives, from entertainment like books, movies, and TV, to the stories we tell ourselves about where we live, and who we are. Stories are malleable. They change with each telling, exchanging literal truth for figurative truth. That’s one piece of the puzzle that is Where the Water Tastes Like Wine.

It’s the kind of game that stirs your curiosity, and rewards it at every turn.

The trailer will give you a feel for the game, its spirit and language, but there’s a lot more here than we can unpack in a couple blurbs. At its heart, Where the Water Tastes Like Wine is a game about stories, and it’s your job in the game to keep these stories alive, to tell them and hear them told, transformed as they travel across dustbowl-era middle America.

It’s a bizarre game, but deeply satisfying. Playing it feels like cracking open a dog-eared book with a couple fingers of bourbon close at hand. It’s the kind of game that stirs your curiosity, and rewards it at every turn.

Where the Water Tastes like Wine is slated for release in 2017 on PC and MacOS, with other platforms TBA.

Best Dancing Vegetables — Ooblets

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In Ooblets you’ll spend a lot of your time gardening. You’ll plant some seeds, and watch ‘em grow into adorable, smiling little fruits and veggies. Then, when they’re ripe, you’ll pluck them from the earth and teach them how to fight.

Ooblets has been making the rounds at a few conventions, and each time it seems to pick up a few loyal followers who trail behind in its wake like a conga line of Shrumbos, Clickyclaws, and Glanters. Those are a few of my favorite Ooblets, and just like those of us eagerly anticipating the release of this game, they’ll trail around behind you as you walk around town introducing them to your neighbors.

Look around, and you’ll see the most common description of Ooblets is something to the effect of Pokemon meets Stardew Valley. That’s a good entry point, but there’s a bit more to it than that. Once you get your hands on this game, it becomes clear this is something new, original, and engaging on its own merits. Plus, neither of those games feature dancing nearly as prominently as Ooblets. Just check out these moves.

Ooblets doesn’t have a set release date just yet, but it will be coming out on PC and Xbox One.