ProtonMail Bridge offers encryption for your go-to email client

ProtonMail’s encrypted email app went live for everyone a year or so ago. The company offered a free VPN service just this past June and an encrypted contacts system just before Thanksgiving of this year. Now ProtonMail is enabling mainstream email app users safely send and receive email, too.

Called ProtonMail Bridge, the application runs in the background on your computer and will encrypt and decrypt email on the fly. It integrates your ProtonMail account with any email program that supports IMAP and SMTP, like Microsoft Outlook, Apple Mail and Mozilla Thunderbird. Setup takes a bit of effort, but ProtonMail has pictorial guides to help you through it for each email app. Using Bridge with your standard email client allows you to perform full-text searches, use multiple accounts and mass backup features; something you’re not able to do with the original ProtonMail itself.

Source: ProtonMail

Chrome for business isolates websites for added security

Google handed more security controls to G Suite admins in July, now it’s bolstering its browser’s defenses for business users too. Today’s Chrome 63 rollout brings with it site isolation, Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.3 for Gmail, and granular settings for extensions.

Last year, Microsoft claimed that Edge leapfrogged rivals in terms of protections by adding Virtualization Based Security (VBS) — which basically keeps the browser within a virtual “PC” and separate from other processes, among them the Windows 10 kernel. Google, on the other hand, is sticking with its sandbox tech.

With site isolation, Chrome can now render content for open websites in an individual process that is kept separate from other pages. If you don’t want a blanket approach, you can create a preset list of sites you want to isolate instead — Google suggests using it for your company intranet. The cost of the extra layer of protection is 10 to 20 percent increased memory usage.

Google’s browser already lets all-powerful admins blacklist specific extensions. Chrome 63 takes things a step further by allowing IT admins to restrict access to extensions based on the permissions required (like the use of webcam or microphone).

Chrome’s latest version also heralds the arrival of TLS 1.3 for Gmail: a protocol for secure communications on the internet. Google claims the previous version, standardized in 2008, is in need of an overhaul. And TLS 1.3 makes for a faster and more secure experience, with plans to bring it to the entire web in 2018. Google is recommending admins check its feedback forum to ensure your system is interoperable with it.

Looking ahead, there’s news that the next update (Chrome 64) will include support for the NTLMv2 authentication protocol, which is already the default in the Windows browser. It will become the default NTLM protocol in Chrome 65.

Source: Google

Keep yourself and your family safe with these 10 ways to prepare for a flood

Flooding is scary. During the floods that devastated Texas, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and many other areas this year, heavy rainfall and subsequent mass flooding caused evacuations, high-water rescues, and heavy damage. On average, more than 200 people die from floods each year.

Fortunately, there are plenty of things you can do in advance to help protect your family, home, and property from destructive flooding. Before you decide to build an ark, here are 10 ways you can prepare for a flood.

Get a weather radio and learn to understand emergency notifications

One of the first things you can do is buy a weather radio that can broadcast weather bulletins from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR) is a cross-country network of radio stations broadcasting continual weather information directly from the closest National Weather Service Office. These stations broadcast a variety of emergency notifications including flood watches and warnings, flash flood watches and warnings, and evacuation notices.

Research Your flood risk

Learn in advance whether your area is susceptible to flooding. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) maintains online flood maps to show the locations and risk levels in specific geographic areas. You can also contact your county planning division to get an assessment of your flood risk.

Prepare emergency supply kits for your home, work, and car

Ready.gov is an excellent governmental resource for information on how to prepare for inclement weather and other disasters. Here’s a great checklist of what to pack in your emergency kits, which should be standardized for your home, workplace, and car so they can be easily accessed in the event of an emergency.

Establish your evacuation route

Knowing your way in and out of your immediate geographic vicinity and how to navigate your community when it’s flooded could save your life. You will need to keep to higher ground if you do evacuate. All family members should know where they are supposed to meet, and that information should be written down. Go over these plans with your family to ensure that everyone knows what they should do.

Have a plan for communicating with family members

During an emergency, sending texts or instant messages can be faster than a phone call. All family members also need to have a family contact that is out of the immediate geographic area, in the event information needs to be passed through a third party.

Raise up appliances, other items to protect them from damage

Flooding can cause substantial damage not only to your home but also to your property, including sensitive appliances. Raising up major appliances and electrical outlets can help keep them from being flooded. You can always get inspiration from these flood-proof homes.

Save your important documents

Copy, save, or upload to the cloud important papers and documents including insurance policies, photographs of your stuff and your home, and any other important records like leases or birth certificates.

Protect your drains from increasing the damage

A house’s water and sewage systems are particularly prone to flood damage, making a big mess even harder to clean up. Installing a sump pump, which dispels water from basements and other low-lying areas, can help with this risk. You can also use backflow valves in toilets, drains, and sinks to prevent floodwaters from backing up.

Stockpile emergency supplies

In addition to having your emergency kit handy so you can get to it quickly if you have to evacuate, you can take other steps to help prepare for flooding. Storing valuables, medication, and chemicals (separately) in a higher place is a good first step. If your risk for flooding is particularly high, you might consider stockpiling emergency materials that might be needed, such as plywood, plastic sheets, nails, a hammer and saw, a crowbar, shovels, and sandbags before the flood arrives. Or, like this guy, you can build your own dam.

Manage your financial risk

The best way to manage your financial risk and protect your home is to buy flood insurance. Flood insurance is available across the country for homeowners, renters, and business owners. Homeowner’s insurance doesn’t typically cover flood damage, so this insurance has to be purchased separately and any claims filed separately from homeowner’s insurance. Visit Floodsmart.gov to get an estimate of the pricing for flood insurance for your geographic location/address.

With these tips in mind, you should be much better prepared in case flooding becomes a dangerous situation in your neighborhood. If you have been evacuated, do not return until authorities broadcast that it is safe. You’ll also want to let friends and family know that you are safe. Checking in on social media or using the Safe And Well website sponsored by the American Red Cross can be a quick and useful way to broadcast that you are out of harm’s way.

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Looking for a new set of wheels? Here’s our guide on how to finance a car

Thinking about getting a sweet new ride lately? You aren’t alone. The automobile industry in America had its biggest sales year in history during 2016, delivering around 17.55 million new cars and trucks. The previous high water mark was set back in 2007, just before the bottom fell out of the housing market and took the rest of the economy with it. After slumping along for years, the industry is back and sales are positively booming.

Some of the reasons for the boom are pretty easy to identify, like a recovering economy, low gas prices, and a whole lot of pent-up demand as people finally replace the old cars they’ve been nursing through the recession. But the biggest hidden factor? Confidence. People who are pretty sure that they will have a job going forward are willing to take on some debt to get a new car.

People who aren’t sure tend to put off big purchases. Right now we’re pretty confident, at least on average. If you’re one of the 17.55 million people with your head held high who are thinking about some new (or new to you) wheels, you have some homework to do, but don’t worry, we’re here to help. Here’s our guide on how to finance a car.

Unless you’re doing well enough to pay cash for the new car of your choice, you’re going to be financing the purchase. To get the best possible deal, you need to shop for money just as carefully as you shop for your new car. That means evaluating the specifications, looking at your comfort level, and really just figuring out what you can afford. Like any sales process, there are many companies competing for your business and they stand to make a lot of money from your decision. It’s important to read the fine print and run the numbers to make sure you’re getting the best deal. Say it again with me, now, “Run the numbers.”

Does This Deal Pencil Out?

Car dealers and finance companies throw a lot of numbers at you. Maybe they ask how much you’d like your monthly payment to be? That makes sense because most of us live on a budget, and a lower payment means more money for other things. Sometimes they’ll pitch you on a low interest rate, or cash back, or something else. Here’s a good rule to remember — car dealers and finance companies need to make money on every sale, and they will never offer you a deal where they don’t make money. If they don’t make money on the interest rate, they’ll make money on the purchase price. That’s not a bad thing, but it’s up to you to figure out the details.

Car dealers and finance companies need to make money on every sale, and they will never offer you a deal where they don’t make money.

If you assume that the purchase price of the car is fixed, you can get a lower monthly payment by extending the term of your loan. You’ll pay less every month on a six-year loan than if you pay the same amount back in just three years. But if you total it all up, you’ll pay more overall for the longer loan. Don’t worry about your math skills. There are calculators online to help you with the arithmetic. Wallethub.com has a good one here.

For example, if you borrow $32,000 for three years at three-percent interest, you’ll make 36 monthly payments of $931. At the end of three years, you will have paid $1,502 in interest and a total of $33,502 for your car. But if you take the same loan and pay it off over six years, you’ll make 72 monthly payments of $486. At the end of six years, you will have paid $3,006 in interest, and a total of $35,006 for your car.

There’s no right answer to which loan you should pick. Monthly payment amounts are important, and maybe $1,500 extra interest dollars over the next six years is no big deal. The important thing is that you should run the numbers on every competing finance offer so that you know what you’re signing. The variables are always the same — the purchase price, the interest rate, and the length of the loan.

Before we go on, what about the so-called “zero-percent” loans you see?  Let’s be real — no one is going to give you money for free. The profit on that deal is baked into the price of the vehicle rather than in your interest rate.

Where To Get The Best Loan, and Where to Avoid

Even though you’re going to run the numbers on any loan you consider, there are a few handy rules you can use to narrow down your choices. According to the 2016 Auto Financing Report from Wallethub, the best sources for financing are the automakers themselves or your credit union. The reasons are simple. The automakers really need to sell you a car, so they have a strong incentive to give you a good loan because they make their money on the car’s purchase price. Your credit union knows you’re good for the money and has lower costs, so they can offer you a good deal, too.

If you can’t get money from either of those sources, your next-best bet is a big national bank, but these are a distant second. Jill Gonzalez, an analyst at Wallethub, told Digital Trends that loans from automakers run about 33 percent below national average interest rates, and that credit union loans run about 32 percent below average. In comparison, national banks run about two percent below the average, and regional banks run a whopping 33 percent above average.

Gonzalez also has some advice about places to avoid.

“Consumers should stay clear from community and small banks, which have the highest loan interest rates for used cars,” she says.

Here’s a final tip — if you walk into a dealership with your credit union financing already approved and understood, you have a much stronger negotiating position on purchase price because there are fewer variables on the table.

The Dreaded Credit Score

Ok, here’s where it gets nasty. Every adult in America has a credit score, and your credit score more or less dictates how much interest you have to pay on any given loan. Because a lower credit score means a bigger chance that you won’t be able to pay back the loan, lenders charge a higher rate to cover that risk. But here’s the thing — different lenders have very different loan options for people with less-than-excellent credit, so if you’ve got a few financial skeletons in the closet, running the numbers on every potential loan becomes even more important.

Gonzalez has some advice for people who are still restoring their credit after the recession.

Use common sense. No one is going to give you money for free.

“The best option is to build or rebuild their credit score as much as they can before buying a car. The average interest rate for buyers with excellent credit has fallen nearly 32 percent since the beginning of 2014. Overall, buyers who have fair credit will end up spending about six times more to finance a vehicle than someone with excellent credit, which equates to $6,176 in additional interest payments over the life of a $20,000, five-year loan,” she tells Digital Trends.

Credit scores are set in a range from 300 to 850, and they’re tracked by several corporations. A score of 300 means someone who is really in trouble. A score of 850 means you’re financially angelic. For reference, Wallethub says an excellent credit score in 2016 is considered to be more than 720. Wallethub says fair credit is about 620-659. But it’s important to note that different organizations draw the fair, good, and excellent lines in different places, and where they draw the lines can have a big impact on the rates they want from you. Credit scores aren’t always accurate, either, so it pays to check. Always run the numbers, starting with looking up your credit score from at least one service.

Will This Boom Last?

Everyone hopes the boom will last. Booms are fun and lots of people make money. But financiers are cold-eyed assessors of risk and reward, and they always look at the big picture.

“Auto loan debt is going to increase in the next couple of years as the economy is strengthening and pent-up demand is being met, but the high share of car loans from subprime borrowers might affect interest rates in the years to come,” Gonzalez says. “This is a cause for concern – America’s collective car debt has now reached $1.05 trillion, clearly proving that this is a trend based on low gas prices and low interest rates.”

So, if interest rates rise and the price of gas goes up, or if there’s a general stock market crash and consumer confidence is destroyed, things could change quite rapidly. That doesn’t mean you have to buy today, but rather that you should keep an eye on the market while you take your time and seek out the very best deals you can get. If consumer confidence crashes and sales collapse, that could lead to lower prices and lower rates as automakers scramble to sell cars. If gas prices stay low while the economy continues to grow, interest rates and sales prices could rise. You’d have better luck predicting spring weather, so concentrate on your own situation and get the best deal you possibly can.

Oh, and do be sure to run the numbers.

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Google partnering with Qualcomm and MediaTek for Android Go devices

Both Qualcomm and MediaTek will be supporting Google’s initiative for entry-level devices in developing markets.

At an event in India this week, Google officially launched Android Go. Android Go is a smaller and more lightweight version of the Android OS that’s designed to be more efficient on less powerful hardware, and following this, both Qualcomm and MediaTek have announced plans to support the platform.

On the Qualcomm side of things, we’ll soon see both low and mid-tier Snapdragon processors made available to OEMs that are working on devices powered by Android Go. Per Vice President of Product Management, Nancy Fares:

We are excited to implement Android Oreo (Go edition) within the Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile platform family as it will enable consumers around the world to experience a more robust operating system for lower cost smartphones. Android Oreo (Go edition) delivers an optimized Android user experience key for emerging regions where lower bill of materials costs are especially attractive, as well as in established regions for pre-paid and lifeline uses.

As for MediaTek, the company’s MT6739, MT6737, and MT6580 processors now all support hardware running Android Go. The MT6739 and MT6737 SoCs will be used for 4G devices, whereas the MT6580 will be used for 3G ones.

Commenting on this announcement, MediaTek’s General Manager of Wireless Communication, TL Lee, said:

Today’s announcement builds upon our existing work with Google, including our recent collaboration on Google’s GMS Express to speed up the certification process. With Android Oreo (Go edition), we are partnering with Google to tackle the performance challenges of lower memory phones, improving the user experience of entry level smartphones for consumers in key markets across India, the Middle East & Africa, Latin America and South East Asia.

Both Qualcomm and MediaTek are expected to have their processors in Android Go hardware in early 2018.

Google launches Android Oreo (Go edition) for entry-level phones

OKCupid hopes interest searches will replace swipes in dating apps

The yes-or-no swipe is the de facto way to find matches in dating apps these days, but it has its limits. Do you really want to sift through dozens of people just to find the one or two that share your interests? Even those sites that do offer search tend to focus just on basics like age or relationship goals. OKCupid, at least, thinks it can do better. It’s launching a Discovery feature that lets you search for people who share similar interests. If you want to find a fellow geek or won’t date someone unless they share your fondness for macramé, you can cut to the chase and find only the matches you care about.

The feature should be available on the desktop web right now and within OKCupid’s iOS app. The Android version should come soon after. Also, don’t be surprised if this spreads to other dating services as well. Remember, OKCupid’s parent company Match Group also owns Tinder, Plenty of Fish and Match.com. If these interest searches succeed, swiping could eventually seem old-fashioned.

Source: OKCupid, App Store

The world’s smallest Mona Lisa is made from DNA

Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa painting isn’t actually that big (30 inches tall), but Caltech researchers have found a way to make that seem downright gargantuan. They’ve used DNA to construct the smallest known Mona Lisa. At several hundred nanometers across, they’re roughly as large as a lone E. coli bacterium — the iconic smile is just 100nm wide. The trick was an adaptation of a DNA “origami” method that got the gene strands to fold and assemble into the right shape.

The Mona Lisa is divided into squares, each of which is folded by using one long DNA strand manipulated by “staples” (short, custom-designed strands) that bind to and pull on it. After that, it’s a matter of attaching the squares to a DNA canvas. You do that by isolating each square into a test tube and combining them in progressively larger squares (2×2, 4×4 and finally 8×8) until Mona Lisa shows her mysterious face. Each square has edges designed only to join in a specific way, so the wrong pieces can’t attach to each other by mistake.

As you can use a combination of software and automatic liquid handling to make these mini paintings, you’re really just limited by your creativity — the team also ‘drew’ portraits of bacteria and a rooster to show what was possible. And that, in turn, could lead to more practical uses. DNA-based nanostructures like this could help build extremely dense circuits, exotic organic materials or just tests for chemical and molecular interactions. This might not be the smallest piece of art you’ve ever seen, but the technology behind it could be incredibly useful beyond recreating masterpieces.

Source: Caltech

Apple Store App Updated With iOS 11 Enhancements and Support for iPhone Purchases Without Carrier Pre-Activation

Apple today updated its Apple Store app to version 4.4, introducing iOS 11 enhancements and a new scanner feature for quickly adding your credit card information at checkout.

According to the release notes, the app update also allows customers to bypass pre-authorization and activate later on full price purchases of iPhones, a purchasing option that has been available for the iPhone X on the Apple Store website since November.

What’s New in Version 4.4
– iOS 11 enhancements
– Scanner now available to easily add your credit card information at checkout
– Customers now have the option to bypass pre-authorization and activate later on full price purchases of iPhones on AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint

The Apple Store app is Apple’s iOS storefront, allowing customers to find and purchase a range of Apple products and accessories. It can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Tags: App Store, Apple retail, Apple Store
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These gloriously geeky earrings pull double duty as a two-factor security key

The YubiKey is a great idea: a plug-and-play hardware authentication device that you plug into a USB port and that, after you hit a button, enters an encrypted password so you can log into Gmail, Facebook, or assorted other online services without risk. But as great as YubiKey is for making two-factor authentication that extra bit more secure, it has a problem — namely the fact that the tiny device is just a bit too easy to lose. Some folks have tried to counter this by storing their YubiKey on a keychain. Engineer Samantha Goldstein (whose Twitter account hails her as “no. 1 girl of your memes”) has a far more stylish security solution, however. She has created pair of earrings designed to store a YubiKey, and they can be yours for $40 a pop on Etsy.

“I carry around a lot of gadgets in my normal life: a badge, a cellphone, computer, YubiKey, [and more],” Samantha Goldstein told Digital Trends. “And I have a habit of misplacing things — right now I am looking for my wallet! My work helps me fill in the gaps by making it easy to keep my gadgets handy. In the past, I’ve also made rings to replace my security badge to enter buildings, and I’ve dabbled a bit in soft circuits and light-up clothes.”

The laser-cut earrings are made using wood and acrylic for the base section, along with sterling silver posts. The YubiKey slides into this base portion like a pocket so that it won’t get misplaced. It’s a simple solution, but a neat one — and bonus points for totally being something we could imagine being worn by a female secret agent (or, heck, a fashion-conscious male one) in a James Bond flick.

If you’re interested in getting your hands (followed by your ear lobes) on Goldstein’s smart earrings, you can currently order them on her Etsy online store. We don’t know how many she’s planning to make, but these would definitely make a great Christmas gift for the right tech lover in your life. Heck, you could even use the YubiKey they contain to log into a public computer to send some festive emails over the holiday season!

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Oculus adds desktop functionality and revamps Home in Rift Core 2.0 update

As Oculus Touch celebrates its first anniversary, its creator has introduced a far-reaching update to the Rift. Core 2.0, now in beta, aims to provide a better link between the headset and your PC in order to get the best possible results out of both pieces of hardware.

Perhaps the most impactful functionality introduced as part of this update is Dash, which makes it easier to switch between apps and interact with friends without taking off your headset.

One intriguing component of Dash is Oculus Desktop, a feature that presents your standard Windows desktop and traditional apps in virtual reality. The Dash interface can be pulled up at any time, giving easy access to your friends list, frequently used apps, and other content.

Next, there’s Home, which has been rebuilt from the ground up. Users can now customize their virtual living space, adding decorative collectibles and even some interactive items.

There’s currently one room layout with a few hundred built-in items — a blog post announcing the Core 2.0 software update teased some “rare masterpieces” created by the Oculus Rex team, who were responsible for First Contact and Dreamdeck. Over time, these customization options will grow.

New items are unlocked by donning the Rift and spending time in VR, although there will be a limit on how many item packs users can earn during the beta. Trophies and game cartridges are tied to particular achievements and the games present in your library. Some upcoming additions will draw from community creations, and there will even be a way to decorate Home with sculptures from Oculus Medium.

Home will also let users hang out with one another in real time. Although this functionality won’t be ready for the beta, it’s said to be one of the team’s top priorities going forward – and you’ll still be able to visit other users’ spaces in the upcoming preview.

To opt into the Oculus Core 2.0 beta, Rift owners need to join the Public Test Channel. Testers are encouraged to provide detailed feedback so that the development team can address some of the ways its currently “rough around the edges,” and introduce new features in a timely manner.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Here’s everything you need to know about the new Oculus headsets and software
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