The Library of Congress will start limiting its Twitter archives in 2018

It doesn’t seem odd anymore that governments might want to save Twitter archives for historical purposes, what with all the attention our president gets for his contributions to the platform. The UK has been saving tweets and YouTube videos as historic media since 2014, while our own Library of Congress made it a practice since 2010. Now, however, the folks who manage the Twitter archive at the Library of Congress have announced that as of January 1st, they will only save tweets “on a selective basis.”

According to a blog post by Gayle Osterberg of the Library of Congress, the program will maintain the archive of tweets from 2006 – 2010, and will continue to acquire tweets on a selective basis. A white paper on the change says that, in general, tweets archived will be “thematic and event-based, including events such as elections, of themes of ongoing national interest, e.g. public policy.”

The white paper also points out that the volume of tweets has increased dramatically over time since 2010, and that its text-only archives miss important visual information of recent tweets. The Library feels that the first 12 years of tweets represent the rise of an important social media, and that the full-text collection can now be limited. “The Library generally does not collect comprehensively,” says the white paper. “Given the unknown direction of social media when the gift was first planned, the Library made an exception for public tweets. With social media now established, the Library is bringing its collecting practice more in line with its collection policies.”

Via: CNET

Source: Library of Congress

Google might set up Pixel 2 retail stores in India

India is the world’s second largest smartphone market, second only to China. It makes sense, then, that Google would want to push hard to sell its Pixel 2 phones in the region. According to a new report at The Economic Times, the company is planning to open brick and mortar retail stores in India to do just that.

The report notes that Google is considering opening “experience centers” in the country, where customers can try out the Pixel 2 phones. One anonymous source said that the company might roll out the stores in later 2018, while another source said the company had added a senior Apple executive to its retail plans. Apparently, Google has been happy with the interest people in the region have shown in several pop-up stores in malls like High Street Phoenix in Mumbai and Select Citywalk, Promenade, Mall of India in Delhi-NCR. The Economic Times also reports that two other “prominent” malls in india have seen requests to open Google retail space. “They got a flavor of how physical stores are also important because you can’t explain many of the features online,” a top mall executive told the site.

While Google hasn’t confirmed the reports, setting up retail in India could help the company compete with Apple and Samsung, as well as Chinese-made phones from XIaomi, Vivo and Oppo, notes The Economic Times. We’ve reached out to Google for comment and will update this post when we hear back.

Source: The Economic Times

Live trivia hit HQ comes to Android on January 1st

Intermedia Labs is making good on its promise to deliver HQ for Android by the holidays, if only just. The company has revealed that it’s planning to make its previously iOS-only live trivia show available to “all” Android users by January 1st. The app arrived in limited beta on Christmas, and Intermedia is “working quickly” to expand availability over the following week. In short, just wait until the new year if you can’t jump in right away.

The hype around HQ comes from its simple but involving concept: you tune into a live, twice-daily trivia game show where there’s a chance of winning real cash (in some cases, thousands of dollars). The questions are softballs at first, but they get progressively harder to the point where just a small fraction of players might last until the end. That combination of “appointment” gaming and real stakes has led to hundreds of thousands of people playing during each show. The addition of Android should expand the audience even further, or at least reduce the chances of this being a short-lived fad.

Source: HQ Trivia (Twitter), Google Play

How to Erase Your Old iPhone or iPad Before Selling It or Trading It In

If you got a new iPhone or iPad for Christmas, you may have an old one that you’re ready to sell or trade in to get a bit of extra cash. You’ll want to make sure to adequately erase everything on it to get it ready for its next owner.

There are only a few steps to follow so it take you just a few minutes to clean up an old iOS device. Here’s what to do:

Unpair Your Apple Watch

If you’re selling your iPhone and have an Apple Watch linked to it, you’re going to want to unpair it first.

Make sure your iPhone and Apple Watch are close to each other.
Open up the Apple Watch app on the iPhone.
Choose the “My Watch” tab.
Select the Apple Watch you want to unpair and tap the “i” button.
Tap “Unpair Apple Watch.”
Tap a second time to confirm.
You’ll need to enter your Apple ID password to turn off Activation Lock.

Turn Off Find My iPhone

Most trade-in sites won’t accept your old iPhone or iPad if Find My iPhone isn’t disabled, and if you sell an iOS device with the feature still turned on, the new owner won’t be able to use it, creating a huge hassle for both of you.

Find My iPhone needs to be turned off because it’s tied to Activation Lock. A phone that’s linked to your iCloud account through Find My iPhone can’t be used by anyone who doesn’t have your Apple ID and password.

Open the Settings app.
Tap on your name to open your account settings.
Tap “iCloud.”
Scroll down to “Find My iPhone.”
Tap it.
Tap the toggle to turn it off.
To turn off Find My iPhone, you’ll need to enter your Apple ID password as an extra security measure, which is designed to keep someone who has your unlocked iPhone from turning the feature off.

After Find My iPhone is off, it’s time to erase everything on your iPhone. Before you do this, make sure you have an iCloud backup and that there’s nothing stored on your device that you’re going to miss.

Open the Settings app.
Choose “General.”
Scroll down to the bottom of the menu.
Select “Reset.”
Choose “Erase all Content and Settings.”
You’ll need to enter your device passcode if you have one set.
Tap Erase iPhone, then tap it again to confirm.
If you didn’t already turn off Find My iPhone, it will be turned off at this juncture and your device will be removed from your iCloud account.Your iPhone will switch over to an Apple loading screen as the erasing process starts. It will take a few minutes for the device to be fully erased, but once it’s done and boots up again, your old iPhone or iPad is clean, unassociated with your Apple ID, and ready to be sold.
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The Vivofit 4 from Garmin is a wearable you’ll actually wear all day long

As useful as your activity tracker may seem in theory, it’s a whole lot less effective in practice if you’re constantly taking it off to charge the battery, protect it from your shower, or save it from your swim. After all, that represents quite a bit of activity that you’re tracker is not keeping tabs on. But here to solve for that inefficiency is Garmin, who has debuted the Vivofit 4. Promising a yearlong battery life and a sunlight-readable, always-on color display, this is one wearable that’s really meant to be worn — all the time. Capable of going in the pool and in your bath alike, this activity tracker also claims to have a comfortable band, so there really shouldn’t be a reason for you to ever take this guy off.

“An activity tracker is only as effective as how often you wear it, and this is where the Vivofit 4 really shines — you can set it and forget it,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin vice president of worldwide sales. “It’s the ideal device for customers who want something reliable that they don’t need to hassle with or take off to recharge.”

Said to work right out of the box, the Vivofit 4 does just about everything your standard activity tracker will do. You can count your steps, set activity reminders, or have the smartwatch assign daily step goals based on your activity levels to propel you toward a healthier lifestyle.

If you’re looking for slightly more advanced functionality, you can pair the Vivofit 4 with a smartphone. With the help of your mobile device, the activity tracker can keep tabs on your sleep habits, and thanks to Move IQ, the Vivofit 4 can instantly adjust to any changes in your movement. So if you move from a walk to a run to an elliptical, the wearable can keep up.

Of course, the Vivofit 4 can also serve simply as a watch, featuring a countdown timer, stopwatch, and multiple alarms. And with the weather widget, you need only to look at your wrist to determine whether you need an umbrella.

The Garmin Connect app will allow users to customize the Vivofit 4, adding different watch faces, color themes, or personalized text. And if you want to personalize the watch even further, you can purchase the interchangeable accessory bands. Available in White, Limegreen Speckled, and Black color variations, the Vivofit 4 is available now for $80.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best fitness trackers you can buy
• Garmin Vivosport (2017) review
• Make some time for the best smartwatch deals available right now
• $70 Huawei Band 2 Pro shows the right stats to measure your fitness progress
• Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro review

These 5 Apps Are Almost Guaranteed To Help You Save Money On Your Cellphone Plan

There’s an app for everything — even saving some money every month on your phone bill!

Everyone likes to save a little cash when it comes time to pay the monthly cell phone bill. Once you’ve done all your homework and found the plan that’s best for you from the company that offers the best service there are still a few things you can do to make sure you’re not spending too much on things you don’t need or want. Like everything else, there are apps for that!

Here are five apps that can help you trim a little fat from your monthly phone bill.

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My Data Manager

You should only be paying for the data you need. While some carriers like Google’s Project Fi only bill for the exact amount of data you use each month, most companies don’t give credit for data paid for but not used. That means paying for the right amount is pretty important.

Ways to monitor how much data you use are probably built into your phone, but the best way to make sure we use any software utility is to make it easy. Enter My Data Manager. Track how much data you use through mobile and Wi-Fi with roaming data accounted for separately, keep track of voice minutes and text messages, track shared or family plan data totals and more all from one app or home screen widget. Finally, My Data Manager also has what’s called a Plan Matcher that keeps track of plans offered in the U.S. and can help make sure you’re using the right one based on your usage history.

Download: My Data Manager (free)

WhatsApp

Stop paying for texts or for any international texting plan. Just stop right now!

WhatsApp was designed to replace SMS plans from the ground up because in most places around the world texting isn’t “free” or built into the monthly plan costs — just like international messaging for many plans in the U.S. And there are now over a billion daily users because it’s really good at it. Spending the extra money to text a friend or relative overseas is crazy when you can do it better for free.

Download: WhatsApp Messenger (free)

Skype

Those same friends and relatives who are outside the U.S. might enjoy a phone call every now and then, too. Of course, those aren’t usually part of your “free unlimited voice calls” either.

Skype is to voice calls what WhatsApp is to texting — a better way to do it that doesn’t cost any extra cash. Both parties install the free app and set up an account with Microsoft (you probably already have one of these anyway) and you can make calls that usually have the same or better quality than they would if you just called the “regular” phone number.

There are a ton of apps that can do this, but since Microsoft is behind Skype we’re pretty sure it’s here to stay and isn’t suddenly going to stop working. As a plus, you can use Skype on any computer with internet access, too.

Download: Skype (free)

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Your cable company’s Wi-Fi network

Chances are you have cable television, and chances are the company you pay for it offers a Wi-Fi network you can use with your account login.

The way this works is through an app that notices when a Wi-Fi hotspot through your cable company (Comcast, Time Warner, AT&T, whoever) and when it finds one you connect through it instead of your data plan.

It’s “free” as in its part of your monthly cable bill, it’s secure because it’s not a public Wi-Fi network and it’s automatic so you won’t need to remember to do anything. All you need to do is install the right app and set it up.

• Xfinity WiFi
• TWC WiFi finder
• Cox Connect
• Ask your cable company for more info

Datally

Datally is a relatively new service from Google you’ve probably never heard of. But you will be glad you did if you want to see about saving some money on your cell phone bill.

It’s a data monitor with a twist — it also uses your phone’s built-in tools to set up a local VPN (no data goes to Google or outside of your phone, ever) that can block or manually dole out data access to specific apps that you define. Use this in tandem with My Data Manager to find the very best plan that fits your needs and stop paying any extra money.

Download Datally (free)

Alternative carriers (MVNOS)

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• Mint SIM vs. Cricket Wireless: Which is better for you?

Canadians save big on Boxing Day with dozens of Amazon sales

Hey, hey, it’s Boxing Day!

Amazon Canada is celebrating the holiday with dozens of sales covering everything from printers to headphones to KitchenAid stand mixers. Many of the products on sale are down to their lowest prices ever, and there’s just a huge variety to choose from.

These are the best sales going on right now:

• 40% off Corsair products including the Strafe mechanical keyboard for $87.99 (from $120) and the Void Pro RGB gaming headset for $89.99 (from $130)
• Sennheiser HD 598 open-back heapdhones for $109 (from $160)
• KitchenAid Ultra Power Series 4.5-quart stand mixer for $249 (from $350) – There are several attachments on sale as well
• Up to 40% off gaming laptops and PC components including brands like SteelSeries, Cooler Master, and more
• Lucid 10-inch memory foam Full XL mattress for $244.99 (from $350) – Check out all the other mattresses on sale right now
• Up to 30% off AmazonBasics rechargeable batteries, HDMI cables, and more
• Up to 30% off surge protectors and battery backups from APC and CyberPower
• Miracle-Gro AeroGarden Sprout LED for $64.95 (from $100)
• Tekton 27-piece Bit and Driver Kit for Electronics for $9.75 (from $13) – Plus other tools, chests, and kits on sale
• Up to 50% off Samsung wearables including Bluetooth earbuds, virtual reality headsets, and smartwatches

See on Amazon

How to use an iTunes gift card as an Android user

Gift cards are great if you get one you’ll actually use. When you get one you won’t, that’s when things can get complicated.

It’s rude to refuse a gift card, and they seldom come with gift receipts because people don’t think they’re going to return gift cards. I mean, who returns store credit?! Well, I would. Cash is more helpful to me than an iTunes gift card, but here we are. At least I know I’m not alone — we’ve all received gift cards that seem like a White Elephant.

Well, there’s more than one way to spend a gift card. Here are a few ways to utilize a gift card to a digital store you don’t use.

Before we go any further, go thank the person who gave you the card before you turn it into something useful.

Swap with a friend

Friends are awesome.

Have a friend who actually could use an iTunes gift card to buy apps for their iDevices? Have a friend who uses gift cards to reload their kiddos’ accounts rather than keeping a credit card on file? Ask them if they want to buy your card off you. You can do the transaction in person, and since you already know the person, you don’t really have to worry about them taking your gift card and running. This is likely the easiest way to swap your gift card for cash or a gift card to another store.

Regift physical cards

So long as they didn’t write your name on the card itself, you can keep the gift card and give it to someone down the line who could use it. Most major digital stores don’t have gift cards that expire, and you can just remove the card from the paper slip if your name was written on there. Buy a nifty maze gift card case — or just use a nice decorated Altoids tin — and regift away.

If you received a digital gift card in your email, that’s a little harder to regift. If the digital gift card came with a code, you can send those in another email/text, but they look a little odd. But hey, so long as they can use it, who cares?

Reddit Gift Card Exchange

This is a digital age where there are lots of people who want and need different gift cards out there, and Reddit has one of the better places online to try and swap them. Just as people can swap digital copy codes, PC parts, and all manner of interesting and insane gear on Reddit, the Reddit Gift Card Exchange is a subreddit dedicated to helping users safely and legitimately swap gift cards. Some people will buy gift cards from each other, some will swap for gift cards of equal value, and after Christmas, chances are higher you’ll be able to find someone willing to barter for your gift card.

Just be sure you read their guide and be prepared to lose a few dollars on the exchange. It was a gift anyway, and 85% of money on a store you do use beats 100% of money on a store you don’t.

Use it on Movies Anywhere-eligible films and music

Should you not be able to offload your card, or you just don’t want to hassle with it, don’t worry, there are some things you can do with your card. If the gift card you’re trying to blow is for iTunes or Vudu, then you can just do yourself a favor and buy films that are Movies Anywhere eligible. Movies Anywhere can connect and sync your movie library between iTunes, Vudu, Amazon Video, and Google Play, allowing you to buy movies at any of the four retailers and enjoy them on all four platforms. Not ever studio is onboard with Movies Anywhere yet, so check the film listing on the store and make sure it says it is Movies Anywhere eligible.

The other media that’s easily purchasable and shareable between digital retailers is music. If you have a digital gift card to burn, you can buy a few albums you’ve had your eye on and download them to your computer, or upload them to the music locker service of your choice. iTunes often has more albums on sale than Google Play, so this could be a golden opportunity to buy an album you haven’t found on your regular store.

New Android phone? Start here

Garmin Vivofit 4 announced with year-long battery and $80 price tag

Available today on Amazon.

Gamin’s Vivofit line of fitness trackers has proven to be respectable competition for the likes of Fitbit, Misfit, etc., and the latest in this series has just been announced as the Garmin Vivofit 4. The Vivofit 4 might not be as flashy as something like the Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro, but where it shines is with its battery performance and affordable price.

Unlike most fitness trackers that last a few days on a single charge, the Vivofit 4 has a battery that will stay powered for over a year. There’s no sort of charging required, meaning you can just unbox the wearable, set it up, and you’re good to go. When you do eventually run out of juice, you can easily take off the back of the Vivofit 4 and replace the two SR43 batteries that typically cost just a couple bucks.

Even with that sort of longevity, the Vivofit 4 still does just about everything you can ask from a fitness tracker in this price range. There’s a step-counter, sleep-tracking, weather information, Find My Phone feature, and even an always-on color display. Add this together with waterproofing and interchangeable bands, and you end up with a pretty complete package.

The Vivofit 4 is available for purchase starting today on Amazon in White, Black, and Limegreen Speckled for $79.99 alongside a few other bands that range in price from $19.99 up to $29.99.

See at Amazon

Android Oreo beta comes to Xiaomi Mi A1 with fast charging

Say goodbye to two hours of charging.

When we reviewed the Xiaomi Mi A1 in September, Harish came away rather impressed with Xiaomi’s first phone running stock Android. The smooth and clean software experience combined with a premium design, excellent display, and solid cameras resulted in a really compelling package, but there was one area that stuck out like a sore thumb – recharge speed.

The Mi A1’s battery lasts surprisingly long, but having to wait two hours to go from 0 to 100% is never fun. Thankfully, this will soon be changing.

Xiaomi is currently running a closed beta of Android Oreo on the Mi A1, and a unit running on this new software has been discovered to now feature drastically increased charge speed. TelecomTalk reports that charging from 0 to 100% on the Oreo beta took just 92 minutes, but what’s peculiar is that this was accomplished using a OnePlus 5T Dash Charger.

There’s no ETA as to when Oreo will be publically released for the Mi A1, but the fact that a beta is already out in the wild suggests that we won’t have to wait too much longer for it.

Android Oreo

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• Will my phone get Android Oreo?
• Join the Discussion