Hawaii sends false incoming missile warning via mobile emergency alert

Sent in error this morning, the Hawaii Emergency Management agency issued a message around 8 a.m. local time that warned residents that a missile attack was imminent. Specifically, the message read “Ballistic missile threat inbound to Hawaii. Seek immediate shelter. This is not a drill.”

As posted on social media, this alert message sent families scrambling to find shelter and overloaded cell phone networks as people attempted to find out more information about the attack. The Hawaii Emergency Management’s website crashed shortly after the message was sent, so political leaders in Hawaii attempted to use Twitter and other social platforms to inform the public that the alert was false.

This was my phone when I woke up just now. I’m in Honolulu, #Hawaii and my family is on the North Shore. They were hiding in the garage. My mom and sister were crying. It was a false alarm, but betting a lot of people are shaken. @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/m6EKxH3QqQ

— Sara Donchey (@KPRC2Sara) January 13, 2018

“It’s totally unacceptable,” U.S. Senator Brian Schatz said. “There was anxiety across the state and it was terrifying. There was a lot of unnecessary pain and anxiety. It’s important to have accountability at the state level and the emergency management level in terms of what exactly what went wrong.” Schatz also indicated that the alert was due to human error.

US Pacific Command spokesperson Commander David Benham also released a statement which read “SPACOM has detected no ballistic missile threat to Hawaii. Earlier message was sent in error. State of Hawaii will send out a correction message as soon as possible.” Due to rising tensions between the United States and North Korea, this unfortunate error was likely taken very seriously by Hawaii residents.

AGAIN FALSE ALARM. What happened today is totally inexcusable. The whole state was terrified. There needs to be tough and quick accountability and a fixed process.

— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) January 13, 2018

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) is a public safety system that lets the government geographically-target text messages to wireless devices. Only three types of alerts are allowed: alerts issued by the President, alerts involving imminent threats to safety or life, and amber alerts. These alerts often come with a specific phone vibration or loud noise to alert the user. Beyond the mobile alerts, the message played on televisions around the state, basically overriding the audio of the current channel.

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Water is not only available on Mars, it’s easily accessible, NASA finds

There is water on Mars, and it’s easily accessible. Pack your bags, friends, because we’re headed to a new planet.

Not really, of course, but the discovery does suggest that future missions to the Red Planet would be able to attain drinking water and make rocket fuel, both of which would be crucial to their success. The discovery was made using NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), and involves “eight sites where thick deposits of ice beneath Mars’ surface are exposed in faces of eroding slopes,” according to a NASA news release.

The ice deposits could help scientists glean more information about underground ice sheets in the middle latitudes of Mars, which had previously gone undetected. Researchers believe that the ice initially took the form of snow many, many years ago. Now, however, it remains as “relatively pure water ice” though it is “capped by a layer one to two yards thick of ice-cemented rock and dust.”

The findings were reported this week in the journal Science. The study’s lead author, Colin Dundas of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Astrogeology Science Center, noted, “There is shallow ground ice under roughly a third of the Martian surface, which records the recent history of Mars. What we’ve seen here are cross-sections through the ice that give us a 3-D view with more detail than ever before.”

And not only are we seeing the ice in more detail, but we’re also seeing just how available it would be to both robotic and manned missions. “Astronauts could essentially just go there with a bucket and a shovel and get all the water they need,” said Shane Byrne of the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, the report’s co-author.

But aside from its importance as a resource, the ice also provides scientists with clues about long-term climate patterns on Mars. “If you had a mission at one of these sites, sampling the layers going down the scarp, you could get a detailed climate history of Mars,” said MRO Deputy Project Scientist Leslie Tamppari of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California. “It’s part of the whole story of what happens to water on Mars over time: Where does it go? When does ice accumulate? When does it recede?”

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Kasotsuka Shojo is the world’s first cryptocurrency-themed pop group

Are you a fan of cryptocurrency and J-pop? Okay we admittedly don’t know what the crossover appeal is between those two, but one of Japan’s latest all-girl pop groups is betting that there is more than we think. Quartz Media has reported that Japan’s Kasotsuka Shojo is the world’s first cryptocurrency-themed pop group.

The band’s name translates to “Virtual Currency Girls” and is the creation of Japanese entertainment company Cinderella Academy. The company manages several other popular brands and launched Kasotsuka Shojo as a way to educate people about cryptocurrency. Each of the group’s members represents different cryptocurrencies such as XEM, BCH, MONA, BTC, ADA, ETH, NEO, and XRP.

“We want to promote the idea through entertainment that virtual currencies are not just a tool for speculation but are a wonderful technology that will shape the future,” said Rara Naruse.

【仮想通貨少女】仮想通貨をテーマにしたアイドルユニットお披露目ライブレポ！https://t.co/E3sD8u0LFs仮想通貨をテーマにしたアイドルユニット「仮想通貨少女」は、2018年1月12日に東京 神田 宮地楽器 ZippalHallにて「仮想通貨少女・お披露目ライブ」を開催。#仮想通貨少女 pic.twitter.com/REZygRItN8

— bitpress（ビットプレス） (@bitpress) January 13, 2018

The group’s first concert was held on Friday, January 12. Fittingly, tickets for that first concert were only purchasable with cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin or XRP. It is unknown whether future concerts will follow the same payment model or accept the Yen or other currencies.

The band’s first song, entitled The Moon and Virtual Currencies and Me, appears to be based on recent news stories regarding various governments imposing stricter regulations on cryptocurrencies. The song also implores listeners to practice cyber-security and staying vigilant regarding scams. However you get your information, it’s important to stay informed when the volatility and level of risk are so high.

The combination of cryptocurrency and pop music may seem like an odd one for some people. However, if any country can pull it off, it is Japan. Bitcoin is recognized as legal tender in the country. At one point, the island nation was the world’s leader in the trade of digital currencies, which remain popular throughout the country.

Of course, if you prefer to get your cryptocurrency news the old fashioned way, we’ve got you covered. To get an understanding of the technology which underlies and makes cryptocurrencies possible, check out our guide to blockchains. For general information on bitcoin, XRP, and other various cryptocurrencies, check out our primer.

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These are the Android Central team’s favorite things from CES 2018!

With so much to see, it’s easy to find something to love at CES 2018.

CES 2018 has come to a close, and Android Central as a whole handed out Best of CES Awards to some fantastic products.

But the AC team is large and diverse, as is CES itself, so we wanted to round up the one favorite announcement from each of us here at AC to tell you how we all saw the show personally. That means some things that we saw personally at the show, some we lusted after from a far, and a couple that go beyond the Android and mobile world we typically deal with. These are the Android Central team’s favorite things from CES 2018!

Alex Dobie

The new generation of Google Assistant products with displays represent something really interesting and new. Google framed its first major CES presence around “Hey Google,” the new, slightly less awkward hotword for Assistant, but bringing the service’s AI smarts to displays that aren’t your phone was the shows biggest development for me.

Google is already making plenty of headway in enabling Assistant in Bluetooth earbuds from countless manufacturers, and at CES we saw Assistant make its debut on the long-neglected Android Auto as well. But devices like the Lenovo Smart Display give us the clearest picture of where Google sees Assistant going as a platform, when it’s not limited to audio because it’s using earbuds, or a limited subset of features because you’re driving.

Before long I’m sure we’ll see a similar interface replicated on TVs, Chromecasts and other devices, and that process starts with the early Assistant builds we played with at CES this week.

Andrew Martonik

I could very easily choose several different things here and have good justifications for doing so. Most of them will be covered by others here. So just to pick a less-than-popular one, I’m going with the Sony Xperia XA2 and XA2 Ultra.

I think Sony does so many awesome things with its phones. It just also happens to get in its own way with a lot of stupid things, like not having fingerprint sensors in the U.S. and overpricing phones with very iterative designs. But the Xperia XA2 and XA2 Ultra are promising because they show Sony’s still up for a fight, and that fight will happen in the U.S. alongside other markets — even when most would have assumed it would be understandable for it to leave the U.S. market entirely.

The XA2 and XA2 Ultra have fantastic feeling and looking hardware — now with fingerprint sensors — and also subtle changes like much larger batteries, actually interesting cameras (at least on the front here), subtle hardware tweaks for usability rather than just style, and other increasingly niche features like a headphone jack. All while having really clean software and design that’s still unique and striking. And this is in a pair of phones that will retail for around $400.

Sure these phones aren’t industry-changing titans, but they do indicate Sony’s going to keep trying. Maybe its upcoming flagships will take these cues and run with them — and that’s exciting to me. For a show that’s increasingly about more than “just phones,” Sony definitely used CES as a nice little nod to the phone lovers.

Sony Xperia XA2 and XA2 Ultra hands-on: No more quirks, these are just good phones

Tom Westrick

My favorite announcement from CES has nothing to do with Android or Google. Optoma is a company known for making great projectors at various prices, and they did announce the first projector with Alexa built-in. Part of the appeal of projectors (for me at least) is that most projectors are just dumb displays that can be expanded as I see fit, so I don’t care for that model.
What did interest me is Optoma’s 4K UHD HDR Laser UST.

That’s a mouthful of a product name, but it tells you everything you need to know. “UST” stands for “ultra short throw”, which is a type of projector that can be placed on a TV stand instead of needing to be mounted on a wall or ceiling. Those projectors can display almost straight up, and it makes for an easier set up. The Optoma UST projector is priced at $5,000, which isn’t anyone’s definition of cheap. At the same time, Sony’s latest UST 4K projector is $30,000, so the Optoma projector is a much easier pill to swallow. I’m probably going to wait until next year before taking a serious look at 4K projectors, but it’s great to know they’re coming down in price.

Ara Wagoner

I don’t have any one true favorite at CES this year, but I do have a few things that stood out among the blackouts, the robot strippers, and everyone trying not to say what the F in BFGD really means:

• I refuse to leave the house without my Bluetooth headphones, so Qualcomm announcing a new SoC that aims to help make Bluetooth headphones sound better and last longer on a single charge is fantastic. However, as more and more phones ditch 3.5mm headphone jacks and users become more reliant on Bluetooth to keep their tunes flowing all day, this is the announcement at CES that could impact the most people. Getting all-day battery, crystal-clear sound, and Google Assistant shouldn’t cost the $250 JBL is charging.
• Android Auto going wireless is great, and I can’t wait for it to come to more carmakers. No, really, I can’t: I’ve been waiting three years to buy a Honda CR-V with Android Auto. I can’t wait another three years to get wireless Android Auto.
• I use my Shield Android TV every day, and if I could get one of those Big — Friendly — Gaming Displays with the best Android TV inside, I would probably never get anything done again. I use my OTA antenna maybe twice a year, I use the Blu-ray player maybe three times a year, so really, all I need is a massive screen and Android TV.

Daniel Bader

My take on CES this year is a bit different than the rest. I am not going to highlight a single product or service but an idea: that despite the platform wars still going strong, they appear to be well-established and no longer in danger of being toppled.

For example, Google Assistant was everywhere at this year’s CES, but it didn’t preclude Alexa, which continues to slowly creep toward smart home ubiquity. SmartThings is becoming the overarching brand for all of Samsung’s IoT ambitions, while Bixby, for better or worse, will play front-end to all those commands, from washing machines to televisions. LG’s webOS, now in its fourth year, is a stable and good-looking smart TV platform with plenty of interesting features, and LG has added an element of AI to the proceedings with ThinQ. Even Microsoft’s Cortana and Apple’s Siri/HomeKit was well represented at the show this year, and there appears to be room for all of them to live in harmony.

With expansion to screens and cars, Google Assistant is officially everywhere

Marc Lagace

Since CES is all about featuring tech and toys I’ll likely never get to mess around with, I tend to be drawn to crazy concept products like Razer’s Project Linda, which aims to turn your Razer Phone into a slick-looking laptop.

Turning a smartphone into a computer itself isn’t a new concept, but I can’t help admiring Razer’s design choices here. I thought Razer was simply trying to buck the latest flagship trends with a brick-shaped phone lacking curved edges. Razer turned around and used the industrial design of the phone to complement the laptop hardware perfectly with its front-facing speakers and side button fingerprint sensor. I really don’t even care how it runs, it just looks downright cool and an encouraging adaptation for the Razer Phone — and hopefully a glimpse at Razer’s future endeavors building Android devices.

And here I thought Razer could top themselves after last year’s Project Valerie laptop …

Razer’s Project Linda turns your phone into a laptop

Joe Maring

My favorite announcement from CES 2018 is easily Lenovo’s Smart Display. I use my Google Home on a daily basis, and while it works perfectly fine, I’ve been yearning for Google to finally take on the Echo Show since its announcement last June.

I’ll probably end up waiting to see what Google Home-branded Smart Display we end up getting this fall before handing over any cash, but Lenovo’s caught my attention the most so far. The bamboo back on the 10-inch model looks stunning, the ability to stand it up vertically or horizontally thanks to the funky wedge is fantastic, and the physical switch to cover the camera lens is ingenious.

Actually, now that I think about it, maybe I will buy one of these as soon as Lenovo lets me.

Lenovo’s Smart Display is the Google Assistant-powered Echo Show we’ve been waiting for

Jerry Hildenbrand

65 inches of 4K G-Sync enabled 120Hz gaming pixels from ASUS.

The ROG Swift PG65 is one of the new NVIDIA Shield TV enabled giant gaming monitors and it looks like a big old box of Viagra. They have me counting all the money I can find in hopes that it’s enough. (It won’t be. It never is.) I currently use the second input on my gaming display with a Shield TV, so I’m already loving the way you can flip back and forth between a game and a movie. But my dinky little 27-inch gaming monitor is a far cry from 65 inches, so I’m sure I’ll like it even better.

Here’s hoping that the “later this year” release date is somewhere between the time it takes to save up the cash and before I see something else shiny and blow it.

NVIDIA partners with Acer, ASUS and HP for new 65-inch 4K HDR gaming displays that run Android TV

Hayato Huseman

I’ve been looking for a good Android Auto head unit for my car, so I’m pretty excited about Pioneer’s new models. They’re the first head units to offer wireless Android Auto (each unit creates a WiFi network for your phone to connect to), finally bypassing the need for cable routing and the risk of compatibility issues. You can also just say “Hey Google” to access Assistant hands-free, which is great for the road.

There’s also that Vivo phone with the fingerprint sensor under the display. I mean, come on. You know you’re excited to see that Synaptics module work its way into more mainstream devices.

Android Auto is fantastic with the addition of Google Assistant and wireless connectivity

Russell Holly

I love my HTC Vive, but you better believe I will be first in line to upgrade to this new Vive Pro HTC announced. The resolution bump is going to make the headset that much more immersive, the lighter body is going to make it way easier to use for longer, and the baked in headphones sound amazing.

This is an improvement on the original Vive in every way, and when you add in the wireless adapter that will be available later this year it’s going to be an entirely new VR experience for me. I am genuinely excited for what happens in VR gaming this year, and a lot of it is going to happen through that new Vive.

Hands-on with the HTC Vive Pro

Your favorites

That’s the list that the folks here at Android Central loved. What were your favorites from CES 2018? Let us know in the comments!

LA man charged with involuntary manslaughter over ‘CoD’ swatting

The man who was arrested last month in conjunction with the Kansas swatting incident that resulted in a fatality has now been charged. Tyler Barriss was arraigned in a Kansas court today and hit with three charges — giving a false alarm, interference with law enforcement and involuntary manslaughter — the latter of which carries a maximum prison sentence of 36 months and a fine of up to $300,000.

The swatting hoax that Barriss was allegedly behind occurred last month and is believed to have been instigated by an argument over a Call of Duty game. One player, who is believed to have been Barriss, threatened to swat another. That person then provided an address that wasn’t his own. Barriss has been accused of making a call to police saying that someone had been shot at that address and a hostage situation was ongoing. When police arrived, Andrew Finch, who was not involved with the Call of Duty game, was shot by an officer. Barriss was arrested a couple of days later in Los Angeles.

Barriss is being held on a $500,000 bond and is also facing charges in Canada over another, separate swatting incident.

Via: Kotaku

The new ‘Cosmos’ returns for second season in spring 2019

You won’t have to wait nearly as long for the second season of the new Cosmos as you did for the first. Fox has announced that Cosmos: Possible Worlds will premiere worldwide in spring 2019, with Fox itself airing the show in the US and National Geographic broadcasting it elsewhere. And yes, the familiar gang from the 2014 series is back. Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson will host, with Ann Druyan taking charge. Seth MacFarlane, Brannon Braga and Jason Clark will return as executive producers.

The team isn’t saying much about the overall focus of Possible Worlds, but they’re promising to cover “previously uncharted territories” and hint about a “virtually infinite” number of worlds and stories to explore. Don’t expect a carbon copy of A SpaceTime Odyssey, then.

With that said, we’d expect some familiar themes to return. Both previous seasons covered the universe at virtually every possible scale, drew attention to influential (if sometimes unheralded) scientists and stressed the importance of the scientific process. It’s hard to see Possible Worlds giving up those values, especially at a time when science is under attack.

Yup. We got the band back together. Another season of Cosmos is officially real. “COSMOS: Possible Worlds” To air on @FOXTV & @NatGeoChannnel in a year — Spring 2019. Be there. pic.twitter.com/BGFJG11Pim

— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) January 13, 2018

Source: BusinessWire, Neil deGrasse Tyson (Twitter)

The TVs that mattered at CES

As usual, CES 2018 provided a bonanza of big screens, loaded up with every piece of tech you can create a buzzword for. But figuring out which TVs will matter to you next year is about a little more than just pixels and apps. While there could be only one “best” winner, the decision of what to buy is about more than just picture quality, which is why these screens are the ones that stuck out.

LG 65E8 OLED

Richard Lawler / Engadget

It’s obvious why LG’s OLED tech stretched its run as Best of CES TV champ into a fourth straight year — despite all challengers, we think this one was the most outstanding. Up and down its line of televisions, the picture quality is undeniable, thanks to its self-illuminating pixels, which provide a true black. This year, LG’s upgrades focused on enhanced processing, added voice controls and, in some models, support for 120-frames-per-second video. We’re still waiting to find out if these will be more affordable in 2018, but so far the premium price has been worth it.

Samsung chose to go in a few different directions this year, and it’s less clear how well they’ll turn out. Its immense MicroLED wall and consumer 8K TV looked amazing, but it’s hard to imagine when we’ll see them for sale, and at what price. When it comes to the TVs most of us might actually afford, the emphasis is on the newly added Bixby AI, as well as its SmartThings app, which is supposed to streamline the setup process and makes the TV a hub for any home automation hardware you have.

The company isn’t giving up on the picture-quality war, though, and in no-pictures-allowed demos, Samsung tried to prove that its quantum-dot LCD tech could match and even outpace OLED for high-quality 4K. It’s also dug in its heels against Dolby Vision, opting instead to push HDR10+ as a competing standard, adding Warner Bros. as an ally. There’s a lot going on here, but it could give Samsung a chance to push its TVs as smarter, cheaper options — if people appreciate the experience.

If you absolutely must have the highest resolution available, there is one company ready to sell one. While Sharp’s 8K panel isn’t brand-new, this was the first time I saw the production version in action, and it was as stunning as ever. Sure, there isn’t any 8K content to watch; if you have some, it requires plugging in four synchronized HDMI cables; and it’s available only in Japan so far — but why worry about small details? Real early adopters are preparing for the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020.

Can a projector count as a TV? Hisense hasn’t stopped to worry about the nomenclature, and is determined to press forward with its “Laser TV.” The 100-inch model that launched last year is already eating up a significant part of the market for screens 75 inches and larger, and it’s easy to see why. In a demonstration, the just-announced 150-inch version used its laser light engine and dual color wheels to throw a bright, beautiful image without taking up too much space or requiring additional hardware. With speakers, apps and tethered subwoofer included, just plug in two cables and find a screen — your home theater is set. That’s a tough claim to match for any other “TV.”

Pushing a wave of affordable 4K TVs, TCL’s P-Series put the company on the map last year, and in 2018 it’s again choosing a direction apart from the TV competition. While Alexa and Assistant are inside nearly every device on the CES show floor, the 5 and 6 Series are sticking with Roku’s burgeoning voice control platform. We’re still waiting to see if it competes with the rest, but if you’re unwilling to give Amazon and Assistant a peek into your living room, then maybe it can emerge as a viable alternative.

This is hardly a comprehensive list of the TVs that popped up at CES (NVIDIA’s giant gaming displays are an interesting new wrinkle), but it should provide a good start if you’re thinking about upgrading this year. Last year’s show ushered in the age of cheap-and-good 4K TV. This year, we’re seeing the evolution of HDR and the emergence of voice-controlled AI assistants as the top stories, but that could all change by the time any of these TVs go on sale.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.

Facebook goes back to basics: People

Over the past couple of years, Facebook has frequently tweaked its News Feed algorithms to deliver stories that are relevant and of interest to you. It was a strategy that, up until now, seemed to be the way forward for the site. But that’s all about to change, as Facebook has announced that there are big adjustments coming to its News Feed. In the months ahead, the platform will start to prioritize posts from people you care about, like friends and family, over stories or videos from publishers. Users may react positively, but publications that rely on Facebook to drive traffic won’t be happy.

In a blog post, Facebook CEO and Founder Mark Zuckerberg said the goal is to ensure that users feel happy when they’re on the site, something that’s easier to accomplish if you’re seeing baby pictures rather than news articles about Russia investigations. During the early days of Facebook, the focus was simply on communication between friends, but over the past couple of years it began to actively promote and push content from media companies into users’ feeds. It’s something Facebook had to do in order to keep people on the site for longer period of times and, of course, gave the social network a solid source of revenue in the process.

For better or worse, the platform quickly became more of a news curator. And while that may have helped it grow as a business and become the most powerful social network, with more than 2 billion monthly active users, it also meant the company strayed away from its roots. By bringing the focus back to interactions between friends and family, Facebook is simply going back to basics. The the latest News Feed tweaks are attributed to recent user feedback, noting that people have said posts from businesses, brands and media are crowding out the “personal moments that lead us to connect more with each other.”

Facebook hopes that by eliminating some of that media noise, and creating more personal connections, people will stress less. “Research shows that strengthening our relationships,” Zuckerberg said, “improves our well-being and happiness.” He added that although he expects the amount of time people spend on Facebook will go down, he believes keeping users in a good mood will be better for the business and community in the long term — but he didn’t say how, exactly, that’s going to happen. It seems the fear is that, while users may spend more time on the site now, the negative atmosphere could eventually drive them away.

Though news articles or videos will still show up on your feed every now and then, Facebook is making it clear that from now on the priority is going to be to content from friends, family and groups you’re part of. That’s a punch in the gut for publishers who have built their strategy around Facebook.

Of course, it’s no secret that Facebook is still under scrutiny for its role in Russia’s meddling in the 2016 US presidential election. Facebook became the preferred platform for Kremlin-sponsored trolls to spread misinformation (aka fake news) and dubious ads, as part of a vicious (and successful) campaign designed to undermine our democracy and encourage hostility between the American people. Last year, the company revealed to Congress that over 126 million users were exposed to that content in the lead-up to the election, in what was a major blow to Facebook’s reputation.

Although Facebook doesn’t say this is the reason for the change, it’s not hard to imagine that what happened in 2016 helped shape the upcoming News Feed. Less negative articles and more positive, personal posts could create a healthier community. It remains to be seen if the changes will actually help prevent another major headache for Facebook, but at the very least it will make it feel like less of a media company — something it keeps claiming not to be, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

“Some news helps start conversations on important issues,” Zuckerberg said. “But too often today, watching video, reading news or getting a page update is just a passive experience.” The problem he highlights isn’t exclusive to Facebook, either: Similarly Twitter has become exhausting and toxic, thanks to non-stop political bickering and harassment. If you’re Facebook or Twitter, that’s definitely not what you want to hear.

Zuckerberg also said his team has found that users interact more with live videos, as opposed to regular ones, perhaps suggesting that publishers should focus more on that type of content going forward. A different byproduct of this is that Facebook can now make a bigger push for Watch, its original video content platform, where it has more control over the kind of stuff its users are viewing. Coincidentally, there have been reports that the company is prepared to invest $1 billion on TV programming, hoping to rival the likes of Amazon and Netflix in developing original shows.

Ultimately, Facebook claims it wants users to be happy, even if that happiness comes at the expense of its bottom line. “We’re losing hope,” an undisclosed Facebook media partner told Digiday about the overhaul coming to the News Feed. For years, it’s felt as if Facebook had prioritized publishers and brands over its users, but now it’s seems like it’s changing tactics. As usual, there will always be someone unhappy with change. This time around it was done with users in mind. But knowing Facebook, don’t be surprised if in a few years the tables are flipped. Again.

Learn how to use AirDrop on an iPhone or iPad

Like many features native to iOS and MacOS, AirDrop is both quick and easy. Similar to sending files via text and email, you can use the cross-platform utility to send photos, videos, songs, and even robust PDF files. This is particularly handy when you are in close proximity to the person you’d like to send your file to, as AirDrop only works when users are near one another.

Moreover, from a security standpoint, AirDrop is safer to use than both email and text. The feature uses a Bluetooth connection to create a peer-to-peer Wi-Fi network between your iOS and MacOS devices, and creates a firewall which allows for added encryption.

Another benefit of AirDrop is that several native iOS apps support it. You can access the feature from directly within Photos, Notes, Safari, Contacts, and Maps, without having to navigate to a different screen or copy and paste the information. Well, that is, assuming you know how to use AirDrop in the first place. If you don’t, the tutorial below will provide you with everything you need to know.

Accessing AirDrop

Apple reconfigured the Control Center in iOS 11, making AirDrop less accessible than it once was. Thankfully, the feature is still easy to access.

• Step 1: Swipe up from the bottom of your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch to reveal the Control Center. If using an iPhone X, swipe down from the upper-right corner of the display.
• Step 2: Locate the upper-left box, which contains Airplane Mode, Bluetooth, and other connectivity controls.
• Step 3: Perform a 3D Touch or hold down on any of the aforementioned icons. This will expand the box, and reveal additional controls like AirDrop.
• Step 4: Tap the AirDrop button to open the quick settings menu. Here, you will be able to set your ability to send and receive files via AirDrop.

Note: If you see “Receiving Off” and can’t seem to change it, go to Settings >General > Restrictions and ensure the AirDrop feature is toggled on.

Making sense of AirDrop’s quick settings

Once you’ve access the quick settings menu, you’ll be presented with three options:

• Receiving Off: This blocks your device from receiving any and all AirDrop requests.
• Contacts Only: This makes it so only your contacts can see your device.
• Everyone: This allows all nearby iOS users who are using AirDrop to share files with you.

Sharing files via AirDrop

Now that AirDrop is turned on, follow these steps below to share files, photos, and other content:

• Step 1: Go to the file, photo, or other piece of content you’d like to share.
• Step 2: Tap the Share button in the bottom-left corner of your device’s display. The feature’s icon will depict a box with an arrow pointing upward.
• Step 3: Directly below the image or piece of content, you should see a list of available devices. Tap the name of the device with which you wish to share.
• Step 4: Once accepted, “sent” will appear under the device name.

Accepting or declining an AirDrop transfer

Sending a piece of content via AirDrop is easy, as is accepting or declining an AirDrop transfer. If someone sends a file or photo to you using AirDrop, an alert will appear on your screen with a preview of said content.

Tapping Accept will open the app that corresponds with the file (Photos, for instance), whereas tapping Decline will cancel the transfer. Keep in mind that if you’re sharing content with yourself via AirDrop, you won’t see an option to accept or decline an AirDrop transfer; the content will automatically transfer between your devices, assuming both are signed in using the same Apple ID.

Troubleshooting

If you’re having trouble transferring content between devices, make sure both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are turned on. This applies to each device, as AirDrop only works when both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are enabled.

If that doesn’t solve the issue, ensure you’re not using your iPhone or iPad as a personal hotspot. To do so, go to Settings > Cellular > Personal Hotspot, and ensure the slider beside the feature is toggled off.

If none of the above solve the issue, make sure the two devices are within range of one another. AirDrop will not work if either user is out of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi range. Also, if the person you’re attempting to share your content with has AirDrop set to Contacts Only, and your information is not saved in their contacts, make sure they toggle their AirDrop configuration to receive AirDrop content from Everyone.

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George Clooney will star in and direct Hulu’s ‘Catch-22’

Netflix isn’t the only streaming service getting some George Clooney-produced goodness. The popular actor/producer is also bringing Joseph Heller’s satirical novel Catch-22 to the small screen, this time via Hulu. According to Deadline, the six-episode series will be written by Luke Davies (Lion) and David Michôd (War Machine) and star Clooney, who will also direct along with frequent collaborator Grant Heslov (Argo).

According to Deadline, Clooney will take on the role of antagonist Colonel Cathcart in the show, who keeps raising the number of missions men like protagonist Captain John Yossarian must go on in order to finish their tour of duty and go home: the un-winnable situation the title has become synonymous with. Deadline notes that Clooney and Heslov’s Smokehouse Pictures will executive produce, as well, along with Anonymous Content. This will be the first full television series based on the novel, which had a 1970 movie starring Alan Arkin and a television pilot starring Richard Dreyfuss in 1973 that never went to series.

Source: Deadline