How to Remove GPGTools/GPGMail Encryption Plugin From Apple Mail

Security researchers are warning users of PGP/GPG email encryption plugins not to use the software, after critical vulnerabilities were discovered that could potentially be used reveal the plaintext of encrypted emails.

The official advice from security researchers is to disable and/or uninstall the affected software until the vulnerabilities are disclosed and fixes can be issued. In the meantime, users are advised to seek alternative end-to-end encrypted channels such as Signal to send and receive sensitive content.

This short how-to guides users through the steps necessary to remove the popular open-source encryption plugin GPG Tools (GPGMail) from Apple Mail. GPGTools has also since published a temporary workaround that it believes mitigates against similar so-called “Efail” attacks.

How to Uninstall GPG Tools from Apple Mail

Quit Apple Mail if it is running (Mail -> Quit Mail in the menu bar).

Click on the desktop and in the Finder menu bar, select Go -> Go to Folder….

In the Go to Folder dialog that appears, type /Library/Mail/Bundles and click Go.

Delete the GPGMail.mailbundle file by either dragging it to the trash in your dock or by right-clicking (Ctrl-clicking) it and selecting Move to Trash in the contextual dropdown menu. If you don’t see the mailbundle file, return to the previous step but type ~/Library/Mail/Bundles in the Go to Folder dialog (note the tilde (~) character denotes your home folder).

Enter your administrator password if prompted to confirm the action.

After following the above steps, the GPG Tools email plugin will be gone from Apple Mail the next time you launch the client.

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Dating Apps that Are Popular Around the World

Social networks and modern technologies have made our life as simple and convenient as possible. Now you can work from anywhere in the world, order food in one click, and get acquainted with the “man or woman of dreams” with a special application for your tablet or smartphone. Studies of recent years have shown that many couples (including happily married ones) have found each other on dating sites. We have collected five excellent applications that will help you find a pleasant companion, Russian brides or just sex.

1.      Tinder

One of the most popular and well-known applications for iOS and Android Tinder helps people get acquainted. This dating app appeared in 2012 and immediately became popular. Everything is very simple. You just download and install the application, register via Facebook, and start searching for a couple. You will see photos on the screen. If you swipe to the left, then it means that you don’t like a person, to the right – like. If any person forces your heart to beat more often, you can send “like” and then this person feels that someone really likes him/her very much. Unfortunately, in Tinder, the number of sympathies that can be expressed throughout the day is limited. To make their number unlimited, you need, of course, to buy a premium subscription.

2.      Badoo

This is one of the most popular applications in the world for dating! More than 180 million people have chosen Badoo for communication, dating, and meeting people. This application can help find out who dances with you in a nightclub, sits in a cafe, restaurant, and other places. You can agree on a dinner with a person who is currently somewhere near you. Also, a chat room where you can talk with someone who lives nearby is at your disposal. Another important advantage of Badoo is the possibility of not only textual communication but also video chats. It’s very cool for this type of application. You can chat in video mode and it’s not so terrible to go on a date, at least, you know that a person is real.

3.      Happn

Happn is an online dating site from France. It is aimed at people who are somewhere near or use similar routes. This application takes the data about your location as a basis so that it shows possible people for dating. If you are near a person who suits you according to requirements, characteristics, and interests, then his/her profile rises to the very top of the search. After that, you can see his/her photo, send “like”, and start a conversation.

4.      Pure

Dating for singles Pure will help you find the right couple. To do this, just upload your photo, specify a gender and get acquainted with people who are currently in the vicinity. According to the idea of ​​the creators of the application, this service is an ideal tool for a quick acquaintance. You can tie up the communication in the following way: find a person you like and send a request for additional photos, while not spending time chatting.

5.      DOWN

This is another version of dating sites but only for casual sex. Here a partner for a pleasant pastime will be chosen from your friends on Facebook. How does it work? Choose a sexually nice friend from Facebook and wait: if this person also has an installed application and you coincide in intentions, you will receive a notification. If a person you like doesn’t answer reciprocally, it’s okay – he/she will never know about your interest and “like”. The main thing is that the application connects only those whose interest to each other is mutual. You can even choose all your friends – they will not suspect your insidious plans on their account.

Driverless pods could be used to ferry tourists around a U.K. national park

Anyone who has ever visited England’s Lake District in the height of summer will know from bitter experience how the roads can become clogged with cars as travelers from around the world explore one of the country’s most beautiful national parks.

The operator of the park recently tested an electric-powered driverless pod as part of a pilot program to gain public feedback on how it feels to use the technology. The aim is to explore the possibility of integrating the autonomous pods in the local transportation system to help cut pollution and ease congestion on the park’s busy roads.

Developed by Westfield Technology Group, the diminutive vehicle uses sensors and cameras to detect road conditions and obstacles as it transports up to four people along designated routes.

It’s hoped the pods could be useful for last-mile journeys inside the park, for example, from the station to the hotel, or from the hotel to the top of a valley to start a hike.

“We’re constantly looking at new ways to balance the needs and enjoyment of people as they visit and move around the Lake District, whilst being mindful of the impact on the environment,” Richard Leafe, chief executive at the Lake District National Park, said in a release.

Leafe added: “Driverless pods are a really interesting concept and while this is not necessarily something that will be seen on the Lake District streets soon, it’s vital we explore a range of solutions for sustainable travel. We’re excited to see the pods in action this week and to hear from the public on whether they would use this type of transport in the Lake District.”

Julian Turner, boss of Westfield Technology Group, said his firm was using the Lake District project to identify “possible routes for the pod and talking to the local community about how we could meet their transport needs.” He added that the collaborative effort “will allow us to create a sustainable and accessible transport mode for journeys in the future.”

The feasibility study will run until June with the results helping the park to decide if this type of transport would suit the Lake District and be a good fit for those who live and visit there.

Similarly designed pods are already transporting passengers around Heathrow Airport, and have also been tested in parts of London, but it seems this is the first time the vehicle has been taken onto roads in the countryside.

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OnePlus 6: News, Rumors, Release Date, Specs, and more!

This is everything you need to know about the OnePlus 6!

OnePlus has been on a cycle of releasing two smartphones per year: a major release in the spring, and a minor tweak of that previous phone in the fall. It’s nearly spring 2018, which means it’s nearly time for another OnePlus phone. Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming OnePlus 6!

May 14, 2018 — OnePlus 6 leaks in ‘Mirror Black,’ will cost €519 in Europe

The latest OnePlus 6 comes by way of Germany’s WinFuture, and shows off official-looking renders of the upcoming phone. The publication also revealed that the phone will cost €519 in Europe, via an Amazon Germany listing that has since been deleted. Based on previous launches, it’s safe to assume the OnePlus 6 will retail for the $519 price point in the U.S.

The leak also highlights two variants of the OnePlus 6: Mirror Black and Midnight Black. With the launch event scheduled for May 16, we should know more about the OnePlus 6 in the coming days, so stay tuned.

May 2, 2018 — OnePlus will host pop-up events in North America, Europe, and Nordic

Similar to the launch of the OnePlus 5T, there will once again be pop-up events to ring in the OnePlus 6. OnePlus will host the events in various parts of North America, Europe, and Nordic, with some including special guests like MKBHD, iJustine, and others.

During the events, OnePlus will let fans be among the first to try (and buy) the OnePlus 6, grab exclusive swag, and enjoy free snacks with members of the OnePlus team.

See the full list of locations here

April 25, 2018 — The OnePlus 6 will be announced on May 16

At long last, OnePlus has confirmed when we’ll get to learn all about its latest smartphone.

OnePlus will take the stage in London on May 16 to officially unveil the OnePlus 6, and following that, India will be one of the first markets where sales will begin on May 21.

Learn more here!

April 23, 2018 — Pete Lau confirms glass back for the OnePlus 6

In a forums post detailing the design of the OnePlus 6, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has confirmed that the upcoming flagship will offer a glass back.

The design

The OnePlus 5T was the first time the company increased the size of its displays, and it looks like there will be more refinements coming with the OnePlus 6. The 6 will keep the stretched out design, but will add a notch up top, similar to… some other phones you may have seen. In addition to a high-quality display, OnePlus is also expected to move to a glass back, hopefully including Qi wireless charging in the process.

According to the image, the fingerprint reader will still be mounted on the rear of the phone, though earlier rumors suggested there would be an in-display fingerprint sensor. The dual cameras are still present, though this time in the center instead of the upper left. Of course, this is a leaked image and should be taken with a grain of salt until the official announcement is made.

Not too long after that first photo was shared, Evan Blass shared the above one on Twitter – further confirming much of what we were already expecting. The dual cameras are positioned in a vertical fashion, the fingerprint sensor lies below them, and there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack (yay!).

However, unlike the previous photo, Blass’s shows the back of the OnePlus 6 to have a textured, wood-like finish. OnePlus experimented with a lot of different back materials with the OnePlus One in 2014, and finishes like Sandstone White and Lava Red for the 5T show that the company is trying to stand out with its design. I’m guessing this isn’t the only special back material we’ll see for the 6, and it’ll be exciting to see what else OnePlus has up its sleeve.

Official picture of the OnePlus 6’s notch.

And, of course, the OnePlus 6 will have the infamous notch. This is something we were already anticipating, but OnePlus confirmed our suspicions while speaking to The Verge on March 28.

OnePlus’s reasoning for the notch is that it gives users more screen real-estate as opposed to using a more traditional design, and co-founder Carl Pei argues that it’s more thought-out than a lot of the notches we saw during MWC 2018.

The notch will be hidden whenever you’re watching a video, the clock has been moved to the left of the status bar, and we’ll also see the same gesture system that OnePlus added to the 5T with its OxygenOS Open Beta in late January.

More: OnePlus 6 supposedly leaks with iPhone X notch and glass back

Specifications

Of course, a phone isn’t just a pretty external design. The internal hardware needs to be up to snuff to push pixels and take all of our lovely Instagram photos. Fortunately, it seems the OnePlus 6 will be up to the task. Early benchmarks suggest the phone will ship with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845, the same chip that will likely be found in every other flagship device this year. Benchmarks have been gamed in the past — so take this all with the same grain of salt as before — but it’s a safe bet for OnePlus to include all the latest internal hardware with the OnePlus 6, just like they’ve done in previous generations.

A new image recently popped up revealing numerous specs for the OnePlus 6, and while we can’t confirm any of the information presented, it does allow us to build the following spec sheet:

More: Exclusive: OnePlus 6 has 19:9 notched display, Snapdragon 845, top benchmarks

The software

We haven’t seen any leaks for specific software features coming with the OnePlus 6, but it’s safe to expect the same vanilla Android style that OnePlus has used since 2014. OxygenOS is a known quantity at this point, featuring a few key improvements over what ships in Google’s Pixel line. There will surely be an Open Beta for users who like to live on the bleeding edge and try new features at the cost of stability. Expect a true dark theme, expect gesture controls and a few other little niceties that add up to a great software experience.

Price and availability

This is still up in the air at this point, but we can make an educated guess based on OnePlus’ previous devices. The OnePlus 5 retailed for $479, while the OnePlus 5T goes for a cool $499. It’d be nice if the OnePlus 6 kept that same price, but another small price increase isn’t out of the question.

That same leaked image mentioned above suggests that the OnePlus 6 will cost as much as $749, but it’s unclear what currency this is representing. The same post compares the OnePlus 6 against the iPhone X and Galaxy S9+ with $1517 and $1200 price tags, respectively, so either way, we can probably expect OnePlus’s next flagship to cost a good deal less compared to most other OEMs.

As for availability, the OnePlus 3 was released in June of 2016, and the OnePlus 5 in June of 2017. Some early reports suggest we may see an earlier release this year, but June is a safe bet.

Stay tuned for more!

This is what we know — and a bit of what we’re guessing — about the OnePlus 6 for now. We’re expecting an earlier than normal release this year, so stay tuned for more coverage!

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• Join the discussion in the forums

Update, May 2 – Added info about pop-up events.

How to get iMessages in Android

Let’s get straight to the point: You can now get iMessages on your Android device! Thanks to a crafty, 16-year-old developer, you can send and receive iMessages using both the iOS and Android platforms. To do this, the messaging app WeMessage uses your Mac as a proxy, allowing it to send messages through Apple’s messaging servers directly to your phone.

There have been similar apps over the years that have tried to address the problem of connecting Android users with their iPhone-sporting friends via various hacks and exploits, but most, if not all, ended up getting shut down for violating Apple’s terms and services. The technology behind WeMessage is not against any of Apple’s current policies, though, there is a small catch associated with the trick — you’ll need a Mac to use it.

In order to get iMessages on your Android device, you’ll need to have a Mac that’s on and tethered to your phone at all times. Here’s how to do it.

Setting up WeMessage on your computer

Let’s start with the computer side of things first. First, you’ll want to start by making sure you have Java installed on your MacOS machine. Chances are you probably already have Java, but if not, you can download it for free from Oracle’s website. Once installed, you’ll need to allow Terminal to make changes to your computer. Terminal is the command line program that comes preinstalled on your Mac by default, so rest assured that we’re not doing anything crazy. We’re simply giving the utility a bit more access.

To do this, go to System Preferences and select the Security and Privacy tab. Next, click Privacy, select Accessibility, and click the lock icon in the lower-left corner of the window, which will allow you to make changes to your settings. Then, enter your password, click the addition sign, and add Terminal, which is located under Applications in the Utilities folder.

Next, you’ll need to download WeServer, which will act as a bridge from your computer to your phone and allow you to access iMessage. Once done, open the .zip file and select “run.command.” If you receive a message saying that the program is from an “unidentified developer,” head to your System Preferences pane, select Security & Privacy section, and go to the General Tab. Afterward, click the Open Anyway button in the bottom-right corner — within the “Allow apps downloaded from” section — followed by Open.

Once done, return to Terminal. The program will open and you’ll be prompted to enter your email address and password. You’ll need to use the email associated with your iMessage account, but the password doesn’t necessarily need to be the one associated with your Apple ID, just one that you can use within the app.

Once the server has been activated, you’ll need to figure out what your public IP address is and set up port forwarding on your router. The easiest way to figure out your IP address is to type “what is my IP” into Google, however, the process for port forwarding varies depending on what type of router you have. The video above outlines how to set up port forwarding using a FIOS router, but you may need to do some research to get yours connected.

Once properly set up, we can turn our attention to your Android phone.

Setting up WeMessage on your phone

Next, you’ll need to download the WeMessage app on your phone. It will ask for your IP address, email, and password, which should be identical to what you entered when you set up the server on your computer. It’s also worthwhile to sync your contacts between your computer and your phone, so you don’t have to remember everyone’s phone number and email address. To do this, click the Sync Contacts button in the upper-left corner of your screen. A pop-up window will then appear on your computer, requesting that you give Terminal access to your contacts.

Tap the addition sign to start a new conversation, or select one of the options from the list of conversations on the main page. Keep in mind, however, that you have to keep your computer on in order to utilize the software, and you need both Terminal and iMessage running. If you lose that connection, you won’t be able to send messages until the connection is restored. WeMessage does have a queue feature that will store your unsent messages until you’re connected again, but there’s nothing else you need to do, except maintain your connection.

Now, let’s just hope Google introduces its rumored iMessage competitor sooner rather than later.

David Cogen — a regular contributor here at Digital Trends — runs TheUnlockr, a popular tech blog that focuses on tech news, tips and tricks, and the latest tech. You can also find him on Twitter discussing the latest tech trends.

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What’s new in Google Lens at Google I/O 2018

Look at all the things.

Google Lens was one of the bigger announcements last year, with the promise to make searching for something as easy as pointing your smartphone at it. Since last October, though, Google Lens has slipped into the shadowy background, (very) slowly improving but being largely ignored as Google Lens was largely a Pixel-exclusive feature.

We’ve been waiting and waiting for Google Lens to escape this beta period and come to more phones.

Wait no more, my friends. the day is here.

What was announced with Google Lens at I/O 2018?

Firstly, Google Lens is coming to a lot more phones, as Google is making Lens directly available in the camera app on “supported devices” from several manufacturers like Motorola, Xiaomi, and OnePlus.

In addition, Google Lens is getting more features as is continues to combine with Google Assistant, like real-world copy-paste, better recognition for clothes and home decor, and real-time search results.

What all is Google Lens actually going to be able to do now?

On top of Google Lens working on more devices, Google Lens is going to be able to do a number of impressive, time-saving, and potentially life-changing tasks:

• Real-world copy-paste: Google Lens’s new Smart Text Selection will allow users to highlight real-world text within Google Lens, and then copy that text to use on your phone. Imagine pointing your phone at a Wi-Fi password and being able to copy-paste it directly into the Wi-Fi login window.
• Smart Text search: When you highlight text in Google Lens, you can search that text with Google Assistant, giving you the definition of unfamiliar words or the composition of exotic dishes.
• Clothing and decor recognition and search: If you see an outfit that you like while out in the world, Google Lens will be able to identify that piece, as well as similar articles of clothing or decor, and present reviews and shopping options.
• Real-time search: If you pan your camera around your environment, Google Lens will identify what kind of plants are in a flowerbed, what kind of dogs keep barking at you, what the reviews of the books on your friend’s coffee table are.

When will I see it on my phone?

Google Lens will begin being added to camera apps on “supported devices” from LG, Motorola, Xiaomi, Sony , HMD/Nokia, Transsion, TCL, OnePlus, BQ and Asus in the coming weeks, though how long it takes to reach an individual device will of course depend on how quickly each manufacturer updates their devices and apps.

Google Pixel devices already have Google Lens, and can begin using these new Google Lens features as they start going live soon.

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The best virtual machines

If it hasn’t happened already, there will come a time when you’ll wish your computer was running a different operating system. Whether you’re a competent software developer or simply a user desiring an application exclusive to an OS other than the one you own, there are plenty of valid reasons why you’d want to use another OS. However, despite what you might think, you don’t necessarily have to adhere to your supposed monetary and spatial restraints, given the number of available virtual machines.

Assuming your machine touts the capabilities, intuitive software allows you to emulate your desired OS within another, allowing you to run two operating systems alongside one another on a single machine. For instance, you could run the latest version of Apple’s MacOS High Sierra on a Windows computer using a virtual machine. Below we’ve compiled our picks for the best virtual machine applications available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

VirtualBox (Free)

VirtualBox is powerful, brimming with terrific features and, best of all — free. It’s a lean piece of software requiring little more than a recent Intel or AMD processor, while boasting seamless integration and switching capabilities within the host desktop. It’s also available on all major platforms, and features plain-text XML files for easy navigation. It remains coupled with special software packages designed to aid users with sharing folders and drives among guest and host operating systems.

The software functions nearly identically regardless of the host platform, and even offers 3D virtualization, multi-screen resolutions, and laudable hardware support, among other features. It’s not the quickest or most industrious when compared to similar offerings, but then again you often get what you pay for.

Download now from:

Windows MacOS Linux

VMware ($Free — $250)

VMware has been in the virtual machine game since ’98, and offers three different pieces of virtualization software: VMware Workstation Pro ($250), VMware Fusion ($80), and VMware Workstation Player (Free).

The Workstation package is ideal for professional users who desire a powerhouse virtual machine capable of simultaneously running applications on multiple guest operating systems. VMware’s Fusion, meanwhile, is a simpler application designed for home users who want to run Windows on their Mac machine. VMware Workstation Player, known until recently as VMware Player, is free for personal use, and caters to those looking to run virtual machines on their Windows or Linux systems.

None of the options are particularly simple to use, but the installation is quick, integration between operating systems is seamless, and the guest software runs at near native speeds. Best of all, they remain the most stable and reliable options out there.

Download now for:

Windows MacOS Linux

Parallels Desktop 11 ($80)

When it comes to delivering the Windows experience to Mac users, Parallels Desktop 11 is, well, unparalleled. The latest incarnation of the software is compatible with the latest version of MacOS, allowing you to emulate Windows XP, 7, 8, and 10 as a guest operating system. It allows you to conveniently run Mac and Windows applications side-by-side without rebooting, while additionally providing tools for quickly moving files between operating systems, launching programs directly from your Mac dock, and accessing cloud storage.

The software features a simple setup wizard for beginners, and moreover, it supports Retina displays and advanced 3D graphics. Parallels can also emulate the Linux and Solaris operating systems, but the tightest integration remains when coupled with the latest version of Windows. Unfortunately, you’ll have to look elsewhere for more advanced tools and customization, but for most Mac users, Parallels is probably the best option. 

Download now for:

MacOS

QEMU (Free)

The open-source QEMU, short for “Quick EMUlator,” is ideal for Linux power users who want a customizable virtual machine. Through a process involving dynamic binary translation, QEMU can emulate an array of hardware and software types, while skirting host administrative privileges to run guest operating systems.

The software executes the guest code directly on the host machine, thus attaining near-native performance — and given the software’s aforementioned ability to run without administrative privileges — it’s perfectly apt for creating pocket-sized virtual machines that conveniently fit on a portable flash drive. You’ll need to be comfortable with the Command Prompt to get this up and running, but the open-source nature of the project makes it one of the most regularly updated choices out there.

Download now for:

Linux

Boot Camp (Free)

Apple’s Boot Camp isn’t a virtual machine in any sense of the word, but it’s worth a mention given users researching virtual machines are often curious about it. The software, which is included on all Macs, allows users to dual boot both MacOS and Windows. Instead of emulating an operating system, Boot Camp helps you set up a partition on the hard drive so you can install the Windows operating system of your choice. Since it’s running directly off the hard drive, running Windows via Boot Camp leads to a far better experience than any virtual machine offers.

However, your disk space will be split in half, and you’ll be unable to run the best Mac applications and Windows apps side-by-side considering the software requires disk partitioning. You’ll also need to restart your computer every time you want to switch operating systems.

It’s worth noting that, while Boot Camp itself is not a virtual machine, you can run your Boot Camp partition as a virtual machine with Parallels 11 (outlined above). This gives you quick access to Windows when you want it within MacOS, and full performance when you’ve got enough time to restart your computer and boot up Windows directly.

Download now for:

MacOS

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Stimulating brains with lasers can create ‘Matrix’-like false experiences

Remember the iconic scene from the first Star Wars movie in which R2-D2 projects a Princess Leia hologram, beseeching Obi-Wan Kenobi to help her? Similar technology in the real world might one day do a lot more than offering sci-fi warnings; it could potentially transform lives, too. And all thanks to a little bit of brain manipulation.

At the University of California at Berkeley, researchers have been busy exploring ways to project a holographic image directly into the brain. As they have discovered, this can be used to both read neural activity and also to stimulate it.

The results could mean one day being able to activate or suppress thousands of neurons at once; copying patterns of real brain activity to trick the brain into thinking that it’s felt, seen or sensed something. So Star Wars with a touch of The Matrix or Inception, then!

“We have developed a system using laser light that can both ‘read’ brain activity and ‘write’ brain activity,” Hillel Adesnik, an assistant professor of molecular and cell biology, told Digital Trends. “The system uses principles of holography: a method to generate three-dimensional patterns of light that many might be familiar with in holographic displays. The goal of this technology is to measure brain activity in both health and disease so that we can correct aberrant patterns of activity in real time, and treat a wide array of neurological disorders.”

“The goal of this technology is to measure brain activity in both health and disease.”

The holographic projection technology works using an LCD screen which functions as a holographic negative to shape laser light into custom-designed patterns. These 40W laser beams are then pulsed incredibly rapidly in 300 femtosecond-long bursts every microsecond. The goal is to pulse these quickly enough to simulate the normal firing rates seen in the brain’s cortex.

So far, the technique has been successfully demonstrated in mice. It was achieved by engineering neurons in the mouse’s brain so that they express proteins which create a brief spike of activity when they are hit with light. At present, it has only been carried out on a tiny piece of brain, measuring a half-millimeter square, but the researchers think they could scale this up. And when they do, the results may be extraordinary.

“In the future, when gene therapy has been shown to be safe in humans, this system could track brain activity of patients with neurological disorders, including epilepsy and schizophrenia, rapidly identify when brain activity is going wrong, and then stimulate patterns of activity in the brain to correct this activity and block the symptoms of these diseases,” Adesnik continued.

“Patients who have lost function of their retinas or other sense organs could use this system to regain vision.”

“More generally, this technology could also be used for neural prosthetics. Patients who have lost function of their retinas or other sense organs could use this system to regain vision. In principal, it might be possible to take the imaging data from a head mounted camera and write this activity — after the appropriate transformation — as neural activity directly into the brain to provide someone who is blind with artificial vision.”

Hillel Adesnik, Assistant Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology University of California at Berkeley

In the same vein, Adesnik said that it might be possible for researchers to use this development to enable new ways of controlling smart prostheses, such as robotic arms.

While this research is still at a relatively early stage, it could potentially solve two of the biggest challenges which exist in the field of brain-machine interfaces. These are the low spatial resolution of existing systems approved for human use, and the fact that such systems don’t typically write back in sensory feedback. This is crucial if researchers want to build tools that will accurately let us use our hands are arms to pick up objects.

Next up for the project? A neural prosthesis for mice, apparently.

“We plan to use this system to see if we can cure models of cognitive disease, such as schizophrenia,” Adesnik continued. “But as basic neuroscientists, we are also primarily interested in using this system to ‘crack’ the neural codes of sensory perception.”

:We want to understand how our brain builds perceptions of our external world all through the language of neurons, which is basically a digital code of zeros and ones in hundreds of millions of brain cells. We believe this new technology can address this fundamental question in neuroscience because we can attempt to generate artificial perceptions by writing specific patterns of activity into the brain and see what ‘works.’”

A paper describing the work was recently published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

Which way is which? Here’s how to quickly calibrate the Google Maps compass

The days of busting out a paper map while on the go are mostly over, which means that people are much less likely to be found wandering cluelessly around new cities now that they have a phone with Google Maps in their pocket. Google Maps is a fantastic way of quickly and easily orientating yourself in unfamiliar areas. But that speed and ease can be quickly harpooned when Google Maps isn’t correctly showing you which way you’re facing. Or is it? I don’t know, I’m surrounded by buildings and I can’t see a street sign — oh, come on!

Calm down, take a breath. Recalibrating your compass on Google Maps might sound difficult, but it isn’t, and it doesn’t involve going into any settings menus, using any strange commands, or changing anything on your phone. At worst, you might look a little silly or drop your phone. Here’s how to quickly calibrate the Google Maps compass.

Quick calibration — it’s all in the wrist

Google updated the direction indicator way back in the heady days of 2016, changing it from a simple arrow to an indicator that looks more like a flashlight “guiding your travels”. The beam of the flashlight narrows if the phone is sure of where you’re looking, and conversely widens if it’s not so sure — hence the confusion of your current direction. If it’s really wide, that generally means your magnometer sensor needs calibrating, and since the magnometer inside the phone is prone to interference from chargers, metal objects, and even other magnometers, it’s worth doing a calibration every now and again to keep it up to speed.

But enough bellyaching — how is it done already? The process is simple, and it’s exactly the same for both iOS and Android users — repeatedly wave your device around in a figure-of-eight motion until your direction narrows down.

Once you’ve completed a couple of these motions, your “flashlight” should have narrowed down, and should accurately respond to your movements better. Be careful while you’re waving your phone around, and make sure that your phone doesn’t come flying out of your hand. While that may still help your positioning, it won’t do your phone much good if it ends up with a broken screen.

Accurately calibrating your Google Maps is only the start of the fun you can have with the world’s biggest navigation app. We’ve collated some of the best tips and tricks in our guide on Google Maps, so make sure you check that out to get the full low-down, or if you’re really not satisfied with what Google Maps is offering you, then check out some of the best navigation apps for iOS and Android.

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A German bank is using Bitcoin to handle international loans

German businessman Radoslav Albrecht has founded an online bank that will use Bitcoin to facilitate international money transfers. Albrecht says that Bitbond’s use of cryptocurrency will allow it to transfer money quicker and at a lower cost than standard banks.

“Traditional money transfers are relatively costly due to currency exchange fees, and can take up to a few days,” he told Reuters. “With Bitbond, payments work independently of where customers are. Via internet it is very, very quick and the fees are low.”

Clients who use Bitbond only hold onto the cryptocurrencies for a few minutes before they are exchanged for local currency. This ensures that clients won’t have to deal with the rather volatile cryptocurrency market.

Bitbond was founded in 2013 and has grown into an officially licensed bank with a large number of investors. Currently, Bitbond’s Berlin office employs 24 people from a dozen countries managing loans for about 100 clients. In total, the loans amount to about $1 million each month.

Albrecht says that the majority of his customers are small business owners or freelance workers who need a quick and affordable way to handle international loans. The loans are fairly small by the standards of most banks, and tend to be around $50,000 at the higher end of the scale.

While Bitcoin has been used as collateral for loans in the past, this is the first time that it has been used to facilitate international loans. It makes sense that Germany would be one of the first countries to attempt it, however. Adoption of Bitcoin has proceeded at a rapid rate within Germany. In terms of Bitcoin usage, it is second only to the United States.

While Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are just now beginning to hit the mainstream, they still pose many risks not found in traditonal currencies. The largest is the simple fact that the various currencies tend to sharply fluctuate in value. This can make it risky as a long-term investment, but since Bitbond clients only hold the cryptocurrencies for a short amount of time, that risk is mitigated to some extent.

For more information about Bitcoin and the technology that makes it possible, check out our blockchain primer.

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