US investigating Friday’s internet blackout as ‘criminal act’

This morning, several sites were shut down due to a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack on Dyn, a large domain name server. Sites affected include Twitter, Spotify, the New York Times, Reddit, Yelp, Box, Pinterest, Paypal and potentially a lot more. It seems as if this attack was focused on the east coast. Now Reuters is reporting that the US government is investigating it to see if it was a “criminal act.”

The news outlet reports that it’s not clear yet on who’s responsible and the Department of Homeland Security has said that it’s “investigating all potential causes.” According to Dyn, it resolved one attack earlier this morning, but there was a second attack a few hours later. As of this writing, some sites like Twitter and Spotify appear to be back up, but there are still sporadic outages that result in broken images and links.

Do these 5 things when you get your Google Pixel

You just got a Google Pixel, now it’s time to get up and running the right way.

You’ve done your research, you’ve read the review and you’ve placed your order. Now your fresh new Google Pixel or Pixel XL is awaiting your setup and customization. Just like any new phone there’s a lot to take in with the Pixels, and we’re here to point you in the right direction so you can start things off the right way.

Here are the first things you should do with your new Google Pixel.

Add your fingerprints

If you took your time during the setup process you likely went ahead and enrolled a fingerprint for Pixel Imprint, but before you get too far into setting up your new phone you should enroll your other index finger as well. Head into the Settings, tap on Security and then tap Pixel Imprint to enroll your other finger.

Considering the placement of the sensor on the back of the phone you probably won’t want to enroll anything other than your index fingers, but having both sent up from the start means never having to worry about it again. It’s simple, secure and takes only a few seconds to add both fingers.

Arrange your quick settings

Android Nougat’s notification shade quick settings can be arranged in whatever order works for you, and it only takes a minute to get set up. Pull down your notification shade, swipe a second time to reveal the full set of toggles, then tap the pencil icon at the top of the notification shade to edit them.

Tiles in the top black portion of the shade are active while those lower down in the grey area are inactive. Press and hold the tiles to move them around to whatever order you like. The first nine toggles you put in the quick settings show up on the main page, and additional toggles you add go to a second page that are just a swipe away. The top six toggles are available to be tapped at any time with a single swipe down of the notification shade, so choose the group and ordering wisely!

Configure Google Assistant

Getting started with Google Assistant is also part of the general setup process of the phone, but there’s plenty more to configure after you’ve made it to the phone. To configure Google Assistant, press and hold the home button, then tap on the overflow menu button in the top-right corner of the Assistant interface and tap Settings.

Not only can you do the basics like turning on/off the Assistant and choosing which Google Account to use, but you can also configure the “OK Google” detection to train it to your voice, choose which news sources are included in the narrated news ticker, and manage input and output languages. You can also see your recent activity with Google Assistant, and configure the personal information that Assistant has access to.

Though Google Assistant is smart, going through a bit of setup to give it a head start absolutely helps you get the best possible experience out of this new feature.

Using Verizon? Check your network settings

If you bought your Pixel unlocked and put a Verizon SIM in it, everything should work out of the box. But chances are you can make a couple tweaks to the network settings to make it work at tip-top performance. First, open up your Settings, tap on More under Wireless & networks and then tap on Wi-Fi Calling to configure the feature. You’ll have to accept some terms and provide your E-911 address, but then you’ll be able to make Wi-Fi calls. Unfortunately you won’t have any further configuration options, but WI-Fi calling will be enabled and ready to go.

Going a step further, tap on Cellular networks to make sure that “Advanced Calling” features are turned on. This will make sure that your Pixel connects to VoLTE for HD Voice calls and simultaneous voice and data. Finally, tap on Preferred network type and switch it over to the simple “LTE / CDMA” for local use. If you plan on traveling abroad the phone will automatically switch back to “Global” mode to use other networks, but when you’re in the U.S. you’ll want to keep things on the standard LTE/CDMA mode.

Get the camera interface set up just right

The Pixel has a pretty simple camera interface, but out of the box there are a few configuration options you can hit from the start so you don’t have to fumble with them later while you’re trying to take a time-sensitive photo. When you open up the camera, in the top-right corner of the viewfinder you’ll see an option for grid lines in the middle of the five icons — consider turning on the grid to help you line up your shots perfectly. While you’re there, tap the flash icon on the right to turn off auto flashing — nobody needs that.

After that, tap the menu button on the lefthand side and tap into the settings for some more advanced options. If you take panoramas, tap the Panorama resolution settings to set it to “High” for the best quality. Then tap on Back camera video resolution to up things to 4K if you want the highest resolution possible, and double check that “Video stabilization” is also turned on for the smoothest shots.

Finally, if you want to save the location of photos and videos for future searching and remembering exactly where your best shots were taken, you can turn that on at the very top of the settings — you’ll have to approve the permission from the system when you do so.

Join the forums!

As you’d expect, you’re definitely not the only one who got a Pixel or Pixel XL in the mail. Thousands of Android Central members are going through the experience of setting up their Pixels right now as well, and the AC forums are the place to go whether you want to share your experience or get help with a question.

Google Pixel + Pixel XL

• Google Pixel and Pixel XL review
• Google Pixel XL review: A U.S. perspective
• Google Pixel FAQ: Should you upgrade?
• Pixel + Pixel XL specs
• Understanding Android 7.1 Nougat
• Join the discussion in the forums!

Google Store
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Digital Offer: Learn coding, design and more with a lifetime subscription to Stone River Academy for $89!

Choosing a specific career in the field of app development, web design, and 3D-animation can be tough — each is a growing field with high demand for specialists, and you have many interests. What if you want to learn them all? How can you afford the education needed for each career, and where will you find the time to go back to school?

Stone River Academy might be the answer you’re looking for; they’ve put together what can be likened to a complete tech-education bundle. Courses for all levels of knowledge are available, and you can learn at your own pace; course availability stays open indefinitely thanks to a lifetime subscription. Master app development, web design, 3D-animation, coding languages, and more. You have the ambition and you can squeeze time into your busy schedule, but how can this be affordable?

Enter Android Central Digital Offers. Right now, we’re offering this lifetime subscription with over 110 courses and over 2000 hours of content for only $89. That’s no mistake — that’s a 93% discount off the regular $1445. You’re essentially paying a one-time fee to be enrolled for life. No matter what comes in the future, you’ll be already set up to tackle it. Talk about a head start.

There are a ton of courses to choose from, but each course is broken down into a comprehensive curriculum to help keep things sorted. Learn programming languages like Java, Python, and CSS, as well as the ins and outs of game development tools like Unity 3D. Not only will you learn development, design, and programming, you’ll also acquire the skills needed to carve a career in the tech industry.

Do you want to always keep on top of current tech trends? With a lifetime subscription to Stone River Academy, you’ll always have access to the latest courses — yes, new content is added all the time. Thanks to the broad range of content available, you might even discover a hidden interest. Imagine the possibilities available to you for only $89. The need for all sorts of specialists in the tech industry is high — why not get started today on a new career?

See at Android Central Digital Offers

Never stop at a red light again with future Ford and Jaguar Land Rover cars

Ford and Jaguar Land Rover have announced they’re working on a system for their cars that will let them communicate with traffic lights and relay information to the driver. The system will let the driver know what speed to travel at to make the green light and avoid stopping at a red. If you’re unlucky and have to stop at a red light, the system will let you know how long it will be until it turns green.

The car manufacturers say the system will result in no or shorter waiting times and minimise emissions produced. Ford says we spend an average of two days a year waiting at red lights.

Ford is also developing another technology called Electronic Emergency Brake Light which alerts the driver when the car in front up to 500 metres brakes particularly hard and can brake the car if the driver doesn’t react in time.

Jaguar Land Rover is also working on an Advanced Highway Assist technology that will be a semi-autonomous driving system that can operate the steering wheel and pedals, as well as overtake other cars, without the driver having to do anything.

Both companies will begin testing their systems on roads in Coventry and Milton Keynes over the next two to four years.

• Tesla confirms heavily upgraded Autopilot for all new cars

Electric car company Tesla has already developed a completely autonomous driving system for its Model X, Model S and Model 3 cars and offering the hardware with all Tesla cars ordered from now.

‘Enemy of the State’ gets a timely TV series sequel

Jerry Bruckheimer has announced that he’s developing a TV sequel to his 1998 hit movie Enemy of the State. The series will be filmed with a view to airing on ABC and will be set 20 years after the original that starred Will Smith and Gene Hackman. Of course, back then, the notion of ubiquitous government surveillance that could examine every part of our lives seemed totally far-fetched. The film itself concerned a reckless NSA official who planned to erode traditional notions of privacy in modern day America. Yeah, about that.

In the intervening eighteen years, the US has proven to be exceptionally adept at building a wall-to-wall surveillance system that’s far more powerful than its fictional counterpart. Agents don’t even need to come into your house masquerading as repair people to use cameras to spy on you given the existence of the smartphone. The UK government has informally banned smartwatches from high-profile meetings out of concern that foreign powers could use them to eavesdrop. In a post-Snowden world, it seems almost quaint that people could attempt to rally against the police state that exists as the new normal.

Footage from a simpler, gentler time.

Speaking of which, the new series will focus on an NSA agent who is alleged to have leaked classified intelligence to the public. Maybe this person can be called Bedward Bowden or maybe Edward Manning or Chelsea Snowden, something like that. They’ll be working with an “idealistic female attorney” who teams up with a “hawkish FBI agent” to defeat a global conspiracy that threatens to expose “dark secrets.” It’s that last bit that seems the most fantastical, since in the real world, the dark secrets that Snowden exposed were pretty much ignored. After all, the NSA was cleared of abuses of power by an oversight committee and Section 702 of FISA remains in force and unchanged, at least until 2017.

Back in 1998, Enemy of the State was closer to sci-fi, but now we’re at a point where it’s a crushing reality that we all live with. Although, as with shows like Mr. Robot, there’s plenty of ways to make a show about arcane government surveillance engaging enough for a mainstream audience.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter