Technology and Computing
This story has been updated. It was originally published on February 7, 2018. Your social media accounts help you share your daily life with friends. But the platforms can go further than that: automatically alerting everyone when you become available online, read a message, or even visit a location. As a general rule, if you don’t want your nearest and dearest to know what you’re up to every minute of every day, you can try posting less frequently. Your photos,…
This story has been updated. It was originally published on March 8, 2017. No matter how you choose to get rid of your old laptop, smartphone, tablet, or other gadget (there are great options for recycling or reusing it if you don’t want to throw it away), you need to protect your private data before parting with your unwanted device. Are all your photos stored somewhere safe? Are you sure your laptop’s new owner can’t access your banking spreadsheets? Disposing…
This story has been updated. It was originally published on February 3, 2020. You’re standing on the street when a total stranger walks up and asks if they can borrow your phone to make a call. Theirs died, you see, and they have to tell whoever they’re meeting they’ll be sitting in the back. Or you’re talking to a friend about the person you started dating, and when you pull up their Instagram to show a picture, your friend snatches…
This post has been updated. It was originally published on March 2, 2017. Smartphones put a world of information, games, videos, and music at your fingertips. That is, until you run out of data. It only takes a few minutes of throttled, agonizingly slow speeds to realize how much you rely on that cellular connection—and how important it is to stay within your data allowance. The solution: Cut back on the amount of data your phone chews through. Adjusting your…
This story has been updated. It was originally published on November 9, 2017. Tired of constantly checking your phone? Instead of switching from device to device, simply forward those notifications to your computer. With Windows and macOS, you can put your phone out of arm’s reach and concentrate on your larger screen—without worrying that you’re missing out on dozens of missed calls and texts. This is also a great way to keep in touch with incoming alerts if you’re trying…
This story has been updated. It was originally published on September 19, 2019. Every family, workspace, and even friend group has that one person officially anointed by a higher tech power as “The IT Master.” If you’re familiar with diving behind your parent’s couch to get their WiFi working or spending endless hours trying to de-infect a virus-ridden laptop at work, we’re sorry to break the news… it’s probably you. As you begrudgingly prepare for the next time someone asks…
OnePlusIt takes a lot for a smartphone camera to stand out when it comes to performance at the moment. Today, OnePlus announced its new 9 Pro and 9 flagship smartphones with a focus on a revamped camera system. Here are the key things you need to know about the company’s new top-end phones. We’ll start with the OnePlus 9 Pro. Hasselblad Cameras OnePlus spent a considerable amount of time during its launch event talking about its new camera partnership with…
What a long, strange trip it’s been. From its inaugural release to today, Android has transformed visually, conceptually and functionally — time and time again. Google’s mobile operating system may have started out scrappy, but holy moly, has it ever evolved. Here’s a fast-paced tour of Android version highlights from the platform’s birth to present. Android versions 1.0 to 1.1: The early days Android made its official public debut in 2008 with Android 1.0 — a release so ancient it…
Are you scared about Skygofree? I mean, from the sound of things, this newly discovered malware can give the bad guys free rein on your Android smartphone. Let’s start with the facts. Skygofree is bad. It’s Trojan horse malware that can do many horrible things to your Android smartphone. Like what? Glad you asked. Kaspersky, the antivirus company that found it, has a whole laundry list of the terrible, awful, bad things it can do to you. For example, if you get a case…
Getting up in the morning is rarely a pleasure, but doing it to the sound of your favourite song might just make it that much easier. With Smartphones becoming so much more flexible and versatile, we are able to customize them to our own personal tastes – and while being able to customize your alarm has been around for a long time, it’s always good to know how to do! Looking to get the most out of your phone? Check our…
The LG Watch Style and Watch Sport are “designed with Google,” and set the standard for Android Wear 2.0 smartwatches. Android Wear 2.0 is officially here, and while the update is due to roll out to current smartwatches in the “coming weeks,” you can experience it as soon as February 10 with LG’s all-new Watch Style and Watch Sport models. LG’s two new smartwatches were “designed in collaboration with Google” — most likely in a similar fashion to how most Nexus devices…
Android Studio offers a rich palette of development tools, and it’s compatible with many plugins. The first three articles in this series focused on basic tools for building simple mobile apps. Now you’ll get acquainted with some of the more advanced tools that are part of Android Studio, along with three plugins you can use to extend Android Studio. We’ll start with Android Device Monitor, Lint, and Android Monitor–three tools you can use to debug, inspect, and profile application code…