Blogroll

Personalizing your computer with a new wallpaper or fresh theme is one of the first things people do when they initially set it up, and Chrome OS is no different. Here’s how to customize the background and theme on your Chromebook.

How to Change Your Wallpaper

When choosing a wallpaper to use on your Chromebook, you can select from a wide range of pre-installed images or any of the images saved to your computer using the Wallpaper app.

The first thing you’re going to want to do is to open up the Wallpaper picker. Right-click—or two-finger tap—anywhere on the desktop, then click on “Set Wallpaper.”

The Wallpaper picker opens in a new window, and you have a few options to choose from for your new background. Select one of the categories from the left side of the window, then click on one of the many pictures on the right to set it as your wallpaper.

By clicking on “Daily Refresh,” located at the top of the picture selections, your desktop wallpaper will switch to a new image at the start of each day. This is great for those of us that often get bored of looking at one picture for too long.

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For new macOS users transitioning from Windows, the way you launch applications might be the first difference you notice. Even though they’re different, the tools on macOS are user-friendly and designed to make the process simpler.

From The Dock

The Dock is by far the simplest way to launch applications on macOS. It’s a lot like the Windows taskbar, containing an icon for each running app, except the macOS Dock comes with many default apps already pinned to it. It also shows notifications for each app and apps that need your attention will start bouncing.

You can click on any of these icons to launch the app. If the app is running, you’ll see a small white dot underneath the icon. You can click on any running app to automatically bring that app to the front.

The Dock is designed for you to customize. You can drag the applications around to change the order, you can drag an application out of the Dock to remove it, and you can drag one into the Dock to pin it there. Removing an app from the Dock does not delete it, and you can still launch it in other ways.

If you have an app running, you can force it to stay in the Dock by right-clicking (tap with two fingers on a touchpad) the icon, hovering over “Options” and selecting “Keep in Dock.”

From Launchpad

The Launchpad should be the 3rd icon in the Dock, a gray icon with a rocket ship.

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You or somebody in your household has long hair. The hair wages a constant battle against the shower drain. If you’re tired of dealing with a slow draining shower, we’re here to help.

Even if you do your best to catch the hair and stick it to the side of the shower stall to dispose of after your shower, a bunch of hair always makes its way to the drain despite your best efforts. The following tools are inexpensive and will help you prevent and deal with the inevitable clogs.

A Good Hair Catcher: The TubShroom ($13)

We gave the TubShroom a shoutout in our article Five $20 and Under Bathroom Upgrades You Should Buy Right Now, for good reason. It’s ridiculously good at what it does.

RELATED: Five $20 and Under Bathroom Upgrades You Should Buy Right Now

When it comes to hair clogs, the single best thing you can do is to keep the hair from getting in the drain in the first place. The TubShroom’s design is excellent at both preventing the hair from getting into the drain and keeping the water draining while you’re using it.

Unlike most hair catchers, it doesn’t slowly clog up with hair and start backing up. The mushroom-like design helps the hair wrap around the base and the top keeps the drain open so you don’t have to empty it while you’re showering. There’s even a wide version for bigger shower-stall drains called, naturally, the ShowerShroom.

Buy on Amazon A Flexible Snake: The Cobra Zip-It ($6)

You might only think of drain snakes in terms of the big ol’ steel cable monsters your plumber busts out to clear the main drain of your home. For nabbing a hair clog that’s right at the drain opening, however, a much lighter (and cheaper) tool is perfect.

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Tar files are compressed archives. You’ll encounter them frequently while using a Linux distribution like Ubuntu or even while using the terminal on macOS. Here’s how to extract—or untar—the contents of a tar file, also known as a tarball.

What Does .tar.gz and .tar.bz2 Mean?

Files that have a .tar.gz or a .tar.bz2 extension are compressed archive files. A file with just a .tar extension is uncompressed, but those will be very rare.

The .tar portion of the file extension stands for tape archive, and is the reason that both of these file types are called tar files. Tar files date all the way back to 1979 when the tar command was created to allow system administrators to archive files onto tape. Forty years later we are still using the tar command to extract tar files on to our hard drives. Someone somewhere is probably still using tar with tape.

The .gz or .bz2 extension suffix indicates that the archive has been compressed, using either the gzip or bzip2 compression algorithm. The tar command will work happily with both types of file, so it doesn’t matter which compression method was used—and it should be available everywhere you have a Bash shell. You just need to use the appropriate tar command line options.

Extracting Files from Tar Files

Let’s say you’ve downloaded two files of sheet music. One file is called ukulele_songs.tar.gz , the other is called guitar_songs.tar.bz2. These files are in the Downloads directory.

Let’s extract the ukulele songs:

tar -xvzf ukulele_songs.tar.gz

As the files are extracted, they are listed in the terminal window.

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Windows 10’s next update is the May 2019 Update, which is version 1903 and was codenamed 19H1 during development. It features a light theme, speed improvements, and lots of polish. There are no crazy new features like My People or Timeline.

This article includes everything new as of Insider Preview build 18362.30, released on April 4, 2019. Microsoft previously called this Windows 10’s April 2019 Update, but it was delayed. The update will spend time in the “Release Preview” ring being tested before a stable release later in May.

Big Changes to Windows Update Microsoft

Microsoft announced it’s making big changes to the way Windows 10 updates. You’ll have much more control over the way Windows 10 installs updates—or not.

Specifically, Windows 10 will no longer automatically install big updates like the May 2019 Update and October 2018 Update every six months without your permission. Now, you’ll see a notification and it’s your choice when you want to install the update.

Don’t want to install the update? That’s fine. You can keep using your current version of Windows 10 for as long as it’s supported with security updates—that’s 18 months after release. But, once every 18 months, you will be forced to update to keep getting security fixes. This is much better than once every six months, and it gives you a lot more control.

On top of that, Microsoft will now let Home users pause updates—just as Professional users can—for up to 35 days. You must pause in seven day periods, but you can pause up to five times. And, after you check for updates in Windows Update, Windows won’t automatically install them—you’ll have a choice to pause the updates, if you like.

RELATED: Microsoft Abandons Windows 10’s Constant Forced Updates

Speed Improvements (Thanks to Better Spectre Fixes) VLADGRIN/Shutterstock.com

The news of Spectre shook the industry at the start of 2018. Spectre is a design flaw in CPUs, and it allows programs to escape their restrictions and read other programs’ memory spaces. Microsoft patched Windows to help block Spectre attacks, but the resulting patches reduced your PC’s performance in some scenarios—especially on PCs from 2015 and earlier, which don’t have the CPU features needed to speed up the fix.

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What Was The First Volunteer Distributed Computing Project?

1. Folding@home
2. GIMPS
3. SETI@home
4. BitCoin

Think you know the answer?

Microsoft has a major announcement today: Windows 10 will no longer automatically install those big feature updates every six months. Home users can pause smaller updates, too. In fact, Windows will even let you pause updates after checking for them!

This is huge. It’s Microsoft’s biggest change in Windows strategy since the company released Windows 10. Microsoft is giving up on “Windows as a service” that is automatically updated outside of your control.

Here’s What’s Changing in Windows 10 Microsoft

In a blog post on the official Windows blog, Microsoft’s Mike Fortin explained what’s changing with Windows Update:

• Starting with the May 2019 Update (previously called the April 2019 Update), you will see a notification that the update is available when Microsoft thinks it’s ready for your PC. However, it’s your choice when—and whether—to install it. Windows 10 won’t just start downloading and installing it without your say-so. You’ll have to click “Download and install now.”
• When you click “Check for Updates” in Windows 10, you can choose whether you want to install the resulting updates or pause updates for up to 35 days. This pause feature is new to Windows 10 Home, and was previously only available in Windows 10 Professional. Previously, Windows automatically installed updates right after checking. And yes, this applies to smaller security, stability, and driver updates, too. (You can only pause seven days at a time, but you can pause up to five times in a row.)
• Windows 10 will still automatically install a feature update when your current version reaches “end of service.” This happens about every 18 months—see the Windows lifecycle fact sheet. That means, if you were using Windows 10’s Fall Creators Update (1709), your PC would be about to install a feature update—but you wouldn’t have had to install the last few feature updates. (So yes, some forced feature updates remain—but only once every 18 months or so, after a lot of testing.)
• Microsoft promises to put more work into testing feature updates. For example, Microsoft says it “will increase the amount of time that the May 2019 Update spends in the Release Preview phase.” That should be easy, as the bungled October 2018 Update spent no time in Release Preview at all before release! Unfortunately, this forthcoming update already has a blue screen bug that won’t be completely fixed.

Microsoft Surrenders and PC Users Win

Microsoft is giving us—and PC users—a lot of what we asked for here! We said Windows wasn’t a service and Microsoft should give PC users more choice. We called for Microsoft to test updates more thoroughly than the botched October 2018 Update, which deleted some people’s files and had other bugs. We warned people not to click “Check for Updates” because Microsoft would treat you as a “seeker” and force updates on your PC before they had gone through testing. We said Home users should get more control over updates, including the ability to pause updates when desired.

We haven’t been the only ones calling for Microsoft to slow down, of course. It feels like everyone covering Windows has done so at some time or another—for example, see Paul Thurrot’s take. Now, Windows 10 is finally changing for the better.

Plus Android Q Beta 2 hits Pixel devices, Verizon flips the switch on its 5G Network in a couple of new cities, and Apple announces the Beats Powerbeats Pro to compete with its own AirPods. Wait, what?

540 Million Facebook User Records, Passwords, Comments, and More Leaked

The biggest story to hit the scene over the last day was undoubtedly another Facebook leak. This time, sensitive data like passwords was part of the leak, but also Facebook IDs, comments, reactions, account names, and more.

This leak came by way of third-party app developers being careless with user data and storing it on an unsecured Amazon S3 server. Specifically, two services were found to be responsible for this data leak: a Mexican-based media company called Cultura Colectiva and an application with Facebook integration called At the Pool.

The former was responsible for the majority of the damage here, with 146GB of data in nearly 540 million records. At the Pool, by contrast, was only responsible for about 22,000 passwords, though they were specific to the app. As the research company responsible for these findings, UpGuard, notes, At the Pool is only an issue for users who re-use passwords across various sites.

The good news here is that the data buckets have since been removed from Amazon servers; the issue, however, is that it’s unclear how much exposure they garnered before being pulled. In a statement to Gizmodo, Facebook notes that it’s against its policy to store information on public databases, and it worked with Amazon to pull this data once it was made aware of the issue. Here’s the full statement for those interested:

Facebook’s policies prohibit storing Facebook information in a public database. Once alerted to the issue, we worked with Amazon to take down the databases. We are committed to working with the developers on our platform to protect people’s data.

The biggest issue here for Facebook users, however, is that the data was leaked in the first place. Once that happens, it doesn’t go away—if your data was part of this particular breach, then it’s out there now. Facebook can’t control it. As UpGuard so accurately pointed out “the data genie cannot be put back in the bottle.”

The upside is that if you’ve never used either of the services in question, then you’re safe. If you have, however, then it’s probably cause for concern.

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People might be calling each other less, but we still use our phones for communicating over services like iMessage. Why not give your contacts nicknames for easier calling and texting? It makes them quicker to find and looks neater, too.

Being able to send a message to “Mom” instead of having to find your mother’s name doesn’t sound all that amazing, but you’d be surprised how easy it is to skip right past someone when you don’t normally call them by the name that they’re saved as.

This works with everyone, not just family members. If you have a plumber that you use regularly, you can give them the nickname “Plumber,” so you’re not trying to remember who “Bob Tapp” is the next time you’re flooded. Being able to give contacts nicknames is a little feature that doesn’t seem like a big deal until you use it. It even rolls over to Siri, too.

How to Enabled Nicknames

First, we should make sure that your iPhone or iPad is set to prefer nicknames where they are available. Open Settings and tap “Contacts” to get the ball rolling.

Next, tap “Short Name.”

The resulting screen shows you a list of options. Make sure that “Prefer Nicknames” is switched on.

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With the weather improving it’s the perfect time to spend the day exploring your local hiking trail. It’s important to have the right gear with you though, so we’ve checked out the best accessories for day hiking.

These items are best suited for light day hiking. If you’re planning on tackling some extended deep country hiking off the beaten path, you’ll need a bit more gear than we’re looking at here. If your plan is a gentle but long stroll with family, friends, or furry loved ones however, these accessories will have you on the right track.

Socks: SEOULSTORY7 5pack Men’s Bio Climbing DryCool Performance Socks ($23) SEOULSTORY7

It’s easy to underestimate the importance of a good pair of socks, but they make all the difference when you’re walking any distance. The SEOULSTORY7 5pack Men’s Bio Climbing DryCool Cushion Hiking/Performance Crew Socks are made of 70% cotton, 20% DryCool yarn, 7% polyester, 2% spandex, and 1% elastine. Wondering what DryCool yarn is? It’s a special yarn designed to dry quickly, wick moisture, and help combat odor—it keeps your feet fresh and clean no matter how far you travel.

There’s also extra protection and padding in the heel and ball to protect your foot from the risk of blisters. Make sure you take a spare pair with you on your travels in case you need an extra set. A day hike might be short, but there’s nothing worse than hiking in wet socks.

Buy on Amazon Hiking Boots: Columbia Men’s Newton Ridge Plus II Waterproof Hiking Boots ($57-$323) Columbia

It’s important to have a sturdy pair of hiking boots to protect your feet and ensure you can walk steadily along potentially rocky surfaces. It’s a fairly personal decision but the Columbia Mens Newton Ridge Plus II Waterproof Hiking Boots should suit most users.

The shoes have a lightweight midsole for long lasting comforts extensive cushioning, and an advanced traction rubber sole so slips are highly unlikely. They’re made from a waterproof full-grain leather and suede mix so they can contend with some wet weather with no issues. They’re breathable too so your feet won’t get too sweaty.

Buy on Amazon Hiking Pants: ZOOMHILL Men’s Pro Hiking Stretch Pants Cargo Trousers ($50) ZOOMHILL

Pockets are everything when it comes to picking out the right hiking pants. The ZOOMHILL Mens Pro Hiking Stretch Pants Cargo Trousers offers two big leg pockets with zippers for extra security. There’s plenty of room here to store all your essentials that you’d rather close at hand than in your backpack.

In addition, the pants have ventilation zippers on each side so your legs won’t get too hot in warm weather. There are button adjustable bottoms too for easy size adjustments, along with velcro straps for the waist. All that ensures a snug yet comfortable fit whatever your size.

Buy on Amazon Waterproof Jacket: Columbia Men’s Watertight II Jacket ($32-$255) Columbia

Even if you pick a beautifully sunny day, it could still rain on you at some point later on. It’s worthwhile having a waterproof jacket with you. The Columbia Men’s Watertight II Jacket is lightweight yet has a waterproof nylon shell that’s durable enough to withstand any kind of rain.

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Amazon, Apple, Pandora

Are you missing out on the finer things in life, like Pandora Premium, new MacBooks, and premium smart home products? Well, now’s your chance to buy the good life at a discount.

Right now, websites like Amazon, Best Buy, Woot, and B&H are running some killer deals on electronics and household products. If you’re in the market for a new premium laptop, then you should check out the $1,100 MacBook Air, or the $379 refurbished Microsoft Surface Pro 3. If you’d like to upgrade your home, then you should consider grabbing the $80 Google Home Hub, or the cheap-as-heck $90 Philips Hue and Echo Spot starter kit.

Of course, the best things in life are free. Groupon’s 3-month free subscription to Pandora Premium is no exception. If you’ve never used Pandora’s Premium service (or you just hate to pay for it), now’s a good time to sign up.

Laptops and Keyboards

Upgrade your laptop, or grab a discounted gaming keyboard.

• MacBook Air 2017 Model, $1,100 ($450 off) [B&H]
• Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Refurbished, $379 ($220 off) [Newegg]
• HP 15t Value Laptop, $500 ($760 off) [HP]
• Dell Vostro 15 5000, $670 ($459 off) [Dell]
• SteelSeries Apex Gaming Keyboard, $33 ($15 off) [Woot]

Phones and Tablets

Grab a new phone, tablet, or wireless charging pad.

• Samsung Galaxy S10e 128GB, $600 ($150 off) [eBay]
• Samsung Galaxy S9+ 256GB, $550 ($270 off) [B&H]
• Google Pixel 3 Refurbished, $600 ($200 off) [Dailysteals]
• Moto Z3 Play, $350 ($150 off) [Motorola]
• iPad Newest Model 128GB, $330 ($100 off) [Walmart]
• Kindle for Kids Bundle with Kindle 8th Gen E-Reader, $60 ($65 off) [Amazon]
• Anker PowerWave Qi Wireless Charging Pad, $17 ($9 off) [Amazon]
• ChargeWorx Qi Wireless Charging Pad, $8 ($17 off) [B&H]
• Anker Powercore 20,000 mAh Power Bank, $34 ($66 off with coupon code ANKERPC7) [Amazon]
• Dual USB Car Charger, $9 ($4 off with coupon code SEDB2Z39) [Amazon]

Smart Home Gadgets and Mesh Wi-Fi Routers

Bring your home into the 21st century with these smart home products.

• Google Home Hub, $80 ($20 off) [Massgenie]
• Google Home Hub with Chromecast, $107 ($30 off) [Massgenie]
• Echo Dot w/ Philips Hue White & Color Starter Kit, $90 ($110 off) [Amazon]
• TP-Link Kasa Smart Light Switch, $27 ($13 off) [Amazon]
• Elgato Stream Deck Controller, $119 ($30 off) [GameStop]
• TP-Link Smart Wi-Fi Range Extender, $24 ($5 off after coupon clip) [Amazon]
• NETGEAR Orbi Whole Home Mesh Wi-Fi 3-Pack, $220 ($100 off) [Woot]

Speakers and Headphones

Upgrade your listening setup with these discounted speakers and headphones.

• Bose SoundTouch 10 Wireless Speaker Refurbished, $100 ($100 off) [eBay]
• Tascam TH-200X Headphone 2-Pack, $50 ($100 off) [eBay]
• Polk Audio Bookshelf Speakers, $40 ($50 off) [meh]

Games

Grab a new set of Joycons, or a discounted Xbox One S controller.

• Nintendo Switch Joycons, $70 ($10 off) [Amazon]
• Dragon Ball FighterZ Nintendo Switch, $30 ($25 off) [Target]
• Xbox One S Controller, $36 ($10 off) [eBay]
• Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, $4 ($6 off) [Gamesplanet]
• Virginia PC, $1 ($9 off) [Fanatical]
• Borderlands: The Handsome Collection Xbox One, $15 ($45 off) [Microsoft]

Everything Else

Need a blender, a new showerhead, or some flea medication (for your pets)? We’ve got the deals for you.

• Pandora Premium 3-Months for Free [Groupon]
• Target REDcard Holders Take an Extra 5% off Online Orders [Target]
• BESTEK High Speed Blender 1400W, $35 ($52 off with coupon code FORPRO60) [Bestek]
• Hugger 52″ Indoor Ceiling Fan, $40 ($10 off) [Home Depot]
• AquaDance Rainfall Showerhead, $9 ($6 off) [Walmart]
• Fridgidaire 5-Piece Stainless Cookware Set, $70 ($50 off) [Home Depot]
• Get 33% off Basketballs and Hoops [Amazon]
• DJI Mavid Pro Drone, $780 ($120 off) [B&H]
• Kitchen Faucet with Motion Sensor, $110 ($140 off) [Home Depot]
• Get 30% off Cat and Dog Flea Medication [Chewy]

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Google Chrome lets you save credit card information for a quick and breezy checkout when purchasing something online. But if you never use this autofill feature and want Chrome to stop offering to save your data, here’s how to turn it off.

How to Make Chrome Stop Offering to Save Credit Card Data

The first thing you want to do is fire up Chrome, click the menu icon, and then click on “Settings.” Alternatively, you can typechrome://settings/ into the Omnibox to go directly there.

Scroll down until you see the Autofill heading and click on “Payment Methods.”

Untoggle the switch next to “Save and fill payment methods.”

Advanced Autofill Restrictions

For this next part, we’re going to head into a part of Chrome you may not have known existed: Chrome flags. These are often experimental features that let you test out things that are currently in development for Chrome.

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The Mail app for macOS has the useful feature of user-created mailboxes that function as bins into which you can sort your mail. They are easy to create and work with, and you can make as many as you’d like.

How To Add Mailboxes to the Mail App

Open up the Mail app from the Dock or your Applications folder and hover your mouse over the top of the sidebar. There will be a small button with a + symbol on it, which will let you add a new mailbox.

This brings up a dialog that asks for two things: the name of the mailbox and where it will be stored. The “On My Mac” option just creates a local mailbox that won’t be visible in your mail account, like Gmail’s dashboard. If you want it to sync with your mail provider, change the location to your email account.

After that, you’ll find a new mailbox in the sidebar, which you can fill with emails by dragging them from the list over to the mailbox.

How to Add Smart Mailboxes

Smart Mailboxes help you stay organized without shuffling your mail around to multiple mailboxes. You make them by defining a rule—i.e., all mail from a certain person—and then the Mail app will automatically fill it up with links to emails matching that rule.

To make one, hover next to “Smart Mailboxes” in the sidebar, then click the + button.

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So, you’ve finally upgraded to a standing desk. Your back is nice and straight, your butt’s free from the strain of an office chair, but there’s one problem. Your feet hurt. Now’s a good time to grab an anti-fatigue mat.

Anti-fatigue mats come in a lot of shapes and sizes, but they’re all made to massage, de-cramp, and take the tension out of your legs and feet. They’re all cushioned, but they also have ridges, balls, and platforms that can actively put some pressure on those toes. Sounds better than the carpet, right?

If you don’t have a standing desk, you could still benefit from one of these mats. Everybody likes a good foot massage, especially while they’re supposed to be working.

VARIDESK ActiveMat Groove ($95) VARIDESK

If you want a comfortable, simple anti-fatigue mat, then you should check out the VARIDESK ActiveMat Groove. It’s a wide, cushioned (yet firm) standing mat with a small center groove. This groove is meant to hold the VARIDESK mat’s rubber balls, which you can use to massage your feet and get the blood moving through your legs while you work.

Interestingly enough, the VARIDESK anti-fatigue mat comes with three rubber balls. One of the balls is dense, the other is medium-firm, and the final ball is nice and soft. If you’re prone to foot and leg cramps, you could use the dense rubber ball to really put some pressure on your feet. Or, if you need to fidget while you work, you could just stick to the softer ball. Given the practically universal design of the groove though, you can pretty much put anything round in there you want. Tennis ball? No problem. Stone ball to really put the deep-tissue-massage hurt on your feet? You can do that too.

This is a great standing desk mat, especially if you’d like to choose whether or not your feet get a workout. The rubber balls (and the groove that’s in the mat) are really unobtrusive, but they’re easy to use when your legs get tired. Not to mention, the VARIDESK mat is nice and wide, so you can fidget around a bit without falling off.

Buy on Amazon Anypro Standing Desk Mat ($80) Anypro

If you’re looking for a rough and tough anti-fatigue mat, then you should check out the Anypro standing desk mat. It’s a durable, ergonomic mat that encourages you to stand in dynamic positions while you work.

The Anypro mat is lined with ridges, so you can stretch your muscles while you stand and put some muscle-relieving pressure on your arches. Additionally, the Anypro mat has a ribbed rubber ball for deep foot massages and fidgeting.

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Google Chrome says it’s “managed by your organization” if system policies are controlling some Chrome browser settings. This can occur if you’re using a Chromebook, PC, or Mac that your organization controls—but other applications on your computer can set policies, too.

What Is Management in Chrome?

Management is a feature that lets administrators control Chrome browser settings. If you use a Chromebook or just the Chrome browser on a workplace computer, your employer can set hundreds of policies that control how Chrome functions.

For example, an organization can use policies to set a homepage you can’t change, control whether you can print, or even blacklist specific web addresses. On a Chromebook, policies can control everything from the screen lock delay to which USB devices can be accessed from web apps. Organizations can force-install Chrome browser extensions via policy, too.

Chrome isn’t the only application that can be managed in this way. For example, admins can manage Windows itself by using group policy and even iPhones by using mobile device management (MDM) software.

But I Don’t Have an Organization!

In some cases, you may see this message even when Chrome isn’t managed by an organization. This is thanks to a change in Chrome 73. If a software program on your system has set enterprise policies that affect how Chrome works, you’ll see this message—even if it’s not fully managed by an organization.

This message may be caused by legitimate software. As of April 3, 2019, it seems quite a few people are seeing the message due to software on their systems. Of course, it’s also possible that malware on your system could be modifying Chrome’s browser settings. There’s no need to panic, but Google is showing you this message so you’re aware that something is going on and can look into it.

How to Check Whether Chrome is Managed

You can check whether Chrome is managed in several places. If you simply open Chrome’s menu, you’ll see a “Chrome is Managed by Your Organization” message at the very bottom of the menu—under the “Exit” option—if it’s managed.

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Framesira/Shutterstock

More and more manufacturers are bragging that their phones have Time of Flight (ToF) cameras. But what are ToF cameras, how do they work, and why would you want one in your smartphone?

ToF Cameras Have Extra Depth Resolution

At a very basic level, ToF cameras are just regular HD cameras with an increased depth resolution. In fact, phones like the 2019 Huawei P30 Pro sport a depth resolution that’s four times better than conventional cameras. While “depth resolution” may sound like confusing photography jargon, it’s actually easy to understand. A camera with high depth resolution can differentiate between objects that are nearby (in the foreground) and far away (in the background).

In photography, this idea of foreground and background is called depth of field. It’s what creates a sense of realism or focus. Objects that are nearby look sharp, with clean outlines, while far away objects look slightly blurred.

With a ToF camera, photographers have more options for controlling their depth of field. Of course, you don’t have to be a photographer to benefit from a ToF camera’s increased depth resolution. Automatic camera settings, when paired with a ToF camera, should produce stunning images with a well-defined foreground and background. A ToF camera could also be used to produce a stunning video with advanced image stabilization or to increase the accuracy of your Instagram filters.

Additionally, a phone’s ToF camera could be used for advanced facial recognition, gestures, and AR video games. Remember how Pokemon Go uses your camera to place a Pokemon in your environment? ToF cameras can make that feature a lot more convincing.

This Technology Isn’t New

Oddly enough, ToF cameras have been around since the late ’70s. It’s just taken a while for the technology to become cheap and convenient enough for consumer applications.

In the past, ToF cameras were used for topographic mapping, industrial machine automation, and automatic doors. But the technology made its way into many homes (including yours, probably) back in 2014. The Xbox One’s Kinect uses a ToF camera to identify faces and track hand gestures accurately.

rdonar/Shutterstock

As of April 2019, there are only a few phones that have built-in ToF cameras, like the LG G8 ThinQ, the Honor View 20, the Huawei P30 Pro, and the Oppo RX17 Pro. These phones are marketed toward photographers and geeks, but they’re setting the standard for future phones, including Samsung and Apple’s 2019 and 2020 releases.

Okay, ToF cameras are super cool, and they’ve existed since the release of Star Wars. But how do they work? Why do they have such a great depth resolution?

ToF Cameras Use Lidar to Measure Depth

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Pokémon Was Inspired By What From The Creator’s Childhood?

1. Touring Japanese Villages
2. Collecting Insects
3. Trading Collectible Cards
4. Training Dogs

Think you know the answer?

Windows 10’s April 2019 Update contains a change that causes some PC games to crash Windows with a blue screen of death. Not all games have fixed the problem, but Microsoft has confirmed it’s releasing the update anyway.

Okay, let’s be fair here: Most affected PC games have fixed the problem and won’t freeze your system. But some will, and we don’t know which. This change feels like a betrayal of Microsoft’s commitment to backward compatibility. It’s especially galling considering Windows 10 users have no way to opt out of these updates if they play an affected game.

Update: Microsoft just announced it will abandon Windows 10’s forced updates and give more control to PC users!

Why Fortnite (and More) Started Crashing Windows

In development builds of Windows 10’s April 2019 Update—also known as 19H1—some anti-cheat programs required by games cause Windows to crash with a green screen of death, also known as a GSOD. Green screens of death are just how traditional blue screens of death (BSODs) appear on Insider builds, so you will see a blue screen of death if you encounter this bug once Windows 10’s April 2019 Update is stable.

The most popular software affected was the BattlEye anti-cheat software used in Fortnite, which caused GSODs and made Fortnite unplayable on development builds of Windows 10. It’s not just that the game was unplayable—when you launched Fortnite, Windows would freeze.

To protect Windows Insiders from system freezes, Microsoft put an “upgrade block” in place that prevented Windows Insiders with games like Fortnite installed from installing the latest operating system builds.

On March 28, Microsoft wrote: “Many games that use anti-cheat software have released fixes for the issue causing PCs to bugcheck (GSOD).” Microsoft also said it was lifting the upgrade block. But wait: Microsoft didn’t say all games had fixed the issue.

Microsoft Confirms It: Some Games Will Cause BSODs

Here’s the problem: An operating system-level change resulted in software freezing the operating system. But Microsoft hasn’t fixed this at the operating system level. Instead, it’s just expecting game developers to fix their anti-cheat software. That means that, if you play a game that hasn’t yet been patched, Windows will suddenly freeze and bring down your entire operating system.

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Are you a die-hard Android user who knows the ins and outs of the operating system on a spiritual level? Are you just at home knee-deep in an ADB session as your home screen? We want you to write for us.

What We’re Looking For

We’re after an experienced Android writer to cover tips, tricks, how-tos, and more. Someone who has spent time with several different Android devices will be preferred, but Pixel and Galaxy experience is the most important. Knowing where to find specific settings, options, tweaks, and other system information is crucial—and we cover everything from Lollipop (and below) to Pie (and beyond).

Of course, knowing these settings aren’t the only requirement here—you also have to be able to explain Android in a simple and effective way. It’s our job to make tech easy to understand, and the ideal candidate will need to be able to do exactly this for Android topics. Excellent communication and the ability to make complex topics easy to understand are crucial.

We are not looking for a writer to cover Android news. You may ultimately need to cover something timely or news-related, but simple news posts are not what this position is about. We’re looking for someone with serious Android chops.

This is a freelance position where you’ll be assigned topics to write about, but we also encourage you to pitch your own topics that we haven’t covered yet.

Here’s what we always look for in new writers:

• You must be a geek at heart, always looking to learn more about technology and make your gadgets work better.
• You must be able to explain complex topics in a way that is clear and easy to understand, even to non-experts.
• You must be creative and have the ability to generate article ideas, take suggestions, and make topics interesting and exciting.
• You must be at least 18 years old and have your own computer.
• You must have solid English writing skills. It’s a shame we even have to mention that one.
• You should have some basic screenshot and image editing chops. HTML skills are a plus.

To give you an idea of what we expect, here are a few examples of what we’re looking for:

• How to Get Google Feed in Nova Launcher: This is a great example of a how-to post. It’s a useful topic that is clearly laid out with steps, pictures, and the entire setup process. It also links to other useful guides, like how to sideload apps on Android.
• How to Make Android as Secure As Possible: This isn’t a straightforward how-to guide, but rather a collection of useful tips and advice, along with how to do each thing on the list.
• How Much RAM Does An Android Phone Really Need? This includes a breakdown of how RAM works on Android, along with expert analysis.

How to Apply

Send an email to jobs@howtogeek.com with the subject Android Writer, and include the following in your email:

• Explain why your geek skills are worth touting to millions of readers each month.
• Your name and location.
• Any previous experience you have with writing and/or blogging, particularly related to Android.
• Whether or not you are currently employed, and what you do if you are.
• A brief overview of any other topics you are familiar with, and what operating systems, computers, and devices you have access to.
• Most Importantly: We want a writing sample. If you have previous writing to showcase, particularly relevant Android pieces that you’re proud of, include a link to it in your email. If you have a personal blog, a forum account, or a commenter account from anywhere, feel free to include that as well.

We don’t have normal office hours—or even an office—so you can be located anywhere. This is strictly a telecommuting gig.

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In other headlines, YouTube’s questionable video suggestion algorithm comes under heavy fire, Apple wins a seven-year battle for the “iPad” trademark, and Skrillex may save you from mosquitoes this summer. Let’s talk some news, shall we?

Apple News: News+ is a Hit

It looks like Apple News+ is on its way to success—it garnered more than 200,000 subscriptions in the first 48 hours. Apple also won a battle for the “iPad” trademark, Clips got a nice little update, and more.

• After seven years of battling for trademark rights to the term “iPad,” Apple finally won. Not like there was ever any question. [Appleinsider]
• Apple’s Clips video editor app got a nice little update that brings the ability to add a custom soundtrack from songs created in GarageBand. One step closer to being a “real” video editor. [The Verge]
• According to a new report, over 200,000 subscribed to Apple’s new News+ service in the first 48 hours. That’s…a pretty good number. [Appleinsider]
• MacRumors went hands-on with the new 27-inch 5K 8-core iMac. If you’re interested in that, give it a read. [MacRumors]

Let’s talk about Apple News+ for a second. I was among the 200,000 who subscribed early, mostly to see what the fuss is all about. While I had my initial complaints about how counter-intuitive some features of the app are, overall it’s pretty solid once you figure the ins and outs.

I currently have eight different magazines in the “My Magazines” list, which means I’m paying about a buck twenty-five each. Of course, that’s just what’s relevant to my particular interests—since the $9.99 monthly subscription also lets my wife read her favorite magazines, it seems like a steal.

The only issue (heh) I have with this is one that’s so common with Apple services: it’s only available on Apple products. If I want to read a magazine on my PC or Chromebook, I’m out of luck. That’s one area where Google Magazines has a clear advantage—it’s available everywhere (even iOS).

But really, if you’re not a multi-device user and like the idea of reading a bunch of different magazines, News+ is an excellent service.

Google News: YouTube Values Engagement Over Everything Else

We all know that YouTube can be a wasteland of conspiracy theories and fake news if you’re not careful where you click. It turns out this could’ve been avoided, but those suggestions were ignored. Oof.

• Bloomberg published a pretty brutal report on YouTube, stating that company executives were warned about potential issues with toxic videos, but they ignored them in the name of engagement. It’s a scathing read, and one that’s worth your time. [Bloomberg]
• In news unrelated to YouTube toxicity, the Chrome OS developer channel got Google Assistant in the app drawer search. Assistant in more places on Chrome OS is always a welcome addition. [Android Police]
• A screenshot of Chrome Tab Groups in action surfaced, and it looks pretty nice. [Techdows]
• Some users are experiencing a strange issue in Chrome 73: a new “Managed by your organization” entry is appearing in the menu, even for users who aren’t part of a larger domain. [Techdows]
• Spotify for Android is testing a sleep timer, as well as improved Maps and Waze integration. [XDA Developers]
• Verizon’s Galaxy S8, S8+, and Note 8 are all getting Android Pie with One UI. Sure, it’s not directly related to Google, but it’s close enough. [Android Police]
• After the most recent update, Android TV users are starting to see sponsored ads in the launcher. Yuck. [XDA Developers]
• Google’s reservation making assistant, Duplex, is now available on more Android devices and iPhone. I wish ti could make doctor’s appointments too. [Ars Technica]
• If you love the soothing sounds of John Legend’s voice, you can now tell Google Assistant to “Talk like a Legend” to hear it all the time. Lucky you. [Google Blog]
• The first custom ROMs that work with the OnePlus 6T’s in-display fingerprint scanner are on the way. You know if you’re into that sort of thing. [XDA Developers]

According to Bloomberg’s report, YouTube’s Chief Executive Officer Susan Wojcicki likens the service to “a library,” claiming that “There have always been controversies, if you look back at libraries.” And while that may be true, that’s only part of the story.

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