The Resolution Foundation's Living Standards 2017 is an eye-opening look at the current state of the British experiment in allowing wealth inequality to expand without any check, to use a combination of austerity, the elimination of protection for tenants, reckless lending, offshore money-laundering and public subsidies for speculators to turn the human necessity of shelter into the nation's leading asset-class. (more…)
Waterstones was at death's door when it was purchased by Russian billioniare Alexander Mamut, who hired James Daunt -- an investment banker who'd founded the successful, six-store Daunt Books -- to run the chain. (more…)
Google today is rolling out a change to its AMP integration in Google Search that will let you view, copy and share the publisher’s own link to the webpage in question, instead of the AMP URL. The decision to make this change follows some backlash from publishers who believed Google was stealing their traffic by changing their own URLs to those that had “Google” in… Read More
Imagine the horror of being trapped in a hostile landscape surrounded by snowflakes that were once objects of amusement but now form a blizzard of menacing proportions. Then smile because you're not a fascist, and are merely stuck on a polar icebreaking vessel for 10 hours.
Android can now read 2FA codes over NFC and Bluetooth.
Google added support for wireless U2F cards in a developer version of Google Authenticator back in December. There was an unofficial demo at the Github website that showed how it would work (but it didn't actually work) and the folks at Fidesmo, a company that sells U2F cards, found the APIs buried in the Google Authenticator app. We knew that something would be happening and we just needed to wait for it.
The authentication itself is done in the Google Authenticator app so it's easier on developers who want to use the feature.
Well, such support has now been expanded, and you can use a wireless security key as a two-factor token when you add your Google account to a phone and U2F works in the Chrome browser independently even without the Google Authenticator app installed. This is a pretty cool thing!
And the way Google is handling it all is pretty cool, too, especially for developers. Rather than have a set of APIs that developers need to use to let users log into their apps and services with a wireless key, the routine is an intent built into the Google Authenticator app. All a developer needs to do is ask for the two-factor token and the Android system takes care of the rest. That means there is no waiting for developers to support anything and it will just work. It doesn't look like the APIs to use the wireless signal for authentication have been opened up for other developers just yet, but we hope that's in the works so apps like Authy will be able to support the feature, too.
These. A U2F key is a USB device that can be used as an authentication token. The name stands for Universal Two Factor because it's a standard that anyone making the keys and anyone making a thing that can use them to authenticate is able to incorporate so everything works everywhere. They are a secondary authentication method for people who use two-factor authentication on their accounts.
Read: Two-factor authentication: What you need to know
You should already have two-factor authentication set up on accounts that have the option. It's the easiest way to make sure that someone can't get in and use services in your name without your password and another thing that proves they are you, like a time-sensitive code sent to an app on your phone. A lot of services use two-factor authentication, and setting it up on your accounts will be slightly different for each service. But in the end, it means that when you want to login to something the first time from a new place or a new phone or computer, you need to provide something in addition to your password.
How to set up two-factor authentication on your Google account
Using a security key can be your main way to authenticate, but even if you would rather use an app or SMS it makes for a great backup in case you lose your phone and need to log in on a computer you've never used to change your password. Adding a security key to a Google account that uses two-factor authentication is easy.
Adding a USB security key to your Google account is easy — and here's how to do it
Once you have added a security key to your account, it works on Android as long as it is NFC or Bluetooth capable. We're not sure if there are any plans to enable U2F over the USB port, but at the time this was written that didn't seem to be supported. There are several different manufacturers of USB security keys that have a wireless option and they all should work the same as long as they use the U2F standard. The one we like and recommend is the YubiKey NEO.
It works as described here with U2F for your accounts, and it can also support OTP (One Time Password) for services that use it, like LastPass. And you can support both U2F and OTP at the same time by using a utility from YubiKey and these instructions.
Using an NFC or Bluetooth security key as your sole 2FA device on Android isn't recommended. It can be done, but there is no reason to not use authenticator tokens through an app, too. But it is a secondary way to have access to all of your 2FA protected accounts and it looks like it's going to be well supported on Android going forward.
Starting today we’re rolling out an update to Google Maps on Android that provides helpful everyday info—in real time—at the bottom of your home screen. Just swipe up and you’ll see three tabs that will help you find a nearby restaurant, beat traffic, or catch the next bus.
Under the places tab, you’ll see curated lists of places to eat and drink like “best dinners,” “cheap eats” or “business dining,” around you or in any location you choose. In one tap you can also search for other everyday spots like ATMs, pharmacies, gas stations and grocery stores. Peek at images of the area or read a short description of the neighborhood to get the lay of the land.
Under the driving tab, if you have your home and work addresses saved, you’ll see real-time ETAs to home and work, as well as a nearby traffic conditions report and expected delays on the road ahead. If you don’t need turn-by-turn directions but want real-time traffic info as you take your usual route, you can tap on “start driving” to go directly into driving mode.
With the transit tab, you’ll never have to sprint to the bus again. If you have your home and work addresses saved, you’ll see a recommendation for which bus or train to take, when the next one’s coming, and an ETA for when you’ll arrive at work or home. If you’re headed somewhere else, you can swipe down to find nearby transit stations along with real-time schedules.
When you're on the go, there's no time for apps that can't keep up.Whether you need to get to work or you’re just looking for a quick bite around you, Google Maps gives you the personalized information about your world to make decisions and get around with confidence.
Today we're pleased to announce that the European Union’s Data Protection Authorities have confirmed that Google Cloud services’ contractual commitments fully meet the requirements to legally frame transfers of data from the EU to the rest of the world, in accordance with EU Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC.
The authorities have concluded that Google’s agreements for international transfers of data for G Suite and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) are in line with the European Commission’s “model contract clauses” and should therefore not be considered "ad hoc" clauses. In practice, this compliance finding will enable our customers in most EU countries to rely on Google Cloud model contract clauses for the international transfer of data without further authorizations, and will simplify the processing of national authorizations in other countries, where required. It will also help to facilitate our customers’ data protection risk assessments.
The review process was conducted in accordance with Working Paper (WP) 226 of the Article 29 Working Party. The Irish Data Protection Authority acted as the lead authority and the Spanish and Hamburg authorities as co-reviewers.
Successful completion of the review process marks an important milestone for Google and its customers, as it confirms that the legal protections underpinning the Google Cloud international data flows meet European regulatory requirements.
For more details, please visit the EU Data Protection Directive page to find respective decisions for G Suite and Google Cloud Platform. Our customers subject to the relevant regulatory requirements can enter into the applicable model contract clauses via the online processes described here for G Suite services and here for GCP services.
What is the Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC?
It's the European Union’s directive, which was adopted in 1995 and which regulates the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and the free movement of such data.
What are the “model contract clauses” (MCCs)?
The Standard Contractual Clauses (also known as "model contract clauses", “model clauses” or “MCCs”) are a set of European Commission approved standard provisions that can be used to achieve compliance with legal requirements pertaining to the transfer of personal data outside of the European Economic Area.
What is the Common Opinion Procedure?
It's a process adopted by the Article 29 Working Party enabling companies to make use of contractual clauses based on model contract clauses (with some divergences such as additional clauses) in order to frame international transfers of data from different EU Member States. The process was established to enable the competent data protection authorities to reach a coordinated position as to whether the proposed contract conforms with the model contract clauses
What is the Article 29 Working Party?
It's a privacy working group comprised of data protection authorities from each EU Member State, the European Data Protection Supervisor, and the European Commission.
What are "ad hoc" clauses in this context?
They're clauses created for a particular service that substantially differ from the European Commission’s “model contract clauses” and therefore don't have the same legal value.
Lenovo’s Yoga line has offered some of the most innovative tablet form factors around, from modular projectors to digitizing pads of paper. The A12 borrows the latter from its predecessor — and manages to do so at a dollar under $300. The specs are fairly middling, as out would expect from the price point, but the 12.2-inch HD display swivels around at 360-degrees from the keyboard,… Read More
When you see a few dishes in the sink, you don’t stress over it because it’s not critical. You can get it later. When you come back in a couple days, the sink is overflowing. Now it’s a drain on your energy to do a basic task. Next time, kill the beast while it’s still a babe.
As personal finance site How Do I Money explains, it’s easy to overlook mundane tasks like doing the dishes or checking on your finances when the problems are small. Even though it takes very little effort to wash a couple of dishes, the fact that it’s a simple task means you can put it off. Except you’re not going to. Not until it gets bad, anyway. At that point, it’s not a simple task anymore. It’s a grueling monster that’s ready to steal your motivation not just for doing the dishes, but for everything you need to do:
When there are only ten pieces to wash, it goes fast and it’s easy. When both sides of the sink and half the counter are full of dirty dishes, it sucks and it takes forever. The more dirty dishes there are, the less motivated I am to do them. It’s the worst inverse relationship of them all. “The relationship between two variables is an inverse relationship if when one increases the other decreases.”
Of course it’s obvious that doing a sink full of dishes is harder than washing a few, yet we let them pile up anyway. The more insidious consequence is how letting simple chores pile up can demotivate us to do anything. Even if you get up the motivation to finally clean the kitchen after you’ve been putting it off all week, you’ve used up all your motivation to get anything else done that day.
Instead, the next time you take a look at a minor task you could complete in a couple minutes, don’t look at it as a simple task. Treat it like it’s an investment into your future motivation. Mark off the simple task while it feels easy and you can save yourself the stress of a major project later. Then, you can use that motivation to tackle something bigger later on.
Doing the dishes by hand and the most important life lesson ever. | How Do I Money via Rockstar Finance
Photo by Mike McCune.
Do you want Andromeda? Because this is how you make Andromeda.
I remember thinking last November (2016 if you're reading this from the future), while watching speakers at the Chrome Dev Summit, that Google remembered how important the web was several times. Not the internet where data files back and forth, but the web, the part of that internet you see through a web browser.
Whether you're using Chrome or another program that is built for seeing all the things on the web, or a component in another app that can show you a part of the web that's meaningful and relevant to what you're doing right this moment, the web is a powerful medium for all things. It's also one of the first user experiences we all had and our children may have.
The web was was the first look at what we call User Experience for all things tech.
OK, maybe remember isn't the right word here. Google has spent countless amounts of money and time building tools to both make the web and see the web. The Chrome browser has gone from an amateurish side project into a full-fledged operating system that's so well connected it just works no matter where your things are (or where an apps things are) in the world as long as they are on a server.
Chrome OS leverages the internet — all the tubes and data pipes that put almost anything digital within our reach — and uses the web as a way for us to see and hear it all. Terms like "online" and "offline" can blur in Chrome OS because almost every user interface is a web page and everything these apps can do is done the same way as a web page 10,000 miles away would do it.
There are a lot of amazing things happening at Google that are overshadowed by Android.
It has also been very busy adopting existing and building new web standards, making it easier for anyone to distribute everything through the internet with a friendly web interface and trying to get the internet to more places so more people can be a part of the web and everything else it has to offer. Google has not sat idly by whilst it watches Android slowly become the dominant computing platform in the world. It's been busy preparing for what's next and laying the foundation for what comes after what's next.
And we got to see a glimpse of what's next through a short post on the Chromium blog about Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). The web can become a global app store and our phones can be a tool to see a web interface that can do almost anything.
At first glance, it sounds like we're just seeing a better way to put bookmarks on our home screens. And in a sense we are. We will be able to tap a button or click a mouse pointer on a link that drops an icon on our phone or Chromebook and maybe one day the Chrome browser on other platforms to take us to something the developers of that webpage want us to see. That sure sounds like a browser bookmark. The difference is what we can't see without diving into everything happening behind the fancy icon.
If you have a web browser you can run a web app — the next step is making those apps part of Android.
If you're technically inclined, check out what Paul Kinlan has to say at Google's Web Developer site to see how this is so much more than a bookmark. We've heard about instant apps that run on-demand yet are still Android applications.
This is a similar, yet different, way to merge the internet, the web and the thing in your hands you use to see it. These new ways for PWAs to become part of Android use an Android app that's built and installed on the fly through Chrome to connect with an application that is running on a web server. And Google's development tools mean that things we never thought of as a "web page" can be done on that server and displayed on the screen you're looking at. Things like games, or accounting software or a virtual reality tour of a museum. Things that we usually have to install on our phones.
This is what Chrome OS does so well. The things you see in an app might just be things happening in a server room and you wouldn't know the difference.
It doesn't have to matter where things are stored or where they are processed as long as the user interface is on our screen. This new PWA integration is how that gets started.
If you read through Kinlan's breakdown you'll find that there are some really interesting things coming. An app that runs on the web will be able to use cloud messaging and give you the same notifications you get from an app installed locally. A web app will be able to open and process other files, which could be local or stored on another server somewhere. Things you create with a PWA can be stored locally, managed by Chrome using its permissions and secured storage and shared with other apps and other people using the same intents that a local app does. Again — just like Chrome OS. Most exciting of all is that getting all of this to work on other browsers is happening. Google wants to make the web your new app store, and more.
If Andromeda is some sort of merging of Chrome and Android, this is the beginning of it.
They say everything has an expiration date, but it turns out that certain foods will keep indefinitely.
According to the below infographic—which tells you when to toss everything from baking soda to car tires—there are several pantry staples that will last pretty much forever, especially unopened:
Expiration Date Cheat Sheet | Quid Corner via Food & Wine
Photo by Drew Coffman.
Before Google ever pushes out a major update to any of its applications, the company sends a ‘dogfood’ build of the app to their internal beta testers to get their feedback on new features, designs, or anything else. It appears that Google is currently beta testing a brand new Play Store update that revamps the ‘My Apps’ section…
Google currently has two launcher apps in the Play Store; Google Now Launcher and Pixel Launcher. In a few months, there will only be one. According to an email forwarded to us by a tipster, Google has alerted GMS partners of its intention to remove Google Now Launcher from the Play Store in the coming weeks. OEMs that use GNL have options, though.
The email (which you can see below) explains that the Search Launcher Services library for OEMs that has been in testing is now available.
Read MoreGoogle will discontinue Google Now Launcher in the coming weeks was written by the awesome team at Android Police.
Enjoy this vertical video of a dog insisting that its master not have another glass of wine.
The latest release of Google Photos hit today and it brings a few visual adjustments to a couple of the screens we visit most often. The pages for Albums and Device folders have been rearranged a bit to pack more things on the screen at once. The teardown also reveals upcoming support for easier photo sharing through Nearby and a new creation tool for mashing up your pictures and video.
Unofficial Changelog: (the stuff we found)
Left: previous version.
Read MoreGoogle Photos v2.8 rearranges Albums and Device Folders, prepares for Nearby sharing and Auto-stories [APK Teardown + Download] was written by the awesome team at Android Police.
Sara writes, "It has been a few years since The Hobbit has its theatrical release and some fans have been toiling since then on the perfect edit. Joblit has posted links to his latest versions.They include the personal favourite Theatrical Edition (runtime 2:42), a somewhat indulgent Extended Edition (runtime 3:45), and a brisk Ludicrous Edition (runtime 2:10). He notes to keep in mind that the credits are 13 minutes long, so playback is considerably shorter. If you're a fan of the films and also like an early night then these film edits are for you." (more…)
Mixed faces in Seattle today as Amazon delivered its Q4 2016 earnings. The e-commerce company reported lower than expected revenue of $43.74 with better than expected earnings per share of $1.54. Expectations had been high in the run up to the release. Wall Street consensus was that Amazon would deliver revenue of $44.68 billion with $1.35 earnings per share. In the immediate moments… Read More
This is another incremental step in the process of going public, but it’s probably the most important because we’re finally getting our first glimpse at the financial guts of the company. Snapchat has gone from a zeitgeist-y app among a younger audience to one with more than 150 million daily users — and one with a strong pitch to advertisers based on the engagement of the… Read More
Amazon Alexa and Echo are one and the same, right? Sort of. Not really. But yes and no. Let's break down what's what in the hottest little AI we've seen since HAL.
There really is no escaping Amazon Echo. Or Amazon Alexa. Or both. And that actually highlights the confusion some folks have experienced — especially folks who aren't totally immersed in this newfangled Internet thing. There's a good chance that if you're reading this, you're pretty well-versed in Alexa and Echo and know the difference between the two.
But there's also a pretty good chance that you know someone who isn't.
So let's take a few minutes and break it down. Here's everything you need to know — insofar as the basics are concerned — about Amazon Alexa and Amazon Echo.
And when you're ready to buy, you can find all three (naturally) at Amazon.
It looks like the pivot isn't going well.
Back in March of last year, Google announced a Bay Area only test of a service called Hands Free. It was an alternative payment solution for people who thought taking their phone or wallet out of their pocket was a lot of work. The "hands free" part came from you having this new app on your phone and saying the words "I'll pay with Google" at the register. When those words were recognized, you signed your initials and the transaction was suddenly complete.
These jabs at Google perfectly illustrate some of the things a lot of users view as mistakes made by Google recently.
Hands Free only worked at a handful of stores in the Bay Area, and never really expanded beyond the initial trial group, which might have something to do with why the service most people have never heard of just announced it's shutting down.
It's possible we'll see some similar features baked into Android Pay at some point in the future, but for now there's no value in getting excited about that potentially happening. Instead, take a look at this snippet from the Reddit thread where this sunset announcement was shared — and know you aren't alone in being frustrated with Google right now.
While admittedly hilarious, these jabs at Google perfectly illustrate some of the things a lot of users view as mistakes made by Google recently. Take a look at Allo and Duo, or rather don't because it's clear by the app ranking no one is using Allo, and it's not clear anyone ever actually opened Duo again after the first day it was available.
The bulk of the features available in these two apps would be amazing in Hangouts, but that product is supposed to be weirdly re-positioned for business use even though to many people already use it for personal communication. Meanwhile, there's a lot of folks hooked up to Google right now that are just happy Google Voice isn't actually getting killed off like so many rumors claimed. It's hard to get messier than this situation.
There's no harm in trying something new, in fact with a company the size of Google there needs to be a constant exploration of new things. Hands Free sounds like a neat experiment that ended in a decision to use that tech elsewhere, which is a thing that happens sometimes. And it really would be cool to see this tech show up in Android Pay some day instead of continuing to break down individual features into separate apps.
Sometimes when you’re looking at your Instagram selects and you can’t quite decide between a few options, or when you want to post something from your trip but also don’t want to overwhelm your followers with a bunch of different pictures in a row, you feel keenly the absence of the ability to post a gallery as a single update. Especially if you’ve seen ads that feature… Read More
If you’re not tracking your habits, you’re missing out on a powerful motivation tool. HabitHub is a fantastic app that can track your habits, remind you to stay on top of them, and provide some great charts showing your progress.
Platform: Android
Price: Free/$4.99
Download Page
There are a ton of different strategies to build a new habit. You can try the streak method where you focus on not breaking the chain, or you can use a cue-routine-reward system to give yourself a reason to get into the habit every day. HabitHub does an excellent job of helping everyone, no matter what method works for you.
You can quickly add new habits and rewards with the big Plus button on HabitHub’s home page. Simply add a name, a longer description if you want, and pick a schedule for your habit. You can choose a daily habit, like drinking water, or you can use a more flexible schedule. For example, if you want to start working out, you can aim for three times a week. As long as you reach your goal three times within a seven-day period, HabitHub will count it as a success.
Over time, HabitHub will generate graphs to show your progress. You can see your “habit strength” which calculates how often you reach goals, versus the times that you skip your habits. The”punch card” view shows which days you’re most active for each habit, and a history chart shows your streaks over time.
For data nerds and anyone who likes the streak method, HabitHub is great, however, its design is very clinical. Compared to apps like Habitica which gamify your habits, it’s very dry. It can sometimes feel like you’re doing extra paperwork on top of trying to build a habit. If you’d rather get something simpler without all the bells and whistles, you can find some alternatives in the competition section below.
The paid version is also a little pricey. Fortunately, most users can get by with the free version, but if you’d like to choose a different theme, use homescreen widgets, or track more than five habits, you’ll need to shell out $5. That’s not the most expensive app in the world, but habit trackers are pretty common and you can find dozens that are cheaper. If you go premium, you should be sure you need it.
HabitBull (Free/$5.00) feels so similar to HabitHub that they could almost be clones. Unlike HabitHub, HabitBull has an iOS counterpart as well, so you can use it on both platforms. However, it also comes with a lot of extra junk. For example, HabitBull includes links to forums where other people are discussing their habits by default. You also get something called “Funny notifications” by default which are entirely unnecessary. HabitBull’s premium version—which gets you data backup, multiple device syncing, and up to 100 habits—is just as expensive as HabitHub, while being more limited, though you can save fifty cents if you don’t care about exporting data to CSV.
Loop (Free) is an open source app that’s totally 100% free and much simpler than the alternatives on this list. You can set a simple goal, check in each day to confirm you did it, and see a few charts that track your progress. It doesn’t have rewards and it can’t sync between devices, but you can create backups without paying extra. You can even import data from apps like HabitBull if you want to try it out without losing your progress.
Habitica (Free), formerly known as HabitRPG, has been a favorite around Lifehacker for a while. Instead of a traditional charts-and-calendars approach, Habitica turns you into a character in role-playing game. Completing your real-life habits gives you XP and builds your character. However, Habitica also aims to be your to-do list, and it doesn’t have the same flexibility for building habits that aren’t daily routines. Some might find it lacking, but it’s undoubtedly the most fun habit app we’ve looked at.
Lifehacker’s App Directory is a new and growing directory of recommendations for the best applications and tools in a number of given categories.
Neil Fennell says: "I wanted to see what it would be like if the events of the movie "Groundhog Day" all took place simultaneously."
Lake Silvaplana has breathtaking views year-round, but in the winter there's another delightful experience to be had: walking on transparent ice that allows visitors to see all the way to the lakebed. (more…)
Europeans will know the pain of roaming charges. Head to another country on holiday or business and try and check email, or text the boss/wife/husband/partner/colleague/friend (delete as applicable) and you'll be hit with fees. However, in a good piece of news, the European Union, the legislative body that governs most of Europe, is set to abolish roaming charges by summer 2017. Fantastic!
The EU has been gunning for this since 2007. It's been pushed back and delayed, with a final date of June 15 2017 finally proposed almost two years ago.
Read MoreThe EU finally abolishes roaming charges, will take effect in June was written by the awesome team at Android Police.
What does Brexit mean for UK data protection rules? Likely mirroring the major part of EU data protection law, according to UK digital minister Matt Hancock, who was giving evidence to a House of Lords Home Affairs sub-committee earlier today on the implications of Brexit for domestic DP law. Read More
