Sep 19
Sep 19
As you might have guessed, iOS 11 isn’t the only treat Apple has in store for its mobile device owners. The tech giant has also released watchOS 4, a major update to the Apple Watch that focuses on the health-conscious crowd. It includes many more wo…
Sep 19
Google has made life a little easier for those who like to check out e-books from their local library. Now, when you search for a book through Google, results for libraries near you that carry that e-book will show up along with outlets where you can…
Sep 19
Samsung officially launched the Galaxy S8 Active in the United States last month. It’s exclusive to AT&T in the country like previous Active variants. Many people opt for the Active variants because they provide more durability. Some customers are reporting that the handset’s shatter-resistant screen scratches very easily.
Some Galaxy S8 Active owners have posted their reviews on Samsung’s website. They complain that the handset’s shatter-resistant screen is prone to catching scratches very quickly. They find that the 5.8 inch shatter-resistant flat screen gets scuffed and scratched even when the handset is inside their pocket.
This issue is actually related to a lamination technology that’s used to make the shatter-resistant screen. The cover glass isn’t actually glass but a material that’s softer than glass, thus it scratches easily. Samsung might be using this lamination technology. Motorola uses the same technology for the Moto Z2 Force’s ShatterShield display.
That handset also catches scratches very quickly. Motorola actually allows customers to replace the scratched panel with a new one for just $30.
Samsung hasn’t said if it’s going to launch a similar program but until it does, Galaxy S8 Active owners will have to come to terms with the reality that their handset’s screen will get scratched faster than they would have expected.
Galaxy S8 Active Screen Scratches Irk Owners , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Sep 19
Chromebooks are a hit in the education sector so it’s not surprising to see that Google works with hardware manufacturers on Chromebooks for students. It announced HP’s Chromebook x360 11 G1 Education Edition earlier this year in March. It wasn’t available for everyone back then but it is now. HP has released the Chromebook x360 to the public.
Just like its education counterpart, the HP Chromebook x360 is a rugged notebook that’s well protected against bumps and bruises. It’s powered by a 1.1GHz Intel Celeron dualcore processor with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of eMMC storage.
The notebook also features an 11.6 inch HD touchscreen display that’s protected by Gorilla Glass. The display can be flipped around which makes the notebook more versatile particularly if it’s meant to be used for media consumption.
Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, USB Type-C and USB 3.0 ports, and a microSD card reader. HP claims that the battery on this notebook is good enough for more than 11 hours on a single charge.
HP Chromebook x360 is available for purchase starting today. Retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Costco will sell it for $299.
As is the case with all Chromebooks, it’s powered by Google’s cloud-based operating system so an internet connection is essential to get the most out of this product.
HP Chromebook x360 Now Available To The Public , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Sep 19
You don’t get to hear about school districts getting hacked often but that did happen recently. An entire school district in Montana was shut down for three days after hackers breached into servers and gained access to student and faculty records. The hack itself wouldn’t have prompted the shutdown probably, it was the ominous threats from hackers that led to the shutdown.
Some parents reportedly received “extremely graphic threats via text messages.” Hackers also sent a ransom note to the school board demanding payments in bitcoin if they wanted the hacked data to be destroyed.
From Thursday through Monday, 15,700 students of the Columbia Falls School District were unable to attend classes because they were canceled. Authorities gave the all clear today as they believe that those behind the threats “have frequently failed to live up to their promises to not release the stolen data in the past, even when their ransom demands have been met.”
A hacker group calling itself TheDarkOverlord Solutions claimed to be behind this hack. Hackers have used this game in recent high profile attacks on Netflix and ABC. There’s no evidence to suggest if the same group of people that were behind those attacks are those who hacked the school district.
The hackers infiltrated the school district’s server and stole information about past and present students, staff members, and parents. Information included names, medical records, and addresses. NBC News heard from Whitefish Police Chief Bill Dial who said that they had also accessed Columbia Fall School District’s security cameras.
The FBI was brought in to help with the investigation over the weekend. No information has been released about the content of the threatening messages. The ransom note that was released contained references to the tragic 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
The ransom note asked for as much as $150,000 in bitcoin. The suspect behind this is believed to be of British origin and based in Europe. The person is reportedly on an international watchlist and isn’t allowed to enter the United States.
Since the person can’t enter the country, any threat of physical violence becomes a moot point. That’s likely why the all clear was given today.
Police Chief Dial told reporters yesterday that “I am 100 percent confident there is no threat. It was all a ruse.”
Hackers Shut Down A School District With Ominous Threats , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Sep 19
The Google app for iOS has received a new feature today. The feature is going to recommend them articles that are relevant to the one they’re reading. This will keep users in the app for a longer period of time. The recommended articles will be surfaced when users are reading a webpage on the Google app for iOS.
The suggestions for related articles will be displayed when the user pulls up the bottom of the page. They don’t have to type anything in the search box to find out more about that particular topic.
Suppose you’ve just finished reading an article about the different ways you can cook a steak. Once you reach the end of the page, the app will surface related articles that might be about the method you can use to check the doneness of a steak. You get the idea.
The recommendations can be accessed by swiping up on the bottom bar. This gesture will bring up a lightbox-style display that contains automatically populated content. This is a useful feature since many of us like to consult multiple sources these days whenever we’re searching for something online.
Google says that this feature is only available to users in the United States. It adds that the feature will be expanded to more languages and locales in the future.
Google iOS App Will Now Recommend Related Articles , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Sep 19
Galaxy S8 Active Review
Posted in: Today's ChiliThe Galaxy S8 Active was released in August 2017 and was initially targeted at the high-end rugged phones market. At publishing time, the Galaxy S8 Active was priced at USD 849 (exclusively from AT&T). Even if this product was created to address the high-end market, the reality is that many products will shift segments as their price are pushed down over the years. As we evaluate this phone, we looked for a potential competitor, both in terms of […]
Galaxy S8 Active Review , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Sep 19
You can use Google Earth to check out any part of the world without having to leave your couch. The satellite imagery has been considerably improved over the past few years but now Google Earth is providing users a completely different way of exploring the world. It has integrated crowdsourced photos to let users explore the world through someone else’s lens.
Starting today, Google Earth users can explore a global map of crowdsourced photos. Accessing this feature is simple enough. Just launch the Google Earth app on iOS or Android. It’s also available on Google Earth in your Chrome browser on desktop.
Just open the main menu and turn on the Photos toggle. As you zoom in on a particular location, the map will automatically be populated with relevant photos from that location. Click on any thumbnail to see the fullscreen version of the photo. You can then flip through related photos.
Google is using machine learning to power this experience. The photos are pulled from the millions that have already been shared in Google Maps by Local Guides and other contributors.
The new Photos layer provides users with an opportunity to look at far off places up close. New photos are added every day so users have a good reason to return and check out all of the photos that were added since the last time they checked in.
Google Earth Now Shows Crowdsourced Photos , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Sep 19
Hotel loyalty programs provide you with points that can be used for discounts, free nights, etc but if you’re a Hilton Honors member, you can now use your points to shop on Amazon. It has been announced today that more than 66 million Hilton Honors members can now redeem their Hilton Honors Points for purchases at Amazon.com.
Hilton is the first hotel brand to offer its members the ability to shop with their loyalty points on Amazon.com, the online retail giant that needs no introduction.
By teaming up with Amazon, we are able to offer our Hilton Honors members yet another choice in how they redeem their Hilton Honors Points,” Hilton says in a press release.
This benefit is available now for free to all eligible Hilton Honors members. They will have to complete a one-time link of their Hilton Honors account to their Amazon account. Once that’s done, they can then choose the amount of points that they want to use when checking out their purchase at Amazon.
When the ordered is placed, the points applied to the purchase will be deducted from the order total and displayed as “Rewards Points” on the screen. Amazon’s FAQ mentions that 500 Hilton Honors Point will be equal to $1 on Amazon.com.
So if you have tons of points, you can purchase a lot of items from Amazon. Things that can’t be purchased on these loyalty points just yet include Amazon Appstore apps, Amazon Video titles, Kindle downloads, digital music, items from AmazonFresh, and more.
Amazon Now Accepts Hilton Honors Points As Payment , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
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