Hasta La Gadget!

It has often been advised that public WiFi networks aren’t necessarily the most secure, so when using it, it might not necessarily be the best idea to log into your banking accounts, make financial transactions, or access sensitive documents lest you end up having your information intercepted or spied upon.

However for those who do use public WiFi from time to time, you might be interested to learn that Verizon has recently launched a VPN service called Safe WiFi that is designed to protect users while on public WiFi networks. According to Verizon, Safe WiFi is expected to encrypt your browsing sessions using “bank-grade encryption”.

It will also block and hide your IP to help cover your tracks and not give out your private information. To top it off, Verizon’s VPN will also provide users with ad blocking which is also another way of protecting your online presence as some ads do come with trackers that tracks your activity across the internet.

Unfortunately this feature is only available to Verizon customers who will need to add it to their account. It will cost $3.99 a month and will cover up to 10 devices on their account. To sign up or to learn more, head on over to Verizon’s website for the details.

Verizon’s Safe WiFi Will Protect Users When Using Public WiFi , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

Some of you guys might have heard how in southwestern Japan, that area of the country has been hit with devastating floods where more than 8 million people were advised to evacuate, and where it has been reported tha 225 people have died as a result of the flood and an additional 13 reported missing.

No doubt a lot of people are affected by the floods with their homes and belongings having been destroyed. Thankfully it seems that Apple is looking to lend a hand to those affected by the floods and have announced that they will be offering free repairs to customers whose Apple devices might have been damaged during the course of the flood.

According to the announcement (translated), “We wish to express our heartfelt sympathy to everyone who received the damage due to the recent disaster and we pray for the earliest reconstruction as soon as possible. For repairable products to customers of consumers who use Apple products damaged by this disaster we will implement delivery repair service free of charge.”

The repairs will pretty much cover all Apple products such as Mac computers, iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, Apple displays, and iPods, save for any accessories such as Beats headphones. This is actually not the first time Apple has launched such a repair program. Back in 2017 during Hurricane Harvey, Apple also launched a similar initiative for those who were affected.

Granted it’s only a small part of the overall picture, but we suppose at least it’s one less thing that victims of the flood would need to worry about.

Apple Offers Free Repairs For Customers Affected By Japan Floods , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

Smartwatches have been around for a few years now, so much so that the novelty has worn off and the more practical aspects of a smartwatch is often taken into consideration before making a purchase decision. Mobvoi, a Google-backed entity, has decided to forge ahead with its all-new TicWatch Pro, where it is being touted to be a premium wearable smartwatch that carries an equally premium price tag of $249.99 apiece.

Sporting a build quality that surpasses that of cheap plastic and rubber, the TicWatch Pro will sport a stainless steel (SUS) bezel as well as rear cover, in addition to a glass fiber-reinforced nylon case, all of it accompanied by a hybrid silicone/Italian leather strap. There are also a couple of hardware buttons that can be pressed in order to summon the Google Assistant, to open up the app list, to activate Google Pay, as well as other actions through a series of different taps or long-presses. As for the lower button, it can also be used customized in order to launch a pre-determined favorite or frequently used app.

What makes the TicWatch Pro stand out from other smartwatches would be its Layered Display, where it is made up of a transparent FSTN (Film compensated Super Twisted Nematic) LCD display that will remain on top of the main OLED panel. This enables selected information such as time, date, step count, and heart rate to be seen all the time without having a negative impact on battery life.

The Essential Mode will rely on only the low-power secondary display, and Mobvoi claims that this will help it last anywhere from 5 to 30 days, which is a rather huge spread. I would lean more towards 5 days, as an entire month would be a real stretch of the imagination. In Smart Mode, users should be able to obtain approximately 2 days of battery life before a trip to the power outlet is required.

Source
[ Mobvoi reveals TicWatch Pro copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Image credit – Mary Evans/Lucasfilm, via Everett Collection

Back in 2016, fans of Star Wars were devastated to learn that Carrie Fisher, who was probably best known for her role as Princess Leia, had passed away. There were talks about whether or not she would be included in Star Wars: Episode IX through the use of CGI (as was done in Rogue One), but it was confirmed that she would not be appearing in the movie, CGI or otherwise.

However it turns out that the studios have had a change of heart because according to the official Star Wars website, which announced the cast of Episode IX, it has been confirmed that Fisher will be making an appearance in the movie where her appearance will be through unused footage shot previously.

According to J.J. Abrams, “We desperately loved Carrie Fisher. Finding a truly satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga without her eluded us. We were never going to recast, or use a CG character. With the support and blessing from her daughter, Billie, we have found a way to honor Carrie’s legacy and role as Leia in Episode IX by using unseen footage we shot together in Episode VII.”

Speaking to the New York Daily News, Fisher’s brother Todd Fisher said, “She’s as much a part of it as anything and I think her presence now is even more powerful than it was, like Obi Wan — when the saber cuts him down he becomes more powerful. I feel like that’s what’s happened with Carrie. I think the legacy should continue.” Star Wars: Episode IX is currently set for a release for the 20th of December, 2019 and will conclude the current trilogy’s and the overarching story.

Carrie Fisher Will Appear In Star Wars: Episode IX , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.