Category: technology

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Google Maps Is Adding Alerts for Speed Traps and Other Road Incidents

Are you one of the drivers out there who sticks to Waze for navigation purposes because it lets you know other useful info, such as where police cars are hiding in wait to give you a speeding ticket? Well, you can soon switch to Google Maps and enjoy the same perks.

Google Maps is finally adding this feature to its own navigation system. Users will be able to report speed traps, crashes, road closures, construction, slowdowns, disabled vehicles and objects on the road. Some of those updates are already available on Android devices, but they’re now being rolled out globally to Apple users as well.

Photo Credit: iStock

“This feature has been one of our most popular on Android, and we’re excited to expand it to iOS,” Google Product Manager Sandra Tseng wrote in a recent blog post.

“Google Maps has always helped people get from point A to B in the easiest way possible. Today, we’re adding more tools that reflect real-time contributions from the community so you can stay even more informed when you’re behind the wheel.”

Photo Credit: Google

Submitting a report through Google Maps is simple and streamlined. You simply tap on the + sign and then click “Add a report.”

Unlike on Waze, there’s no option to add comments or photos to your report, so there’s less detail available — but also less clutter.

This is exactly the sort of thing I like in an update. It’s easy, it’s useful, and it makes me actually want to bother to go through with downloading new software.

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Standard QWERTY keyboards are used in China…

Standard QWERTY keyboards are used in China. Chinese users are familiar with the sounds that Latin letters make, and they type in the way their characters sound when spoken out loud. Software then translates the sound they typed into a Chinese character.

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10 Interesting Facts to Help You Get Through This Loooooong Week

Will this week ever end.

It feels like it’s taking FOREVER.

But, wait! I have a good idea about how to fix this.

Facts! Great facts that will challenge your brain and soothe your soul.

Let’s get started!

1. It’s mostly water weight.

Photo Credit: did you know?

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2. Rejection leads to later problems.

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3. That’s totally disgusting! Yay humans!

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4. Oh, it’s real…

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5. Typical male behavior.

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6. Are you good at this?

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7. This is amazing.

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8. Be on the lookout…

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9. A symbol of grace and poise.

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10. Wow…that’s really something…

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That’s a little better, right?

Now let’s power through the rest of this damn work week together!

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Take a Look at This Giant Ocean Cleaning Device That Removes Plastic Waste from the Water

There is a giant swath of floating garbage (we’re talking twice the size of Texas) in the Pacific called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Thousands of tons of plastic debris is brought together by swirling ocean currents and kept in place by those same forces.

Aside: Is this where Garbage Pail Kids are born? We need to investigate.

Plastic and other trash, like discarded fishing nets, pose large and often deadly issues for marine life, a sad fact that has convinced scientists and conservationists that we need to fix the problem.

Now, there may be an answer.

The Guardian reports that the non-profit Ocean Cleanup has engineered a giant, floating device that can remove plastics safely from the water. They’ve been working on the device for seven years, but only recently put it into action with positive results.

The cleaner captures trash with a large folding arm, everything from large cartons, crates, and other fishing gear, to tiny microplastics as small as a millimeter wide. Its U-shaped barrier drops a net below the surface and, as the current moves, traps pieces of trash moving along at a good clip.

Fish, if you’re worried, are able to swim beneath it.

Ocean Cleanup founder and CEO Boyan Slat confirmed at a press conference that the invention is “catching plastics,” and tweeted out a picture of all of the collected debris.

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Das System @theoceancleanup macht sich die natürlichen Ozeanströme zu nutzen um Müll zu sammeln und zu konzentrieren. Es besteht aus langen, luftgefüllten Schläuchen aus Gummi, die an der Wasseroberfläche schwimmen und Plastikmüll auffangen. So kann der angesammelte Abfall abgetragen und entsorgt werden. ♻ Seit 2016 wird das System immer wieder in unterschiedlichen Meeren getestet. Zunächst in der Nordsee und seit 2017 auch vor der kalifornischen Küste. Die gesammelten Informationen und Erfahrungen halfen The Ocean Cleanup weiterzuentwickeln und zu verbessern. 2018 startete endlich das große Sammelsystem, welches 2019 erneut verbessert wurde und nun erfolgreich Plastikmüll sammelt! Sollten die Ergebnisse weiterhin positiv bleiben wird das System an weiteren Orten der Welt eingesetzt. Übrigens ist das System für Fische ungefährlich, da diese einfach darunter hindurch schwimmen können. ? Folge uns für aktuelle Infos und Trends zur Plastikvermeidung ✅ Quelle: https://theoceancleanup.com ? #theoceancleanup #oceancleanup #oceancleanupproject #müllsammeln #müllsammelaktion #plastikfrei #plastikvermeiden #plastiksammeln

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“Our ocean cleanup system is now finally catching plastic, from one-ton ghost nets to tiny microplastics! Also, anyone missing a wheel?”

The process of developing the device has taken most of Boyan’s adult life – he presented the idea at a TEDx talk when he was just 18, and it has gone through many failed attempts before finally reaching this sweet success.

The team learned from the various mistakes, and they are now able to capture even more types and sizes of plastics than they first imagined. It’s easy to pick up on their excitement in this statement:

“Our team has remained steadfast in its determination to solve immense technical challenges to arrive at this point. Though we still have much more work to do, I am eternally grateful for the team’s commitment and dedication to the mission and look forward to continuing to the next phase of development.”

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001 B successfully completed the clean up test!

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Ocean Cleanup is going to start improving their device based on what they learned during this exercise, including work on a full-scale cleanup device that can endure tough conditions and have enough space to store large amounts of collected plastics while at sea.

Good people going good work. May there be more of them coming up through the ranks.

The post Take a Look at This Giant Ocean Cleaning Device That Removes Plastic Waste from the Water appeared first on UberFacts.

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Here’s How to Change Your Email Address Without Any Headaches

Do you need to change your email address? Don’t worry, all hell doesn’t need to break loose. Here’s how to make the process as smooth and headache-free as possible.

First, set up your new email address on Gmail (because let’s admit it — you’re going to be using Gmail). Update your email info on important accounts and/or pages, such as your personal website and bank accounts. Don’t forget to tell your friends, family members and business colleagues!

Photo Credit: Pixabay

After you sign in to your new inbox, you can import your old emails and contacts from your old Gmail account, if you want to. First, click the gear icon, then select “Settings” -> “Accounts and import” -> “Check mail from other accounts.” Click the “Add a mail account” option, and enter your old email address. Click “Next,” make a selection, and then click “Next” again. Enter your password, select your desired options, then finish adding the account.

Alternatively, you may want to skip that step and start all over with zero emails in your new inbox. But even in that case, you should set up email forwarding so that you don’t miss out on any important emails going to your old address. (If you do import your old emails through Gmail, you don’t need to set up email forwarding separately, as it will already be set up.)

Photo Credit: iStock

To set up email forwarding from an old Gmail account, log in to the old account and click the gear icon. Click “Settings” -> “Forwarding and POP/IMAP” -> “Add a forwarding address.” Then enter your new email address. Don’t forget to verify the new address by clicking on the verification email.

To set up email forwarding from an Outlook account, log in and click the gear icon. Click “View all Outlook Settings” -> “Mail > Forwarding” -> “Start Forwarding.” Enter your new email address and click “Save.”

You may also want to set up an auto-response on your old email address to let folks know that you can no longer be reached there.

And that’s it! You officially have a brand new email address. Not so hard, huh?

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A Lawyer Took to Twitter to Reveal the Incredibly Sophisticated Scam He Just Barely Avoided

The people behind phishing scams are getting more cunning in their tactics to steal access to financial institutions and banks. This is not good because once they get in, they’ll suck accounts dry, leaving hard working people without money and facing an uphill battle to restore their stability.

Even individuals with advanced degrees and high-profile occupations,  like lawyers, can find themselves engaging with these crooks. And that’s step one to getting hoodwinked.

Recently, attorney Pieter Gunst showed how he was a target of a phishing scam—one he labeled “most credible.” So credible, in fact, that he almost fell for it, until he finally caught on that something strange was happening.

Gunst tells us the scam started with a caller from his bank needing to verify if he was using his card in Miami. After confirming he was not in Florida attempting to use his card, the caller tells him they will block the transaction. The caller asks for Gunst’s member number. He provides it since it can’t be used for account access.

Next, the caller tells Gunst he should have received a verification pin by text. He reads out the pin to the caller. Then, he and the rep go over other transactions under the pretense of verification.

 

A major red flag here. The caller asks for Gunst’s actual account PIN to block the account and generate a fraud alert if it’s used again. Gunst instantly knew something was wrong—to be clear, a bank will never ask for your PIN. That’s your secret. They just don’t need that information for anything.

He ended the call and notified his bank that something fishy was going on. He also reset all his passwords and pins.

Gunst realized the scammer had used his member number to reset his password. Once the scammer did that, they went over past transactions to establish credibility. But when the caller asked for his account pin, Gunst knew his bank would never ask him to repeat that kind of private information over the phone (or ever).

People on Twitter were surprised at how well thought out the scam seemed…until the very end. How many would’ve realized what was going before it was too late? I’m betting a lot of people would fall for this.

The lesson? Never give out any personal identification numbers to anyone who calls you, even if they sound legitimate. Because they aren’t—again, a bank won’t ask for that info.

Or, you could do what one guy said, claiming since he was a millennial he never answers his phone anyway. So, problem solved.

The post A Lawyer Took to Twitter to Reveal the Incredibly Sophisticated Scam He Just Barely Avoided appeared first on UberFacts.

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Check out These Great Hotel Room Tricks Recommended by People on Twitter

I love staying in hotels. The beds are big and the sheets are crisp and cool. You can watch TV guilt-free because you’ve paid a bunch of money not to have to cook your own dinner or clean.

Sometimes, though, it’s not quite heaven. And that one little thing can bug you until you’re not sleeping as well or feeling as comfortable as when you are at home.

When that happens, you need a hack.

Twitter’s got you.

Recently, venture capitalist Rick Klau reposted a hack he said he originally found on Twitter.

His smart and handy re-tip inspired others to post their favorite hotel room hacks. Like this great thread about the lack of convenient electric outlets in rooms.

Others had hacks you didn’t know you needed until now.

Hotel rooms can be dirty so these hacks are great.

Do you know anyone who uses a shower cap to cover their hair in the shower?

Even Elon Musk took some notes.

Some of these hacks deserve five stars.

This hack will have you crawling on the floor. Really.

The list of brilliant hacks is long, but worth taking a look at for next time you’re planning a trip. They will keep you comfy and clean while you finally get that great night’s sleep away from home.

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How Did Billie Eilish Stand on the Ceiling During Her ‘Saturday Night Live’ Performance?

If you’re familiar with Billie Eilish, you know she pushes interesting boundaries.

I’m not talking about sexual boundaries like Madonna or Lady Gaga, but more troubled, mysterious kinds of boundaries. And she was only 14 in 2015 when her first single, “Ocean Eyes,” dropped!

With her funky personal style and darkly twisted music, she’s become a phenomenon over the last three years. And honestly, there is no end in sight.

You may have caught her appearance on the opening episode of the new Saturday Night Live season, giving excellent performances of “Bad Boy” and “I Love You” (accompanied by her brother Finneas).

Did you miss her “Bad Boy?” performance? Well, she channeled Lionel Richie’s “Dancing on the Ceiling” and the audience went nuts.

Here’s a snippet to explain:

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we on the walls n shit ? @nbcsnl

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How did she do it?

She must be a witch or something.

Not quite. Cinematic trickery was used to make it appear she could walk on walls.

Here’s how it was done! Justin Theroux, who was in the audience videoed his perspective.

See how the stage moves, allowing Billie to walk the wall?

The camera remained fastened on the initial plane while the stage itself spun. The TV audience wasn’t privy to the behind-the-scenes view, but the in house audience was.

Here’s the full performance to gawk over!

Pretty neat and very appropriate for this particular musical genius.

If you’re dying for more Billie Eilish, look her up—you won’t regret it!

The post How Did Billie Eilish Stand on the Ceiling During Her ‘Saturday Night Live’ Performance? appeared first on UberFacts.

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This Is How You Can Figure out If Someone Is Stealing Your WiFi

Stealing other people’s WiFi seems to be a common phenomenon. Anything to save money, right? But this sneaky practice causes WiFi speed to slow down considerably, and it’s not sustainable in the long run for anyone involved.

If you suspect that someone may be stealing your precious WiFi, there are a few ways to figure out whether that’s true, Lifehacker reports.

First, you can check the indicator lights on your wireless router. These lights show whether any wireless activity is happening on nearby devices. Shut down all of your own wireless devices — phone, laptop, TV, everything that can connect to the internet — and then see if the light is still blinking. If so, that means there’s another device on the network that’s not yours.

Photo Credit: iStock

Second, you can log into the router’s administrative console to see a list of devices on the network. To get into the console, enter your router’s IP address in a web browser window. Then log in — your router’s login information is usually included on its paperwork somewhere. Once you’re in, you’ll see a section called something like Connected Devices, Device Manager, or My Network. This will show you a list of IP addresses, MAC addresses and device names, which you can review to see if there’s anything that doesn’t belong to you.

Last, to take things to the next level, you can use an app that detects whether your WiFi is being leeched, such as MoocherHunter. This will actually tell you the physical location of the WiFi thief!

Photo Credit: iStock

After you figure out what’s going on, it’s important to beef up your WiFi security so that the thief can’t get online anymore.

Good luck, bounty hunter!

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