Citroën just announced the Citroën AMI, a two-seater vehicle that costs very little. It is specifically designed for urban landscapes and to make individual travel easier and more comfortable. All one needs to do is to pay up an upfront payment of €2,644. The lowest-tier monthly installments are just €19.99. People who don’t want to invest in a Citroën AMI can also rent the vehicle for a measly sum of €0.26 per minute via Free2Move, a car-sharing company.
What is the Citroën AMI all about?
Citroën is a company with more than a hundred years of history, and it is popular for launching innovative and unique automobiles. It’s also famous for its non-conformist design and making urban mobility accessible to everybody. It’s surprising solutions usually impress even the most critical reviewers. In fact, Citroën introduced the AMI One concept at the Geneva Motor Show 2019 to positive acclaim. The vehicle is an alternative to those who don’t want to ride scooters, mopeds, and other two-wheelers that are risky. It is also a more environmentally friendly alternative to cars.
Is this vehicle suitable in car-centric cities?
The vehicle seems to be made for European cities, and towns that have narrow roads. It is probably not the right vehicle for cities that have been designed with a car-centric approach. In other words, it may not be ideal for a city like Los Angeles, but will probably work in a place like Portland. This also brings us to the question of urban design, and how most cities are designed with cars in mind. Car-centric cities spew a lot of fumes and have struggled with noxious air pollution, haze, and micro-climates that are oppressively hot.
Vehicles like the Citroën AMI need better marketing
Nevertheless, this vehicle is a positive sign that there could be alternatives to cars and two-wheelers. It is not clear when this vehicle will be available outside Europe or if it will be available at all. However, it would be great to see more electrical vehicles such as the Citroën AMI.
One needs more practical solutions to reduce the burden on cities, and make private transportation more economically and environmentally friendly. This will help people to move away from gas-guzzling cars, and adopt more environmentally friendly solutions. The trick is to make sure that these cars are available everywhere, and marketed well so that people start buying them earnestly.
For anybody who wants to be taken seriously in the looks department, professional hair dryers are an important accessory. Drying, styling and taming unruly hair is an impossible mission without a luxurious and well-crafted hairdryer. Of course, there are a number of hairdryers available in the market today but they’re not all the same. What you do need is a hairdryer that is luxurious and premium, and specifically made for those who need salon-quality hair.
We have listed 15 best premium professional hair dryers that will help you to look like a glamorous star without having to visit salons regularly. Get one of these professional hair dryers today and be the object of everybody’s envy.
This hair dryer comes with Nano Titanium Technology thanks to which it is extremely powerful. It also has a very appealing build, and the designers have truly taken a lot of time to design it. With six settings to dry your hair, you will be left with lustrous locks and beautiful hair. Grab it here.
T3 – Cura Hair Professional Hair Dryer
If you have frizzy and difficult hair, it can be very messy especially after a bath. This is why you need a hairdryer that is specifically designed for frizzy hair. The T3 Cura Hair Dryer is a Digital Ionic Professional blow dryer. You can use this any time of the day and even carry it around easily. It has won many awards including the 2018 Bride’s Beauty Award. Get this hairdryer now.
BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Hair
Dryer
If you are on a business trip, you cannot wait for your hair to dry before arriving at the meeting. You will be hard-pressed for time, but will still need to look good. The best thing for you to do is to buy a hairdryer that is portable, lightweight and heavy-duty as well. Thanks to the Nano Titanium Technology, a 2000 watts motor, and a removable filter, this hairdryer stands out from its competitors. Dry your hair now.
Elchim Classic 2001 Professional Hair Dryer
If you wanted to experience what it feels like to have your hair dried at an expensive salon, you should get the Elchim Classic 2001 hairdryer. This blow dryer is often used by professionals in salons. Its red-against-black color combination is premium and stylish. I can imagine this being used in the fancy salons of Paris. It comes with an Italian professional AC motor and is perfect for people with untamable hair. Buy this now.
RUSK Engineering W8less
Professional 2000 Watt Dryer
If you have extremely long hair, you might have noticed that it does not dry very quickly. Not drying quickly is also a problem for people who have very dense hair. It uses infrared rays to dry your hair inside out, it is also very gentle and does not dry out your hair completely. This blow dryer is made from a lightweight ceramic tourmaline material. Style your hair now.
BaByliss Pro BABNT053T Nano
Titanium Travel Dryer
One of the worst nightmares is having to trave
l without a hairdryer in hand. Most hair dryers are very heavy and difficult to use. However, this one is designed specifically for traveling and for pampering yourself during vacations. This cool travel gadget can be cleaned easily and is not very heavy. You will look like you’ve just walked out of the salon even when you’ve traveled 12 hours on a bus. Just shower in your hotel room, and use this to dry your hair, and you’re ready to go! Go ahead and get this.
Elchim X-Lite Ionic Ceramic Hair Dryer
Most hairdryers do not concentrate the airflow. This results in hair not drying evenly and you will not even be able to style it properly. The Elchim X-Lite Ionic Ceramic Hair Dryer is ergonomically designed and looks professional as it comes with many settings and features. It is perfect for those who take their hair seriously and want to look their best all the time. Grab it quickly.
T3 – Cura LUXE Hair Dryer
This is a premium and luxurious hairdryer which comes with digital ionic professional technology. It smoothens all your frizzy hair and boosts volume as well. The auto pause sensor helps the hairdryer to switch off automatically when your hair is dry enough. In fact, it even won the Cosmopolitan Beauty Awards – Ebony Beauty & Grooming Awards. Snatch it here.
BaBylissPRO Tourmaline Titanium
3000 Dryer
This is yet another hair dryer that comes with the famed Tourmaline Titanium Technology. This hairdryer releases millions of ions which will help your hair to dry quickly. The ions also give your hair an incredible shine. Get it right away.
Rusk Engineering Super Freak
Professional Dryer
Long and lustrous hair is a sign of wealth in many cultures. If you have silky, straight or curly hair that is long, this amazing ceramic and tourmaline-based hairdryer is perfect. Even if you have very short hair, you can use this hairdryer. Purchase it here.
Elchim 3900 Healthy Ionic Hair
Dryer
This is a professional ceramic blow dryer that is perfect for salon usage. Of course, you do not have to work in a salon or own a beauty parlor to purchase this. You can use this blow dryer for your own hair, in the privacy of your house. This premium and luxurious hairdryer emit ions to dry your hair and keep them healthy and shiny. It’s available here.
BaBylissPRO Ceramix Xtreme Dryer
Did you ever feel that it takes too long to dry your hair? What you need is a blow dryer with a concentrator nozzle and fast hair drying technology. All you need to do is pat your hair gently with a towel and then use BaBylissPRO Ceramix Xtreme Dryer to finish drying and styling your hair. You will look like a million bucks in no time. Buy this now.
Gamma Piu 3500 Tourmaline Ionic
Hair Dryer
If you have very difficult hair, even the most advanced hairdryer can be quite useless. This particular hair dryer runs on a massive 119 mph motor, thanks to which your hair dries 75% quicker. You can forget about knotty damp and gnarly hair, and enjoy beautiful silky smooth locks. Grab it.
Professional Ionic Hair Dryer
Handcrafted in France
While most of the hairdryers we have listed here use Italian spare parts, or are actually manufactured in Italy, this model is from France. It not only dries your hair and straightens it, but it also increases its volume. You will immediately start looking like someone who can walk the ramps of European fashion capitals. In fact, this hairdryer is used in Europe’s finest salons, hotels, and spas. Bring European luxury to your own house.
ghd Professional Hair Dryer
If you have frizzy and difficult hair, the award-winning ghd Professional Hair Dryer is the gadget you need. It makes you look like you’ve just stepped out of the salon, with silky smooth hair. It can be used with ghd’s Total Volume Foam, which gives the appearance of wavy and voluminous locks. Get it here.
If you are part of a community that celebrates St. Patrick’s Day, it might be fitting for you and your family and friends to grab St. Patrick’s Day shirts to match the occasion. While St. Patrick’s Day is originally an Irish holiday, this festivity is now being celebrated in various regions and countries, too! There are parades and parties, among the other ways to celebrate this fun day.
To help you with this, we’ve put together a number of cool St. Patrick’s Day shirts to aid in letting you celebrate the occasion fashionably.
1) Golden Clover in a Green St Patrick’s Day Shirt
Wear a green shirt that fits in a crowd with a golden clover that would still make you stand out. This unisex shirt is made of 52% airlume combed and ring-spun cotton and 48% polyester, available in XS to 4XL. Cop yours here for you and your friends.
2) Caticorn Cat Unicorn and Leprechaun in a Shirt
There’s also an opportunity for cat lovers to celebrate St. Patrick’s day while donning their favorite creature. This cat leprechaun on a cat unicorn is a one-of-a-kind design.
The unisex St. Patrick’s Day cat shirt is made of 100% combed and ring-spun cotton, while the women’s tee is made of 100% jersey knit. They are also available in black and gray.
3) Disney Mickey Mouse Wave St. Patrick’s Day Men’s Adult Graphic Tee T-Shirt
A Mickey Mouse geek? Here’s an officially licensed Disney Mickey Mouse apparel in kelly green heather color to fit the St. Patrick’s day theme. Get your here.
4) Luck Charm Panoware Women’s St Patricks Day Long Sleeve Off Shoulder Flowy T-Shirt
Want a shirt that’s a bit more fashionable that still speaks about St. Patrick’s Day? Well here’s a nice off-shoulder longsleeve top that tells everyone how much of a lucky charm you are.
This flowy top is made of 65% polyester and 35% viscose, and is available from small to XL.
5) Irish Beer Leprechaun Paddy’s Day Tee
Off to a pub crawl? or perhaps just a simple beer gathering with your family and friends. However you’re celebrating the day, as long as there’s beer involve, then this is the perfect shirt for you. It’s available in black and green, take your pick here.
6) Distressed Lucky Clover Shirt
Be the lucky one to grab this handmade shirt with a lucky label on it. This unisex and artistically bleached lucky shirt is available from small to XL.
7) Three Leprechauns St. Patrick’s Day Shirts
How about celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with the company of these three leprechauns in your shirt while you’re on your way to find your luck (or lucky clover). This cute leprechauns shirt is available in black, gray, green and white. It is also available from small to XXXL sizes.
8) Men’s Graphic Funny 2020 St Patrick’s Day Green Print on O-Neck Short Sleeve
Don’t miss this cool red St. Patrick’s day t-shirt for men. Buy it here.
9) Chase Your Dreams with Whiskey St. Patrick’s Day Shirts
Want to be a bit inspirational with a hint of fun this St. Patrick’s Day? How about doing that through this comic shirt. Could be a good way to invite your friends to have some whiskey to celebrate. This Choose Your Dreams shirt is made of PolyCottonRayon and is available from small to XXL.
10) Clovers in a Clover St. Patrick’s Day Shirt
Why opt for a basic clover tee when you can have this creatively designed clovers in a clover printed using the kelly green color on your shirt. This clover shirt is available in light and dark gray, and in black and has small up to XXL sizes.
11) Clover Eating Leprechauns Tank Top
Looking for a St. Patrick’s Day-themed tank top? Here’s one you can get.
12) Lucky Charms Vintage Shirt
Meanwhile, for those aiming for a vintage design, here’s a Lucky Charms shirt with the retro Luck the leprechaun. This St. Patrick’s Day-themed shirt is available from small to XXXL.
13) Clover Design Women’s St. Patrick’s Day Green Long Sleeve
Here’s another stylish longsleeve top for the women looking for an outfit for the Irish celebration. This clover-designed clothing is made of 65% cotton and 35% polyester, and is available from small to XXL. Get yours here.
14) Carter’s Baby Boys’ Bodysuit with Leprechaun Design
There’s a St. Patrick’s Day shirt for babies, too! Look at this Leprechaun-designed body suit.Other St. Patrick’s Day designs are also available for your little one, from new bornt o 12 months old. Check it out here.
15) Custom Jersey Style St. Patrick’s Day Shirts
How about having a sporty look? Here’s a jersey-style tee that you can customize with the text and design you like. The shirt is made of 60% combed ringspun cotton and 40% polyester lightweight.
Apart from the tee, there are also raglans, hoodies, sweatshirts, tank tops and unisex tees you can choose from. Look into your options here.
16) Holiday Clover Women’s Tee
You think wearing green is overrated? How about this gray shirt, which would still make you blend with the St. Patrick’s Day vibe through the Lucky text with a clover design. Available in large and XL.
17) Disney Clover Tee
Are you a Disney geek? You could still flaunt that in a shirt that would show you are celebrating the Irish affair through this Mickey Mouse/Disney design formed through cute tiny clovers. The shirt is available in various shades of green, as well as in tons of other colors. This women’s tee is made of 100% pre-shrunk cotton and is available in small to XXXL in US women’s sizes.
18) Loads of Luck St. Patrick’s Day Shirt
Wish everyone loads of luck with this nice shirt that comes with a cute truckload of four-leaf clovers. The shirt is available in white and in light and dark gray, in small to XXXL sizes. Order here.
19) Let’s Get Lucky Men’s Shirt
Guys who want to spread and share luck could wear this shirt on St. Patrick’s Day. This let’s get lucky shirt is made of 100% cotton and is available from small to XXL.
20) Magically Delicious St. Patrick’s Day Shirt
Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day would definitely include food festivities. Celebrate that through this Magically Delicious green shirt. This unisex shirt is available in crew and v-neck cuts and an option for a sweatshirt, too! Additionally, you can choose from various shades of gray and other colors. The seller is also offering an option to customize the text on the shirt.
Those who take selfies often will be pleased to learn that Fujifilm has announced its Instax Mini 11 instant camera. This camera comes with multiple controls, and users can influence every aspect of their selfies. It harkens back to the good old days of analog photography. All one needs to do is to point-and-shoot and one will get instant photographs. This camera will be available sometime in March and will cost only $70.
Here are some of the more specific features of the Instax Mini 11 instant camera:
One no longer needs to manually change exposure dial. Instax Mini 11 instant camera the changes on its own. This results in fewer waisted shots. As a result photographers will be able to take pictures that are of better quality. In addition each shot will likely cost only between 60 and 70 cents. This also translates to more affordable instant photography.
What makes Instax Mini 11 instant camera special?
This camera comes with a selfie mode which was not there in the previous models. Older versions required users to attach a snap on lens in order to take selfies. To make selfies look better the manufacturers have attached a small camera so that users can look at themselves before clicking on the snap button. The selfie mode is also a good feature for taking better pictures of subjects that are close by.
Instax Mini 11 instant camera uses the same instant film cartridges as its predecessors do. It prints photographs of the dimension 3.4 by 2.1 inches (86 by 54 millimeters). As this camera is compact it can be easily carried around by travelers, tourists and even users are out on the town. Available colors include purple, white, grey, pink and blue.
Instant cameras are still around, despite smartphone cameras
It is interesting to note that digital cameras have almost disappeared from the market ever since smart phones came into being. However, instant film cameras are still around and they continue to be popular among those who are nostalgic and also those who seek convenience and excellent quality of pictures. The release date is approaching soon and once Fujifilm launches it, it will become very popular among everyday users. The way things look, it might even be used by professionals who prefer taking quick pictures that are of high-quality.
Google has just unveiled a Google Translate update. People who depend on Google Translate for interpreting and translating to and from other languages will be pleased to learn that Google will now save translate history into their accounts. This means all translations that a user makes or generates will be stored or attached to their account. Google will be able to retrieve these translations so that users do not have to translate repeatedly. In addition, users will be able to sync translations between multiple devices. This is possible because these translations are stored in Google accounts.
To access translation history, here is what users need to do:
Login to Google account before conducting a translation
Run a translation normally as one always would
Retrieve translations on other devices in real-time
Manage translations under My Activity section
Add, delete or edit translations in the My Activity section
For Who is the new Google Translate update for?
This feature will prove to be a boon for those who travel often. It is also a gift for those who often converse with foreigners or work as travel agents. As businesses and corporate employees increasingly use Google Translate, the ramifications of this update could be enormous.
Important: Make backups of existing translations in the cache
However, there are a few issues that may create problems for users. Those who have cached translations in their devices may lose them forever. Before the change goes into effect, it is advisable to save all these translations so that they are available for later use. Google has begun to flash warning popups already. This means the changes may go live anytime soon. It may happen in the next few days or even weeks. This should be reason enough to make backups of translations stored in the cache.
Translating may change dramatically in the near future, thanks to AI and ML
As artificial intelligence and machine learning improve, translations will improve dramatically. Text to speech and emotion recognition may work well with translation technologies in the future. Over a period of time, the need to learn foreign languages may cease to exist, making communication seamless. This will also open up access to publications, journals, and books written in foreign languages. If translators and interpreters are worried, Google Translate seems to have no qualms about it whatsoever.
Nvidia just revealed that more than a million people stream games on GeForce Now directly from its central servers. The gaming giant launched the service just a couple of weeks ago to the regular public. The number may seem astonishingly high but one can part attribute it to GeForce Now’s free members.
The free service tier reduces the quality of game-play, and sessions last only 60 minutes. Many people who have registered for the paid version have done so to take advantage of the 90-day introductory period. Beyond 3 months, they will have to pay $5 a month. That may not be palatable to a lot of people.
Nvidia is doing quite well with its GeForce Now
These factors may result in a drastic drop in the numbers of actual people who stream via GeForce Now. However, it must be noted that Nvidia is doing really well when compared with its competitors. For instance, the Sony tool more than five years to gather a million subscribers. Google does not reveal the number of players using Stadia, but the response has been quite tepid. With these factors in mind, even if Nvidia loses subscribers once the free period is over, it should not be a cause for concern. It will still have performed well in comparison to its competitors.
Gamers have long patronized Nvidia, and the popularity of GeForce Now is not a big surprise. The platform supports hundreds of critically acclaimed games. Some of the games on the list include Ubisoft’s uPlay, EA’s Origin, and Steam. Players can purchase these games as standalone titles or streamed remotely. Nvidia has also kept players on tenterhooks by revealing that there are close to 1,500 games in the queue for approval.
What should Nvidia do to handle the stiff competition?
Nvidia will have to smarten up its game if it must successfully weather the stiff competition. Sony, Microsoft, and Google have all played their tricks quite well, and most of them are doing well in the market. Nvidia will have to be wary and not remain satisfied with the 1 million subscribers it is now boosting of. These numbers can dramatically drop unless the company finds a way to keep existing players tethered. It remains to be seen what approach this gaming giant will adopt in the coming months to remain ahead of its rivals.
Many companies are integrating iOS and Android-compatible employee scheduling software to save time. As a business owner, you are constantly balancing a number of operational and administrative tasks. When you are busy, it may be difficult to track employee hours, manage payroll, and create team schedules. However, these are crucial aspects of your business that need to be adequately monitored. For this reason, many owners have sought efficient systems to track employee productivity, manage business scheduling, and improve time management throughout their company. If you are interested in the top scheduling app features for iOS and Android devices, continue reading this post.
Create Customized Working Schedules
Leading scheduling apps help you to create customized working schedules for your team. No two businesses have the same needs. You may require different payroll rates and payment methods. If you hire full and part-time workers, you need adequate systems to pay hourly or salaried rates. Some businesses even hire freelance workers to complete specific tasks. Employee scheduling apps offer systems to accompany your various payment structures. You can then easily input shift preferences, necessary hours and tasks to easily build your team schedule. If you are looking into android apps for employee scheduling for your business, consider how they ease the schedule building process.
Manage Employee Attendance
iOS and Android-compatible team scheduling apps help manage employee attendance. Track employee hours weekly to ensure they are constantly leaving and arriving on-time. Similarly, make certain that employees are not taking excessively long lunch breaks regularly. Deputy’s staff rota software flags late arrivals or long breaks so that you are quickly notified of employee whereabouts. If you pay employees’ salaries, you need to ensure that they are working their required weekly hours. Use rota apps to track and manage employee attendance.
Promote Employee Collaboration
Employee scheduling apps promote collaboration amongst employees. Conventional paper schedules are inconvenient. They make it difficult for employees to access schedules, know who they are working with, or transfer shifts. Rota software makes schedules easily accessible. Scheduling apps provide all your team members a copy of their schedules to their iOS devices or Android smartphones. Then, they can share schedules with co-workers, request to swap shifts or ask for days off. Employees can transfer shifts without management mediation. This process greatly boosts collaboration amongst team members throughout your organization. The best iOS and android employee scheduling apps help you to promote collaboration amongst team members.
Update Employee Pay Rates
The best employee scheduling solutions help you to monitor and update employee pay rates. Frequent raises and promotions are excellent tools to boost employee morale. When employees feel their efforts are constantly being rewarded, they are more inclined to give their best. Use scheduling apps to track employee earnings. How much are they currently making, when was their last raise, and how frequently they have been promoted? This information can help you understand when is the best time to communicate a pay raise with your valued employees. Tracking pay rates can additionally help you to track overtime hours. You do not want employees to be working overtime hours on a regular basis. Not only does it cost you more in labor, it can additionally cause employees to feel overworked or fatigued. Utilize employee scheduling programs to track, monitor, and update employee pay rates.
Guarantee Adequate Staffing
The best scheduling solutions ensure you are adequately staffed. Operating a business, it is crucial that you are never under or overstaffed. When you are understaffed, you may be unable to complete essential projects. On the other hand, when you are overstaffed, you are losing money on projects and sacrificing profitability. Scheduling software helps you visualize how many employees you have scheduled, how much each employee will cost you, and how many projects need to be completed. When business is slow, you do not need as many as many team members on hand. Through this practice, you can guarantee maximum returns on projects you complete. Utilize the top android and iOS-compatible scheduling apps in order to prevent overstaffing or understaffing.
In order to help manage the multiple administrative tasks required of modern companies, many business owners are implementing the top employee scheduling apps. Many of these apps are iOS and android-compatible, and help you to create customized working schedules for your team members. These apps help you to track and monitor employee attendance, and set unique pay rates. Moreover, the best rota apps help you guarantee adequate staffing whenever necessary. Furthermore, integrating a scheduling system in your business helps to promote employee collaboration. If you are interested in the top scheduling app features for iOS and Android devices, consider the points mentioned above.
Google is famous for its search engine and popular web services such as Gmail and YouTube. Many are not aware of how the company is involved in shaping the world of cybersecurity. For one, the company helped Apple become more secure by prodding holes in the latter’s OS security, thus providing cyber threat assessment to test the defenses instituted in Mac OS and iOS.
On the other hand, Google released a new open-source 2FA security key platform. The company also updated the iOS Smart Lock app to provide an exciting new feature.
Google Helping Apple
Apple released critical security updates for the different versions of its operating systems recently. These updates include patches to address 32 common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs), around a third of which was discovered by Google’s Project Zero.
Project Zero is a group of security analysts hired by Google to search for zero-day vulnerabilities in software. These are the bugs typically exploited by state-sponsored hackers, criminals, as well as the intelligence units of governments. The team reported 11 of the 32 CVEs in Apple’s OS. In contrast, Apple’s in-house team is credited to only 1 of these CVEs.
These new common vulnerabilities and exposures are separate from the five iPhone exploit chains reported by Project Zero in August 2019. Accordingly, Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG) spotted a small group of hacked websites that were used in undertaking indiscriminate watering hole attacks using the iPhone 0-day. TAG documented five separate, unique, and complete exploit chains on iPhones that were running on iOS 10 and the more recent versions of the mobile OS, until iOS 12. These findings suggest that there had been a concerted effort to hack iPhone users for quite some time.
Apple is asking all its users to get the corresponding software updates to avoid having security problems. The security patches have been available since January 8, 2020. Interestingly, Apple is able to augment its software’s security with the help of its competitor, Google.
The Google-Discovered Vulnerabilities
Several of the OS CVEs covered by the most recent Apple software update are known to enable cyber attackers to obtain considerable control over devices. They can allow hackers to terminate systems and execute arbitrary code with system privileges.
One notable security issue discovered by Google is referred to as CVE-2020-3842. This vulnerability is present in the High Sierra, Mojave, and Catalina versions of macOS. It is a dangerous security flaw that allows cybercriminals to run arbitrary code with kernel privileges. It is attributed to a memory corruption problem.
Meanwhile, Google found many Bluetooth bugs–one of which is CVE-2019-18634, which is associated with a buffer overflow issue. What it does is to grant hackers the ability to create configurations that make arbitrary code execution possible.
Another Bluetooth-related critical problem found by Google’s team is a memory corruption issue that tricks MacOS into executing code after viewing a malware-laden JPEG image file. There’s also one CVE that facilitates the reading of restricted memory.
Google’s New 2FA Security Key Platform
Google has released a multi-factor authentication security key platform designed to enable hobbyists and hardware manufacturers to build security keys of their own. This new Google project is called OpenSK, which supports the FIDO U2F and FIDO2 standards.
To clarify, OpenSK does not replace the 2FA system available on Google accounts. Already released on GitHub, it is a different product that contains firmware based on the Rust system programming language.
OpenSK runs on TockOS, an operating system intended for the operation of multiple concurrent IoT devices. Google selected TockOS as the operating system because of its sandboxed architecture that readily allows the separation of the drivers, the security key applet, and kernel vital for defense building.
Google decided to create OpenSK as an open-source project to allow various developers to produce their own security keys. With this, they can help counter the exponentially growing number of security breaches worldwide.
iOS Smart Lock Update
Google’s latest update for the iOS Smart Lock app brings to the iPhone a useful feature that has already been on Android phones for months. This update makes it possible to replace a physical security key with a phone (an iPhone).
The new iOS Smart Lock feature allows users to set up their phones’ built-in security key to provide two-factor protection for their Google accounts. In other words, Google account owners who use 2FA protection can sign in to their accounts without the need for an SMS code. They can use their iPhones (with the updated iOS Smart Lock installed) as the second factor for authentication.
Not purely software-based, the new iOS Smart Lock feature uses the Secure Enclave, a separate processor inside of most iPhones, which handles biometric information. This allows the software to identify and associate a Google account with a specific person.
The addition of this new feature brings iPhones to Google’s Advanced Protection Program, which affords greater security to people who tend to be more at risk of having their data breached online. Journalists, politicians, business executives, celebrities, and others who are usually targeted by attackers can take advantage of this new feature without the need to buy separate security keys.
In Summary
Google’s cybersecurity developments don’t only benefit the direct users of Google’s products and services. The company works with other players in the tech industry to pursue genuine improvements in security systems. The decision to introduce an important Android feature to iOS devices is a welcome development.
It’s important to emphasize, however, that end-users must always heed the calls of companies like Google and Apple to always keep their software up-to-date and to use advanced protection like 2FA. Otherwise, vulnerability corrections and other security upgrades don’t mean anything.
Here is something that may interest many people. Facebook is going to pay people to record audio clips via a program called Pronunciations. Participants can earn close to $5, thanks to Facebook cash out. It definitely is not a lot of money. However, it seems like a rather amusing way to make a small change, while also helping Facebook to improve its speech recognition technology.
Here is how to avail of Facebook cash out
Facebook will first recruit users via surveys. The company plans to hold these surveys on Viewpoints, its market research app.
Those who qualify in the initial survey will need to utter the phrase “Hey Portal”. Soon after a participant utters “Hey Portal”, they should also say the name of a friend in their friend list.
Those who decide to participate will have to say “Hey Portal + (Friend’s name)” at least ten times. Each time, the name should be different. This fetches the participants 200 points.
To cash out $5, a user will have to accumulate 1,000 points.
Facebook cash out will not make anyone rich
Of course, nobody is going to get rich with this kind of money or cashouts. This is a curious experiment that might help Facebook to improve its artificial intelligence transcription skills. It is also an ethical decision. Facebook has often been hounded by critics for using data without permission to improve its products and services. This survey explicitly seeks permission from users for their voices to be used in research. In addition, Facebook will also pay them for it, no matter how small the amount is.
What are the competitors doing?
Apple and Amazon have had similar programs in the past, while Google has temporarily paused it. Amazon allows participants to opt-out of its audio transcription program, while Google may come up with something similar to Facebook. Competitors will not remain silent and may offer incentives to users if they participate as well. It might actually be a step in the right direction, as data will be collected with consent, and used only for the stated purpose.
Most importantly, one will have the satisfaction of having contributed something to the development of technology. Artificial intelligence and speech recognition are important fields that have significant ramifications in almost all fields, including healthcare.
Microsoft has launched its new Office app for iOS and Android. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are all combined in a single application so that users can access them easily. On the new unified Office app, users can easily switch between applications and documents. In addition, they will not have to open different applications while working on the same or single project. Those who use DropBox, Google Drive, and other cloud storage services can integrate them with the new Office app easily.
The new office app comes with a number of features that are unique and useful:
Users can easily dictate text into the application, rendering typing quite unnecessary
The voice command bar helps users to add correct punctuation so that commas and exclamation marks are in place
Excel comes with a new “Cards” view, that makes it easier to get a snapshot of information
Outlines can be easily converted into PowerPoint presentations, saving time and effort
Users can simply write down points and bullets and office will convert it into presentation slides
An easy to use interface and a well thought out design makes sure that users can comfortably use the app
The new Office app is ready to download
Some of these features may not be available right away but Microsoft plans to introduce them at a later stage. Office app can now be downloaded on Android and iOS devices and most users have already written reviews about it. Microsoft needs this application to be successful with the proliferation of a number of word processing applications. Traditional software companies such as Microsoft are unable to keep pace with newer and better-designed applications.
Microsoft seems to have learned a few lessons from Apple
It is interesting to note that Apple’s Pages also has suffered the same fate. In fact, Pages, Keynote, and Numbers have all been dismissed by users as clunky. Funnily, people have often complained that iCloud syncing does not take place correctly. In short, using these applications on iOS devices is not easy either.
Microsoft seems to have learned a lesson or two from its arch-rival and does has released the office application today. Users can continue to use all the three applications separately if they have already downloaded them. However, those who wish to use them as a unified application can do so as well.
