Dash Cam for Your Car

How to Turn an Old Smartphone Into a Dash Cam for Your Car

There’s no doubt that a dash cam can really come in handy in your car–not just to record meteors andflying cars, but more practical events like collisions and aggressive driving. But instead of buying one, you can just use equipment you already have and a freely available app.

By now, everyone probably has an old smartphone stashed away in a desk drawer. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could put that device to good use? Today we’re going to talk about how to set up and use your old smartphone as a dash cam, not only saving you money, but giving you a cool project to boot.

How to Set Up the Hardware

Aside from your old smartphone, you will need a charging cable long enough to reach the power outlet in your vehicle, as well as a dashboard or window mount. This setup works the same as it did when we showed you how to create time lapse driving videos using your iPhone.

The cable shouldn’t be difficult to come by, since most people have one or two spare ones lying around. The mount is easily bought from any electronics store or Amazon, which carries an abundance for around $20-$25.

In our time lapse article, however, we made no bones about using your current smartphone to do this. When performing the dash cam arrangement, it is best if you have a device that you won’t need to take off the mount or otherwise use to call, text, or play music. (Though if you do, be sure to pull over first.)

Once you’ve gathered the necessities, place your mount on the dashboard or windshield in such a way that it captures the best view of the road ahead.

You want to mount your smartphone-turned-dash-cam in such a way that it is pointed down the middle of the hood and records equal parts of the car’s right and left sides.

You may not be able to capture as much of the road (150 degrees or more) as many dedicated dash cams, so simply do your best to ensure you’re getting as much as possible.

Make sure the phone is plugged in at all times. You don’t want to run out of battery at some critical moment, plus most older devices have batteries that have begun to decline and therefore don’t last as long as newer ones.

Finally, once mounted, make sure the device is secure and tightened down. It might shift while you’re in motion, so check it occasionally and adjust it (after stopping the car or volunteering a passenger) so that it’s always pointed in the right place.

What to Look for in a Dash Cam App

When it comes to the software, you have a lot of options. These so-called blackbox apps come with a long list of features, but we need something that records continuously, tracks our location and estimated speed, date, time, and adjustable video quality.

This last bit is important because any dash cam, whether it’s a smartphone or a dedicated dash cam device, you need to know that you won’t run out of memory and not be able to record anymore. Unless your old smartphone has heaps of extra storage space, lowering the video quality can help you get a lot more recording time.

On the other hand, too low of video quality might give you unusable results, so it’s a matter of finding a happy medium. Changing the recording time can help with this problem. If your device has a smallish capacity, then you can keep the recording time low and simply loop over the previous recording each time.

Don’t forget also that this is a smartphone we’re talking about, so if you’re short on storage space, you can always delete apps, photos, and other stuff, or just reset it to factory condition (or get a bigger SD card, if your phone supports it.) Whatever the case, you have options, especially if your device will allow you to expand the storage.

That said, we have a few recommendations of our own, but feel free to look around if these don’t work for you.

For Android: AutoBoy Dash Cam – Blackbox

If you have an old Android smartphone you’re no longer using, we recommend using something likeAutoboy Dash Cam – Blackbox or Autoguard Dash Cam – Blackbox. Unsurprisingly, there are quite a few dash cam apps in the Play Store, but these two are free and among the most highly rated.

AutoBoy has a clean, smart interface and it’s very easy to use. Let’s have a look at just some of the many settings. Under the General settings, you’ll be able to turn on the shock sensor, which will measure the impact of a collision, and change the unit settings from kilometers per hour to miles.

Another unique feature is emergency auto dial, which will dial an emergency contact number (for example: 911).

Checking out the recording settings, you can adjust the recording time and maximum storage allotment, which is 10GB by default.

Another important setting you might want to consider is video quality. The lower the quality, the more recordings you can fit into your storage allotment.

We could go on and on about the settings, as there are quite a few but if you decide to use AutoBoy Dash Cam, feel free to peruse them yourself.

For iPhone: DashCam

If you’re using an old iPhone, then the choice is simple: DashCam. DashCam includes all the necessary features we need, including–but not limited to–speed, location, and loop recording.

DashCam is among a selection of several other viable choices in the App Store, but it’s the only one that appears to have any ratings behind it and it’s most recent version has garnered highly favorable reviews.

DashCam is really simple to use, while also being very powerful. The settings aren’t exactly voluminous, but there are some very essential things you should know about. For one, DashCam has loop recording option, which will keep recording over previously recorded video. That is, unless you have auto save enabled–in which case, loop recordings will automatically saved.

Note, you can also switch between high and low video resolution. Remember, you will get more recordings the lower the resolution.

Be sure to scroll through the rest of the settings and adjust anything that applies to you.

Whether using an Android device or iPhone, what you use for your dash cam software is completely up to you. You’re encouraged to experiment with several apps and decide which one works best.

The Downside: Heat and Thieves

While using your old smartphone as a dash cam is easy and frugal, there are downsides. The one that ranks above them all is heat.

Leaving a relatively delicate electronic device in a locked car can mean a quick death for it. Many modern higher-end dedicated dash cams come with better heat resistance to mitigate this problem. If you decide to go the smartphone route, then your only real solution is to take your dash cam smartphone with you when you leave the car unattended for long periods.

Taking your newly repurposed smartphone with you may seem a pain, but it beats having your car broken into by thieves looking to score. It’s one thing to forget your device on the car seat or center console, where it might be missed by someone casually casing a parking lot, but it’s quite another to leave it hanging off your dash mount in plain view.

Again, many dedicated dash cam devices are made to fit discretely on your dash and thus circumvent this problem, so that’s another thing to consider.

That said, if you’re not budgeted for an actual dash cam, you simply want to experiment, or you’re just keen on this kind of project, then your old unused smartphone could finally have a new lease on life.

"Anti-Spying" Tools for W10

Why You Shouldn’t Use “Anti-Spying” Tools for Windows 10

Since Windows 10’s release and the privacy controversy that followed, many “anti-spying” apps have sprung up. They promise to keep Windows 10 from tracking you–but often, they can cause more problems than they solve.

We recommend changing privacy settings using the normal options in Windows. These invasive tools can break things and cause a variety of system problems you may not notice until later, with no indication that the problem was caused by the tool.

What “Anti-Spying” Tools and Scripts Promise

These types of tools include Destroy Windows Spying (DWS), O&O Shutup10, Spybot Anti-Beacon and many smaller scripts named things like “DisableWinTracking” and “windows-10-tracking“.

They promise to quickly stop Windows 10 from “spying” and communicating with Microsoft in just a few clicks. They do this in some good ways–like changing basic settings–and some bad ways–like blocking web addresses in the hosts file and flat-out deleting services that are part of the Windows operating system.

The Problem with These Tools

Tools of this type can cause a variety of problems, and if you look around the web, you can see plenty of instances of people experiencing those problems. These include:

• Blocking Windows Update completely, preventing the installation of important security updates and leaving your PC vulnerable.
• Tampering with the hosts file to block specific Microsoft web servers, leading to various problems like Skype failing to synchronize chat messages or being unable to update itself.
• Breaking the Windows Store, preventing you from installing apps from there and preventing it from updating the included applications in Windows 10.
• Disabling the Windows Defender antivirus, which helps keep Windows 10 secure, and other system components you may actually want, like OneDrive.
• Deleting various services and parts of Windows 10, breaking various things and potentially blocking you from installing major updates like the Anniversary Update and November Update before it.

For example, if you downloaded the “windows-10-tracking” PowerShell script from GitHub and ran it, the tool will block various Skype domains in your hosts file, preventing Skype from working properly. It can also delete various services from Windows rather than simply disabling them. The download page warns you should use this script at your own risk and that “We have not personally tested every HOSTS entry. Some of them may cause applications and services to stop working.” Running a not-properly-tested script that takes a shotgun approach to your operating system sounds like a bad idea (and it is).



Download DWS and you’ll see it will “disable Windows Update” so you will “not receive updates of new spyware”. The tool also notes that the changes made are “irreversible”, so there’s no easy way to undo them without just reinstalling Windows. That means you won’t get important security updates and stability fixes to problems like the recent webcam breakage, either.

These are just a few major problems we found with a quick look at a few of these tools.

Just Configure Windows 10’s Privacy Options Yourself

We’re not here to slam any individual tool. Some of them may work alright, but most of the tools and scripts we’ve seen look harmful and dangerous, albeit to different degrees. Over the past year, we’ve regularly seen stories of people who ran these tools and only later discovered something wasn’t working properly, forcing them to reset or reinstall Windows 10 to fully repair the damage (or, at best, go hunting for the setting that triggered the problem–a huge hassle in and of itself).

Rather than relying on some tool to change the settings for you, learn what Windows 10’s privacy settings do and change them yourself. They’re a bit scattered throughout Windows 10, but they’re not hard to find if you have a good guide. Run through our list of the various options that “phone home” on Windows 10 and you can disable them in a safe way.

Even Tools Can’t Block Everything on Windows 10

Some settings aren’t available for a good reason–you shouldn’t disable Windows Update entirely, for example as security updates are crucial. You can’t fully disable telemetry on Home or Professional editions of Windows 10. Many tools set the “Allow Telemetry” value to “0” and say they’ve disabled telemetry. That only works on the Enterprise and Education editions of Windows 10. A value of “0” just chooses the Basic telemetry level on Home and Professional editions. In other words, it’s complete snake oil.

In other cases, Microsoft can easily work around these changes. Windows 10 actually ignores the hosts file for certain domains, which means attempting to block domains in your hosts file won’t actually do anything. So once again, these anti-spying tools and scripts aren’t living up to their promises.

Instead of using one of these tools, do your research on what these controversial Windows 10 features actually do. That way, you can turn off the stuff that actually matters to you. Microsoft uses the telemetry features to identify bugs and decide which features it should work on, not to steal your personal documents. So you may find these features are not as sinister as they might seem.

If you have a major philosophical problem with the fact that Windows 10 doesn’t let you avoid non-security updates or disable telemetry, don’t try to fix it. Instead, just switch to another operating system, like Linux or Windows 7 (or Windows 10 Enterprise, if your organization is eligible).

Did You Know & Todays Term

Did You Know?

When most people think of the guillotine, they think of the bloody French Revolution of the late 18th century, but France continued use of the guillotine in capital punishment cases until it was retired in 1977.

Today's Tech Term 

Proteus Effect

The Proteus Effect refers to when an individual’s online (and sometimes offline as well) behavior and/or mentality is affected by their online persona/profile, online identity, video game avatar, digital image, dating site profile, social networking persona, etc.

Todays Trivia

What Do Pedologists Study?

Animal Pedigrees	Soil
Feet	Pediatric Viruses

Answer: Soil

There’s a world of information beneath our feet, locked away in the soil we walk on everyday, and pedologists spend their careers studying soil to help us understand what happened in the past to that soil and what can happen in the future based on what we do to, and with it.

Pedology deals with analysis and classification of soil in its natural environment. Although at first glance it would seem like a simple or limited area of study, a successful soil study must take into account a wide variety of factors like atmospheric activity, geological trends in the region, the biology of local species, current and past climate trends, and a wide variety of other natural sciences.

Fri Inspiration

Morning Inspiration with Pastor Merritt

Jesus said, "Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit" (John 15:5). What does this mean? How does one abide in Jesus? Let me suggest an analogy.

When we put a tea bag in a cup of hot water, something amazing happens to the water. As the tea bag remains or abides in that water, the tea begins to color and flavor the water until the water begins to take on the color and the taste of the tea. The longer the bag abides in the water, the stronger the color and taste of the tea.

That is similar to what happens when we abide in Christ and He abides in us. The longer we abide in Christ and the deeper we go with Christ, the more His influence will pervade our lives so that we begin to reflect His nature and His character.

Fri Thoughts

"Prayer is not primarily about telling God what you need or want. It is for the purpose of getting closer to and going deeper with God. It's almost as if God is saying, "Don't bring me your shopping list. I already know what is on it. We will deal with that later. Bring me your heart. Bring me your love. Bring me your undivided attention. Bring me your undiluted affection. In other words, prayer is not primarily about getting things from God; it's about spending time with God."

-Pastor Merritt

Verse of the Day

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

1 Timothy 2:1-2 NASB

Entertainment News

How 'Miss Peregrine' and 'X-Men' writer Jane Goldman became Hollywood's billion-dollar woman

Jane Goldman has written the adaptation of Tim Burton's "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children." (hoto by Jennifer S. Altman/For The Times)

By Rebecca Keegan

Perhaps it was the time her father brought a VHS tape of David Lynch’s surrealist cult film “Eraserhead” to watch at her 10th birthday party. Or maybe it was when she accosted a magazine editor as a teen, trying to get a job – and succeeded, opting to become a reporter instead of going to college. As a young person, Jane Goldman always knew she was a little bit different.

“I’ve always been drawn to spooky things, to the unusual, to things that are dark but in a friendly way,” Goldman said.

That eccentricity proved an asset on the English screenwriter’s latest project, an adaptation of Ransom Riggs’ bestselling 2011 young adult novel, “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children,” directed by the official auteur of outsiders and weirdos, Tim Burton.

“She’s definitely a peculiar person,” Burton said of Goldman, bestowing what counts as the highest of compliments from the director of “Beetlejuice,” “Ed Wood” and “Alice in Wonderland.” “She’s very intelligent, very creative, very outgoing but very internal as well.”

“Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children,” which opens Friday, stars Asa Butterfield as Jake, a contemporary Florida boy investigating his grandfather’s World War II connection to an orphanage full of children with mysterious powers. Eva Green is Miss Peregrine, the loving headmistress to the motley brood, which includes a girl who can float on air, a boy with a beehive in his stomach and a girl with an extra mouth in the back of her head. Samuel L. Jackson is a terrifying undead creature who hunts “peculiars,” as they’re called, with a penchant for eating human eyeballs.



The book, which was inspired by a collection of vintage photos Riggs found at flea markets and yard sales, has a vivid, spooky sense of atmosphere that Goldman and Burton were determined to uphold.

“Both of us felt very strongly about keeping a sense of mystery and not falling into a typical YA story where the hero has a goal and a destiny,” said Goldman, 46. “We wanted it to play out more like a strange dream in terms of tone. Tim didn’t want this to be about children with superpowers. He wanted them to be different and ostracized.”

Goldman’s best known previous work is her scripts for director Matthew Vaughn, many of which brought a freshness and clarity to genres that can easily get muddled and musty. She co-wrote Vaughn’s gleefully profane superhero comedy “Kick-Ass,” his slickly imaginative “X-Men: First Class,” and subversively funny spy film “Kingsman: The Secret Service.”

Critics praised Goldman’s first solo script, an adaptation of the horror novel “The Woman in Black,” for its goth sense of atmosphere. Another adaptation she wrote, the British horror-thriller “The Limehouse Golem,” recently screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and is awaiting a U.S. distributor.

Almost all of her work is adaptations, a form she loves.

“I see my role as a translator, telling the story that’s in the book using the more visual language of film,” Goldman said. “I like looking at a book and asking myself, ‘How do I replicate that experience I just had as a reader?’”

Burton knew Goldman socially first, through her husband, English TV host Jonathan Ross, with whom she has three children, ages 25, 22 and 19. The director calls the elaborate, spooky Halloween parties the couple throws “epic,” a bit of flattery from this horror auteur akin to having Woody Allen laugh at your joke.

She’s very shy but also very punk rock and bold. When I met her she had fuchsia hair.

— Jenno Topping, producer

It was Jenno Topping, who produced “Miss Peregrine’s” for Chernin Entertainment, who suggested the two team up on the film.

“They are kindred spirits,” Topping said of Goldman and Burton. “I felt like I was bringing this gift to each of them.

“Tonally, Jane so understands the outsider spirit,” Topping said. “She’s very shy but also very punk rock and bold. When I met her she had fuchsia hair. And yet she’s a mom. And she does these really muscular movies with Matthew Vaughn.”

In adapting Riggs’ novel, Goldman made a few changes, swapping the lead female character from one who can control fire (who remains in the story in a smaller role) to the one who can levitate and control air, a peculiarity the screenwriter thought lent itself to more visual invention. She dreamed up a particularly fantastical third-act set piece inspired by Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion visual effects work in 1963’s “Jason and the Argonauts.” She and Burton share taste and references, including an affection for Harryhausen.

“It’s nice to know you’re gonna be pushing at an open door, rather than that you’d be pitching an idea like that to Terrence Malick,” Goldman said, of sharing the same dark sense of whimsy as her director.

Born in London, the only child of a real estate developer and a homemaker, Goldman began writing as an entertainment journalist for English teen publications like “Just Seventeen” and “Smash Hits.” She wrote books on the “X-Files” and a well reviewed novel, “Dreamworld,” about a female security officer who investigates a murder-suicide at a Florida theme park. In 2007, Goldman co-wrote her first screenplay with Vaughn, an adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s romantic fantasy “Stardust,” after Gaiman, a friend, introduced her to the director.

The idea that you could make a living from writing always thrilled me. I was very focused when I was younger, but I hope I wasn’t annoying about it.

— Jane Goldman

“The idea that you could make a living from writing always thrilled me,” Goldman said. “I was very focused when I was younger, but I hope I wasn’t annoying about it.”

She writes from an office overlooking a garden in her London home, usually six or seven hours a day, but up to 16 when a director is anxiously awaiting a draft, as on “X-Men: First Class” when Vaughn needed to quickly get into production.

As a woman writing genre movies for major studios, she is a relative rarity, and much of her work, including “Miss Peregrine’s” and “Kick-Ass,” which controversially featured Chloe Grace Moretz as a child vigilante, includes unconventional female characters who are active players in the action.

“I probably feel more of a responsibility to make sure female characters are dimensional,” Goldman said.

Goldman’s upcoming projects include “Kingsman: The Golden Circle,” a sequel to Vaughn’s successful spy film, due next June from 20th Century Fox, and a take on the Daphne du Maurier novel “Rebecca,” memorably adapted by Alfred Hitchcock in 1940. Though daunted by the legacy of the Hitchcock version, Goldman said she was interested to read that the powerful English director was prevented from making the film he wanted to make due to the censorship of the Motion Picture Production Code.

“I adored the novel’s moral ambiguity,” Goldman said. “That it makes you question why you’re rooting for the characters you’re rooting for. Hitch wanted to do things he wasn’t allowed to do because of the Hays code, which said people needed to be punished for bad things they did. I think if he could have taken another crack at it, he would have.”

Make Your Time Count

Make Your Time Count
By Rick Warren

“Use your time in the best way you can” (Colossians 4:5b ICB).

If you want to get ready to be used by God, first you need to get to know Jesus Christ. Then, you need to use your time in view of eternity.

Colossians 4:5 says, “Use your time in the best way you can” (ICB).Time is our most precious resource. It’s far more important than money. You can get more money, but you can’t get more time. You only have a certain amount allotted to you in this life. You can’t make time, you can’t borrow time, you can’t save time, you can’t extend time. You can only use it. We all have the same amount of time every week: 168 hours. If you don’t learn to manage your time well, you cannot manage anything else in your life, because your time is your life.

God is watching to see how you manage your time on this earth to determine what he’s going to have you do in eternity. He’s giving you a test, because your life on Earth is preparation for eternity. One of Satan’s strategies is to get you so busy doing unimportant things that you don’t have time for the important things in life, and you don’t spend any time preparing for eternity. Satan doesn’t have to get you to sin. If he can’t get you to be bad, he’ll just get you to be busy.

The Bible tells us exactly what we should be doing with our time in Acts 20:24: “My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus” (NLT, second edition).

God wants to use you, but he wants to make sure that you’re investing your time in the most important things. You’ve got to use your time in view of eternity. You’ve got to ask yourself, “How much of what I’m spending my time on is going to count five or 10 years from now? How much is going to count in eternity?” Then you’ve got to refocus.

Use your time in view of eternity so God can see that you are focused on the main thing — his purposes.

Is Your Soul Healthy?

Is Your Soul Healthy?
by Sarah Phillips, Crosswalk.com Contributor

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness… For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  (2 Peter 1:3-8)

When I first became a believer, I was like the woman with the alabaster jar (Matthew 26:7). I loved much because I had been forgiven much. But as the years slipped by something happened in my life that happens to many believers: my gratefulness towards God’s mercy transformed into frustration at my lingering sinful nature. I understood why I failed so greatly before knowing Christ, but it was difficult to accept my failings when I felt I should know better.

It's easy to beat yourself up, even run from God, when you fall. Out of frustration and shame, I have begged God to rid me of my sinful tendencies. Of course, God didn't instantly heal me with a lightning bolt, but answered me with a different kind of grace. The answer to my prayer came in the form of a Sunday school lesson on "holy habits," more traditionally known as virtues.

Practicing virtue is a lot like lifting weights – it's exercise that builds health in your soul. There are many virtues, but as we learned in class that day, the foundation of all virtues can be found in the four natural virtues or cardinal virtues. These were first articulated by Plato but hardly belong to Plato. They are part of what theologians call “natural law” – God’s design for humanity woven into our beings since the beginning of creation. When a person cultivates these virtues in his or her life, they are cooperating with the Creator’s design for the human soul.

It's important to note here that pursuing a virtuous life is not the same as trying to earn salvation. Our salvation is a gift that flows from God’s grace. But in our Christian journey, it's important to do our part to improve our character so that we can grow in character and more accurately reflect Christ's goodness to the world. Now let's take a closer look at each cardinal virtue:

1. Wisdom: For wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her. (Proverbs 8:11). You’ve probably known people with book smarts who lack common sense. Or perhaps you know someone with street smarts who lacks knowledge. A person who has cultivated the virtue of wisdom can not only discern truth but has the ability to implement their insights appropriately in any given situation. According to scripture, characteristics of wise people include those who prepare properly for hard times (Proverbs 21:20), those who humbly heed instruction and correction (Proverbs 8:9), those who hold their tongues from saying foolish things (Proverbs 10:19), and those who fear the Lord (Proverbs 14:16-35). Because wisdom allows us to discern right from wrong, this virtue sets us up to practice all other virtues.

2. Justice: Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed (Isaiah 1:17). Most of us have some sense of justice from a very early age when we yell, "It's not fair!" A just or righteous person gives to others what is deserved, keeps his word, and acts fairly even when no one is looking. According to scripture, a just person favors the innocent over the wicked (Proverbs 18:5), never accepts bribes (Proverbs 17:23), aids the poor, fatherless, and widows (Proverbs 29:7, Isaiah 1:17), and experiences joy (Proverbs 21:15).

3. Courage: In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence (Proverbs 14:26). While most of us associate courage with lack of fear, courage has more to do with fear put in proper perspective. A courageous person chooses right even when a decision is frightening or comes with personal cost. Among many traits, the courageous person exalts Christ (Philippians 1:20), holds on to God’s promises (Acts 27:25), and gives an effective witness for Christ (Acts 4:13). A person can not exercise any virtue for long without courage because sin often appears easier or more attractive than virtue.

4. Temperance: Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control (Proverbs 25:28). Temperance is an old-fashioned word for moderation. A temperate person exercises self-control, building a wall against unhealthy, sinful extremes. Among many qualities, scripture tells us that a temperate person does not gossip (1 Timothy 3:11), does not vent anger (Proverbs 29:11) is respectable and able to take on leadership roles (1 Timothy 3:2), and is sexually pure (1 Thessalonians 4:2-5).

So, are any of these virtues lacking in your life? I can see some areas where I am still weak. Thankfully, with God’s grace and a few good decisions, we can grow in our effectiveness and productiveness for Christ. 

Identify which cardinal virtue you struggle most with. Ask God for the grace to grow and make one positive change in your behavior this week that will help you develop this "holy habit."

Further Reading:

Matthew 25:23

Facts of College Life

The Facts of (College) Life

If your child is starting college, it’s time to talk to them about the facts of life—that there are people out there who want to steal their identity. And now that they’re leaving home, it’s up to them to protect themselves. This talk can be as important to your child’s future as the one about the birds and the bees. A 2015 study found that students are the least concerned about fraud, yet they are the most severely impacted by it: it can affect their ability to get apartments, homes, loans, jobs, and more.

Your student needs to learn the same good habits that you practice to protect your own identity, but those habits can be more challenging in a college environment. Unlike your home, dorm rooms or shared apartments are not private living spaces. Roommates and their friends come and go, and your child may invite over other students that they don’t know well. So here are some ways to help your student keep their identity safe:

• Explain to them what information should be kept private: driver’s license, Social Security card and number, birth certificate, passport, checkbooks, bank and credit card statements, medical cards, and anything else that’s personal. Decide with them what they really need to take along to college. For example, if they don’t have overseas travel planned or plan to apply for a job, leave the Social Security card and passport at home.
• Buy them a lock box for their room, and tell them to keep important documents in there when they’re not using them. That way they’re not lying around if a roommate brings home someone who turns out to be dishonest or if someone else comes into the room looking for things to steal.
• Tell them not to put any paper with personal information in recycling bins. Buy them a small shredder to use for financial statements and other personal documents.
• With any luck, they already know this, but tell them not to leave personal documents or personal electronics in a car, even if the car is locked.

Another big identity risk is that many colleges still use students’ Social Security numbers as their student ID number, which means those numbers may be printed on everything from student ID cards to grade reports. Publicly funded schools and those that receive federal funding must comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and FERPA requires written consent to publish personally identifiable information, including Social Security numbers. Not all colleges comply with this, so it’s a good idea to talk to the school and ask how they are protecting your child’s personal information.

Physical security is just one aspect of keeping your student safe, and we’ll talk about others in other articles. But the steps listed here are a great foundation for identity safety as they start out on the big adventure of adult life.

"Night Mode" in Android

How to Enable a “Night Mode” in Android to Reduce Eyestrain

They say that blue spectrums of light are bad for your eyes, especially at night when you’re more likely to be looking at your phone in a dark environment. This also supposedly leads to poor sleep, which leads to poor health. Here’s how to combat that on your Android phone.

On desktop computers, you can use an app called f.lux. On iOS devices, you can use the new Night Shift feature. Both these feautres give your screen a red tint to remove the blue light spectrum from your display, making it easier on the eyes in dark environments.  It can be a little jarring at first, but it doesn’t take long to get used to it. And once you’ve adjusted, it’s actually pretty nice—I personally find it to be incredibly soothing to look at.

Android, unfortunately, doesn’t have this feature built-in–at least, not obviously. Android Nougat has a very, very hidden version of this feature called “Night Mode”, that you can access with the help of a third-party app. It isn’t available on non-Nougat devices, and even some Nougat users have had trouble getting it to work properly, so we’ll share some alternatives you can get from the Play Store as well.

Nougat Devices: Enable Android’s Hidden Night Mode

Nougat’s “Night Mode” was originally hidden in the System UI Tuner during the beta, but it was removed in the final version. The menu still exists, though–you just can’t access it as easily anymore.

First, you’ll need to enable the System UI Tuner. If you’ve already done this, skip down a little bit.

Pull down the notification shade twice, then long-press the cog icon. After a few seconds, you can release and it will spin. A wrench icon will then show up beside the cog, indicated the UI Tuner has been enabled.



Now that the UI Tuner is enabled, install the Night Mode Enabler app from Google Play.

Once the app has finished installing, open it up and tap the “Enable Night Mode” button. It should automatically open a new menu within the System UI Tuner and show a toast notification at the bottom that reads “Yay, you should now have a quick toggle for Night Mode available.” You’re so close now.



Before adding the toggle, you can go ahead and turn on Night Mode to see what it’s all about. It’s noted in the Play Store listing for Night Mode Enabler that if you’re having issues getting it to work, tap the word “On” in the upper left, not the toggle on the right. The screen should immediately turn yellow.



For a more effective approach to Night Mode, however, just use the “Turn on automatically” toggle. This will use your device’s location to automatically turn on Night Mode as it gets dark outside. Like I mentioned earlier, it will also change the amount of blue light being filtered depending on the time of day. For example, the display will show a lighter shade of yellow around sunset, but will be much darker around midnight. It’s neat. You can also use night mode to set the brightness—just slide the “Adjust brightness” toggle.



You can stop here, but if you’d like to add a toggle to the Quick Settings shade, you can also do that. Just follow these instructions, and drag the “Night Mode” toggle in.

That’s it, you’re finished. Come sunset, your device should automatically activate Night Mode. Sleep well!

Non-Nougat Devices: Try These Third-Party Options

I get it—non-Nougat users want in on this sweet Night Mode action too! Fret not, boys and gals, there are some options out there for you, too.

There are three popular light-filtering apps available in the Google Play Store: CF.lumen, f.lux, or Twilight.



It’s worth noting that both CF.lumen and f.lux require rooted handsets, while Twilight doesn’t. That said, both CF.lumen and f.lux have significantly more features that Twilight, though the latter is the most similar to the stock setting with a few more tweaks available.





For what it’s worth, I would recommend giving Twilight a shot before jumping into much more advanced options like CF.lumen or f.lux. If you decide you need more than what Twilight has to offer, then give the more advanced apps a shot.

There’s plenty of research out there that suggests filtering blue light from your device will help you sleep. The ideal solution is probably to not use your phone (or watch TV, do other screen-related functions) right before bed, but let’s be real here: no one is going to do that. Nougat’s built-in Night Mode or apps like Twilight are a great way to give it a go for yourself.

By How to Geek

Access Hidden Folder in Mac

How to Access the Hidden ~/Library Folder on Your Mac

A lot of Mac tutorials mention the Library folder, which is where your macOS applications store things like settings and caches. Some settings can only be changed by editing files in the Library. But the Library is hidden by default.

That makes sense: messing with this folder can break programs pretty quickly, so it’s not something you want every user finding. But if you consider yourself an informed user, and want to open your Library folder, here’s how.

Access the Library Folder the Easy Way

If you just need to access it occasionally, this is the fastest way. Open Finder, or just click on the desktop. Then click “Go” in the menu bar, and select “Go to Folder”. You can also skip all this clicking by pressing Command+Shift+G on your keyboard to access the Go to Folder menu.



Type ~/Library in the box and hit Enter.



The “~” is the universal UNIX symbol for the current user’s home folder, and “Library” is the sub-folder you’re trying to open.

When you hit enter, you will see the Library folder.



From here you can make whatever changes you wanted to make. As you can see, the icon for the Library folder is faded, which means the folder itself is still hidden.

Unhide the Library Folder Permanently

If you don’t want to open “Go To Folder” every time you want to access the Library, you can unhide the folder for good. To do this, open Finder, and head to your Home folder. You can do this by clicking the name of your username in the sidebar, or by pressing Command+Shift+H on your keyboard.



Next, click “View” in the menu bar followed by “Show View Options.”



Alternatively, you can press Command+J on your keyboard.

The View Options window will pop up. Make sure “Show Library Folder” is checked.



Close the window, and the Library folder will be revealed.



The Library folder is no longer hidden, and will stay visible until you change this setting back. If you’re the kind of user who likes to tweak things constantly, leave it visible, but think twice before leaving this visible on someone else’s computer.

By How to

Screenshots on Android Auto

How to Take Screenshots on Android Auto

Android has had native screenshots for ages now, and seeing as that’s a pretty important feature, all of the Google-made accessories also support this functionality. While the setting is in an easy place on Android Wear, it’s well-hidden on Android Auto. Here’s how to find it.

The first thing you’ll need to do is enable Developer Settings in the Android Auto app by tapping on the “Android Auto” text on the top 10 times.



Once the Developer Settings menu has been enabled, jump in by tapping the three-button overflow menu in the top right corner and selecting “Developer Settings.”



There are some interesting entries found here, but the one we’re most interested in is “Share screenshot now.” Go ahead and give that tap. It probably goes without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway: your phone has to be connected to an Android Auto head unit before this will work.

Once you take a screenshot, the share dialog will pop up immediately, and you can send it wherever you like. But if you choose not to share it, the shot will just be saved to the root of the Pictures folder, so you can just share it later. That’s pretty neat. For simplicity, however, I just upload it to a dedicated screenshots folder in Drive.



And that’s pretty much it. Of course, you should never do this while you’re driving—if there’s something that important on the screen, pull over and take a picture. Otherwise, just let it go, man. It’s not worth it.

By How to Geek

Did You Know/Tech Term

Did You Know?

Bug zappers aren’t just a tacky backyard decoration, they’re extremely unhygienic too–researchers found that microscopic particles of the vaporized insects, along with the bacteria and viruses on their bodies, were ejected in a roughly six foot circle around the devices, coating any nearby people or food in the process.

Today's Tech Term 

Propeller Head

Propeller Head (a.k.a. Propellor Head, Prop Head, and Prophead) is a slang term used to refer to an individual who is exceptionally bright or knowledgeable, especially in a technical field.

Todays Trivia

The Largest Artery In The Human Body Is The?

Femoral	Cartoid
Aorta	Brachial

Answer: Aorta

Arteries are the component of the human circulatory system that serve as the distribution mechanism for freshly oxygenated blood (except the pulmonary and umbilical arteries). Among all of our arteries, big and small, none is so central and important to our health as the aorta. Located just left-of-center in our chest cavities, the aorta is the mother artery, if you will, that feeds all of the smaller secondary arteries in your entire body. Whether it’s the blood that delivers nutrients to your brain or the blood pooling under a bruise on your shin, only moments before it started the trip by passing through the aorta.

The aorta isn’t just a sanguineous superhighway in humans, either, it’s a large and important artery in nearly all mammals. The massive blue whale, for example, has an aortic artery that is large enough to nearly fit a human head inside

Movie Preview - Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Entertainment News

Hip-hop and a simmering Mike Colter help 'Marvel's Luke Cage' put the human in 'superhuman'

Mike Colter stars in "Luke Cage," arriving Friday on Netflix. (Myles Aronowitz / Netflix)

By Meredith Blake

It takes only about 90 seconds for “Marvel’s Luke Cage,” the latest Netflix series set in the Marvel Comics universe, to address the idea of what it means to be a hero in the black community.

The drama opens at a barbershop in Harlem run by Pop (Frankie Faison), a kind of neighborhood patriarch.  The lively conversation has turned to a sign on the wall listing the few highly accomplished, widely revered men -- Muhammad Ali, Nelson Mandela, Michael Jordan -- eligible for free haircuts at the establishment.

Little do most of them know that Luke Cage (Mike Colter), the quietly intense guy sweeping up hair in the corner, has the potential to join this hallowed club (that is, if there were any hair on his head to cut).   Thanks to a medical experiment gone awry, Luke has been gifted with superhuman strength and bulletproof skin but would rather fly under the radar than harness  his powers for good.

His reticence is understandable. In mourning the death of his wife, Luke knows all too well that, the only way to hurt someone who is physically unstoppable is by hurting the people they love.  Introduced onscreen in last year’s “Jessica Jones,” Luke has since relocated to Harlem from Hell’s Kitchen. In addition to working at Pop’s barber shop, he washes dishes at a swank nightclub run by a fearsome gangster named Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes (Mahershala Ali).

Luke lives quietly, spending his scarce free time with his nose in the New Yorker. He does his best to avoid romantic attention – though, looking as he does, that’s almost impossible. But when a misstep by one of Cottonmouth’s goons results in tragedy, Luke is reluctantly drawn into the fight against crime.



Like “Jessica Jones,” “Luke Cage” is a show that puts the human in “superhuman.” Executive produced by Cheo Hodari Coker, a former staff writer for the Los Angeles Times who co-wrote the Notorious B.I.G. biopic “Notorious,” “Luke Cage” is a look at what it means to be a hero – and specifically a black one – in a place like Harlem.

Following “Jessica Jones” and “Daredevil,” “Luke Cage” is the third New York-set Marvel adaptation from Netflix. While a familiarity with Marvel mythology and “Jessica Jones” is helpful, particularly in the slower-going episodes before Luke’s backstory is revealed, the series is also designed to be accessible and appealing to neophytes. Even those who are normally allergic to capes and spandex are likely to be intrigued, particularly by Colter’s simmering performance.

Fans of “The Good Wife” will recognize the actor from his recurring role as the ruthless but charismatic Chicago drug lord Lemond Bishop, and he brings the same velvety voice and suave intensity – plus about 30 extra pounds of muscle – to “Luke Cage.”

The supporting cast is equally enjoyable, particularly Alfre Woodard as Mariah Stokes, Cottonmouth’s cousin and a corrupt city councilwoman, and Simone Missick as Misty Knight, a streetwise detective and Luke’s would-be love interest.

“Luke Cage” is directly linked to “Jessica Jones,” but strangely (and probably unintentionally) it also feels like a companion piece to “The Get Down.” Like that Netflix series, which chronicles the dawn of hip-hop in 1970s Bronx, “Luke Cage” features funky musical performances in nearly every episode. The character Luke Cage was introduced in Marvel Comics in 1972, and while the series is set in the present day, it draws from pop culture of the era, most obviously with its groovy, “Shaft”-inspired score. There are nods to hip-hop history throughout, including a portrait of the Notorious B.I.G. that looms over Cottonmouth’s lair, and a cameo appearance by Dapper Dan, the legendary Harlem tailor.

Whereas “The Get Down” shows how run-down neighborhoods became a cauldron for creativity, “Luke Cage” is concerned with what it means to preserve a historically black community that is rapidly being gentrified.  Multiple characters talk about the importance of their legacy, and one of Cottonmouth’s henchmen drops references to infamous city planner Robert Moses and the policy of “benign neglect.”

The significance of a black hero who dresses in a hoodie and whose skin is impenetrable to bullets should be lost on no one. The references to the Black Lives Matter movement, both implicit and explicit, are there, but so are the allusions to Crispus Attucks, Jackie Robinson and Langston Hughes that place Luke Cage in a historical lineage of black heroes.

Likewise, there is something old-fashioned, perhaps even conservative in a small-c way, about Luke. He eschews profanity, admonishes others for using the N-word, and laments that in Harlem “everyone has a gun, no one has a father.” At one point, he’s mocked for sounding like a Fox News commentator.

Luke Cage is not your grandfather’s superhero – but then again, maybe he is.