How GPS Changed the Way We Think

How GPS Changed the Way We Think About Our Planet

Although it tracks where we walk, GPS's greatest benefit could be what it sees under our feet.

 
By Matt Blitz

Iceland is breaking apart.

While the country's 333,000 people, millions of puffins, and influx of tourists live in harmony, the rock underneath them is slowly separating. That's because this Nordic island nation is being cut in half by a serpentine oceanic ridge, called the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, as it snakes its way through the Atlantic Ocean and cuts up the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates.

This slow divorce is hidden in plain sight, seen in scars that dot the country. But the most striking example lies at the edge of the Reykjanes peninsula where a footbridge visually displays this growing fissure between the two continental plates—at a small but noticeable 2.5 centimeters (about an inch) a year.

How do we know it's moving at this crushingly slow speed? The same technology you use to navigate while driving.


The Bridge Between Continents on the Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland.
Chris 73

Today, we think of GPS as a directionally challenged motorist's best friend, but in the field of geodesy, GPS is something much more. "We are learning the direction of the plates' movement, how (they are) interacting with volcanic systems, and the retreating of glaciers," says Benedikt G. Ófeigsson, GPS specialist in the Icelandic Meteorological Office. "(But) the main insight we are gaining is that the (Earth's) crust is really dynamic."

RIDICULE AND REDEMPTION


Alfred Wegener in Greenland, 1912-13.

To understand how GPS revolutionized Earth science in just 30 years, you need to know the low-tech ways scientists used to study the Earth for centuries. For centuries, scientists hypothesized that the continents were moving. In the 16th century, Flemish cartographer and creator of the first modern world atlas, Abraham Ortelius, theorized that natural phenomena like earthquakes and floods had torn the Americas away from Europe and Africa.

It would be a couple more centuries for German meteorologist Alfred Wegener, who first proposed the "theory of continental drift" in 1912, to begin fashioning our modern understanding of what's happening under our feet. Wegener's hypothesis concluded that all the continents were once joined together in one large landmass known as a "supercontinent," but millions of years ago it broke apart and the continents slowly drifted to their present-day locations.


Antonio Snider-Pellegrini and Alfred Wegener map showing how
fossils across continents form a pattern, supporting the supercontinent theory.

Like many forward-thinking scientists, Wegener was ridiculed for his ideas at the time. His German colleagues said he was having "delirious ravings" and that he was sick with "moving crust disease and wandering pole plague." Today, however, we know that Wegener was much closer to the truth than any of his doubtful contemporaries. But to find the evidence to back up his theories, the world would have to go to war.

Roger Revelle, the U.S. Navy's chief oceanographer, called the mid-20th century "One of the greatest periods of exploration of the Earth...every time you went to sea, you made unexpected discoveries...nothing that we expected was true. Everything we didn't expect was true."

It was during World War II, while searching for submarine hiding spots, that the U.S. military discovered a seafloor filled with vast oceanic ridges and deep trenches. In the 1950s, scientists went back into these trenches with magnetometers and realized that these ridges at the bottom of the seafloor were paralleled by matching magnetized "stripes" that were made up of iron-rich basalt. Because these stripes of basalt are magnetized, millions of years of changes in the Earth's magnetic fields essentially recorded how the continents moved.

"NOTHING THAT WE EXPECTED WAS TRUE. EVERYTHING WE DIDN'T EXPECT WAS TRUE."

Soon after, an explosion in oceanic exploration helped flesh out the theory of seafloor spreading, eventually leading to the landmark 1963 paper that vindicated Wegener's original theory—with one major adjustment. It was actually large portions of the Earth's crust, or plates, that had broken apart rather than individual continents. Their movement through the mantle over millions of years was like sheets of ice gliding on a lake, and where these plates meet are called "plate boundaries," filled with seismic activity and volcanic eruptions.

This is the theory of plate tectonics. But this formulated theory was only the beginning, now scientists needed to find a way to accurately measure the entire planet to see if they were right.

SIZING UP EARTH


George Washington, surveyor.

Until the early 1970s, scientists used rudimentary methods to measure these newly discovered plates. One of them was optical triangulation, setting up two vertical points and measuring the horizontal angle between them from a third point. Although a sound method, it wasn't exactly cutting edge and was likely the same method used by George Washington when surveying land in Virginia around the mid-1700s.

Other methods, which were equally outdated, were also unsuccessful at measuring granular movement over large distances, says Chuck Meertens, director of geodetic data services UNAVCO, a consortium that aids geoscience research and education across the globe. "You could confirm the fact that the San Andreas was moving, but [you] certainly didn't know what it was doing on any scale."

Scientists needed all-new tools, and eventually they arrived as the NASA-tested technology Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI), a kind of proto-GPS that determined Earth's orientation in space by measuring the time difference it takes for a radio wave emitted by a distant space quasar to arrive at different spots on a global network of Earth-based antennas. By making measurements of signals from a number of different quasars they can precisely determine the position of these antennas.

This was extremely valuable information for geoscientists, because by measuring position changes year to year, they could determine plate movements across continental scales. Still, it came with its own limitations. While these measurements were precise, there were less than a dozen of these antennas scattered across the globe limiting the amount of data collected. Also these immobile antennas weighed several tons.

Luckily, scientists soon found a better way.


Illustration of TRANSIT, the first operational navigation satellite, 1962.
Smithsonian Institution

THE SUCCESS OF GPS

Developed by the military for tracking subs and launching nuclear weapons, GPS is a network of satellites, equipped with an atomic clock, a computer, and a radio, orbiting Earth approximately every 12 hours.

But even the process of creating GPS was a huge scientific breakthrough due to Einstein's Theory of General Relativity. Because of a slight warp in spacetime between Earth's orbit and the surface, engineers used Einstein's theory to help take in account for the slight variations between the function of time in space and on Earth. Without it, GPS would snowball into an inaccurate mess within only a few minutes.

Founded in 1984, UNAVCO became one of the first organizations to acquire GPS commercial receivers for geoscience research. At the time, they each cost about $300,000.

On the ground, receivers detect radio signals from at least four of these satellites at all times to precisely locate its position. The data received are measurements of satellite-receiver-travel time and can be processed to obtain a ground station's exact longitude and latitude. Geodesy research uses these anchored GPS stations that can determine location down to a millimeter.

Our phones actually use the exact same satellites as the military and geodesy research sites. The only difference is that while they use multiple frequencies, civilian GPS use only one.

Not much separates GPS from its VLBI predecessor except for one clear advantage. Equipment can be transported wherever researchers want, leading to a proliferation of permanent GPS sites. "With GPS, we didn't have trailers full of stuff," says Meertens. "We had two really heavy suitcases, a couple of car batteries and an antenna...it was 250 pounds of stuff, but certainly better than a trailer."

THE WAY I NOW LOOK AT THE WORLD IS THAT IT'S THIS GIANT, PULSATING THING.

Today, 31 GPS satellites orbit Earth emitting data to over 1,100 permanent UNAVCO-operated GPS research sites in the U.S., many of which reside along the North America-Pacific plate boundary called the Plate Boundary Observatory. It's this proliferation of data over the past three decades that has completely changed what we know about when, why, and how the Earth moves.

Researchers like Jessica Murray, a research geophysicist at the United States Geological Survey (USGS) can study newly discovered phenomena called "episodic tremors" and "slow slip events," because of the near-ubiquitous presence of permanent GPS stations. In subduction zones, or the area where two tectonic plates collide, GPS measurements have shown that fault lines can move without causing seismic activity. In other words, the Earth below us is moving but we can't feel it. What does this mean? Murray says the answer is up for debate.

"Is it actually increasing seismic hazard because movements in that place are putting strain on neighboring parts of the fault," says Murray, "Or is it actually relieving stress without actually having an earthquake? There's still a lot we need to learn about it."


UNAVCO GPS unit near Mount St. Helens.
Mike Gottlieb / UNAVCO

Other examples are even more strange. In a plate boundary that stretches from Vancouver Island to Northern California, GPS measurements show that the continental plate is generally pushing east. But then something weird happens. "Almost like clockwork, every 14 months, the whole plate sort of rebounds back to the west," Meertens told Popular Mechanics. "And it's happening on a scale of state-sized dimensions...People don't totally understand it yet."

WHAT MOVES YOU?

Despite some unanswered questions, in GPS's short lifetime we've learned that the Earth's tectonic plates—from Iceland to Oregon—are constantly moving, shifting, and adjusting.

Every single day, Iceland experiences earthquakes of varying scales, and in the southern part of the country, Mount Helka could be on the verge of eruption. The steady evolution of not only the preciseness of GPS but also the nearly real-time speed in which the information can be delivered even has the potential to save lives.

"The way I now look at the world is that it's this giant, pulsating thing," Meertens says. "It's amazing."

Because of GPS, the slightest movements can be detected instantaneously and folded into early-warning systems. "With GPS there is no guessing," As Meertens says. "This is what happened and we can tell you right away." Combined with the near-instant mass communications and for the first time in human history we're moving quicker than the Earth.


Installing a GPS unit in Tsum Valley, Nepal.
John Galetzka / UNAVCO

Get Rid of Bloatware on Android Phone

How to Get Rid of Bloatware on Your Android Phone

By Whitson Gordon 

Manufacturers and carriers often load Android phones with their own apps. If you don’t use them, they just clutter your system, or–even worse–drain your battery in the background. Take control of your device and stop the bloatware.

Uninstalling vs. Disabling Bloatware

You have a few choices when it comes to removing bloatware from your system.

Uninstalling an app is exactly what it sounds like: the app is entirely removed from your device. However, this has some downsides. Uninstalling some preinstalled apps may result in problems or instability, though, and in some cases may block your phone from getting updates. Furthermore, once these apps are gone, you might not be able to get them back. You may not think you want them back now, but you might in the future—who knows?

Some manufacturers have actually started to put their apps in Google Play—Samsung has been good about this, so if you remove something like S Health and then just need it back, you can get it from the Play Store. But others are not.

Lastly, uninstalling apps usually requires you to root your phone. This is not a process most users have gone through (or will want to).

That’s why, instead of uninstalling bloatware, we recommend disabling those apps instead. Android has a built-in way to do this, and it should work for most apps.

If you stumble upon an app that refuses to be disabled—which is rare these days—you can “freeze” it with a third-party app, which is essentially the same thing—though once again, this requires a rooted phone. So that is a last resort.

Got it? Good. Let’s talk about how to actually do this stuff.

How to Disable Bloatware With Android’s Built-In Setting

Disabling bloatware on newer phones is easy, and shouldn’t require root access. I’ll be using an unrooted Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge for this tutorial, but the process will be exactly the same regardless of which phone you have—the interface may just look a little different.

First, open the Settings menu. You can do this by pulling down the notification shade and tapping the little gear icon. Note: on some phones you may have to pull the shade down twice before the gear shows up.

Next, scroll down to Apps (or “Applications” on some phones). Tap that.

Find the app that’s causing you much pain, and tap it. I’m just going to use the “Dictionary” app here, because…why is this even on here in the first place?

On the app’s info page, there are two buttons at the top (again, assuming this is a pre-installed application): Disable and Force Stop. I’ll give you two guesses which one we’re going to use here.

Once you tap the Disable button, you’ll get a scary little popup that tells you it may cause errors in other apps. Tread forward, brave soldier. Tap “Disable. ”

Bam, that’s it. After disabling it, you may also want to tap the “Force Stop” and “Clear Data” buttons as well.

If you ever need to re-enable the app, just jump back into it’s App Info page and tap “Enable.” It’s so easy.

Note that not all apps will have this disable option–but in most cases, they should. If they don’t, you’ll need to use the rooted method below to disable them.

How to Disable and Uninstall Bloatware on a Rooted Phone

If the app in question doesn’t have a disable option, or if you’re using an older version of Android that doesn’t have this feature, things get a bit more complicated. To start, you’ll need to root your phone, so if you haven’t done that, do that first. You’ll also need to enable USB debugging in Settings > Applications > Developer Options. And, as always, we recommend making a full nandroid backup before continuing in case something goes wrong.

There are many apps that claim to freeze bloatware, but at the end of the day, Titanium Backup is still the best on the block. We’ve already covered using Titanium Backup to back up and restore your Android Phone, but it has a number of other features too, including freezing and uninstalling bloatware. The only catch: you’ll need to pay $6 for the pro version.

If you’re dead set against paying $6 for Titanium Backup, you can try the free NoBloat or App Quarantine, but reviews are much more mixed. We’ve tested them and they worked fine for us, but your mileage may vary. Our previous recommendation, Gemini, no longer allows freezing in the free version. We have a lot of experience with Titanium Backup, and we know it works well on a variety of devices. Plus, it’s one of the most useful apps you can have on a rooted phone. So we’re going to use it for our tutorial.

To freeze an app with Titanium Backup, install Titanium Backup and the Pro key from Google Play. Launch the app and grant it superuser permissions when prompted.

Head to the “Backup/Restore” tab to see a list of apps on your system. You’ll see both apps you’ve installed and normally hidden system apps. Disabling important system apps could cause problems–for example, if you froze the Package installer app here, you wouldn’t be able to install packages. Be careful about what you freeze. You can always unfreeze apps later, but only if your system remains stable enough to do so.

Find the app you’d like to freeze and tap it. I’m using Android Pay here, mostly because it was at the top of the list. Tap the “Freeze!” button at the top.

It should take just a few seconds and you’ll see a toast notification that the app has been frozen. You’re pretty much done at this point.

It’s worth noting that the frozen app will still show up in Settings > Apps as “disabled.” For apps that can be disabled by default, simply tapping the “Enable” button will essentially unfreeze the app, which is nice. For apps that can’t be disabled, however, you’ll have to unfreeze them through Titanium Backup.

To do that, just jump back into Titanium Backup, find the app in the Backup/Restore list, and tap “Defrost” at the top. Nothing to it.

---

Once you run through either of these processes, those apps should be disabled completely, aside from taking up some space on your system. You won’t see them in the menus and they won’t run in the background. You may have to restart your device or launcher before the app icon disappears from the menus, but for all intents and purposes, they’re out of your hair for good.

Trivia

Which Of These Common Vegetables Is A Prolific Perennial?

Asparagus	Corn
Peas	Carrots

Answer: Asparagus

Many of the vegetables we consume are annuals—they are planted in spring, harvested in mid-summer or autumn, and the cycle is repeated every year. Many crops like corn, wheat, rice, lettuce, peas, beans, and more fall into the annual category (and many more are planted as if they were annuals for various reasons, like not being cold hardy, for example).

One of the more curious exceptions to this rule is asparagus. Given its size and structure, it would seem like something that should be an annual, but in reality, not only is asparagus a perennial, it’s a very long-lived and prolific perennial at that.

It takes 2-3 years for an asparagus plant to mature enough to reach the harvesting stage (the early spears of asparagus aren’t particularly big or numerous). After the initial settling in period, however, asparagus plants not only produce many spears, but they continue to do so for decades. It’s commonplace for asparagus plants to survive for twenty years, but with good soil, care, and climate, they can even last upwards of thirty.

What Not to Wear

Cruise Fashion: What Not to Wear on a Cruise

By Sarah Wagner, Cruise Critic contributor



The life of a cruise fan can be full of surprises. From Goth and vampire conventions to Hogs on the High Seas, you'd be forgiven for thinking that at sea, anything goes. But when it comes to dress codes, there are some hard and fast rules you should think twice before breaking (for everyone's sake). Inspired by our lovely Cruise Critic members' forum -- "What's the strangest thing you've seen on a cruise?", we've pulled together some of their top tips on what not to wear, from cabin to pool and everywhere in between.



At the Pool

Speedos

Gentlemen, it's time to face facts -- Speedos are not your friend. Borderline unacceptable even on super-hunks and models (David Gandy, we're talking about you) these European micro-trunks are a harsh taskmaster on any man. The same goes for thongs, g-strings and any other below-the-waist sartorial offering that can be measured in millimeters rather than inches. Our advice? Don't do it. But, a word to the wise from our Cruise Critic members -- if you do decide to take the plunge, remember: running in Speedos is never a good idea.

String Bikinis

Popular in the 70s, the string bikini has been a beach-time staple ever since. A firm favorite with some cruise lovers, it can often be more foe than friend, and tales of accidental flashing and abundant "excess baggage" are much loved on the forum. For most of us, a flattering cover-up removes any danger of "oversharing" when getting up from the sun lounger or wandering to the bar. That said, as the old saying goes "if you've got it, flaunt it" -- just make sure you're not revealing more than you (or your fellow cruisers), bargained for.

Your Birthday Suit

While there's nothing like the warmth of the sun on your skin, sunbathe naked onboard and you could feel the burn. Often, the appropriately-named top deck will be the designated area for topless sunbathing, but policy varies depending on the cruise line and ship. If you do decide to flash the flesh, it's worth bearing your fellow passengers in mind. While many happily ignore or cheerfully engage in a little topless tanning, the lure of an all-over glow can prove too much for some. As a result, stories of full-frontal displays and naked strolls along the deck abound across the forum -- accompanied by a decent amount of sniggering and some lewd jokes too.

Unusual Accessories

Trunks, swimsuits, bikinis and board shorts -- there's a wide range of swimwear out there to suit everyone, and it's always nice to chuck on a few accessories to make the outfit your own. That's said, whether it's pantyhose under your swimsuit (complete with reinforced gusset and toe) or jumping in the Jacuzzi in your underwear, poolside flossing (of the dental variety) or a tattooed crotch, there are some little extras that you can (and perhaps should) avoid.



At Dinner

Bunny Slippers

From monster claws to kittens, there's a fluffy foot covering for everyone. Perfect for relaxing in your cabin, the sight of a glamorous evening dress topped off with a pair of cozy slippers is not as unusual as seems. Return trips to the buffet are undoubtedly comfier minus the heels, but when it comes to formal dining, most cruise fans advise you to leave the bunnies 'til bedtime.

Pajamas and bathrobes

Cruises are all about relaxing. There's nothing like slipping into soft, snuggly plaid at the end of a long day, and many cruise lines provide bathrobes for free in suites, mini-suites and deluxe balcony cabins. That said, wear your bathrobe to dinner and you might spot a few raised eyebrows or be turned away from the restaurant if it has a formal dress code. Can't bear to be bathrobe-less? Make it an event -- such as the bathrobe-themed anniversary dinner we read about on the forum -- and wear your pajamas with pride!

(Unintentionally) Revealing Clothing

Staple of the seas, glamorous cocktail dresses come hand-in-hand with daring necklines and the occasional flash of leg. The issue comes (and the glamor goes) when the flesh you flash is more than you bargained for. Such was the tale we read of a stylish lady whose loosely-tied wrap dress fell to the floor on the way into dinner, revealing a tiny g-string and not much else. The moral of the story? Save your blushes and fasten ties and belts securely (and always wear underwear you don't mind showing off!)



In Your Cabin

Cruises are social hubs, and if you fancy a bit of quiet time or a relaxing afternoon snooze, your cabin can be an oasis of calm. As your private space, you can wear whatever you want, whenever you want, with one big exception -- when the curtains are open. The forum is full of anecdotes of half-asleep cruisers rising from a deep slumber to wander naked around their cabin for the world to see (and laugh at).

The same goes for balconies -- if you're lucky enough to have a balcony cabin, it's a good idea to remember that you're never alone on a cruise, and a naked salute to the sun might not be the best idea (particularly if you're a late riser). Amorous balcony/open-curtain activities are also the source of much amusement, as are "romantic" moments in glass elevators (a cruise ship's answer to the mile-high club?)

In Brief

From phallic-shaped necklaces and huge hair (hiding some seriously illegal substances), to 24/7 lifejackets, sailor outfits and a briefcase full of cat pictures, there's many a sight to be seen at sea and our Cruise Critic members have shared some of the best.

But, when packing for your cruise, it's important to remember this: cruises attract travelers of all shapes, backgrounds and tastes and, as individuals, there's no accounting for taste. After all, one man's fashion is another man's faux pas.  The important thing is to feel comfortable and wear what you like best. If that happens to be a gorilla suit or skin-tight leopard-print spandex, so be it -- at the very least you'll give your fellow cruisers a laugh, and most likely have one yourself.

Did You Know

Did You Know?

Rattlesnakes survive cold winters by entering a hibernation-like (dormant) state known as “brumation” where they gather in large numbers, sometimes upwards of a thousand snakes, in large underground “rattlesnake dens” or hibernacula.

Today's Tech Term 

TQM

TQM (short for The Quant Method) is a behavioral marketing strategy that seeks to identify the personality types of prosective customers in order to build trust, enhance the user experience, and influence how/when the customer decides to make a purchase.

355-Ship Navy

A 355-Ship Navy Could Take Two Decades, Cost $102 Billion A Year

It would require building almost a completely new fleet.

 
By Kyle Mizokami

A plan to boost the size of the U.S. Navy to 355 ships would take nearly twenty years and cost more than a hundred billion dollars a year. That's the verdict of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), which released its findings on the subject yesterday. The CBO believes boosting the size of the Navy by less than fifty ships would be considerably more complicated, time-consuming, and expensive than it sounds.

Today, the U.S. Navy stands at a total of 275 so-called "battle force ships"—major combatant ships such as aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers, submarines, as well as tanker and ammunition ships. For years, the U.S. Navy has struggled to increase the size of the battle force to a minimum of 300 ships. The current plan, introduced in 2017, sets a minimum of 308 ships, but as ships are commissioned into the fleet and retired, that number will fluctuate. As a result, the CBO believes the Navy will hit that magic number in only 22 of the next 30 years.


Amphibious assault ship USS New York under construction.
Getty

President Donald Trump campaigned on the promise of a 350 ship Navy fleet. Shortly after the election, Navy officials went one step further and floated the idea of a 355 ship fleet, adding an additional aircraft carrier, 16 cruisers and destroyers, 18 attack submarines, 7 amphibious vessels, and 12 more logistics and support vessels.

Building a fleet is often a "three steps forward, two steps back" process. Older ships age out and retire even as new ships are commissioned into service. The march of technology,wear and tear on ships, and the natural corrosiveness of seawater guarantees that. The CBO believes that the earliest the U.S. Navy could reach its goal of 355 ships is 2035, or eighteen years from now.

The CBO believes the Navy would have to buy 329 ships over 30 years just to reach the 355 ship level. In other words, most of the ships operating today would be retired by the time the goal is achieved. The 355-ship plan would cost an additional $157 billion to $164 billion more than a 308-ship plan over 30 years.


The future aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford under construction at Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding, February 2012.
U.S. Navy photo by Ricky Thompson

A major factor in shipbuilding costs? Buying 10 new aircraft carriers over a 30 year period. The United States Navy currently has ten carriers, and will have eleven when the USS Ford is commissioned into service. To get to a goal of twelve, it would need to buy ten more carriers between 2018 and 2048, replacing nine out of ten of the older Nimitz-class carriers.

The CBO estimates the average cost of each ship at $2.3 billion. While the bulk of the fleet purchases are smaller combatants such as destroyers and submarines that cost about $1.8 billion each, more expensive ships such as the upcoming Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine and aircraft carriers skew the average upward. The study also assumes a new guided-missile cruiser to replace the aging Ticonderoga-class cruisers and a new fast frigate to replace the retired Oliver Hazard Perry ships.

The Navy has, on average during the past decade, purchased eight new ships a year. Under the 355 ship plan, that would increase to an average of 12 to 15 ships a year.

Shipbuilding isn't the only cost involved. Total operating costs for the 355 ship Navy would be $102 billion a year through 2047. This includes operations, maintenance, and personnel; the CBO estimates the new fleet will need an extra 19,000 active duty sailors.


The future aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford during builders sea trials, April 2017.
U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Christopher Delano

Everyone knew that building a bigger navy would cost more money, but the prospect of needing 18 years just to reach that point is a little daunting. For one thing, that exposes the entire program to more risk, as spending is spread out over potentially five different presidential administrations, each of which may have a different idea how to spend the nation's money. It also exposes the shipbuilding plan to the cyclical nature of the economy. The country will almost certainly have another economic recession during that time, which will have an effect on the federal budget. Finally, we may see potential adversaries, including China, build their fleets faster. The U.S. Navy needs a bigger fleet, but getting there isn't going to be easy.

W10's Basic & Full Telemetry Settings

What Do Windows 10’s Basic and Full Telemetry Settings Actually Do?

By Chris Hoffman


Windows 10 includes a telemetry service that automatically sends diagnostic and usage data about your computer to Microsoft. These settings have caused a lot of controversy since Windows 10’s release, but what do they actually do?

Today, we’ll look at what kind of data this actually sends to Microsoft. You can select your desired telemetry level—or “diagnostic and usage data” level—from Settings > Privacy > Feedback & diagnostics. On the consumer editions of Windows 10, you can select either Basic or Full usage data that will be sent to Microsoft. Enterprise users can select the Security level instead.

The Creators Update simplified things, removing the Enhanced level and giving average Windows 10 users a choice between only Basic and Full usage data. Microsoft now offers a Privacy Dashboard website in an attempt to be more transparent, too.

Security (Enterprise and Education Only)

The lowest possible level, “Security”, is only available in Windows 10 Enterprise or Education, but we’re going to talk about it first since the other levels build off this one. The telemetry data sent under the Security banner is meant to help keep your Windows PC and other Windows PCs secure.

Security data includes basic data about the “Connected User Experience and Telemetry” component settings, including information about the operating system, device identifier, and whether the device is a server or desktop PC.

Other security-related data sent to Microsoft includes logs from the Malicious Software Removal Tool and information from the built-in Windows Defender antivirus.

The Security level must be enabled via group policy on the relevant editions of Windows, not the Settings app. It’s available at Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Data Collection and Preview Builds > Allow Telemetry in group policy.



Basic

Basic is the lowest telemetry level you can choose on Windows 10 Home or Professional PC. When you choose Basic, Windows 10 sends all the Security data to Microsoft along with more data. This information is designed to help improve application stability and compatibility.

In addition to the Security data, Windows 10 sends basic device information about the PC, such as the specifications of its webcam, battery attributes, processor and memory specifications, and other hardware details. It also sends some software information, like the version of Internet Explorer installed on the PC and the edition of Windows 10 you’re running.

Basic also includes information about application quality and compatibility. Quality data includes details about application freezes and crashes, as well as how much CPU time and memory are used for a specific app. Compatibility data includes information about installed Internet Explorer add-ons, app usage information (how long an app was used and when it was started, for example), and details about connected accessories and hardware drivers. Basic includes information about the Windows Store—application installs, updates, removals, page views, and other details.

This level also sends information about the “Connected User Experience and Telemetry” service to Microsoft, allowing Microsoft to see how well the service is functioning, when it last uploaded an event, and if it had trouble uploading event details to Microsoft.

Starting with the Creators Update, Microsoft now provides a complete, very detailed list of all the data collected in the Basic telemetry level.



Full (The Default)

“Full” telemetry is the default level you get when you install Windows 10 Home or Professional. It includes all the information from the Security and Basic levels, as well as more information. This level gives Microsoft the access it needs to identify and fix specific problems.

The additional information collected includes details about how Windows components, Microsoft applications, and Microsoft hardware devices are functioning and which features you’re using. This gives Microsoft more information about how people use the operating system rather than just the stability and performance data included in the Basic level.

At the Full level, the telemetry service will gather data about operating system events, giving Microsoft more details about how system components like networking, storage, Cortana, the file system, and the Hyper-V virtualization service are functioning. Microsoft gets more details about how which features Windows users use and how they’re functioning rather than just problem reports.

Windows will also gather events from certain Microsoft applications—think pre-installed applications like Microsoft Edge, Mail, and Photos—as well as Microsoft hardware devices like Microsoft HoloLens and the Surface Hub. Microsoft can use this information to understand how people are using its applications and hardware devices.

The telemetry service will also gather crash dumps (excluding larger heap dumps and full dumps) and send them to Microsoft. This gives Microsoft more information about system crashes.

If Microsoft can’t gather data via internal testing, it can gather additional data like registry information, diagnostics via dxdiag, powercfg, and msinfo32, and larger crash dumps (like heap dumps and full dumps) from a small number of PCs with Full telemetry enabled that have experienced the problem. According to Microsoft, such requests must be approved by “Microsoft’s privacy governance team” before an engineer can gather these details from PCs.

If you opt into the Windows Insider Preview Program, which is designed to help test pre-release versions of Windows 10 and fix problems, you’re automatically set at the “Full” level. Your device will send even more telemetry information to Microsoft if you’re using an Insider build of Windows 10, giving Microsoft’s developers information on how new builds of Windows 10 are performing, how new features are working, and if there are any compatibility problems. That’s the point of the Insider Preview program, after all.

Starting with the Creators Update, Microsoft now provides a complete list of the data Windows 10 collects at the Full level.



Which Should You Choose?

Which level should you choose on your own PC? That’s up to you and how comfortable you are sharing information with Microsoft. Microsoft recommends the Full level because it gives them the most information and helps them identify and fix problems that may be specific to your computer’s configuration, at least in theory. You can also choose Basic, depending on how comfortable you are with sending this data to Microsoft. Note, however, that some features may not work on lower levels.

Some businesses may want to choose the Security level to minimize the data sent to Microsoft from critical systems. This may even be necessary to comply with certain laws and regulations in some cases.

For more specific details, consult Microsoft’s in-depth guide to the telemetry service for IT professionals.

Search Google Drive from Chrome

How to Search Google Drive Directly from Chrome’s Address Bar

By Cameron Summerson


While Google Drive has an excellent search built into the site, did you know there’s an easier, quicker way to execute a Drive search directly from Chrome’s address bar (the omnibox)? Setting it up is a snap, and using it is even easier.

Step One: Create a Custom Search Engine for Drive

First, you’ll need to create a custom search engine for searching Drive. Click the three dots in the upper right corner of the Chrome window, and then click “Settings.”



Scroll down to the “Search” section, and then click the “Manage Search Engines” button.



Scroll down to the bottom of the “Search Engines” list, where you’ll see three empty text boxes. The first box (on the left) is the search engine’s name. Just type “Drive” or whatever you want to name it.



The second box is for the shortcut you’ll type in the omnibox to execute the search. You can use whatever you like here, but for the sake of simplicity we’re going with “drive.”

Finally, in the third box, enter the following text:

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/search?q=%s



That text is the actual custom search that Chrome will perform when you use the shortcut. This particular text is for a simple search of the drive site, where the string “%s” is replaced by whatever search terms you type.

When you’re finished setting up the search engine, just click “Done.”



Note: The above directions are slightly different if you’ve enabled Material Design in Chrome. Instead of scrolling to the bottom of the list, you’ll simply click “add” at the top, then input the above-listed items in the three text boxes that follow.



Step Two: Perform Your Search

Now, all you need to do to search Drive is to type the shortcut text “drive” into the omnibox, followed by whatever search terms you want. For example, if you want to search Drive for the word “test,” you would enter the following in Chrome’s omnibox and then hit Enter:

drive test



As soon as you hit the space bar after typing “drive” the omnibox will enter search mode for the specific site noted. You can tell it’s working because right after you hit the space bar, the text to the left of the URL will change to reflect your custom search. In our example, it changes to “Search Drive.” After that, it will search the specified site for the search terms you enter. It’s very simple, intuitive, and fast.



Best of all, it still uses the native search on the Drive website, not some weird third-party tool or even Google itself. Brilliant.

Entertainment News

The X-Files returns! Fox orders 10-episode event series

NATALIE ABRAMS@NATALIEABRAMS


ED ARAQUEL/FOX
The truth is still out there…

Fox has ordered a second installment of The X-Files event series, the network announced Thursday.

The new 10-episode installment will feature David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson reprising their roles as FBI Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, respectively, while creator Chris Carter will be back as an executive producer.

“Iconic characters, rich storytelling, bold creators – these are the hallmarks of great TV shows,” said David Madden, president of Fox. “And they are some of the reasons why The X-Files has had such a profound impact on millions of fans worldwide. Chris’ creativity, along with the brilliant work of David and Gillian, continue to propel this pop culture phenomenon, and we can’t wait to see what fresh mysteries Mulder and Scully uncover in this next chapter of The X-Files.”

After the announcement, Anderson and Duchovny both shared their excitement about the follow-up on Twitter.

The series, which originally debuted in September 1993 for a nine-season run, returned in 2016 for a six-episode revival that drew an average multi-platform audience of nearly 16 million viewers, becoming last season’s No. 2 broadcast drama.

The news of another installment comes as no real surprise. At the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour, Madden told reporters that while the deal-making is “complex” on the show due to the schedules of Duchovny and Anderson, the network expected “to have an announcement shortly.” Madden also noted there would likely be more episodes — true to his word, there will be 10 hours, versus the first installment’s six.

Production on The X-Files is set to begin in summer, with the event series airing sometime during the 2017-2018 season.

You Find Out Who Your Friends Are

You Find Out Who Your Friends Are

by Carrie Dedrick, Editor, Crosswalk.com

You find out who your friends are

Somebody's gonna drop everything

Run out and crank up their car

Hit the gas, get there fast

Never stop to think 

"What's in it for me?" 

Or "It's way too far" 

They just show on up

With their big ol' heart

You find out who your friends are

Does anyone know that Tracy Lawrence song? It’s about those situations that we sometimes find ourselves in when we just need help. 

We sometimes get stuck in unforeseen circumstances. Unpredictability is a part of life, but knowing that doesn't make it any easier to deal with. 

This morning was one of those days for me. 

My husband and I are the proud mom and dad of two rescued dogs, a pomeranian and a pomeranian-chihuahua, or as we call her, a pomhuahua. Today the dogs were scheduled to have their hair cut at the groomer so they will be more comfortable with warm weather approaching. The groomer would keep them for the rest of the day in the kennel until we could pick them up after work. 

No problem, right? 

Wrong. 

I had barely sat down at my desk when I got a call from the groomer. She said that my dog suddenly got sick and they couldn’t keep her for the rest of the day as planned; I needed to pick her up right away. 

Remember those unforeseen circumstances I was talking about? 

I did what I had to do. My manager was extremely gracious in the situation, and let me go pick up my sick puppy. He even went as far as to offer that I could take her to the vet if necessary. 

But this story isn't really about the actual circumstance that interrupted my day. It's about what happened afterward. 

First, there was the friend that allowed my dog to stay at his apartment for the day. I called him, and asked if he would take her in (it saved me a long trip home). There was no hesitation at all. Of course he would keep her. You find out who your friends are. 

Then I got back to the office, thinking that I would have a lot of catching up to do after a morning "off." Not so. The other editors had finished almost all of my work for me upon my arrival. They certainly did not have to help me; they all have to pull plenty of weight at the company without the additional load. But they did. You find out who your friends are. 

These generous people led me to think of the kind of friend that Jesus was. He was a friend to the lowest of the low, those that would be considered the societal outsiders of today. Jesus visited the house of Zacchaeus the tax collector Luke 19:1-10 and touched a man with leprosy Matthew 8:1-4. 

God intended that we have relationships including families, spouses, and friends. We form bonds with one another because as it says in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, 

Two are better than one, because they have good return for their work. If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. 

It is interesting that the scripture says a cord of three strands. I take that to mean we should not only have friends physically on this earth, but a friend in our hearts as well. That friend is Jesus, the third strand, the strand that keeps the cord from unraveling.

In situations when we need a helping hand, you do truly find out who your friends are. So nurture your relationships. Give friends the love and attention they deserve, and they will reciprocate. 

Your friendships need nourishment just as the farmer's crops did in the parable Jesus tells in Matthew 13:3-8. Plant your friendships in the good soil of consideration, thoughtfulness, and generosity. Those friendships will blossom into the best of all, the friends who you can call on in difficult times, the friends who genuinely care about you.

Intersecting Faith and Life: You can probably think of a friend that you have not spoken to in some time. Reach out to that person with a simple call or e-mail to catch up. Let that person know that you care about him or her. 

Further Reading

>John 13:34

Cut People Some Slack

Cut People Some Slack
By Rick Warren

“Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love” (Ephesians 4:2b TLB).

Everybody has bad days. Kay knows that I have two touchy times every week. I’m touchy on Saturday afternoon because I’m focused on the message I am about to preach. And the other time I’m touchy is Monday morning, because I’m drained from preaching all weekend and talking to people between services. So Kay makes allowances for that. She cuts me some slack.

That’s a key part of how you deal with EGRs (people with Extra Grace Required). In the last few devotionals, I’ve mentioned that in dealing with EGRs we need to look behind the behavior and refuse to be offended. But we also must deal with them like Kay deals with me when I’m in a touchy mood: We have to cut them some slack.

The Bible says, “Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love” (Ephesians 4:2b TLB).

Not everyone who bugs you or hurts you realizes what they’re doing. Oftentimes they’re responding to their own hidden pain, and they don’t even know that they’re hurting all these people around them.

So what do you do? When I have a hard time overlooking an offense, I remember the great gift of God’s forgiveness. I remember a verse like Colossians 3:13:“Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (NLT, second edition).

Sun Inspiration

Morning Inspiration with Pastor Merritt

Jesus used two profound phrases--one about salt, the other about light--to describe a Christ-follower. We can learn from these phrases how to live our lives in a way that influences others toward Christ every day.

1. Show a godly life to others.

"You are the salt of the earth..." Matthew 5:13

In Jesus' time, salt was of great value as a preservative. Romans used it to pay people's wages--the word salary comes from the Latin root word for salt. Ever heard someone say, "He's not worth his weight in salt?" So Jesus reminds us that our lives are of tremendous value as we season the earth with our influence.

Are you salt in your school, business, neighborhood, office, or athletic team? Jesus also reminded us that we are ineffective if we "lose our saltiness". When Christians look like the world, conforming to culture instead of transforming it, our influence lessens. What are simple ways you can talk about your faithwith friends and neighbors? Have you ever sat down quietly on an issue of faith when you should have stood confidently?

2. Shine a godly light to others.

"You are the light of the world..." Matthew 5:14

In Jesus' time, cities were built on the ruins of older settlements. Almost all cities were on hills of some type. At night, their lights were visible from great distances in the dark surroundings. Our world today is spiritually dark, and followers of Jesus are a light in a dark place.

Shining your faith does not have to be obnoxious or threatening. But it can be a visible light. Don't be afraid to put a Bible on your desk, or say a blessing over a meal in public, or let people know you re praying for them. Have the courage to invite people to church. If our faith is the most important thing in all of life, then it deserves center-stage in our daily actions. What are simple things you are doing to be a spiritual light to a dark world?

The Spirit of Christ

The Spirit of Christ

By Touching Lives 

“If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.” Romans 8:9b

If you have believed in the Son of God, you have been baptized by the Spirit of God. You didn’t have to wait for it, long for it, seek it, pray for it, or agonize over it because the moment you believe in the Son of God you are baptized by the Spirit of God. In fact, it is impossible to receive Jesus without receiving His Spirit. And it is impossible to receive the Spirit without receiving Jesus, because the Holy Spirit is simply the presence of Jesus living in you. You don’t get Jesus at one time in your life and then get the baptism of the Holy Spirit later in life. Jesus and the Spirit are one. When Jesus comes into you, the Holy Spirit puts you into Jesus.

Believing in Jesus and being baptized by the Holy Spirit happens at exactly the same time and they always go together. Romans 8:9 tells us that the Holy Spirit is how we know we belong to Christ. You cannot be a Christian without receiving the Holy Spirit. The Son of God and the Spirit of God are never separated in the life of a believer. It helps to understand the meaning of the word “baptized” as it is used in 1 Corinthians 12:13. Here we read, “For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body…” The word “baptized” here is the Greek word baptizo; and it means, “to dip repeatedly, to immerse, to cleanse by dipping or submerging, to wash, to make clean or bathe.” In other words, upon belief in Christ, we are immersed into Christ by the Holy Spirit. We are completely submerged, forgiven and made clean.

Why is it important that we understand the difference in water baptism and baptism of the Holy Spirit? It is important because you can be a member of a church through water baptism, but still not be a member of God’s family through spiritual baptism. It is possible to act like a Christian and look like a Christian, but it is impossible to fake having the Holy Spirit – and He is the mark of a true believer. If you are a true follower of Jesus, you may not always be aware of the Spirit’s presence, but you would not even be a Christian in the Spirit’s absence.

New Fender Strat Still Reigns

The New Fender Strat Still Reigns Supreme

With a suite of subtle design improvements, playing a Fender Stratocaster has never felt better.

Henry Robertson

By Henry Robertson

The Fender Stratocaster is ubiquitous in the rock guitar world for a reason. The Strat has been an American icon since the 1950s, and it's the instrument of choice for countless rock n' roll pioneers and innovators, creating a musical legacy that has defined generations.

As music has evolved, Fender has tweaked its designs to keep up with the demand for modern features while taking care to not lose track of its roots. The new American Professional Series Strat is no exception, marrying the past with the future and begging for sonic exploration. In January 2017, Fender released its American Professional Series lineup—an extensive array of their classic guitars and basses (Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jazzmaster, Jaguar, Precision Bass) all priced around $1,500.


Fender's Pro Series lineup.
Jay Bennett

Each model has unique features that warrant their own reviews, but this piece is all about the Strat. Fender lent me one of their new HSS Strats—meaning there is a humbucker in the bridge (which Fender calls a Shawbucker) and two single coil pickups, one in the neck and one in the middle position. The classic Strat configuration of three single coil pickups is also available, as is a version with two Shawbuckers.

I've got to say, it's not going to be easy to give this instrument back.

A NECK FOR ANY OCCASION

Starts are renowned for their playability. But even compared to the ones I've played before, the new Pro Series blew me away. Subtle improvements make a world of difference. The newly designed "Deep-C neck," available with a maple or rosewood fingerboard, contours perfectly to the hand.


Henry Robertson

The neck is gradually tapered—thinner up near the nut and chunkier as you travel toward the body of the instrument. The thinner part of the neck, where the frets are spaced further apart, lends itself well to big chord extensions and is ideal for rhythm work where your thumb slides around. Further up the neck, you're usually playing lead lines as opposed to rhythm, and you're going to want a fatter neck to anchor your thumb and really dig in. It's a clever design.

Fender's new "narrow-tall" frets go hand-in-hand with the new neck shape. As the name suggests, these frets are narrower and taller than typical frets, which means you have more space between them for better finger separation and are not slowed as much by friction. This is especially helpful when you play high up on the neck where the frets are closer together. On any part of the neck, the narrow-tall frets give you better leverage to play monster bends, guiding rather than hindering emotive playing styles.

THE SWEET SOUND OF A STRAT

Fresh out of the box, this guitar's feel is fantastic. The quality of tones matches the playing comfort. Like a standard Strat, this guitar has a 5-way toggle switch to select between the three pickups: bridge, bridge/middle, middle, middle/neck, and neck.

Modern innovation comes into play with the new V-mod (vintage-modern) pickups. The single coil middle and neck pickups are composed of separate proprietary blends of alnico magnets tailored to accentuate the frequencies of each string. These pickups retain a vintage Strat flair but dial in the tone with more precision than ever. Every string just feels right.

On a lot of guitars, either the lower or higher strings will sound better in a particular pickup location, and some notes get muffled when playing chords. Not so with these pickups. The note articulation is astounding. The neck pickup is warmer and mellower than the middle pickup, and while it's not going to give you the full, round sound of a humbucker on an archtop guitar, it can still get surprisingly jazzy—particularly good for jazz fusion and funk. Where this pickup really excels is in playing the blues. Put a little overdrive or fuzz on it and the single coil packs some serious mojo.

I found myself loving the middle pickup as well, but for different reasons. It's a versatile single coil—not too twangy, not too boomy—perfect for full-bodied chords. In a band, it meshes exceptionally well with other instruments. Not dominating, but driving songs forward.

Then there's the Shawbucker in the bridge. Again—a fantastic pickup. Unlike the traditional configuration with a single coil in the bridge, this humbucker doesn't ever sound shrill. It produces a chunkier sound that adds a little oomph to your playing and really cuts through the mix. And with heavy distortion, this pickup is killer. No matter the gain level, the notes remain articulate and defined, even when playing chords. Not to mention this is a humbucker, meaning it's not subject to 60 cycle hum—that piercing feedback inherent to single coil pickups that can be tortuous—so play loud.

Personally, I prefer just playing the neck, bridge, and middle pickups by themselves, but of course there is plenty of experimenting to be done in the between positions. When playing two of the pickups together, the two tones are blended because the pickups themselves are wired in parallel.


Henry Robertson

Playing in between the bridge and middle gives you a nasally, thin sound. Perhaps it's a little plasticky though not in a bad way. It's a distinct, biting sound you can only get with a Strat. It's just another color (or rather palette of colors) to paint with. The 4th pickup position, combining the neck and middle pickups, has a similar almost cocked wah kind of sound, but is a bit bassier than the bridge/middle position.

My only real nitpick is that the Shawbucker is quite a bit louder than the single coil pickups. If you're playing on the middle or neck for rhythm and then want to wail on the bridge for a solo, then this is a good thing, because the boost will make your leads soar higher. But it's a double-edged sword because you can't really play a twangy rhythm and go to a bassier solo with the neck pickup without either turning down the volume for rhythm or using a boost pedal when switching pickups. You can, however, adjust the pickup height of the bridge to combat the volume difference between the humbucker and the single coils.

One more thing—I would love it if you could split the coils on the Shawbucker so you'd have the option of a single coil or a humbucker with the flick of a switch. Sometimes I love the shrill sound of a single coil bridge pickup—and after all, that's the classic Strat sound. Nothing is better for surf rock. And thankfully the HSS Strat can be modified to include a pickup splitter for the humbucker, really adding some versatility to the instrument.

A CLASSIC REBORN

Some guitarists think Strats can sound a little thin. It's true—you're not going to get the same rich harmonic overtones playing this Strat clean as you would playing some other guitars, like a hollow body Gibson L-5. But that can be a good thing. This guitar takes distortion and other effects like delay, chorus, and reverb remarkably well, whereas a guitar that produces more harmonically rich tones when unaffected can get muddy.

The Fender is more versatile—a prefect canvas for gear junkies like me who love to tinker with tones using a dozen pedals. Even played clean, this guitar exudes classic time-tested vibes that have captivated musicians for decades. So whether you play guitar straight to amp or play through a pedal-board the size of John Frusciante's, this Strat is sure to please.


Fender American Professional Series.
Jay Bennett

A few seemingly small Strat details that ought not be overlooked. The first is the tremolo (or whammy) bar. I love how it pops in with a satisfying click. With past Strats, the whammy bar is wound into the bridge and it could easily wind out of place. In contrast, this whammy is smooth as butter and quiet when you want it to be. And perhaps most important of all, this Strat does a good job at staying in tune after doing a whammy dive, so feel free to go a little crazy and create some warbly, seasick sounds.

Then there's the treble bleed circuit. This function allows you to roll off the volume on your guitar without losing the high end. It's a feature I've never come across before, and as a result, I've never played a guitar that cleans up so well when using distortion and rolling back the volume. It's great for getting those brilliant, elusive, semi-distorted tones.

Fender has created something special with the Professional Series. It's an ergonomic masterpiece. Even the locking case, an Elite Molded hardshell, is great. It's super light, has a durable exterior and the interior is perfectly molded to the shape of the guitar for a snug, secure fit. It's not merely an afterthought—and that applies to every design aspect of the entire instrument.

This Strat is not wacky or wild. It doesn't have crazy new features. It has simple, pragmatic improvements that most people never pay attention to, but serious players will surely notice.