Block Contacts Calling/Messaging Your Echo

How to Block Contacts from Calling or Messaging Your Amazon Echo

By Craig Lloyd


With the addition of calling and messaging other Alexa users using the Amazon Echo, there might come a time where you want to block a certain someone from contacting you. Here’s how to do it.

If you don’t know about the calling and messaging feature with Alexa, check out our guide on how to set it up. Otherwise, read on how to block contacts that you don’t want to hear from over Alexa and your Echo devices.

To start, open up the Alexa app and tap on the Conversations tab at the bottom of the screen.



Next, tap on the Contacts button up in the top-right corner.



Scroll down to reveal the small “Block Contacts” button at the bottom and tap on it.



Tap on the contact that you want to block. In this case, only one contact shows up because I only have one contact in my contact book. Otherwise, all of your contacts will show up here.



Tap on “Block” when the pop-up confirmation appears.



When you block someone, they will still appear in your contacts list and you can still call or message them yourself. However, if they decide to call or message you, they’ll be none the wiser, since Alexa won’t tell them that you blocked them, and calls and messages just won’t be sent through all the way.

To unblock a contact, tap on the small “Block Contacts” button again and tap on the contact that you want to unblock.



And don’t forget that you can temporarily “block” all contacts from calling or messaging you by enabling Do Not Disturb, but once you disable it, any messages you received will come through, unlike actual blocking.

Summer Travel Tips

Tips for Summer Travel 

Summer is when many of us hit the road (or air, or water!) to visit our favorite vacation spots or set out in search of new ones. But while you may be on vacation, cybercriminals are not! Travelers in airports, train stations, restaurants, and hotels are frequent prey for cybercriminals who may attempt to steal the data from your smartphone or laptop. Don’t let cybercriminals ruin your summer travel – be cyber savvy, and know the risks!

Beware of Discount Travel Websites.

If you use online travel websites to find discounts on tickets and hotels, beware of deals that sound too good to be true. Some innocent-looking discount websites are actually designed to infect your laptop or smartphone with malware and steal your personal and business data. Stay safe by using reputable online travel websites and apps that you are familiar with. Never click on email links from unfamiliar travel companies promising steep discounts, as these could be a phishing scam. Stick to reputable online travel websites to get your discounts and promotions!

Avoid Oversharing on Social Media.

While many of us enjoy sharing pictures and details of our vacation through social media, this same information can be used by cybercriminals to break into your home. Telling strangers you’re not going to be home for an extended period of time is never a good idea. Stolen valuables and electronic devices can be used to gain access to your personal or business sensitive information while you’re on vacation. Not announcing your getaway plans or oversharing on social media is one way to mitigate cybersecurity risks.

Steer Clear of Free Wireless Hotspots.

While on travel, you may be tempted to use free wireless hotspots found in hotels, airports, and restaurants. While these unencrypted hotspots may be convenient, they are not secure! Cybercriminals may be intercepting your Wi-Fi signal, allowing them to steal your passwords, banking information, and other personal data. To avoid these attacks, purchase your own portable Mi-Fi device or turn your Wi-Fi off and use your phone’s cell service instead. Finally, avoid using courtesy computers at hotels or Internet cafés for anything other than casual web surfing. They are often infected with malicious software designed to steal your private information.

Disable Apps that Track Your Location.

Most of us have apps on our smartphones and laptops that track our every move. This is a perfect way for cybercriminals to know where you are at all times if they can access your device. Turn those tracking apps off to mitigate this risk.

Stop Twitter Videos From Autoplaying

How to Stop Twitter Videos From Autoplaying

By Harry Guinness


As you scroll through your Twitter Timeline, by default, videos will start autoplaying. Thankfully, they do so without sound, but it can still be annoying, and if you’re on mobile, it can burn through your data cap. Here’s how to stop it from happening.

On the Web

Click on your  profile picture in the top right of the Twitter web site, and then select Settings and Privacy.



Scroll down to Content and under Video Tweets, uncheck the box that says “Video Autoplay”.



Click Save Changes, enter your password, and then click Save Changes again.



Now videos won’t start playing until you click on them.

On Mobile

On Twitter’s iPhone and Android apps, the process is a little different. Open the Twitter app, go to your Profile page, tap the Settings icon, and select Settings and Privacy.



Go to Data Usage > Video Autoplay.



Change it from Mobile Date & Wi-Fi to Never, tap the back arrow and then tap Done.



Now videos will only play after you tap them.

Home Security for your Vacation

You’ve been working hard, and now you’re finally taking a vacation. You want to leave your worries behind, knowing that all will be well while you’re gone. Here are some timely tips to help keep your home safe so you don’t come home to stressful surprises.

Before You Leave

Make your house look lived-in! An empty house is like an open invitation to burglars:

• Ask a trusted neighbor to regularly pick up your newspaper, mail, and packages, and put them somewhere in your house that is not easily seen from outside.
• Park your car inside the garage, if you have one.
• Ask a neighbor to occasionally park in your driveway, so there’s activity at your house.
• Put at least one light inside your house on a timer or ask your trusted neighbor to turn different lights on and off while you’re away.
• Install a motion-activated sensor on an outdoor floodlight.
• Arrange for snow removal or lawn mowing and watering so the yard doesn’t advertise that no one is home.
• Never leave a greeting on your voicemail saying that you’re out of town!
• Set up an email “away” message, without making it clear that you’re not at the house.
• Unplug home electronics and disconnect Internet access to computers.
• Unplug or turn off your WiFi routers, printers, monitors, laptops, desktops, etc., unless you need to access them while on your vacation.
• Notify your home security company of your travel plans. Furnish them with names and phones numbers of house sitters or caretakers, and provide your contact information.
• Disconnect the electric garage door opener receiver and/or engage the manual lock on the door. Remove any door openers and valuables from cars parked outside.
• In winter, shut off the water valves to the washing machine, the dishwasher, and all sinks to avoid flooding problems! (It’s not a security thing, but it’s a smart thing to do.)
• Contact your credit card companies and inform them of your travel plans.
• For ATM access, contact your bank to let them know you’re traveling.
• Check and lock all doors, windows and locks. Don’t overlook pet doors and the door between the garage and the house.
• Ask neighbors to periodically walk by your house and watch for any signs of trouble.

While You’re on The Road

Don’t post information or photos about your travels on any social media site. Thieves use these postings to identify potential break-in locations! Make sure everyone involved with your vacation follows this–including younger people, family, and friends you might be texting pictures to.

When You Return

Now’s the time to post those fabulous travel photos and stories!

Trivia

The Animal With The Largest Tested Working Memory Is A?

Gorilla	Crow
Dolphin	Dog

Answer: Dog

Chaser, a border collie trained by psychologist Dr. John W. Pilley, has the largest tested memory of any non-human animal. How large? She can identify over 1,000 toys by their name and by the category they have been assigned to by her trainer, and all this in addition to remembering common nouns like “ball” and “tree”.

Further, she can learn new words by inferential reasoning by exclusion—if you give her a basket of old toys with a new one mixed in and ask her to retrieve the new toy with an unknown name, she’ll identify the new toy (and its name) by excluding toys whose names she already knows.

If you ever need to rely on a service animal to help supplement your memory, it would be wise to pick a border collie. Chaser isn’t a one-off anomaly. The other most prominent examples of dog recall are also found in border collies—a fact that should come as no surprise to any border collie owners reading this bit of trivia since the breed is renowned for its drive to learn new tricks and the speed in which they do so.

Did You Know

Did You Know?

Nintendo didn’t end support for the Nintendo Entertainment System until 2007—24 years after it was first released.

Today's Tech Term 

XML Data Island

An XML Data Island is an XML document embedded within an HTML page.

How Ticks Hunt You

Everything you never wanted to know about how ticks hunt you (and how to avoid them)

Your complete guide to the horrifying reality of tick season.

By Sara Chodosh


A female tick lurks, waiting for her next host.
CDC/Public Health Library

You're probably already a little afraid of ticks. Sure, there are plenty of more existentially upsetting creatures dwelling deep in the ocean or lurking in dank caves. But you’re unlikely to have to actually deal with any of them, and you're certainly not going to run into a deep sea nightmare monster while you're just strolling around minding your own business. Ticks, on the other hand, are everywhere.

Ticks carry over a dozen diseases, literally inflate with blood, drill tiny holes in your skin, and oh, did we mention that actually actively hunt for you? So there’s that.

You probably thought that ticks were just kind of...there. Maybe they sometimes fall and land on your body, or you happen to brush by them on a tree. You assumed that the natural world didn’t have it out for you. You were naïve, you sweet summer child, and you were so very wrong. Ticks may be essentially blind, but they’re not just idly waiting in the woods hoping to accidentally drink your blood. The moment you enter their territory, you become their prey. Ticks are obligate parasites—they can’t survive long without your blood—and that’s a powerful motivator to find a warm body to feed off.

Even up against a tiny, sightless foe, you don’t stand much of a chance. They’ve been around since the Cretaceous period about 145 million years ago, and they have perfected their approach. Prevention only works to a limited extent. But at least in the aftermath of the Great Tick War, you and your opposable thumbs have the upper hand.

Ticks aren’t there by accident

It’s true that you often get exposed to ticks by brushing up against them. But it’s not like they’re just hanging out on a leaf enjoying a sunny day when you happen to walk by. They're lying in wait.

At the end of a tick’s front legs sits a tiny structure called Haller’s organ. This little sensory pit detects chemicals and odors in the air. And while you can wear all the mosquito repellent and deodorant that you want, you can’t hide the one signature scent that ticks use to hunt you: your breath.

With every exhalation, you release carbon dioxide into the air—and boy does that sweet CO2 get ticks going. Some of them will literally run towards the scent of a potential host. And yeah, ticks can’t run very fast on a human scale, but the mental image of a little arthropod racing towards you on its clicking-clattering legs is still somehow upsetting. They can also pick up other scents like ammonia, so peeing in the woods only makes things worse. As soon as they smell you, they’re comin’ for you.

Researchers actually use this to their advantage when they want to catch the little buggers. One entomologist told Radiolab, in one of the best quotes of all time, that “we often collect ticks by putting out blocks of dry ice on a white sheet. Come back in an hour or two, ticks are all gathered around the block waving their little front legs. Kind of like worshipping a deity.” It would be funnier if it wasn't so alarming.

That arm-waving behavior is called questing. The most any tick species can actually see is vague shapes, so they can’t exactly run and jump at you. But they can position themselves on leaves and branches, extend their prickly legs out, and wait for you to walk by. And when you brush against them, they board the Human Train headed straight for Bloodtown.

Once they’re on you, you’re not likely to notice them

Some tick species will latch on wherever they’ve landed. Others will roam around your body looking for skin better suited to their needs. They’re especially fond of the area around your ears, where your epidermis is thin and easy to puncture. This is why you often find ticks on your dog's head—it’s their favorite easy access point.

You’re probably not going to see or feel those teensy-weensy bodies crawling up your arm. But you can make the task a little easier by wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants while outside, preferably in light colors, so any critters on their way to turn your head into an all-you-can-eat buffet stand out. Ticks are usually a dark-ish brown color, so they’ll pop more against a light khaki. And a hat will help protect your scalp, where it’s especially easy to lose a tick in your hair.

If a tick manages to attach itself to your skin, you won't notice—they inject you with anesthetic first. You'll remain blissfully unaware as they use their little mouths to drill into you and insert their hypostome, which is basically a tiny harpoon-straw they use to suck blood out of you.

Ticks are everywhere

Not a single place in the continental U.S. is safe from ticks’ tiny jaws. The brown dog tick lives in every state, and the other half dozen species have overlapping territories all over. The southeast and mid-Atlantic are the epicenters of the tick world, however. They have the warm, humid climates that help the little arachnids thrive.

Some species prefer woods. Others like tall grasses or shrubs. Still more prefer the dark, damp environs of a cave. The point is: they’re all over the place. And they can spread easily, because they hitch rides on much larger creatures. Increasing deer and human populations have helped them expand their territory already, and the warming climate means they're able to thrive in more and more places.

A single bite can carry multiple disease risks

Each tick species tends to carry certain bloodborne illnesses, but they don’t just limit themselves to one. A tick can harbor multiple bacteria and viruses. Here’s a small sampling of the ailments you can catch and some of the symptoms you’ll be treated to:

Tularemia: fever, painful lymph nodes, possibly life-threatening pneumonia.

Powassan virus: inflammation of the brain and membranes surrounding the central nervous system, fever, headache, vomiting, seizures.

Lyme disease: rash, headache, heart palpitations, severe joint pain, facial palsy (loss of muscle control on one side), inflammation of the brain and spinal cord.

Ehrlichiosis: fever, muscle pain, vomiting, confusion, headache.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever: rash, fever, vomiting, abdominal pain.

And that’s not to mention alpha-gal syndrome, which results in a lifelong allergy to red meat.

What to do if you find a tick

If you find a tick, the first step is always to panic slightly at how gross they are. Step two is to frantically look around for something to GET IT OFF GET IT OFF RIGHT NOW. The best tool in this case is forceps, which are kind of like tweezers with a locking mechanism—they stay tightly clenched once you pinch the tick. If you don’t have forceps, go for a good set of tweezers. You want to grip the tick firmly, as close as you can to your skin. You’re trying to remove a tiny mouthpiece that’s currently embedded in your body, after all.

Hopefully, the tick is still pretty small. The bigger it is, the longer it’s been feeding and the greater the chances that it’s already transmitted a disease to you. Either way, you shouldn’t squeeze the blood-thirsty bug. The best case scenario is popping it into a little blood explosion, which is harmless but thoroughly gross, and if you're unlucky you might actually end up squirting the blood back into your body.

So grip that tick by the head and pull firmly. It will probably hurt. If it doesn’t hurt, you’ve likely done it wrong: go back and try to get the little mouthpiece out, because it's probably still in there. If you can’t, don’t worry too much about it—just leave it alone and let your skin heal over.

Now comes the real fun. Tickborne diseases can take weeks to show symptoms, so be vigilant and look for any rashes on your body. If you have any unusual symptoms, even if you think you're just coming down with a summer cold, go to the doctor. This is not the time to suffer heroically in silence. This is the time to take advantage of all modern medicine has to offer.

Solution to Riddle of the Week

Solution to Riddle of the Week: A Game of Poison

Difficulty level: Hard

Michael Stillwell
 
By Jay Bennett

The hardest part of this riddle is figuring out what the treasurer planned to do to survive and trick the pharmacist into losing the contest. Once you figure out the treasurer's scheme, it's easier to figure out the pharmacist's plot to thwart him. Remember: In the end, the treasurer dies and the pharmacist lives—and the king doesn't get what he wants.

See the original question here.

SOLUTION

The treasurer, realizing he could never make a more potent poison than the pharmacist, figures out a way to set himself up for success. He drinks a weak poison just before appearing in front of the king, and he brings plain water as his own "poison." This way, when he drinks the pharmacist's poison, it will neutralize the poison he drank earlier, and when he follows that up by drinking his own, he'll only be drinking water. As for the pharmacist, he will drink water, and then his own poison, leading to his death.

But the clever pharmacist correctly surmises the treasurer's trick. To counter this plot, the pharmacist also brings water as his poison. Both the treasurer and pharmacist then drink water twice. However, the weak poison the treasurer drank earlier ends up doing him in, and he falls dead to the floor.

Neither actually brews a poison, and so the king does not get what he wants—a strong poison to guard against any attempts to assassinate him with a weaker poison.

The moral of the story is always carry a vial of strong poison on your person.

Entertainment News

Michelle Rodriguez Threatens to Leave Fast and Furious

She wants filmmakers to 'show some love' to female characters

By Newser Editors and Wire Services


Michelle Rodriguez wrote on Instagram Tuesday that she may have to leave "The Fast & the Furious” franchise unless its female characters are treated differently.   (Evan Agostini)

(NEWSER) – Michelle Rodriguez is threatening to leave The Fast and the Furious franchise unless its female characters are treated differently, the AP reports. Rodriguez wrote on Instagram on Tuesday that she hopes filmmakers decide "to show some love to the women of the franchise" in its next installment. If not, she says, she "just might have to say goodbye."

F. Gary Gray directed the eighth film in the series, The Fate of the Furious, and is defending the treatment of women in that movie. He tells Business Insider he "thought the combination of female characters was pretty strong." Gray notes that Charlize Theron played the antagonist in the film and Helen Mirren made a cameo. The ninth film in the franchise is due out in 2019.

He Is Near

He Is Near

By Touching Lives 

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4

Psalm 23 is perhaps one of the most recognized and quoted passages in the entire Bible. It is most often associated with funerals; but there is much more to this passage than comfort in death. There is hope in life!

Psalm 23 makes one truth obvious…God’s grace will find us. No matter what we are going through, how far we have fallen, what we have done, or how we feel…His grace pursues and finds us. There is nowhere we can wander that is out of His reach.

In this Psalm God reminds us that He makes us lie down in green pastures, He leads us beside still waters, He restores our souls. King David’s words overflow with the nearness of God in all circumstances, and of our Great Shepherd’s tender care over His flock. He gives us what we need, even when we don’t know what we need. Comfort, companionship, rest, peace…He is the Great Need-Meeter of our souls.

The greatest reminder of God’s grace is found in verse 4, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me…” Death…the greatest enemy of all mankind…the dark unknown that we will all face. Death beckons and haunts us in the corners of our minds like a scary monster under the bed. When will it get us? It is terrible and scary.

But not for those who are in Christ. Even the shadows of death we will not face alone. God is with us even there. We don’t fear death. Our Shepherd will not forsake us even there. And if God is with us in the worst of places, can we not trust Him in all other circumstances? As bad as things can get, they are never too dark for the light of God’s presence and grace. He is enough.

It doesn’t matter who you are, what you have done, or what you are facing today. You are not out of God’s reach. His grace is able to save you, to help you, and to comfort you.

Make the Most of Your Talents

Make the Most of Your Talents
By Rick Warren

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms”  (1 Peter 4:10 NIV).

God has given you unique abilities, talents, and gifts. At Saddleback Church, we say they represent a person’s SHAPE: spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences. This bundle of talents is the thing God has given you that makes you who you are and sets you apart from other people.

If you think your talents are simply for you to make a lot of money, retire, and die, you’ve missed the point of your life. God gave you talents to benefit others, not yourself. And God gave other people talents that benefit you.

We’re all a part of the body of Christ, and each part matters. There are no insignificant people in the family of God. You are shaped to serve God, and he is testing you to see how you are going to use the talents he gave you.

Whether you are a musician or an accountant, a teacher or a cook, God gave you those abilities to serve others. Today’s verse says, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10 NIV).

You are a manager of the gifts God has given to you. They may be great or small in your eyes, but they matter to God. “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2 NIV). When God made you, he made an investment in you, and he expects a return on that investment.

Are you using what he’s given you for the benefit of others to make the world a better place? Or are you just using those talents to benefit yourself?

When God gives you a talent, he expects you to use it. It’s like a muscle. If you use it, it will grow. If you don’t, you’ll lose it. If you have a talent but are afraid to use it, or if you get lazy and don’t use it to benefit others, you’re going to lose it. Like the parable of the 10 talents in Luke 19, if you don’t use what God has given you, he will take it away and give it to someone else who will.

But if you use your talents wisely, God will give you more. If you use your time wisely, God will give you more time. If you use your energy wisely, God will give you more energy. If you use your influence wisely, God will increase your influence. God will bless your level of faithfulness.

Two Stories About Prayer

Two Stories About Prayer

by Jim Daly

On this, the 60th annual observance of the National Day of Prayer, I’d like to share two stories with you that accentuate and highlight the necessity of daily conversation with God.

Both of them involve little children, who are always some of life’s best teachers.

As little Deborah sat down to eat dinner with her parents she instinctively reached for her fork. “Please hold on,” her father replied. “We haven’t said grace yet.”  This exasperated the girl, who was tired and hungry. “Daddy,” she said with a sigh, “why can’t we just pray once a week? Why do we have to ask for our daily bread every day?”

Her older brother, wiser and eager to set her straight, weighed in before the dad could answer. “You don’t think we want stale bread, do you?” he said.

Inadvertently, that fellow was confirming the importance of regular prayer.

Then there is four-year-old Melinda. Her favorite story was “The Three Little Pigs” which she asked her mom or dad to read every single night before bed. They gladly obliged, but after several months, her father got a bright idea. He recorded the story on tape and told her to simply press “play” before jumping under the covers.  She resisted.

“But, honey,” he told her, “you can still hear it.”

“Yes,” she replied, “but I can’t sit in its lap.”

Amazingly, the Creator of the Universe is eager to spend time with you and with me, but the only way we can experience conversation and communion with Him is through personal and corporate prayer.

All of us at Focus on the Family extend our heartfelt thanks to the National Day of Prayer Task Force, led once again by the inspiring Mrs. Shirley Dobson, wife of our founder, Dr. James Dobson. Under her direction and counsel, thousands of prayer events will be occurring all throughout the United States today.  We’ll be gathering here at Focus and joined by Dr. Jim Garlow, pastor of Skyline Wesleyan Church in Southern California.

Today is a special celebration, but God’s bread is fresh every day and the Lord’s arms are open wide in welcome.

I’ll close with a prayer that was written by this year’s honorary chairperson, our dear friend, Joni Eareckson Tada:

Almighty God, you are our Mighty Fortress, our refuge and the God in whom we place our trust.  As our nation faces great distress and uncertainty, we ask your Holy Spirit to fall afresh upon your people — convict us of sin and inflame within us a passion to pray for our land and its people.  Grant the leaders of our country an awareness of their desperate need of wisdom and salvation in You until sin becomes a reproach to all and righteousness exalts this nation.

Protect and defend us against our enemies and may the cause of Christ always prevail in our schools, courts, homes, and churches.  Lord God, send a spirit of revival and may it begin in our own hearts.

Remember America, we pray.  Remember the foundations on which this country was built.  Remember the prayers of our nation’s fathers and mothers, and do not forget us in our time of need.

Fri Inspiration

Morning Inspiration with Pastor Merritt

One thing that will always happen when you get depressed is you will focus more and more on you and your own problems. That was one of the biggest mistakes Elijah made. Listen to what he said again in verse 4,

“I have had enough, Lord, take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” (I Kings 19:4)

Elijah had completely lost sight of God. He was attendingthe one party you should never, ever be a part of and that is a pity-party. I’ve got some news for you – God doesn’t do pity parties. God will have compassion on you; He will not feel sorry for you. Listen to how God dealt with Elijah.

“There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ He said, ‘I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.’” (I Kings 19:9-10)

Elijah was doing what a lot of depressed people do – convincing themselves that they are all in this all by themselves, “I am all alone,” “Nobody cares,” “I am all in this by myself,” “There is no one else that can help me.” God steps in and changes his entire focus.

“And he said, ‘Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.’ And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.” (I Kings 19:11-12)

In effect, what God did was force Elijah to quit looking down and start looking up. He forced Elijah to quit thinking about himself and start thinking about God. Why did God do that? When God has your ear He can speak to you. When God has your heart He can minister to you. The psalmist, who was greatly depressed said this,

“I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’ Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!” (Psalm 122:1-2)

Depressed people always look down. You’ve got to change your down look to the up look so you can start walking up the down slope. I cannot over emphasize to you that when you are depressed you get into God’s word. You go find His promises. You let Him talk to you. You pray scripture back to Him. Instead of focusing on all the burdens you are carrying focus on all the blessings He has given you. Your picture won’t brighten up until you put God back into it.

Root Your Android Phone with Magisk

How to Root Your Android Phone with Magisk (So Android Pay and Netflix Work Again)

By Cameron Summerson


Android users have been rooting their phones since the beginning of the operating system, but in recent years it has gotten much more complicated. More recently, a new method for handling root management has emerged, and it’s called Magisk.

What Is Magisk?

Traditionally, rooting an Android phone has gone something like this: unlock the bootloader (or find an exploit), flash a custom recovery, install SuperSU. And for years that worked very well.

But starting with Marshmallow, Google essentially blocked the most popular root methods of previous versions—dropping the “su” daemon into the /system partition and running it with the required permissions at startup. This resulted in a new sort of root access, called “systemeless” root, named such because it doesn’t modify the /system partition in any way.

As part of this increased security, things like Google SafetyNet have been put in place to keep services like Android Pay secure, which leaves users having to choose between root access and valuable services. It’s a bummer.

But that’s where Magisk comes in. This is a basically the evolution of root access and management on Android. It leaves SafetyNet untouched, so users are still able to access Android Pay and Netflix, but still allows for powerful root tools like Xposed to continue working. It’s truly the best of both worlds.

It’s completely open source, under constant development, and getting better every day. Now may be the time to make the switch to this new root solution if you’ve been concerned about losing things like Android Pay.

How to Get Started with Magisk

First, you’re going to need the Magisk file. You can read about all the benefits of Magisk and grab the download by heading over to this thread on XDA. Go ahead and grab the Magisk Manager while you’re at it—you’ll need it later. Copy both to your phone’s internal storage or SD card.

Note: If you’ve used a different root method before, you’ll have to completely unroot your device before using Magisk. We recommend the unSU Script for doing so.

You’re also going to need a custom recovery like TWRP to flash Magisk on your phone. I’m doing this process on a completely stock, bootloader-unlocked Nexus 5, so your mileage may vary.

To start the process, boot into your custom recovery. Doing this is a bit different on every phone–for example, you may have to hold the Power and Volume Down buttons simultaneously, then use the volume keys to boot “Recovery Mode”. Google instructions for your specific model to see how it’s done.

From your custom recovery, flash the Magisk ZIP you transferred to the phone earlier. In TWRP, that means tap on “Install,” then find the Magisk file. Tap on “Install Image.”



Confirm all the details here, then swipe to confirm the flash.



The file will take a few seconds to flash. Once it’s finished, tap the “Reboot System” button. Done.



Once the phone boots back up, you’ll need to install the Magisk Manager, which you should’ve downloaded from the above XDA thread. You’ll need to have Unknown Sources enabled before you can install this app—jump into Settings > Security > Unknown Sources, click the toggle and accept the warning.



After that, you can install the Magisk Manager from the downloads folder if you downloaded it directly on your phone, or with a file explorer if you transferred it from your computer.



Once installed, fire that bad boy up. It should start up on the status page, where you’ll see that you’re running the current version and it’s properly rooted. You can also perform a SafetyNet check here if you’d like, which I encourage.

NOTE: Your device won’t pass the SafetyNet check if the bootloader is unlocked unless you use Magisk Hide, which we’ll talk about down below.



And with that, you’re ready to start using Magisk.

Using Magisk


Magisk is sort of an all-in-one solution for root management, root app installation, and more. Think of it like SuperSU mixed with Xposed, all in a clean, tight package. So good.

The app is very straightforward and easy to understand, especially if you’ve used a rooted phone before. Here’s a quick breakdown of the menu, which you can access by swiping in from the left-hand side of the app:

• Status: This shows the currently installed version, as well as root and SafetyNet status.
• Install: For Magisk installation directly from the app. Useful once you’ve already gone through the initial setup and want to keep Magisk up to date.
• SuperUser: This is basically the SuperSU section of Magisk.
• Modules: Currently installed Magisk modules.
• Downloads: Where you’ll download Magisk modules.
• Log: Root request log.

If you dive into the Settings menu, you’ll also find some really neat, but more advanced options. Again, here’s a breakdown of what they all do:

• Dark Theme: Changes the app theme.
• Update Notification: Get a push notification when there’s a new version of Magisk available.
• Clear Repo Cache: Refreshes the app repository.
• Magisk Core Only Mode: Magisk in its simplest form, with just superuser, hide, systemless hosts, and busybox. Enable this if your device doesn’t pass the SafetyNet check.
• Enable Busybox: Mounts busybox.
• Magisk Hide: Hide’s Magisk from known detections that certain apps use to block access because of root status.
• Systemless Hosts: For Adblock apps.
• SuperUser Access: Choose what services are allows to request superuser access. Apps, ADB, both, or completely disable SuperUser.
• Automatic Response: Prompt, approve, or deny superuser request automatically.
• Request Timeout: How many seconds Magisk waits before automatically denying a request.
• SuperUser Notification: Toast or none. Displayed when an app is granted superuser permissions.
• Enabled advanced debug logging: Enabled verbose logging. Probably not necessary for most users.
• Enable shell command debug logging: Enables logging of shell commands and their output. Again, probably not necessary for most users.

Most of these are passively enabled (meaning they work in the background), with the exception of Magisk Hide. Once enabled, a new option will show up in the menu—Magisk Hide. This is where you’ll tell Magisk which apps to hide its presence (and status) from. Android Pay is selected by default, but you can also choose any other that won’t work on a rooted device—like Netflix and Pokémon Go, for example.



If your device doesn’t pass the SafetyNet check (as mine didn’t at first), apps like Android Pay won’t work until you fix this—regardless of Magisk Hide status. If you’re using a device with June security patches, you’ll need to enable Magisk Core Only mode in Settings (and then reboot) before it will pass SafetyNet. This will disable all Magisk Modules, but all root functionality and BusyBox will still work. If that doesn’t fix the issue, check this thread for troubleshooting.

Overall, Magisk is the answer to many of the root questions that users have had since Marshmallow. It’s the solution to most (if not all) of the issues rooted users have with modern handsets and services. When set up correctly, Magisk should provide the perfect balance between using Android with all the services you love without sacrificing the root tools you’ve become accustomed to using.

Stop FB from Auto Translating Posts

How to Stop Facebook from Automatically Translating Posts

By Harry Guinness


Facebook is an international social network. There are hundreds of millions of users who don’t speak English as their first language. You might end up friends with some of them, whether it’s because you meet travelling, or they’re distant family, or for any of a million other reasons. To help make life easier for you, Facebook will, by default, translate their posts for you.

This is great if you don’t speak a word of French, or Swedish, or whatever language your friend is posting in, but if you do the translations are often merely okay. “Merci la belle communauté”, which is what Facebook has translated above, means something closer to “Thanks to the beautiful community”, rather than “Thank you the beautiful community”.

If you’ve got any familiarity with another language, Facebook’s automatic translations are probably going to annoy you more than help you. Let’s look at how to turn them off.

When you see a post that’s been translated automatically in your New Feed, you can click on the Settings icon and select “Disable Automatic Translation For”.



This will turn off automatic translation, but still leave an option for you to click Translate this Post. If you select Never Translate, you won’t even get that option.



Alternatively, you can go to Settings > Language. You can get there by clicking on the downward facing arrow in the top right of the menu bar and selecting Settings.



Followed by Language.



Click “Which Languages Do You Not Want Automatically Translated” and enter the language you want.



Click Save Changes, and those posts in that language will no longer be automatically translated but you will have the option to translate them.

If you don’t want even that, click “Which Languages Do You Understand”, add the language, and then click Save Changes.

American Iconic Architecture

7 of the Most Iconic Pieces of American Architecture

Skyscrapers, museums, concert halls, desert homes, and more.

 
By Tim Newcomb

Iconic American architecture doesn't fit neatly in a box. Everything from cloud-scraping skyscrapers to flowing museums fit the bill—and those are both in the same city. Of course the are some fantastic historical pieces to look at but here we'll take a look at seven fairly modern projects that stand out as iconic for the United States, key in defining an architect, an age, a style or, simply, a country.

Taliesin West, Arizona — Frank Lloyd Wright



Considered one of America's finest architects of all time, Frank Lloyd Wright place what's possibly his most personal design, his desert home Taliesin West in the

McDowell Mountains of Scottsdale, Arizona. Started in 1937, the homestead was built up over the course of years by Wright and his architectural students—they still come to work at the site—and handcrafted with desert masonry of local volcanic rock, cement mixed with desert sand, and redwood beams that open to the light. Wright's aim was to embrace the nature around him, build with local materials, and then connect the  architecture through terraces, pools, and gardens.

Empire State Building, New York — William F. Lamb



Outdoing the Chrysler Building, which opened a few blocks and a few years ahead of it, the Empire State Building was the work of architects Shreve, Lamb and Harmon who welcomed the world's tallest building when it opened in 1931. (That record lasted until 1972.) Standing at 102 stories and 1,250 feet, the Art-Deco style tower from William F. Lamb still stands as an American icon, as much due to employing up to 3,400 workers a day during its Depression-era construction as well as the look that has been a staple of the New York City skyline for 80-plus years.

Dulles International Airport, Virginia — Eero Saarinen

Eero Saarinen first brought visitor's eyes to the sky with his 1947 design for the St. Louis Gateway Arch. That love for the sky sky effort then gave Americans the 1962-opened TWA terminal at JFK airport in New York City. But where Saarinen really came to embrace modern, wing-inspired design the most came in the narrow form of Dulles International Airport in Virginia. After extensive research to study passenger movements, Saarinen detailed a long, narrow terminal, with exterior architecture that serves as a gateway itself, a design long copied at airports the world over.

Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles — Frank Gehry

The adjectives you could use to describe Frank Gehry's 2003 concert hall in Los Angeles flow as freely as the form of the structure. Well-known for using a mix of materials, the Walt Disney Concert Hall features a stainless steel skin for its ability to curve but also because of its relatively low price.  (The skin did require some changes to a matte finish in places to reduce glare and hot spots.) Inside, the hall takes on a completely different appearance with Douglas fir and oak designed to scientifically-derived acoustic standards, a dichotomy of Gehry's embrace of shape throughout the design for both acoustics and aesthetics.

Seagram Building, New York Ludwig — Mies van der Rohe

Opened in 1958 and standing at a modest 38 stories, the 515-foot-tall Seagram Building designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe isn't so much about height as it is about influence. Instead of embracing all things concrete, the Seagram Building has a glass and bronze exterior that didn't overwhelm the Park Avenue site, instead creating a plaza below to set the building off from the street. The architecture opened up the inside of the building, and celebrating the steel frame with bronze beams. Plus, the innovative plaza design has been mimicked by countless city structures since.

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York — Frank Lloyd Wright

While not finished until 1956, after the death of both the it's namesake and the architect, the Guggenheim Museum is a stark and unusual presence in Manhattan. Its cylindrical stack grows wider as it spirals upward toward a glass ceiling. Wright claimed his design would "make the building and the painting an uninterrupted, beautiful symphony such as never existed in the world of art before." The Wisconsin native, known for incorporating form into residential design, gave architects liberty to move away from the rectangular with his free-flowing Guggenheim.

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston — I.M. Pei

Opened in 1979 and overlooking Dorchester Bay, the John f. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum was designed by architect I.M. Pei, at the time a relatively unknown selection for the project. He took his experience designing with simple geometric shapes to task in order to create the museum, a 125-foot-tall concrete tower to a circular section housing a theater. The shapes merge with a highly landscaped site that merges building materials, shapes and nature to create an all-encompassing design.

Todays HaHa

Trivia

Kingsnakes Derive Their Name From Their?

Royal Coloration	Use In Luxury Garments
Diet	Venom Type

Answer: Diet

Kingsnakes (members of the genus Lampropeltis) are a diverse group comprised of five primary species and forty-five subspecies that have a wide range of sizes, colors, and habitats. What links this diverse stable of snakes together, however, isn’t any of those wide variables like size or color, but diet.

Kingsnakes are called such because they prey not only on a wide variety of creatures like birds, rodents, lizards, eggs, and whatever else they can opportunistically snatch up, but they will also prey on other snakes, including venomous snakes—in fact, many kingsnake species are immune to the venom of the venomous snakes they prey on.

In addition to venom immunity, many kingsnakes are able to exert unusually high levels of constrictive force, an adaptation researchers believe helps them to kill other snakes and reptile prey (which can sustain lower blood-oxygen levels before asphyxiating).

The “king” reference used to refer to snakes that prey on other snakes extends outside of the kingsnake “family” too; the king cobra is called such because it eats other snakes and even true cobras (of the genus Naja).

Did You Know

Did You Know?

Norway has won more gold medals at the Winter Olympic Games than any other country.

Today's Tech Term 

Y-Cable

A Y-Cable (a.k.a. Power Y-Cable) is a “Y” shaped power cable with three ends, one of which is a single common end that splits into half, forming a dual end.

Y-Cables are used to power internal hardware such as hard drives, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, etc. and may also be used as an extension for other power cables.

Electric Skateboard

The Boosted Electric Skateboard Is Better Than Just Fun—It's Useful

And every ride puts a smile on your face.

By Timothy Dahl

Riding an electric powered skateboard has been a dream of mine since 7th grade. So when I saw Casey Neistat cruising through New York so effortlessly on his Boosted Board, I knew I had to try it.

I have little interest in riding a hoverboard unless it's like Marty McFly's, but skating on a board without pushing always seemed like the ultimate thrill. I'm past learning kickflips, and prefer to keep all four of my wheels connected to the ground when I go out on my Arbor longboard. But my skating range is limited, and when I know I'd like to cover more ground I always opt for my bike. The Boosted electric skateboard changes all of this, and not only provides a thrilling afternoon adventure, but can also be a legitimate mode of transportation for commuting or simply getting around town.

THE SPECS

The Boosted Board is no toy. The 2nd generation Boosted Board is available in two models. The Dual+ ($1,499) is rated at a top speed of 22 mph, can climb hills with 25 percent grade, and has a standard range of 7 miles. A step below is the Dual ($1,299) which tops out at 20 mph, can climb a 20 percent grade, and also has a seven mile range. Later this year an extended range battery will be available for $199, that ups the range to considerable 12 miles.



I had the pleasure of riding a the Dual+ for a couple weeks. Its motor produces 2000 watts of power, which is transferred to each rear wheel by a belt drive system. It's all encased in a slim weatherproof enclosure that fits flush against the bottom of the board. It weighs in at 14.7 pounds which is manageable to tote around, but not ideal to carry long distances.

THE RIDE

I skated everyday in middle school and now only occasionally, but I still enjoy snowboarding and surfing. Having previous board riding experience definitely helped me get the feel of the Boosted Board faster. The starting sensation takes a bit of getting used to, but once you are up and riding the Boosted Board handles like any longboard skateboard.

The deck is made from solid bamboo and shaped to provide a natural suspension, which snaps you through turns and smooths out the bumps. The large diameter wheels also improve the ride and have a nice grip.

The Boosted Board is controlled by a handheld bluetooth device, that uses a thumb rolling mechanism to adjust your speed and braking. It's fairly intuitive, but the thumb trigger is sensitive to the slightest touch. It doesn't take much for the board to jolt into action.



There are four speed modes, that are designed for your level of riding. The first mode is purely beginner, and I found myself in that mode for most of the first few days of riding. The next mode up is an eco-mode that suited my needs just fine, but when I wanted a real thrill I bumped it to the third mode which is sport. Of course I had to try out the board in the fourth pro mode, but after scaring myself a bit at top speed, I realized I needed more than two weeks to work up to that. The higher modes are not only faster, but they accelerate quicker, and can climb steeper hills.

WHO'S IT FOR

The Boosted Board is ideal for anyone seeking a fun-first mode of transportation. A bike or car may get you somewhere faster, but the Boosted Board is all about the journey. You may think it's a bit pricey, but it's comparable to low-end electric bikes. Unlike a bicycle, it can be stored under your desk at work or in your closet.



Remember, always wear a helmet. The Boosted Board is deceptively fast, and pedestrians, bicycles, and cars, will often not know how to react to seeing you whizzing by.

Movie Preview - Despicable Me 3

Entertainment News

Marvel Studios Boss Kevin Feige Says Modern Superhero Films Owe It All To Blade, Who's Coming To The MCU 'Someday'

] 'Blade' [Credit: New Line Cinema]

By Tom Bacon, writer at CREATORS.CO

Twenty years ago, Batman and Robin seemed like the death knell for comic book movies. Hollywood concluded that audiences were tired of superheroes, and began to move on. For #Marvel, which for years had tried to generate interest in its characters, the future looked bleak. And then came Blade.

Even though Blade wasn't as famous as Spider-Man or the Fantastic Four, the success of Wesley Snipes's trilogy proved that superhero movies had a future. Now, Marvel visionary #KevinFeige has chimed in on the character's past and future.

Kevin Feige Fondly Remembers The Blade Franchise

Speaking to JoBlo, Feige observed:

"My tenure at Marvel started 17 years ago, and there were two things that sort of launched the modern era. One was X-Men, which was the first thing that people said, 'Oh, there's life here.' But a few years before that, there was Blade."

As strange as it may seem to modern Marvel fans, back in the 1990s, Hollywood viewed Marvel with disdain. A kid who gets bitten by a radioactive spider? A super soldier from World War II who throws his shield like a Frisbee? Really?

Blade changed that. It was an R-rated vampire film that rejoiced in its blood and gore. And it earned $131 million against a budget of just $45 million. The film became a cult classic, and #WesleySnipes is still remembered for the role today.

 As Feige noted:

"A character nobody had heard of at all, had only appeared in a few issues of Tomb of Dracula or something, turned into a big franchise. That was always a great lesson for me, where you go, 'It doesn't matter how well known the character is, it matters how cool the movie is.' Which, many years later, would be the reason we do Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange."

The entire #MCU is built on the lesson that Feige learned from Blade. In financial difficulty back in the late '90s, Marvel had sold the film rights to its greatest characters to other studios. When Marvel's executives decided to start making films themselves, they were essentially stuck with the leftovers; the characters nobody had been interested in buying the rights to, and the characters whose rights had reverted because studios decided they weren't interested in them.

As hard as it is to imagine, Iron Man was hardly an A-list superhero before Robert Downey Jr.'s massive comeback role in 2008. When Marvel announced Guardians of the Galaxy, everyone thought that the studio had finally jumped the shark — the movie starred a talking raccoon and a walking tree, after all! Instead of crashing, though, the film grossed a whopping $773 million in the global box office. This year's sequel grossed over $850 million, making Vol. 2 the most successful Marvel movie not to feature Robert Downey Jr.

According to Kevin Feige, the film that taught him to take risks with these properties? Blade.

Don't Expect To See Him Return Soon, Even Though It'll Happen Eventually


'Blade' [Credit: New Line Cinema]

Fans are eager for the Daywalker to return, but sadly it seems that Feige has no immediate plans. As he explained:

"We think it would be cool. Someday... I think Blade is a legacy character now, and I think it would be fun to do something with him one day."

It's an answer that's sure to leave fans frustrated. Many have suggested that the character would be ideally suited to the tone and style you see in Marvel Television's Netflix shows, but this suggests Feige is in no hurry. Last year, we learned that Marvel turned down a pitch for an Underworld/Blade crossover, leading Kate Beckinsale to suggest that the House of Ideas was "doing something with Blade." Naturally, Feige was asked, and responded:

"They did ask a long time ago and I think our answer was, ‘No, we’ll do something with ‘Blade’ at some point.’"

It seems that answer hasn't really changed. Feige fully intends to "do something" with the franchise, but he has no solid plans. All he has is the vague sense that this is a property he wants to keep his hands on, because he thinks that one day it could be great again.